Category: The Bangkok Post

The filling of the massive sinkhole on Samsen Road in Bangkok’s Dusit district has been completed, paving the way for the demolition of the damaged Samsen police station, Bangkok’s governor said.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said on Monday at the sinkhole site that 1,700 cubic metres of crushed stone had been levelled over the sand-filled sinkhole, which now appeared stable enough for people to walk on. Nearby structures, including police flats, Vajira Hospital and nearby commercial buildings, showed no movement or additional cracking, except for the Samsen police station, he said.

The next step, the governor added, would be the demolition of the Samsen police station followed by road reconstruction. The demolition was expected to take about four days. Because the station’s floors were built using the post-tension technique, the work must be done with great care to prevent the slings from snapping, he said.

Mr Chadchart noted that no date had been set yet for the reopening of Samsen Road.

He said the project would also involve restoring subway tunnels beneath the road and reconstructing underground utilities, including water mains and sewers. All work would proceed cautiously with safety as the top priority.

The sinkhole, which appeared on Sept 24 on Samsen Road in Dusit district, formed above an underground railway station being built for the Mass Rapid Transit Authority’s (MRTA) Purple Line extension. It initially measured about 30 metres wide, 30 metres long and 20 metres deep.

The state-run MRTA attributed the incident to the area’s water-saturated, soft soil, which cracked and flowed into the tunnels and the under-construction Vajira Hospital station on the Purple Line.

A relentless surge in the price of gold is delivering windfalls across emerging markets, boosting investor confidence in countries that mine and buy the metal.

In South Africa, home to the world’s deepest gold mines, stocks are on track for the best year in two decades, with shares of miners like Sibanye Stillwater Ltd, AngloGold Ashanti Plc and Gold Fields Ltd tripling in value. The credit rating of Ghana, Africa’s top gold producer, has been upgraded by Moody’s Ratings. Emerging-market countries rank among the biggest buyers of bullion, boosting national coffers.

For money managers in emerging markets, gold’s surge is giving them another reason to stay bullish. By fanning a wealth effect for bullion producers and buyers alike, valuable gold holdings are giving investors more conviction to buy. In a report earlier this month, Goldman Sachs Group Inc strategists listed South Africa’s mining strength as a top reason it sees gains ahead for the country’s bonds and stocks.

‘The rally in gold is beneficial for a small group of countries in emerging markets such as Uzbekistan, Ghana and South Africa,’ said Daniel Wood, a portfolio manager at William Blair Investment Management. ‘The wider story of the rising gold price is that investors are increasingly looking for alternative investments away from the more traditional developed market currencies, particularly the US dollar.’

Wood said he’s bullish on Uzbekistan’s currency because the country is both a major bullion producer and holds substantial reserves. He added that soaring metal prices are part of the reason why South Africa’s markets are having such a historic year.

South Africa’s FTSE/JSE Africa All Shares Index has gained more than 30% in 2025. The rand is near a one-year high, and the 10-year government bond yield recently fell below 9% for the first time in more than seven years. Slowing inflation that’s allowed the country’s central bank to cut interest rates is also boosting market sentiment.

All in all, it’s a dramatic turnaround for a country that has struggled to attract investors for years because of political turmoil and power shortages that sapped economic growth.

Another country that’s benefiting from the gold rally is Ghana. After enduring an economic crisis in 2022 that caused it to default on its debt, the nation has been on a path to recovery under new President John Mahama. The cedi has strengthened about 38% this year, the biggest increase globally.

Other investors said they’re watching countries like Poland, Turkey and Kazakhstan, which have all been adding to their gold reserves. Alexis de Mones, a fixed-income portfolio manager at Ashmore Group Plc, said that while the trend is generally positive, investors shouldn’t read too much into it.

‘Those countries that have a greater share of gold in their reserves will also look better, but one should not necessarily look at pricing effects as a source of credit strength,’ he said.

The bigger driver for emerging markets is the fact that higher gold prices are coming at a time when the dollar is weak and financial conditions are broadly easing, de Mones added. That’s a view echoed by Ning Sun, a senior emerging-markets strategist at State Street Markets in Boston.

She said rising gold prices are usually part of a broad move that drags down anything risky. But in this case, given dollar weakness and nervousness about US economic policy, that relationship has flipped. And now, emerging markets are turning out to be a winner.

