Mahout profession on brink of extinction before elephants, expert warns

14 Sept 22:34 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's National Parks and Wildlife Department has opened three official mahout positions, offering salaries and requiring five years of experience, to manage wild elephants encroaching on human settlements.
Experts warn the mahout profession faces extinction due to its traditional family-based knowledge transfer and a decline in demand following the end of the logging industry.
Relocating wild elephants is a challenging and risky task, often requiring significant resources and personnel, with many elephants frequently returning to human-populated areas.

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.