Posts published by “Editorial Team”

Local officials paid a visit to the family of a 13-year-old girl at Mitsamphan village in Nong Bunmak district, Nakhon Ratchasima, on Tuesday. The ordeal began when the girl collapsed after she and another 13-year-old boy were paid to chug alcohol from bottles during a jubilant ordination ceremony at a local temple on Sunday. (Photo: Prasit Tangprasert) NAKHON RATCHASIMA – In a bizarre and troubling incident, a 13-year-old girl was paid 1,000 baht to guzzle alcohol at an ordination ceremony, leading to her collapsing into a coma and an urgent trip to the hospital. She was rushed into intensive care and, after tense moments, was eventually declared to be in stable condition. Authorities have launched an investigation to track down the man who recruited the girl and her friend, also 13, to consume alcohol at the event. Both kids were paid 1,000 baht each and urged to down a half-bottle…

In a bustling room in Samut Prakan, speed pills adorned a display table while cameras clicked and reporters scribbled notes. It was a media briefing on February 8, 2024, and the spotlight was on these tiny, yet powerful, tablets (Bangkok Post File Photo). Fast forward to a momentous decision, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced that the cabinet has, in principle, greenlighted a new law targeting methamphetamine possession. Anyone found with more than a single meth tablet will now be deemed an offender and stripped of the option for rehabilitation. This comes as a significant shift proposed by the Ministry of Public Health, which seeks to tighten up on a previously criticized regulation. The earlier rule had stipulated that offenders would only face legal action if caught with five or more speed pills. Not surprisingly, this regulation drew ire for its loophole. Possessing anywhere between one and four pills categorized one…

Social Development and Human Security Minister Varawut Silpa-archa has issued a heartfelt plea for people to cease giving money to beggars, as their numbers continue to swell across Bangkok. Alarmingly, some of these individuals are reportedly pocketing nearly 100,000 baht each month. Addressing this pressing issue on Tuesday, Mr. Varawut shared insights into his ministry’s vigorous efforts to manage the beggar situation, underscoring the crucial role played by various collaborating agencies, including the Royal Thai Police (RTP) and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). The ministry employs a meticulous strategy, conducting sweeps five times a month to apprehend beggars populating the city’s streets. Foreign beggars who are caught face deportation to their home countries, whereas Thai beggars are provided shelter at homes for the destitute, run by the ministry. These homes not only offer refuge but also career training and job placement support, intending to encourage a shift away from street…

Speed pills are displayed at a media briefing in Samut Prakan on Feb 8, 2024. (File photo) The cabinet has greenlit a groundbreaking law that stipulates anyone caught with more than one methamphetamine tablet will be deemed an offender and stripped of the option for rehabilitation, according to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. This decision was made during the cabinet’s weekly meeting on Tuesday, approving the draft regulation presented by the Public Health Ministry. Previously, the law dictated that possession of five or more meth tablets would result in legal action. However, the new rule lowers this threshold significantly, making individuals caught with more than a single tablet legally liable as offenders. This shift stems from the Public Health Ministry’s proposal to abandon the controversial provision that considered individuals possessing between one and four tablets simply as drug addicts needing rehabilitation. Critics argued this created a loophole, allowing offenders to avoid…

Excitement is in the air at UOB Thailand with the announcement on June 11, 2024, of Mr. Richard Maloney as the new Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2024. Mr. Maloney is all set to take over from Mr. Tan Choon Hin, who has led UOB Thailand with distinction since 2016. Mr. Tan will be heading back to Singapore to embrace a new role as the Deputy Head of Group Governance, Risk and Compliance. Meanwhile, Ms. Vira-Anong C Phutrakul will step in as the Head of Wholesale Banking and Deputy CEO of UOB Thailand. Mr. Maloney brings a treasure trove of experience to the role, with a staggering four decades in the banking industry. His illustrious career spans Wholesale Banking, Capital Markets, and Retail Banking. Since joining UOB in 2014, he has been serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Group Wholesale Banking. Before UOB, Mr. Maloney was the…

