The dispute centers on a 26,000-square-kilometer area in the Gulf of Thailand believed to contain significant oil and natural gas reserves estimated to be worth about $300 billion. Both countries have claimed the area for more than 25 years.

Cambodia this week launched a compulsory conciliation process under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) after Thailand ended a 2001 framework agreement governing negotiations over the contested maritime zone.

Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said Bangkok would appoint two representatives to participate in the UN-backed process but criticized Cambodia’s decision to move ahead with arbitration rather than continue bilateral negotiations.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn defended the move, saying direct talks had been exhausted and expressing hope that Thailand would engage constructively in the process.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Thailand would halt all other negotiations with Cambodia, including talks related to land-border issues, and maintain the closure of border checkpoints.

Relations between the neighbors have remained strained since deadly border clashes last year that killed nearly 150 people and displaced more than 300,000, although a ceasefire agreed in December remains in place.

The UNCLOS conciliation process involves a five-member panel that issues non-binding recommendations. It has been used successfully only once before, when Timor-Leste and Australia resolved a decades-long maritime dispute.

The Thai cabinet approved plans to shorten visa-free stays currently granted to tourists from countries including members of Europe’s Schengen area, the United States, Israel and several South American nations, Tourism Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul told reporters in Bangkok.

Under the revised framework, most eligible foreign visitors will be permitted to remain in Thailand for up to 30 days without a visa, down from the current 60-day allowance introduced in July 2024 to stimulate tourism and economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. Some nationalities could face shorter stays of only 15 days, officials said.

The government said extensions would still be available through immigration offices, but approvals would no longer be automatic.
“The renewal will be decided by the officer and tourists will have to explain why they are staying longer,” a government spokeswoman said.

Thai authorities linked the policy shift to rising concerns over transnational crime and misuse of long visa-free stays by foreigners operating illegally in the country.

Recent police investigations have involved foreign nationals accused of drug trafficking, sex trafficking and operating businesses such as hotels, schools and entertainment venues without proper permits.

Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said last week the changes formed part of a broader strategy targeting criminal networks exploiting Thailand’s immigration system.

Officials stressed the policy was not aimed at any particular nationality but at individuals violating Thai laws while using tourist entry privileges.

Government spokesperson Rachada Dhanadirek said the existing framework had generated economic benefits through tourism but also created loopholes for illegal activities.

Tourism remains a central pillar of Thailand’s economy, contributing more than 10 percent of gross domestic product. However, visitor numbers have yet to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels despite aggressive government campaigns to revive the sector.
According to tourism ministry data, foreign arrivals fell by approximately 3.4 percent in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier.

Arrivals from the Middle East declined by nearly one-third during the period.

Thailand expects approximately 33.5 million foreign tourists this year, marginally above the nearly 33 million arrivals recorded in 2025, according to government projections.

The freight train struck the bus at a congested railway crossing in the Thai capital on Saturday afternoon, igniting the vehicle and leaving 30 people injured, according to emergency authorities. Police later revised down an earlier injury toll of 35.

Local police chief Urumporn Koondejsumrit said the train driver, who was also injured in the collision, and a railway-crossing guard had both been charged with negligence causing injury and death. The two denied the allegations, he said.

Urumporn said a preliminary urine test detected illicit substances in the driver’s system, although authorities did not specify the drugs involved. Additional testing would also be conducted on another driver and a technician aboard the train, he added.

The collision has intensified scrutiny over railway safety and traffic management at level crossings in Thailand, where congestion and infrastructure bottlenecks remain persistent concerns in urban areas.

Video footage circulated on social media appeared to show the train approaching the crossing at moderate speed before crashing into the bus, which was stranded on the tracks amid heavy traffic.

Bangkok police commissioner Siam Boonsom said investigators were examining surveillance footage and operational procedures at the crossing to determine whether railway staff acted negligently.

“We see the official holding the red flag which means the track was not safe but we also see that the train did not stop or slow down, causing the crash,” Siam told reporters on Sunday.

