Posts published in “Thailand”

What began as a routine traffic and drink-driving checkpoint in Bangkok quickly turned into a dramatic afternoon bust, leaving a green BMW, three detained men and a heavy load of guns and drugs in the hands of traffic police. The incident unfolded at about 1:40pm on January 17, 2026, on Pracha Uthit Road in Phlapphla subdistrict, Wang Thonglang district — a stretch of road that, until that moment, had been simply doing its civic duty: slowing drivers down and testing breath alcohol levels. The checkpoint was led by Pol Lt Col Suebsak Phansueb, deputy superintendent of traffic police at Wang Thonglang Police Station. Officers were carrying out the usual checks in front of a petrol station when a green BMW approached from the Meng Jai intersection — but something wasn’t right. The vehicle had no front licence plate and the occupants behaved in a way the officers described as suspicious.…

What began as a solemn farewell at a village temple in Phatthalung turned into a scene of tragedy in the small hours of January 17, 2026. A 21‑year‑old man, identified as Mr. Sittikorn, an aluminium and glass technician, was shot dead during a funeral ceremony at Wat Khuan Peng in Moo 10, Khok Sai subdistrict, Pa Bon district. By dawn, a 41‑year‑old man, Mr. Jare—also known by the nickname Ek—had surrendered to police and admitted to firing the fatal shots. The fatal minutes Police from Pa Bon Police Station were alerted shortly after midnight when reports of gunfire came from the temple grounds. Officers discovered Sittikorn’s body lying in front of the twin pavilions used for funeral rites. Medical examiners later recorded five gunshot wounds to his forehead, shoulder and neck. Spent bullet casings were scattered nearby, a grim punctuation to what should have been a quiet, respectful event. A…

It was a quiet night in Mueang district, Sakon Nakhon—until it wasn’t. At about 9:10 p.m. on January 16, 2026, a coordinated security operation halted what investigators say was a sizeable shipment of crystal methamphetamine, locally known as “ice.” Officers found six heavy sacks in the parking area of the bypass market in Dong Mafai subdistrict, together weighing in at roughly 300 kilograms. Alongside the narcotics, authorities recovered two vehicles and two mobile phones that are now key pieces of evidence. A tip, a tail, and a takedown The takedown was not a stroke of luck. Officials say the operation grew from intelligence supplied by the Internal Security Operations Command, which flagged a trafficking group moving meth from border areas of That Phanom district in Nakhon Phanom province into inland destinations. That lead prompted surveillance and deployments that stretched from border checkpoints to the parking lot where the suspects were…

Commuters expecting a routine drive into Bangkok on the morning of January 17, 2026, got an unexpected — and dramatic — detour when a section of Rama 2 Road suddenly collapsed near the Big C Rama 2 shopping complex in Samut Sakhon province. The incident, which took place at about 6:30 a.m. on the inbound side toward Bangkok, left a pickup truck overturned and submerged upside down in a sizeable water-filled hole, and turned a public-holiday morning into a traffic headache for thousands. Photo credit: Samut Sakhon News Society 2 Facebook page According to first reports, the collapse didn’t simply crumple pavement — it created a deep void in a parallel lane, where the asphalt gave way and revealed a large, water-laden cavity. A pickup truck driving through that lane lost traction and control as the road beneath it surrendered, plunging into the gaping hole and ending up overturned in…

Thaksin Shinawatra — once Thailand’s most polarising prime minister, now an inmate whose next move could reshape the political conversation — may be eligible for parole as soon as May, the Department of Corrections has confirmed. It’s a timeline that has turned a familiar drama into a ticking calendar: returned home in August, detained under special hospital arrangements, sentenced to one year and moved to Klong Prem Central Prison on September 9. Now, with the arithmetic of prison regulations pointing to an eight-month threshold, many are watching to see whether May will bring freedom, furlough, or another twist. From hospital ward to prison cell: the controversy that followed Thaksin’s re-entry into Thailand last year didn’t play out like a discreet legal handover. He was taken into custody and, under unusually discreet arrangements, transferred to the 14th floor of the Police General Hospital. That decision kicked off a heated public debate:…

A Quiet Arrival, a Fatal Night: The Mystery of a Russian Doctor in Pattaya What began as a routine trip to Thailand for a 41-year-old oncologist from Krasnoyarsk turned into a troubling investigation that has gripped both local authorities and the Russian diplomatic community. Boris Tyutyunikov checked into a hotel on Jomtien Beach in early January, but the visit that promised relaxation or work took a dark turn when he went silent the very day he arrived. Hotel staff grew concerned after Boris didn’t leave his room. When no one answered the door, police were called — and the following day Thai officers discovered the doctor’s body inside his room. Forensic teams later concluded that his injuries were consistent with an assault. There were signs of a struggle at the scene, but notably, none of his belongings, money, documents or valuables were missing. The absence of theft suggests this was…

On a misty stretch of forest near the Aranyaprathet border, Thai authorities unexpectedly intercepted a group of people who looked like they were trying to melt into the jungle. It was January 15 when the Burapha Task Force and rangers from the 12th unit’s Company 1206 came upon 35 Thai nationals trudging along a wooded path close to border markers 49 and 50—around 250 metres from the Thai-Cambodian canal in Ban Noen Sombun, Khlong Nam Sai. What at first glance seemed like an ordinary border patrol find turned into a chilling glimpse of a modern cross-border scam operation. The party consisted of 27 men and eight women. Among them, officers discovered 34 national ID cards and a single copy of a house registration document. No guide, no trafficker, no obvious handler was in sight. The group told investigators they hadn’t walked into this predicament by choice. Instead, they said they…