Myanmar TikTok star found murdered in Tak forestListen to this articleKo Tin Zaw Htwe, a popular Myanmar TikTok influencer with over 800,000 followers, was discovered dead in Tak province on Tuesday. (Photo: Tin Zaw Htwe)TAK — Police are hunting two suspects over the murder of popular Myanmar TikTok influencer Ko Tin Zaw Htwe, whose body was found concealed in a forest in Mae Sot district. Lured to remote locationAssociates said Tin Zaw Htwe disappeared from his accommodation late on Jan 18 after receiving a social‑media call for help. Trusting the caller, the TikTok influencer went to meet them and lost contact thereafter. Police believe two suspects lured Tin Zaw Htwe to the secluded spot where he was killed.

Trump sues JPMorgan Chase, CEO Dimon, claims 'debanked' for politicsListen to this articleJPMorgan Chase chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon, shown here at the World Economic Forum in Davos, faces a suit from President Donald Trump who claims he was 'debanked' for political reasons. (Photo: AFP)NEW YORK - US President Donald Trump sued JPMorgan Chase and CEO Jamie Dimon on Thursday, alleging he was wrongly "debanked" for political reasons, according to a civil complaint. JPMorgan said the case has "no merit," but called for regulatory reform to "prevent the weaponization of the banking sector." But Dimon "ultimately never did" get back to Trump, according to the complaint. "President Trump was charged because the evidence established that he willfully broke the very laws that he took an oath to uphold."

Lawyer says he does not know what demon possessed him after 'losing control'Listen to this articleMonchai "Lawyer Kaew " Jongkrairattanakulat at a press conference on Friday admitting he inappropriately kissed an 18‑year‑old woman. (Photo: ทนายแก้ว)Prominent lawyer Monchai Jongkrairattanakul, better known as "Lawyer Kaew", admitted on Friday to inappropriately kissing an 18-year-old woman but denied allegations of groping and sexual assault. Background allegationsThe case came to public attention on Wednesday when the Than Pao Facebook page posted allegations involving the lawyer and a young woman he met at her father's tailor shop. Back in the car, he tried to kiss her, used inappropriate language and behaved possessively, leaving her frightened. After returning to the car, the lawyer said he lost control and hugged, kissed and embraced her.

Customs seeks to tighten export rules in crackdown on origin loopholesListen to this articleThe Customs Department wants to tighten local content criteria for goods produced in free zones to prevent the misuse of Thai origin privileges for exports to the US. Under local content rules, products that use at least 40% domestic raw materials and labour are deemed to originate in Thailand. However, some operators have exploited loopholes in the local content calculation for free zones. This constitutes a false claim of Thai origin, from which Thailand gains no real benefit, Mr Phantong said. He said the department is drafting a Finance Ministry notification to tighten local content rules in free zones.

Who owns TikTok in the US now? In 2022, Oracle started housing Americans’ TikTok data on its servers, an effort by TikTok to convince the US government that it would not expose any information to Beijing. MGX, like Oracle, has a 15% stake in the American TikTok app. It owns several apps and launched TikTok in 2017, spinning it out of China’s domestic version of the app, Douyin, which has about 700 million users. ByteDance still owns the global TikTok brand.

WASHINGTON - TikTok announced on Thursday it has established a majority American-owned joint venture to operate its US business, allowing the company to avoid a ban over its Chinese ownership. The TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC will serve more than 200 million users and 7.5 million businesses while implementing strict safeguards for data protection, algorithm security and content moderation, the company said. ByteDance retains a 19.9 percent stake in the joint venture -- keeping its ownership below the 20 percent threshold stipulated by the law. The joint venture will be governed by a seven-member, majority-American board including TikTok CEO Shou Chew and executives from major investment firms. TikTok executive Adam Presser was appointed CEO of the new entity, with Will Farrell serving as chief security officer.

Carney answers Trump: 'Canada doesn't live because of US'Listen to this articleCanadian Prime Minister Mark Carney won praise for his speech about a rupture in the US-led global order at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (Photo: AFP)MONTREAL - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney hit back Thursday at President Donald Trump's inflammatory claim at the World Economic Forum that "Canada lives because of the United States." "Canada doesn't live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadian," Carney responded in a national address in Quebec City ahead of a new legislative session, even as he acknowledged the "remarkable partnership" between the two nations. On Thursday, Carney said Canada was not under any "illusions" about the precarious state of global relations.

(Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)The deadly crane accident in Nakhon Ratchasima province last week was caused by on-site staff "failing to notify" that construction was underway, despite the contract requiring notice before trains pass, Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Friday. Wreckage at the site where a train was derailed when a construction crane collapsed and fell onto its carriages in Sikhiu district, Nakhon Ratchasima province. (Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)“Let me be clear: the contract between the SRT and Italian-Thai will have to be terminated,” the minister said. Measures under consideration include lowering contractor ratings, deducting points or blacklisting companies responsible for accidents in public areas that result in death or injury. The SRT has finished repairing a stretch of track in Sikhiu district, Nakhon Ratchasima, following the Jan 14 crane collapse.

