CHONBURI — 17 March 2026, Khao Kheow Open Zoo has said that “Moo Deng”, a pygmy hippopotamus, was not injured after an intruder entered its enclosure, though the animal was slightly startled by the incident.
In a statement posted on its official page, the zoo clarified reports circulating on social media that showed a person trespassing into the hippopotamus exhibit at around 17:00.
Zoo officials said the intruder was a Thai national who took advantage of a moment when staff were carrying out routine animal care in the evening to enter a restricted area designated as both a private and animal display zone.
Security personnel have since detained the individual and handed them over to police. Authorities are investigating the motive and gathering evidence to pursue legal action, the zoo said, stressing that strict enforcement is necessary to uphold safety standards and animal welfare.
According to the animal’s keeper, Moo Deng and its family were not physically harmed. However, the animal may have experienced slight distress after encountering a person at close range. Veterinary staff will continue to closely monitor its behaviour.
The zoo thanked members of the public and fans who reported the incident and expressed concern, saying their support helps staff remain committed to ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare.
Khao Kheow Open Zoo also urged visitors to strictly follow rules and staff instructions for the safety of both people and animals, warning that any risky behaviour will be dealt with under the law without exception.
VIENTIANE — King Maha Vajiralongkorn said his state visit to Laos felt “like coming home” and reconnecting with “old friends,” as he highlighted close ties between the neighbouring nations during a formal reception on 17 March.
The King, accompanied by Queen Suthida, was officially welcomed at the Presidential Palace by Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith and his wife, Naly Sisoulith. The visit marks the first time in decades that a Thai monarch has paid an official visit to Laos.
In remarks to the Lao president, the King said the trip brought back fond memories of past visits and warm hospitality.
“It feels like returning home, meeting old friends, and strengthening our friendship in the most delightful way,” he said. “Our countries are close neighbours, making travel easy. Thank you for your gracious welcome.”
He added that his previous visit remained “in my heart with great joy” and expressed hope that the close relationship between the two countries would continue “happily and ever stronger.”
Later, Their Majesties granted an audience to Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and National Assembly President Xaysomphone Phomvihane at their hotel in Vientiane.
In the evening, the King and Queen attended a traditional baci ceremony at the Presidential Palace, where sacred threads were tied to their wrists in a ritual symbolising goodwill and blessings. Gifts were exchanged between both sides, reflecting cultural ties and mutual respect.
At a state banquet hosted in their honour, President Thongloun proposed a toast to Their Majesties. The King, in return, delivered a speech reaffirming the enduring friendship between Thailand and Laos and invited guests to raise a toast to the Lao president and his wife.
The evening concluded with a cultural performance by Lao artists, after which the King and Queen presented floral baskets to the performers before returning to their residence.
AYUTTHAYA — 18 March 2026, A diesel shortage in parts of Thailand has forced an elephant camp in Ayutthaya to change its operations, with elephants now walking to work instead of being transported by truck, raising concerns over wider impacts on animal care.
At 07:30, 15 elephants from the Royal Elephant Kraal Village in Suan Phrik subdistrict were led on foot over a distance of about 5 kilometres to Ayutthaya Elephant Palace and Royal Kraal, located within the Ayutthaya Historical Park. The unusual procession drew attention from residents along the route.
The movement was carried out in two rounds for safety, with seven elephants departing first, followed by eight more at 08:00.
Laitongrian Meephan, owner of the elephant camp and president of the Thai Elephant Alliance Association, said the camp typically uses two trailer trucks to transport elephants between the village and the tourist site. However, ongoing diesel shortages and fuel rationing at petrol stations have made it difficult to secure sufficient supplies.
“Previously, it was said there was no fuel shortage, but in reality the situation is now clearly affecting operators,” he said.
As a result, the camp has reverted to traditional methods, allowing elephants to walk in order to reduce fuel consumption while maintaining tourism services. The number of working elephants has been reduced from around 35 per day to 15, while older animals still require transport to access food sources.
Safety measures have been put in place during the walks, including staggered movement to allow traffic to pass, motorcycle escorts, and trailers to collect waste immediately to keep roads clean.
Laitongrian warned that if the fuel shortage persists, it could disrupt the supply of elephant food, particularly pineapples transported from Rayong province. He called for public support through food donations if needed and said elephants might have to forage naturally to cope with the situation.
A truck driver transporting pineapples from Rayong said he struggled to find fuel along the route, stopping at more than 16 petrol stations without success. He was eventually able to refuel only limited amounts due to rationing, with some stations restricting diesel sales and warning of delays of up to five days for new supplies.
He said a typical round trip would require about 6,000 baht in fuel, but current limits of 500 to 1,000 baht per fill have severely disrupted logistics. While he managed to deliver the food, he remained uncertain about having enough fuel for the return journey.
