Under the radar in Thailand: The foreigner who built an arsenal at home

10 Sept 13:51 Key points summarised by AI

Chinese national Sun Mingchen, a seemingly friendly neighbor, was arrested after a car accident, leading police to uncover a significant military-grade arsenal at his luxury rented home in Chon Buri.
Sun used deceptive methods, including fraudulent household registrations and a marriage, to establish residency in Thailand, while maintaining a secretive life and extensive travel.
The discovered arsenal included M16 rifles, nearly 5 kilos of C4 explosive, anti-personnel mines, and other military ordnance, some marked with Royal Thai Army logos, raising serious national security alarms.
Despite claiming to be a 'depressed firearms enthusiast' planning suicide, evidence revealed Sun had high-level security training at Cambodia's elite Bodyguard Headquarters and researched sabotage methods.
The case has expanded into a complex nationwide investigation, resulting in the arrest of a Royal Thai Navy petty officer, a shooting range operator, and other suspects for allegedly supplying weapons to Sun.

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.