‘The rally does benefit emerging markets more than developed markets,’ she said. ‘Emerging markets not only produce gold, they also hoard the metal.’

The Social Security Office (SSO) is once again at the centre of an embarrassing controversy following a recent online public hearing on reform of the pension formula for insured workers under Sections 33 and 39 of the Social Security Act.

The public consultation, held through the government’s online platforms, was meant to gather opinions from contributors about how to ensure fairness and the long-term sustainability of the nation’s largest welfare fund.

Instead, it was marred by an apparent surge of automated “bot” responses over several days, raising suspicions that certain groups may have attempted to sway the outcome. Such interference is not merely a technical glitch; it is a disgrace.

The SSO’s pension reform is a matter of national significance, with profound consequences for the 24.6 million insured workers and the 2.65-trillion-baht funding that supports them. The reform aims to address structural weaknesses that, if left unchecked, could cause the pension system to collapse within the next three decades as Thailand’s ageing population expands and payout obligations outstrip contributions.

The proposed reform centres around adopting a new “CARE” formula to replace an outdated system that calculates pensions based on the salary in the final 60 months of work. Under the current structure, workers whose income declines before retirement, or those who shift from formal employment (covered under Section 33) to voluntary coverage (under Section 39), are unfairly penalised. The new system would instead use adjusted lifetime average earnings to calculate pensions more accurately, ensuring greater equity and alignment with real income levels.

While the CARE model may reduce benefits for a small group of contributors whose earnings rose sharply in their final working years, it will improve fairness across the system as a whole. This is a necessary step to preserve confidence in a fund that millions of Thais rely upon for their future.

Yet pension formula reform alone will not save the Social Security Fund. The root of the problem lies in governance and transparency. In recent months, questions have emerged over the SSO’s budget allocations, procurement practices and investment management. There are reports about outsiders being invited to board meetings on key investment strategies. Such issues have undermined trust among members who already hesitate to increase their contributions. The bot incident is therefore symbolic of a broader malaise: a system vulnerable to manipulation, both technical and institutional. It underscores why reforming the formula must go hand-in-hand with a root-and-branch overhaul of management within the SSO itself.

Thailand’s largest public fund cannot afford to be seen as opaque, complacent or compromised. Rebuilding public trust through genuine accountability and open governance must form the foundation of any meaningful reform. Only then can the SSO truly safeguard the financial security of workers, not just for the next 30 years but for generations to come.

The government should use this opportunity to review the broader social protection system. Pension reform must reflect a genuine social contract between the state and citizens. The SSO’s credibility will depend on its willingness to confront technical and ethical challenges transparently, showing that public welfare, not political interest, is its guiding principle.

A nasty drama is playing out online over comments by Senator Angkhana Neelapaijit, a former member of the National Human Rights Commission, amid the atmosphere of mutual distrust caused by the border conflict.

Her comments have upset many, particularly the so-called ultra-nationalists who accused her of being unpatriotic — or a Thai national with a Cambodian heart. On the opposite side, human rights groups and some media outlets are rallying behind her, praising the senator as heroic and courageous.

Senator Angkhana spoke out on the conflict on July 23, during the five-day skirmish between Thailand and Cambodia. Recently, unfriendly types in the media and some ultra-nationalists have dug into her social media posts to form narratives against her.

In that context, it might be constructive to look at what she actually said. On July 23, Senator Angkhana posted a comment on Facebook, condemning the laying of landmines in the Chong An Ma area of Ubon Ratchathani province and demanding Cambodia adhere to principle of human rights and peaceful means to resolve any conflict with Thailand. This comment was useful and fair enough.

On July 24, Cambodian missiles and artillery shells landed on Thai civilian spots including hospitals, a convenience store, a petrol station and houses in some northeastern border provinces, killing Thai civilians, including a child, and injuring many others.

Senator Angkhana criticised not the attacks, but the Thai army, for blocking the public’s access to information. It had sought people’s cooperation not to disseminate information which may cause public confusion or exacerbate the situation.

Her comment seemed out of touch with reality on the ground and out of place. Critics asked where she was when Cambodian bombs killed and maimed Thai civilians and destroyed their properties, including a hospital, which are traditionally protected by international laws during wars. How could she have missed this opportunity to issue a strongly-worded statement against Cambodia?

