Tag: thailand

Thailand orders suspension of iris scans and deletion of data collected from 1.2 million users

Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Committee has ordered TIDC Worldverse to suspend its iris-scanning services and delete biometric data collected from 1.2 million users, citing non-compliance with Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act.

TIDC Worldverse is part of Sam Altman’s World ID project, which has faced scrutiny over potential links to cryptocurrency scams and unauthorised data use, including cases where people were allegedly hired to scan irises for others.

The National Health Security Office in Thailand has ordered the suspension of iris biometric data collection by TIDC Worldverse and has demanded the deletion of biometric data already collected from approximately 1.2 million Thai citizens.

TIDC Worldverse is the Thai representative of Sam Altman’s Tools for Humanity, which operates the World ID project (formerly Worldcoin) in Thailand. The initiative uses iris-scanning “Orb” devices to provide a digital “proof-of-human” credential.  Participants receive Worldcoin (“WLD”) tokens as an incentive for biometric verification.

Explaining in simple terms what the “Orb” is, Business Insider said, “The Orb is a polished, volleyball-sized metal sphere that scans irises to generate a ‘World ID’ – a kind of digital passport meant to distinguish humans from machines online.”

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Thailand – A Case Study for Biometric Data Control

Thailand has become a test case for the use of biometric data in every facet of life. Facial recognition data is required for any single transfer above 50,000 baht (around $1,580), daily transfers above 200,000 baht, and any international transfers from personal accounts.  All major Thai banks, such as Bangkok Bank, Kasikorn (KBank), SCB, Krungthai, and Krungsri, require customers to submit biometric data, and the Bank of Thailand (BOT) provides the general guidelines that these banks must follow.

It may begin with banking and documentation, but the ultimate goal is to develop digital IDs that are stored on a centralized database. The board of Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) proposed that users must submit biometric data to register SIM cards. The rule went into effect in August and applies to everyone in Thailand, including tourists.

The Thai Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), the Thai Red Cross Society, and the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) has implemented the use of biometric data to track undocumented persons. Health agencies claim the technology can identify the spread of disease and assist in providing humanitarian aid and medical services. The MOPH claims the technology is 99.75% accurate. According to the Department of Labour’s Bureau of Alien Workers Administration, over 1 million undocumented migrants were in the nation as of July 2025.

“The application of biometric technology not only improves healthcare, disease prevention and control, medical services, and humanitarian aid with accuracy and inclusivity, but also reflects the protection of human rights and dignity of undocumented people in Thailand. It also creates opportunities for education and research by Thai public health professionals to develop further benefits for the general population,” Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin stated.

The Thai Red Cross Society is a branch of the global Red Cross agency. Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) claims all personal data will be securely protected, but they have already begun sharing with international agencies.

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Geopolitical Powder Keg Erupts: Thai F-16s Strike Cambodian Targets In Border Clash 

A long-standing border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia sharply escalated overnight, with reports that a Thai F-16 fighter jet conducted air-to-ground strikes on multiple Cambodian military positions near the disputed border region.

Reuters reports that Thailand readied six F-16 fighter jets but deployed only one along the disputed border. The F-16 conducted airstrikes on military targets in Cambodia. Both Southeast Asian nations have accused each other of starting the conflict.

Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters earlier, “We have used air power against military targets as planned.” 

In response to the attacks, Cambodia’s defense ministry said that it “strongly condemns the reckless and brutal military aggression of the Kingdom of Thailand against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia.” 

Here are more details via Bloomberg:

Both Southeast Asian nations accused the other of starting the clashes, which were reported at six locations and follow a build up of tensions since a Cambodian soldier was killed in an exchange of gunfire in May.

Thailand said its fighter jets hit two Cambodian army bases near the border on Thursday, while Thai army reported that rockets fired from Cambodia killed several civilians, citing provincial authorities. The fatalities included an 8-year-old child, and 14 others were injured. The number of casualties on the Cambodian side remains unclear.

