BANGKOK — English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is returning to Bangkok next year — this time on a 360-degree revolving stage.
As part of his “+ – = ÷ x Tour” (pronounced The Mathematics Tour), Sheeran’s gig will take place at Rajamangala National Stadium on February 10, 2024. Pre-sale tickets will go on sale online for UOB credit card holders from November 1 at 10am to November 3 at 9.59am and will cost between 1,800 to 12,000 baht. General ticket sales will begin on November 3 at 12pm.
Almost all of the seats at the country’s largest stadium will be occupied by Sheerios as the Shape of You hitmaker will be performing at the center of the field on a circular stage. The concert will also feature English singer-songwriter Calum Scott, who played last year in Bangkok during his “Bridges” tour.
The concert will be the third time he performs in Bangkok after his first live show in the capital in 2017 and again in 2019. The tour is in support of his fifth studio album “=,” released in 2021 and his sixth studio album “−,” released earlier in May.
Sheeran, 32, is best known for “Perfect,” “Shape of You,” and “Photograph.”
Prime Minister meets with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on October 20, 2023.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin completed his official visit to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on October 21. He has aimed to further strengthen economic ties between the two countries after Saudi Arabia restores diplomatic relations with Thailand in 2022.
According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on October 20, the PM was granted an audience with His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during the ASEAN – Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The ASEAN – Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit is held in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on October 20, 2023.
He took this opportunity to express his profound gratitude for the vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who laid the foundations that led to the normalisation of diplomatic relations between the two kingdoms.
Both sides agreed that there are plenty of opportunities for Thailand and Saudi Arabia to work together to further enhance bilateral relations in all dimensions.
The two countries also discussed and determined ways and means to increase bilateral trade volume through the signing of memorandums of understanding and agreements that will help facilitate trade and investment, especially the free trade agreement within the framework of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Thai PM Srettha Thavisin is granted an audience with His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Moreover, Thailand and Saudi Arabia have agreed to jointly promote investment between the two Kingdoms. Saudi Arabia expressed its readiness to expand investment in various areas in Thailand through its Public Investment Fund (PIF).
The two sides also agreed to holding the first Saudi-Thai Coordination Council (STCC) in Thailand next year. The Council will be co-chaired by their Ministers of Foreign Affairs which will be an important forum to bring the decisions taken by both leaders into concrete results which will be beneficial to the people of the two Kingdoms in the future.
Prime Minister expressed his gratitude towards the Saudi government for the well being of over 6,000 Thai nationals residing in Saudi Arabia.
The two sides also discussed the situation in Israel, which has resulted in the loss of 30 Thais, 16 injuries, and the abduction of 19 innocent Thai nationals. The Saudi side confirmed their readiness to assist the Thai nationals.
The two sides also agreed to holding the first Saudi-Thai Coordination Council (STCC) in Thailand in 2024.
After this meeting, Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia allows the Royal Thai Air Force to fly through its airspace. This helped the flight to evacuate Thai workers from Israel on October 21 by shortening the distance and time from 13 to 8 hours.
On October 21 PM Srettha met CEOs of major Saudi private sector companies, including Sulaiman AlRumaih, CEO of Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC), who is pleased to promote cooperation with Thailand in agriculture, livestock, and food, at Ritz Carlton Hotel in Riyadh.
Sreetha Thavisin, Prime Minister of Thailand, shakes hands with Sulaiman AlRumaih, CEO of Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC).
The Thai Prime Minister then met with Yasir bin Othman Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the Public Investment Fund (PIF); Amin Hassan Ali Nasser, CEO of the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi ARAMCO); and Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh, CEO of the Saudi Arabia Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC).
Both the Thai government and the three Saudi private companies are willing to facilitate further trade and investment cooperation between them in services and tourism, clean energy, food and agriculture, petroleum, and fertilizer.
The Thai PM also discussed with the Saudi private sector opportunities and potential for cooperation in trade, investment, and energy, especially the production of clean energy.
