Protesters hold placards supporting Ukraine during a march against Russian invasion of Ukraine in Bangkok on Feb. 24, 2024. Photo: Embassy of Ukraine in the Kingdom of Thailand / Facebook.
During the march against Russian invasion of Ukraine in Bangkok last week on Feb. 24, around six Thais joined 50 other Ukrainians and Europeans in a peace march from Lumpini Park to Benjakitti Park.
Along the way I managed to talk to a young twenty-something Thai man who proudly joined the protest marking two years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He said we cannot just think and be concerned about what is happening in Thailand but must be caring about the conflicts and sufferings abroad as well.
Asked why only a handful Thais joined and whether it means most Thais are essentially parochial, the man said he excitedly told his friend about joining the protest today and explained the importance, but his friend was simply indifferent.
The conversation then turned to the topic of Palestine, Hamas, and the continued military invasion of Gaza Strip by Israel and the fact that in three hours, there will be another protest, this time against Israel and its chief supporter, the United States, in front of the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. He paused for a while before saying that the conflict there is “grey,” so he would not be joining the protest.
I asked whether how many more Palestinians, particularly civilians will have to be killed before the conflict is no longer grey. There was no answer.
More than 30,000 Palestinians, many of them civilians, have been killed – a retribution to the inhumane attacks by Hamas which killed over 1,200 people, mostly Israelis on Oct. 7 last year. Mathematically speaking, it is not an eye for an eye, but an eye for 25 eyes now with no end in sight.
It got to the point where most are just numbers, statistics. Yesterday, AP cited the European Union Diplomatic Service’s latest report sayings: “Many of the Palestinians [in Gaza Strip] killed or wounded in the chaos as they tried to get bags of flour from an aid convoy were hit by Israeli army fire” and cited international aid officials saying that “they have encountered catastrophic hunger” in Gaza.
(By comparison, the BBC on Feb. 25 cited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as saying “31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed during Russia’s full-scale invasion” two years ago.)
Back in Bangkok last week in front of the U.S. Embassy at 3pm, some 30 protesters, mostly Thai Muslims and socialists, vent their anger against Israel and the United States.
What I found disturbing was there was no mention of the 1,200 killed by Hamas, the thirty or so Thai workers killed by Hamas, and the eight Thais still held hostage. Those gathered there see it in black and white – not grey.
It is unclear what is the mood of the majority of the Thai public, but it will be a challenge for the Israeli Embassy to try to keep the opinion of the Thai public on their side as more Palestinian civilians, particularly women and children became casualties of war and more will likely be killed if Israel launch an assault on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza in the days ahead.
Sadly, if most Thais could not care less about the butchering of over six thousand civilians in neighboring Myanmar since the coup on Feb. 1, 2021, then it is hard to expect them to care about Ukraine, Gaza or Israel.
Lt. Wiboon drives the hospital's ambulance, which was involved in the case against the Swiss man and his Thai wife.
PHUKET – Even though a Swiss man, Mr.Fehr or David, and his Thai wife in Phuket province had a press conference to apologise for his acts in which he kicked a female doctor off the beach steps of their rented villa, the couple’s controversy does not appear to be finished.
A video of an incident in which a couple filed a lawsuit against a rescue driver at the end of 2023 emerged on Facebook on March 2, 2024, with the following message: A foreign man pointed at the rescue vehicle with his middle finger. He and his Thai wife also filed a lawsuit against the ambulance driver at Choeng Thale Police Station. The Thai wife stated that she knew several senior police personnel in Phuket.
Lt. Wiboon, the rescue vehicle’s driver, stated that the event occurred on the morning of December 25, 2023, while driving the hospital’s ambulance along Thepkasattri Road inbound Thalang District, Phuket Province, delivering vaccines. There is a black Audi driven by a foreign man on the right, with a cut in front. He lifted his middle finger as a pistol symbol and pointed at his head.
He later shared a video of the foreign man’s actions on social media. Out of concern that he would be impacted later, Lt. Wiboon came to Thalang Police Station that evening to report the incident as proof so that the authorities could find and prosecute this foreign man.
Then, on December 29, 2023, police officers Thalang phoned him and informed him that the Swiss man and his Thai wife had reported the incident to the Choeng Thale Police Station. Later, on January 10, 2024, police officers from Choeng Thale Police Station called him to inform him that the couple had requested that he delete the post and submit an apology for seven consecutive days.
Lt. Wiboon said he was the one who was treated rudely, but the Swiss man and his Thai wife sued him to apologise.
