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Civic societies outraged by bid for land in Phetchabun for gold exploration

13 Sept 17:55 Key points summarised by AI

Civic societies in Phetchabun are vehemently protesting Akara Resources' applications for gold exploration and mining concessions spanning over 70,400 hectares.
Residents express outrage, claiming the exploration will encroach on their ancestral lands, and question why the Department of Primary Industries and Mines accepted applications without verifying land overlaps.
Despite assurances from a provincial official regarding land rights, villagers, some with 100-year histories in the area, are resolute in their opposition to a gold mine.
Akara Resources, linked to Kingsgate Consolidated, previously had its Chatree gold mine operations halted in 2017 due to environmental and health concerns, leading to an ongoing 30-billion-baht arbitration claim.

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.