The diesel shortage, reported in several areas, is affecting not only transport but also tourism and elephant care in Ayutthaya, with operators facing rising costs and uncertainty if the situation continues.
SONGKHLA — 17 March 2026, A fourth-year medical student was found dead inside a car in Hat Yai on Tuesday evening, in what police believe was a suicide linked to academic stress.
Police were called to a roadside lane off Thung Ree–Khok Wat Road in Kho Hong subdistrict at 18:30, where they found a white Honda Accord with its engine and air conditioning running.
Inside, officers discovered the body of a 26-year-old student from Prince of Songkla University, seated in the driver’s seat.
Forensic officers and a duty doctor from Songklanagarind Hospital conducted a preliminary examination and found no signs of assault. The student is believed to have died from smoke inhalation, with the time of death estimated at no more than 12 hours prior.
Residents told police the car had been parked with its engine running since around midnight. By late afternoon, it remained in the same spot, with heat emanating from the vehicle. Due to the dark window tint, it was difficult to see inside the vehicle.
Authorities said the student’s parents had reported him missing earlier that morning after being unable to contact him. Police, working with the student’s friends, searched the area around his accommodation before locating the car.
Investigators believe the student had been under stress after failing two courses. He reportedly left a note addressed to his parents the night before, after which contact was lost around 22:00 on 16 March.
The parents travelled from Saraburi after being unable to contact him, prompting a search with police and the student’s friends.
Authorities noted that the student had previously attempted to take his own life, and that his family had been monitoring his condition.
The body has been sent to Songklanagarind Hospital for a detailed autopsy before being released to relatives for religious rites.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the Samaritans of Thailand hotline at 02-713-6791 (English) or 1323 (Thai mental health hotline), available 24 hours.
Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
LOPBURI — Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on Tuesday visited the Artillery Center in Lopburi to observe field training exercises by second-year cadets from the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy.
A total of 224 cadets from Class 76 are undergoing the training programme for the 2025 academic year, held from 2-17 March. The exercises cover both theoretical and practical components of artillery operations, including field artillery and air defence, command and control, weapons deployment and live-fire drills.
On the occasion, the princess granted an audience to Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Pana Klaewplodtook, along with senior military officials and academy executives, who presented reports on the overall field training for cadets across all years and specifically on the artillery training programme.
She later observed a display of artillery equipment and live-fire exercises conducted by the second-year cadets, which form a key part of integrating tactical knowledge, command skills and operational readiness in simulated combat scenarios.
The training reflects the Royal Thai Army’s standards in preparing future officers with physical readiness, discipline, leadership and combat capability.
BANGKOK — Thailand’s shifting demographics, marked by an ageing population, rising single households and declining birth rates, are fuelling a fast-growing “cat economy”, with felines increasingly becoming the centre of urban family life.
Data from ttb analytics shows the country’s pet market has been expanding at an average rate of 13–18% annually, with total market value projected to reach 101.4 billion baht in 2026, up sharply from 33 billion baht in 2019.
Cats are emerging as the preferred pet in urban areas, overtaking dogs due to space constraints and fast-paced lifestyles. Research by Kasikorn Research Center estimates Thailand’s domestic cat population will grow by 20–25% per year, surpassing 4 million animals nationwide in 2026.
Analysts say the surge is driven by “pet humanisation”, a trend where owners treat pets like children, now evolving into what some describe as a “petriarchy”, where pets play a central role in household decision-making.
Spending patterns reflect the shift. Owners in the pet humanisation segment spend an average of 50,500 baht per pet annually — around six times higher than traditional owners. Pet food accounts for the largest share at 45%, with more than half of owners prioritising holistic or human-grade ingredients.
Health and wellness services are also expanding, with annual spending ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 baht per animal, particularly among younger consumers who favour preventive care.
Thailand is also strengthening its position as a global pet food exporter. According to the Department of International Trade Promotion, exports are expected to reach US$3 billion (about 105 billion baht) in 2026, driven largely by premium wet cat food made from tuna and high-quality ingredients.
Industry analysts from IMPACT Exhibition Management identify several high-growth sectors within the cat economy, including functional pet food, smart pet technology, mobile grooming services, boutique cat hotels, pet-friendly real estate and pet insurance.
Regulation is also tightening. Under Bangkok’s 2024 animal control ordinance, pet owners are required to microchip and digitally register animals. The rules also limit the number of pets in condominiums and rental units sized 20–80 square metres to one animal, aimed at improving hygiene and reducing urban conflicts.
The developments highlight how demographic change and lifestyle shifts are transforming Thailand’s consumer economy — with cats now at the centre of a booming market.
