Posts published by “Editorial Team”

Bangkok has always loved to celebrate. But in the race toward convenience—clicks, carts and same-day checkouts—the feeling behind a gift quietly thinned. Flowers arrived wilted, cakes tasted industrial, and hampers felt like they came off an assembly line. The moment the recipient unwrapped a present often landed with a polite smile instead of the gasp it deserved. That gentle disappointment is what sparked UrbanFlowers, a Phrom Phong studio that rewrote the city’s idea of gifting. Instead of flashy launches or billboard budgets, the brand grew the old-fashioned way: through repeat delight, word of mouth, and an insistence that craft matters more than convenience theatre. A studio that smells like flowers and chocolate Walk into UrbanFlowers on a weekday morning and the space reads less like a retail outlet and more like an artisan atelier. The air carries the green, peppery scent of freshly cut stems and the warm, bittersweet notes…

A quiet pool renovation has suddenly become Thailand’s latest hot-topic splash. The Huamark Aquatic Centre — slated to host swimming events for SEA Games 2025 — is at the center of a growing public debate after procurement documents revealed a 300-million-baht renovation budget and a line-by-line price list that has many Thais rubbing their chins. The cost breakdown was shared by the popular Facebook page Young Shark Thailand (ฉลามหนุ่มไทยแลนด์), which says every figure comes straight from the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) procurement files. Whether you’re a swimming fan, a budget hawk, or someone who loves a good online kerfuffle, the numbers are worth a look. Big ticket items that caught attention Grandstand seats: 3,118 plastic seats in green, red and yellow, reportedly costing a total of about 4.8 million baht — roughly 1,550 baht per seat, installation included. Not exactly throne-level prices, but multiplied by thousands, the math adds…

A short, candid clip of a passenger putting his feet up on the backrest of a Trang–Phuket coach has stirred a surprisingly loud chorus of online disapproval — and the traveller has since issued a direct apology. The footage, first shared on December 2 by Facebook user Y’Not Seven and quickly picked up by local pages, shows an Indian man travelling with a friend who removes his shoes and rests both feet on the empty seat in front of him. What might have been a private moment of discomfort became a public controversy within hours. In the video the bus is not full, but that didn’t soften reactions. The person who filmed it labelled the behaviour “inappropriate” and “disrespectful,” and even claimed the man’s feet gave off an unpleasant smell that bothered other passengers. Those accusations struck a nerve. In the comments that followed, many Thai netizens condemned the action…

A routine trip to the supermarket in Nakhon Sawan turned into a scene of horror and heroism on the evening of Monday, 1 December, when a 33-year-old salesperson named Nicha was doused with fuel and set on fire outside a store on Krai Lat Road in the Pak Nam Pho sub-district. Shoppers and passersby who had gone out for groceries found themselves scrambling to save a life instead. Witnesses say the attack took place at around 5pm. What began as a loud confrontation outside the shop escalated in an instant: the assailant, later identified as Nicha’s boyfriend, 33-year-old Apichai Chantarak, allegedly poured an accelerant over her and ignited it. Locals rushed to smother the flames, and their quick thinking likely prevented an even deadlier outcome. Nicha was hauled into a vehicle and rushed to Sawan Pracharak Hospital in critical condition with severe burns over much of her body. Apichai fled…

Thailand has flipped a long-standing switch today, December 3, 2025: for the first time in decades, alcohol sales are allowed between 2:00pm and 5:00pm as part of a bold six-month experiment. The 180-day trial—confirmed in the Royal Gazette on December 2—was set in motion after growing calls from tourism bosses, hotel owners, nightlife operators and even ordinary drinkers who argued that the afternoon ban had outlived its usefulness in a modern, travel-heavy Thailand. Deputy Prime Minister Sophon Sarum was among those who flagged the issue two weeks ago, telling reporters that the National Alcohol Policy Committee found the afternoon restriction “outdated” and incompatible with contemporary lifestyles, tourism demands and the wider economy. The committee also acknowledged an awkward side effect: the ban encouraged off-the-books sales from tiny neighborhood shops and community groceries, creating a shadow market that was harder to regulate than a transparent, lawful window of afternoon trading. So…

What reads like the script of a high-stakes real estate thriller has landed a group of Phuket buyers in a very real, very costly nightmare. Dozens of Thai and foreign purchasers say they were sold the dream of luxury pool villas — only to find unfinished shells, disappearing developers and a tangled web of politics and power that’s stalled any hope of swift justice. Collectively, the victims estimate losses in excess of 100 million baht. The story centers on an agent named Chaiwat, who presented himself as the man behind property firms called Alicha Grand and Alisha Property. He convinced buyers that he owned the land for a high-end villa project in Phuket. Lured by glossy brochures, staged promo photos (reportedly featuring foreign models) and promises of resort-style living, many signed contracts for villas priced between 15 and 20 million baht. But the villas never reached completion. Buyers paid deposits…

Alex and Jay are back with another lively roundup of the stories making waves across Thailand and Southeast Asia. From flood relief packages and controversial government decisions to tense maritime face-offs and the occasional bizarre accident, this episode serves up a little bit of everything — equal parts serious news and eyebrow-raising moments. Cabinet ditches extra long weekends for 2026 In a move that will please some and frustrate others, Thailand’s Cabinet has dropped its plan to introduce extra public holidays for 2026. Officials said the idea clashed with economic and administrative needs — especially in industries that rely on steady workflow and in public services where sudden extra days off could create bottlenecks. Supporters of more long weekends were hoping for extra mini-vacations, but voices in business and government warned that productivity and essential services could suffer. The Cabinet ultimately decided to stick with the current holiday calendar and…

In a case that could be pulled straight from an international crime drama, Thailand’s Immigration Bureau announced the arrest of six foreign nationals this week on charges ranging from large‑scale financial fraud and people‑trafficking to major narcotics smuggling. Deputy Commissioner Police Major General Panthana Nuchanart revealed the sweeping operation, which saw suspects nabbed across Bangkok and Chon Buri as investigators closed in on alleged cross‑border criminal networks. The first name on the list is Pan, a 41‑year‑old Chinese national wanted back home for allegedly defrauding banks of a staggering 560 million yuan — roughly 2.8 billion baht. Authorities say Pan falsified business information to secure loans and siphoned off more than 80 million yuan for illicit gains. He entered Thailand on a tourist visa in May of last year and reportedly overstayed, settling at a salon in Chon Buri where officers eventually tracked him down and made the arrest. Next…