Imagine kickstarting your retirement plan with a dash of suspense and a weekly jolt of possibility — that’s the idea behind Thailand’s brand-new retirement lottery, and it’s already turning heads. Deputy Finance Minister Paopoom Rojanasakul confirmed that ticket sales will begin in the fourth quarter of this year, as soon as the Senate signs off on an amendment to the National Savings Fund (NSF) Act. The House of Representatives has already given its blessing, and now Bangkok is humming with talk of how saving for the future just got a whole lot more exciting. Here’s how it works: tickets cost a wallet-friendly 50 baht, anyone aged 15 or older can buy in (NSF membership not required), and you can spend up to 3,000 baht per month. There will be 5 million tickets available each week, and the draws happen every Friday. Five lucky ticket holders will each scoop 1 million…
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Morning traffic on Highway 36 turned into a scene of tragedy and twisted metal on the wet tarmac of August 23. At about 7:30 a.m., an 18-wheeler Hino truck careered off the Pattaya-Kratinglai-Rayong stretch in front of Bee Garden, ploughing into the median ditch and leaving a trail of destruction — a snapped streetlight pole, mangled metal guardrails and debris strewn across the roadway. Bang Lamung police, led at the scene by Police Lieutenant Colonel Aphichet Metheethammaporn, found the cab battered at the front. The human loss was discovered nearby: 58-year-old truck driver Komsan Kamwasi was lying close to the vehicle’s rear wheels, wearing a blue round-neck shirt and jeans. He had suffered fatal chest injuries and a fractured skull. Investigators believe Komsan was ejected from the cabin during the violent impact and tragically run over by his own vehicle. The harrowing discovery came not from a passing motorist but…
Phuket’s postcard-perfect beaches have a new, electric-blue caution sign — tiny, beautiful, and dangerously stingy. After recent rains swept oddball marine visitors ashore, local officials are warning beachgoers to keep their distance from blue dragon sea slugs (Glaucilla sp.), which have been spotted along Karon Beach. These pint-sized sea slugs look like something out of a neon ocean fantasy, but don’t be fooled: their dainty appearance belies a painful sting that can land you in the nearest clinic. The Department of Disease Control (DDC) and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources confirmed the sightings and issued a joint advisory. Why should you care? Because blue dragons don’t produce their own venom — they steal it. These slugs feed on venomous jellyfish, especially bluebottles, and hoard the jellyfish’s stinging cells to use for their own defence. The result: a tiny, brilliantly colored creature that can deliver a sting akin to…
When a company called Thai Smile Bus wins a prestigious Corporate Excellence Award, it’s not just a trophy on a shelf — it’s a green flag waved for cleaner streets, smarter travel and a future where buses grin as they glide on electricity and innovation. The award, handed out at the APEA 2025 Awards Ceremony on 22 August 2025 at The Athenee Hotel in Bangkok, spotlights Thai Smile Bus’s clear commitment to sustainable mobility and its role in Thailand’s transition to clean energy. More than a recognition — a milestone Ms. Kulpornpath Wongmajarapinya, Chief Executive Officer of Thai Smile Bus, described the honor as a significant milestone. “This achievement reflects our mission to develop world-class public transportation that is safe, environmentally friendly, and accessible to all,” she said. Her words underline a bigger story: Thai Smile Bus isn’t just running routes, it’s crafting a vision of urban travel rooted in…
Brace yourselves, Thailand: the skies are staging a dramatic performance this weekend. Meteorologists at the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) have sent out a broad, unambiguous alert — heavy to very heavy rain is expected across large swathes of the country as a tropical depression develops and moves westward, threatening to dump serious moisture over the north, northeast and eastern provinces. Bangkok is among 49 provinces placed on warning status, so umbrella aficionados and commuters alike should plan for wet, gusty days ahead. What’s coming: the weather story in plain language Here’s the short version: a tropical depression near Luzon in the Philippines is forecast to track into the upper South China Sea and strengthen into a tropical storm. The system is predicted to make landfall over Vietnam and upper Laos around August 25–26, but its influence will be felt well before then. From August 24–27, the upper northeastern and northern…