On January 17, 2024, the police captain of Choeng Thale Police Station summoned him to the station to meet with the couple and their lawyer. The pair demanded an apology from him and threatened him with 3-4 years in prison if he refused. However, the message they want him to convey is that he will not “lie” again. That is why he cannot agree with them.
On February 27, authorities at Choeng Talay police Station warned him that he will be charged for violating the Computer Crimes Act. On that day, he didn’t have time to go to the police station and was notified via LINE, which the police lieutenant hadn’t read until there was a case in which this Swiss man kicked a doctor.
The Swiss man and his Thai wife have also faced criticism in connection with the ambulance driver’s case. A Phuket social media group called people for a gathering at 9 a.m. on Sunday, March 3, near Cape Yamu, in an effort to oust the man from Thailand.
Palestinians surround aid trucks in northern Gaza in what officials described the day before as the first major delivery in a month. (IDF via AP)
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Many of the Palestinians killed or wounded in the chaos as they tried to get bags of flour from an aid convoy were hit by Israeli army fire, the European Union’s diplomatic service said Saturday, urging an international investigation.
Outrage is rising over the desperation of hundreds of thousands struggling to survive in northern Gaza after nearly five months of fighting between Israel and Hamas.
“The responsibility for this incident lays on the restrictions imposed by the Israeli army and obstructions by violent extremist(s) to the supply of humanitarian aid,” the European External Action Service said.
Residents in northern Gaza say they have taken to searching piles of rubble and garbage for anything to feed their children, who barely eat one meal a day. Many families have begun mixing animal and bird food with grain to bake bread. International aid officials say they have encountered catastrophic hunger.
Palestinians wounded in an Israeli strike while waiting for humanitarian aid on the beach in Gaza City are treated in Shifa Hospital on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Essa)
“We’re dying from starvation,” said Soad Abu Hussein, a widow and mother of five children who has taken shelter in a school in the Jabaliya refugee camp.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll from the war has climbed to 30,320. The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures, but says women and children make up around two-thirds of those killed.
In Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, where more than half of the besieged territory’s people now seek refuge, an Israeli airstrike on Saturday struck tents outside the Emirati hospital, killing 11 people and wounding about 50, including health workers, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.
Roughly one child in six children under the age of 2 in the north suffers from acute malnutrition and wasting, “the worst level of child malnutrition anywhere in the world,” Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program, said this week. “If nothing changes, a famine is imminent in northern Gaza.”
“The breakdown in civil order, driven by sheer desperation, is preventing the safe distribution of aid — and we have a duty to protect our staff,” he said.
In the violence Thursday, hundreds of people rushed about 30 trucks bringing a predawn delivery of aid to the north. Palestinians said nearby Israeli troops shot into the crowds. Israel said they fired warning shots toward the crowd and insisted many of the dead were trampled.
Doctors at hospitals in Gaza and a U.N. team that visited a hospital there said large numbers of the wounded had been shot.
Ahmed Abdel Karim, who was being treated at Kamal Adwan Hospital for gunshot wounds in his feet, said he had spent two days waiting for aid trucks to arrive before Thursday’s convoy came.
“Everyone attacked and advanced on these trucks. Because of the large number, I could not get flour,” he said. He was shot by Israeli troops, he said.
Radwan Abdel-Hai, a father of four young children, heard a rumor late Wednesday that an aid convoy was on its way. He and five others took a donkey cart to meet it and found a “sea of people” waiting for the aid.
Palestinian Muslims pray outside of the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem after Israeli police denied their entry to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for Friday prayers, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
When the convoy arrived, people approached the trucks to grab whatever food and water they could get, he said. As they reached the trucks, “tanks started firing at us,” he said. “As I ran back, I heard tank shells and gunfire. I heard people screaming. I saw people falling to the ground, some motionless.”
Abdel-Hai took shelter in a nearby building along with others. When the shooting stopped, many dead people were on the ground, he said. “We rushed to help evacuate the wounded. Many were shot in their back,” he said.
Abu Hussein, the widow, said more than 5,000 people — mostly women and children — living with her in the Jabaliya school have not received any aid for more than four weeks. Adults eat one meal or less to save food for the children, she said.
A group of people went to the shore to try to fish, but three were killed and two were wounded by gunfire from Israeli ships, she said. “They just wanted to get something for their children.”