“The dispute is escalating rapidly and could turn into a serious conflict if left unattended,” said Jayant Menon, a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, quoted by Bloomberg. 

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Thai Woman Arrested for Having Sex With Monks and Blackmailing Them, in Scandal Rocking Buddhist Clergy

Thailand’s society and its Buddhist clergy are reeling from a sex scandal in which a woman seduced monks and proceeded to extract money from them via blackmail.

Sky News reported:

“At least nine abbots and senior monks have been disrobed and cast out of the monkhood, the Royal Thai Police Central Investigation Bureau said.

Wilawan Emsawat, in her mid-30s, is accused of enticing senior monks into having sex with her and then pressuring them into making large payments to cover it up.”

Thai monks from the Theravada sect are celibate and can’t even touch a woman.

“Several monks transferred large amounts of money after Wilawan initiated romantic relationships with them, police said -her bank accounts received around 385 million baht (£8.8m) in the past three years, with most of that spent on gambling websites.”

Wilawan was arrested on charges of extortion, money laundering and receiving stolen goods.

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US reportedly plans to curb sales of AI GPUs to Malaysia and Thailand to prevent smuggling to China

The U.S. government is preparing a new set of export rules that would tighten control over the exports of advanced Nvidia AI GPUs to Malaysia and Thailand, in a bid to prevent the re-export of these components to China amid existing bans, according to Bloomberg.

A preliminary version of the new export rule, reported by Bloomberg, states that the U.S. Commerce Department would require companies to obtain a U.S. government export license before sending AI GPUs to the two Southeast Asian nations. The plan has not been finalized and may change, yet it may represent another step towards limiting Chinese entities’ access to high-performance Nvidia AI GPUs.

Malaysia and Thailand are not major suspected hubs for the smuggling of Nvidia’s GPUs, unlike Singapore, which is officially listed as one of Nvidia’s primary sources of revenue, raising questions about whether the products sold to Singapore-based entities eventually end up in China. Indeed, Nvidia denies that its AI GPUs formally sold to Singapore-based entities could end up in China, arguing that they are sold to entities officially based in Singapore, but they are destined elsewhere. Nonetheless, it is widely believed that Singapore is a hub for smuggling high-end Nvidia GPUs to China and other sanctioned countries.

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GONE TO POT: Thailand Reverses Cannabis Decriminalization, Imposes Need for Doctor’s Prescription for Purchase

Thailand was the first country in Asia to decriminalize cannabis, but the experiment appears to have gone awry, as the Thai government this last week moved to backtrack the policies, and impose new rules designed to rein in the weed ‘scene’.

As of last Thursday (26), customers now need a doctor’s prescription to buy pot — limiting consumption of the plant to medical purposes only.

CNN reported:

“Thailand’s public health minister told CNN on Wednesday he hopes to eventually recriminalize cannabis as a narcotic, in what would be a major reversal from Thailand’s liberal approach since declassification, which saw a boom of dispensaries and weed cafes opening across the country, particularly in tourist areas.

‘This must be clearly understood: cannabis is permitted for medical use only’, Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin told CNN.”

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‘Cyborg 1.0’: World’s First Robocop Debuts With Facial Recognition And 360° Camera Vision

Thailand has debuted the world’s first ‘Robocop’ designed to detect and prevent crime with advanced AI.

Equipped with 360-degree cameras for eyes, the cutting-edge cyborg maintains constant surveillance with real-time monitoring. The robocop, named Police Colonel Nakhonpathom Plod Phai, meaning “Nakhonpathom is safe,” was unveiled during the Songkran festival in Nakhon Pathom province on Wednesday. The debut was announced via a Facebook post by the Royal Thai Police, according to a report by The Sun.

The robocop is also able to detect weapons, such as knives and wooden batons. In neighboring China, humanoid robots have started supporting police patrols.

