SUVARNABHUMI – On March 25, 2024, Customs officers working with the Airport Interdiction Task Force (AITF) identified a male passenger of Nigerian nationality traveling from Doha, Qatar to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand.
Sixty-nine cocaine lumps with a total weight of 1,390 grams and a value of 4,170,000 baht were found in Nigerian suspect’s body.
Upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the suspect exhibited suspicious behavior and was subsequently subjected to a thorough check. Sixty-nine cocaine lumps with a total weight of 1,390 grams and a value of 4,170,000 baht were found in his body. The arresting officers documented the seizure and handed the suspect over to Suvarnabhumi Airport Police Station for further prosecution.
Mr. Thirach Attanawanich, Director General of Customs, stated that in line with the government’s strict anti-drug policy, he has directed officials to step up their vigilance in monitoring all channels for drug smuggling.
As a result, during fiscal year 2024 (October 1, 2023–March 25, 2024), the Customs Department recorded 74 drug seizures totaling approximately 412.86 million baht. In comparison, there were 185 arrests totaling 1.17 billion baht in fiscal year 2023 (October 1, 2022–September 30, 2023).
Chinese tourists pose for a group photo at Ancient Siam in Samut Prakan, Thailand, March 1, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)
TAIYUAN – Just after bidding farewell to a group of Thai teachers visiting universities in Beijing, tour guide Yang Yaoyu rushed to Shanxi Province in north China to greet another group of Thai visitors.
The seasoned Thai-speaking tour guide can attest to a recent surge in enthusiasm among Thai tourists towards China, after a mutual visa exemption agreement between the two countries took effect on March 1.
“Previously, the peak of Thai tourists to China was in April after Songkran festival. However, my schedule is now fully booked from March 3 until the end of April,” Yang said.
Porntip Rojansunan, together with the other 20 Thai visitors in her group, is a beneficiary of the visa waiver. After flying directly from Bangkok to Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi, on March 9, the group commenced their five-day trip by visiting three UNESCO World Heritage sites in the province, namely, Mount Wutai, Yungang Grottoes, and the ancient city of Pingyao.
A technician with the Yungang Grottoes Research Institute maintains a piece of relics at the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, north China’s Shanxi Province, May 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhan Yan)
“Before, I was only familiar with Chinese destinations like Beijing and Shanghai. Since coming to Shanxi, I must say how impressed I am by the profound history and rich culture here. I will undoubtedly encourage my friends and relatives to come to experience the charm of Shanxi themselves,” Porntip said.
The visa-free policy has boosted cultural exchanges between the Chinese and Thai people, and more and more Thai tourists are considering China as their first choice destination for overseas travel.
Data from China’s major online travel agency Trip.com showed that on March 1, the number of Chinese tourists to Thailand increased by more than 30 percent year on year, while travel orders from Thailand to China surged by threefold year on year, an increase of more than 160 percent compared with 2019.
Tourists take photos at the Wat Arun in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)
China and Thailand are important tourist destinations and sources for each other, and the implementation of the mutual visa exemption holds significantly positive implications for the growth of the tourism sectors in both nations, said Qin Jing, vice president of Trip.com Group. The Chinese side can provide Thai tourists with more personalized options spanning culture, folk custom, and snow-and-ice activities, among others, Qin added.
China is persistent in its facilitation of entry for foreign nationals, promising to make itself a preferred destination for international travelers. Since the mutual visa exemption policy between China and Thailand came into effect, the number of countries that have such entry policy with China has increased to 23, including Singapore, the Maldives, and the United Arab Emirates.
In addition, China has adopted a visa-free policy for Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg on a trial basis, starting March 14. This series of measures is regarded by industry insiders as a positive signal that is conducive to promoting global economy and trade and accelerating personnel exchanges.
“The recently concluded sessions of China’s top legislature and top political advisory body, or the ‘two sessions,’ also mentioned that the country will facilitate foreign nationals to work, study, and travel within China. This indicates that the fundamentals of China’s unwavering commitment to opening up remain constant,” said Zhang Wei, secretary general of the inbound tourism branch of China Association of Travel Services.
Myanmar’s trucks carrying aid leave from the customs checkpoint near the border with Myanmar, in Mae Sot, Tak province Thailand Monday, March 25, 2024. Thailand delivered its first batch of humanitarian aid to war-torn Myanmar sending ten trucks over the border from the northern province of Tak in what they hope will be a continuing effort to ease the plight of millions of people displaced by fighting. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
MAE SOT, Thailand (AP) — Thailand delivered its first batch of humanitarian aid to war-torn Myanmar on Monday, in what officials hope will be a continuing effort to ease the plight of millions of people displaced by fighting.
But critics charge that the aid will benefit only people in areas under the Myanmar military’s control, providing it with a propaganda boost while leaving the vast majority of displaced people in contested areas without access to assistance.
Myanmar is wracked by a nationwide armed conflict that began after the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 and suppressed widespread nonviolent protests that sought a return to democratic rule. The fighting has displaced millions of people and battered the economy.