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mansour Hamed, a 32-year-old former aid worker living with more than 50 relatives in a Gaza City house, said people are resorting to desperate measures. Some are eating tree leaves and animal food. Some sift through the rubble and abandoned houses for old food. It has become normal to find a child coming out of the rubble with a rotten piece of bread, he said.
“They are desperate. They want anything to stay alive.”
Acknowledging the difficulty of getting aid in and the extreme need for food, U.S. President Joe Biden said Friday the U.S. soon will begin airdropping assistance to Gaza and will look for other ways to get shipments in, “including possibly a marine corridor.” When asked if he thought Israel would fully investigate Thursday’s incident, he answered simply, “Yes.”
But the EU statement, echoing humanitarian groups including the International Rescue Committee and Medical Aid for Palestinians, said airdrops “should be the solution of last resort as their impact is minimal and not devoid of risks to civilians” and called for the opening of further ground crossings into Gaza and the removal of obstacles from the rare ones that are already open.
Aid workers hoped a possible cease-fire would allow them to get food to hungry people across Gaza. A senior Egyptian official said cease-fire talks would resume Sunday in Cairo. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
International mediators hope to reach agreement on a six-week pause in fighting, and an exchange of some Israeli hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins around March 10.
This photograph released by the Reliance group shows from L to R, Jared Kushner, daughter Arabella and Ivanka Trump posing for a photograph with billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani, right, at a pre-wedding bash of Ambani's son Anant Ambani in Jamnagar, India, Friday, Mar. 01, 2024. (Reliance group via AP)
NEW DELHI (AP) — What happens when the son of Asia’s richest man is about to get married?
His father throws a three-day prenuptial bash four months before the actual ceremony.
Tycoons from around the world, heads of state, as well as Hollywood and Bollywood stars descended on the small western Indian city of Jamnagar on Friday where billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani is kickstarting a big fat wedding celebration for his youngest son.
The nearly 1,200-person guest list includes pop superstar Rihanna, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Sunder Picha, Ivanka Trump and Bollywood celebrity Shah Rukh Khan.
This photograph released by the Reliance group shows Mark Zuckerberg, left, and his wife Priscilla Chan at a pre-wedding bash of billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s son Anant Ambani in Jamnagar, India, Friday, Mar. 01, 2024. (Reliance group via AP)
All eyes are on Anant Ambani, 28, and his long-time girlfriend Radhika Merchant, 29, who will tie the know in July. Radhika is the daughter of Viren Merchant, CEO of Encore Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., and entrepreneur Shaila Merchant.
Such festivities keep up with the Ambani family’s tradition of lavish and over-the-top parties while displaying the Indian billionaire’s economic and political clout
Here is everything you need to know about the family and the prenuptial bash that captivated the country.
Who is Mukesh Ambani?
Mukesh Ambani, 66, is currently the world’s 10th richest man with a net worth of $115bn, according to Forbes. He is also the richest person in Asia.
His Reliance Industries is a massive conglomerate, reporting over $100 billion in annual revenue, with interests ranging from petrochemicals, and oil and gas to telecoms and retail.
Under Ambani’s leadership, Reliance — founded by his father in 1966 — sparked a telecom price war with the launch of the 4G phone and broadband service Jio in 2016. Today, it has more than 420 million subscribers and offers 5G services. Earlier this week, Disney struck an $8.5bn deal to merge its India business with Ambani’s Reliance Industries, forming a new media giant.
This photograph released by the Reliance group shows Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani’s son and groom Anant Ambani, center right, and bride Radhika Merchant, center left interacting with guests during a community food service held as part of their pre-wedding celebrations at Jogvad village near Jamnagar, India, Wednesday, Feb.28, 2024. (Reliance group via AP)Anil Ambani, businessman and brother of Mukesh Ambani, second left, poses for a photograph with his family as he arrives to attend a pre-wedding bash of his billionaire brother’s son Anant Ambani, in Jamnagar, India, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
The Ambani family owns, among other assets, a 27-storey private apartment building, named Antila, worth $1 billion in Mumbai. It has three helipads, a 160-car garage, a private movie theatre, a swimming pool, and a fitness center.
Ambani’s critics say his company has flourished mainly because of political connections during the Congress governments in the 1970s and 80s and subsequently under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule after 2014. They say “crony capitalism” in India has helped certain corporations, such as Ambani’s, thrive.
Mukesh Ambani, 66, has started passing the torch to his two sons and daughter. The oldest son, Akash Ambani, is now chairperson of Reliance Jio; his daughter, Isha, oversees retail; and the youngest, Anant — who will wed in July— has been inducted into the new energy business.
