When a short, sharp clip of a traffic policeman asking for a 100-baht “parking fee” at Bangkok’s Morchit Bus Terminal exploded across social feeds, the timing couldn’t have been worse for the Royal Thai Police. The footage — shared widely alongside fresh allegations by former deputy commissioner Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn that more than 200 officers were tied to bribery, call-centre scams and online gambling rings — lit the tinderbox of public anger. But today the Metropolitan Police Bureau moved to calm the flare-up: the viral video is not new, it dates back to 2019, and the officer involved is already out of uniform. Old footage, new outrage The clip shows a traffic officer insisting a motorist hand over 100 baht to leave the Morchit terminal. The driver protests, saying he was told by the officer’s superior that parking there is free; the officer brushes that aside and insists the…
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In a fast-moving shake-up that has rattled Thailand’s corrections world, the Ministry of Justice has quietly moved to reassign the director of Bangkok Remand Prison after a surprise inspection allegedly uncovered staff involvement in illegal activities. The move — formalized in Ministry Order No. 233/2025 — signals the ministry’s intent to treat the matter with urgency and help ensure an impartial inquiry. On November 18, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice Pongsvat Neelayothin signed the order under the authority of Section 21 of the State Administration Act 1991, as amended by Act No. 5 (2002). The personnel shuffle took effect November 16, when Manop Chomchuen, director of Bangkok Remand Prison, was reassigned to the role of Inspector-General within the Department of Corrections. According to official statements, the transfer followed a surprise raid and inspection at both Bangkok Remand Prison and Bangkok Special Prison, during which investigators reportedly uncovered evidence…
Under the glow of streetlights and the hum of a late-night hospital car park, Patong police closed in on a 31-year-old man accused of selling cocaine in a swift undercover operation on the evening of November 18. The arrest, carried out in the parking lot of Patong Hospital at 6:55pm, was the latest move in a focused campaign to stamp out narcotics activity in Phuket’s busiest nightlife and tourist zones. The sting was mounted under the direction of Patong Police Superintendent Colonel Chalermchai Hirasawat and executed by a team led by Lieutenant Colonel Suchart Chumphusang, Deputy Superintendent of Investigation, alongside Lt. Col. Saran Chaiwut, Chief of the Investigation Division. Investigators arranged a controlled purchase for 6,000 baht. When the exchange took place, officers say the suspect handed over two small plastic bags containing roughly 1.10 grams of cocaine. Uniformed officers moved in immediately and placed the man under arrest. Patong…
Australian Journalist Murray Hunter to Face Thai Trial Over Malaysia Blog Posts When Murray Hunter hit “publish” on his Substack in April, he probably expected some pushback — not a cross‑border legal saga that would land him in a Bangkok courtroom. The 64‑year‑old Australian, who lives in Hat Yai in southern Thailand, is now due to stand trial on December 22 after being charged in Thailand with criminal defamation over a series of posts that criticised Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). The case began with four articles on Hunter’s blog in which he accused the MCMC of political bias and alleged that the commission had been used to intimidate critics under the Pakatan Harapan government. The MCMC has denied Hunter’s claims. Still, the commission filed a complaint, and Thailand’s authorities acted on that request — turning what some observers call a routine media dispute into an international incident. Hunter’s…
Late-night head-on crash in Pattaya leaves one man fighting for life What began as a routine ride along a quiet Pattaya soi turned into a harrowing nightmare for two motorcyclists late on the evening of November 18. Emergency crews arrived to a scene of shattered plastic, twisted metal and two injured riders after a head-on collision on Soi Nern Plub Wan near the entrance to Mab Yai Lia Soi 39/1. Rescuers from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation found a blue Honda Wave overturned in the middle of the road, its front end crushed and fragments of the machines scattered across the pavement. The rider of the Honda, 28-year-old Somrak Inthanil, was discovered unconscious and suffering multiple abrasions and severe trauma. Paramedics provided emergency first aid before rushing him to Patmakhun Hospital, where he remains in critical condition. The second rider, 30-year-old Chakkrit Monthathip, was fortunate to be conscious when responders…
