Thailand’s political curtain has been drawn back — almost. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has confirmed that the new Cabinet lineup is complete and now sits on the royal desk awaiting endorsement. Once His Majesty signs off, ministers will take their oaths, the government will deliver its policy statement to Parliament, and the new administration will officially hit the ground running. A polished handover: policy ready, partners briefed Behind the scenes, the coalition has been busy. Anutin revealed that the draft policy document has already been circulated to coalition parties. Each party has been asked to scrutinise the portions relevant to their ministries and suggest edits that make implementation smoother. “We’ve made sure ministers feel confident as they take on their roles,” he said, underlining that this is not a rushed handover but a carefully coordinated transition. When pressed about Cabinet nominees and their qualifications, Anutin took a lighter tack —…
Posts published in “Thailand”
In a city known for beaches, nightlife, and an endless bustle of tourists, one unlikely celebrity has parked himself at a Bangchak petrol station in South Pattaya — and people can’t help but stop for a selfie. Meet Bangchak Orange, a ginger stray cat whose lottery-themed corner has turned this humble pump stop into a must-see roadside attraction. The setup: kitty comfort meets lottery kitsch Tucked into a cosy nook near the pumps, Orange has a little kingdom: a soft bed, a low chair, and a hand-painted sign introducing him to the world. Translated, the sign reads: “My name is Bangchak Orange. I’m a stray at this station, but everyone here loves and cares for me, providing food and water daily. If you like me, you can leave dry or wet food at the shop. Thank you!” Right beside his throne, a decorative lottery stall completes the picture. There’s a…
Bangkok’s beloved Chao Phraya River turned from scenic to smoky on the evening of Sunday, September 14, when three passenger boats went up in flames near Wat Ratcha Singkhon Pier in the Bang Kholaem district. What began as a single blaze at 6:43pm on an unoccupied vessel moored close to the ever-popular Asiatique The Riverfront quickly escalated into a dramatic riverfront scene that drew emergency crews, volunteers and a flood of social media photos. A fast-moving fire and a rapid response Witnesses say flames leapt from the first boat to two neighboring vessels in a matter of minutes. The heat was so intense that the ropes securing the boats snapped, allowing the burning craft to drift into the middle of the Chao Phraya River while still alight — an unnerving sight as plumes of thick black smoke rose against the Bangkok skyline. Thanks to swift alerts through the 199 hotline…
Early-morning blaze in Yan Nawa: refrigerated truck fire spreads to shophouse, one man found dead An ordinary Bangkok morning was shattered by smoke and sirens on September 15 when a fire ripped through a four-storey shophouse in the city’s Yan Nawa district. Emergency services were alerted at 5:05am after reports of a blaze near the Nang Linchi intersection on Ratchadaphisek Road in Chong Nonsi subdistrict. What began as a vehicle fire quickly spread to neighboring floors, and by the time firefighters had the flames under control a man was discovered dead on a third-floor balcony. Police from Thung Maha Mek Station, firefighters and rescue teams raced to the scene and found a refrigerated truck parked in front of the building engulfed in flames. The fire had already jumped from the truck to the connected two-unit shophouse, consuming parts of the second and third floors. Crews worked aggressively to contain the…
When your bank app suddenly shows a frozen balance, panic trips in faster than you can say “customer service.” In response to a wave of such hair-raising freezes, Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) has opened a dedicated “war room” to sort out complaints from account holders whose funds were temporarily locked over suspected links to mule account scams. The launch followed emergency talks on 14 September between the Bank of Thailand, commercial banks, and law enforcement — a direct reaction to growing public outcry and inboxes overflowing with worried customers. DES Permanent Secretary Wisit Wisitsora-at stepped up to soothe nerves, clarifying that what many people experienced wasn’t a permanent legal seizure but a temporary hold on flagged amounts. “You can still use other parts of your account,” Wisit explained, adding that most suspensions are short-lived and can be lifted within days if investigators find no wrongdoing. Here’s…
Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is not seeking special detention outside of Klong Prem Central Prison, his lawyer said after a family visit on September 15. Winyat Chartmontree, who represents the ex-premier, told reporters that any request to transfer Thaksin to an alternative place of detention would be pursued only in strict accordance with the Department of Corrections’ rules — and that such a petition had not yet been filed. First family visit after initial detention Winyat paid a visit to Thaksin at the Ngamwongwan Road facility on the first day family visits were permitted following his seven-day initial detention. The lawyer described the meeting as calm and routine: they exchanged greetings, discussed work matters and shared a few light moments. According to Winyat, Thaksin responded with a wry smile when told that Red Shirt supporters had been sending daily messages of encouragement — reportedly replying, “Every day?” Conditions and…
When whispers of a multi-million-baht disappearance reached the tranquil corridors of Wat Bang Klan, the story was dramatic enough to rival any temple legend. Pol. Lt. Gen. Jarungkiet Panakeaw told reporters that between 30 and 40 million baht had apparently vanished from the temple’s original 105 million baht over the past decade. But on September 13, the Luang Por Ngern Wat Bang Klan Foundation and a former temple committee member served a calm rebuttal: no money is missing. Porn Panpeng, the foundation’s secretary and a former committee member of Wat Hirunyaram (commonly called Wat Bang Klan) in Pho Thale district, Phichit province, stepped up to address the media. He laid out a tidy timeline of investigations and audits that, according to him and the foundation, leave little room for the sort of headline-grabbing theft alleged. Porn pointed out that Pol. Lt. Gen. Jarungkiet and his team already conducted inquiries in…
Market drama in Ayutthaya: pork dressed up as beef gets unmasked It sounds like a scene from a gritty food mystery: a stall in Khlong Thom Bang Pahan market, Bang Pahan district, sells “beef” at a premium price—120 baht per kilogram—only for the market owner to discover the pricey red meat was actually pork painted up with cow blood. The ruse didn’t last long. Chatchai Kittichai, better known online as “Chatchai Talad Thai,” shared the incident on his Facebook page after a tip-off from a concerned shopper. He went straight to the market to investigate, inspected the suspicious stall in person, and performed a simple but decisive test: he washed the meat. What was revealed beneath the darkened, cow-blood sheen was plain pork. He ordered the vendor to pack up immediately and barred them from selling at the market, and police were called in to investigate. “This morning at Bang…
Yesterday, 13 September, the Second Army Region released a tidy little situational brief that sounded like a short, sharp episode from a modern border drama: Cambodian drones were spotted buzzing the skies near the Thailand–Cambodia frontier, twelve in total, and Thai forces successfully jammed the control signals of six of them. The operations centre’s update — current as of 2pm — made clear that while the airspace got a bit crowded, the situation remained contained and under watchful eyes on both sides. According to the summary, there were four separate sightings along the border and a total of 12 drones picked up near the area. Half of those had their remote-control links disrupted, a tactic used to neutralise potential threats without resorting to more escalatory measures. At the time of the report, troops from both countries remained at their respective posts, maintaining what amounted to a cautious, disciplined stand-off rather…
It was the kind of scene that stops midweek shoppers in their tracks: an elephant casually promenading outside Terminal 21 Pattaya, flanked by its mahout and armed with a cartful of sugarcane for sale. For a few head-turning minutes this week, the familiar hum of mall life — selfie sticks, coffee orders, the squeal of a sale rack — was drowned out by the low, resonant presence of Thailand’s most iconic mammal and a crowd that grew by the minute. Tourists and locals alike gathered to gawk, photograph and feed the elephant sugarcane, but what began as an irresistible photo-op quickly ballooned into a public-safety and animal-welfare concern. The unusual spectacle prompted a swift municipal response: Pattaya officials dispatched officers to escort the animal away from the busy shopping precinct and into the care of Pattaya City Hall where the situation could be assessed and contained. Jirawat Sukhonthasap, director of…