Do you want a party like no other? The Ambanis have your back
Extravagant parties are the Ambani’s specialty.
Murray Auchincloss, left, CEO of BP and Bob Dudley, former CEO of BP, pose for a photograph as they arrive to attend a pre-wedding bash of billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s son Anant Ambani, in Jamnagar, India, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)Emirati businessman Mohamed Alabbar, left in round sunglasses, leaves the airport as he arrives to attend the pre-wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant in Jamnagar, India, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
In 2018, when his daughter married, Ambani made the headlines because of the grand celebrations with pop sensation Beyoncé performing at the pre-wedding festivities. At the time, Former U.S. Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry were among those who rubbed shoulders with Indian celebrities and Bollywood stars in the western Indian Udaipur city.
Later that year, the happy couple, Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal, officially celebrated their engagement overlooking the picturesque Lake Como in Italy. In December 2018, they got married at the Ambani residence in Mumbai.
Bollywood actors Ranveer Singh, left and Deepika Padukone arrive at airport to attend the pre-wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant in Jamnagar, India, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
What is so fascinating about the pre-wedding shindig?
The three-day pre-wedding bash offers a glimpse of the opulence expected at the July wedding.
The Ambanis are celebrating it at the family’s hometown of Jamnagar — a city of around 600,000 in a near-desert part of Gujarat state — where they also have the business’ main oil refinery.
Guests will don jungle-themed outfits to visit an animal rescue center run by the groom-to-be, Anant. Known as “Vantara,” or “Star Of The Forest,” the 3,000-acre (about 1,200-hectare) center houses abused, injured and endangered animals, particularly elephants.
The invitation also says guests will start each day with a new dress code, with mood boards and an army of hair stylists, makeup artists and Indian wear designers at their hotel to help them prepare.
There will also be traditional Hindu ceremonies in a temple complex.
The guests, many arriving by chartered planes, will be served 500 dishes created by around 100 chefs.
The guest list also includes Mohammed Bin Jassim al Thani, the prime minister of Qatar; Stephen Harper, former Canadian prime minister; and Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema.
On Wednesday, the Ambani family organized a community food service for 51,000 people living in nearby villages.
BANGKOK – Dr. Sura Visetsak, Director-General of the Department of Health Service Support, announced on Friday that due to the significant decline in the birth rate in Thailand, efforts will be made to promote alternative reproductive technologies. This involves enacting legislation to allow international couples to seek surrogacy services in Thailand.
In the current situation, Thailand’s birth rate was below 500,000 in 2023 and is expected to decline further in 2024, while the number of deaths exceeds 800,000 annually. This demographic change has led to a declining population and an increasingly ageing society, which poses challenges for the country’s development.
Dr. Sura stated that there are currently 115 facilities providing assisted reproductive services, including in vitro fertilization and surrogacy, comprising 17 public hospitals, 31 private hospitals, and 67 private clinics.
Dr. Sura Visetsak, Director-General of the Department of Health Support Services leads the press conference on March 1, 2024.
There are two types of infertility: couples who can still conceive naturally may opt for artificial insemination, which is offered around 12,000 times annually, or in vitro fertilization, offered around 20,000 times annually. For couples unable to conceive naturally, surrogacy is an option. In the past year, 754 cases were permitted, while 22 were denied due to various considerations.
While the success rate of assisted reproductive technologies is around 50 percent, surrogacy is associated with high costs, which is why most people opt for artificial insemination. The government aims for there to be at least 100 cases per year for each method.
The Department of Health Support Services is planning to amend the laws on assisted reproduction in 2023. The changes include allowing egg donation by relatives aged 20 to 40 without them having to be the donor’s spouse, genetic testing of embryos to ensure healthy pregnancies for women aged 35, and raising the age limit for women seeking surrogacy from 55 to over 55.
A Thai actress and her spouse show the use of assisted reproductive technologies at a hospital in Thailand.
Dr. Sura emphasized that thanks to technological progress, women can have their eggs frozen at the age of 30 in order to become mothers later on. Couples with older partners can also use their own embryos or donated eggs for surrogacy.
The proposed law also allows foreign couples, either with or without Thai partners, to seek surrogacy services in Thailand, subject to legal and regulatory conditions. The details are yet to be finalized.
“If this draft bill is successful, it will be considered the first bill in the world, and right now it is catching the eye of foreigners,” Arkhom said in a statement.