Thailand sent ten trucks over the border from the northern province of Tak, carrying some 4,000 packages of aid to three towns in Kayin State, also known as Karen State, where it will be distributed to approximately 20,000 displaced people.
Myanmar’s trucks carrying aid leave from the customs checkpoint near the border with Myanmar, in Mae Sot, Tak province Thailand Monday, March 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
The parcels contained aid worth around 5 million baht ($138,000), mostly food, instant beverages and other basic items such as toiletries.
More than 2.8 million people in Myanmar are displaced, according to U.N. agencies, most by fighting that arose after the army’s takeover. They say 18.6 million people, including 6 million children, require humanitarian aid.
Carl Skau, Chief Operating Officer of the U.N.’s World Food Programme, said earlier this month that one in four of the displaced is at risk of acute food insecurity.
The initiative for what has been called a humanitarian corridor is being carried out by the Thai Red Cross, with funding from Thailand’s Foreign Ministry and logistical support from the army, which traditionally has played a major role in border activities.
Officials from Thailand and Myanmar’s Kayin State attended a send-off ceremony, which was presided over by Thai Vice Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow. Myanmar’s Red Cross will handle distribution of the aid.
Drivers from Myanmar took the trucks across the 2nd Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge, which crosses the Moei River on the border.
“That corridor puts humanitarian aid into the hands of the junta because it goes into the hands of the junta-controlled Myanmar Red Cross,” Tom Andrews, the U.N. independent human rights expert on Myanmar, said last week.
A camp for internally displaced people in Myanmar is seen across the Moei river from Mae Sot, Tak province Thailand Monday, March 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
“So we know that the junta takes these resources, including humanitarian, and weaponizes them, uses them for their own military strategic advantage. The fact of the matter is, is that the reason that humanitarian aid is in such desperate need is precisely because of the junta.”
Andrews said the areas in desperate need are “conflict areas in which the junta has absolutely no influence or control whatsoever. So those are the areas we need to focus on.”
Large areas of the country, especially frontier areas, are now contested or controlled by anti-military resistance forces, including pro-democracy fighters allied with armed ethnic minority organizations that have been fighting for greater autonomy for decades.
Thai officials say the process of distribution will be monitored by the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management to ensure it reaches people fairly and equally.
Vice Foreign Minister Sihasak said after the ceremony that the aid is expected to be delivered to the three towns the same day, and that Myanmar will send photos as proof it has been delivered.
“I would like to emphasize that this is truly humanitarian aid and not related to the politics or conflicts in Myanmar. I think, now, people should think about the interests of the Myanmar people as a priority,” he said. “Of course, if the initiative today is carried out smoothly, and meets the objectives that we set, Thailand as a neighbor will see how we can expand the help to other areas.”
The humanitarian corridor project was initiated by Thailand with support from Myanmar and other fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations during an ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat in Laos in January.
A camp for internally displaced people in Myanmar is seen across the Moei river from Mae Sot, Tak province Thailand Monday, March 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara had said ASEAN needs to actively push to implement what it calls the Five-Points Consensus, which it agreed to just a few months after the army’s 2021 takeover.
The agreement called for an immediate end to violence, dialogue among all concerned parties, mediation by an ASEAN special envoy, provision of humanitarian aid through ASEAN channels, and a visit to Myanmar by the special envoy to meet all concerned parties.
But Myanmar’s generals, despite initially assenting to the consensus, failed to act on it, leaving ASEAN looking powerless.
Dulyapak Preecharush, a professor of Southeast Asia Studies at Bangkok’s Thammasat University, said the aid initiative is a good start for Thailand, which has been quiet and inactive” about Myanmar.
“The readiness of Thailand to deliver the aid is not an issue, but when the aid is delivered to Myanmar, it will face obstacles from violent fighting and different stakeholders who will have their gains and losses.”
Sihasak said Thailand hopes the aid will be distributed equally and transparently, and that the delivery of the aid will help create a “good atmosphere” that will contribute to the peace process in Myanmar.
CP Foods Leads Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Drive; 584 Products Achieving Carbon Footprint Labels in 1Q/24
– CP Foods is dedicated to introducing lower-carbon food products to the market, catering to consumers who are concerned about the impacts of global warming and climate change.
– In the first quarter of 2024, 584 products received Carbon Footprints Certificates mainly 523 animal feed products, including swine, chicken feed, and corn used as raw materials.
-40 shrimp products spanning from shrimp feed, fresh shrimp, probiotic microorganisms, and shrimp wonton soup also received Carbon Footprint certification
Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods), a leading food products company, has achieved Carbon Footprint of Product (CFP) certification for its 584 products in the first quarter of this year, granted by the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO). This underscores the company’s dedication to producing low-carbon products (CP Low-carbon Products) and involving consumers in collective efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Among the 584 certified products, CP Foods focuses on livestock feed products, totalling 523 items, including swine feed (HiGro 591), chicken feed (HiProWhite 510), and feed corn. Additionally, 40 items in the shrimp supply chain have received the carbon footprint label, comprising shrimp feed, fresh shrimp, probiotic microorganisms, and shrimp wonton soup. Furthermore, 20 items of duck products have been certified, including Hong Kong-style spiced roast duck and fried bone-in duck. A ready-to-eat chicken product under the Kitchen Joy brand has also received this label.
