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The Star
5 days ago
- The Star
Death toll from Thai-Cambodian border clashes revised to four after artillery shelling
Two civilians were killed when Cambodian artillery shell landed at a petrol station in Si Sa Ket on July 24. - The Nation/ANN BANGKOK: Two more civilians were killed after a Cambodian artillery shell landed at a petrol station in Si Sa Ket, bringing the death toll to four in the border clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops on Thursday (July 24). A shell landed at a petrol station in Si Sa Ket's Kanthalak district, causing an explosion and fire that killed two civilians. Earlier on Thursday, Sutthiroj Charoenthanasak, chief of Surin's Karb Choeng district, told ThaiPBS that two BM-21 rockets fell on Ban Jorok village in Tambon Dan, severely injuring four. Two of the injured later died on their way to the hospital. The other two injured were an adult and a 12-year-old boy. It was also reported that a shell fell outside the fence of Phanom Dong Rak hospital in Surin, but the hospital had already evacuated all personnel and patients. - The Nation/ANN
Bangkok Post
20-07-2025
- General
- Bangkok Post
Children of the Mekong
As morning mist lifted over the Mekong River, a group of children, aged five to 17, gathered along its banks not just to admire its beauty but to tell its story. Over the course of three days, 40 children from Chiang Khan, a scenic town in the northeastern province of Loei, participated in a workshop to reconnect with their roots and raise their voice for the environment. The activity was designed to connect children with their communities and environment through storytelling. With support from Mahasarakham University, the Hug Mekong Association, Thai PBS, and Chiang Khan Children and Youth Council and local volunteers, the workshop, organised as part of Unicef's I AM UNICEF volunteer programme and #CountMeIn campaign, offered children tools to express the changes they see and feel in their rapidly transforming community. "Children know their communities better than anyone," said Channarong Wongla, president of the Hug Mekong Association. "If we create a space for them to explore, ask questions and tell stories, they thrive. Their insights can help preserve both the environment and the cultural identity of this place." Chiang Khan, nestled on the banks of the Mekong River, is renowned for its cultural heritage and riverside charm. But today, the town grapples with a sobering reality -- declining fish stock, vanishing traditions and a younger generation that's increasingly disconnected from a way of life once shaped by the river. To bridge this growing gap, the workshop began with immersive activities. Children learned Gyotaku, a traditional Japanese printmaking technique using real fish, to better understand Mekong fish species and biodiversity. The fish were later cooked and shared as meals. They also took boat rides along the river with local fishermen, witnessing firsthand the struggle to catch fish in a river that once teemed with life. "Some groups came back without any fish," said 11-year-old Praewa Ruenkam, her voice quiet but firm. "When I was younger, my grandparents and father used to catch lots of shrimp. Now, they can hardly find any." Praewa, who left school after Grade 4 to help her grandparents tap rubber trees for a daily wage, longs for the abundance her family once relied on. "We earned more from shrimp. I wish they would return. But I don't know how to make that happen," she said. After their river journey, the children got to work behind the camera. With guidance from 11 university students from Mahasarakham University and I AM UNICEF volunteers, they learned how to craft stories through video, how to frame a shot, ask questions and edit their footage. "Our role is to empower children," said Angkana Promruksa, assistant to the president for Student Affairs and Organizational Communication and a lecturer at the Faculty of Informatics, Mahasarakham University. "We want to help them see they are the important and that they have the capacity to protect the environment and community." Many of the volunteers come from northeastern Thailand themselves and relate deeply to the children's concerns. "These children have strong bonds with their community," said Rattanaporn Noiwong, one of the Mahasarakham University volunteers. "They live with nature and are a part of it. They may not understand climate change, but they know something is wrong and they know they must protect their home." One of the most moving examples came from 11-year-old Wutthipat Panpraw, whose group created a short film about Phasat Loy Khroa, an ancient local ritual meant to release misfortunes into the river. "I'm afraid this ritual will disappear," he said. "People these days don't care about it. And the changing environment makes it hard to find the materials we need, like banana stalks and bee nests." The workshop is part of Unicef's #CountMeIn campaign, which helps young people understand how climate change is transforming their communities, build skills to adapt and speak up about the environmental issues they care about -- making sure their voices help shape the