Police officers search two houses in Tha Khae Subdistrict, Mueang District, and Khao Chaison Subdistrict, Khao Chaison District, Phatthalung Province on May 18, 2024.
PHATTHALUNG – Officers from Mueang Phatthalung Police Station arrested a female Thai police officer as an additional suspect in a case where a group of Thai men abducted a 29-year-old Indonesian man from Songkhla Province and took him to Phatthalung Province. They tortured him and recorded a video to send to his sister in Indonesia, demanding a ransom.
On May 18, police, armed with an arrest warrant from the Phatthalung Provincial Court, arrested Police Senior Sergeant Major Ploenpis, 45, attached to the Provincial Police Region 9. The police then took her into custody in Surat Thani Province while she was driving back from Bangkok. She was taken for interrogation at Mueang Phatthalung Police Station before being brought to court for detention at the same time. Police opposed bail.
Officers from Mueang Phatthalung Police Station arrested Police Senior Sergeant Major Ploenpis as an additional suspect in a case where a group of Thai men abducted a 29-year-old Indonesian man.
Initially, the female police officer denied all charges, even though the Phatthalung police investigation team found that she drove the car that took Mr. Syawana, 29, an Indonesian national, and two of his friends to be detained at a house in Phatthalung Province.
In this case, Thai police officers were contacted by officials from the Indonesian Consulate in Songkhla Province, who received information from the Indonesian Embassy on May 11. They reported that Mr. Syawana was taken by a group of Thai men from the Hat Yai district of Songkhla Province to Mueang Phatthalung district. He was then tortured by the Thai men, who recorded a video and sent it to his sister in Indonesia, demanding a ransom of 2,300,000 Thai baht.
Phatthalung forensic officials conducted an examination of the car of the suspect.
Mr. Syawana’s relatives had already transferred a partial amount of 800,000 baht. On May 14, the police rescued Mr. Syawana and his two friends from a house in Village No. 7, Tha Khae Subdistrict, Mueang District.
They also arrested Mr. Weerasak Thong-ubol, 37, a key suspect. He confessed that the female police officer drove Mr. Syawana to the house and told him to detain the victim.
Phatthalung forensic officials conducted a DNA test inside the car and obtained court warrants to search two houses in Tha Khae Subdistrict, Mueang District, and Khao Chaison Subdistrict, Khao Chaison District, Phatthalung Province, to find additional evidence.
Weerasak was a former subordinate of “Paeng Na Nod,” a 37-year-old fugitive who orchestrated a prison break by unlocking his shackles and escaping from a hospital in Nakhon Ratchasima Province to Phatthalung Province in October 2023. Police believe he later fled to Indonesia and have been unable to apprehend him up to the present day.
Police officers search two houses in Tha Khae Subdistrict, Mueang District, and Khao Chaison Subdistrict, Khao Chaison District, Phatthalung Province on May 18, 2024.
Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden and Her Majesty Queen Suthida of Thailand attend the Child Protection Summit Bangkok 2024 at the ESCAP Hall, the United Nations Convention Center (UNCC) on May 16, 2024.
BANGKOK – Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden and Her Majesty Queen Suthida of Thailand showed their supports to the child protection while attending the “Child Protection Summit Bangkok 2024” event in Bangkok.
This event on May 16, 2024 at the ESCAP Hall, the United Nations Convention Center (UNCC) was jointly organized by the World Childhood Foundation, founded by Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden, and Thailand’s the SafeguardKids Foundation.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, we have work to do. It starts with the children; we need to show the children that we see them and that we listen. And the perpetrators need to know that they cannot hide. Child sexual abuse is a borderless crime, and we need to collaborate internationally,” Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden, said in her opening speech, followed by an address to advocate child protection by Queen Suthida of Thailand.
“How can we safeguard our children when the dangers are out of arm’s reach? Sexual abuse of children is a complex issue. We need a holistic solution, we need financial support for vulnerable children, we need public awareness, and we need local communities to learn about the dangers. Her Majesty Queen Silvia should be an inspiration to us all,” said the Queen of Thailand.
The two queens oversaw the signing ceremony among Thai ministers of the Interior Ministry, Justice Ministry, and Social Development and Human Security Ministry, on a memorandum of understanding to advance child protection and suppression of child abuse, be it in the form of mental abuse, physical abuse, or sexual abuse.
