Thailand | Pakistan

Thailand’s former Queen Sirikit, the mother of the current King Vajiralongkorn and wife of the nation’s longest-reigning monarch, died late on Friday at the age of 93, the palace said. The royal family is venerated in Thailand, treated by many as semi-divine figures and lavished with glowing media coverage and gold-adorned portraits hanging in public spaces and private homes nationwide. Throughout her 66-year marriage to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Sirikit carved a dual reputation as a fashionista and the nation’s caring matriarch — with some Western media featuring her on magazine covers and comparing her to former US first lady Jackie Kennedy. “I had heard that she had been unwell and, given that she was in her 90s, I knew this day would come,” 53-year-old housekeeper Sasis Putthasit said early on Saturday in the capital Bangkok. “But I didn’t expect it to be today,” Sasis told AFP. “I feel sad because she was a mother figure to the country, and now she’s gone.” Sirikit had “suffered several illnesses” while h...

More than 1,000 people, mostly Chinese, have fled from Myanmar into Thailand this week, Thai authorities said on Friday, after the Myanmar military raided one of the country’s largest scam centres. Sprawling cyberscam hubs, where fraudsters swindle victims through online cons, have flourished along Myanmar’s loosely governed border during its years-long civil war. While some scammers are trafficked into the often-fortified compounds, experts say others work voluntarily, hoping to earn more in the multibillion-dollar illicit industry than they can at home. Thailand’s Tak provincial office said 1,049 people had crossed from Myanmar into Mae Sot district from Wednesday to Friday morning — up from the 677 who had fled the KK Park scam compound as of Thursday morning. Nationals from India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand and more than a dozen other countries were among them, the office said in a statement. Thailand’s Immigration Bureau said most of the arrivals were Chinese men. Myanmar’s junta said on Monday...

Nearly 700 foreigners, including Pakistanis, have fled Myanmar and crossed into Thailand, the Thai army said on Thursday, following a military operation against the Chinese-backed KK Park, a notorious cybercrime compound. Thailand has detained 677 people, including 618 men and 59 women, after they crossed the border into Tak province, it said in a statement. Myanmar’s military has taken control of KK Park and is inspecting the area, driving a large number of people into Thailand, the statement said. The people are now undergoing legal procedures and screening, and Thai authorities have also made additional detention facilities available in case existing spaces become insufficient, the army said. “All actions are in line with legal and humanitarian principles,” it said, adding that it was working closely with local security agencies to maintain order along the Thai-Myanmar border. The group consists primarily of individuals from India and China, with smaller numbers from Vietnam, Pakistan, Indonesia and severa...

A lion kept at a private home in Thailand got loose and attacked a young boy, leaving him in hospital, the wildlife department said Sunday. The lion attacked the child, who was hospitalised with unspecified injuries, while he was walking on a public road Saturday night in western Kanchanaburi province, about a two-hour drive from the capital Bangkok, the department said in a statement. Local media said the boy was on his way home from playing with other children when the big cat pounced on him. Lion ownership is legal in Thailand, where the captive population has exploded in recent years, with nearly 500 registered in zoos, breeding farms, petting cafes and homes. But experts have warned the trend endangers animals and humans, and likely fuels illicit trade domestically and abroad. The lion’s owner, who the wildlife department identified only as Parinya, was charged with violating wildlife protection laws and faces up to six months in prison and a 50,000 baht ($1,500) fine if convicted. The lion was seized by...

Thailand’s next prime minister on Saturday pledged to make good on his promise to lead the fractured interim government to new polls. Conservative tycoon Anutin Charnvirakul was confirmed by parliament on Friday, ending a week-long power vacuum following the ouster of his predecessor Paetongtarn Shinawatra. The construction magnate cobbled together a coalition of opposition blocs to shut out Pheu Thai, the electoral vehicle of the once-dominant Shinawatra dynasty’s patriarch Thaksin. Anutin received the backing of the People’s Party, which holds a plurality of seats, on conditions that he recommitted to on Saturday. “I think we are clear in terms of politics that we are going to dissolve the parliament in four months,” he said during a meeting at his party headquarters broadcast by Thai media. “I will try to form my cabinet as soon as possible,” he said, adding that the foreign minister and energy minister were already confirmed. Thaksin unexpectedly left the kingdom before the parliamentary vote, bound for D...

Thailand and Cambodia agreed Thursday to extend a shaky ceasefire deal that followed five days of deadly hostilities along their border last month. At least 43 people were killed in the conflict that ended last Tuesday, after a long-standing dispute over border temples boiled over into violence. A truce was brokered by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim — chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regional bloc — after cajoling by United States President Donald Trump and a team of Chinese mediators. The deal dictated a ceasefire, followed by a meeting of rival regional commanders, before defence officials held three days of talks in Kuala Lumpur that concluded with a joint statement on Thursday. “Both sides agree to a ceasefire involving all types of weapons, including attacks on civilians and civilian objects and military objectives of either side, in all cases and all areas,” it said. “This agreement must not be violated under any circumstances.” In the first days of the truce, both Tha...

BANGKOK: Thailand has imposed a significant change in new immigration guidelines for international travellers, using a digital arrival card (TDAC), replacing the traditional paper work TM6 form, effective May 1, 2025. According to the Thailand entry rules, all travellers must complete the TDAC at least 72 hours before they arrive. This requirement is now mandatory […]

In a symbolic gesture of cultural diplomacy and shared heritage, Pakistan presented a finely crafted replica of the iconic Fasting Buddha sculpture to Thailand during a special ceremony held at the National Museum in Bangkok on July 31, 2025.