solutions of tomorrow. This kind of engagement, says Nipattra Wikes, a communication officer at Unicef Thailand, is essential not only for protecting culture and biodiversity, but also for upholding children's right to participate in decisions that affect their lives. "Through this workshop, we are creating a platform for children to learn, express themselves and take part in shaping their future," said Wikes. "When children are heard, their communities grow stronger and so does our collective response to climate change." Thailand ranks 30th in the Global Climate Risk Index 2025. A 2023 Unicef report found that children in Thailand face a high risk from climate change and environmental degradation, with droughts, heatwaves and floods disproportionately affecting the poorest and the most vulnerable. This issue is especially urgent in places like Chiang Khan, where the impacts of environmental degradation are compounded by poverty and limited educational opportunities, said Piyarat Chuklinhom, a master's student in Contemporary Development and Development Practice at the Puey Ungphakorn School of Development Studies, Thammasat University who is researching child development in the area. "Many children do not wish to follow their families into traditional fishing or farming and without alternative learning opportunities, they risk being left behind and their way of life is at risk of disappearing." The workshop was made possible through collaboration between civil society, academic institutions, media, and Unicef. Thai PBS documented the children's journey, helping amplify their voices, while Mahasarakham University offered both technical support and mentorship grounded in local knowledge. The I AM UNICEF volunteer programme also played a key role, with university students serving as both instructors and role models showing children that growth and change are possible, even in rural areas. "This isn't just a media workshop," emphasised Angkana Promruksa. "It's a space for children to see the good in their communities and unlock the potential that's too often overlooked." What resonated most throughout the three days wasn't just the environmental insight or cultural knowledge shared but the quiet, unspoken love the children had for their community -- the kind of love that doesn't need explanation. "They may not say the word love," said Rattanaporn. "But it's in everything they do. It's in the way they ask questions, tell stories and look out over the river. They live with nature and they know instinctively that it must be protected." As the workshop came to a close, the children screened their videos to an audience of community members. Their stories were simple, yet profound -- a reflection of a world changing before their eyes and of their determination to hold on to what matters most. The videos were shown at Chiang Khan Walking Street last month, giving both tourists and locals the chance to witness their work. "I've lived in Chiang Khan all my life, but I never knew much about the different fish species, fishing tools or boats," said Rapatsorn Pichayametasit, 17, a member of the Chiang Khan Child and Youth Council. "Now I want to share what I've learned and encourage everyone to protect the Mekong River."
Bangkok Post
03-07-2025
- Bangkok Post
Concern grows regarding AI-generated scam threat
Experts have raised serious concerns over the growing threat of AI-generated scams and misinformation, calling for stronger protection measures, particularly for children and the elderly. A recent Thai PBS forum titled "Verify Talk: #ThisFeedNoFake" brought together cybercrime officials, academics and media experts to address the surge in digital deception in an increasingly AI-driven world. The panel underscored the sophisticated tactics scammers now use to exploit human vulnerability, with particular emphasis on the emotional triggers of fear, love and urgency. Pol Col Neti Wongkulab, deputy commander of the CCIB, warned that call-centre scams now operate like businesses. "If you receive calls demanding payment or threats, hang up immediately and report the call," he said. In 2024 alone, scam calls and messages surged by more than 100%, with scammers often impersonating delivery workers or family members, according to data from the Whoscall verification service. Criminologist Trin Poraksa noted that these scams are designed to manipulate emotional responses. "What is seen on the screen might not be the real people you know in real life," he cautioned. The discussion then turned to AI-generated deepfakes, which are becoming harder to detect. Kanokporn Prasitphon, director of Thai PBS Digital Media, described them as "a silent AI threat destroying information credibility". She warned that deepfakes often feature subtle signs such as robotic voices or unnatural blinking, but fake documents are becoming so convincing that even experts struggle to verify them. To counter these threats, speakers emphasised the importance of media literacy and open family dialogue. Nattawut Photisaro, a media literacy advocate, urged the public not to believe or share content without verification. He stressed the role of real-time fact-checking tools in helping people make informed decisions.