In this photo provided by the Government of Israel, Judith Raanan, right, and her 17-year-old daughter Natalie are escorted by Israeli soldiers and Gal Hirsch, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's special coordinator for returning the hostages, as they return to Israel from captivity in the Gaza Strip, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. (Government of Israel via AP Photo)
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — The father of freed American teen hostage Natalie Raanan said Friday she’s doing well following two weeks in captivity after she and her mother were abducted in Israel by Hamas and held in Gaza.
Uri Raanan of Illinois told The Associated Press that he spoke to his daughter Friday by telephone. “She’s doing good. She’s doing very good,” said Uri Raanan, who lives in the Chicago suburbs. “I’m in tears, and I feel very, very good.”
The 71-year-old said he saw on the news earlier Friday that an American mother and daughter would be released by Hamas, and he spent the day hoping that meant his daughter and her mother, Judith Raanan.
This photo provided by the Raanan family shows Natalie Raanan and her father, Uri Raanan, in Mexico. (Courtesy of the Raanan family via AP)
Knowing Natalie may be able to celebrate her 18th birthday next week at home with family and friends feels “wonderful. The best news,” her father said.
Ben Raanan, Natalie’s brother, said before her abduction he and his sister had spoken of getting matching tattoos to mark her birthday. Instead, he got a tattoo this week in her honor, incorporating their names along with their brother’s name.
The family’s text message chain sharing updates on Friday moved from tentative hope to outright celebration, tempered by an awareness than other families still are living in fear for their loved ones, Ben Raanan told The Associated Press at his home in Denver.
“When I see her again, I think there aren’t going to be words to express what’s going on,” he said. “It’s just going to be like this intense hug that is bigger than words and bigger than what we could actually communicate verbally.”
Uri Raanan said he believes Natalie and Judith to be in transit to Tel Aviv to reunite with relatives, and that both will be back in the U.S. early next week.
An Israeli army spokesperson said the two Americans were out of the Gaza Strip and with the Israeli military. Hamas said Friday it released them for humanitarian reasons in an agreement with the Qatari government.
They were the first hostages to be released since Hamas militants, according to Israel, abducted roughly 200 people during their Oct. 7 rampage.
In this undated photo provided by Rabbi Meir Hecht on behalf of the Raanan family is Judith Raanan, left, and her daughter Natalie, 17, after Natalie’s recent high school graduation. On Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, (Raanan Family via AP)
“I am overjoyed that they will soon be reunited with their family, who has been wracked with fear,” Biden said in Washington. The president spoke Friday with Judith and Natalie and “relayed that they will have the full support of the U.S. government as they recover from this terrible ordeal,” the White House said.
Uri Raanan said later Friday in a short news conference that he spoke with his daughter for only a few emotional minutes and that they didn’t talk about what she and her mother experienced in the past two weeks. He said Judith has a minor injury he described as a “little scratch” on her hand.
“They look good and sound good,” he said, adding that when he sees his daughter he plans to hug her and kiss her. “It’s going to be the best day of my life.”
He also said he didn’t know why they were chosen for release.
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which transported the freed Americans from Gaza to Israel, said their release offered “a sliver of hope” for those still being held.
Judith, 59, and Natalie, who both have dual Israeli-American citizenship, had been on a trip from their home in the Chicago suburb of Evanston to Israel to celebrate Judith’s mother’s birthday and the Jewish holidays, family members said.
Natalie was born in the U.S., moved to Israel with Judith until she was around 10 and then returned, her father said.
Natalie “always spoke of her home very dearly,” 19-year-old stepsister Frida Alonso said, referring to Israel. “She missed it very, very dearly. Every day she missed her grandma, she missed her home. Just the feeling of being there. So I bet this hurts a lot for her.”
Mother and daughter were in Nahal Oz, near the Gaza border, on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants stormed into southern Israeli towns, killing hundreds of people and abducting others.
The Israeli government said Hamas militants on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, freed two Americans — Judith Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter Natalie, who had been held hostage in Gaza since militants rampaged through Israel two weeks ago. (Courtesy of the Raanan family via AP)
Their family had heard nothing from them since the attack and were later told by U.S. and Israeli officials that they were being held in Gaza, Natalie’s brother has said.
“The news that Judith and Natalie have been released from the hands of Hamas is overwhelming. It brings us a tremendous amount of gratitude to the Almighty, to God, for this incredible miracle,” Meir Hecht, Judith’s rabbi, said at a news conference outside his home in Evanston on Friday afternoon.
