Latest news with #Thais
Bangkok Post
5 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Police raid illegal e-cigarette factory
PATHUM THANI: Police raided an illegal e-cigarette manufacturing facility in Khu Khot district early Saturday morning, seizing more than 21,000 e-cigarette devices and arresting 29 suspects, including foreign nationals. Officers armed with a court warrant stormed a three-storey commercial building on Phahon Yothin Soi 80 in Lam Luk Ka district, which had been converted into a large-scale e-cigarette production site. Behind the office and workers' accommodation buildings, police discovered a sprawling factory covering 3–4 rai. The raid resulted in the arrest of 29 individuals: one Chinese national, seven Thais, two Vietnamese and 19 Cambodians. The Chinese suspect, identified as Lu Jinke, was allegedly the production supervisor and trainer for assembling the devices. Authorities confiscated 21,200 e-cigarettes of various brands, valued at 6.1 million baht. They also seized equipment including plastic sealing machines, smoke testers, e-liquid filling machines and other assembly tools. The raid stemmed from an arrest two weeks ago, when police apprehended three suspects — one of them a foreigner — at a retail outlet selling disposable e-cigarettes. The suspects admitted sourcing their products from the raided factory, prompting a further investigation. Investigations revealed that the site was formerly a marble polishing factory. In early 2025, a Thai-registered company leased the site for 150,000 baht per month and began covertly producing disposable e-cigarettes. The factory had recently started transitioning to refillable models and had already received orders. Police said the facility was in the process of installing a conveyor-belt production line to increase output. Until now, assembly had been done manually under the guidance of the Chinese technician. The factory price for each disposable e-cigarette was around 130 baht, with distribution focused on Bangkok and surrounding provinces. All of the suspects and seized items were handed over to the Khu Khot police station in Lam Luk Ka for legal proceedings.
Bangkok Post
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
Premier opts for forgiveness
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has responded with a message of forgiveness following provocative remarks made by Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen during a livestream amid recent tensions between the two nations. Neither Ms Paetongtarn nor her father, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has issued a formal rebuttal to Hun Sen's comments. Rather than addressing the content of Hun Sen's remarks directly, Ms Paetongtarn took to Instagram to share a reflective teaching from the late Mae Chee Sansanee Sthirasuta, a revered Thai Buddhist nun. "Forgive. If you have the opportunity to do so ... then please do. Whether they are aware of your forgiveness or not, the lightness, clarity, and ease already arise within your own heart," she wrote. The message, shared at the same time Hun Sen was broadcasting live, was widely interpreted as a calm response, reinforcing a message of peace amid rising rhetoric. In his livestream, Hun Sen alleged that Thaksin was not genuinely ill during his visit to Cambodia in February 2024, and that the former premier had worn medical devices merely for the sake of photographs. "I flew to Bangkok to visit Thaksin. He was not ill at all," Hun Sen said. "But when it came time to take photos, he asked for props -- a neck brace, an arm brace -- to appear unwell. As soon as the photos were done, he removed them and went to dine. That's not illness, that's theatre. Thai people already have suspicions. I'm only confirming what many have thought, because both Thaksin and his daughter, Paetongtarn, are acting in bad faith." Hun Sen further claimed that Ms Paetongtarn was fully aware that her father was not genuinely unwell, yet she still took part in deceiving the Constitutional Court. He also stated that Phnom Penh governor, Khuong Sreng, could serve as a witness to the staged illness, along with several Thais who were present at the time. Hun Sen also claimed that his 30-year friendship with Thaksin had collapsed due to actions taken by Ms Paetongtarn. He accused her of having made disparaging comments, which he said had effectively ended their longstanding personal and political relationship. The Thai government has not officially responded to these claims. However, officials have continued to stress the importance of diplomacy, restraint, and maintaining peaceful bilateral relations with Cambodia, particularly in light of recent border tensions. Hun Sen also asserted that Thailand owes him a debt of gratitude for once sheltering members of the Shinawatra family. "You must understand that Cambodia is not unintelligent; we know your politics well," he said, seeming to directly comment on Thailand's leadership. Hun Sen further stated he would elaborate more in the coming days, adding, "Even when you planned to remove [Bhumjaithai Party leader] Anutin Charnvirakul from his posts as deputy prime minister and interior minister, you told me. If you can betray your own citizens, why would you not dare betray me? Of course, you would." Indicating that he warned Ms Paetongtarn about the potential repercussions of acting against Mr Anutin, Hun Sen then threatened to reveal details of his discussions with the Shinawatra family. Addressing Thaksin, Hun Sen said, "Take good care of your daughter. Your child is a prime minister, but so am I" (referring to his son Hun Manet). He added, "Don't misunderstand who I am. I do not owe a debt to Thailand; that is a matter between states. It is your people that owe me a debt of gratitude." Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Phumtham Wechayachai said on Friday that he paid little attention to such remarks, noting that Hun Sen often makes inconsistent statements. He said Hun Sen is engaging in information and psychological warfare, aimed at undermining the credibility of the Thai government.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Mass scale abuses in Cambodia scam centres: Amnesty
BANGKOK: While looking for jobs on Facebook, Jett thought he had found a well-paying opportunity working in online customer service in his home country of Thailand. Following instructions to travel across the kingdom, the 18-year-old ended up being trafficked across the border to a compound in Svay Rieng, Cambodia. There Jett was beaten, tortured and forced to perpetrate cyberscams, part of a multibillion-dollar illicit industry that has defrauded victims around the world. He was forcibly held at the compound for seven months, during which "there was no monetary compensation, and contacting family for help was not an option", he told AFP. "Will I survive, or will I die?" Jett (a pseudonym to protect his identity) recalled asking himself. Abuses in Cambodia's scam centres are happening on a "mass scale", a report published Thursday by Amnesty International said, accusing the Cambodian government of being "acquiescent" and "complicit" in the exploitation of thousands of workers. The report says there are at least 53 scam compounds in Cambodia, clustered mostly around border areas, in which organised criminal groups carry out human trafficking, forced labour, child labour, torture, deprivation of liberty and slavery. Amnesty's Montse Ferrer said that despite law enforcement raids on some scam compounds, the number of compounds in Cambodia has increased, "growing and building" in the last few months and years. "Scamming compounds are allowed to thrive and flourish by the Cambodian government," she told AFP. The Cambodian government has denied the allegations. Jett was made to romance his wealthy, middle-aged compatriots on social media, gaining their trust until they could be tricked into investing in a fake business. "If the target fell into the trap, they would be lured to keep investing more until they were financially drained - selling their land, cars, or all their assets," he said. Scam bosses demanded exorbitant targets of one million baht (US$31,000) per month from overworked employees - a target only about two per cent of them reached, he said. "Initially, new recruits wouldn't face physical harm, but later, reprimands escalated to beatings, electric shocks and severe intimidation," Jett told AFP. The other employees in his multi-storey building were mostly Chinese, with some Vietnamese and some Thais. Amnesty International says none of the ex-scammers of the 58 they interviewed for the report were Cambodian, and "overwhelmingly" were not paid for their labour. Most of the scam centre bosses were Chinese, Jett said, adding that they used Thai interpreters when meting out punishments to those who performed poorly. "Sometimes they'd hold meetings to decide who would be eliminated tomorrow," he said. "Or who will be sold (to another scam compound)? Or did anyone do something wrong that day? Did they break the company rules?" He claims a colleague falsely accused him of wrongdoing to the Chinese bosses for a bounty. He pleaded his innocence but they "just didn't listen". Ferrer said Cambodian government interventions against the scam centres had been "woefully ineffective", often linked to corruption by individual police officers at a "systemic and widespread level". Government spokesman Pen Bona told AFP: "Cambodia is a victimised country used by criminals to commit online scams. We do recognise that there is such thing, but Cambodia has taken serious measures against the problem." The UN Office on Drugs and Crime said in April that the scam industry was expanding outside hotspots in South-East Asia, with criminal gangs building up operations as far as South America, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and some Pacific islands. In Cambodia, Jett ultimately staged a dramatic escape after a particularly severe beating in which his arm was broken. He jumped out of a building, passed out and later woke up in hospital. "Whether I died or survived, both options seemed good to me at the time," he said. "Consider it a blessing that I jumped." He is now seeking legal recourse with assistance from Thai government agencies who have categorised him as a victim of human trafficking. But Ferrer said effective action to help end the industry must come from the Cambodian government. "We are convinced that if the Cambodian government wanted to put a stop they would be able to put a stop. At the very least they would be able to do much more than what we're seeing," she said. - AFP
