Bangkok’s quiet residential streets turned into the latest front in Thailand’s fight to protect its underwater treasures on December 24, when environmental police arrested a 33-year-old man accused of selling protected coral and sea anemones online. The suspect, identified as Chitipat, was taken into custody after officers found more than 200 marine specimens during a court-authorized search of a house on Soi Phetkasem 77 in the capital’s Nong Khaem district. A digital trail led investigators to a physical haul The investigation began in the most 21st-century of ways: with online adverts. Officers from the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division spotted posts in public social media groups offering coral for sale, which prompted surveillance and digital sleuthing. The online listings, investigators say, eventually pointed to Chitipat as the likely seller and secured a court warrant to search the property. When police executed the warrant, they reportedly discovered a collection…
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In the glow of neon and the hum of late-night traffic, Bangkok authorities rolled out a coordinated operation on the evening of December 23 along one of the capital’s busiest arteries. From BTS Nana station down to the green fringe outside Benjasiri Park, teams of city officials, social welfare workers and local police canvassed pavements and public nooks where people had been sleeping, part of a wider effort to manage homelessness in the Sukhumvit commercial and tourist strip. The sweep began at around 10pm and was described by officials as more than a simple eviction: it was an assessment-driven push to connect vulnerable people with state welfare, shelters and vocational training — while also reminding everyone that public spaces must remain safe and accessible for pedestrians, shoppers and visitors. The agencies involved included the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, and district offices from Khlong…
In the sort of seaside scene that makes for awkward small talk and viral social-media fodder, a Russian couple found themselves at the center of a late-night commotion on Jomtien Beach, Pattaya. What began as a boozy reunion among friends turned into a public spectacle when, in the early hours of December 24, the pair were spotted engaging in sexual activity while seated on camping chairs — an act that drew quick attention, a police complaint and an online storm. Police at Mueang Pattaya Police Station received the first call around 2:00 a.m. from a concerned Thai witness who said the couple’s behavior was not only inappropriate but made nearby residents and tourists uncomfortable. By the time officers arrived the couple had left the immediate scene, but a clutch of eyewitnesses — and a now-viral video clipped by bystanders — left little doubt about what had taken place on the…
The quiet hum of an idling engine at a King Kaew Road petrol station in Racha Thewa turned into a scene of sorrow on December 24, when staff discovered the body of 78-year-old truck driver Pramote slumped in the cab of his ten-wheel lorry. According to police reports, the truck had arrived around 6:00 PM the previous evening and remained parked with the engine running until attendants became alarmed the next morning when the vehicle hadn’t moved and calls to the driver went unanswered. A loyal life on the road Pramote wasn’t just any driver. The man had spent more than four decades behind the wheel of the same truck, ferrying containers and hauling loads across routes that included Lat Krabang and Bang Phli. The truck’s owner—who employed Pramote for over 40 years—recalled that the driver typically made a single trip per day and was known for his work ethic.…
On December 24, what began as a flurry of sharp accusations between neighbors turned into a public back-and-forth that read like a diplomatic courtroom drama. Cambodia’s government released photos and statements alleging that Thai forces had used M-46 cluster munitions in recent clashes — weapons, Cambodian officials warned, that can scatter lethal fragments across fields, forests and villages and remain a long-term risk to civilians, especially children. The Royal Thai Army fired back the same day through spokesperson Winthai Suvaree, insisting the images and claims were misleading. Winthai said the munitions in question were dual-purpose artillery shells intended strictly for military targets. According to him, the submunitions inside the shells detonate successively on impact, rather than lying dormant like anti-personnel landmines that can later maim or kill noncombatants. Two versions of the same scene On one side, Cambodia’s Ministry of Information and Ly Thuch — vice-president of the Cambodian Mine…
