2022: The journey back to normality for Thailand after COVID-19

13 Sept 20:19 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand transitioned to "living with COVID-19" in 2022, progressively lifting major restrictions like mandatory RT-PCR tests for travelers, facemask rules, and the Thailand Pass system.
Economic and social life rebounded significantly, with schools resuming onsite classes, businesses returning to offices, mass transport usage soaring, and the return of tourism, welcoming over 10 million visitors.
The government dissolved emergency COVID-19 bodies and decrees, discontinuing daily infection reports and scrapping the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) by year-end.
Despite the widespread return to normalcy, health authorities continue to urge caution, especially for high-risk groups, emphasizing booster shots due to ongoing fatalities from the virus.

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.