A routine late-afternoon run turned into a scene of heartbreak in Rayong province on August 21, when a rescue van rushing to an earlier collision ran a red light at an intersection in Ban Chang district and slammed into a dark blue hatchback. Security-camera footage of the crash, taken at about 4:30pm and later shared online, shows a split-second collision that sent the rescue vehicle careening, striking a row of motorcycles waiting at the light before overturning. The images are blunt and unforgiving: the van, siren blaring, barrels through the red while the hatchback — reportedly traveling at high speed — proceeds through the junction on green. The hatchback driver, authorities later said, was focused on the green signal and did not notice the rescue vehicle in time. The result was catastrophic. Most of those hurt were students and guardians who had been returning home from school. Among the dead…
The small town of Kamphaeng Phet felt the weight of a tragedy that reads like a bitter novel: a beloved restaurant owner, a frontline soldier forced home by grief, and a violent confrontation that left a family shattered. On August 20, 62-year-old Meena Pattatha, who ran a local eatery, was fatally stabbed by a 32-year-old customer identified by police as Jaruwan Jaifai. Meena suffered more than 10 stab wounds to her chest, neck and arms and later died in hospital. Authorities arrested Jaruwan at her family home the same day. When approached by reporters she initially mumbled that she was “too sleepy” to talk. Police later said Jaruwan eventually confessed and explained her motive: she claimed she had visited the restaurant alone on August 18 to drink while coping with personal problems. According to Jaruwan’s account, after she became intoxicated a male patron led her outside and sexually assaulted her.…
A quiet Phuket night turned tragic on August 21 when 35-year-old Russian tourist Denis Nonenkov sacrificed his life to save his girlfriend during a late-night swim between Banana and Nai Thon beaches. The incident unfolded near the Andaman White Beach Resort in Thalang district, leaving holidaymakers and locals shaken and renewing warnings about the dangers of swimming at night. The desperate call for help At about 12:30 a.m., 24-year-old Kamila Sharipova rushed to the resort staff, distraught and breathless. She told rescuers that she and Nonenkov had been swimming together when a powerful wave struck them. According to Sharipova, her boyfriend managed to push her back toward the shore, but he could not follow. He vanished into the dark sea, prompting her panicked call for help. Initial rescue attempts were hampered by strong winds and dangerous waves. The conditions made it too risky for teams to search immediately, and rescuers…
Thailand’s kratom scene has gone from traditional remedy to national headache, and the government is starting to push back. Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong signaled tougher controls this week after reports surfaced of kratom being mixed into dangerous cocktails — a trend that has alarmed health officials and lawmakers alike. From leaf to lethal mix: why alarm bells are ringing Kratom, long used in parts of Southeast Asia as a mild stimulant or pain reliever, was removed from Thailand’s narcotics list in 2022. The move opened the door to legal sales and a wave of kratom-based products—from drinks to edibles—suddenly available on streets and online. Trouble is, where ease of access meets inventive youth culture, trouble often follows. Authorities have singled out a risky concoction known colloquially as “4×100,” a syrupy blend of kratom juice, cough syrup, soda and ice that’s sometimes laced with illicit narcotics. Reports of young people consuming…
A quiet night by the Ping River in Kamphaeng Phet turned tragic when a routine meal at a riverside restaurant ended in violence. Authorities say 62‑year‑old restaurant owner Meena was fatally stabbed at her establishment in Khlong Khlung district, prompting a police response that has left the community stunned and searching for answers. What happened Officers from Khlong Khlung Police Station and rescuers from the Sawang Kamphaeng Phet Foundation were summoned after an attack at the restaurant near the Ping River. Rescuers found Meena with multiple stab wounds and rushed her to Khlong Khlung Hospital, where she later died from her injuries. How authorities identified the suspect Investigators reviewed security camera footage from the restaurant and identified the assailant as a 32‑year‑old customer named Jaruwan. Footage and eyewitness accounts indicate Jaruwan had dined alone, ordering two bottles of beer and food, before the violent confrontation. After the attack she fled…