The quiet roads of Kanchanaburi turned into the scene of a small, cinematic chase on August 30 when police closed in on a suspected migrant-smuggling ring and arrested a 32-year-old driver believed to be transporting 21 undocumented workers from Myanmar. The man, identified as Phuri Lertchaiprachim, was detained in Dan Makham Tia district after tips pointed officers to a smuggling operation running out of tambon Klondo. The pickup drama: three trucks, one arrest According to Police Major General Songklod Krirkkritaya, commander of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division, authorities tracked three pickup trucks they suspected were part of the same convoy. What followed read like a short action film: one driver of a Mitsubishi Triton fled the scene, another — behind the wheel of a Ford Ranger — abandoned his vehicle and melted into the surrounding forest, leaving 11 migrants behind. The third truck, an Isuzu D-Max, couldn’t outrun the law.…
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There are urban legends, and then there are neighborhood phenomena so delightfully strange they could only happen in Thailand: a green pit viper, stoic and emerald-bright, turning up on the same doorstep three nights running and prompting a small local pilgrimage of hopeful lottery players. The tale landed on Facebook on August 28 and by August 30 had become the kind of gentle, superstitious buzz that spreads faster than morning market gossip. The little Naga that wouldn’t leave It began simply enough. A Facebook user posted a short video of a green pit viper coiled on a shelf by his front door, dubbing the reptile a “little Naga guarding the entrance.” Far from slithering away into the dusk, the snake stayed put. The next evening it was back in the same exact spot. And then, as if keeping vigil for something only it knew, it returned a third night. The…
Late-night discovery at Pathum Thani petrol station leaves questions hanging What began as an ordinary overnight shift turned into a somber investigation when a security guard at a petrol station in Pathum Thani found a driver dead inside a parked Toyota Fortuner. The vehicle had been motionless since the evening, and the discovery early on August 31 set police and rescue teams into motion. At about 2:30 a.m., Police Lieutenant Rapeepong Boonphuaphan of Pratunam Chulalongkorn Police Station received the call. He and members of the Poh Teck Tung Foundation arrived at the petrol station on Rangsit-Prayoonsak Road, Khlong 1, Prachathipat subdistrict in Thanyaburi district, Pathum Thani. The Fortuner, sporting a Bangkok registration plate, was parked near the station restroom — the place where the driver’s life quietly ended. Inside the driver’s seat authorities found 41-year-old Suwan. Personal items recovered from the car included a wallet holding a driver’s licence and…
Shortly before dawn on August 31, a construction mishap turned a quiet stretch of Rama 2 Road into a chaotic scene of twisted metal, emergency lights and anxious onlookers. At about 2:30 a.m., a crane working on the elevated road project at kilometre 27 inbound toward Bangkok toppled, dropping a 3-tonne orange steel beam onto a passing white single-cab pickup. The vehicle — carrying foam boxes and registered in Chon Buri — was crushed by the weight of the boom and beam, leaving two occupants trapped and several people injured. Fast response, tense rescue Police Lieutenant Colonel Suwit Moolsongkiat of Mueang Samut Sakhon Police Station received the call and rushed to the scene alongside fellow officer Police Lieutenant Colonel Sukhum Poethaisong. Rescue teams from the Samut Sakhon Charity Foundation and medical crews from Samut Sakhon Hospital, Ekachai Hospital and Mahachai Hospital arrived quickly to assess a hazardous situation complicated by…
Surin Community Rallies as Father Pleads for Return of Son Taken for Deportation A quiet day in Bua Chet district turned into a heartbreak for one Surin family on August 29, when immigration officers arrived at a local school and escorted a 13-year-old boy away. The boy — born to a Cambodian mother and a Thai father who has lived in the community for decades — was taken to a children’s shelter in Surin province amid questions about his documentation and possible deportation. The boy’s father, 67-year-old Sirichok, has been left distraught and publicly begging for his son’s return. With tears in his eyes, he told reporters he is prepared to undergo DNA testing to prove paternity. “I am confident he is my son,” Sirichok said, insisting the family has never been a burden on the community and has committed no crimes. All he wants, he said, is for his…