He said authorities had reviewed footage from previous days showing vehicles halted on the tracks while crossing officials used red flags to warn approaching trains to stop until traffic cleared.

Investigators are also examining the train’s speed and braking distance at the time of impact, Siam said.
Emergency services said 17 injured passengers remained hospitalized as of Sunday evening.

The crash occurred near the Airport Rail Link’s Makkasan station when the container freight train struck the bus after it became trapped on the tracks at a red light, according to Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat.

Preliminary findings indicated the bus had stopped on the crossing, preventing the rail barriers from closing before the train approached, Siripong told reporters.
“The train was unable to stop in time to avoid colliding with the bus,” he said, adding that all eight fatalities were passengers aboard the bus.

Emergency crews and firefighters rushed to the scene as flames spread through the bus and nearby vehicles on Asok-Din Daeng Road. Rescue workers pulled injured passengers from the wreckage while fire crews battled the blaze with water hoses.

Videos circulating on social media showed the train striking the bus and dragging multiple vehicles along the tracks before the fire erupted.

A witness, motorcycle taxi driver Wanthong Kokpho, told Reuters the bus had been immobilized by traffic at the crossing.

“The bus was stuck at a red light, so it couldn’t move,” he said. “The fire broke out immediately.”

Officials said the fire was later brought under control as emergency teams continued cooling operations and searched the site for additional victims.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the collision.

Thailand has one of the world’s highest road fatality rates, according to the World Health Organization, with safety experts frequently citing weak enforcement of traffic and transport regulations.

The 40-year-old suspect is alleged to have headed a hacking organization operating from overseas bases, including Thailand, that targeted websites of low-cost mobile carriers and other companies between August 2023 and April 2025, according to a statement from South Korea’s Justice Ministry.

The suspect was arrested in Bangkok during an Interpol-coordinated operation and transferred to South Korea through cooperation between Thai authorities and Seoul’s National Police Agency. He arrived at Incheon International Airport on Wednesday, officials said.

Investigators allege the group used illegally acquired personal data to infiltrate financial and cryptocurrency accounts before making unauthorized withdrawals from victims.

South Korean media reports said the alleged victims included celebrities, senior business executives and startup founders. Jungkook, a member of global K-pop group BTS, was among those reportedly targeted.

According to the Kyunghyang Shinmun newspaper, Jungkook’s securities account identity was allegedly compromised and shares in HYBE valued at 8.4 billion won ($5.6 million) were transferred without authorization.

The report said the singer avoided financial losses after payment suspension measures were implemented immediately.

South Korean authorities said an alleged accomplice, a 36-year-old Chinese national arrested in Thailand in May 2025, had already been extradited to South Korea in August last year and was indicted the following month. Court proceedings against him remain ongoing.

South Korean prosecutors and investigators traveled to Thailand in July 2025 for meetings with Thai police and prosecutors as part of the cross-border investigation, according to officials.

The case highlights growing regional cooperation among Asian law enforcement agencies against cybercrime networks that increasingly operate across jurisdictions and target digital financial systems, cryptocurrency holdings and personal data infrastructures.

The 76-year-old telecommunications tycoon left a Bangkok prison facility early Monday morning, greeting supporters gathered outside before departing with family members. Under the terms of his release, Thaksin will remain under probation for four months and wear an electronic monitoring device.

Several hundred supporters wearing the red shirts associated with his political movement assembled outside the prison, with many chanting slogans backing the former leader, according to AFP journalists at the scene.

Thaksin did not address reporters before leaving the facility, though supporters expressed confidence that he would continue to shape Thai politics despite his release conditions.

His return to public life is likely to revive tensions between populist forces aligned with the Shinawatra family and Thailand’s conservative establishment, including military and royalist factions that have opposed his influence for more than two decades.
Thaksin’s political network, led primarily through the Pheu Thai Party, has dominated much of Thailand’s electoral politics since the early 2000s, drawing strong backing from rural and working-class voters through populist economic policies.