This MOU aims to set new standards and foster zero tolerance of child exploitation to ensure Thai kids are well protected in all spaces so as to prevent child abuse, especially online sexual exploitation that has been fast spreading since 2022.
Child protection must be stronger for child sexual abuse to stop. When laws firmly protect children, they foster deterrence. When the public refuses to tolerate child exploitation, violations of children’s rights will have no place in Thai society.
Their Majesties also listened to reports from the World Childhood Foundation’s secretary-general, Ms. Paula Guillet de Monthoux, and SafeguardKids Foundation’s chairman and secretary-general, Mr. Chale Woodthanan, which underline the severity of child exploitation and the serious need to protect kids.
During the event, the royals also listened to performances by a youth chorus and visited exhibitions by organizations working for children’s causes in Thailand.
The Child Protection Summit Bangkok 2024 also presented panel discussions on important topics, namely “Key steps to reduce child sexual abuse online” and “Protecting children from sexual abuse: challenges and key steps forward”, as well as engaging exhibitions.
In addition to the “A Journey Through the Shadows of Child Sexual Abuse” exhibition, there was a photo exhibition by Myanmar artist Ms. Hla Hla Win. The latter demonstrated the haunting pain of children forced into prostitution.
The tourist, a 30-year-old Ukrainian-born woman with Portuguese nationality has repeatedly caused disturbances in Phuket province,
PHUKET – The tourist, a 30-year-old Ukrainian-born woman with Portuguese nationality, who has repeatedly caused disturbances in Phuket province, was sentenced by the Phuket Provincial Tourism Court to pay a fine. Her parents came to pick her up to return to their country.
Nadia had been in the news continuously for her behavior, such as taking a taxi to a hotel in Rawai sub-district and not paying, threatening to stab the taxi driver with a knife, which was an incident that was reported to the police.
In addition, she had slapped an airport employee, taken a bus without paying, occupied a sofa in a hotel lobby as her sleeping place, and when asked to leave, she went to stay at a nearby hotel and refused to pay again.
The female foreign tourist, who returned to the hotel in Rawai with her belongings and a small dog, took over a sofa in the lobby and began sleeping there.
On May 17, the Phuket Provincial Court read the verdict in the case of Ms. Nadia, finding her guilty of destroying property and using a knife to assault others at a hotel in Rawai sub-district, Chalong district, causing danger to life, body, liberty, reputation, or property of others, causing others to be fearful or frightened by intimidation, and sentenced her to 6 months in prison.
However, the defendant confessed, which was beneficial to the trial. Considering that the defendant had already compensated the victim for the damage and had no prior record of imprisonment, the court suspended the sentence for 2 years.
Previously, the investigating officer had brought Nadia to be detained at the Phuket Provincial Court. The court found that the defendant had a mental condition and sent her for treatment at Suan Saranrom Hospital until the doctor was of the opinion that the defendant’s condition had improved and she could fight the case. The Phuket Provincial Public Prosecutor then filed a lawsuit against the defendant.
On the day of the court’s verdict, the defendant’s parents traveled from abroad to hear the verdict and paid the fine in full, ready to take the defendant back to their country.
This case is one of the cases in which the Phuket Provincial Court has opened a tourist case division to handle both criminal and civil disputes, as well as to coordinate with relevant agencies in assisting tourists to protect their legal rights and to punish offenders strictly.
A tiger cub that was found astray in Bang Pakong District, Chachoengsao Province, and a lion cub that was claimed to be a liger were seized by the wildlife officers on May 17, 2024.
BANGKOK – As the liger, a hybrid offspring of a male lion and a tigress, is not protected by law, the owner of a tiger cub who found it astray in Bang Pakong District, Chachoengsao Province around 3.30 a.m. on Thursday had lied to the officials, claiming that it was a liger.
On that day later, when wildlife officials went to examine at the Lion Farm, Moo 5, Pak Nam Subdistrict, Bang Khla District, Chachoengsao Province, the tiger cub’s owner sent a lion cub to to them for examination. He claimed that it was a “liger” cub and that the stripes were the result of spray paint used to make it look like a tiger cub for a Hollywood movie filming.
However, the officials discovered that the lion cub which was sent to them for examination was not a liger as claimed. Therefore, on Friday wildlife officials went to examine at the Lion Farm again.