Instead, she chose to comment on a side issue — the army’s blocking the public’s right of access to information. Didn’t she realise that, during a war or armed conflict, information censorship is a widely accepted practice for security reasons?

She kept her silence on the conflict until July 28 when a peace agreement, brokered by Malaysia and witnessed by the US and China, was signed between Thailand and Cambodia in Kuala Lumpur. She posted urging both sides to observe the peace deal, exercise restraint towards provocation and give victims access to humanitarian aid, medication and compensation.

But that belated gesture does not clear the question marks and suspicions that she was selective in commenting on human rights issues. Her stance was interpreted by ultra-patriotic groups as favouring Cambodia.

Fortunately for her, sentiment against her was not strong enough at that time, perhaps, because her comment was not widely shared.

On July 31, she wrote another post, criticising Sappasitthiprasong Hospital for its refusal to accept all Cambodian patients, claiming this was an act of discrimination and against international human rights law. Again, that is a fair and productive comment.

On Aug 1, Senator Angkhana posted a comment defending the Cambodian Defence Ministry’s spokeswoman, Maj-Gen Maly Socheata, who had come under Thai criticism.

The senator claimed she was merely performing her duty, despite her assiduous attempts to spread fake news against Thailand during the conflict.

She also said Maj-Gen Maly, as a woman, should not be degraded or dehumanised through the use of AI technology. Fair enough.

On Aug 8, the human rights activist posted a comment, criticising the Thai army’s appointment of local celebrity, Panadda Wongphudee, for help dealing with Maj-Gen Maly’s fake news campaign, warning this may cause trouble and may contradict the role of the Thai Foreign Ministry.

Later, on Aug 13, she expressed her concerns about a report that a Senate committee had suggested the government cut education funds for Cambodian children studying at schools in Thailand. That concern is justified and praiseworthy given the fact that children are not parties to the conflict and should not be affected.

On Aug 28, she wrote another post, expressing concern over the fate of a 13-year-old Cambodian student detained at a police station, awaiting his deportation to Cambodia. Detaining a boy simply because he is an illegal immigrant is shameful, according to Angkhana, which is a commendable stance on her part.

A key moment came when a reporter asked why she remained silent over Thai civilian casualties, including a child, from Cambodian missile attacks. She was quoted to have said Thailand’s F-16 fighter jets had bombed Cambodia, killing many Cambodian soldiers.

Such a remark by a human rights advocate of her calibre is simply childish. How can civilian casualties be compared to the deaths of soldiers? Military installations and troops who pose a serious threat during wartime are considered a legitimate target while civilians and hospitals are not.

But what touched the nerve of Thai nationalists the most was her recent post, sharing a complaint by Keo Ramy, chairman of the Cambodian Human Rights Commission, to the UNHCR about the Thai use of powerful loudspeakers to blast ghostly sounds and the sounds of aircraft engines towards Cambodian civilians living in Sa Kaeo province.

Influencer Guntouch “Gun Jompalang” Pongpaiboonwet has been broadcasting the sounds from large speakers and sound trucks he set up in the border area, where he has been waging a nationalistic campaign against Cambodia, much to the delight of his fan club.

Senator Angkhana, however, claimed the use of sound as a weapon against Cambodian civilians may constitute a form of psychological torture under the CAT Convention, and Thaland’s image may suffer on the global stage.

She asked why the army let Gun Jompalang broadcast the sounds in such a flashpoint area along border, which is under martial law. Her specific comments against the influencer provoked many commentators to pour scorn on her, calling her unpatriotic. Needless to say, Gun Jompalang joined in, asking where she was when the bombs dropped.

Some organised an online campaign to strip her of her senatorial status. Others suggested she better spend her time looking for her husband Somchai, victim of an enforced disappearance over two decades ago. Unfortunately, her critics did not ask why the army permitted such an ultra-nationalistic campaign from the border area when Thai and Cambodia are trying to make peace talks work.

Such cruel and inhumane criticism is unacceptable and irrelevant to the context. She was subject to a witch hunt, punished for simply expressing a different opinion.

But the drama over the border conflict should, at least, serve as a lesson for Senator Angkhana and her ilk about their roles and narratives. As a human rights activist, she should be more balanced in expressing her views on such sensitive issues.