The Shinawatra family has produced four Thai prime ministers, including Thaksin’s daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who previously led the party before stepping aside.

However, Pheu Thai suffered its weakest electoral showing in February, finishing third and raising doubts over the long-term strength of the Shinawatra political dynasty.

Political analysts say Thaksin’s release could still stabilize support for the party in the near term, particularly among loyalists who view him as the movement’s central figure.

“People will feel that the Pheu Thai owner is back,” political science lecturer Wanwichit Boonprong said, while cautioning that conservative rivals would likely consolidate behind Prime Minister Anutin Charnviraku

Thaksin was first elected prime minister in 2001 and won re-election in 2005 before being ousted in a military coup the following year. He spent years in self-imposed exile before returning to Thailand in August 2023.
Upon his return, he was sentenced to eight years in prison on corruption and abuse-of-power charges. His sentence was later reduced to one year through a royal pardon.

Controversy surrounded his imprisonment after authorities transferred him almost immediately to a hospital suite on medical grounds rather than keeping him in prison. Critics accused authorities of granting preferential treatment as Pheu Thai negotiated participation in a coalition government.

Thailand’s Supreme Court ruled in September that Thaksin’s hospital stay could not count toward his sentence because he was not suffering from a critical condition, forcing him back into prison custody.
Thailand’s corrections department approved his parole last month, citing his age and the limited time remaining on his sentence. Officials said he was among more than 850 prisoners granted early release under similar criteria.

Thaksin’s nephew Yodchanan Wongsawat, who led Pheu Thai’s campaign in the February election, now serves as higher education minister in Anutin’s cabinet, underscoring the family’s continued political relevance despite recent setbacks.

In the Thai capital, where traffic congestion and heat often dominate daily life, a growing number of young people are turning to open-air aerobics sessions in one of the city’s largest parks as both a fitness outlet and a social activity.

At Lumphini Park, evening exercise classes that once attracted a smaller, older demographic are now drawing large crowds of students and young professionals. Organisers say participation has expanded significantly in recent months, reflecting a shift in how urban youth engage with fitness and public spaces.

As music begins to play, an instructor leads participants through synchronized movements from a raised platform. Attendees mirror the routine in unison, raising their arms, stepping rhythmically, and following choreographed sequences that blend exercise with performance.

The sessions, held after typical working hours, have become a focal point for community interaction in a city where long commutes and dense urban conditions often limit recreational options. Participants say the classes offer a low-cost and accessible alternative to indoor gyms, while also providing a sense of shared experience.

Organisers noted that the demographic composition of the classes has changed markedly. Previously dominated by older residents, the sessions are now increasingly attended by Gen Z participants, many of whom are drawn by the energetic atmosphere and the opportunity to socialise.

Social media platforms have played a key role in driving this surge. Videos of the aerobics routines, often filmed by participants, have circulated widely on apps such as TikTok and Instagram, helping to popularise the activity beyond its immediate geographic setting.

Clips typically highlight the scale of the gatherings and the coordinated movements of the crowd, contributing to the perception of the sessions as both a fitness activity and a form of entertainment. The visibility generated online has, in turn, encouraged more young people to attend in person.

Urban planners and health advocates have increasingly emphasised the importance of accessible public exercise initiatives in densely populated cities. Activities such as group aerobics can contribute to physical well-being while fostering social cohesion, particularly among younger populations.

In Bangkok, where public spaces are limited relative to population density, the resurgence of interest in park-based activities underscores the role of communal environments in promoting healthier lifestyles. The trend also reflects broader shifts in fitness culture, with younger generations showing a preference for informal, group-based experiences over traditional gym memberships.

While the sessions remain free and open to the public, organisers say managing larger crowds has become a consideration, particularly as interest continues to grow. Nonetheless, the inclusive nature of the activity remains central to its appeal.

As the music winds down and participants disperse into the evening, the classes stand as an example of how urban communities are adapting familiar practices to new social dynamics, blending physical activity with digital visibility and cultural expression.