“At the same time we hold our pain very deep,” said Hecht, who called for the other hostages to be released as soon as possible. “We need to continue besieging whoever we can and however we can, and praying for their release.”
Judith came regularly to Meir’s congregation and felt like “part of our family,” the rabbi said.
Qatar said it would continue its dialogue with Israel and Hamas in hopes of winning the release of all hostages “with the ultimate aim of de-escalating the current crisis and restoring peace.”
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Israel was continuing to work to return hostages and find the missing, and its goals had not changed. “We are continuing the war against Hamas and ready for the next stage of the war,” he said.
The release comes amid growing expectations of a ground offensive that Israel says is aimed at rooting out Hamas militants who rule Gaza.
Police question Rossukon, left, and her boyfriend, Kankawee, right, during their arrest at a condominium in Nonthaburi province on Oct. 20, 2023.
NONTHABURI — A 24-year-old adult video creator was accused of raping women and uploading the footage to his OnlyFans account, police said Friday.
The suspect, Kankawee (surname withheld), was arrested at a condominium in Nonthaburi city, Pol. Maj. Gen. Saruti Khwaengsopha, commander of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division, said. He was charged with human trafficking, rape, and dissemination of pornography.
His 27-year-old girlfriend, Rossukon (surname withheld), was also arrested on similar charges.
Police said the couple colluded to lure women to their condominium using a dating app, where they intoxicated the victims, sexually assaulted them, and filmed without consent. They then uploaded the videos to their OnlyFans account, which offered a monthly subscription for 17 U.S. dollars, or around 620 baht.
More than 50 sex tapes with various partners were found on their mobile phones, police said. Most of the women in the videos appeared to be intoxicated and some of them were wearing student uniforms.
Two victims have been identified so far. One of them told investigators that she met Kankawee on a dating app before being invited to his condominium for a drink. The victim said Kankawee told her that he was staying with his sister, so she decided to meet him.
Police said the couple admitted that they have been running their OnlyFans account for more than six months, earning approximately 600,000 baht.
President Joe Biden speaks as he meets with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Friday released a sweeping set of proposals to bolster Israel and Ukraine in the midst of two wars as well as invest more in domestic defense manufacturing, humanitarian assistance and managing the influx of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The total cost of the supplemental funding request was pegged at just over $105 billion. President Joe Biden hopes Congress will move urgently on the legislation, and he made the case for deepening U.S. support for its allies during a rare Oval Office address on Thursday night.
The Democratic president’s plan faces some immediate complications on Capitol Hill, even as most lawmakers say they want to help both countries. The House is at a standstill, unable to pass legislation, as the Republican majority struggles to choose a new speaker. The money could also get bogged down in a divided Senate where Republicans have increasingly opposed Ukraine aid and demanded adding additional border policies to the measure.
But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said the Senate would advance Biden’s proposals as soon as possible.
“This legislation is too important to wait for the House to settle their chaos,” he said. “Senate Democrats will move expeditiously on this request, and we hope that our Republican colleagues across the aisle will join us to pass this much-needed funding.”
Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., also expressed support, but said the Senate “must produce our own supplemental legislation that meets the demonstrated needs of our national security.”
It could take several weeks to write the bill and negotiate its contents. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray, D-Wash., and the panel’s top Republican, Maine Sen. Susan Collins, announced an Oct. 31 hearing on the spending request with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters Friday that Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and Hamas’ attack on Israel represent a “global inflection point.”
“This budget request is critical to advancing America’s national security and ensuring the safety of the American people,” Sullivan said.
The biggest line item in the supplemental funding request is $61.4 billion to support Ukraine. Some of that money will go to replenishing Pentagon stockpiles of weapons that have already been provided.
Ukraine has struggled to make progress in a grueling counteroffensive, and the White House has warned that Russia could gain ground if the United States does not rush more weapons and ammunition to the conflict.
“The world is closely watching what Congress does next,” Sullivan said.
Israel would receive $14.3 billion in assistance under the proposal. The majority of that money would help with air and missile defense systems, according to the White House.