AFP
11-06-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Video of Trump issuing sanctions against ICC falsely linked to Thailand-Cambodia border dispute
The video, showing Trump signing a document in the Oval Office while surrounded by officials and photographers, was posted on TikTok on June 8, 2025. Superimposed Thai-language text on the video reads: "Cambodia started this. Big Daddy Trump has already sanctioned . Thailand, what will you do about Preah Vihear?" The ICJ, known as the World Court, settles legal disputes between countries (archived link). Land near Preah Vihear, a 900-year-old temple on the Thai‑Cambodian border, was the site of sporadic violence between the two countries before the ICJ ruled in 2013 that the area belonged to Cambodia (archived link). Image Screenshot of the false Facebook post, captured on June 10, 2025 The post circulated after a Cambodian soldier was killed in the most recent outbreak of clashes on May 28 in an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos meet (). Cambodia said it would file a complaint with the ICJ over the border dispute, with Thailand countering by saying it does not recognise the court's jurisdiction on this matter and prefers resolving the issue through existing bilateral channels (archived here and here). Both sides agreed on June 8 to ease tensions by repositioning troops in the area (). Similar posts claiming Trump sanctioned the World Court were shared elsewhere on TikTok and Facebook. But the US president has not sanctioned the ICJ on Thailand's behalf or otherwise. International Criminal Court sanctions The falsely shared video appears to be a report by broadcaster Thai PBS, and the news anchor can be heard saying: "US President Donald Trump signed another executive order to sanction the International Criminal Court, or ICC..." A subsequent keyword search on Thai PBS's social media platforms led to the same footage posted on the broadcaster's YouTube channel on February 7 (archived link). The clip used in the false post can be seen at the YouTube video's 48:18 mark. The footage shows Trump imposing sanctions on the ICC -- which prosecutes individuals for war crimes and crimes against humanity -- for probes targeting the United States and its ally Israel (archived here and here). Trump's order said the tribunal had engaged in "illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel," referring to investigations into alleged war crimes by US service members in Afghanistan and Israeli troops in Gaza. Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (left) and the Thai PBS YouTube video (right) As of June 11, there have been no official reports of Trump commenting on the border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Old Gaza explosion footage misused in posts about India-Pakistan
"India attacked Pakistan," reads the Thai-language caption of a May 7, 2025 Facebook post. The post includes footage of multiple nighttime explosions. The video bears the logo of Pakistani news outlet ARY News, which shared the clip on its page. The video was released by the Pakistani army's media wing to news outlets including AFP after the Indian strikes. The footage surfaced in other posts written in Thai, as well as Burmese, Hindi, Sinhala and English. Urdu-language TV channel 92 News and Thai PBS, Thailand's state broadcaster, also misrepresented the footage in reports about the conflict between India and Pakistan. The nuclear-armed rivals experienced their worst violence in two decades after India launched deadly missile strikes on its neighbour, with days of repeated gunfire along their border escalating into artillery shelling (archived link) New Delhi has blamed Islamabad for backing an attack on tourists in the Indian-administered side of disputed Kashmir two weeks prior -- a charge Pakistan denies. Islamabad said 31 civilians were killed by Indian strikes and firing along the border. New Delhi said 13 civilians and a soldier had been killed by Pakistani fire. The video, however, is unrelated to the crisis. A reverse image search using keyframes led to an X post published by Al Jazeera Palestine on October 13, 2023 (archived link). The Arabic-language caption reads: "Scenes showing violent Israeli raids on Beit Lahia, north of the Gaza Strip." Additional keyword searches found the same clip in a TRT Haber report on October 13, 2023. The Turkish outlet said Israel carried out strikes on 320 targets overnight, killing around 400 Palestinians (archived link). Sharing a screenshot from the same video, Lebanese news outlet Al Manar also reported the same day that Israeli strikes forced evacuations in Gaza (archived link). A Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data. The Israeli offensive launched in retaliation for the October 7 attack has killed at least 52,653 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to data from the Hamas-run Health Ministry, which is considered reliable by the United Nations (archived link). AFP has debunked other misinformation about the India-Pakistan clashes here, here and here.
