From beauty queen to new face in Thailand’s COVID-19 battle

13 Sept 10:25 Key points summarised by AI

Former Miss Thailand 2008, Dr Panprapa Yongtrakul, has been appointed assistant spokeswoman for Thailand's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), marking her return to the public spotlight.
Her new role involves updating the public on the pandemic every weekend, deputizing for Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin, and she has shown improvement in her initial national addresses.
A medical doctor with a background in dermatology and prior media experience, Dr. Panprapa's appointment aligns with a trend of highly qualified women being chosen for prominent government spokesperson roles by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

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.