Pattaya has rolled out its much-anticipated annual flu vaccination drive, turning a routine public-health task into a community-minded celebration of prevention. The campaign kicked off on Thursday, August 28, at the Pattaya Community Medical Centre (Wat Boon Kanjanaram), where deputy mayors Wuttisak Rermkitjakan and Krisana Boonsawat dropped by to cheer on medical staff, high-five volunteers and meet residents lining up for their free jabs. Organised by the Public Health Services Division of Pattaya’s Health and Environment Office, the drive aims to make flu protection easy, quick and—most importantly—free. The goal is straightforward: reduce illness, blunt the seasonal spike in cases and build community-level immunity so Pattaya’s families, workers and visitors can enjoy the city with fewer sniffles and more smiles. City officials stress that the initiative aligns with the Better Pattaya policy, a broader push to improve public health and wellbeing across the city. What happened at Wat Boon Kanjanaram…
Get ready to rethink weekend road trips—Bangkok to Kanchanaburi might soon feel like a short, scenic hop instead of a half-day slog. Thailand’s much-anticipated M81 motorway, a 96-kilometre ribbon of asphalt stretching from Bang Yai in Nonthaburi all the way to Kanchanaburi, is rolling into its final stages and expected to be fully open before the end of the year. The Department of Highways says only the finishing touches remain. Director-General Apirat Chaiwongnoi confirmed crews are wrapping up road systems and maintenance work so the motorway can move out of trial mode and into full service. Designed to slice through four provinces—Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi and Kanchanaburi—the M81 blends six-lane and four-lane sections to balance capacity with terrain and demand. But this isn’t just a wider road. Think smarter: the route will be kitted out with modern traffic-management features such as M-Flow automatic toll collection, speed detection systems and roadside…
Thailand’s Political Rollercoaster: Anutin Throws His Hat into the Interim-PM Ring Thailand has a new twist in its never-dull political drama. Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul surprised observers by declaring himself ready to lead an interim government after the Constitutional Court removed Paetongtarn Shinawatra from the premiership. With crucial backing from the opposition People’s Party, Anutin says he’s canvassing allies and — if the arithmetic holds — could shepherd Thailand through a short, high-stakes transition. At a press conference at Bhumjaithai headquarters on August 29, Anutin announced his willingness to assume the premiership for a temporary coalition. He emphasized the short-term nature of the plan: the interim government would govern for no more than four months before dissolving the House and paving the way for fresh political arrangements. It’s a compact, deadline-driven strategy that aims to offer a quick exit from paralysis rather than a long-lived compromise government. Numbers, Names and…
On Wednesday, August 27, a quiet ripple turned into a noticeable stir across Thailand’s activist circles and social feeds: dozens of prisoners convicted under the country’s controversial lese majeste law were released after royal pardons issued earlier this year. The Corrections Department confirmed the mass release, which included a cross-section of people long familiar to human-rights monitors — activists, artists, a grandmother, and even a mother who had been jailed while pregnant. Faces behind the headlines One of the most striking stories belongs to 65-year-old Anchan Preelert, a former civil servant who had received a jaw-dropping sentence of 43 years and six months for sharing 29 audio clips from underground radio host Banpot that were deemed insulting to the monarchy. After serving eight years, four months, and 19 days, Anchan walked free from Bangkok’s Central Women’s Correctional Institution, reentering a world that has shifted dramatically during her time inside. (Photo…
A quiet late‑afternoon drive turned tragic on August 28 when a speeding pickup truck ploughed into a motorcyclist at a U‑turn in Khao Lak, Phang Nga. The crash — which occurred at about 5:15pm near the Kukkak Subdistrict Health Centre on Phetkasem Road, en route to Thai Mueang — left the rider dead at the scene and the community shaken once again. What happened at the U‑turn Police from Khao Lak Station were called to the scene and found a badly mangled motorcycle and the wreckage of a red Isuzu pickup truck bearing Phuket plates. The driver of the pickup, identified as Samart Chiplek, was reportedly driving in the right‑hand lane at speeds in excess of 100 kilometres per hour. As the pickup approached the U‑turn, the motorcycle — which had been parked at the turning point and was preparing to head toward Thai Mueang — was struck with devastating…