Regardless of public perception of Senator Angkhana, the hate speeches against her must stop. Any constructive criticism can only come from those with a cool head, an open heart and goodwill.

The filling of the massive sinkhole on Samsen Road in Bangkok’s Dusit district has been completed, paving the way for the demolition of the damaged Samsen police station, Bangkok’s governor said.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said on Monday at the sinkhole site that 1,700 cubic metres of crushed stone had been levelled over the sand-filled sinkhole, which now appeared stable enough for people to walk on. Nearby structures, including police flats, Vajira Hospital and nearby commercial buildings, showed no movement or additional cracking, except for the Samsen police station, he said.

The next step, the governor added, would be the demolition of the Samsen police station followed by road reconstruction. The demolition was expected to take about four days. Because the station’s floors were built using the post-tension technique, the work must be done with great care to prevent the slings from snapping, he said.

Mr Chadchart noted that no date had been set yet for the reopening of Samsen Road.

He said the project would also involve restoring subway tunnels beneath the road and reconstructing underground utilities, including water mains and sewers. All work would proceed cautiously with safety as the top priority.

The sinkhole, which appeared on Sept 24 on Samsen Road in Dusit district, formed above an underground railway station being built for the Mass Rapid Transit Authority’s (MRTA) Purple Line extension. It initially measured about 30 metres wide, 30 metres long and 20 metres deep.

The state-run MRTA attributed the incident to the area’s water-saturated, soft soil, which cracked and flowed into the tunnels and the under-construction Vajira Hospital station on the Purple Line.

The 2025 Contemporary World Film series presents a screening of Something Like An Autobiography, a Bangladeshi drama that captivated both critics and audiences at noteworthy festivals, at TK Park, 8th floor of CentralWorld, Ratchadamri Road, on Oct 25 at 4pm.

The movie captures the real-life story of a celebrated director and his actress-wife — played by Bangladesh’s renowned director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and his acclaimed wife Nusrat Imrose Tisha, the country’s best-known film couple.

Farooki, a pioneer of his country’s new-wave cinema, has had his films screened at many festivals around the world, where they have won top awards. Tisha has played the lead in many of his movies.

In addition to directing this film, Farooki also steps in front of the camera for the first time to play the male lead opposite Tisha. They portray their real-life roles as a celebrity couple — Farhan and Tithi — who have been happily married for a decade.

Their peaceful life is disrupted when people begin questioning them on why they do not have a child. They refuse to bow to societal pressure, but unexpectedly, Tithi becomes pregnant. Their peaceful life, however, is disturbed again with a loud and unruly noise from the neighbourhood.

Farhan confronts the source only to discover that it’s the home of an oligarch whom he once criticised on social media. His demand for an explanation triggers a dangerous vendetta. When Farhan fails to return home, a frantic Tithi rushes to the police station only to be ensnared in the oligarch’s web of retribution.

The film event is supported by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh whose ambassador Faiyaz Murshid Kazi will introduce the film.

Also, the director and his actress-wife will attend the screening and present their film.

The movie comes with English subtitles. There is no admission fee to the screening but entry to TK Park is 20 baht (free for members).

Local oil retailer Susco Plc is rebranding its image by turning petrol stations into “Susco Squares”, offering eating and shopping options to motorists.

The company spent 100 million baht renovating a petrol station on Boromratchonnanee Road in the Bang Bamru area of western Bangkok, making it the prototype station in the capital under the Susco Square concept.

“We see a new opportunity to boost revenue while Thailand faces an economic downturn,” said Chairit Simaroj, chairman of Susco’s board of executive directors.

The company wants to diversify from its core business of oil retail over the past 40 years. At a Susco Square, motorists can refill their cars, shop at convenience stores or eat at restaurants, most of which are Michelin-certified, he said.

“Thai consumers aren’t tied to a particular food brand, but the taste must be delicious and popular,” said Mr Chairit.

“Traffic at restaurants must ensure convenience.”

People can also visit specialised clinics for humans and pets at these retail hubs.

To create a Susco Square, the company expands the compound of a filling station, constructing a long, two-storey building with open spaces and a parking lot for 200 cars.

The concept is like a community mall with a filling service, he said.

Before the renovation, Susco leased out part of its filling stations to Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD to build showrooms. There are 11 BYD showrooms inside Susco compounds.

