Anutin opens Phra Nakhon Khiri festival in Phetchaburi

By

-

22 February 2026, 16:00

20260221210536_6226 — PM Anutin and his wife in traditional Thai attire, join a celebratory dance at the 39th Phra Nakhon Khiri festival in Phetchaburi

PHETCHABURI — Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, accompanied by his wife Thananon Niramit, on 21 February 2026 presided over the opening of the 39th “Phra Nakhon Khiri – Mueang Phet” festival at Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park in Phetchaburi.

The annual event, held from 20 February to 1 March at Phra Nakhon Khiri, also known as Khao Wang, aims to promote tourism and celebrate the province’s cultural heritage under the theme “Heavenly Palace of Phra Nakhon Khiri, Gem of Siam.”

The prime minister and his wife wore traditional Thai attire in line with a campaign inviting visitors to dress in period costume to enhance the cultural tourism atmosphere.

Activities include exhibitions on royal development projects, nightly fireworks displays of more than 5,000 shots, parades from all eight districts, cultural performances, traditional craft demonstrations, local cuisine showcases, light-and-sound presentations and Khon performances by over 120 artists from the Fine Arts Department.

The festival also features a motor show, OTOP product booths and food fairs highlighting Phetchaburi’s status as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, with organisers aiming to boost tourism revenue and promote the province’s soft power in food, arts and history.

Phra Nakhon Khiri is a historic hilltop complex overlooking the city. Built as a summer palace by King Mongkut and completed in 1860, the site comprises three building groups across the three peaks of a 95-metre hill.

‘Thank you Thailand’ trend goes viral among foreign tourists

By

Khaosod English

-

22 February 2026, 13:34

BANGKOK — A new social media trend has gone viral as foreign tourists wrap up their trips to Thailand by posting “Thank you Thailand” videos, bowing in gratitude and sharing detailed reviews of their experiences.

In the clips, visitors recount how many days they spent in the country, how many steps they walked and how much money they used. Many list the number of tuk-tuk and Grab rides they took, visits to 7-Eleven, Thai massages, plates of pad Thai and mango sticky rice they enjoyed — even the number of mosquito bites or bouts of food poisoning — before concluding with the memories they are taking home.

Most of the reviews express admiration for Thai food, traditional massage, scenic attractions and the warmth of local people.

Thai netizens have responded with appreciation, saying the videos highlight aspects of the country that locals may overlook. Some commented that European tourists in particular appear to be returning in large numbers this year, adding that being good hosts and avoiding taking advantage of visitors would help sustain positive word of mouth that benefits the country’s tourism sector.

2 Cambodian journalists appeal treason convictions over a photo from Thai border clash

By

Associated Press

-

22 February 2026, 12:07

Cambodia Thailand — FILE - In this photo released by Agence Kampuchea Press (AKP), a high-level diplomatic mission lead by Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Prak Sokhonn, holds a press conference, in O'Bei Choan Commune, Banteay Meanchey province near the Cambodia-Thailand border, Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (AKP via AP)

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Two Cambodian journalists have appealed their convictions on treason charges and 14-year prison sentences for posting photographs on Facebook related to border clashes with Thailand last year, the spouse of one and a court official said Friday.

Phorn Sopheap of Battambang Post TV Online and Pheap Pheara of TSP 68 TV Online were arrested in separate locations on July 31 while returning from reporting trips. Authorities say they took photographs in a restricted military zone, and one showed land mines, which appeared to discredit official Cambodian denials of using such weapons.

They were convicted and sentenced by the Siem Reap Provincial Court in December on charges of “supplying a foreign state with information prejudicial to national defense.” Treason convictions carry prison sentences of seven to 15 years.

Cambodia ranked 161st out of 180 countries and territories on the 2025 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, “placing it among the states where the press freedom situation is considered ’very serious,’” according to the Paris-based organization.

“Cambodian authorities must not challenge Pheap Phara and Phorn Sopheap’s appeal against these outrageous convictions and should stop using vague national security laws to criminalize legitimate reporting,” Shawn Crispin, the senior Southeast Asia representative for New-York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, said in a statement Friday.

The Cambodia rights group Licadho said that according to information released by the Siem Reap court in September, the charges were related to Facebook posts the men made while they were covering clashes between Cambodia and Thailand.

The two were arrested on suspicion of gathering information and taking photographs in a prohibited military zone near a battlefield, with the court claiming their actions could undermine national defense, according to the Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association.

The image was widely republished by Thai media outlets, which alleged that it showed several unplanted land mines in the background.