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
While aiding both Israel and Ukraine has broad support in both chambers, some Republicans in both the House and the Senate are wary of linking funding for the two countries. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, said the president’s proposal was discussed in a closed-door meeting of his state’s Republican delegation Friday.
Williams said Biden’s proposal to aid both is “a little disturbing” because “he knows he can’t get it done without Israel.”
The reaction is emblematic of how Biden’s decision to roll together several different issues, in hopes of broadening the potential political coalition to ensure the legislation’s passage, could also lead it to its derailment.
Debates over immigration will likely be the most thorny as Republicans seek to bolster enforcement. Many Republicans have said they won’t support the measure unless new policies are added, and it is so far unclear whether the money that Biden is requesting would be sufficient. A group of Republican senators huddled Thursday to discuss possible proposals that they would support.
“I support aid to Israel and Ukraine,” Texas Sen. John Cornyn posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “But without meaningful and substantive policy changes that will address the #BidenBorderCrisis such aid is in serious jeopardy.”
Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, suggested it would be hypocritical for them to oppose Biden’s proposal after complaining about lax border management.
“We will not be lectured by those who refuse to act,” she said. “As we’ve said repeatedly, Congress needs to take action to provide sufficient resources for the border.”
Although there was a lull in migrant arrivals to the U.S. after the start of new asylum restrictions in May, illegal crossings topped a daily average of more than 8,000 last month.
The White House wants roughly $14 billion to, among other things, boost the number of border agents, install new inspection machines to detect fentanyl and increase staffing to process asylum cases.
Sen. Bill Hagerty, a Tennessee Republican, said providing the administration with “more money to fuel its disastrous open-borders resettlement operation is insanity.”
“It would worsen the border crisis, not stop it,” he wrote on X.
This photo taken from video released on Thursday, March 16, 2023, shows a Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the MQ-9 drone and beginning to release fuel as it passes, over the Black Sea, the Pentagon said. (US Department of Defense via AP)
Some Republicans made clear that there was no chance they would support the package. Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton called it “dead on arrival.”
Biden’s funding request includes $7.4 billion for a variety of initiatives geared toward the Indo-Pacific, where the U.S. is focused on countering China’s influence. The money is divided among joint security initiatives in the region, bolstering submarine manufacturing as part of a partnership with Australia and developing financing programs for countries that would otherwise rely on Beijing.
Another $9.15 billion is geared toward humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and other places. Administration officials said they would determine where best to direct the money once it’s approved.
Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said “time is of the essence” for passing the legislation.
“We will be judged on how the United States responds to ongoing crises, whether we honor our commitments to our allies abroad, and how we care for innocent people around the world caught in the wake of devastation,” she said.
BEIJING – “I know that Chinese people like to eat durian,” Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said in a special interview with the Xinhua News Agency of China during his official visit to Beijing, where he attended the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.
Firstly, he commented on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has become a strong bond connecting different countries worldwide as leaders from partner countries gathering here reaffirm their joint commitment to cooperation.
“Every country has its plans to propose and discuss at the forum, aiming to move forward with BRI cooperation,” Srettha said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who is in Beijing for the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and an official visit, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)
“The BRI is an important initiative that benefits all humanity by strengthening infrastructure construction, trade and investment, cultural and people-to-people exchanges,” he said, noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the forum conveyed a clear signal that China adheres to peaceful development and opening up.
During the visit, Srettha also held talks with several heads of Chinese enterprises to attract investment into Thailand. “I am here to send the message that Thailand is ready to welcome investors from China,” Srettha said.
Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin speaks during an interview in Bangkok, Thailand, Oct. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)
The Thai government is looking forward to enhancing cooperation with China in the electric vehicle industry, as many Chinese carmakers have invested in the country, which plays an important role in advancing Thailand’s industrialization, he said.
Additionally, another promising area for cooperation between the two nations lies in agriculture. Srettha eyes exporting more high-quality durians to China. “I know that Chinese people like to eat durian,” he said.
Photo taken on May 5, 2022, shows a staff checks durian in a durian sorting factory in Chanthaburi province, Thailand. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)
Srettha made China the first country outside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for an official visit, shortly after he took office as Thailand’s new prime minister.
