Chinese business tycoon Tu Hao acquitted

13 Sept 12:59 Key points summarised by AI

Chinese business tycoon Chaiyanat Kornchayanant, also known as 'Tu Hao', his Thai wife, and 17 co-defendants were acquitted of money laundering and illegal narcotic charges by the Bangkok South Criminal Court due to insufficient evidence.
Despite the acquittals, six other co-defendants were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 21 to 28 years for narcotics trafficking or abetting such crimes.
The high-profile case centered on Chaiyanat, a Chinese-born businessman with Thai nationality who owns a vast empire of tourism-related businesses, and stemmed from a 2022 police raid on his Jinling pub in Bangkok where drugs were found.

Nationwide crackdown launched on illegal nominee shareholders and land holdings

Yesterday 15:20 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul initiated a nationwide crackdown on illegal Thai nominee shareholders in foreign-run businesses and land holdings to safeguard national interests.
The government will integrate efforts across all relevant agencies to target illicit foreign operations, forced sales of illegally acquired property, and high-risk land ownership schemes.
Key strategies include auditing suspect land and building holdings, establishing a long-term monitoring system, and cross-referencing data from various authorities to trace ultimate beneficial owners.
Prime Minister Anutin emphasized that no influential figures or corrupt officials are above the law, promising straightforward prosecution, asset seizures, and protection for enforcing officers.
Beyond land ownership, the integrated crackdown will also extend to tackle transnational crimes, including drug and human trafficking.