THAI.NEWS - Thailand Breaking News

In a case that reads like a cyber-thriller with a very real and heartbreaking ending, Thai and Chinese nationals accused of orchestrating a meticulously planned scam have been arrested after forcing a 19-year-old university student into a 24-hour video-call charade that culminated in him emptying his mother’s safe of nearly 10 million baht. The Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) made the arrest public on November 23, with Police Lieutenant General Surapol Prembut briefing the media and instructing Police Major General Sarayut Chunnawat and Police Colonel Chakkrit Srirojankul to update on the probe. The victim, identified only as “Nick,” is a 19-year-old technical university student who became ensnared after what began as routine phone conversations with an unknown caller. The scammers cultivated his trust, asked him to add them on Line, and then bombarded him with counterfeit documents that looked disturbingly official — fake letters imitating the Anti‑Money Laundering Office, cyber…

What began as a routine evening on the Det Udom–Buntharik road in Ubon Ratchathani turned into a grim tableau on November 22 when a stolen pickup ploughed into a motorcycle, dragged it for dozens of metres, and left one woman dead and another fighting for her life. The overturned vehicle — a black Toyota Vigo bearing registration Boh Jor 9448 — came to rest against a utility pole and toppled into a nearby flower shop, leaving smashed blooms, broken glass and a community reeling. At the centre of the chaos was a pink Honda motorbike, registration 2 Gor Dor 6080, which police say was struck from behind. The two people on board were 59‑year‑old Kongsri and her 27‑year‑old daughter, Saowaluk. Kongsri died later at the district hospital; Saowaluk was critically injured and rushed to Sappasitthiprasong Hospital in Ubon Ratchathani. Police arrested the driver at the scene: 18‑year‑old Sukasem Srimongkol. What…

Temple Shock: Monk Arrested After Phones Found Packed with Child Pornography In a startling development that has shaken Bangkok’s religious community, police arrested a 60-year-old monk identified as Chayut after discovering child pornography on his mobile phones. The arrest, carried out on November 23, was led by senior Metropolitan Police officials following information from an international tip-off. Pol. Lt. Gen. Siam Boonsom, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, ordered a focused operation that placed Pol. Maj. Gen. Pallop Aeremla, Deputy Commissioner, Pol. Maj. Gen. Chotiwat Lueangwilai, Commander of the Investigation Division, and Pol. Col. Wichit Thirakajornwong, Superintendent of Investigation Division 1, at the helm. Their team executed a search in Bang Mueang subdistrict, Mueang district, Samut Prakan province after obtaining a court-sanctioned warrant. The probe began earlier in November when the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the United States flagged suspicious activity linked to a Gmail…

Imagine arriving at Manchester Airport in your wedding suit (or wedding-mussed T-shirt) clutching a one-way ticket to paradise, only to be told you can’t board because of a smudge. That was the abrupt, soul-crushing reality for 31-year-old Josh Reekie from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, who had planned a dream £2,400 (about 105,600 baht) honeymoon in Phuket with his new wife, Eden—until Etihad Airways staff stepped in and said his passport was “too damaged.” A honeymoon grounded by a smudge According to Reekie, airline staff pointed to what they described as water damage on a 2019 Thailand entry stamp. “I was absolutely gutted,” he said. “They said there was a smudge on a stamp from Thailand in 2019. Who’s to say that didn’t happen when it was stamped and closed?” It’s a fair question: the passport’s photo page was reportedly immaculate, and the couple had used the same document up to 12…

Patong’s Power Move: Burying the Tangle for a Cleaner, Safer Streetscape Patong is staging a low-key revolution — one that’s literally going underground. In a bold effort to tidy up its skyline and make streets safer for tourists and residents alike, the resort town has kicked off a 224 million baht project to bury power and telecom lines along five key thoroughfares. The plan covers nearly 1.8 kilometres of urban arteries, routing cables out of sight along Bangla Road, Thaweewong Road, Sawatdirak Road, Ruam Jai Road, and Prachanukroh Road. It’s part of a long-running push by the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), with Patong Municipality chipping in substantial funding to get the job done. Money where the meters are The budget breakdown is straightforward: Patong will contribute 84.45 million baht to cover engineering and municipal works, while the PEA will pour in 137.53 million baht to overhaul the electrical system. The…