The friendly relations between Thailand and China have a long history, and the people of the two countries support each other like one family, he said.
With a good business environment, Thailand hopes to participate in more Belt and Road projects with Chinese firms, maintain robust trade exchanges, and promote the further development of bilateral relations, said Srettha.
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Protesters gathered at Iraq’s border crossing with Jordan on Friday to show solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and call for an end to Israel’s blockade, while in Indonesia’s capital, demonstrators marched from several mosques to the heavily guarded U.S. Embassy in Jakarta to denounce American support for Israel and demand an end to Israeli airstrikes.
Similar protests also took place in front of the United Nations mission, a few kilometers (miles) from the embassy, and in the compound of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Authorities estimated that about 1,000 people participated in the rallies across Jakarta following Friday prayers in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation.
A brutal incursion into southern Israel by Hamas fighters on Oct. 7 provoked Israel to declare war against the militant group that rules Gaza. The Israeli siege of the Palestinian territory and airstrikes on it were the focus earlier this week of demonstrations at Egyptian universities, inside a congressional office building in Washington, outside the Israeli Embassy in Bogota and near the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
Nearly two weeks after the Hamas attack in Israel, such protests continued as Israel prepared for an expected ground invasion of Gaza.
Palestinians stand around the bodies of the Awaja family killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Rafah, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali)
The Gaza Health Ministry has said more than 4,000 people have been killed and over 13,000 have been wounded in Gaza since the war began, most of them women, children and older adults. More than 1,000 people were believed buried under rubble, authorities said.
More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly civilians slain during Hamas’ deadly incursion. Roughly 200 others were abducted. The Israeli military said Thursday it had notified the families of 203 captives.
Israel bombarded the Gaza Strip early Friday, hitting areas where Palestinians had been told to seek safety, and it began evacuating a sizable Israeli town near the border with Lebanon, the latest sign of a potential ground invasion of Gaza that could trigger regional turmoil.
Amid the fighting, Israel’s defense minister said the country did not have plans to maintain control over civilians in Gaza after its war against the Hamas militant group.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s comments to lawmakers were the first time a top Israeli official discussed its long-term plans for Gaza. Gallant said Israel expected a three-phase war, starting with airstrikes and ground maneuvers. It anticipates then defeating pockets of resistance, and finally, ceasing Israel’s “responsibility for life in the Gaza Strip.”
Wounded Palestinians arrive at the al-Shifa hospital, on a truck, following Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, central Gaza Strip, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Abed Khaled)
IRAQ
Hundreds of Iraqi protesters gathered at the western Trebil border crossing near Jordan in a demonstration organized by the Coordination Framework, an alliance of Iran-backed Shia political groups and militias in Iraq.
The pro-Iran coalition also called for a protest in Baghdad near the main gate of the highly fortified international zone, where the U.S. Embassy is located, to condemn its endorsement of Israel in the ongoing war with Hamas.
Their rival, Iraq’s firebrand Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, the most influential in the country, issued a call Thursday for Arab nations bordering Israel, notably Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Jordan, to engage in what he called peaceful demonstrations at their borders.
The protesters waved Palestinian flags and chanted “No to Israel” before praying in the presence of religious clerics.
In recent days, Iran-backed militias attacked United States military bases in Iraq. Iran has warned that an Israeli ground incursion into Gaza could spark an escalation from allied armed groups and a possible regional war.
INDONESIA
Protesters who marched to the U.S. Embassy halted traffic along the way as they chanted “God is great,” and “Save Palestinians.”
Waving Indonesian and Palestinian flags and signs reading “We are proud to support Palestine,” more than 100 noisy demonstrators gathered along a major street in Jakarta that runs outside the embassy.
Protesters shout slogans as they wave Palestinian flags during a rally supporting the Palestinian people outside the building housing the U.N. representative office in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Some protesters burned portraits of U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
About 1,000 police were deployed around the embassy, the nearby presidential palace and the U.N. mission.
Indonesia does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, and there is no Israeli embassy in the country. It has long been a strong supporter of the Palestinians.