The Carbon Footprint certification measures the greenhouse gas emissions of a product throughout its lifecycle stages, from raw material sourcing to packaging waste management and transportation. Committed to achieving net zero emissions, CP Foods collaborates with value chain partners to offer more low-emission food choices for environmentally conscious consumers. This commitment is evident through the packaging’s Carbon Footprint, Carbon Footprint Reduction, and Carbon Neutral labels.
Since 2009, CP Foods has prioritized the development of low-carbon products, evaluating their carbon footprints in compliance with ISO 14040, ISO 14044, and ISO 14067 standards.
Currently, 880 CP Foods products have received the Carbon Footprint label, with plans to expand certification to include processed pork products under the U Farm brand in 2024, following Fresh Pork and Kurobuta Pork, which have previously received Carbon Footprint certification. Furthermore, the company intends to certify additional ready-to-eat products with the Carbon Footprint label this year.
A suspect in the Crocus City Hall shooting on Friday is escorted by police officers in the Basmanny District Court, in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, March 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
MOSCOW (AP) — Four men accused of staging the Russia concert hall attack that killed more than 130 people appeared before a Moscow court Sunday showing signs of severe beatings as they faced formal terrorism charges. One appeared to be barely conscious during the hearing.
A court statement said two of the suspects accepted their guilt in the assault after being charged in the preliminary hearing, though the men’s condition raised questions about whether they were speaking freely. There had been earlier conflicting reports in Russian media outlets that said three or all four men admitted culpability.
Moscow’s Basmanny District Court formally charged Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, 32; Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, 30; Shamsidin Fariduni, 25; and Mukhammadsobir Faizov, 19, with committing a group terrorist attack resulting in the death of others. The offense carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The court ordered that the men, all of whom are citizens of Tajikistan, be held in pre-trial custody until May 22.
Saidakrami Murodali Rachabalizoda, a suspect in the Crocus City Hall shooting on Friday, sits in a glass cage in the Basmanny District Court in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, March 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
Russian media had reported that the men were tortured during interrogation by the security services, and Mirzoyev, Rachabalizoda and Fariduni showed signs of heavy bruising, including swollen faces,
Rachabalizoda also had a heavily bandaged ear. Russian media said Saturday that one of the suspects had his ear cut off during interrogation. The Associated Press couldn’t verify the report or the videos purporting to show this.
The fourth suspect, Faizov, was brought to court from a hospital in a wheelchair and sat with his eyes closed throughout the proceedings. He was attended by medics while in court, where he wore a hospital gown and trousers and was seen with multiple cuts.
Court officials said Mirzoyev and Rachabalizoda admitted guilt for the attack after being charged.
The hearing came as Russia observed a national day of mourning for the attack Friday on the suburban Crocus City Hall concert venue that killed at least 137 people.
The attack, which has been claimed by an affiliate of the Islamic State group, is the deadliest on Russian soil in years.
Mukhammadsobir Faizov, a suspect in Friday’s shooting at the Crocus City Hall, sits in a glass cage in the Basmanny District Court in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, March 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
Russian authorities arrested the four suspected attackers Saturday, with seven more people detained on suspicion of involvement in the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an address to the nation Saturday night. He claimed they were captured while fleeing to Ukraine, something that Kyiv firmly denied.
Events at cultural institutions were canceled Sunday, flags were lowered to half staff and television entertainment and advertising were suspended, according to state news agency RIA Novosti. A steady stream of people added to a makeshift memorial near the burned-out concert hall, creating a huge mound of flowers.
“People came to a concert, some people came to relax with their families, and any one of us could have been in that situation. And I want to express my condolences to all the families that were affected here and I want to pay tribute to these people,” Andrey Kondakov, one of the mourners who came to lay flowers at the memorial, told AP.
“It is a tragedy that has affected our entire country,” kindergarten employee Marina Korshunova said. “It just doesn’t even make sense that small children were affected by this event.” Three children were among the dead.
Rescuers continued to search the damaged building and the death toll rose as more bodies were found as family and friends of some of those still missing waiting for news. Moscow’s Department of Health said Sunday it had begun identifying the bodies of those killed via DNA testing, saying the process would take at least two weeks.
Igor Pogadaev was desperately seeking any details about his wife, Yana Pogadaeva, who went to the attack concert. The last he heard from her was when she sent him two photos from the Crocus City Hall music venue.
People lay flowers at a spontaneous memorial in memory of the victims of Moscow attack in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, March 24, 2024. Russia observed a national day of mourning on Sunday, two days after an attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed over 130 people. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
After Pogadaev saw the reports of gunmen opening fire on concertgoers, he rushed to the site, but couldn’t find her in the numerous ambulances or among the hundreds of people who had made their way out of the venue.
“I went around, searched, I asked everyone, I showed photographs. No one saw anything, no one could say anything,” Pogadaev told AP in a video message.
He watched flames bursting out of the building as he made frantic calls to a hotline for relatives of the victims, but received no information.
