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THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Wednesday 16 July 2025
Vietnamese Loan Shark Syndicate Busted in Pathum Thani Picture courtesy of Khaosod. Immigration have dismantled a Vietnamese loan shark operation based in Thailand, used to illegally provide high-interest loans to Vietnamese citizens back home. The operation was valued at nearly 500 million baht and involved digital control over victims’ iPhones via iCloud. Full story:https://aseannow.com/topic/1366813-vietnamese-loan-shark-syndicate-busted-in-pathum-thani/ -
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In Thailand: Is the loss of one's intellectual peer group a unique form of silence?
Dear Gamma, Truly, a tour de force of reflective melancholy. A lamentation worthy of ancient philosophers… if those philosophers had been exiled to a tropical climate and found themselves explaining Benny Hill reruns to a crowd that only knows TikTok dances. And yes, Gamma, I too know that silence. That dead-eyed, blink-blink stare you get when you make a clever quip about Thatcher or drop a sly reference to Monty Python, only to be met with the same expression you’d get from a water buffalo pondering astrophysics. You have captured it beautifully: the tragic, noble burden of being the last keeper of the sacred intellectual flame, bravely reciting tales of political farce and pub trivia to an audience that just wants to know if you want sticky rice with your som tam. Do I miss it, Gamma? Oh, every single day. I miss the warm comfort of witty repartee, the sparkling back-and-forth of shared cultural shorthand… all of it now replaced with the steely-eyed determination to mime out what a direct debit is to my bank manager. But fear not, Gamma. For when the world seems dim, when the sharp edges of our minds risk going dull in the tropical sun, we always have this little corner of cyberspace… a sacred circle of scattered madmen and misplaced academics… keeping each other just intelligent enough to feel superior to the world around us, and just self-aware enough to realise it no longer matters. Long may we grumble. Long may we whinge. And long may we cling to these final scraps of smug intellectualism, even if it’s just to make ourselves feel special while ordering noodles. With utmost reverence, Another proud curator of useless knowledge -
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Crime Vietnamese Loan Shark Syndicate Busted in Pathum Thani
Picture courtesy of Khaosod. Immigration have dismantled a Vietnamese loan shark operation based in Thailand, used to illegally provide high-interest loans to Vietnamese citizens back home. The operation was valued at nearly 500 million baht and involved digital control over victims’ iPhones via iCloud. The raid took place at a property in Moo 2, Khlong Si subdistrict, Khlong Luang district, following orders from Police Lieutenant General Panumas Boonyaluck, Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau. Acting on intelligence, a task force led by Police Major General Chairit Anurit, Commander of Immigration Division 3, and senior officers, stormed the rented residence after reports of suspicious foreign nationals moving computer equipment into the premises. At the scene, authorities found seven Vietnamese men, aged between 21 and 40, working online inside the house. Officers seized seven desktop computers, 29 mobile phones and various electronic devices. Upon examining the computers, police discovered software including iCloud and encrypted communication tools, used to control customers’ personal data remotely. Interrogation revealed the group operated as administrators for a loan service targeting Vietnamese nationals in Vietnam. The syndicate advertised through Facebook, offered loans via cloud-based accounts they created, and used the iCloud lock function to disable clients’ iPhones when repayments were missed, effectively holding the phones hostage. This coercive method is considered a serious criminal offence in Vietnam, where authorities are actively cracking down on similar operations. The bust followed months of joint intelligence gathering, stemming from a prior arrest in early July 2023 involving a similar network. Thai authorities continued coordinating with their Vietnamese counterparts, leading to this successful operation. All seven suspects have been charged with belonging to a criminal association and working without the proper permits, a violation. They have been handed over to Khlong Luang Police Station for further legal proceedings. Police Major General Chairit confirmed that Vietnam has already arrested over 40 individuals linked to this cross-border loan racket. Authorities have seized computers, smartphones, vehicles and other assets, including 23 bank accounts and identified over 100,000 victims, with annual interest rates as high as 350%. The total damages are estimated at over 400 billion dong (approx. 496 million baht). The offence carries penalties of up to 5 years’ imprisonment and fines exceeding 200,000 baht under Vietnamese law. Following prosecution in Thailand, the arrested individuals will be blacklisted, have their right to remain in the Kingdom revoked, and will be deported back to Vietnam. The Immigration Bureau reiterated its commitment to monitoring and cracking down on all forms of illegal activities involving foreign nationals. The public is encouraged to report suspicious behaviour via the Immigration Bureau hotline at 1178 or through the website www.immigration.go.th. Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-07-15 -
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THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Wednesday 16 July 2025
Pattaya Motorbike Thief Crashes During Escape, Victim’s Friends Pose for “Souvenir” Photo Picture of Daily News. A motorcycle thief’s getaway came to a dramatic halt after he lost control and crashed, only to be apprehended and photographed by the victim’s co-workers in a scene reminiscent of a police press conference. Full story:https://aseannow.com/topic/1366811-pattaya-motorbike-thief-crashes-during-escape-victim’s-friends-pose-for-“souvenir”-photo/ -
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Crime Pattaya Motorbike Thief Crashes During Escape, Victim’s Friends Pose for “Souvenir” Photo
Picture of Daily News. A motorcycle thief’s getaway came to a dramatic halt after he lost control and crashed, only to be apprehended and photographed by the victim’s co-workers in a scene reminiscent of a police press conference. The bizarre incident occurred in the early hours in Soi 9, Khao Talo, Nong Prue, near Pattaya. Police at Nong Prue station confirmed they received reports of a theft and subsequent crash involving a Yamaha Fino scooter. At the scene, 26-year-old Mr Nopparat Busathian, the suspected thief, was found sprawled on the road, suffering from multiple abrasions and surrounded by concerned residents and employees from a local establishment named 79 Show, who had taken it upon themselves to pursue and apprehend him. According to Mr A, 42, the rightful owner of the purple-and-white Yamaha Fino, the scooter had been stolen from the staff parking lot outside his workplace. Once the theft was discovered, six of his colleagues formed a pursuit team, eventually spotting the suspect riding the stolen vehicle in Soi Ko Phai and chasing him to Soi Khao Talo. During the pursuit, Mr Nopparat reportedly attempted to steer his vehicle into the path of his pursuers and allegedly reached into his bag in a way that suggested he might be armed. The chase ended shortly afterwards when the thief lost control of the bike and crashed while attempting to take a sharp corner. With the suspect in custody, the group of employees seized the moment by lining up beside him and snapping photos, mimicking the classic layout of a police announcement scene. The unusual “souvenir” quickly caught attention on social media. Mr Nopparat later admitted to the theft, telling officers he used a “skeleton key” to start the motorbike before speeding off. His escape attempt was short-lived, however and it ended in both injury and arrest. Police at Nong Prue Station have since transferred the suspect and the recovered motorbike to Pattaya City Police Station, which has jurisdiction over the theft, for further investigation and prosecution. Adapted by Asean Now from Daily News 2025-07-15 -
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