Under the neon halo of Koh Pha Ngan’s legendary party lights, an island that usually conjures images of carefree Full Moon revelry saw a grimmer, if quieter, drama unfold on the night of Sunday, November 23. Police acting on a tip-off raided a rented house in Ban Tai subdistrict and arrested a Chinese national accused of smuggling and selling party drugs to tourists — a bust that reads like a how-to guide for modern narcotics trade and, at the same time, a reminder of how swiftly the island’s underground economy can move behind closed doors. The takedown Local officers conducted undercover surveillance after receiving reports about a foreigner allegedly peddling narcotics from a private residence. The pattern was telling: a steady stream of foreign visitors at odd hours, a telltale sign that the property was functioning less like a home and more like a discreet party supply line. When police…
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In the early hours of Tuesday morning, a quiet corner of Samut Prakan turned into the scene of a violent scare: a blast, an overturned scooter and two teenage riders hurt outside the familiar glow of the Mali rice porridge restaurant in Mueang Bang Pla Kot. The incident, reported at about 1:30 a.m. in Phra Samut Chedi district, left the teens shaken and bleeding and set local police and volunteers scrambling for answers. Police Lieutenant Sunthorn Phimpanth from Phra Samut Chedi Police Station and rescuers from the Ruam Katanyu Foundation were among the first to arrive after callers reported an assault involving an explosive device. What greeted them was chilling in its small-scale chaos: a black Honda Zoomer‑X lying on its side, two boys aged 15 and 16 nursing cuts and bruises across their faces and bodies, and the lingering smell of smoke or burnt powder in the cool night…
Southern Thailand is wrestling with one of its fiercest deluges in decades, and communities from Hat Yai to Yala are feeling the strain. Rivers have swollen, low-lying neighborhoods are submerged, and thousands have been forced from their homes into temporary shelters. But amid rising waters, a powerful current of solidarity has surged from Phuket — neighbors, clubs, foundations and government agencies rowing in unison to get supplies, rescues and reassurance to the hardest-hit areas. The provinces hit hardest include Hat Yai and Mueang Songkhla, Phatthalung, Trang, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Satun, Surat Thani, Pattani and Yala — a broad swath of southern Thailand where rain and runoff have conspired to overwhelm communities. In response, local leaders in Phuket have turned into relief coordinators overnight. At the grassroots level, Kamala has become a hub of compassion. The Kamala Kamnan and Phu Yai Baan Club, together with Kamala residents, are collecting essentials —…
When a British traveller strolls into a Thai 7-Eleven and turns a quick shop into viral theatre, the internet leans in. TikTok creator @middlenamemason — a cheeky Brit with nearly 800,000 followers — recently posted a short, infectious clip showing what just 110 baht (about £2.50) will buy you in Thailand’s ubiquitous convenience stores. The result? Close to 60,000 likes, a flurry of amused comments, and a fresh reminder that snack prices on the other side of the world are doing the rounds for all the right reasons. The mini-haul that made Brits gasp In under a minute, the traveller transforms a humble 7-Eleven visit into a lesson in comparative economics. With a grin and a running commentary, he pulls items from the shelves and tallies the cost aloud: a vitamin C drink for 20 baht (roughly 47p), a Sprite for 19 baht (about 46p), a tub of Skittles for…
Handcuffed and Gone: Phuket Police Launch Island-Wide Manhunt After Daring Escape Phuket’s usually sleepy Wichit district was jolted awake by an eyebrow-raising incident late Friday when a drug suspect managed to slip his custodians’ grasp and disappear into the island’s nocturnal shadows—still wearing handcuffs. Police have identified the man as 37-year-old Ex Chanaphai from Surat Thani. He was arrested in a Thalang district raid at approximately 1:17 a.m. on Friday at a residential building in Wichit. Authorities reported seizing 12 methamphetamine tablets, 0.59 grams of crystal meth, drug paraphernalia, a mobile phone and a Honda Wave motorbike during the operation. Escape in the Dark What followed would raise more questions than answers. During a transfer to Wichit Police Station, Thalang officers say Chanaphai suddenly pushed past his escorts and sprinted into the night while still handcuffed. “It was late at night and very dark,” Wichit deputy chief Police Lieutenant Colonel…