As the death toll mounted Saturday, Pogodaev scoured hospitals in the Russian capital and the Moscow region, looking for information on newly admitted patients.
His wife wasn’t among the 182 reported injured, nor on the list of 60 victims authorities had already identified, he said.
The Moscow Region’s Emergency Situations Ministry posted a video Sunday showing equipment dismantling the damaged music venue to give rescuers access.
Putin has called the attack “a bloody, barbaric terrorist act” and said Russian authorities captured the four suspects as they were trying to escape to Ukraine through a “window” prepared for them on the Ukrainian side of the border.
Russian media broadcast videos that apparently showed the detention and interrogation of the suspects, including one who told the cameras he was approached by an unidentified assistant to an Islamic preacher via a messaging app and paid to take part in the raid.
Putin didn’t mention IS in his speech to the nation, and Kyiv accused him and other Russian politicians of falsely linking Ukraine to the assault to stoke fervor for Russia’s fight in Ukraine, which recently entered its third year.
U.S. intelligence officials said they had confirmed the IS affiliate’s claim.
Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, a suspect in the Crocus City Hall shooting on Friday sits in a glass cage in the Basmanny District Court in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, March 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
“ISIS bears sole responsibility for this attack. There was no Ukrainian involvement whatsoever,” National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement.
The U.S. shared information with Russia in early March about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow, and issued a public warning to Americans in Russia, Watson said.
The raid was a major embarrassment for Putin and happened just days after he cemented his grip on the country for another six years in a vote that followed the harshest crackdown on dissent since the Soviet times.
Some commentators on Russian social media questioned how authorities, who have relentlessly suppressed any opposition activities and muzzled independent media, failed to prevent the attack despite the U.S. warnings.
IS, which fought against Russia during its intervention in the Syrian civil war, has long targeted Russia. In a statement posted by the group’s Aamaq news agency, the IS Afghanistan affiliate said that it had attacked a large gathering of “Christians” in Krasnogorsk.
The group issued a new statement Saturday on Aamaq, saying the attack was carried out by four men who used automatic rifles, a pistol, knives and firebombs. It said the assailants fired at the crowd and used knives to kill some concertgoers, casting the raid as part of the Islamic State group’s ongoing war with countries that it says are fighting against Islam.
In October 2015, a bomb planted by IS downed a Russian passenger plane over Sinai, killing all 224 people on board, most of them Russian vacationers returning from Egypt.
The group, which operates mainly in Syria and Iraq but also in Afghanistan and Africa, also has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Russia’s volatile Caucasus and other regions in past years. It recruited fighters from Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lights a candle to commemorate the victims of an attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue, on the day of national mourning, in Russia, Sunday, March 24, 2024. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
The sign in front of the restaurant reads: "The company want to return to China for development. Chudu Hot Pot Company (head office) is looking to locate a new owner or take over. "All company documents are complete." (Matichon Photo)
BANGKOK – The crackdown forces the closure of at least 12 Chinese restaurants in Huai Khwang district, dubbed Bangkok’s new Chinatown, according to a Prachachat Business report.
Authorities inspecting Pracharat Bamphen Road in Huai Khwang district find restaurants and supermarkets operated and funded by Chinese expats in breach of the law.
Huai Khwang district officials recently launched a crackdown on illegal operations in Chinese restaurants on Pracharat Bamphen Road, identifying then ordering the closure of least 12 restaurants and supermarkets operating in violation of the Foreign Business Act.
According to the authorities, the restaurants are: Dragon Shabu Mala, Chao Tian Men Hot Pot, JP Shabu, Mala Master, Kuanzhai Alley, Huang Ewi, Super Store, Shawn Yue, Hung Lou Meng, Tuan Sao Sao, Fuda Hot Pot, Piggy Mala, Khamoo and Fu Hwa. Most are restaurants serving Mala hot pot, a spicy and tongue-numbing dish cooked in a pot of simmering soup at the table.
The Chinese restaurant in Huay Kwang has closed down. (Prachachat Business Photo)
A neighborhood that never sleeps becomes subdued
A sober mood has set in following the crackdown. The typically vibrant atmosphere of the Pracharat Bamphen Road has been replaced by an unusual silence amidst the hustle and bustle of the Huai Khwang district in the heart of the city. The road has become quiet, with relatively little traffic and fewer foreign tourists and local visitors.
The Prachachat Turakij spoke with Praphruk Hankijjakul, a member of the Bangkok Metropolitan Council who represents Huai Khwang District about the current economic climate of businesses in the neighborhood and why many Chinese restaurants are shuttered.
“Business in the area has slowed. The road is notably quieter, mainly I think due to the closures of Chinese restaurants following the inspections,” he said.
The Chao Tian Men Hot Pot Restaurant used to be in Huay Kwang, but is now closed. (Khaosod Photo, Somjit Jaichuen)
Before the Covid-19 pandemic began, Chinese expats arrived in the neighborhood en masse. They started operating a range of hospitality businesses and opened shops, stores and Mala hotpot restaurants, causing Pracharat Bamphen Road to be dubbed “Bangkok’s new Chinatown”.