Unlike many other oil retailers in Thailand that have their own coffee brands, Susco does not want to venture into this type of non-oil business, said Mr Chairit.

“We’d prefer other companies open coffee shops at our compounds, no matter the brand,” he said.

The company aims for 7-8% growth in oil sales next year, driven by the development of three more Susco Squares in Phutthabucha in southern Bangkok, Srinakarin in eastern Bangkok, and Don Mueang in northern Bangkok.

Mr Chairit said he expects the company to earn 30 billion baht next year, up from an estimated 20 billion this year.

The 2026 investment budget is set at 400 million baht, with 75% of it funding oil trade and the rest supporting non-oil businesses.

LGBTQ+ advocates have urged the Thai Red Cross’s National Blood Centre to revise its blood donation application form following an Administrative Court ruling which upheld the ban on LGBTQ+ blood donations as non-discriminatory for public safety.

Critics argue the Sept 19 decision overlooked key issues in the form, sparking calls for a more inclusive and evidence-based screening process.

Kittinun Daramadhaj, president of the Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand and member of the Committee on Consideration of Unfair Gender Discrimination, told the Bangkok Post the court misunderstood the distinction between screening under the blood donation application form and laboratory blood testing.

“I fully agree that ensuring pure and safe blood is essential — no one wants unsafe blood,” he said. “The complaint filed in 2019 by a transgender woman focused solely on the form, not the lab process,” he said.

The previous form required only male-assigned-at-birth donors to declare anal sex, perpetuating stereotypes about men who have sex with men (MSM) while overlooking similar risks among heterosexuals engaging in anal sex.

He said anyone can engage in such activity, and the form should allow everyone to respond equally.

The 2022 committee ruling deemed the form discriminatory under the Gender Equality Act, mandating revisions to ensure inclusivity and remove stigma.

Mr Kittinun said the committee will appeal the case to the Supreme Administrative Court and will focus specifically on the blood donation application form, leaving laboratory processes separate.

He said while the Red Cross has revised its forms multiple times to promote inclusivity, they still primarily target so-called high-risk groups. The current form asks donors to declare biological sex and gender with options of woman, man, transwoman and transman.

The form also asks about sexual behaviour including having sexual contact with the same biological sex or opposite biological sex. The form asks about partner’s risk characteristics, and HIV treatment or prevention history, including PrEP or PEP.

Those identified as high-risk may be refused, prompting some to falsify their responses. “Many sex workers or drug users lie on the form to avoid refusal or prosecution,” Mr Kittinun said.

Nittaya Phanuphak, executive director of Thailand’s Institute of HIV Research and Innovation, said such profiling is outdated and not evidence-based.

Using effective protection — like condoms, HIV prevention drugs (PrEP, PEP) or having an undetectable viral load — lowers HIV risk for everyone, regardless of gender or sexual activity. Laboratory methods such as Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAT) detect pathogens, ensuring blood safety independently of donor profiles, she said.

She suggested the blood donor form be neutral on sexual practices, occupations and HIV prevention to avoid marginalising sex workers, PrEP users and those with HIV-positive partners whose viral load is undetectable and therefore untransmittable.

Including an “HIV protection methods” question would promote inclusivity and ensure Thailand’s blood supply remains safe and sufficient, she said.

Mr Kittinun agreed the blood donation form should focus on individual risk behaviours rather than identity, with detailed questions on sexual practices, drug use and HIV or sexually transmitted infection protection.

He said such specificity would encourage honesty and accountability among donors. He said the application form should serve as a screening tool, not to determine eligibility for blood donation.

China’s biggest airlines have started offering free Wi-fi to passengers on a growing number of domestic flights, as they vie to win back business travellers who now often prefer to shuttle between cities on high-speed trains.

China Eastern Airlines on Oct 11 launched a free “basic” Wi-fi service on all its widebody aircraft operating on domestic routes, said a company representative who spoke anonymously per company rules.

The planes cover a total of 37 routes serving major Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Kunming and Wuhan, the representative said.

Air China and China Southern Airlines, two of the company’s main competitors, already provide free Wi-fi on smaller percentages of their domestic flights, the source added.

“We’ve had ‘work from home’, and now a lot of business travellers are changing the phrase to ‘work from the air’,” he said, noting that a test of the free Wi-fi on one plane in August had met with positive customer feedback.

