Thailand has flipped the thermostat and turned on the storm dial: a bracing cold snap in the north is rubbing shoulders with ferocious storm systems in the south, and the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued a nationwide wake-up call. A powerful high-pressure mass is sweeping the upper south, ushering in chilly mornings, strong northeasterly winds and dry, gusty conditions across much of the country. At the same time, a vigorous northeast monsoon over the Gulf of Thailand and the upper Andaman Sea — teamed with a low-pressure zone over the lower south — is whipping up widespread heavy rain, thunder, and dangerously high seas. What’s driving the wild weather? Think of Thailand’s atmosphere as a theater where two big performers are sharing the stage. The first is the cold, dense high-pressure system pushing down from the north, which is dropping morning temperatures and ramping up wind speeds across northern,…
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The Thai entertainment world was jolted yesterday by an explosive swirl of allegations — but two actresses have now stepped forward to firmly deny any part in the much-talked-about 400 million baht fraud rumour that has been ricocheting around social media. The story began when the Facebook page ท่านเปา posted claims that major media outlets were poised to expose a high-profile actress accused of promoting a supposedly lucrative investment fund to friends and fellow celebrities. According to the initial posts, investors were promised generous returns that failed to materialise, and when investors asked for their money back, the actress supposedly could not repay them. As details circulated, the allegation widened: not only did the investment not pay out, the actress allegedly borrowed money from several people in the industry and failed to repay those loans. The page suggested total losses exceeded 400 million baht, with individual victims losing anywhere from…
When a social media creator in Satun accepted what looked like a bona fide friend request from a Facebook profile wearing a police rank, she probably expected a polite greeting — not a clumsy attempt at blackmail. But that’s exactly what happened to Yaowarate Madtrakate, a content creator with more than 50,000 Facebook followers, who found herself targeted by an account posing as a senior officer and attempting to extort her with fabricated “explicit” videos. The story unfolded in late November, when Yaowarate filed a complaint at La-ngu Police Station and later spoke about the ordeal on Channel 7 (November 20). The fake account used the name “Police Colonel Nathee Todting” and included a profile displaying a police rank and several mutual connections — details that made it seem authentic enough for Yaowarate to accept the request in hopes of growing her audience. Soon after the connection was made, the…
In a move that blends Buddhist reflection with political drama, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been reported to have entered the Dhammanavawang dhamma-based rehabilitation programme inside Klong Prem Central Prison. The revelation came from his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, after a recent visit to the Bangkok facility — and it has added a new, quietly spiritual chapter to a saga that’s as much about family care as it is about national politics. Paetongtarn — who has herself been a visible figure in Thai politics — described her father’s physical condition as “stable” despite the changing weather, but she didn’t shy away from acknowledging the mental strain he faces. “With the weather changing, his physical health is fine, but mentally, he may be under a lot of stress,” she said. The Dhammanavawang initiative is a royal-endorsed human development programme designed to help inmates practice Buddhist teachings, develop inner discipline, and reflect…
Chiang Mai’s nightlife got a dose of immigration reality this week when a South Korean DJ — blissfully focused on beats and bass — was abruptly cut from the lineup after officers discovered he was working without the proper paperwork. The suspect, whose name has not been released, was detained on the night of November 19 following a tip-off about foreign nationals working illegally in the Mueang district. The operation unfolded in Suthep subdistrict at around 10pm, with officers from Immigration Division 5 and the Chiang Mai Immigration Bureau keeping a close watch before moving in. The investigation was led by Police Colonel Surachai Iampueng, commander of Chiang Mai Immigration, together with Deputy Commander Police Lieutenant Colonel Phatsalaporn Suksasan. Their target: alleged violations of Thailand’s Immigration Act of 1979 and related labour legislation. When officers inspected a local entertainment venue, they found the South Korean man behind the decks —…