The Pracharat Bamphen area drew the attention of Chinese tourists and local visitors who enjoy shopping and the nightlife, especially eating hot pot-style dishes. Due to its popularity and rapid growth, many suspected that businesses in the area are linked to Chinese ‘gray businesses’ in Thailand.
In late 2023, the Huai Khwang district authorities launched a campaign on Pracharat Bumphen Road to inspect and strictly enforce regulations on Chinese-funded businesses in the district in a bid to curb the so-called ‘gray businesses’ with a focus on restaurants.
The move came after complaints were lodged about Thai citizens acting as nominees for foreign businesses and illegal operations in the area.
Mr. Praphruk said the authorities who carried out the inspections asked owners of Chinese restaurants for their business registration document to see whether they have breached the Foreign Business Act. They were also asked whether the food they were selling to consumers had been inspected and certified by Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration.
Matichon Photo
The investigation found many owners operating restaurants in Thailand without a permit. Officials ordered them to register their businesses with authorities.
However, some restaurants opted to shut their doors instead of following the rules, Mr. Praphruk noted.
To open a restaurant, he explained that owners must adhere to specific regulations including proper installation and maintenance of a grease trap and a fire escape. Some owners refused to invest in these installations to improve operations and be in accordance with the law, saying they rented the building space to open the restaurant. It was also noted that Thailand’s economy which was significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, has yet to fully recovered and it’s unlikely that the restaurant industry will return to its pre-pandemic level any time soon.
Yet others said the layout and design of some buildings are not suitable for a restaurant. Many owners said the registration is complicated process.
“When business was thriving, new Chinese restaurants mushroomed, with no permit. Authorities ordered them to obey the law but some restaurants failed to make the required improvements,” Mr. Praphruk said
About 30% of restaurants funded by the Chinese shut
According to him, about 10 out of 40 restaurants (about 30%) in the area have been closed, mostly Mala hotpot and Shabushi restaurants.
A restaurant occupies about 1-2 units of a building and requires an investment of about 2-3 million baht. Many of them are owned by Chinese national and others are funded by Chinese investors. Some have Thai citizens acting as nominees for Chinese-owned restaurants.
Mr. Praphruk said authorities gave the owners a 15-day grace period to register their businesses. When they failed to do so, they were given another 15 day to comply. When they were found to have flouted the rules, the authorities ordered them to shut their restaurants.
If owners violate authorities’ orders, they will be liable for a fine of up to 20,000-50,000 baht per day, he noted.
Some Chinese owners whose restaurants were shut due to illegal operations asked their compatriots to operate other businesses. The buildings that cannot be re-designed are permanently closed, he added.
Chinese restaurant owners have asked Thai business partners to act as nominees or hired an interpreter to help them in applying for a permit to open a restaurant, due to the communication barrier, Mr. Praphruk said.
Matichon Photo
Truly subdued and silent
Both sides of Pracharat Bamphen Road have been in a sober mood since the Chinese-owned restaurants shut following the crackdown, he noted.
“Business is crashing. Foreign tourists and local people used to flock to visit to the Ganesh shrine at the corner of the Huai Khwang intersection. They crossed the road to the neighborhood and stopped at restaurants to enjoy foods and drinks. These days, the area is nearly empty. Chinese tourists are turning to other places,” he said.
Chinese tourists are returning, Mr. Praphruk noted, but not to Bangkok. They go to Phuket, Samui Island, Pattaya and Koh Lan instead. Bangkok has become a stopover for Chinese tourists, not a final destination as it was in the past.
“The road is eerily quiet after 8-9pm. It was busy and dynamic until midnight,” he said.
He estimated that Chinese restaurants on Pracharat Bamphen Road generated a combined monthly revenue of up to 40 million baht, helping boost the local economy. Today, the revenue is reduced by more than half or just 15 million baht.
Mr. Praphruk noted that the closures of Chinese restaurants, which typically draw thousands of foreign tourists and local people who come to dine and shop has dealt a severe blow to the local economy.
“It’s really subdued neighborhood. Businesses are not doing well although better than during Covid-19,” he said.
Mr. Prapruk said local residents are concerned that the arrival of Chinese in the Huai Khwang District caused inconvenience even though it helped stimulate economy. The majority of local residents said they have not benefitted from businesses in the area. Many said Chinese living in there are annoying.
Sometimes, they park their cars, obstructing roads, traffic and pedestrians. They create noisy quarrels. There are also noise issues during night hours as the area is surrounded by restaurants, clubs and cocktail bars, making it a place for partying and nightlife.
The restaurant closures have helped improve the environment, making it more livable and peaceful so the locals are able to enjoy peace of mind, he noted.
“The road has been quiet for a while. The usually bustling Chinese New Year festival was sober this year as the celebration was halted due to the inspections.” he said.
The District Office usually organizes a special event to celebrate the lunar New Year. The event, which features food and drink stalls, is mainly attended by Chinese who take part in the event to meet their fellows and buy products from Chinese shops and stores.