The offer comes as China’s air travel industry faces growing competition from the country’s high-speed rail network, especially in the lucrative business travel market where passengers often prefer the comfort and convenience of bullet trains.

On busy routes such as Beijing-Shanghai, travellers have switched from air to rail in such large numbers that the China Air Transport Association warned in April that its passenger base was being “eroded”.

Air China, China Eastern and China Southern all made losses in the first half of the year, with the companies citing intense competition, supply imbalances and the impact of high-speed rail, domestic media outlet Yicai Global reported.

A lack of on-board Wi-fi has long been a “significant competitive disadvantage” for Chinese airlines relative to bullet trains, said Peng Peng, executive chairman of the Guangdong Society of Reform think tank.

Business travellers on Chinese high-speed trains have benefited from on-board Wi-fi for the past nine years. They can also access 5G data via their phones, except in remote areas.

“Passengers who need to stay connected online are likely to choose high-speed rail,” Peng said. “This includes those investing in financial sectors like the stock market, those maintaining uninterrupted control of businesses, and those who need to hold online meetings or reviews at specific times.”

In China, flights and high-speed train journeys now compare closely in terms of travel times and price. A train ticket from Beijing to Shanghai, for example, costs about 500-600 yuan (2,300-2,700 baht) for a one-way trip, which takes about 4.5 hours.

Max Modesti, an Italian restaurateur based in Shanghai, said he had only taken the train to Beijing over the past 10 years, as it was “more efficient and without stress” compared with catching a plane.

Unlike flights, the trains are rarely late or cancelled, and they drop passengers off near city centres rather than at a far-flung airport, according to Modesti. He could usually get a stable Wi-fi connection on the train, and if it cut out he could simply use 5G, he added.

But Jerry Li, a Shanghai-based venture capital fund manager, said he only got spotty Wi-fi on trains to Beijing and that he preferred to take flights because they kept running later at night than the trains.

China Eastern’s new economy-class Wi-fi service can be accessed without needing to download an app, preregister or sign up for membership, the company representative said. Passengers can use it for email and web browsing, but not for video streaming.

If the roll-out on widebody planes goes smoothly, China Eastern will consider making free Wi-fi available on its narrowbody jets, the source said.

But he said that China Eastern was not expressly competing with China’s fast trains. Some passengers take the train to reach airports such as Hongqiao in Shanghai, where they catch flights, he pointed out.

“High-speed rail’s relationship with airlines is more complex,” the representative said. “They are competing but also cooperating.”

A nasty drama is playing out online over comments by Senator Angkhana Neelapaijit, a former member of the National Human Rights Commission, amid the atmosphere of mutual distrust caused by the border conflict.

Her comments have upset many, particularly the so-called ultra-nationalists who accused her of being unpatriotic — or a Thai national with a Cambodian heart. On the opposite side, human rights groups and some media outlets are rallying behind her, praising the senator as heroic and courageous.

Senator Angkhana spoke out on the conflict on July 23, during the five-day skirmish between Thailand and Cambodia. Recently, unfriendly types in the media and some ultra-nationalists have dug into her social media posts to form narratives against her.

In that context, it might be constructive to look at what she actually said. On July 23, Senator Angkhana posted a comment on Facebook, condemning the laying of landmines in the Chong An Ma area of Ubon Ratchathani province and demanding Cambodia adhere to principle of human rights and peaceful means to resolve any conflict with Thailand. This comment was useful and fair enough.

On July 24, Cambodian missiles and artillery shells landed on Thai civilian spots including hospitals, a convenience store, a petrol station and houses in some northeastern border provinces, killing Thai civilians, including a child, and injuring many others.

Senator Angkhana criticised not the attacks, but the Thai army, for blocking the public’s access to information. It had sought people’s cooperation not to disseminate information which may cause public confusion or exacerbate the situation.

Her comment seemed out of touch with reality on the ground and out of place. Critics asked where she was when Cambodian bombs killed and maimed Thai civilians and destroyed their properties, including a hospital, which are traditionally protected by international laws during wars. How could she have missed this opportunity to issue a strongly-worded statement against Cambodia?

Instead, she chose to comment on a side issue — the army’s blocking the public’s right of access to information. Didn’t she realise that, during a war or armed conflict, information censorship is a widely accepted practice for security reasons?