What began as a routine debt dispute spiraled into an alarming abduction case in Chon Buri this November, ending with the arrest of a Taiwanese man and four Thai nationals. The 24-year-old victim, identified as Sirinapha Sungklang, was allegedly kidnapped and assaulted over an unpaid sum of 100,000 baht — a story that has since rattled residents of Sattahip district and raised questions about cross-border relationships, money and the limits of revenge. On the night of November 14, Sirinapha placed a desperate call to her uncle, who happens to be a police officer, saying she had been abducted and assaulted by a Taiwanese man. The call cut off abruptly and she could not be reached thereafter. Fortunately, Sirinapha was later released and went straight to Na Jomtien Police Station to file a complaint. She arrived with multiple facial injuries and a particularly serious wound to one eye — injuries that…
Imagine sticking out your thumb on a sun-drenched Thai roadside and getting picked up by… immigration officers. No, it’s not the setup for a sketch comedy — it’s a delightful slice of travel-life reality that recently went viral on TikTok. The video, posted by @sampilks, captures the quintessential moment every hitchhiker secretly hopes for: a friendly set of headlights pulling over and a smiling driver offering a lift. The tourist in the clip beams as he hops in, only to slowly realize the vehicle isn’t your average tuk‑tuk or songthaew. It’s an immigration car, complete with uniforms and procedures. Cue the sort of awkward, wholesome comedy that travel vlogs live for. What makes the footage a gem is the mix of surprise and good humor. With no other passengers aboard, the traveler quips about receiving “VIP treatment” as the officers double‑lock the doors “for maximum safety.” The soundtrack choice —…
Patong found itself ankle-deep (and in some places worse) in the kind of dramatic downpour that turns a sunny tourist strip into a makeshift canal. On November 18 at about 4:30pm, sudden heavy rain sent waterways and roads into chaos, prompting Patong Police to issue urgent warnings and dispatch officers to manage traffic and monitor rising water levels. Police move fast as streets become rivers The response was led by Patong Police Superintendent Police Colonel Chalermchai Hirasawat, with traffic and investigative teams coordinated by Police Lieutenant Colonel Somporn Surin and Pol. Lt. Col. Chamnan Trapsin. In a statement released after the deluge, officials told motorists to avoid several waterlogged zones where smaller vehicles simply could not get through. Hotspots and road closures Officers confirmed multiple trouble spots across the tourist hotspot, describing several areas as “awaiting drainage.” The worst-affected locations included: Patong Hospital Intersection: closed to small vehicles Nanai Soi…
The Royal Thai Army (RTA) has hit back hard against a string of allegations from Cambodian officials and human rights groups, calling the accusations “fake news” and an apparent attempt to tarnish Thailand’s reputation abroad. The claims — that seven Thai rangers detained, beat, robbed and sexually assaulted a group of Cambodian migrant workers in Battambang province near the border — emerged between November 17–18 and set off a fast-moving diplomatic spat. Immediate denials and a rapid inquiry Major General Winthai Suvaree, the RTA’s spokesperson, went public quickly, saying an immediate investigation was launched the moment the stories surfaced. Patrol and ranger units along the Thai-Cambodian frontier — notably the Burapha Task Force in Sa Kaeo and naval units in Chanthaburi and Trat — were ordered to verify the details. After interviewing all rangers and patrols on duty the night in question, the army’s finding was straightforward: there was no…
In the quiet hours of the morning on November 18, a loaded tugboat lost control and smashed into three riverside homes along the Chao Phraya River in Koh Kret, Pak Kret district, Nonthaburi — leaving a trail of mangled wood, fallen power lines and stunned residents. The vessel, reportedly carrying more than 5,000 tonnes of gypsum boards, struck houses numbered 27, 27/1 and 27/2 at around 1:00 a.m., causing damage officials estimate at over 10 million baht. Nighttime chaos on the Chao Phraya Pak Kret Police arrived on the scene at about 5:00 a.m. and found severe structural damage to the riverbank properties. House 27/1 suffered the worst of the impact and partially collapsed into the river. A nearby power pole was toppled by the collision, plunging the sub-district into darkness and complicating early recovery efforts. Miraculously, there were no reported injuries. Owner counts loss after late-night shock The owner…