Get ready to dust off your passports and practice your fan chants—Thailand is about to get a very high-profile glow-up. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has confirmed that a teaser advertising film starring Lalisa Manobal, better known to millions as Lisa from BLACKPINK, will debut in early January 2026. Announced back in October, Lisa’s appointment as the Amazing Thailand Ambassador set off a wave of excitement among her global fanbase—the Lilies—and now TAT is turning that buzz into a full-blown campaign built around what they’re calling the “LISA Effect.” Five postcard-perfect spots, one superstar TAT’s initial reveal paired Lisa’s name with five of Thailand’s most photogenic destinations: the glittering silhouette of Wat Arun in Bangkok, the turquoise cliffs of Koh Phi Phi in Krabi, the spiritual calm of Wat Sirindhorn Wararam Phu Phrao in Ubon Ratchathani, the island charm of Koh Khan in Trat, and the misty vistas of…
A quiet afternoon at a Phuket shooting range took a tragic turn on December 23 when a local van driver, identified as Kittipong, died after an incident captured on the facility’s CCTV. The episode unfolded in Sakhu, Thalang district, and has since prompted sorrow from the community, questions from investigators, and online conversations about the mounting pressures residents face in Phuket. What happened at the range According to police reports, officers from Sakhu Police Station were alerted to the incident at about 6pm and found Kittipong injured at the shooting range. Staff at the venue said he arrived alone, rented a Glock 19 and a box of ammunition, and was guided to lane number 13 by an employee named Arkhom. CCTV footage — which officers say clearly recorded the sequence of events — shows Kittipong taking several practice shots at a paper target while under supervision. After a series of…
Just in time for the holiday cheer, Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chon Buri treated visitors to a heart-melting wildlife moment: a baby red kangaroo finally peeked out of its mother’s pouch on December 23. Born back in May, this little hopper spent more than eight months snug and safe inside Mum Tao Tao’s pouch before the big reveal—prompting gasps, camera flashes, and a surge of smiles across the Australian animal zone. A slow, steady debut Patience paid off. The newborn—whose proud parents are 5-year-old female Tao Tao and 9-year-old male Pong—has been developing steadily and, according to the zoo’s director Narongwit Chodchoi, is healthy and showing normal growth milestones. Because the mother is so attentive and rarely leaves her youngster’s side, keepers haven’t been able to determine the baby’s sex yet. For now, it’s simply the newest—and undeniably cutest—resident of the zoo’s kangaroo community. Big family vibes: 14 red…
A wife’s quiet plea for answers after a trail runner’s death at Phu Kradueng The mountains hold stories—some triumphant, some tragic, and some that leave loved ones searching for simple answers. On December 7, during a trail running event inside Phu Kradueng National Park in Loei province, a male runner collapsed at a well-known spot called Sam Bon and later died. The case resurfaced on December 22 when his wife took to Facebook to ask anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward. Her message was raw, respectful and resolute: she wants to understand what happened to her husband in his final moments. Her post appeared in the local group Phu Kradueng… Rak Laeo Rak Loei and quickly drew attention. Rather than laying blame or demanding recriminations, she made two modest requests: for witnesses to share what they saw, and for people to refrain from criticizing her late husband or…
Late on the morning of December 23, a quiet three-storey townhouse in Moo 19, Bang Pakong district, Chachoengsao was jolted from routine into chaos when the household heard an unwelcome disturbance downstairs. Inside were a homeowner, her daughter and a one-year-old granddaughter — ordinary residents who, by the afternoon’s end, would find themselves at the center of a forensic sweep and a community whispering about how quickly an attempted burglary turned tragic. Acting on instinct, the family called Bang Pakong Police Station. Police, led by Police Lieutenant Noppadon Taweechart, arrived promptly alongside local rescue workers and found clear signs of a forced entry. The ground-floor layout had been ransacked: wires and valuables torn apart and strewn across the floor. Shards of glass littered the scene, and the presence of blood marked the grim trail of what had occurred. Investigators followed that trail — not just a line on a kitchen…