Thailand's exports rise 16.8% in December, beating forecastsListen to this articleA cargo ship full of shipping containers is seen at the port of Oakland, California, on Aug 4, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)Thailand's customs-cleared exports rose 16.8% in ‌December from a year ​earlier, the Commerce Ministry said on Friday, higher than analysts' expectations. For the whole of 2025, exports rose 12.9% from ‌a year earlier, the highest growth rate in four years. In December, shipments to the United States, Thailand's largest market, rose 54.3% year over year, while those to China increased 4.4%. Thailand's export growth was expected to slow in 2026, Nantapong Chiralerspong, director-general of the Trade Policy and ​Strategy Office, told a press conference.

Stolen AirPods lead police to Koh Phangan drug ringListen to this articlePolice tracking stolen AirPods belonging to a Finnish tourist uncovered a major drug distribution operation on Koh Phangan and arrested a suspected user on Thursday. (Photo supplied)SURAT THANI — Police tracking a stolen pair of wireless earbuds belonging to a 29-year-old Finnish tourist uncovered a drug distribution operation on Koh Phangan, seizing narcotics and arresting one suspected user. When Ms Daka activated the earbuds' audio alert, the sound startled Mr Thanin, who fled into the jungle and up a mountain. Mr Channarong admitted to police that he had bought drugs from Mr Thanin on several occasions. He was charged with drug use and driving under the influence and was handed to Koh Phangan police for prosecution.

JOINPerfect pairings / Nobu Bangkok X Grace Wine / Jan 25Nobu Bangkok has partnered with Grace Wine, Japan’s bespoke wine purveyor, to serve a menu that pairs the finest vintages from Yamanashi with Nobu's original style of contemporary Japanese-Peruvian gastronomy. On Jan 25, the “Nobu Bangkok X Grace Wine Exclusive Wine Dinner” will offer six courses each complemented with a wine chosen by Ayana Misawa, Grace Wine’s head of viticulture and oenology. Four-hands dinner / Sartoria by Paulo Airaudo x Elements / Feb 6Sartoria by Paulo Airaudo will host the “Elements At Sartoria”, a four-hands dinner with Elements, Inspired by Ciel Bleu. At Bangkok’78, discover Thailand’s royal culinary heritage with the Royal Thai Heritage promotion. The fair runs until Jan 25 at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center but online bookings can be made until Jan 28 for stays until Sept 30.

Scammer hideout near Thai-Cambodian border dismantledListen to this articleOfficers inspect a large room inside a scammer stronghold near the Chong Chom border checkpoint in Kap Chong district of Surin province. (Photo: Teeranan Nandhakwang Facebook account)Security authorities have raided a scammer stronghold near the Chong Chom border checkpoint along the Thai-Cambodian border in Kap Choeng district of Surin province, discovering extensive evidence and facilities modified to resemble police stations and government offices used to deceive victims. Officers discovered a large volume of evidence, particularly rooms modified to resemble police stations and government offices in various countries, allegedly used to deceive victims. A room modified to resemble a police office is found inside the suspected scammer stronghold near the border in Surin province. Relevant agencies say they will intensify investigations, strengthen suppression efforts and pursue legal action to protect the public and long-term national security.

South Korea repatriates 73 online scam suspects from CambodiaListen to this articlePolice officers escort South Koreans allegedly involved in scam operations in Cambodia after being forcibly repatriated from Cambodia, at Incheon International Airport in Incheon on Friday. (Photo: Reuters)SEOUL - ‍South ‍Korea has repatriated for questioning 73 people suspected of involvement ‌in online scam operations ​in Cambodia, Yonhap News said, a fraud that bilked hundreds of people to the tune of 49 billion won (1 billion baht). Investigators located seven scam centres at which the suspects are accused of defrauding 869 South Koreans of 49 billion won online, Kang said. Among them are a couple accused of ‌extorting ‍about 12 billion won from 104 South Koreans using deepfake technology to disguise ‌their ​identities, she said. In October, a group of 64 South Koreans were returned home over suspected scams, ​following the alleged murder of a South Korean college student tortured in Cambodia in August in a case linked ​to an employment scam.

Growth expected to slow amid political paralysisListen to this articleCaption caption. reutersCIMB Thai Bank (CIMBT) expects Thai GDP growth in the first quarter of this year to slow from the previous quarter due to a domestic political vacuum and external uncertainties. CIMBT estimates Thai economic growth of 1.2% in the second quarter, partly supported by economic stimulus measures after a new government is formed by June. Under this scenario, GDP growth is forecast to improve in the second half of the year, reaching 2.5% and 2.4% in the third and fourth quarters, respectively. The bank forecasts Thai GDP growth of 1.6% this year, pressured by an export contraction.

Plurality still 'undecided' on best candidate for prime ministerListen to this articleCampaign posters line Phahon Yothin Road in Phaya Thai district, Bangkok. KPI, an organisation under the supervision of the parliament that promotes democracy, questioned 2,000 people face-to-face during a nationwide survey from Jan 8 to 11. It asked respondents which of the PM candidates was best suited to solving national problems. A plurality, 26.2%, said they did not see a suitable one, 18.8% of respondents said People’s Party PM candidate Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, 16.9% Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul, 10.9% Pheu Thai Party’s Yodchanan Wongsawat and 10.2% Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva. A second KPI survey on the Line Today platform from Jan 19 to 22 asked respondents what were the most important policies put forward by political parties.