Posts published in “Thailand”

When you picture Antarctica, “giant Thai flag fluttering behind a HALO jumper” probably isn’t the first image that pops into your head. Yet that’s exactly the postcard-perfect, jaw-dropping scene Dr. Thanaborworn Sirikunakornkul—affectionately known as “Super Tum”—served up to the world: a high-altitude, low-opening (HALO) skydive over the frozen white of the South Pole, with a massive Thai flag trailing like a comet. Thailand’s Public Relations Department confirmed the feat, and while Guinness World Records has yet to post the official entry, Thai officials have already hailed the achievement. Not your average parachute jump HALO jumps are the stuff of elite military units and adrenaline catalogues: leap from extreme altitudes, cut the air, freefall for a long stretch, then pop your parachute at a low altitude. It’s not just bravery—it’s precision, oxygen, and training that would make most people dizzy just reading about it. Dr. Thanaborworn isn’t a thrill-seeker with a…

The night air over Thailand’s Deep South turned tense on Saturday, January 10, when a string of explosions and fires erupted at petrol stations across three provinces. Eleven PTT stations in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat were hit in what local authorities are calling coordinated attacks. The incidents sent shockwaves through communities already weary from floods and unrest — and prompted Narathiwat officials to impose a nightly curfew from 9pm to 5am until further notice. Images and videos circulated on social media showed blackened pumps and scorched forecourts; thankfully, those scenes did not spiral into mass casualties. One police officer, Prasit Bamrung from Ra-ngae Police Station in Narathiwat, was wounded during an attack at a PTT station in Ra-ngae district. He was rushed to hospital with a wound to his right arm and is reported to be in stable condition. Apart from that, no other injuries were officially recorded. Still, the…

It started with a blunt post from a Filipina tourist: she landed in Thailand, expected her English to do the heavy lifting, and found herself baffled when even a Grab driver couldn’t follow her perfectly worded sentences. Her frustration — terse, fiery and viral — touched a nerve online. The clip of her venting quickly caught attention, and one voice in particular stepped forward with a calm, corrective tone: Thai English teacher and influencer Crispy Froid. When frustration goes viral The tourist’s complaint was simple and raw: “I’m Filipina. Of course my English is good, but when I arrive in Thailand it’s f***ing useless. Even if I speak good English nobody can understand me. Especially the Grab driver and the local people here. They need a translator, what the f***.” Whether provoked by one baffling ride or a string of small misunderstandings, the post quickly lit up social feeds —…

What started as a routine late-night run through Pattaya turned into a dramatic roadside spectacle on the evening of January 11, when a bronze Toyota pickup truck collided with and toppled three high-voltage power poles along Soi Paniad Chang. The crash — which occurred at precisely 10:36 p.m. in Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri — left live wires swinging across the road, forced an immediate police shutdown, and sent rescue teams scrambling to make the scene safe. Chaos on Soi Paniad Chang Onlookers described a scene that felt equal parts dangerous and surreal. The collapse of three electricity poles didn’t just block the street; it left a tangle of live power lines and communication cables dangling dangerously low, and even knocked over a directional sign. Emergency responders from the Sawang Boriboon Rescue Foundation and the Pattaya Electricity Authority moved fast, cordoning off the area to protect residents and motorists from…

If you’ve ever dreamed of a scenic, traffic-free promenade connecting two of Bangkok’s most beloved green lungs, your wish is starting to come true. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has thrown open parts of the newly renovated “Green Bridge” for public trial — a 1.6-kilometre elevated skywalk that now links Lumpini Park and Benjakitti Park with a fresh splash of accessibility, safety, and colour. A bridge that welcomes everyone This isn’t just a facelift. The Green Bridge has been reimagined with Universal Design at its core: the once steep staircases have been replaced by gentle, elevated ramps so wheelchair users, parents pushing prams, and cyclists can glide between parks without battling steps. It’s a simple idea, brilliantly executed — an inclusive artery through the city where everyone can move at their own pace. Underfoot: surfaces built for safety and comfort City officials made safety and comfort top priorities. The walking…

