On a quiet morning at Wat Tha Luang Phon in Photharam district, the usual bustle of early shoppers and hawkers is there — but not the kind of busy the government had hoped to stir up. The Khon La Khrueng Plus co-payment scheme, a short-lived programme intended to subsidise everyday purchases from October 29 to December 31, was meant to be a welcome boost for both buyers and sellers. Instead, several small vendors in this corner of Ratchaburi have politely — and pointedly — declined to join. Their reasons read like a modern small-business survival guide: confusing registration steps, the terror of digital scams, and a simple wish to keep their mornings uncomplicated. Sompong Topara is a character you can picture without trying hard: she opens her stall at 5 a.m., steam rising from a pot of soy milk while the pan sizzles for fresh Thai doughnuts. She sells comfort…
Posts published by “Editorial Team”
A heartbreaking scene unfolded on the edge of Kaeng Krachan National Park this week when a young wild elephant was found dead after running into an illegal electric fence while foraging on farmland in Pa Deng subdistrict, Kaeng Krachan district, Phetchaburi. The animal — estimated at eight to ten years old and weighing roughly two tonnes — was discovered on November 20 with visible burn marks on its trunk. Veterinary examination confirmed what locals feared: electrocution was the cause of death. By the time park rangers, conservation officers and veterinarians arrived, the small crowd of responders had already grown into a coordinated investigation team. Officials from Conservation Area Office 3 (Phetchaburi branch) worked alongside Kaeng Krachan National Park rangers, veterinarians from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, local police, military personnel from Thap Phraya Suea, district officers, representatives from Pa Deng subdistrict and technicians from the provincial…
Chaos erupted in Tha Sae district, Chumphon province on November 20 when a 40-year-old man allegedly high on drugs and armed with an M16 rifle rampaged through a small neighbourhood, killing one person and critically wounding another before police brought the situation to an end with tear gas and a forced entry. Police identified the suspect as Natruethep Rintawong. According to officers and eyewitnesses, the incident began earlier in the day when Natruethep reportedly took a neighbour’s car — the vehicle of 27-year-old Kittisak Kirdkuha — and fled the accommodation complex where both men lived. Kittisak, alarmed to find his car missing, pursued Natruethep on a motorcycle. The pursuit ended about two kilometres from the accommodation when Natruethep allegedly opened fire with an M16 rifle. Kittisak was struck in the cheek and left in critical condition at a local hospital. Instead of fleeing the area after the shooting, Natruethep returned…
Under a blaze of lights and a swirl of controversy, Fátima Bosch of Mexico was crowned Miss Universe 2025 tonight in Nonthaburi, Thailand, delivering a coronation that felt more like the final scene of a blockbuster than a beauty pageant. The 25-year-old from Santiago de Teapa, Tabasco — who studied Fashion and Apparel Design at Universidad Iberoamericana and sharpened her craft in Milan and Vermont — outshone 119 contestants to claim the coveted crown at Impact Challenger Hall. A red gown, a flowing cape, and a very big moment Walking to center stage in a striking red cheongsam–inspired gown with a dramatic flowing cape, Bosch combined classic elegance with stage-ready drama. When last year’s winner, Victoria Kjær Theilvig, placed the crown on her head, the room erupted — and so did the headlines. Bosch becomes the fourth Mexican to take the Miss Universe title, joining the ranks of Andrea Meza,…
Thailand has flipped the thermostat and turned on the storm dial: a bracing cold snap in the north is rubbing shoulders with ferocious storm systems in the south, and the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued a nationwide wake-up call. A powerful high-pressure mass is sweeping the upper south, ushering in chilly mornings, strong northeasterly winds and dry, gusty conditions across much of the country. At the same time, a vigorous northeast monsoon over the Gulf of Thailand and the upper Andaman Sea — teamed with a low-pressure zone over the lower south — is whipping up widespread heavy rain, thunder, and dangerously high seas. What’s driving the wild weather? Think of Thailand’s atmosphere as a theater where two big performers are sharing the stage. The first is the cold, dense high-pressure system pushing down from the north, which is dropping morning temperatures and ramping up wind speeds across northern,…