President Joko Widodo strongly condemned a Tuesday night explosion at a Gaza City hospital filled with wounded Palestinians and residents seeking shelter. Widodo described it as an attack that violated international humanitarian law, although the cause of the blast at al-Ahli Hospital has not been determined.
U.S. assessments said the explosion was not caused by an Israeli airstrike, as the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza initially reported. Israel has presented video, audio and other evidence it says proves the blast was caused by a rocket misfired by Palestinian militants, who denied responsibility.
The AP has not independently verified any of the claims or evidence released by the parties.
“Now is the time for the world to stand together to build global solidarity to resolve the Palestinian issue fairly,” Widodo said in a televised statement from Saudi Arabia, where he was attending the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council summit.
SOUTH KOREA
In South Korea’s capital, dozens of protesters chanted slogans, waved Palestinian flags and raised anti-Israel banners.
“Free, Free Palestinians!” the protesters shouted, while holding banners that read “We stand with Gaza” and “Stop the massacre by Israel!”
“Please care about human lives. That’s all I am thinking about,” said Elshafei Mohamed, an Egyptian student in Seoul. “If we want to really help, we need to supply Gaza with humanitarian aid at once.”
AIS continues to make strides in advancing the organization towards its goal of becoming a leading provider of intelligent telecommunications technology, often referred to as a Cognitive Tech-Co. This endeavor aims to elevate Thailand’s Digital Infrastructure. Recently, Mr. Mark Chong Chin Kok, Deputy Chief Executive Officer AIS, was honored with the distinguished Technology Leader of the Year Award by FutureNet Asia.
This recognition applauds leaders who have made outstanding contributions and played a pivotal role in the development and advancement of the digital technology sector within the Asia-Pacific region.
In addition, AIS has received another notable award that reflects its commitment to innovation and the enhancement of its Autonomous Network capabilities, ultimately leading to elevated customer experience and industry standards. This achievement is the result of collaboration with global partner Huawei, resulting in the receipt of The APAC Operator Award. Remarkably, AIS is the sole Thai telecommunications entity to secure two prestigious awards from the Asia-Pacific platform.
Mr. Mark Chong Chin Kok, Deputy Chief Executive Officer AIS, expressed his deep appreciation, stating, “My team and I feel greatly honored to have received the Technology Leader Award and The APAC Operator Award from FutureNet Asia. These two accolades serve as an affirmation of our dedication to elevate AIS’s network capabilities to cater to all dimensions of customer requirements.
Furthermore, we remain steadfast in our vision to drive business transformation, thereby contributing to Thailand’s digital economy. We express our sincere gratitude to FutureNet Asia for recognizing AIS’s unwavering commitment and leadership in innovation and technology. We pledge to continue enhancing service quality and elevating user experiences for the people of Thailand, while striving to position the Thai telecommunications industry at a global standard, thereby bolstering our nation’s digital economy.”
A relative of the deceased weeps as she comes to receive the body of the family's loved one at the Suvarnabhumi airport.
The bodies of eight Thai nationals who were killed in the Hamas attack on southern Israel arrived at the Suvarnabhumi airport, Thailand, on Friday, October 20, after the Israeli forensic medical institution confirmed their identities.
These are the first bodies to be returned from the 30 victims. The transfer was carried out by El Al Israel Airlines. The identification of the other victims has yet to be verified by Israel. They will be returned to Thailand in due course.
The bodies of eight Thai nationals who were killed in the Hamas attack on southern Israel arrived at the Suvarnabhumi airport on October 20, 2023.
The 8 deceased workers were mainly from the northeastern provinces of Thailand, including 2 from Khon Kaen, 2 from Udon Thani, and 1 each from Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Sisaket, and Sukhothai, located in central Thailand. They all died on the first day of the Hamas attack on Israel, which took place on October 7.
Miss Orna Sagiv, Israel’s Ambassador to Thailand, also accompanied Thai authorities in paying tribute to the bodies of eight Thai labourers killed in Israel by Hamas. She wiped away tears during the ceremony.
Israeli Ambassador to Thailand Miss Orna Sagiv pays respect to the bodies of eight Thai workers killed in Israel by Hamas, at the Suvarnabhumi airport on October 20.
