According to the Ministry of Higher Education, 10,000 visas are set to be cancelled. A wave of arrests, especially in the provinces of Chiang Mai and Phuket, suggests widespread abuse of long-term residence permits. Private universities have also been implicated, but they deny all wrongdoing, blaming instead corruption among public officials.
The Thaksin’s case will be heard on 22 August, while his daughter Paetongtarn’s case will be heard on 29 August after her prime ministership was suspended over the latest military confrontation with Cambodia. This marks a new chapter in Thailand’s long crisis; unable to turn the page, the country pursues its long decline.
The ASEAN-brokered ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia appears to be holding despite Thai military reports of fresh Cambodian violations. More than 300,000 people have been forced to flee their homes. US tariffs on both countries and the political crisis in Bangkok hover in the background. The Constitutional Court's ruling on suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is expected on 4 August, with the potential of changing the balance of power between the civilian government and the military establishment.
The announcement was made in Malaysia, where Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar read a statement in the presence of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Interim Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. A new cross-border committee meeting is set for 4 August to consolidate the agreement. Archbishop Vira Arpondratana of Bangkok warns against exploiting “historical complexities” to “incite nationalist sentiment and divert public attention from domestic issues”.
In a message on behalf of the small Catholic community in Cambodia regarding the ongoing fighting with Thailand, Monsignor Olivier Schmitthaeusler calls for respect for international law and invites all parishes to pray that the leaders will find a “friendly, sustainable, and just” solution. Cross accusations continue between the two countries, while missiles have also rained down on Laos. Over 30 people have been killed and 200,000 displaced.
The Malaysian prime minister talks about a ceasefire, but the two sides continue to accuse each other as the death toll and the number of displaced mount. The border drawn by the French in 1907 and the subsequent fate of the temples of Preah Vihear and Ta Muen Thom provide an easy pretext for nationalism, which serves to cover up other tensions on both sides. But the disputed area has also been a crossroads of criminal activity for 50 years.
