Phuket has just signaled a full-court press against HIV/AIDS — and it’s not subtle. On August 19, the island’s Bukitta Hotel became the command center for a two-day powerhouse workshop that brought together 50 representatives from health agencies, local government and community groups with one bold aim: make Phuket Thailand’s first Province of Ending AIDS by 2030. A roadmap with teeth Chaired by Phuket Provincial Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Thiraphong Chuaychu, the workshop was more than a photo op. Thiraphong didn’t mince words: ending new infections within the next five years is now a provincial priority. He unveiled a clear roadmap rooted in the province’s 2023–2030 strategic plan — a plan with targets that sound almost shockingly achievable when met with the right will. “This workshop is about uniting every sector under one coordinated plan,” Thiraphong said, setting the tone for two days of lectures, case studies, brainstorming and group…
Posts published in “Thailand”
Police from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) kicked off a high-stakes crackdown on village fund scams on August 19, making a dramatic arrest that reads more like a cautionary tale than a court filing. The suspect, identified as 57-year-old Jiranat (also known as “Noi”) from Nakhon Pathom, was taken into custody under a Criminal Court warrant issued August 16. He now faces a string of serious charges: fraud, forgery and money laundering, all tied to an elaborate scheme that allegedly bilked village funds of nearly 8 million baht. The case first surfaced when a victim filed a report on June 7, accusing Jiranat of posing as an insider with links to the well-known Prem Tinsulanonda Statesman Foundation. According to investigators, he promised villages help winning government and village fund projects—some of which were real, but many completely fabricated. Victims say he even pitched a non-existent military development road project and…
What began as a frantic search across two Thai provinces ended with a teenager refusing to go back to the very home her parents begged the public to help find her from. The missing girl, a 15-year-old Burmese national known as Bee, was traced to a friend’s house in Ayutthaya before telling authorities in no uncertain terms that she would not return to her family in Nonthaburi—alleging physical abuse and being forced to work. The story first reached the public eye on August 12, when Bee’s parents, 45-year-old Mamat Ye Hinn and 40-year-old Asha Bwe, went to Thai news outlets pleading for help. They had reported their daughter missing at Bang Si Mueang Police Station after she left home on the morning of July 24 around 8am. With no leads and mounting fear, the couple appealed to the media, saying Bee had been gone many days and could be in…
At the quiet edge of the Thai-Cambodian frontier, where the smell of earth meets the whisper of history, a familiar tangle of fences, flags and fierce rhetoric has resurfaced. The Royal Thai Army insists that Baan Nong Chan — a hamlet near the border in Sa Kaeo province’s Khok Sung district — sits squarely on Thai soil. Cambodian officials and some residents, however, see things differently. The result: another chapter in a decades-old border drama that blends refugee memories, boundary markers and a dash of high-stakes diplomacy. The army’s case: markers, mines and makeshift security Major General Winthai Suvaree, the Royal Thai Army spokesperson, was unequivocal when he spoke on August 18. According to the army’s account, the contested area lies between boundary markers 46 and 47 — and therefore within Thailand’s jurisdiction. The barbed-wire fences that sparked complaints from Cambodian authorities, he said, are not an attempt to redraw…
Hidden behind the hum of machines and the clink of glass was a cosmetics operation that would make any beauty influencer gasp — for the wrong reasons. In Bang Pakong district of Chachoengsao province, authorities dismantled a clandestine cosmetics factory after discovering it had been churning out unlicensed products for roughly eight months. The haul was staggering: 234,699 items, seized and valued at more than 20 million baht (about US$615,510), many of them apparently destined for overseas customers. On August 19, an inspection led by Police Major General Pattanasak Bubpasuwan, chief of the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD), brought the secret production line into the light. Accompanying him were Police Colonel Weeraphong Klaihong and Police Lieutenant Colonel Anusara Buadaeng, along with Doctor Srisak Tangchittham from the Chachoengsao Provincial Public Health Office and officials from the Food and Drug Administration. Their destination: a factory tucked away in Tha Kham subdistrict that,…