Matichon Photo
Thanapon Rittayamai, a resident of the downtown area who has seen the Huai Khwang district in its best and worst times, concurs with Mr. Praphruk’s remarks on the business situations and Chinese behaviors. He has been living there for more than five decades and owns, Sri Charoen, a drug store and a mom-and-pop store in the neighborhood.
He noted Pracharat Bamphen Road is quieter since Chinese restaurants were shuttered. Customers behaviors has changed too.
“Fewer customers come by to buy products from our shop. The evenings have become quiet. The area was packed with tourists and visitors. It was still busy at midnight,” he said.
He noted that cost of renting a building in the neighborhood is relatively high. The monthly rental rate for a unit of the building close to the road is about 30,000-50,000 baht and was higher than 50,000 baht pre-Covid.
“Many Chinese came to our shop asking if there was anywhere to rent. They showed us their money, asked to rent a space and have a lease drawn up,” Mr. Thanapon said.
He added local vendors including him had wondered why many Chinese restaurants were able to keep going with only a few customers, while many owners of restaurants and shops were struggling with the high cost of raw materials due to inflation and higher labour costs.
The Thai entrepreneur said he doesn’t see a direct positive impact of the arrival of Chinese in the area. But it can have many negative consequences when Chinese living in the area don’t obey the rules.
“Most Chinese tourists traveling to the neighborhood look for or buy products from stores and shops that are operated or funded by Chinese expats. If they cannot find a product they are looking for, they come to our stores,” he said adding that parking problems as well as traffic and noise issues would be reduced if the Chinese cared more about Thai rules.
He noted that the number of consumers had gradually dropped when the country was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and had significantly declined since the beginning of the year.
“Vendors and entrepreneurs are already suffering. The ongoing inflation is rubbing salt in our wounds,” he said.
A police officer inspects the Tantra Movement in Koh Phangan District, Surat Thani Province.
KOH PHANGAN – Tourist police on Koh Phangan arrested Michal Grygoruk, 46, a Polish sex yoga guru with 18.1 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, on Saturday for working without a permit. He admits that after the raid at a hut on the island, he has no work permit.
On March 24, officials disclosed that they had filed charges against Michal for being an foreigner working without a work permit and that he had been detained and turned over to investigators. They also asked the Immigration Bureau to consider revoking his visa as the next step.
Michal Grygoruk, 46, who has 18.1 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, was arrested by tourist police on Koh Pha Ngan on March 23, 2024.The advertising for the Tantra Movement course is published on social media.
The inquiry started when the Koh Phangan Tourist Police received a complaint on social media at Tantra Movement School in Koh Phangan District in Surat Thani Province, alleging that the foreigner teaching yoga was at risk of sexual misconduct.
So they collaborated with the Surat Thani Provincial Police Investigation Division and the Surat Thani Province Immigration Police to check this spot on March 23. During the operation, authorities discovered and apprehended a few foreigners who attempted to flee. Each of them was a new consumer.
Police raided a hut where the Polish man opened business on Koh Phangan.
Later, Michal appears to identify himself as the owner of the business and to explain that he opened it as a yoga academy. He charged foreign clients between $400 and 600 US dollars, depending on the length of the Tantra Movement sessions they chose. For example: Early Bird Individual: $400 USD for three days; Early Bird Couple: 550 USD for three days, standard fee. Individual prices are 450 USD for three days, while standard costs for couples are 600 USD for three days, and so on.
After the customer has paid for the above-mentioned course, he will email the Tantra Movement coordinates to the client, who will schedule the yoga class on the specified day and time.
Police later arrived to investigate the yoga teaching area. They found two penis-like devices that the yoga kuru claimed to use for yoga class. The officials then took them as evidence for prosecution.
The sex guru claimed that two penis-like devices, which police found, were used in each yoga class.
A montage of the front pages of some of Britain's Sunday newspapers pictured in London, Sunday, March 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
LONDON (AP) — Kate, the Princess of Wales, and her husband, Prince William, are said to be “extremely moved” by the public’s warmth and support following her shocking cancer announcement as tributes continued to pour in Sunday from around the world.
After weeks of frenzied speculation on social media about her health and well-being, Kate said in a candid video message on Friday that she is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer following major abdominal surgery. The 42-year-old princess said the cancer discovery was a “huge shock” and she was now in the early stages of preventative chemotherapy.
“The prince and princess are both enormously touched by the kind messages from people here in the U.K., across the Commonwealth and around the world in response to Her Royal Highness’ message,” a spokesperson for Kensington Palace said. “They are extremely moved by the public’s warmth and support and are grateful for the understanding of their request for privacy at this time.”
Media waits outside Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, Saturday, March 23, 2024. Britain’s Kate, Princess of Wales’s revelation she is undergoing treatment for cancer has sparked an outpouring of support and well wishes from around the world. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
There has been a global outpouring of support, including from U.S. President Joe Biden, and King Charles III who is also undergoing treatment for cancer. Neither Kate nor the king have revealed what type of cancer they have or the stage at which it was being treated.
People have flocked to the royal’s main London residence, Kensington Palace, as well as to Windsor Castle, where they spend most of their time, to show support for the princess, with many leaving flowers.