FILE -Iranian Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, speaks during a press conference after his meeting with the Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, in Beirut, Lebanon, Aug. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein, File)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s top security official and the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s Basij militia were both killed in overnight strikes in a blow to the country’s leadership, Israel’s defense minister said Tuesday, while Tehran defiantly fired new salvos of missiles and drones at its Gulf Arab neighbors and Israel.
Both security official Ali Larijani and Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani were “eliminated last night,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died in an airstrike Feb. 28, the first day of the war launched by the United States and Israel, and other top leaders from the Iranian theocracy have been killed since then.
Iranian state media did not immediately confirm either death. However, it said a message from Larijani’s office would be published shortly.
The announcement came after the Israeli military had earlier said it had carried out a “wide-scale wave of strikes” across Iran’s capital and stepped up strikes on Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Israel also reported two incoming salvos before dawn from Iran at Tel Aviv and elsewhere, and said Hezbollah targeted Israel’s north.
Incoming Iranian missiles on the United Arab Emirates prompted Dubai, a major transit hub for international travel, to briefly shut its airspace and a man was killed by the debris of a missile intercepted over Abu Dhabi.
FILE – Commander of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force, Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, gives a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Nov. 18, 2019. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
Israel says it has killed two top Iranian officials
Larijani hails from one of Iran’s most famous political families. A former parliamentary speaker and senior policy adviser, he was appointed to advise the late Khamenei on strategy in nuclear talks with the Trump administration.
He also served as the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, its top security body.
Soleimani, meantime, was the head of the Basij militia forces, which Israel’s military called an “armed apparatus of the Iranian terror regime.”
“During internal protests in Iran, particularly in recent periods as demonstrations intensified, Basij forces under Soleimani’s command led the main repression operations, employing severe violence, widespread arrests and the use of force against civilian demonstrators,” Israel’s military said in a statement.
The U.S. Treasury lists Soleimani as having been born in 1965. He has been sanctioned by the U.S., the European Union and other nations over his role in helping suppress dissent for years through the Basij.
Killing Soleimani would likely further strain the command and control of the Basij, which would be crucial in putting down any uprising against the theocracy. The Basij and other internal security forces have been a target of attack by both the Americans and the Israelis so far.
Iranian strikes pressure neighbors and oil markets
Iran kept up the pressure on the energy infrastructure of its Gulf Arab neighbors, hitting an oil facility in Fujairah, a UAE emirate on the country’s east coast with the Gulf of Oman that has been repeatedly targeted. State-run WAM news reported that no one had been injured in the blast from the drone strike.
The man killed by falling debris from an intercepted missile was the eighth person to die in the UAE since the start of the war, authorities said.
Iran’s attacks on Gulf nations and its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported, has given rise to increasing concerns of a global energy crisis. Early Tuesday it hit a tanker anchored off the coast of Fujairah, one of about 20 vessels hit since Israel and the United States started the war with an attack on Iran on Feb. 28.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said his country had been given no choice but to keep up its pressure on shipping traffic in the strait.
“They are flying, launching missiles, should we just sit back and do nothing in response?” he said in an interview on state television.
With Washington under increasing pressure over rising oil prices, Brent crude, the international standard, remained over $100 a barrel, up more than 40% since the war started.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he had demanded that roughly a half-dozen countries send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. But his appeals brought no immediate commitments, with many saying they are hesitant to get involved in a war with no defined exit plan and skeptical that they could do more than the U.S. Navy.
UAE briefly closes airspace as Iran launches new attacks on Gulf neighbors
The UAE shut down its airspace early Tuesday as its military reported it was “responding to missile and drone threats from Iran.” The closure was soon lifted, and not long after the sounds of explosions could be heard as the military worked to intercept incoming fire.
The snap announcement on its airspace showed the balancing act Emirati authorities face in trying to keep their long-haul carriers, Emirates and Etihad, flying as Iranian attacks continue to target the country.
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry reported intercepting a dozen drones Tuesday morning over the country’s vast Eastern Province, home to oil infrastructure.
In Qatar, the sounds of explosions boomed over the capital early in the day as defenses worked to intercept incoming fire. Qatar’s Defense Ministry said later that it had successfully thwarted a missile attack on the city, though a fire broke out in an industrial area from a downed projectile.
Attacks from Iran-linked proxy forces continued in Iraq, as the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was hit with shrapnel from drones that had been intercepted.
The embassy’s air defenses were able to shoot down all four drones targeting the facility, according to two Iraqi security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.
A separate strike targeted a house in the heavily fortified Presidential Compound in Baghdad’s al-Jadriya area, the officials said. It wasn’t clear who carried out either attack but Iran-allied militias have regularly been attacking American targets inside Iraq since the conflict began.
Israel launches new attacks on Tehran and steps up strikes on Beirut
The Israeli military early Tuesday said it had launched new attacks across Tehran in addition to the Lebanese capital targeting Hezbollah militants.