Interesting Engineering reports:

In Shenzhen, PM01 model robots developed by EngineAI have been deployed alongside officers, wearing high-visibility police vests. These robots have been seen engaging with pedestrians—waving, shaking hands, and responding to voice commands—according to local media reports. A recent video shows a PM01 robot waving to a crowd, sparking curiosity about its purpose in law enforcement.

First launched in December 2024, the PM01 features agile mobility, an interactive touchscreen, and an open-source platform. This design allows developers worldwide to contribute to its evolution by adding new features and capabilities through secondary development.

Last year, Logon Technology, a Chinese robotics company, unveiled the RT-G autonomous spherical robot, described as a “technological breakthrough,” with an army of these spherical robocops spotted rolling through cities across China, The Sun said. The robocop’s debut underscores the growing importance of robot technology. During Tesla’s Q1 2025 All-Hands meeting, CEO Elon Musk revealed the the company is preparing aiming to begin the production of its own humanoid, Optimus, this year.

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Six American and Vietnamese guests found dead in Bangkok hotel were poisoned with cyanide after business feud: cops

An American Vietnamese woman is believed to have killed five people with cyanide-laced tea before poisoning herself at an upscale Bangkok hotel after a legal dispute over bad investments, Thai police revealed Wednesday.

Police suspect Chong Sherine, 56, is to blame for the grim slayings after the six bodies were discovered in a room at the five-star Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel late Tuesday, the Bangkok Post reported. 

Traces of the rapid-acting poison were uncovered during the autopsies and on drinking glasses and a teapot found inside the hotel room, cops said.

Relatives of the victims told investigators that Chong had apparently become embroiled in a legal spat with the five others after urging them to invest in various construction projects, Police Maj. Gen. Nopasilp Poonsawat said.

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Series of Mysterious Deaths Prompt Thai Village to Revive Strict Set of Rules

A village in Thailand has revived a strict set of community rules in response to several mysterious deaths that have occurred there since the start of the year. The peculiar case reportedly began in January when Ban Khop Klang Nuea was beset by a series of incidents wherein a staggering 15 young people perished under inexplicable circumstances. Strangely, this was not the first time such an eerie spate of deaths had befallen the community as, long ago, a similar phenomenon took place in the village, which led residents to adopt nine rather strict rules that had been imparted to them by a monk enlisted to help ward off evil spirits.

In light of the unnerving number of deaths in Ban Khop Klang Nuea this year, many in the village concluded that the edicts were being ignored by the younger generation, which led to so many people losing their lives. In response, the community executed a proverbial refresh by performing the monk’s ritual once again and reinforcing the strict regulations that govern the village. Among the rules residents are now expected to follow are a ban on bringing dead bodies into Ban Khop Klang Nuea as well as a prohibition on killing any four-legged animals. Additionally, on the 8th, 14th, and 15th of each month, people are not allowed to bring an array of items into the village, including stock, mill rice, firewood, stones, soil, and blady grasses.

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Controversial research group linked to Wuhan discovers never-before-seen virus in bats in Thailand with ‘almost’ as much potential as Covid to infect humans

A zoologist whose organisation funded controversial experiments in Wuhan which some fear started the pandemic has presented the discovery of a never-before-seen virus with ‘almost’ as much potential to infect humans as Covid.

Dr Peter Daszak, head of the New York based non-profit EcoHealth Alliance, detailed his finding in bats at an event held by the World Health Organization (WHO) on future pandemic research preparedness.

EcoHealth had its funding pulled and projects to find viruses in China cancelled due to concerns about its ties to the Covid lab leak theory — but it has continued to operate in Thailand and other parts of Asia with millions of dollars in US government grants. 

Dr Daszak told attendees at the WHO conference about his team’s ongoing efforts to comb Southeast Asia for threatening animal viruses. 

Some scientists consider these virus-hunting experiments at risk of causing a future pandemic.

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