Until Friday, officials had only said Kate’s surgery in January was successful and recuperation would keep the princess away from public duties until April. This has sparked a flurry of rumor-mongering about the “missing” future queen, compounded after Kate acknowledged that she altered an official photo released to mark Mother’s Day in the U.K. earlier this month.
The photo, meant to reassure the public, triggered a backlash after The Associated Press and other news agencies retracted it over manipulation concerns.
Even a video published last week by The Sun and TMZ that appeared to show Kate and William shopping near their home did not dispel the negative coverage.
This grab taken from a video released by the BBC Studios on Friday March 22, 2024, shows Britain’s Kate, the Princess of Wales recording her message announcing that following her abdominal surgery in January “tests after the operation found cancer had been present.” Kate, said Friday she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. (BBC Studios via AP)
Criticism of those jumping to sometime-outlandish conclusions continued to be voiced over the weekend.
Paddy Harverson, previously the official spokesman of Kate and the Prince of Wales, said the speculation and pressure around Kate’s health and whereabouts before her video statement was “the worst I’ve ever seen.”
However, he said he thought Kate would have revealed her cancer diagnosis exactly as she had, regardless of what was being speculated.
“I’m absolutely convinced that if we hadn’t had all the madness and social media, if we hadn’t had the sort of the Mother’s Day photo mistake, they would have still done it like this,” he told the BBC. “They would have still waited till this last Friday when the schools are breaking up to make the announcement.”
FILE – From left, Britain’s Prince George, Kate Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Louis, Prince William and Princess Charlotte, arrive for a settling in afternoon at Lambrook School, near Ascot, England, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022. (Jonathan Brady/Pool Photo via AP, File)
The Double Cancer Blow to Kate and King Charles Leaves Britain’s Royal Family Depleted and Strained
The Princess of Wales’ disclosure that she has cancer and will take time off to recover leaves the ranks of working royals depleted and strains a monarchy that King Charles III has sought to slim down.
Kate’s announcement on Friday prompted an outpouring of goodwill toward her and for a royal family that’s now facing two serious health crises. Some of the social media frenzy that has swirled in the princess’ absence from public view may now seep away.
But with the king also being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer, and Prince William helping to care for Kate and their children over the Easter school break, the ranks of working royals have been thinned, making the monarchy’s future suddenly look fragile.
“This is a smaller and frailer royal family than Britain is used to,” veteran journalist Andrew Marr wrote in the New Statesman magazine. “It scarcely seems believable that only a decade ago, people were complaining about there being far too many members of it.”
Prince Harry is in California, estranged from his brother. Prince Andrew is in disgrace over his friendship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and faced allegations of sexual abuse. So it falls to Queen Camilla and a few others to be the public face of a monarchy that now has increased public sympathy but reduced visibility.
FILE – Britain’s Prince Harry, left, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, arrive for a visit at the town hall in Duesseldorf, Germany on Sept. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
“It’s a remarkable situation and a significant moment for the monarchy and the institution so early in the king’s reign that two senior figures should be out of action,” said Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine. “The pressure is on a much smaller team.”
Partly in response to gripes that taxpayers were funding a small army of royals, Charles resolved to run a tighter ship when he took the throne in 2022, with a core group of senior family members carrying out most of the work.
The nature of that work may not be apparent, especially to people outside the U.K., but it is plentiful. The monarch has no political power but plays a constitutional role that includes signing bills into law and meeting regularly with government ministers.
The king and his children are patrons of many charities, professional bodies and sporting organizations, as well as ceremonial colonels-in-chief of military regiments and dispensers of medals for valor and public achievements.
The most visible royal is now 76-year-old Camilla, who has kept working while her husband is treated for cancer. In recent days she has stood in for Charles on visits to the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland.
Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla leave The London Clinic in central London, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. King Charles III was in hospital to receive treatment for an enlarged prostate. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
The king’s sister, 73-year-old Princess Anne, has attended award ceremonies, receptions and visits as patron of organizations including Save the Children. Prince Edward, at 60 the king’s youngest brother, has been in Uganda on royal duties that stretch across the 56-nation Commonwealth of Britain’s former colonies.
The engagements help fulfill the maxim of the late Queen Elizabeth II that the royal family must be “seen to be believed.”
“This is a historic monarchy that thrives on interacting with people,” royal historian Robert Hardman told Sky News. “It has to be visible.”
But striking a balance between visibility and privacy has always been tricky. During the late queen’s 70-year reign, the British media evolved from showing deference toward the royals to having a hunger for scoops that saw some tabloids resort to phone hacking and other illegal activity in search of stories.
Press behavior changed to an extent after the death of Princess Diana in a 1997 car crash while being pursued by photographers. That curbed the use of paparazzi photos, but the relationship between the monarchy and the media remains uneasy. It’s openly hostile in the case of Prince Harry, who is suing several newspaper publishers for invasion of privacy.
Claudia Joseph, author of “Kate: The Making of a Princess,” said the Prince and Princess of Wales are social media-savvy, but that dealing with the online world is “a learning curve.”