On the night of January 8, a routine border patrol in Sa Kaeo province turned into something out of a thriller: a six-wheel lorry, a stack of foam panels, and 37 people hidden between sheets of foam hoping for a new start in Thailand. The interception in Aranyaprathet district—around 11:30 p.m. on the Ban Dong Ngu–Ban Pa Rai road—exposed a brazen smuggling tactic and a human story of desperation. The night the foam gave up its secret Patrol officers from a joint task force—featuring the Burapha Task Force, the 12th Ranger Regiment, Klong Luek Police Station and Sa Kaeo Immigration—flagged a suspicious white truck for inspection. Rather than complying, the driver did the classic vanish-into-the-crops routine: he sped off and abandoned the vehicle, disappearing into nearby sugarcane fields. It’s a familiar scene in border regions, but what authorities found in the truck was far from ordinary. At first glance the…

When tropical island life met international intrigue, Koh Samui wasn’t ready. On January 8, 2026, Thai immigration officers quietly interrupted a poolside vacation when they arrested Sibgatullin Airat, a Russian national accused of orchestrating a high-stakes extortion plot that stretched all the way back to Russia. According to Russian authorities, Airat — together with three alleged accomplices — pressured the CEO of a major car dealership into handing over 1 million rubles (roughly 400,000 baht) between November 2024 and November 2025. The group reportedly threatened to leak confidential material that could have seriously damaged the company’s reputation and business operations. Fearing the fallout, the CEO made the payment and later filed a complaint with Russian law enforcement, which launched an investigation and sought international assistance. That appeal for help landed at the Russian Embassy in Thailand, which asked Thai authorities to locate and detain the suspect. Investigators say Airat fled…

It’s the end of an era for one of Thailand’s homegrown e-commerce players. On 9 January 2026, NocNoc — the popular Thai home services and goods marketplace — announced on its official Facebook page that it will permanently shut down operations, citing a bruising economic climate and fierce competition in the e-commerce arena. The platform will stop accepting orders at 00:00 on 9 February 2026, with the last moment to place new orders set for 23:59 on 8 February 2026. The message from NocNoc struck a familiar chord: after years of building a trusted local platform, difficult market conditions and relentless rivalry from deep-pocketed players made continued operation untenable. The company also confirmed that while new promotions concluded on the day of the announcement — 9 January — after-sales support and warranty services won’t vanish overnight. Instead, NocNoc mapped out a staged wind-down designed to honour commitments and give sellers…

In the small hours of January 8, a quiet neighbourhood in Chiang Mai’s Pa Dad sub-district was rocked by a tragedy that has left the community searching for answers. A two-storey house went up in flames, and by the time rescuers forced their way inside, five members of the same family had died—none from burns, but from heavy smoke inhalation despite desperate attempts at resuscitation. The victims have been named as 38-year-old businessman Kawin, his 38-year-old wife Warissara, their five-year-old twin daughters Lalisa and Lalinda, and Kawin’s 70-year-old mother, Sunee. Rescue teams performed CPR at the scene before rushing the family to hospital, but all were later pronounced dead. The house itself belongs to Kawin’s father, former education official Somsak Taichai, who reportedly does not live on the property and visits only occasionally. Authorities say one other family member was not present at the time of the blaze; police are…

It reads like a crime thriller, but this was real-life policing: on the morning of January 8, officers from Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), backed by the Anti Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (ACIB) and in close coordination with South Korean authorities, moved in on a hideout in Pattaya and arrested a Chinese national identified as Xian. He was wanted under an Interpol Red Notice for his alleged role in a transnational call-centre scam ring — and for the far grimmer charge of involvement in the torture and murder of a South Korean student in a neighbouring country. The alleged scam ring, investigators say, was far from the faceless online fraud many imagine. It operated like a compact, violent machine. South Korean nationals were reportedly coaxed or deceived into travelling to the scam base under promises of legitimate work. Once they arrived, their passports were allegedly confiscated, and the newcomers were…