She kept her silence on the conflict until July 28 when a peace agreement, brokered by Malaysia and witnessed by the US and China, was signed between Thailand and Cambodia in Kuala Lumpur. She posted urging both sides to observe the peace deal, exercise restraint towards provocation and give victims access to humanitarian aid, medication and compensation.

But that belated gesture does not clear the question marks and suspicions that she was selective in commenting on human rights issues. Her stance was interpreted by ultra-patriotic groups as favouring Cambodia.

Fortunately for her, sentiment against her was not strong enough at that time, perhaps, because her comment was not widely shared.

On July 31, she wrote another post, criticising Sappasitthiprasong Hospital for its refusal to accept all Cambodian patients, claiming this was an act of discrimination and against international human rights law. Again, that is a fair and productive comment.

On Aug 1, Senator Angkhana posted a comment defending the Cambodian Defence Ministry’s spokeswoman, Maj-Gen Maly Socheata, who had come under Thai criticism.

The senator claimed she was merely performing her duty, despite her assiduous attempts to spread fake news against Thailand during the conflict.

She also said Maj-Gen Maly, as a woman, should not be degraded or dehumanised through the use of AI technology. Fair enough.

On Aug 8, the human rights activist posted a comment, criticising the Thai army’s appointment of local celebrity, Panadda Wongphudee, for help dealing with Maj-Gen Maly’s fake news campaign, warning this may cause trouble and may contradict the role of the Thai Foreign Ministry.

Later, on Aug 13, she expressed her concerns about a report that a Senate committee had suggested the government cut education funds for Cambodian children studying at schools in Thailand. That concern is justified and praiseworthy given the fact that children are not parties to the conflict and should not be affected.

On Aug 28, she wrote another post, expressing concern over the fate of a 13-year-old Cambodian student detained at a police station, awaiting his deportation to Cambodia. Detaining a boy simply because he is an illegal immigrant is shameful, according to Angkhana, which is a commendable stance on her part.

A key moment came when a reporter asked why she remained silent over Thai civilian casualties, including a child, from Cambodian missile attacks. She was quoted to have said Thailand’s F-16 fighter jets had bombed Cambodia, killing many Cambodian soldiers.

Such a remark by a human rights advocate of her calibre is simply childish. How can civilian casualties be compared to the deaths of soldiers? Military installations and troops who pose a serious threat during wartime are considered a legitimate target while civilians and hospitals are not.

But what touched the nerve of Thai nationalists the most was her recent post, sharing a complaint by Keo Ramy, chairman of the Cambodian Human Rights Commission, to the UNHCR about the Thai use of powerful loudspeakers to blast ghostly sounds and the sounds of aircraft engines towards Cambodian civilians living in Sa Kaeo province.

Influencer Guntouch “Gun Jompalang” Pongpaiboonwet has been broadcasting the sounds from large speakers and sound trucks he set up in the border area, where he has been waging a nationalistic campaign against Cambodia, much to the delight of his fan club.

Senator Angkhana, however, claimed the use of sound as a weapon against Cambodian civilians may constitute a form of psychological torture under the CAT Convention, and Thaland’s image may suffer on the global stage.

She asked why the army let Gun Jompalang broadcast the sounds in such a flashpoint area along border, which is under martial law. Her specific comments against the influencer provoked many commentators to pour scorn on her, calling her unpatriotic. Needless to say, Gun Jompalang joined in, asking where she was when the bombs dropped.

Some organised an online campaign to strip her of her senatorial status. Others suggested she better spend her time looking for her husband Somchai, victim of an enforced disappearance over two decades ago. Unfortunately, her critics did not ask why the army permitted such an ultra-nationalistic campaign from the border area when Thai and Cambodia are trying to make peace talks work.

Such cruel and inhumane criticism is unacceptable and irrelevant to the context. She was subject to a witch hunt, punished for simply expressing a different opinion.

But the drama over the border conflict should, at least, serve as a lesson for Senator Angkhana and her ilk about their roles and narratives. As a human rights activist, she should be more balanced in expressing her views on such sensitive issues.

Regardless of public perception of Senator Angkhana, the hate speeches against her must stop. Any constructive criticism can only come from those with a cool head, an open heart and goodwill.