This time, the officials had to wait for nearly an hour before the farm caretaker allowed them to enter, and there was a condition that reporters were not allowed to enter the farm area. After that, the farm owner changed his mind again and scheduled to meet with the officials at the Bang Khla District Hall.
The farm owner brought relevant documents to show and admitted that the animal found was indeed a tiger cub. He agreed to bring the tiger cub that was in the news to the officials.
A tiger cub was found astray in Bang Pakong District, Chachoengsao Province in the early hours of May 16, 2024.
Mr. Atthaphol Charoenchansa, Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said that upon inspection, it was found that the real tiger cub that appeared in Bang Pakong is about 4 months old, while the lion cub is about 2 months old. It was discovered that both animals were illegally possessed. The officials, therefore, confiscated both animals and will take legal action against the owner.
Regarding the owner’s claim that the tiger cub was purchased from the border, officials must further investigate whether the Bang Khla farm is involved in any wrongdoing because the Bang Khla farm is not registered with the Department of National Parks but is only registered as a controlled wildlife farm.
The farm owner initially claimed that the lion cub was a liger and that the stripes were the result of spray paint used to make it look like a tiger cub for filming.
Additionally, there will be further investigations with the owner of the tiger and lion cubs, who also owns a farm in Nakhon Pathom Province, to determine whether all the tigers and lions on that farm were obtained legally. The penalty for illegal possession is 10 years imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 baht.
As for the liger species, it was found that there are no more than 15 legally registered ligers in zoos throughout the country, in accordance with the law.
On Saturday, Mr. Atthaphol stated that the illegal owner of a tiger and a lion cub faces up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to 500,000 baht. The farm owner in Nakhon Pathom, meanwhile, faces a jail term of 6 months and/or a fine of up to 50,000 baht for not informing the authorities about the transaction.
Meanwhile, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Patchravat Vongsuwon, named the tiger cub “Nina.” The officials from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation brought Nina to the Bueng Chawak Wildlife Management Development Center in Suphan Buri Province to raise her. They will charge the tiger cub’s owner, who is being prosecuted, 1,394,000 baht for the care of the cub over a 10-year period, in accordance with the department’s regulations.
FILE - A worker assembles an SUV at a car plant of Li Auto, a major Chinese EV maker, in Changzhou in eastern China's Jiangsu province on March 27, 2024. (Chinatopix Via AP, File)
Tinglong Dai Johns Hopkins University – In June 2019, then-presidential candidate Joe Biden tweeted: “Trump doesn’t get the basics. He thinks his tariffs are being paid by China. Any freshman econ student could tell you that the American people are paying his tariffs.”
Fast-forward five years to May 2024, and President Biden has announced a hike in tariffs on a variety of Chinese imports, including a 100% tariff that would significantly increase the price of Chinese-made electric vehicles.
President Joe Biden speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, announcing plans to impose major new tariffs on electric vehicles, semiconductors, solar equipment and medical supplies imported from China. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Tariffs have a troubled history
The U.S. has a long history of tariffs that have failed to achieve their economic goals.
The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 was meant to protect American jobs by raising tariffs on imported goods. But it backfired by prompting other countries to raise their tariffs, which led to a drop in international trade and deepened the Great Depression.
President George W. Bush’s 2002 steel tariffs also led to higher steel prices, which hurt industries that use steel and cost American manufacturing an estimated 200,000 jobs. The tariffs were lifted after the World Trade Organization ruled against them.
The Obama administration’s tariffs on Chinese-made solar panels in 2012 blocked direct imports but failed to foster a domestic solar panel industry. Today, the U.S. relies heavily on imports from companies operating in Southeast Asia – primarily Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Many of those companies are linked to China.
Why EV tariffs are different this time
Biden’s EV tariffs, however, might defy historical precedent and succeed where the solar tariff failed, for a few key reasons:
1. Timing matters.
When Obama imposed tariffs on solar panels in 2012, nearly half of U.S. installations were already using Chinese-manufactured panels. In contrast, Chinese-made EVs, including models sold in the U.S. by Volvo and Polestar, have negligible U.S. market shares.
Because the U.S. market is not dependent on Chinese-made EVs, the tariffs can be implemented without significant disruption or price increases, giving the domestic industry time to grow and compete more effectively.