Joseph said the royal family is still dealing with the “big shock” of Harry and Meghan’s departure. Their retreat from royal duties in 2020 — spurred, they said, by relentless press intrusion and a lack of support from the palace — “depleted the younger ranks.”
FILE – From left, Britain’s Kate, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, William, the Prince of Wales, Prince Louis and Mia Tindall arrive to attend the Christmas day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in Norfolk, England, Monday, Dec. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, file)
Despite that, she said public sympathy and the royals’ sense of duty would see the monarchy through its latest crisis.
“Families do get ill, and they do struggle, and sometimes people have to take a step back from work,” she said. “I’m sure in six months’ time when they have recovered, hopefully, people will forget that they weren’t around for a few months.”
In her video message, Kate said that her work “has always brought me a deep sense of joy, and I look forward to being back when I am able.”
“But for now, I must focus on making a full recovery,” she said.
PHUKET – A collision on Phuket Road before 3 a.m. on Sunday killed three individuals riding motorcycles, both Thai and foreigners. There was just one survivor.
Three individuals perished on the scene: Mr. Franz Joseph, a Russian, aged 36; Mr. Magnus Stefan Anderson, a Swedish, aged 52; and Ms. Kanokkan Taphao, a Thai, aged 44, who lived in the neighbourhood. The only survivor, Miss Phattharawarin Phontham, an 18-year-old from Sichon District in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, suffered serious injuries. She was brought to Chalong Hospital.
The tragic collision occurred at the Chalong Intersection Roundabout.
The motorcycles that collided were a Honda Click in white with a Phuket licence plate and a Yamaha YZF-R1 in blue with a Bangkok licence plate. Moreover, the collision caused damage to two nearby motorcycles.
According to the early investigation, Mr Kristofer, a Russian national, was riding a Honda Click motorcycle. Mr. Kristofer, accompanied by Ms. Phattharawarin, was travelling from Rawai Beach to the Chalong Intersection Roundabout. The vehicle crashed with Mr Magnus’ motorbike, which was carrying Ms Kanokkan on the back.
The police recorded evidence at the scene and notified the embassies of the deceased in both countries.
Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse greets students during a visit to Kanchanaburi Provincial Deaf School in Kanchanaburi province on March 12, 2024.
Earlier this week, Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse, estranged son of HM the King, who grew up in the United States, told the AFP he wants to return to Thailand permanently after living there for 27 years.
He later told the Bangkok Post he is not representing anyone. “I don’t want to compete for anything … I have no resources, no power. I don’t have aspirations beyond providing value in my own capacity.”
New York’s tabloid New York Post meanwhile claims that the 42-year-old Vacharaesorn may not be qualified as Thai succession law stipulates that the person must not be married to a foreigner, while the paper insists Vacharaesorn is still married to a foreigner and has two children with the person.
Let’s not go far as to speculate about him being a possible candidate for the succession of the throne just yet, the lack of transparency in many aspects of the Thai monarchy means we here in Thailand do not even know what exactly Vacharaesorn’s status is now. Is he still estranged? Is he a prince since his sister is currently and has always been a princess? How should we address him?
For the meantime, the Thai media sticks with a vague prefix of “Thaun Oun” (ท่านอ้น) or honorable Oun, Oun being his nickname, when referring to him. And that is how he is tagged on social media for the meantime as well.
We hope there will be some clarity from the Royal Household Bureau soon, but perhaps I am being too optimistic since the current visit to Thailand, after 27 years of being absent and treated by the Thai media as if Vacharaesorn did not exist at all, is already his third high-profile visit. The Thai press, disturbingly enough, started reporting about his return while failing to note to the readers that for 27 years, they have “mysteriously” failed to even mention about his existence.
This is why when it comes to the Thai monarchy, gossip is prevalent and much more so with the advent of social media. People who “crossed the line” and deemed by police and judges as violating the royal defamation law, also known as the lese majeste law, risk being handed long prison sentences.
A 26-year-old Twitter user was recently sentenced to 25 years for 14 tweets under the law, and the Computer Crime Act, just less than two weeks ago. It is a testament to the risk one takes when tweeting or posting on X and Facebook about the Thai monarchy.
Vacharaesorn has all the rights as a Thai citizen to move back and his remarks suggest the situation may be changing. That is why he is back now after 27 years of conspicuous absence. It is hoped that it will eventually usher a more relaxed climate for critical and open discussion about the future of the monarchy although the prosecutions under the lese majeste law suggests otherwise.
It is precisely the widespread self-censorship practiced by the Thai media compared to the glaring critical reports and analysis by the foreign press about the Thai monarchy that convinced many Thais, particularly young Thais, that the institution and the law need to be reformed.
Vacharaesorn’s mysterious act of reappearance in Thailand after 27 years of equally mysterious absence is a glaring reminder of that very bizarre situation in Thailand.
Upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the suspect exhibited suspicious behavior and was subsequently subjected to a thorough check. Sixty-nine cocaine lumps with a total weight of 1,390 grams and a value of 4,170,000 baht were found in his body. The arresting officers documented the seizure and handed the suspect over to Suvarnabhumi Airport Police Station for further prosecution.