Ahead of the first repatriation of the Thai dead, Thai and Israeli officials laid wreaths at a small memorial ceremony on Thursday at Tel Aviv’s airport. Thailand’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said Thursday that 30 Thais are feared dead, while 16 are reportedly injured and 19 are believed to have been abducted.
Approximately 30,000 Thai labourers, predominantly agricultural workers, are in Israel, with approximately 5,000 working in the area attacked. On Friday, two evacuation aircraft returned more than 700 Thais to the country, with additional flights scheduled to come daily. According to officials, 8,345 Thais who remain in Israel have registered to return home.
Thai and Israeli officials laid wreaths at a small memorial ceremony on October 19 at Tel Aviv’s airport.
Wongduean Lamlert, the aunt of a deceased worker named Anan Phetkaew, said her nephew had gone to Israel like many other workers from Chaiyaphum. She said she did not know what the cause of death was.
“The war was inhuman. We had nothing to do with it. If they wanted to regain land or attack each other, they had to evacuate people, but they did not seem to care who was who. The value of a person is of great importance to our family. My nephew was the pillar of our family and the pride of our house. But today we have to receive his lifeless body,” she said while showing the picture of her nephew.
Wongduean Lamlert shows a picture of Anan Phetkaew, her nephew, who was killed in Israel.
According to Associated Press, the war that was in its 14th day Friday is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said Thursday that 3,785 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 12,500 wounded.
More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly in the initial attack October 7 when Hamas militants stormed into Israel. In addition, 203 people were believed captured by Hamas during the incursion and taken into Gaza, the Israeli military has said.
Another Thai family is still waiting for the remains of their loved one. Kwanchanok Chomchuen, a 29-year-old woman from Lampang province in the northern region, travelled to Khon Kaen, her husband’s hometown, to help with funeral arrangements: Her husband, Apichat Kusaram, and her younger brother-in-law, Pongthep Kusaram, 26, went to Israel together to work and tragically lost their lives at the same time.
Kwanchanok Chomchuen said that her 4-year-old daughter begged to be able to call her dad without knowing that he was dead.
The body of Pongthep Kusaram is one of eight Thai bodies that arrived at the Suvarnabhumi airport on Friday, while the body of Apichat Kusaram is still in Israel to be examined.
“On the morning of 7 October, my husband sent me a message that there was fierce fighting in the area. Then he went silent. I could not reach him. Only on October 9 did I learn that my husband and his younger brother had been shot. I feel both sadness and compassion for my 4-year-old daughter. Since her father went silent, she has begged to be able to call him every day. All I could tell her was that her father had to work and could not call,” Chomchuen recounted in a shaken voice.
Chiang Mai Airport will extend its service hours to 24 hours. The decision was announced by Keerati Kitmanawat, CEO of Thai Airports, and Nirut Pongsitthithaworn, Governor of Chiang Mai Province, together with local provincial officials on October 18, 2023.
The expansion of service hours will begin on 1 November and is in line with the government’s policy to promote tourism and boost economic recovery. However, care will be taken to minimise the impact on surrounding communities.
Keerati Kitmanawat, CEO of Thai Airports, and Nirut Pongsitthithaworn, Governor of Chiang Mai Province, together with local provincial officials, announce that Chiang Mai Airport will extend its service hours to 24 hours on October 18, 2023.
The decision to extend the airport’s operating hours was based on an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted in 2005, which determined that night flights between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. should not exceed 6 percent of total daily flights. This means that Chiang Mai International Airport may operate a maximum of 12 flights during this period.
Initially, flights will not go beyond 1 a.m. Further adjustments to the environmental impact assessment will be made to assess the impact on affected areas and ensure compliance with future legislation.
To address the concerns of residents affected by increased aircraft operations, the Airport Authority will establish a fund to mitigate the impact of noise pollution and to repair and renovate residents’ homes.
This fund will be divided into four areas based on the affected areas, and the management of the fund will be supervised by community representatives and local authorities.
In addition, measures will be taken to assess and monitor the impact of noise on affected areas, including the installation of sound metres at various points to continuously assess the impact. Furthermore, kindergartens in Mae Hia Municipality will be equipped with sound-absorbing devices to reduce noise exposure for children and students.