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport had a moment to savor on 22 November when Vietjet Thailand welcomed its first Boeing 737-8 — a sleek, fuel-efficient addition that signals the start of a sweeping fleet expansion across the Asia–Pacific. This single arrival is the opening act of an ambitious US$32 billion (1.15 trillion baht) programme, and it’s poised to reshape how the low-cost carrier serves travellers across the region. A strategic touchdown for Vietjet Thailand What makes this delivery more than just another aircraft handover is its role in a much larger plan: the 737-8 is the first of 50 Boeing 737-8s earmarked for Vietjet Thailand, with phased deliveries stretching through to 2031. The order dates back to Vietjet’s original 2018 commitment but was reassigned to the Thai arm earlier this year — a tactical move that aligns fleet types with market needs and paves the way for greater operational efficiency. In…
Just when you thought ice cream was all about summer smiles and sticky fingers, police in Nonthaburi served a very different scoop. A quiet two-storey rental in Sao Thong Hin, Bang Yai, was raided yesterday after neighbours tipped off authorities that the house had been quietly converted into a small-scale, and apparently unhygienic, ice cream factory. What the officers found was equal parts ingenuity, risk and, frankly, questionable cleanliness. Officers from the Bang Yai District Justice Centre responded to complaints that a group of foreigners had rented the property and turned it into an unauthorised production site. Outside the home, six motorcycle sidecars sat in a neat row — each retrofitted into makeshift ice cream carts with stainless-steel buckets bolted in place. Inside, six Vietnamese nationals (five men and one woman) were caught mid-production, churning out tubs of coconut-based ice cream intended for local sale. Seized as evidence were an…
In a quiet corner of Ayutthaya, an ordinary school task turned into a nightmare for one family when an 11-year-old boy was left fighting for his skin — literally. The child, who volunteered to help a teacher remove a wasp hive on November 11, suffered severe burns after what witnesses describe as an improvised attempt to burn out the nest. The family has since gone public with harrowing photos on Facebook and called on the school to accept responsibility. The day that changed everything According to the boy’s father, a teacher at the unnamed school asked for volunteers to assist in getting rid of a wasp hive that posed a potential risk to students and staff. The teacher wrapped a cloth around the end of a wooden stick and doused it with turpentine. The father says two boys — his 11-year-old son and a classmate — agreed to help. What…
What looked like a somber, final chapter for a 65-year-old woman in Phitsanulok turned into a scene straight out of a ghost story — except this one had a very human explanation. On the morning of November 23, family members prepared to say goodbye to Chontirot Sakulku, a bedridden woman from Ban Dong sub-district, Chat Trakan district. Her younger brother, Mongkon Sakulku, told reporters they believed Chontirot had died around 2 a.m. after lying unconscious at home. With her passing reported to the village head and a death certificate issued, the family placed her in a coffin and arranged for a donation of her body to Chulalongkorn Hospital. But when the hospital declined the gift — insisting on an autopsy and therefore refusing to accept her body — the family redirected plans to Rat Prakong Dham Temple for the usual funeral rites and cremation. What happened next might have stopped…
A grim discovery on the edge of two of western Thailand’s most treasured forests has shaken conservationists and local communities alike. On the morning of November 24, park officials confirmed that a female wild elephant was found dead with multiple suspected gunshot wounds near the border between Khao Laem and Thong Pha Phum national parks in Kanchanaburi province. Dome Chansuwan, head of Khao Laem National Park, said the discovery came after a tip from a local villager identified only as Chon. Chon had come across the elephant’s body in a plantation in Pilok Kee village, Moo 4, Thong Pha Phum district — an area that sits inside the Khao Chang Phueak Forest Reserve and along the boundary where the two parks meet. Rangers from Thong Pha Phum National Park verified the location and immediately alerted authorities. What officials found was both shocking and saddening: a female elephant, age unknown, with…