He stated that the proposed bill will include instructions for preventing human trafficking. It provides for measures to combat domestic and international human trafficking.
BANGKOK – Michelin-starred chef Jay Fai did not want to sue the man who had not paid for his food after he explained that he had really forgotten it.
Previously Jay Fai posted the story on social media asking her customers on February 29 around 7-8 p.m. to see if anyone has taken photo of the man, age around 50-60 year-old and wearing long sleeve navy blue shirt, who did not pay for his food, both eating in the restaurant and the takeaway food. Also, unlike others, the man didn’t queue.
Pol. Col. Tosaphol Amphaipiphatkul, chief of Samranrat Police Station, said not paying for food is a crime punishable by a fine of up to 5,000 baht and/or jail time of no more than three months. He advised Jay Fai to report this to the police station.
The investigators later tracked down and discovered a man named Wirot. They called and asked him to come talk. He agreed with the officials and offered to pay 2,310 baht for dinner at Jay Fai Restaurant, which included the cost of 830 baht for rice with beef and basil (Phad Kraprao), 1,400 baht for the crab omelette, and 80 baht for the takeaway menu.
Mr. Wirot apologised to Jay Fai in front of the police and the media. He said that on Thursday, he came to the Michelin-starred chef restaurant and refused to wait in line. So he told the staff that he wanted an “inspector’s desk,” which refers to a special seat. However, this term does not constitute impersonating an authority under the law. As a result, the police did not pursue legal action.
Mr. Wirot added that he rushed to fetch his car from a car glass shop in the Boriphat district and paid 4,000 baht without realising that he had forgotten to pay for the food until he saw the news. The police investigated and discovered that Mr. Wirot proceeded to pay and pick up his car after leaving Jay Fai restaurant, as he said.
Even though the police recommended Jay Fai file a criminal complaint against the man, she refused to pursue legal action.
Mr. Wirot apologised to Jay Fai in front of the police and the media on March 1, 2024.
PHUKET – Shortly after a Chinese tourist was hurt on a parasailing ride at Karon Beach, Phuket Province, which went viral on Chinese social media last month, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has urged relevant agencies and business operators to help ensure tourist safety as well.
On March 1, the key officials, led by Pol. Lt. Gen. Suraphong Thanomchit, Provincial Police Commander Region 8, met in the Karon Subdistrict Municipality conference room. They established the following guidelines for ensuring tourist safety:.
1. Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Operators
2. Develop processes for inspecting safety equipment for operators.
3. Signs detailing methods for using equipment or play equipment for water activities, as well as safety measures for service users.
4. Specify the scope of inspections by representatives from marine authorities, disaster preventive and relief organisations, police officers, and tourism operators.
5. The Harbour Department officers, Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation officials, police officers, and tourism industry owners conduct random inspections to oversee safety measures.
7. Rehearsal of incident response strategies when visitors are involved in accidents while transporting them to hospitals.
Following the meeting, Pol. Lt. Gen. Suraphong led the attendees, which included Phuket Provincial Police Commander, Pol. Maj. Gen. Sinlert Sukhum, Deputy Governor of Phuket Province, Phuket Tourism and Sports, Director of the Phuket Regional Harbour Office, Phuket Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Phuket Public Relations, President of the Phuket Tourism Business Association, President of the Phuket Tourism Business Association, President of Karon Subdistrict Municipality, and Life Guard volunteers, to the Karon beach area to check and publicise safety measures for tourists and operators.
Mr. Chabas was arrested for uploading nude photos of his former Thai wife to share on social media.
BANGKOK – Police officers announced on Friday the arrest of a Pakistani man for uploading nude photos of his former Thai wife to Facebook and Instagram after their relationship ended.
The investigation began when the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) received a complaint from a Thai woman who claimed that her ex-husband, a Pakistani national, secretly took nude photos of her and posted them online, causing embarrassment and damage.
The suspect, identified as Mr. Chabas, aged 32, is wanted by the Bangkok South Criminal Court, dated 12 September 2023, for the offence of importing data into a computer system. The data, which is considered obscene, could be viewed by the public.
Mr. Chabas was found hiding in a rented room in the Ramkhamhaeng area after police tracked him down.
During interrogation, Mr. Chabas admitted to setting up fake Facebook and Instagram accounts and posting the explicit photos of his ex-wife. The police arrested him and initiated legal proceedings.
BANGKOK – Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced on Friday that Suvarnabhumi will become an Asian aviation hub, returning to the world’s top 50 airports within a year and reaching the top 20 in five years.