By imposing tariffs early, the Biden administration hopes to prevent the U.S. market from becoming saturated with low-price Chinese EVs, which could undercut domestic manufacturers and stifle innovation.
FILE – A worker checks solar panels at a factory in Jiujiang in central China’s Jiangxi province on March 16, 2018. (Chinatopix via AP)
2. Global supply chains are not the same today.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains, such as the risk of disruptions in the availability of critical components and delays in production and shipping. These issues prompted many countries, including the U.S., to reevaluate their dependence on foreign manufacturers for critical goods and to shift toward reshoring – bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. – and strengthening domestic supply chains.
The war in Ukraine has further intensified the separation between U.S.-led and China-led economic orders, a phenomenon I call the “Supply Chain Iron Curtain.”
In a recent McKinsey survey, 67% of executives cited geopolitical risk as the greatest threat to global growth. In this context, EVs and their components, particularly batteries, are key products identified in Biden’s supply chain reviews as critical to the nation’s supply chain resilience.
Ensuring a stable and secure supply of these components through domestic manufacturing can mitigate the risks associated with global supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions.
3. National security concerns are higher.
Unlike solar panels, EVs have direct national security implications. The Biden administration considers Chinese-made EVs a potential cybersecurity threat due to the possibility of embedded software that could be used for surveillance or cyberattacks.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has discussed espionage risks involving the potential for foreign-made EVs to collect sensitive data and transmit it outside the U.S. Officials have raised concerns about the resilience of an EV supply chain dependent on other countries in the event of a geopolitical conflict.
BYD targets EV sales in Mexico
While Biden’s EV tariffs might succeed in keeping Chinese competition out for a while, Chinese EV manufacturers could try to circumvent the tariffs by moving production to countries such as Mexico.
Photo taken in April 2023 shows the Shanghai International Motor Show crowded with visitors. In the back is the sales booth of BYD Co., China’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer. (Kyodo)
This scenario is similar to past tactics used by Chinese solar panel manufacturers, which relocated production to other Asian countries to avoid U.S. tariffs.
Given the changing geopolitical reality, Biden’s 100% EV tariffs are likely the beginning of a broader strategy rather than an isolated measure. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai hinted at this during a recent press conference, stating that addressing vehicles made in Mexico would require “a separate pathway” and to “stay tuned” for future actions.
Is Europe next?
For now, given the near absence of Chinese-made EVs in the U.S. auto market, Biden’s EV tariffs are unlikely to have a noticeable short-term impact in the U.S. They could, however, affect decisions in Europe.
Mrs. Amorn Akkrasri (left), the mother of Mr. Sonthaya, who died in Gaza, gives an interview to reporters at her home in Nong Bua Lamphu on May 17, 2024.
NONG BUA LAMPHU – Sonthaya Akkrasri, 30, nicknamed Mos, was one of the two Thai workers recently confirmed dead by Israeli authorities. He had been held hostage by Hamas since October 7, 2023.
He came from Village No. 3, Ban Phrao Subdistrict, Mueang District, Nong Bua Lamphu Province, which is one of the ten provinces with the highest poverty rates in Thailand.
Mrs. Amorn Akkrasri, 50 years old, mother of Mr. Sonthaya or Mos, said that yesterday (16 May) around 3.10 pm, while she was herding buffaloes with her husband, Mr. Niphon Akkrasri, 52 years old, she received a call with many numbers and a plus sign.
At first, she was happy because she believed it was good news from Israel and that her son had been found. But at that moment, she heard a consular official say, “We regret to inform you.”.
“I was so shocked that I collapsed on the floor and could no longer speak. They said they had found a body and confirmed that it was my son, Mr. Sonthaya Akkrasri. I waved my husband over to tell him the news and he cried and repeated that it felt like we had sent our son to his death. Why did they have to kill our son?” Said Mrs. Amorn.
The couple then called their other son, who works in Taiwan, to inform him. The neighbors heard the news from the authorities.
Sonthaya Akkrasri, 30, nicknamed Mos, was one of the two Thai workers recently confirmed dead by Israeli authorities.
Mr. Niphon said that he had once dreamed of his son. In the dream, his son came to their home dressed in white and said that he was only visiting and would soon be leaving. In the dream, the father asked why he had to leave and the son said he was going back to visit friends who had not yet left. When he woke up and told his wife, she said it was probably because he missed their son so much. At this point they still believed their son was safe and even after 7 months they hoped he would return.
