9 years on, Mong Thongdee still hopes for Thai citizenship

21 Sept 07:14 Key points summarised by AI

Mong Thongdee, a stateless boy who gained fame winning a paper plane contest in 2009, was promised Thai citizenship but waited nine years for the pledge to be fulfilled.
Disillusioned by forgotten promises, Mong proactively sought certifications for his contributions, including training forest rangers on drones, to support his citizenship application.
His case gained renewed attention after the "Wild Boars" soccer team members, also stateless, were granted Thai citizenship, rekindling Mong's hope.
Recently, Mong received news that his Thai citizenship is imminent, with his case now with the Interior Ministry awaiting a final reference letter.

Suchada: Meet the reluctant star of Thailand’s cryptic crypto drama

20 Oct 15:38 Key points summarised by AI

Thai MP Suchada Zhang Thaensap faces intense scrutiny over her husband’s substantial 1.84 billion baht wealth, with opposition lawmakers alleging connections to international scam networks.
A significant portion of her husband, Taiyang Zhang's, declared assets includes a 1.44 billion baht loan to the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, which still owes him 1.34 billion baht.
Opposition MP Rangsiman Rome accused Suchada's husband of links to online scam networks and gambling sites, prompting Suchada to vehemently deny the claims, demand evidence, and file a defamation complaint.
Taiyang Zhang's background includes co-founding Ren Protocol, later sold to Alameda Research (linked to the FTX collapse), and some of his former associates have been convicted in crypto company failures.
Suchada, a former actress and first-time MP, maintains her husband's innocence, while her party leaders have distanced themselves from the allegations, deeming it a private matter.