Pakistan has welcomed the successful conclusion of the special meeting hosted by Malaysia to address the ongoing tensions between Cambodia and Thailand.

Thailand and Cambodia’s leaders agreed to an “unconditional” ceasefire on Monday, after five days of combat along their jungle-clad frontier that has killed at least 36 people. More than 200,000 people have fled as the two sides fired artillery, rockets and guns in a battle over the long-disputed area, which is home to a smattering of ancient temples. The flare-up was the deadliest since violence raged sporadically from 2008-2011 over the territory, claimed by both sides because of a vague demarcation made by Cambodia’s French colonial administrators in 1907. Reading a joint statement from the leaders of both countries after peace talks, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said they had agreed “an immediate and unconditional ceasefire” with effect from midnight on Monday (10pm PKT). “This is a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security,” he said at a press conference in Malaysia’s administrative capital Putrajaya, flanked by Thai acting PM Phumtham Wechayachai and Camb...

Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to Malaysia acting as a mediator in their border conflict, the Malaysian foreign minister said on Sunday, as the combatants each said the other had launched further artillery attacks across contested areas. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai are expected in Malaysia on Monday evening, Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan told state news agency Bernama. “They have full confidence in Malaysia and asked me to be a mediator,” Mohamad said, adding he had talked with his Cambodian and Thai counterparts and they agreed no other country should be involved in the issue. The talks in Malaysia come after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, chair of the regional Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) forum, had proposed a ceasefire on Friday and US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the two leaders had agreed to work on a ceasefire. Four days after the worst fighting in more than a decade broke out between the Southeast Asian neig...

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand had agreed to meet immediately to quickly work out a ceasefire, as he sought to broker peace after three days of fighting along their border left at least 33 people dead. In a series of social media posts during a visit to Scotland, Trump said he had spoken to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand’s acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, warning them that he would not make trade deals with either of their governments if the border conflict continued. Following calls for restraint on both sides from Trump’s senior aides, he became directly involved on Saturday, speaking to each leader and saying he relayed messages back and forth. “Just spoke to the prime minister of Cambodia relative to stopping the war with Thailand,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network. “I have just spoken to the acting prime minister of Thailand, and it was a very good conversation,” he said soon after in a new post. “Thailand,...

Thailand and Cambodia are engaged in their worst fighting in over a decade, exchanging heavy artillery fire across their disputed border, with at least 16 people killed and tens of thousands displaced. Tensions began rising between the Southeast Asian neighbours in May, following the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief exchange of gunfire, and have steadily escalated since, triggering diplomatic spats and now, armed clashes. A Thailand’s mobile artillery unit fires towards Cambodia’s side after Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery on Friday as their worst fighting in more than a decade stretched for a second day, in Surin, Thailand, July 25. — Reuters What is the current situation? Clashes broke out between the two countries early on Thursday along a disputed area abutting an ancient temple, rapidly spilling over to other areas along the contested frontier and heavy artillery exchanges continuing for a second straight day. Thailand recalled its ambassador to Phnom Penh on Wednesday and ex...

Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai warned on Friday that cross-border clashes with Cambodia that have uprooted more than 130,000 people “could develop into war”, as the countries traded deadly strikes for a second day. A long-running border dispute erupted into intense fighting with jets, artillery, tanks and ground troops on Thursday, and the UN Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis later on Friday. A steady thump of artillery strikes could be heard from the Cambodian side of the border, where the province of Oddar Meanchey reported one civilian — a 70-year-old man — had been killed and five more wounded. More than 138,000 people have been evacuated from Thailand’s border regions, its health ministry said, reporting 15 fatalities — 14 civilians and a soldier — with a further 46 wounded, including 15 troops. “We have tried to compromise as we are neighbours, but we have now instructed the Thai military to act immediately in case of urgency,” said Wechayachai. “I...

ISLAMABAD: Thailand offers a vibrant mix of cultural richness, with ancient temples to tourists across the world, and is becoming one of the top choices for people who want to explore the world. The warm climate, especially pleasant in northern regions during this season, and a hospitality-driven culture enhance the experience of tourists visiting Thailand. […]

Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from duty pending a case seeking her dismissal, in a major setback for a government under fire on multiple fronts and fighting for its survival. The court accepted a petition from 36 senators accusing Paetongtarn of dishonesty and breaching ethical standards, based on a leak of a sensitive telephone call with Cambodia’s influential former leader Hun Sen that was intended to de-escalate a territorial row and tense troop buildup at their border. The leaked June 15 call triggered domestic fury and has left Paetongtarn’s coalition with a razor-thin majority after a big party abandoned the alliance and accused her of undermining sovereignty, as protest groups threaten more demonstrations to demand a new government. Paetongtarn’s battles after only 10 months in office underline an intractable power struggle between the billionaire Shinawatra dynasty and an influential establishment backed by the army — a two-decade grudge mat...

An Air India flight from Phuket in Thailand to India’s capital New Delhi received an onboard bomb threat on Friday and made an emergency landing on the island, airport authorities said. All 156 passengers on flight AI 379 had been escorted from the plane, in line with emergency plans, an Airports of Thailand official said. The aircraft took off from Phuket airport bound for the Indian capital at 9:30am (7:30am PKT) on Friday, but made a wide loop around the Andaman Sea and landed back on the southern Thai island, according to flight tracker Flightradar24. Screengrab of flight path of the affected flight. — FlightRadar24 The incident follows the crash of an Air India flight in Ahmedabad on Thursday shortly after takeoff, in which more than 265 people were killed. AOT did not provide details on the bomb threat. Air India did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Indian airlines and airports were inundated with hoax bomb threats last year, with nearly 1,000 hoax calls and messages received in the fir...