Father of Thai hostage in Gaza receives confirmation of his son’s release
CNA’s Saksith Saiyasombut was with Wilas Thaenna in Thailand when he saw his son freed from captivity in Gaza after 15 months. His son, Pongsak Thaenna, had been held hostage by Hamas from Oct 7, 2023, along with dozens of others. He and 5 other Thai nationals were released by militants in Gaza on Thursday (Jan 30) as part of a hostage-prisoner swap.
Thai PM makes AI video appeal to Chinese tourists
“The Thai government attaches great importance to the safety of tourists,” says Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, speaking in Mandarin. Except it’s not actually her voice.
In an effort to reassure Chinese tourists about the safety of visiting Thailand amid concerns over human trafficking, the Thai government has released an AI-generated video featuring the leader.Hundreds tie the knot as Thailand becomes first in Southeast Asia to legalise same-sex unions
Thailand has become the first in Southeast Asia to legalise same-sex unions. In Bangkok, a special event at a shopping mall was held, where a pop-up registration readied to welcome up to 300 couples to tie the knot. Non-heterosexual couples can now enjoy inheritance and adoption rights. The law now uses gender-neutral terms such as "individuals" and "marriage partners", instead of "men", "women", "husbands" and "wives".
Thai PM assures Chinese tourists of country's commitment to improving safety
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has delivered a clear message on Thailand’s commitment to improving safety and combatting transnational crime. She has released an AI-generated video directly addressing tourists from mainland China. It is part of government efforts to rebuild confidence, following reports of Chinese nationals being trafficked to scam call centres in neighboring nations.
Cross-border scams: Is it safe for you to visit Thailand if you are Chinese?
China is cracking down on online scams after a series of cases. The most recent one involved Chinese actor Wang Xing, who went missing after he was tricked into going for a casting call in Thailand. He was later rescued from a scam syndicate in Myanmar. The incident caused a sharp rise in cancellations of travel plans to Thailand by Chinese tourists, citing safety concerns. CNA correspondents Tan Si Hui in Beijing and Saksith Saiyasombut in Bangkok spoke to Chinese tourists to find out what they think about travelling to Thailand.