Imagine a routine forest patrol turning into a real-life Indiana Jones moment. That’s precisely what happened in Phitsanulok’s wild north this month, when a trio of dedicated forest rangers on a three-day mission stumbled into a cave that has archaeologists already reaching for their hats. The discovery, announced on August 18 by Protection Area Chief Mongkol Khamsuk, is now officially known as Tham Ta Kueng (Ta Kueng Cave) — and it might be the next big chapter in Thailand’s archaeological story. From wildlife watch to history hunt The patrol, conducted from Thursday, August 14 to Saturday, August 16, was meant to be fairly routine: monitor wildlife, check for illegal encroachment, and keep the Phu Khat Wild Animal Protection Area safe. The rangers were working in the Khwae Noi forest watershed — a landscape already famed for biodiversity — when the forest, as forests often do, revealed a secret. Instead of…
Spectators at Saphan Hin Public Park were still buzzing from the roar of engines at the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Thailand 2025 weekend when an astonishing scene turned adrenaline into alarm. Just after the last high-speed laps on August 18, a man nonchalantly strolled onto the very stretch of asphalt that moments earlier had hosted racing cars hurtling at dangerous speeds — a move that could easily have ended in tragedy. The moment was captured and shared on TikTok by user @kktheerakan, whose footage quickly spread across social feeds. In the clip you can see the man walking along the track as if he’s out for a casual evening promenade, while race crew members sprint into action like heroes in oil-streaked overalls. Staff tried to usher him away; he resisted; they eventually managed to pull him clear of harm’s way. “A life-threatening scene… don’t even try it. Luckily, the crew managed…
Luang Por Alongkot Denies Resignation as Donation Storm Swirls Around Lop Buri Temple At 4:00 pm on August 18, a quiet visit by Somporn Somakheng, the caretaker of Wat Phra Baht Nam Phu, set off another round of headlines from Lop Buri. Somporn met with the temple’s abbot, Phra Ratchawisutthiprachanat — more popularly known as Luang Por Alongkot — amid growing rumors that the revered monk had tendered his resignation amid controversy over how donations have been handled at the temple. Instead of handing in a formal resignation, Luang Por Alongkot chose to speak directly to the public — via a video message relayed to reporters at Amarin TV — to put the record straight. “I have not stepped down,” he said calmly, asking devotees and the curious alike to stay calm. He added that any decision about his future would come only after careful consideration and for valid reasons,…
Move aside, Manhattan and Mayfair — Bangkok just pulled off a glow-up so dramatic it deserves its own soundtrack. In Time Out’s 2025 global ranking of the Best Cities for Gen Z, the Thai capital clinched the top spot, beating out iconic urban heavyweights and proving that when it comes to the next generation, Bangkok isn’t just in the conversation — it’s leading it. The verdict came from a survey of more than 18,500 locals and a panel of experts who measured what actually matters to Gen Z: happiness, affordability, community, culture and the day-to-day quality of life. The results? Bangkok scored a whopping 84% for happiness among young residents and 71% said the city is affordable — not only because rent and food are reasonable, but because the city gives young people the freedom to live life on their own terms. “Bangkok didn’t just win; it dominated. It’s a…
In a session that mixed judicial gravity with a whiff of courtroom drama, the Committee of Judicial Affairs convened on August 18 at the Ratchaburi Direkrit Room in the Justice Court Building on Ratchadamnoen Road to tackle a string of high-profile misconduct cases. Presided over by Supreme Court President Chanakarn Theeravejpolkul, the committee waded through allegations that ranged from petty spite to outright corruption and physical assault—each matter raising questions about public trust in Thailand’s judiciary. The little case that got a reprimand—then nothing First on the agenda was an internal spat: a judicial official accused of filing an unfounded lawsuit against a fellow committee member. The committee judged this a minor breach of judicial ethics and recommended a formal reprimand. But the twist? The official had already left government service, so the proposed punishment was ultimately waived. It’s a reminder that timing—and employment status—can be as decisive as the…