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…
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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…
Thailand’s dream of a China-backed high-speed rail cutting across the country has hit another stalled stretch — and this time the new transport minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, is the one left holding the timetable. What began with a glittering groundbreaking at Chiang Rak Noi, Ayutthaya, in December 2015 has yet to become the transformative travel lifeline officials promised. Ten years after the spade-first ceremony, the project is still idling in parts — a saga of contracts, culture, and corporate tug-of-war. Phase 1, the Bangkok–Nakhon Ratchasima route, is the chunk everybody watches. It’s planned to sprawl 253 kilometres with a budget of 179.41 billion baht. On paper there are 14 contracts to stitch the line together — but only two are fully complete. Ten contracts are moving forward, albeit slowly. And two? They’re not just behind schedule; they’re stalled and sticky enough to need ministerial attention. The first roadblock is Contract 4‑1,…
There are goodbyes that sting and then there’s the farewell Thai Airways quietly announced this week: the end of an era for its first class cabins. Once the crown jewel of the carrier — gracing flagship Airbus A380s, iconic Boeing 747s and long-serving Airbus A340s — first class is now shrinking to a memory, confined to just three Boeing 777-300ER aircraft before its eventual retirement. For decades, Thai Airways’ first class was synonymous with unhurried luxury: room to stretch, plush seating, discreet service and, on a few notable occasions, use for royal travel. But luxury that can’t pay its own way becomes an indulgence airlines can no longer afford. The hard truth: sustaining a premium product for a tiny subset of travellers meant keeping expensive ground services, bespoke catering and specialist crew training in operation for a vanishing customer base. “The scale simply isn’t sustainable,” an industry analyst said, bluntly…
SCB Rewrites Its Playbook: Fewer Branches, Smarter Tech, and a Dash of Reinvention Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) is steering its retail operations into new waters. Faced with rising household debt and a financial sector increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence, the venerable Thai bank has restructured its retail arm into a unified consumer banking division — a move that folds branches, retail services and staff under one roof. It’s less a cut-and-paste change and more a deliberate remake: leaner branches, smarter tech, and a focus on services that customers actually want. CEO Kris Chantanotoke sums it up plainly: customers prefer digital-first experiences, and SCB is racing to meet them there. The bank has about 18,000 employees and 651 branches today, but the blueprint for the next decade points to a much smaller physical footprint and a reduced headcount. Kris predicts major Thai banks that now employ roughly 18,000–19,000 people will likely…
Early on the morning of September 13, a routine ride home turned into a nightmare near Indy Market in Dao Khanong. What began as a chase between groups of youths erupted into gunfire, leaving a 15‑year‑old boy — known only by the pseudonym “Ae” — fighting for his life in a Bangkok hospital. Social media footage of the pursuit and the moment he was struck spread quickly online, deepening the anguish for his family and igniting fresh public anger over teenage gang violence in the capital. Ae’s mother, 35‑year‑old Amara, described the frantic hours that followed. She said she had spoken to her son just after midnight; he sounded fine and reassured her he was safe. Later, when calls went unanswered, her fear grew. “Around 1 a.m., a friend called to tell me he had been shot,” Amara recalled, still visibly shaken. When she arrived at the hospital, doctors told…