Ex-minister and his alleged ‘Hollywood’ style escape plan

24 Sept 00:18 Key points summarised by AI

Former Thai deputy commerce minister Banyin Tangpakorn faced extreme security during a court transfer due to an alleged 'Hollywood-style' escape plot, reportedly involving a motorcade snatch and the kidnapping of a prison chief's wife.
Authorities charged Banyin with masterminding the unexecuted escape plan, which was uncovered after a re-arrested suspect revealed details to police while in jail.
Banyin is also implicated in other serious crimes, including the premeditated murder of a property developer (Chuwong Saetang) and the kidnapping and murder of a judge's brother to influence a stock fraud case.
His controversial past includes a suspicious car accident that killed his first wife, an incident where Banyin, then a police lieutenant, was driving despite claims his wife could not drive.

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.