While the couple were being interviewed by reporters, a nephew called from Bangkok to ask about the news. Both cried again, overwhelmed with grief.
Ms. Amorn said that before Songkran, around 9-10 April, soldiers came to her house and asked for her son’s pictures. She only had pictures on her cell phone and handed them over because she thought the Israeli authorities needed them to search for her son. She never thought he would die.
Her son was married and had a daughter named Kaimook. After separating from his wife, he went to Israel to work for about a year. His 8-year-old daughter lives with her mother but visits her grandparents almost every day. She loves her father very much and called him every day before school until they lost contact. “Every time she sees a plane, Kaimook tells her grandmother that her father has come back,” says Ms. Amorn.
Mrs. Amorn adds that she does not yet have the courage to tell her granddaughter. She will wait until Mr. Sonthaya’s body arrives home.
Palestinian Football Association leader Jibril Rajoub delivers his speech during the FIFA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, May 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
BANGKOK (AP) — Facing a Palestinian proposal to suspend Israel from international soccer because of the conflict with Hamas, FIFA bought time Friday by agreeing to seek legal advice before holding an extraordinary council meeting within two months.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino outlined the plan to 211 member federations after leaders of the Palestinian and Israel soccer bodies spoke at the governing body’s annual congress in Bangkok.
“Now, due to the obvious sensitivity of these matters, FIFA will mandate as of now independent legal expertise to analyze and assess the three requests made by the Palestinian Football Association and ensure that the statutes and regulations of FIFA are applied in the correct way in order to ensure a fair and due process,” Infantino said.
“This legal assessment will have to allow for inputs and claims of both member associations. The results and the recommendations … will be forwarded to the FIFA council.
“Due to the urgency of the situation, an extraordinary FIFA Council will be convened and will take place before July 20 to review the results of the legal assessment and to take the decisions that are appropriate.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino delivers his speech at the FIFA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, May 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
The Palestinian soccer federation has now spoken at a FIFA Congress at least five times since 2014 without making the progress it wants.
Palestinian soccer’s issues with Israel in that decade have included travel restrictions on its players, the Israeli league including teams from West Bank settlements, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In the past 10 years, FIFA under two different presidents has deferred a vote or decision, or created a working group to report back at a later meeting.
The motion noted “international law violations committed by the Israeli occupation in Palestine, particularly in Gaza” and cited FIFA statutory commitments on human rights and against discrimination.
The Palestinian FA wrote that “all the football infrastructure in Gaza has been either destroyed, or seriously damaged, including the historic stadium of Al-Yarmuk.”
On Friday at the congress, Palestinian soccer’s leader Jibril Rajoub said “the Palestinian people, including the Palestinian football family, are enduring an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.”
He said 193 footballers were among the thousands of Palestinians to die in the ongoing war which erupted Oct. 7 with Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel.
More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures. About 80% of Gaza’s population have been driven from their homes.
Rajoub, who said he had been threatened because of his sanctions proposal, urged FIFA delegates not to delay the vote.
“The Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs has made serious threats to imprison me if I do not withdraw this proposal, but no power in the world can stand in the way of truth,” Rajoub said.
President of the Israel Football Associated Shino Moshe Zuares delivers his speech at the 74th FIFA congress in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, May 17, 2024.(AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
But Infantino said the matter couldn’t go to a full vote of the membership on Friday because it had to be dealt with by FIFA’s governing council.
“I do not want to divide our 211 member countries,” he said. “I have a responsibility as president to apply the statutes of FIFA and its regulations, whatever my personal conviction on these and other terrible matters around the world.”
He said at the FIFA council meeting on Wednesday, all 37 members unanimously agreed to condemn the acts of violence that have taken place and decided to send a strong message of solidarity.
“The FIFA Council also reiterated that football should not and should never become a hostage of politics and always remain … a force of good uniting people rather than dividing,” Infantino said.
The meeting Friday included delegates from Russia, whose national and club teams have been suspended from international competitions since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The legal argument put by FIFA and UEFA was the refusal of other European teams to play Russians would cause chaos in competitions.
Israel has played in UEFA competitions as a member since 1994 and no European federation has refused to play its teams.
“Education is the wellspring of creating value for human capital and driving business. Curriculum design and teaching methods must allow students with passion to experience magic moments of learning.”