The Thai entertainment world was jolted yesterday by an explosive swirl of allegations — but two actresses have now stepped forward to firmly deny any part in the much-talked-about 400 million baht fraud rumour that has been ricocheting around social media. The story began when the Facebook page ท่านเปา posted claims that major media outlets were poised to expose a high-profile actress accused of promoting a supposedly lucrative investment fund to friends and fellow celebrities. According to the initial posts, investors were promised generous returns that failed to materialise, and when investors asked for their money back, the actress supposedly could not repay them. As details circulated, the allegation widened: not only did the investment not pay out, the actress allegedly borrowed money from several people in the industry and failed to repay those loans. The page suggested total losses exceeded 400 million baht, with individual victims losing anywhere from…
When a social media creator in Satun accepted what looked like a bona fide friend request from a Facebook profile wearing a police rank, she probably expected a polite greeting — not a clumsy attempt at blackmail. But that’s exactly what happened to Yaowarate Madtrakate, a content creator with more than 50,000 Facebook followers, who found herself targeted by an account posing as a senior officer and attempting to extort her with fabricated “explicit” videos. The story unfolded in late November, when Yaowarate filed a complaint at La-ngu Police Station and later spoke about the ordeal on Channel 7 (November 20). The fake account used the name “Police Colonel Nathee Todting” and included a profile displaying a police rank and several mutual connections — details that made it seem authentic enough for Yaowarate to accept the request in hopes of growing her audience. Soon after the connection was made, the…
In a move that blends Buddhist reflection with political drama, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been reported to have entered the Dhammanavawang dhamma-based rehabilitation programme inside Klong Prem Central Prison. The revelation came from his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, after a recent visit to the Bangkok facility — and it has added a new, quietly spiritual chapter to a saga that’s as much about family care as it is about national politics. Paetongtarn — who has herself been a visible figure in Thai politics — described her father’s physical condition as “stable” despite the changing weather, but she didn’t shy away from acknowledging the mental strain he faces. “With the weather changing, his physical health is fine, but mentally, he may be under a lot of stress,” she said. The Dhammanavawang initiative is a royal-endorsed human development programme designed to help inmates practice Buddhist teachings, develop inner discipline, and reflect…
Chiang Mai’s nightlife got a dose of immigration reality this week when a South Korean DJ — blissfully focused on beats and bass — was abruptly cut from the lineup after officers discovered he was working without the proper paperwork. The suspect, whose name has not been released, was detained on the night of November 19 following a tip-off about foreign nationals working illegally in the Mueang district. The operation unfolded in Suthep subdistrict at around 10pm, with officers from Immigration Division 5 and the Chiang Mai Immigration Bureau keeping a close watch before moving in. The investigation was led by Police Colonel Surachai Iampueng, commander of Chiang Mai Immigration, together with Deputy Commander Police Lieutenant Colonel Phatsalaporn Suksasan. Their target: alleged violations of Thailand’s Immigration Act of 1979 and related labour legislation. When officers inspected a local entertainment venue, they found the South Korean man behind the decks —…
Thailand’s “Fast Pass” Plan: A Turnpike for Investment or Just Another Speed Bump? Thailand’s finance minister, Ekniti Nitithanprapas, is set to push a bold new idea to the economic Cabinet on Monday, November 24: the Thailand Fast Pass. Designed to cut through months — even years — of bureaucratic snarl and get approved projects out of limbo, Fast Pass is billed as the government’s shortcut to turn committed investment into real capital spending, fast. The numbers behind the pitch are hard to ignore. In the first nine months of the year, investment promotion applications jumped a striking 94% year-on-year, reaching a total of 1.3 trillion baht. The applications are concentrated in high-growth sectors that read like Thailand’s future playbook: food processing, electronics, data centres, electric vehicles (EVs), wellness, automation and advanced medical services. Yet despite those approvals, the reality has been frustratingly pedestrian. Of the 1.3 trillion baht in approved…