Wildlife groups want review of regulations on elephant exports

14 Sept 03:43 Key points summarised by AI

Wildlife conservation groups and a Chart Thai Pattana MP are demanding the Commerce Ministry review its unclear regulations on elephant exports, opposing the resumption after a ten-year ban.
Experts raise concerns about potential smuggling, the Commerce Ministry's inappropriate role in handling elephant exports, and significant loopholes within the current regulations.
Past elephant exports lacked a crucial follow-up system to monitor animal welfare, a critical issue that remains unaddressed in the new, seemingly rushed regulations.

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

Yesterday 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.