In the early hours of November 20, central Pattaya woke to a story that felt ripped from a crime caper — except this one had very real consequences for a hardworking street vendor. Thirty-one-year-old Juriporn Feesantiah arrived at her usual breakfast spot around 4 a.m. to prepare her food cart, only to discover both of her gas cylinders missing. The cylinders, the lifeblood of her omelette-over-rice business, were valued at more than 5,000 baht — and gone without a trace. What made the theft especially jarring wasn’t just the loss itself, but the manner in which it was carried out. CCTV footage obtained from nearby businesses shows a neatly dressed Thai man pulling up beside Juriporn’s cart in a luxury sedan, calmly loading the cylinders into his vehicle and driving away as if he’d run a quick errand. The sight of an expensive car used to steal the modest tools…
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Chiang Mai’s sleepy northern hills were jolted awake this week by a brazen scandal: local officials and brokers are accused of selling Thai ID cards to foreigners — chiefly Chinese nationals — on an industrial scale. What began as a tip-off turned into a major corruption investigation that, authorities say, uncovered at least 20,000 illegally issued ID cards and a marketplace where a single identity could fetch between 800,000 and 1 million baht. According to local journalist JDTendirections and reporting from Thai PBS, the scheme centered in Wiang Haeng district. Police say a network that included the district chief, village leaders, local government staff and brokers allegedly helped foreigners assume Thai identities — often by using records of deceased or long-inactive residents — enabling those foreigners to open bank accounts, run businesses, and cloak other illegal activity behind a Thai national ID. The scandal has the feel of a crime…
Thailand’s pawn kingpin Easy Money is enjoying a moment in the sun — and in the vault. The chain is forecasting its strongest loan growth in two decades, powered by a sizzling gold market and a fresh wave of young entrepreneurs turning to pawnbrokers for quick working capital. “Loan demand is booming like we haven’t seen in 20 years,” says Easy Money Group chairperson Sittiwit Tangthanakiat, and the numbers back him up: outstanding loans reached 27 billion baht in the first 10 months of the year, with the company predicting that total will climb to 29–30 billion baht by December — roughly a 30% year-on-year jump. Gold: Not Just Bling, but Cash Gold’s rally has done more than boost investors’ portfolios — it’s transformed jewellery into instant liquidity for thousands of Thais. Easy Money’s gold-pawn counters have been humming, with customers lining up to convert rings, necklaces and heirlooms into…
In a scene you might expect in a crime drama — minus the slow-motion — Thai police quietly closed the net on a wanted fraud suspect who was trying to keep a low profile on an air‑conditioned interprovincial bus bound for Phuket. The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) confirmed that 27‑year‑old Patinya was arrested after officers traced him to the Bangkok–Phuket route. He was found to be the subject of five outstanding warrants, including charges related to online fraud, computer crime offences and an assault charge. Marine Police Division officers followed Patinya’s trail and tracked him to the bus. When the vehicle reached Phuket, law enforcement moved in, presented the warrants and took the suspect into custody — reportedly without resistance. The arrest was coordinated with local checkpoints, showing how investigative work, coordination and good timing combined to bring a wanted man to book. According to the CIB’s investigation, Patinya’s involvement…
On a quiet morning at Wat Tha Luang Phon in Photharam district, the usual bustle of early shoppers and hawkers is there — but not the kind of busy the government had hoped to stir up. The Khon La Khrueng Plus co-payment scheme, a short-lived programme intended to subsidise everyday purchases from October 29 to December 31, was meant to be a welcome boost for both buyers and sellers. Instead, several small vendors in this corner of Ratchaburi have politely — and pointedly — declined to join. Their reasons read like a modern small-business survival guide: confusing registration steps, the terror of digital scams, and a simple wish to keep their mornings uncomplicated. Sompong Topara is a character you can picture without trying hard: she opens her stall at 5 a.m., steam rising from a pot of soy milk while the pan sizzles for fresh Thai doughnuts. She sells comfort…
A heartbreaking scene unfolded on the edge of Kaeng Krachan National Park this week when a young wild elephant was found dead after running into an illegal electric fence while foraging on farmland in Pa Deng subdistrict, Kaeng Krachan district, Phetchaburi. The animal — estimated at eight to ten years old and weighing roughly two tonnes — was discovered on November 20 with visible burn marks on its trunk. Veterinary examination confirmed what locals feared: electrocution was the cause of death. By the time park rangers, conservation officers and veterinarians arrived, the small crowd of responders had already grown into a coordinated investigation team. Officials from Conservation Area Office 3 (Phetchaburi branch) worked alongside Kaeng Krachan National Park rangers, veterinarians from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, local police, military personnel from Thap Phraya Suea, district officers, representatives from Pa Deng subdistrict and technicians from the provincial…
Chaos erupted in Tha Sae district, Chumphon province on November 20 when a 40-year-old man allegedly high on drugs and armed with an M16 rifle rampaged through a small neighbourhood, killing one person and critically wounding another before police brought the situation to an end with tear gas and a forced entry. Police identified the suspect as Natruethep Rintawong. According to officers and eyewitnesses, the incident began earlier in the day when Natruethep reportedly took a neighbour’s car — the vehicle of 27-year-old Kittisak Kirdkuha — and fled the accommodation complex where both men lived. Kittisak, alarmed to find his car missing, pursued Natruethep on a motorcycle. The pursuit ended about two kilometres from the accommodation when Natruethep allegedly opened fire with an M16 rifle. Kittisak was struck in the cheek and left in critical condition at a local hospital. Instead of fleeing the area after the shooting, Natruethep returned…
Under a blaze of lights and a swirl of controversy, Fátima Bosch of Mexico was crowned Miss Universe 2025 tonight in Nonthaburi, Thailand, delivering a coronation that felt more like the final scene of a blockbuster than a beauty pageant. The 25-year-old from Santiago de Teapa, Tabasco — who studied Fashion and Apparel Design at Universidad Iberoamericana and sharpened her craft in Milan and Vermont — outshone 119 contestants to claim the coveted crown at Impact Challenger Hall. A red gown, a flowing cape, and a very big moment Walking to center stage in a striking red cheongsam–inspired gown with a dramatic flowing cape, Bosch combined classic elegance with stage-ready drama. When last year’s winner, Victoria Kjær Theilvig, placed the crown on her head, the room erupted — and so did the headlines. Bosch becomes the fourth Mexican to take the Miss Universe title, joining the ranks of Andrea Meza,…
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,…
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…