Bangkok University fosters creative thinking, focusing on developing graduates who can think outside the box, keep pace with global changes, and meet workforce demands. They can create value in the workplace immediately by producing the DNA of a creative university through students in all fields.
Curriculum development and teaching methods follow the Bridging the Gap concept, linking industry with academics by integrating academic learning with experience and partner. The students who are under Bangkok University’s training will gain professional skills from the university’s global partnership network.
Last year, Bangkok University partnered with the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, a renowned American accelerator fund that has raised hundreds of millions of dollars.
The Hackathon event opened for students from universities in Thailand and aboard both undergraduates and graduates to form a team to participate in the said event. They created business proposals to pitch to world-leading entrepreneurs and obtained guidance from Silicon Valley’s mentors together with partners such as 9Basil and SkillLane as panelists. This activity gave students pre-service training experience, helped them understand the learning process, simulated real-life processes in the business world, and pictured the intensity of competition in today’s business world. This process created knowledge and magic moments for students rapidly—
We wish Bangkok University‘s graduates and students to discover themselves, build passion, and have moments and opportunities to immerse themselves in the intense business world through our learning approach under the learning management of Bangkok University.
Moreover, the Bridging the Gap concept recognizes that degrees may no longer match job requirements. Bangkok University has to look back and edit its curriculum design to provide skill sets that keep pace with global trends. As an academic partner between entrepreneurs and the university, we will create the essential degrees needed for work. Bangkok University envisions becoming a leading ASEAN educational institution, building confidence in the new Thai generation to pursue their passions, and elevating the university to a regional leader soon.
Relatives of Mr. Sutthisak Rintalak, a Thai worker who was taken hostage during the conflict in Gaza, are devastated by the tragic news of his death.
NONG KHAI – The family of a Thai worker who was taken hostage during the conflict in Gaza is devastated by the tragic news of his death, although they had prepared themselves mentally. They are still hoping for the release of other workers who are still being held captive as each of them fled poverty to work abroad in search of a better life.
Mr. Sutthisak Rintalak, 43, residing at 170 Moo 11, Phra Bat Na Singha Subdistrict, Rattana Wapi District, Nong Khai Province, was one of the workers from Nong Khai who wanted to work in agriculture in Israel. He was taken hostage on October 7, 2023, and his family was only recently informed of his death on 16 May 2024.
On May 17, a Khao Sod reporter in Nong Khai Province visited Mr. Sutthisak’s home and met his parents, Mr. Thongma Rintalak, 73, and Mrs. On Rintalak, 75. They were at home, grieving over the news.
Mr. Si Saengrit, the village headman of Ban Non Samran, Moo 11, brought villagers to help clean and prepare the house for Mr. Sutthisak’s funeral. Amidst the sadness, relatives broke into tears as they looked at his photos.
Mr. Thongma Rintalak, 73, and Mrs. On Rintalak, 75, show their son’s photo after receiving the tragic news that their son died while being held hostage in Gaza.
Mr. Thongma Rintalak, father of the deceased, said that Mr. Sutthisak was the youngest of their two children. He had been married and divorced without children. On August 10, 2017, Mr. Sutthisak, along with friends from the same village, applied for agricultural work in Israel. He worked continuously until the Gaza conflict occurred, resulting in him and other Thai workers being taken hostage.
After hearing the news, the parents prayed for their son’s safety, but also feared that he might already have died. They kept checking with the authorities for news. On the evening of 16 May, they heard from relatives that the authorities had called to confirm Mr. Sutthisak’s death. Although they had prepared themselves to some extent, Mrs. On was still overwhelmed with grief.
“We still hope that the group holding the remaining Thai workers will release them. Every worker is fighting for a better life and fleeing poverty to work abroad. We do not want other families to experience the same tragedy as ours. From now on, our eldest son will be the only one to take care of us,” said Mr. Thongma.
The parents of a Thai worker who died in Gaza are still hoping for the release of other workers who are still being held captive as each of them fled poverty to work abroad in search of a better life.
Relatives of Mr. Sutthisak said they are waiting to see if his body or ashes will be returned to the family. They are preparing for the funeral. If neither his body nor ashes are returned, they will invite monks to conduct a merit-making ceremony with his photo.
