Tag: Thailand

Thai FM says pressed Iran on Hamas hostages

BANGKOK, Nov 3, 2023 (AFP) – Thailand’s foreign minister said Friday he had pressed his Iranian counterpart over the fate of 23 Thais taken hostage by Palestinian militant group Hamas in its attack on Israel. Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara travelled to Qatar and Egypt this week for talks on the hostages, and met his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Doha, urging him to use Tehran’s links with Hamas to help secure the release of Thai nationals. Israeli […]

Thailand held direct hostage talks with Hamas in Iran: negotiator

BANGKOK, Nov 2, 2023 (AFP) – Thai officials held direct talks with Hamas in Iran last week over the fate of 22 of the kingdom’s nationals taken hostage by the Palestinian militant group in its attack on Israel, the head of the Thai delegation said. Negotiators met Hamas officials in Tehran on October 26 and were given a pledge that the Thais would be released at the “right time”, Areepen Uttarasin told reporters in Bangkok […]

Thai FM travels to Qatar, Egypt for Hamas hostage talks

BANGKOK, Oct 31, 2023 (AFP) – Thailand’s foreign minister begins an urgent visit to Qatar and Egypt on Tuesday for talks on the fate of 22 Thais taken hostage by Hamas in its attack on Israel. Israeli authorities say more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, were killed in an attack launched by the Palestinian militant group on October 7 from the Gaza Strip. In response, the Israeli military has pounded Gaza, where the Hamas-controlled health […]

Thai death toll in Israel-Gaza conflict hits 24: PM

BANGKOK, Oct 14, 2023 (AFP) – Three more Thai nationals have died in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, bringing the death toll to 24, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said Saturday. “I have been informed that there are three more people who died, making it a total of 24,” Srettha told reporters. Two additional Thai nationals have been wounded, the Thai foreign ministry said, bringing the total to 16. About 30,000 Thais […]

Tears and trauma as Thai evacuees return from Israel

BANGKOK, Oct 12, 2023 (AFP) – The first flight of Thai evacuees fleeing the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas landed in Bangkok on Thursday, with several recounting harrowing escapes as they were reunited with tearful family members. Worried families gathered at the airport hours before the arrival of a flight carrying 41 Thais, including 15 evacuees, who were flown out with assistance from their country’s diplomats. Around 30,000 Thais work in Israel, […]

12 Thais killed in Israel-Gaza violence: government

BANGKOK, Oct 9, 2023 (AFP) – Twelve Thais have been killed in the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants, the kingdom’s government said Monday, as it prepared a plan to evacuate its citizens. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Kanchana Patarachoke said the Thai embassy in Israel learned of the deaths from the victims’ employers. She said a further eight Thais had been wounded and 11 taken captive since the war erupted when Hamas launched a large-scale attack […]

Thai PM vows action on guns after deadly mall shooting

By Thanaporn PROMYAMYAI BANGKOK, Oct 4, 2023 (AFP) – Thailand’s prime minister on Wednesday vowed “preventive measures” after a shooting at a Bangkok shopping mall left two people dead and raised fresh questions about the kingdom’s gun control. Shoppers returned in dribs and drabs as the Siam Paragon mall reopened less than 24 hours after the shooting — Thailand’s third high-profile deadly gun attack in four years. The shooting at one of Bangkok’s biggest, most […]

Two dead in Bangkok mall shooting, 14-year-old boy arrested

By Montira Rungjirajittranon, Panisa Aemocha and Chayanit Itthipongmaetee BANGKOK, Oct 3, 2023 (AFP) – A 14-year-old boy was arrested Tuesday after a shooting at a packed Bangkok mall that left two people dead and five wounded, and sent hundreds of panicked shoppers running in terror into the streets. Witnesses told AFP of chaotic scenes as shots rang out at the upmarket Siam Paragon mall in the heart of the Thai capital around 4:30 pm (0930 […]

DEVELOPING STORY: Three dead in Bangkok mall shooting, attacker arrested

BANGKOK, Oct 3, 2023 (AFP) – Three people were killed and four wounded in a shooting at a major Bangkok shopping mall on Tuesday, with the shooter arrested by police. Multiple videos circulating on social media showed people running from the Siam Paragon mall, one of the Thai capital’s top shopping destinations, which is hugely popular with tourists and locals alike. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin told reporters the attacker had been apprehended and the situation […]

Chinese tourists get VIP welcome in Thailand as visa-free travel begins

BANGKOK, Sept 25, 2023 (AFP) – Chinese tourists received a personal welcome from the Thai prime minister Monday as they arrived in Bangkok under a new visa-free scheme the government hopes will give the kingdom’s vital tourism sector a boost. Traditional dancers accompanied a smiling PM Srettha Thavisin as he greeted visitors arriving from Shanghai at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, handing out welcome gifts. “I was shocked by the welcoming ceremony, and I’m very happy. It’s […]

Jailed Thaksin could be advisor to new Thai govt: deputy PM

BANGKOK, Sept 22, 2023 (AFP) – Thailand’s jailed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra could act as advisor to the new government, the ruling party said Friday, a move likely to raise hackles among the billionaire’s critics. The 74-year-old, ousted by a military coup in 2006, returned to the kingdom last month and was immediately jailed for historic convictions for graft and abuse of power. New Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, of Thaksin’s Pheu Thai party, […]

Blockbuster movie scares Chinese tourists away from Thailand

BANGKOK, Sept 22, 2023 (AFP) – For millions of Chinese tourists, Thailand used to be a happy land of delicious food. But thanks to social media rumours and a blockbuster movie, the kingdom’s image among many Chinese people is now one of dangerous illegality and seedy scam border compounds — leaving visitor numbers plummeting. Thailand is hugely reliant on tourism, particularly from China. The country welcomed more than 10 million Chinese visitors each year before […]