Foreign

Thailand, Cambodia Agree Ceasefire after Weeks of Clashes

By Web News 242

The Defence Ministers of Thailand and Cambodia in a joint statement have agreed to an immediate ceasefire.

According to report, the two sides have agreed to freeze the front lines where they are now, and allow civilians living in border areas to return home, halting almost three weeks of intense clashes in which hundreds of soldiers are believed to have died and nearly one million people displaced.

The statement says that, the ceasefire took effect at noon local time (05:00 GMT) on Saturday.

Once it has been in place for 72 hours, 18 Cambodian soldiers held by Thailand since July will be released, while breakthrough came after days of talks between the two countries, with diplomatic encouragement from China and the US.

Thailand’s Defence Minister Natthaphon Narkphanit described the ceasefire as a test for the “other party’s sincerity”.

“Should the ceasefire fail to materialise or be violated, Thailand retains its legitimate right to self-defence under international law,” he told reporters.

Thailand had been reluctant to accept the ceasefire, saying the last one was not properly implemented. They also resented what they saw as Cambodia’s efforts to internationalize the conflict.

Unlike the last ceasefire in July, US President Donald Trump was absent from this one, although the US State Department was involved.

That ceasefire agreement collapsed earlier this month, when fresh clashes erupted, as both sides have blamed each other for the breakdown of the truce.

BBC/Taiwo Akinola

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Foreign

Cambodia Casino Fire Claims Ten

By Web News 428

At least 10 people have died in a huge fire at a Cambodian hotel-casino on the border with Thailand, police and local media say.

The blaze broke out at the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino in the border town of Poipet at about 23:30 (16:30 GMT) on Wednesday.

Police say around 400 people were in the building when it caught fire.

Video circulating on social media shows what appeared to be people jumping or falling from upper floors.

media reports show that many Thai nationals were in the hotel, which backs onto the border, local.

Authorities are still working to determine the cause of the fire.

A Thai foreign ministry official told the AFP news agency that some of the injured were transferred to hospitals in Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province.

Poipet is a key crossing point between the two countries. It is also popular for its casinos, which many Thai nationals visit because gambling is mostly illegal in Thailand.

AFP / Titilayo Kupoliyi

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Foreign

31 Sailors Missing as Thailand Warship Capsizes

By Web News 447

The Thai Navy says 31 sailors are missing after a warship carrying over 100 crew capsized and sank during a storm in the Gulf of Thailand.

The HTMAS Sukhotai sank after water flooded its power controls on Sunday night.

Authorities said on Monday they had rescued 75 crew but 31 were still missing in rough seas.

“It’s been more than 12 hours but we will keep looking,” a navy spokesman told the BBC.

Search crews worked through the night to find survivors, and the operation was continuing on Monday, the navy said.

They also announced an investigation into the cause of the disaster.

“This has almost never happened in our force’s history, especially to a ship that is still in active use,” spokesman Admiral Pogkrong Monthardpalin told the BBC.

Officials said the ship went down after it took on water, which flooded its hull and short-circuited its power room.

With the power lost, crew battled to retain control of the ship which listed on to its side before sinking around 23:30 local time Sunday (16:30 GMT).

The ship had been on a patrol just 32km (20 miles) west of Bang Saphan, in the Prachuap Khiri Khan province, when it got caught in the storm on Sunday.

Dramatic pictures posted by the Thai Navy’s Twitter account show the vessel listing on to its starboard side, and back-up rescue ships trying to find survivors in the choppy waters.

Three naval ships and helicopters were sent to assist, but only the frigate HTMAS Kraburi reached the vessel before it sank.

The frigate picked up the majority of the sailors on board the Sukhotai, the navy said. Life-jacketed sailors were found in the water in life boats.

BBC / Titilayo Kupoliyi

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Foreign

Children among 30 killed in Thailand Shooting

By Web News 478

Thai authorities launched a manhunt on Thursday after at least 30 people, including children, were killed in a mass shooting at a child care center in the northeast of the country, officials said.

The shooting took place at the Child Development Center in Uthaisawan Na Klang district, Nong Bua Lamphu province, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office.

“The prime minister has expressed his condolences on the shooting incident which resulted in 30 deaths,” the statement read.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered authorities to apprehend the perpetrator as soon as possible, the statement added.

Gun ownership in Thailand is relatively high as compared with other countries in Southeast Asia.

Mass shootings in the country are rare but a 2020 incident saw a soldier kill 29 people in a shooting spree that began at a military site and then sent shoppers hunting for cover after the gunman entered a mall.

CNN/Olaolu Fawole

News Analysis

Thailand : Home Of Monkey Banquet Festival

By Web News 1371

Lopburi Monkey Banquet Festival comes from a unique perspective of Thailand.

People consider monkeys to be the most loyal, brave soldiers in the defense of the safety of Narai – the most revered god of Hindu.

When the god Narai is safe, he will bless the Thailand with good luck and peace.

Since 1989, the Lopburi Monkey Banquet Festival has been organized to treat wild monkeys to delightful meals and to promote Thailand tourism.

Therefore, coming to this festival, people and tourists will participate in many activities such as playing and feeding monkeys.

These activities usually attract lot of participants.

Along with decorating fruits, people also erected monkey statues at this festival.

In this festival, there will be about 4 tons of fruits including bananas, apples, grapes and many other drinks such as fruit juice, Coca, milk, mineral water.

Fruit jelly is also one of the indispensable dishes in the banquet.

The party usually start at 10.00am. After the opening, fruits and desserts, drinks and soft drinks will be displayed on tables around the temple.

Thousands of monkeys will come together, eat deliciously. Tourists are delighted to be feeding the monkeys, and some people joke and take photos with them.

Although Thailand has to pay a lot of money each year to organize this festival, the festival also attracts a lot of tourists.

Titilayo Kupoliyi