Thailand’s “Fast Pass” Plan: A Turnpike for Investment or Just Another Speed Bump? Thailand’s finance minister, Ekniti Nitithanprapas, is set to push a bold new idea to the economic Cabinet on Monday, November 24: the Thailand Fast Pass. Designed to cut through months — even years — of bureaucratic snarl and get approved projects out of limbo, Fast Pass is billed as the government’s shortcut to turn committed investment into real capital spending, fast. The numbers behind the pitch are hard to ignore. In the first nine months of the year, investment promotion applications jumped a striking 94% year-on-year, reaching a total of 1.3 trillion baht. The applications are concentrated in high-growth sectors that read like Thailand’s future playbook: food processing, electronics, data centres, electric vehicles (EVs), wellness, automation and advanced medical services. Yet despite those approvals, the reality has been frustratingly pedestrian. Of the 1.3 trillion baht in approved…
One close-up photo, one social-media group, and a swarm of comments later, Bangkok found itself glued to a tiny, wriggling drama: an insect larva removed from the skin of a foreign patient who had just returned from Brazil. A hospital worker posted the images to the popular Facebook group นี่ตัวอะไร (“What is this animal?”) on November 19, and the internet reacted the way the internet does best—equal parts curiosity, horror, and speculation. The photos show a soft, elongated larva with semi-translucent skin and obvious segmentation. For many netizens, the culprit looked instantly familiar: a botfly larva. That guess wasn’t far off. Jessada Denduangboripat, a science communicator and lecturer in the Department of Biology at Chulalongkorn University, stepped in to calm nerves and add context. He explained that the patient’s condition is known as myiasis—an infestation by fly larvae—most commonly seen in travelers returning from regions such as South America or…
Under the formal chandeliers of Government House, Bhumjaithai Party stepped onto a slightly larger stage this week — and they brought company. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul used a press event to announce not one, not two, but three names on his party’s list of prime ministerial candidates, signaling a bolder posture ahead of the looming election. The new lineup pairs Anutin with Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun. According to Anutin, all three will be officially nominated after a planned party assembly on Sunday, November 23 — a move that the party says reflects its growth and a willingness to share leadership responsibility. “This time, Bhumjaithai isn’t the small party it once was,” Anutin told reporters. “Back then, I was the sole nominee. Now, we’ve grown — and it’s time others shared the leadership responsibility.” The tone was part-statement, part-invitation: the party is…
A midday hotel quarrel on Koh Samui turned into a police case and a hospital rush after a 44‑year‑old British man was arrested following an alleged assault on a French tourist and his Thai girlfriend. The incident unfolded around noon on 19 November at a Bo Phut hotel in Surat Thani Province, drawing officers from the Bo Phut Police Station and leaving three lives disrupted by what authorities describe as a jealousy‑fuelled altercation. The victims were identified as 23‑year‑old Mathis, a French tourist, and 21‑year‑old Kanokwan, a Thai woman from Nakhon Ratchasima. Both were taken to hospital for treatment; medical sources say Kanokwan sustained more serious injuries and remains under observation. The alleged attacker, named in reports as Richard, was detained at the scene and later gave police a statement admitting he struck the French national after discovering him in the same hotel room as his girlfriend. Richard denies causing…
What started as a sun-soaked island story in Krabi turned into a social media tempest this week when Indian travel blogger Monica Gupta — better known to her followers as @travelwithshades — accused a local hospital of overcharging foreign tourists after she and a friend suffered bad reactions to what she described as “weird gummies.” Her original Instagram reel, posted on Sunday, November 16, said bluntly: “₹1 lakh (100,000 rupees) for 3 IV drips. Thai hospital, hospital scam, gummies, Thailand, Krabi, Phuket.” The short version: Monica and a male friend ate gummies they bought in Phuket. About an hour later they felt unwell and went to a hospital in Krabi, where they were admitted and given IV treatment. Monica recounted that they were initially shown a bill of 17,500 baht — an amount she found reasonable for two people — and then dozed off for three hours while receiving care.…