Cambodia had officially denied using land mines in the conflict, saying it adhered to international agreements banning their use. Thailand accused it of placing fresh mines along the border that wounded patrolling Thai soldiers, while Cambodian authorities said the mines might have been left over from decades of conflict that ended in the late 1990s.

Om Sarath, the wife of Pheap Pheara, told The Associated Press that her husband had no intention of doing anything to endanger national security.

“It’s unfair to my husband, as he just took gifts to distribute to the front-line soldiers and took a photo with them as a souvenir without knowing that there was a land mine in the background,” she said in a phone call from her home in the northwestern province of Banteay Meanchey. “If he had known that the photo he took with the front-line soldiers was in a restricted area, then he might not have published it.”

She said she had filed an appeal though a lawyer on Monday and hopes a higher court would find justice for her husband and acquit him and Phorn Sopheap.

Yin Srang, a spokesperson of the Siem Reap Provincial Court, confirmed the 14-year prison terms given the two men and said the families of both had filed appeals.

The border fighting in July and December displaced hundreds of thousands of people in Thailand and Cambodia and killed about 100 soldiers and civilians. There has been no new fighting since a December ceasefire though tensions remain high.

Viral Clip Shows Woman Confronting Abbot Over Alleged Relationships

By

Khaosod English

-

20 February 2026, 15:56

Viral Clip Shows Woman Confronting Abbot Over Alleged Relationships

NONTHABURI — 20 February 2026, Viral clips circulating on social media show a woman confronting a temple abbot and naming a man identified as “Ajarn A” after allegedly discovering the abbot’s involvement with three other women. Another clip shows two women arguing, accusing each other of trying to win the abbot’s affection.

Reporters visited the temple, located in Bang Kruai district of Nonthaburi province, but did not find the abbot seen in the clips. Monks at the temple said he had left for a religious retreat on 15 February.

Phra Waro, a monk at the temple, said that before the abbot departed for the retreat, a senior monk had come to inquire about the incident, but no action had yet been taken. He said he did not believe the allegations were true and suggested the situation may have stemmed from a woman who owns a Buddha statue foundry and had been hired to cast statues for the temple.

“They may have become close while discussing work. Whether it is as shown in the clips cannot be confirmed,” he said, adding that the abbot’s manner of speaking in the video was typical and could have related to work matters.

Phra Chayaphol Silasutho, the assistant abbot, said he had not been aware of the issue until he saw senior monks holding a meeting before the abbot left for the retreat.

“If he admits it is his voice, then the matter must proceed accordingly. If he does not, it must be verified,” he said. “I cannot judge whether it is his voice. He must confirm it himself. We cannot do so on his behalf, as that would amount to an accusation. We must accept the facts and follow the monastic disciplinary code.”

He added that the release of the clips appeared intended to damage the abbot’s reputation, as the parties involved had refused to back down.

Phra Chayaphol said he did not personally know a woman named Pong, who had visited the temple in connection with statue casting. Two other women, identified as Fah and On, sold goods and assisted with temple activities. Another woman, a Myanmar national known as Sae, had worked at the temple but had since been asked to leave to prevent further problems.

A fried banana vendor, identified only as Mae, said she did not believe the abbot was involved.

“I have never seen anything myself. People who come here may want money. They may quarrel and become dissatisfied, or try to discredit one another,” she said. “When the temple holds events, they all help out. I have never seen them argue. I really do not know what happened.”

The Anti-Fake News Center debunks Mae Nak Cambodia claim

By

Khaosod English

-

20 February 2026, 13:55

The Anti-Fake News Center debunks Mae Nak Cambodia claim

BANGKOK — 20 February 2026, The Anti-Fake News Center Thailand said that online claims describing Mae Nak as a Cambodian folk legend under the original name “Mae Nak Battambang” are false, citing confirmation from the Fine Arts Department under the Ministry of Culture.

After reviewing academic sources and credible cultural media, authorities found no evidence supporting assertions that “Mae Nak” is a Cambodian folk tale or that it was originally known as “Mae Nak Battambang”, as claimed on social media.

The legend of Mae Nak Phra Khanong has long been recorded and recognised as part of Thai folklore, linked to the Phra Khanong area of Bangkok. The tale has appeared prominently in Thai literature, films and folklore studies.

By contrast, international academic sources and Cambodian cultural documentation do not refer to the legend under the claimed name or in the context cited online.

The Anti-Fake News Center Thailand said there is no concrete historical or folkloric evidence to support claims that the Mae Nak story originated in Cambodia and was later rebranded as “Mae Nak Battambang”. They added that the posts lack verifiable academic references and could cause misunderstandings over cultural issues.