In Iran, it said it hit command centers, missile launch sites and air defense systems. There was no immediate confirmation from Iran, where little information has been coming out due to internet outages, round-the-clock airstrikes and tight restrictions on journalists.
Israel did not immediately release details of its attacks on Lebanon, but the Lebanese army said two of its soldiers were seriously wounded in an airstrike on the village of Kfar Sir.
More than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran since the start of the conflict, according to the Iranian Red Crescent.
Israel’s strikes have also displaced more than 1 million Lebanese — or roughly 20% of the population — according to the Lebanese government, which says some 850 people have been killed.
Some Israeli troops have pushed into southern Lebanon, and there are fears Israel is preparing a large-scale invasion.
The military’s chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, said Monday on a visit to the northern border that Israel’s army is “determined to deepen the operation until all of our objectives are achieved” and that the military’s Northern Command is being reinforced with additional soldiers.
Israel reported two Iranian salvos early Tuesday fired toward Tel Aviv and an area south of the Sea of Galilee. More launches from Lebanon were also reported.
In Israel, 12 people have been killed by Iranian missile fire. At least 13 U.S. military members have been killed.
Closure of Strait of Hormuz pressures oil shipping
The virtual shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz is unnerving the world economy, driving up energy prices, threatening food shortages in poor countries, destabilizing fragile states and complicating efforts by central banks to drive down prices for consumers.
There have been a handful of ships getting through, primarily Iranian but also from other countries including India and Turkey, and Iran has said it technically remains open — just not for the United States, Israel and its allies. Iraq said Tuesday it was in talks with Iran about allowing passage for its ships.
Underscoring the danger of even getting close to the strait, a tanker anchored off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates was hit by a projectile early Tuesday morning and sustained minor damage, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, run by the British military.
PHUKET — Authorities have confirmed that a lion café in Phuket is operating legally and complies with animal welfare standards, following public concern over viral social media footage.
Surasak Anusorn, director of the Protected Areas Regional Office 5 (Nakhon Si Thammarat) under the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said on 17 March that officials inspected the premises after questions were raised about the origin and care of the animals.
The café, Lion Phuket Café at Phuket Old Town, was found to be in lawful possession of three lions, in accordance with permits issued under the Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act B.E. 2562 (2019).
Officials said one female lion and two male lions were registered with valid microchip identification and documentation matching official records.
Beyond documentation, authorities also assessed the facility and animal welfare conditions. A prior inspection on Dec 24, 2025 confirmed that the enclosure and care arrangements met required welfare standards.
Surasak said the department continues to closely monitor the possession of protected wildlife to ensure compliance with regulations and transparency, urging the public to remain confident in oversight measures.
NAKHON RATCHASIMA — A Thai influencer has reported a mysterious theft of a 250-kilogram safe from her condominium unit in Nakhon Ratchasima, raising questions about building security despite keycard access and CCTV coverage.
The influencer, known as “Mod Oi,” said in a Facebook post on 16 March that the large safe — measuring 128cm high and weighing about 250kg — was removed from her room without explanation.
She said the safe contained gold bars totalling 35 baht weight, along with other valuables including amulets and jewellery, with total losses estimated at more than 3 million baht.
Mod Oi questioned how the suspect managed to move such a heavy object out of a building with more than 800 units, keycard-controlled floors and multiple surveillance cameras. She also raised concerns over how the perpetrator knew about the safe and the timing of her absence.
She said the incident left her feeling unsafe, adding that the issue affects not only her but other residents in the condominium.
Police in Nakhon Ratchasima said officers have inspected the scene and are reviewing CCTV footage. Investigators are working to identify suspects after examining evidence and questioning several witnesses.
Authorities said the case is being treated as theft and that further forensic results are pending as the investigation continues.
BANGKOK — An activist group on Tuesday submitted a petition with more than 86,000 signatures to the Education Ministry, opposing a policy allowing children without Thai nationality or civil registration to access free education.
The group, Thai Intolerance Team, led by activist Tae Archiwa, gathered outside the ministry at 11:00 to call for the suspension of a 2025 regulation permitting the enrolment of students lacking official documentation.
Tae said the policy should prioritise Thai students over migrant children, arguing that some Thai children still lack access to free education. He questioned the use of more than 800 million baht in taxpayer funds to support non-Thai students, saying authorities should first ensure adequate opportunities for Thai children.
He also raised concerns about potential misuse of the policy, claiming it could pose security risks if individuals falsely claim eligibility to remain in the country.
A ministry representative received the petition and said it would be considered.
Tae said the group would escalate the matter to the Prime Minister’s Office if there is no progress, urging the government to urgently revoke the policy.