Ms. Sommai Thiamkan, a labor official in Nong Khai, stated that the deceased would initially receive benefits including 50,000 baht as compensation for Thai workers affected by the riots in Israel, 31,108.26 baht from the old-age pension of the Social Security Fund and 40,000 baht from the Employment Assistance Fund for Thai Workers Abroad, Department of Labor.
At the international level, compensation will include payment of Israeli social security and unpaid wages and severance pay, which will be coordinated with the relevant agencies. The Nong Khai Labor Office has also assisted the parents in submitting documents to the Rattanawapi District Office to apply for these benefits.
Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods) reaffirms its dedication to food security through sustainable management of surplus food and reduction of food waste across its operations. Along with this mission, CP Foods is spearheading its involvement in the “Thailand’s Food Bank” initiative. This collaboration involves the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), the SOS Foundation, and private sector partners, to reduce food waste to landfills.
This partnership aligns with Thailand’s BCG (Bio-Circular-Green) economic model, promoting public well-being through responsible food production and consumption practices. It also supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 2 “Zero Hunger” and SDG 12 “Responsible Consumption and Production.”
Mr. Tawit Thanhakarnjanakul, Director of Logistics and Distribution Centers at CPF Global Food Solution Public Co., Ltd. (CPFGS), the leading global food solutions provider engaged in food products and services under CP Foods, emphasized the Company’s mission to ensure food security. “Beyond upholding stringent food safety, quality, and accessibility standards, we recognize the critical importance of reducing food loss and waste across our entire supply chain,” he stated.
CPFGS implements comprehensive measures to minimize food waste. This includes optimizing inventory planning to meet customer demand, closely monitoring product shelf life, and exploring alternatives to divert surplus food from landfills. “Our goal is to maximize resource efficiency and minimize the environmental impact of our operations,” Mr. Tawit affirmed.
By employing meticulous inventory management strategies and extending product lifecycles through proper handling and storage, CPFGS aims to significantly curb the volume of surplus food designated for disposal. When surplus inventory is unavoidable, the company actively seeks opportunities to repurpose safe, high-quality food items through partnerships with charitable organizations and food redistribution programs.
As part of Thailand’s Food Bank project, CP Foods shares its extensive expertise in managing surplus food efficiently. The company has implemented robust measures to minimize food waste throughout its supply chain, including optimized inventory planning, effective shelf-life management, and diverting safe, high-quality surplus food to vulnerable communities.
Since June 2020, CP Foods has been collaborating with the Scholars of Sustenance Foundation (SOS Thailand) on the impactful “Circular Meal” project. Through this initiative, surplus food items from the company’s two logistics and distribution centers in Chachoengsao province and Samut Sakhon province, are redirected to serve vulnerable communities. The surplus includes ready-to-eat meals and frozen and chilled foods that maintain high quality, safety, and nutritional standards.
These perfectly consumable surplus foods are distributed to underprivileged groups, such as low-income families, children, and the elderly, in Bangkok and its surrounding areas. The “Circular Meal” project has provided over 200,000 nourishing meals to these disadvantaged communities.
Notably, this food recovery and redistribution effort has prevented approximately 50 tons of food waste from ending up in landfills. Additionally, it has mitigated greenhouse gas emissions by over 124 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e), comparable to planting more than 13,000 trees.
By diverting surplus food to those in need, CP Foods demonstrates its commitment to sustainable practices that simultaneously address food insecurity and minimize the company’s environmental footprint. The “Circular Meal” project exemplifies how strategic cross-sector partnerships can create tangible positive impacts for society and the planet.
“At CP Foods, we prioritize responsible production and consumption practices, setting an ambitious target of Zero Food Waste to Landfill,” affirmed Mr. Tawit. “We stand ready to collaborate and contribute our expertise in studying innovative approaches to effectively manage surplus food and reduce food waste across the nation.”
Recently, CP Foods participated in the launch of the Thailand’s Food Bank project launched by NSTDA, supported by the Agricultural Research Development Agency (ARDA). The project plays as a model and create the guidelines for managing surplus food suitable for Thailand to ensure equal access to food for those in need and vulnerable groups. CP Foods representatives shared their experience in managing surplus food and jointly donating surplus food to the SOS foundation for prepare nutritious meal for vulnerable residents surrounding Khlong Song Kratiem School, Lat Phrao, Bangkok.