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
BLACKPINK tour promo drops; fans share mixed reactions—criticize agency for Lisa's appearance in the video
O n June 26, BLACKPINK took to their online social media platforms to drop the promo video for their upcoming tour, 'DEADLINE,' which is all set to commence in the first week of July. While fans celebrated that the group was finally sharing promotional content regarding the tour, many pointed out the disparity in the screen time allotted to each article, specifically to the youngest member of the group, Lisa . Fans call BLACKPINK's company out because of Lisa's limited screen time As soon as the promotional video for BLACKPINK's upcoming tour, 'DEADLINE,' was dropped, fans started celebrating the new content and started sharing the video everywhere. Soon afterwards, however, many BLINKs started pointing out the fact that compared to the rest of the three members, Lisa had the least amount of screen time. #BLACKPINK WORLD TOUR TRAILER ▶️ #블랙핑크 #WORLDTOUR #DEADLINE #YG — BLACKPINKOFFICIAL (@BLACKPINK) June 26, 2025 In the promo video, all of the members have been showcased separately to introduce them and have group shots as well. Soon after the video dropped, fans started expressing concern over the fact that while Lisa only had 2 unclear shots throughout the video, the remaining members were featured for much longer. BLINKS react to the video Although the promotional teaser brought about excitement and anticipation amongst the fans, it quickly turned into concern as many pointed out that Lisa did not have enough time to feature in the video. Fans alleged that while all of the members got clear shots and enough screen time, Lisa's feature was limited to 'just 2 seconds' and that her shots were not even 'clear enough.' One fan commented online that 'So is everyone just going to ignore the fact that Lisa has less screen time than everyone and only like two shots?' While another fan's post read, 'Screen time for Thais is 2 seconds. Are you serious?'
Business Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Times
Cambodia's Hun Sen urges change in Thai leadership over border dispute
[PHNOM PENH] Cambodia's most influential politician called for a leadership change in Thailand, citing doubts about the prime minister's ability to manage a border dispute between the two countries. 'I hope there will be a new prime minister in Thailand who will come out and solve issues with neighbouring countries, especially with Cambodia,' former Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Friday (Jun 27) during a nearly four-hour televised address. With that, 'I don't think we will still be confrontational.' Cambodia's provocations add to the worries of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, whose government nearly collapsed this month after a leaked call with Hun Sen was released in which she criticised her army, prompting a key coalition ally to defect. Paetongtarn has resisted calls to resign and her coalition allies have pledged to remain for now. On Monday, Thailand's National Anti-Corruption Commission opened a preliminary investigation into the prime minister over the leaked call. Hun Sen, who ruled Cambodia for nearly four decades, is the father of Prime Minister Hun Manet and currently serves as Senate president. On Friday, he threatened to release potentially sensitive content from a private conversation he had with Thaksin Shinawatra, the patriarch of Thailand's ruling party and father of the prime minister. He accused Thaksin of insulting Thailand's king – a crime punishable by prison. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said Hun Sen was trying to stir tensions and urged Thais not to listen to him. 'Regarding current attempts to sow divisions in Thai society through the circulation of inciteful content in social media, the Thai Government would like to reaffirm that it will use only official channels to communicate with the Cambodian Government,' the Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on its website on Friday. Cambodia has banned imports from Thailand, including fruit, vegetables, electricity, Internet services, and even Thai television dramas and films. Paetongtarn's government responded by restricting border crossings in seven provinces and halted exports, including fuel. Hun Sen's spokesman, Chea Thyrith, clarified the remarks, stating that he wanted to work with a new government in Thailand. 'The current government does not have enough power to make decisions in consensus to represent Thailand in solving border disputes,' he told Bloomberg. 'We are happy to work with every new government that has enough power to represent Thailand.' BLOOMBERG