Cambodian man dies in ICE custody as US probes seventh detainee death this year

By

Khaosod English

-

20 February 2026, 13:04

WASHINGTON — 19 February 2026, The United States has opened an investigation into the seventh death this year of an immigrant held in custody by U.S. immigration authorities.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal law-enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security, said on Wednesday that officers are investigating the death of a 59-year-old Cambodian man who was found unresponsive in his cell at a detention facility in Indiana on Monday.

ICE said the man, identified as Loth Sim, was taken into custody in Boston in December as part of immigration enforcement. He first arrived in the United States as a refugee in 1983 and became a lawful permanent resident in 1986. A U.S. immigration judge ordered his removal to Cambodia in 2006. Prior to his latest detention, he had faced arrests on charges including public indecency and theft.

ICE said staff found Sim unresponsive in his cell early Monday and that facility personnel and emergency medical services attempted lifesaving measures, but he was later pronounced dead at about 07:10 local time. The agency said the cause of his death remains under investigation and that required notifications have been made to oversight offices and the Cambodian consulate.

The death marks the seventh detainee fatality in ICE custody this year, according to agency figures. ICE data show that immigration detentions have risen to their highest level in two decades under President Donald Trump’s administration. At the start of February, roughly 68 000 people were being held in ICE-controlled facilities, up from about 40 000 at the beginning of Trump’s term.

Democrats and civil-rights groups have criticised conditions in U.S. immigration detention facilities, describing them as inhumane. The debate has intensified following several high-profile deaths, including that of Jeraldo Lunas Campos, a Cuban migrant who died in a Texas detention centre in early January. Local medical examiners ruled his death a homicide caused by asphyxia from neck and body compression, and witnesses alleged security staff applied force during his arrest.

ICE has maintained that detainees receive appropriate medical care, and federal authorities have denied allegations of mistreatment.

Thailand Tightens Gun Licences, Public Carry Ban

By

Khaosod English

-

20 February 2026, 12:25

Thailand Tightens Gun Licences, Public Carry Ban

BANGKOK — 19 February, The government has ordered tighter nationwide controls on firearm licences, suspended the issuance of public carry permits and warned that carrying a gun in public without reasonable cause carries a jail term of up to five years.

On 19 February, Caretaker Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul instructed authorities to strictly enforce firearm controls and review the entire regulatory system. The Department of Provincial Administration under the Interior Ministry issued an urgent directive to administrative officials nationwide to strengthen gun control measures in all dimensions to enhance public safety and protect property.

Under the order:

Firearm purchase licences (Por.3): Local registrars nationwide are instructed to intensify scrutiny of applicants’ qualifications. They must strictly examine prohibited characteristics under Section 13 of the Firearms Act B.E. 2490 (1947), and conduct thorough background checks into applicants’ behaviour, close associates and any links to illegal activities.
Oversight of licence holders (Por.4): Local registrars and administrative officers are to monitor those licensed to possess and use firearms through networks of state officials, including subdistrict and village heads, as well as community members. If behaviour is found that could threaten public order, registrars must take decisive administrative and criminal action.
Suspension of public carry permits (Por.12): The Interior Ministry will continue its temporary suspension of permits allowing individuals to carry firearms in public, in effect since 20 December 2023. Officials are strictly prohibited from issuing carry permits to members of the public, in a bid to reduce the risk of crime and public violence.

“The government reiterates that bringing a firearm into a city, village or public place without reasonable cause is an offence under Section 371 of the Criminal Code and Section 8 bis of the Firearms Act B.E. 2490 (1947),” the statement said.

Even those holding a licence to possess and use a firearm (Por.4) are not entitled to carry it in public and must keep it at their residence for the protection of life and property, except in cases of urgent necessity. Violations are punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or both, under Section 72 bis, paragraph two, of the law.

Student denied diploma after tuition payments not reflected in college system

By

Khaosod English

-

20 February 2026, 11:30

CHONBURI — 20 February 2026, A vocational college in Chonburi province is pursuing legal action against a former deputy director after more than 10 students reported that tuition payments they made did not appear in the institution’s official financial system.

One affected student, a 25-year-old woman identified as Miriam, filed a complaint with police at Nong Prue Police Station in Bang Lamung district. She said she enrolled at the college in 2021 and completed a foreign languages vocational programme in 2024.

According to her complaint, during her final term she transferred tuition payments to a bank account provided by the deputy director, who was responsible for financial matters at the time. She said she received receipts that appeared legitimate.

After completing her studies, the college declined to issue her diploma, stating that the payments were not recorded in its official system and that she still owed 22,000 baht.