A teacher, a student, and the student’s guardian exchange wai greetings at Banbangkapi School in January. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb) In a move set to underscore cultural pride and uniqueness, the cabinet has agreed to elevate the traditional “wai” gesture as a national identity for greetings and expressions of respect. Deputy government spokesman Karom Phonphonklang shared the news, highlighting that although the roots of the “wai” trace back to Hindu and Buddhist traditions from India, the Thais have given their own distinctive twist to this beautiful gesture. To perform a “wai,” practitioners ensure their palms are straight with all fingers aligned closely together. The palms are then pressed together, drawing both hands up towards the chin, nose, the middle of the eyebrows, or chest, accompanied by a slight bow of the head. This act serves as a versatile greeting and symbol of respect towards juniors, seniors, peers, and esteemed monks, making…

The peaceful evening in Pak Kret’s bustling shopping mall took a grim turn when authorities were notified about an elderly woman’s unusual death in a sauna. The scene of the tragic discovery was nestled behind a fitness club in tambon Bang Talad, within Nonthaburi’s buzzing district. The incident occurred around 6 PM, and the victim was identified only as Thanchanok, a 68-year-old regular at the club. Thanchanok was known for her routine visits to the fitness facility, often arriving as early as 8 AM. According to the fitness club staff, she had indeed checked in that Monday morning, with no indication that the day would end so tragically. By 11 AM, there was no sign of her, and the staff assumed she had completed her daily regimen and left. Little did they know, she had endured a far more harrowing fate. It wasn’t until 6 PM when an employee made…

In an exciting move towards enhanced innovation and sustainability, IRPC is teaming up with VINIS GmbH to transform EPS production and product development. The collaboration aims to optimize manufacturing processes while gearing up for an anticipated surge in demand for specialty products. This strategic partnership was officially sealed as Lersak Thongruang, Acting Sr Exec VP: Operation of IRPC Public Company Limited, and Mr. Nico Witt, Managing Director of VINIS GmbH, put pen to paper and signed the MOU. Their shared vision? To revolutionize the Expandable Polystyrene (EPS) production landscape. The heart of this initiative is not just to meet market demand for high-quality specialty products, but also to champion the cause of sustainability. The collaboration strives to advance the capabilities in recycled plastic production, aiming for a significant reduction in the CO2 footprint of the EPS industry. This bold step promises tangible benefits for society and the environment alike. Imagine…

In a scene straight out of a disaster movie, passengers aboard Qatar Airways flight QR204 found themselves trapped in a blistering heatwave when the plane’s air conditioning system failed while sitting on the tarmac at Athens International Airport on Monday. The unfortunate ordeal left scores of travelers sweating profusely and gasping for air, transforming the aircraft into a suffocating oven. Amongst the distressed passengers were 49 members of the Thai Muay Thai team and a handful of Thai reporters, who were returning home from the IFMA Senior World Championships held in Patras, Greece. Their journey back to Bangkok via Doha was anything but smooth, thanks to this nightmarish delay. According to a Matichon reporter on the flight, the air conditioning breakdown turned the aircraft into a veritable hotbox, yet the captain insisted everyone remain onboard, with doors sealed tight. For three agonizing hours, passengers endured sweltering conditions without any updates,…

The story of Theephat Liangwatthanatham, a 43-year-old former bank employee, is nothing short of a twisted crime novel. On a rather unremarkable Tuesday, Theephat was caught red-handed with his mobile phone in front of a convenience store in Muang district of Phitsanulok. Despite the mundane setting, the charges against him were anything but ordinary. This arrest was the culmination of a convoluted saga involving fraudulent loan and auto leasing contracts, and it became the talk of the town. Pol Col Sanuwong Khongkha-in, the superintendent of sub-division 4 of the Anti-Corruption Police Division (ACPD), couldn’t have been more pleased. According to him, the suspect’s misdeeds were well-documented and now well-contained. The details of the story began to unravel swiftly after Theephat was apprehended. Apparently, back on November 28th of the previous year, the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases had issued an arrest warrant for Theephat. The charges? Malfeasance…