The airport is presently ranked number 68. Srettha stated that Suvarnabhumi was ranked 13 a decade ago.
The PM held a press conference at the Government House on March 1, saying that the Aviation Hub is part of the “IGNITE THAILAND” vision of his government. Mr. Suriya Jungrungruangkit, Minister of Transport, Mrs. Monporn Charoensri, Deputy Minister of Transport, as well as executives of Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited, or AOT, and many airline executives participated in this conference.
Plans to upgrade Suvarnabhumi include better service culture, constructing SAT-2 building to accommodate more passengers, offering better range of products at the airport and reducing the long queue faced by passengers, the last will take 6 months to be resolved.
At present, only one percent of the air traffic involved connecting flight while in Singapore it’s 30 percent at Changi and Thailand lost a lot of opportunities as a result as transit passengers could choose Thailandas their future destination if they were impressed by their experience at the airport, he stresses.
Srettha adds Don Mueang Airport will also be improved, turning it into a point to point airport with a new international hall to be built, expanding carpark limits by five fold to 7,600 vehicles in expectation of an overall increase of tourists arrival to Thailand from 30 to 50 millions annually.
“During my visit to Europe next week, I’ll tell people there all about the positive aspects of Thailand. It’s only hors d’oeuvres to promote what we’ll have next year, which I’m confident they’ll enjoy and be satisfied with, leading to increased travel to Thailand,” the Prime Minister stated.
South Korean amphibious assault vehicles fire smoke screen during the Cobra Gold joint military exercise on Hat Yao beach in Chonburi province, eastern Thailand, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
CHONBURI – On March 1, 2024, Cobra Gold 2024’s amphibious exercise took place at Naval Training Field No. 15 in Hat Yao, Sattahip district, Chonburi province.
At 10 a.m., Admiral Adung Phan-iam, commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Navy; Rear Admiral Christopher D. Stone, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group Seven, Task Force 76, Amphibious Force of the United States Navy; and Rear Admiral Cho Choong-Ho, commander of Mine/Amphibious Flotilla Five of the Republic of Korea, visited the site of exercise.
South Korean soldiers land with an amphibious assault vehicle during the ongoing Cobra Gold joint military exercise on Hat Yao beach in Chonburi province, eastern Thailand, Friday, March 1, 2024.(AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
During the amphibious exercise, naval ships and an amphibious combat unit seized an opposing force’s beachhead. The unit used naval artillery to fire a volley while aircraft simultaneously provided airborne support to decrease the opposing force’s ability to return fire. After reaching the beachhead, the amphibious combat unit breached the opposing force’s territory and secured the beachhead.
Participating in this year’s exercise were Thai, U.S., and Korean forces, with the United States’ USS Somerset, F-16 fighters, and other equipment; the Royal Thai Navy’s HTMS Surin and HTMS Mannai, marine corps’ amphibious combat unit and vehicles, and patrol aircraft Type 1 (T-337 or Cessna O-2); and the Republic of Korea’s ROKS No Jeok Bong (LSTII-689) and KAVV amphibious vehicles.
The amphibious exercise aimed to build the capacity of participating military forces during allied joint operations, in order to bolster the Royal Thai Armed Forces’ confidence in all domain operations. The exercise also strengthened the bonds among allies, ensuring continual national security.
The Cobra Gold 2024 military exercise is one of the biggest activities of its type in the Asia-Pacific region with 30 nations taking part as participants or observers.
South Korea soldiers land with an amphibious assault vehicle during the ongoing Cobra Gold U.S.-Thai joint military exercise on Hat Yao beach in Chonburi province, eastern Thailand, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
U.S. Marines take position on light armored vehicle on the beach during the ongoing Cobra Gold U.S.-Thai joint military exercise on Hat Yao beach in Chonburi province, eastern Thailand, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
A South Korean military tank hits the Hat Yao beach during the Cobra Gold joint military exercise in Chonburi province, eastern Thailand, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
South Korean soldiers land with an amphibious assault vehicle during the ongoing Cobra Gold joint military exercise on Hat Yao beach in Chonburi province, eastern Thailand, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
South Korean soldiers land with an amphibious assault vehicle during the ongoing Cobra Gold joint military exercise on Hat Yao beach in Chonburi province, eastern Thailand, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
A landing craft air cushion prepares to hit the Hat Yao beach during the ongoing Cobra Gold U.S.-Thai joint military exercise on Hat Yao beach in Chonburi province, eastern Thailand, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
