The RTN delays frigate from South Korea in favor of Chinese landing ship

13 Sept 13:38 Key points summarised by AI

The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has ordered a delay in the construction of its second multi-purpose frigate from South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo, a vessel estimated at 15 billion baht.
This postponement prioritizes the delivery of a 6.1 billion baht Chinese-built landing ship, intended for crucial disaster relief operations and as a support vessel for the RTN's first submarine, which is also being built in China.

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.