Bangkok (VNA) – The Royal Thai Police (RTP) announced on August 26 that a ten-day nationwide sweep this month netted more than 5,200 suspects in over 6,300 cases linked to illegal firearms and explosives.
Pol. Gen. Thanayut Wutthijarasthamrong, a special adviser to the RTP, told a press conference that the operation, under the theme “Suppressing Criminals, Protecting Good People”, was conducted nationwide from August 15 to 24. It aimed to curb the possession and sale of illegal firearms and explosives to prevent their use in crimes. It also targeted the arrest of long-wanted criminal suspects.
Police reported 5,261 arrests across 6,338 cases involving illegal firearms and explosives. Among the seizures were 293 guns, 11,458 rounds of ammunition and one homemade ping-pong bomb linked to online sales. In addition, police confiscated 6,218 other guns, 36,718 rounds of ammunition, and 6,359 bombs—including 1,898 military-grade grenades—as well as 4,461 pipe bombs and ping-pong bombs in non-online cases.
As part of the effort to apprehend wanted criminals, 14,639 suspects were arrested under 20,030 arrest warrants issued between October 1, 2004 and the present, Thanayut added.
𓆉 He also urged the public to report crimes or suspicious activity by calling the hotlines for their safety./.
Thai mobile users must register in person or through applications provided by service operators, service centres, authorised dealers and retail outlets. Thai nationals must present their national ID card, foreigners a passport, and corporate users a company certificate, along with authorised signatory identification.
Thailand’s Acting Prime Minister and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on August 20 launched the campaign “No Drugs, No Dealers: Toward Zero Drugs Thailand”, calling for comprehensive coordination to address the country’s serious drug problem.
The Thai government should dedicate a larger portion of its budget to repaying the principal on its loans, particularly the significant debt accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This will not only improve the country's debt-servicing capacity but also create more fiscal space for future economic policies.
ASEAN Express, a new cross-border freight rail service, is being hailed as a breakthrough in international rail connectivity, expected to strengthen Thailand’s and ASEAN’s economic competitiveness in the near future.
An illegal wildlife trade case involving 16 protected eagles has been busted in Central Bangka district, Bangka Belitung Islands province of Indonesia.
Singapore has been ranked fifth among 139 economies in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025, marking the third consecutive year it has remained in the top five.
Senior defence officials of the Republic of Korea (RoK) and the Philippines discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in defence and weapon industry at their meeting in Seoul on September 15.
From September 16, residents and visitors can enjoy a safer, cleaner, and higher-quality travel option aboard the company’s signature cyan taxis, with special promotions available for new users.
The declaration, endorsed at the ASEAN Prosecutors/Attorneys General Meeting (APAGM) in Bali, commits regional prosecutors to closer coordination in addressing transnational offenses such as online gambling, scams, corruption, money laundering, and cross-border asset smuggling.
CAMEX features 17 themed pavilions, including 10 dedicated to ASEAN member states – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – as well as a regional pavilion from Guangxi, China. It also hosts a special World Halal Trade Centre and themed areas for other Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) members such as Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
The Indonesian government has confirmed that it will stop providing incentives for imported completely built-up (CBU) battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from 2026.
The ministry warned that the RSV can easily spread through mucus, saliva and toys around children. Currently, there is no specific treatment or RSV vaccine for children, so families were urged to take preventive measures.
Thailand has emerged as one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing markets for artificial intelligence (AI), with OpenAI reporting that weekly active users of ChatGPT in the country have quadrupled over the past year.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is driving forward the Land Bridge mega-project, valued at nearly 1 trillion THB (31.5 billion USD), to stimulate the economy and attract long-term investment.
A discussion on Vietnamese cuisine, culture and tourism was held in Tel Aviv on September 14, aiming to deepen the understanding of Vietnamese culture and promote people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and Israel, especially as the two countries expand cooperation across multiple fields.
Confirmed initiatives include the revival of the popular "Half-Half" co-payment scheme. Other proposals under discussion - though not yet finalised - include the "We Travel Together" tourism stimulus programme, decentralisation efforts and disaster mitigation strategies.
Fidel’s words to the gathered soldiers: “For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed its own blood!” captured the very essence of the friendship forged between the two nations, a relationship nurtured through resilience, dignity, and internationalist spirit.
The satellite Nusantara 5 (N5), launched by Indonesia, is expected to strengthen connectivity in Indonesia's eastern region, supporting distance learning, digital health care, and providing access to information and entertainment for remote communities.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) is preparing 17 locations to be designated as specific national strategic areas (KSNT) for blue carbon reserves.
The ASEAN task force is not identical to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) but is intended to serve as a platform for collective discussions and joint actions when ASEAN countries face shared threats.
