House committee to quiz army over Chambers' charges as trade link denied

14 Sept 13:00 Key points summarised by AI

The House Committee on the Military will question the army on May 8th regarding lèse-majesté charges against American lecturer Paul Chambers, also inviting police and U.S. Embassy representatives.
Paul Chambers was arrested earlier this month for allegedly violating Thailand’s lèse-majesté and computer crime laws, charges he denies. He was granted bail with an electronic monitoring device, but his request to remove it was denied.
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai denied any link between Chambers' case and ongoing US-Thailand tariff negotiations, despite former PM Thaksin suggesting it was possible and the U.S. State Department expressing alarm over the arrest.
The army confirmed initiating legal action against Chambers based on citizen complaints and defended the Internal Security Operations Command's (ISOC) authority to file the charges.

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.