When she later presented the receipts, the college informed her that the documents were not recognised in its official system and were believed to be forged.

miriam 2 — A receipt Miriam said she received after making a tuition payment to a bank account provided by the former deputy director. The college later said the document was forged

The former deputy director has since resigned. More than 10 students experienced similar issues, although many have since resolved their cases and received their diplomas.

A senior academic official at the college acknowledged the issue and said the institution is taking legal action against the former deputy director. The college said it is assisting affected students in recovering missing funds and processing their diplomas.

Miriam said the issue has remained unresolved for more than two years and that she sought media attention after failing to resolve it through other channels.

Lopburi appeals for funds to manage monkeys

By

Khaosod English

-

20 February 2026, 11:24

Lopburi appeals for funds to manage monkeys

LOPBURI — 20 February 2026, Officials from the Office of the House of Representatives and the Parliamentary Budget Office visited Lopburi to inspect efforts to manage the city’s monkey population and hear about problems facing the municipality.

Thakorn Julin, director of the Parliamentary Budget Office, led the delegation to the Lopburi Municipal Animal Nursery in Pho Kao Ton subdistrict, Muang district. They were welcomed by Lopburi Mayor Jamroen Salacheep, senior municipal officials and staff involved in controlling the monkey population.

The group held a meeting at the nursery to receive a briefing on measures to curb monkey numbers and to discuss obstacles in caring for animals being held by the municipality.

The mayor said the growing monkey population has affected residents across the city. Monkeys have entered homes, attacked shoppers in the town centre and damaged property, he said. Some business operators have relocated their homes and shops out of the city, harming the local economy and leaving Lopburi close to becoming a deserted town.

Following joint discussions between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Lopburi province and the municipality, authorities agreed to work together to control the population and relocate captured monkeys to the municipal nursery.

The plan requires separate enclosures for monkeys from different areas, including those from building sites, the Phra Prang Sam Yot shrine and the San Phra Kan area. Officials from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and the municipality have trapped monkeys, conducted health checks, recorded their details and sterilised them before placing them in designated cages in line with departmental guidelines.

However, the municipality has encountered budgetary constraints, particularly over food and care costs, as regulations prevent it from allocating funds for such expenses.

The Parliamentary Budget Office said it would submit the issue to a meeting to seek ways to provide assistance, aiming to help residents and monkeys in Lopburi coexist peacefully. The mayor later led the delegation on a tour of the enclosures to observe operations and better understand the challenges in order to seek further budget support.

Phetchabun wildfire still burning after 48 hours

By

Khaosod English

-

20 February 2026, 09:48

Phetchabun wildfire still burning after 48 hours

PHETCHABUN — 19 February 2026, A forest fire that broke out on a mountain in Tha Phon subdistrict, Muang Phetchabun district, in Phetchabun province has continued to burn for nearly 48 hours, with officials citing a lack of adequate equipment and resources to tackle the blaze.

The fire began at 05:00 on 18 February 2026 in a mountainous area on the boundary between Muang Phetchabun and Khao Kho districts. Flames spread towards residential areas, prompting the Tha Phon Subdistrict Administrative Organisation to deploy fire engines in an attempt to contain the blaze.

However, the fire continued to advance along the mountainside. Fire engines and residents were unable to access the area due to steep terrain and safety concerns. Authorities and villagers instead worked together to create firebreaks to prevent the flames from spreading into the community. The fire has continued to burn on the upper slopes of the mountain, forcing residents to remain on constant alert.

Somphong Thongnunui, chief district officer of Muang Phetchabun, said he had assigned the deputy district chief for security affairs, along with members of the Volunteer Defence Corps, village heads and assistants in Tha Phon subdistrict, to carry out firefighting operations and construct additional firebreaks.

Officials used blowers to push back the fire line and deployed locally available equipment to stop the flames from spreading into residential areas. The fire line threatening communities has now been brought under control, although parts of the blaze deeper in the mountain may take more time to extinguish.

Operations have been hampered by steep and hazardous terrain, requiring extreme caution. Strong winds have further complicated efforts to control the fire. Authorities acknowledged that equipment and materials for wildfire suppression were not fully ready and were insufficient.

Officials said they would continue monitoring the situation and prepare to move in to contain and extinguish the fire as quickly as possible.

Elsewhere in Phetchabun province, several other forest fires have also been reported. In Nam Nao National Park in Lom Sak district, more than 40 officers were mobilised and successfully brought a blaze under control. Fires have also been reported in forest areas in Bung Khla subdistrict of Lom Sak district and in the Khao Yai forest area in Ban Pi village, Moo 7, Ban Tok subdistrict, Muang Phetchabun district. Authorities said the fires in those areas have not yet been fully contained, and firebreaks are being maintained while monitoring continues.

Hot News

LATEST NEWS