Tight security in Hat Yai ahead of New Year’s countdown

15 Sept 10:33 Key points summarised by AI

Hat Yai imposes top-level security for its New Year's countdown, expecting thousands of tourists from Malaysia and Singapore.
Designated celebration areas are blocked off with police and officials conducting thorough checks on vehicles and individuals; shopkeepers are also instructed to report any suspicious activity.
Security is also heightened at the Sadao border crossing and in four districts bordering Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat, regions known as strongholds for southern militant groups.
This increased security follows a recent surge in militant violence, including a bomb attack on the Golden Mermaid statue in Songkhla and a series of explosions targeting power poles, bridges, and rail tracks in Narathiwat.

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

Today 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.