Pregnant albino buffalo spared after 30km escape ordeal

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27 June 2026, 14:44

Pregnant albino buffalo spared after 30km escape ordeal

NAKHON NAYOK — 27 June 2026, A pregnant albino buffalo that escaped from a holding pen and wandered more than 30 kilometres in Nakhon Nayok has been spared from slaughter after a local temple and villagers raised money to buy its freedom.

Village officials and residents were alerted at around 23:00 on 26 June 2026 after the buffalo was spotted roaming in Muang district.

Authorities said the animal had escaped from a pen in Sai Mun subdistrict and travelled through several areas before reaching the Sam Sao Intersection in downtown Nakhon Nayok, covering a distance of more than 30 kilometres.

Officials, village leaders and residents worked together to safely corner and restrain the buffalo using ropes before moving it to Wat Tha Chang in Tha Chang subdistrict.

After local officials appealed for information, the buffalo’s owner came forward to claim the animal.

However, Phra Athikan Boonsong Chotipanyo, abbot of Wat Tha Chang, said he was moved by the buffalo’s long escape and wanted to save its life by purchasing it from the owner.

The temple agreed to buy the buffalo for 14,000 baht, but initially lacked sufficient funds.

A local news page shared the story online, prompting residents to donate money on 27 June 2026. The donations enabled the temple to complete the purchase.

Local officials and villagers are now helping build a pen at the temple, where the pregnant buffalo will be cared for permanently.

Fire engulfs large warehouse in Samut Sakhon, no injuries

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Khaosod English

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27 June 2026, 12:25

SAMUT SAKHON — 27 June 2026, A large warehouse fire broke out in Samut Sakhon province, sending thick black smoke into the air and prompting a major emergency response from multiple agencies.

At around 06:50, local authorities in Khok Kham municipality received reports of a blaze inside a large storage warehouse in Khok Kham subdistrict, Mueang district, according to the Samut Sakhon Provincial Public Relations Office.

Initial reports confirmed that a fire had broken out inside the building, producing heavy smoke and visible flames.

Firefighters and emergency teams from local administrative organisations and nearby areas were deployed to the scene to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to surrounding properties.

Authorities later reported that the fire was brought under control at approximately 08:40 after more than two hours of firefighting efforts involving multiple fire trucks, volunteer responders and rescue foundations.

No injuries or fatalities have been reported.

Officials said the cause of the fire and the total value of damages are currently under investigation.

The Samut Sakhon Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office has coordinated with provincial public health, industrial, and natural resources and environment agencies to assess the situation and provide assistance in accordance with their responsibilities.

Australian man confesses to killing teen girl and hiding body

By

Khaosod English

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27 June 2026, 11:46

Australian man confesses to killing teen girl and hiding body

CHONBURI — 27 June 2026, An Australian man has confessed to killing a 17-year-old girl in Pattaya before stuffing her body into a suitcase and dumping it near railway tracks, police said on 27 June 2026.

At 09:00, Pattaya City Police investigators brought Simon Peter Carman, 46, an Australian national, in for further questioning after he was arrested in connection with the death of Thanchanok Donhomlao, 17, from Kalasin province.

The victim was found dead in a suitcase abandoned in a grass area beside railway tracks in the Khao Makok area, about 4.2 kilometres from a condominium on Jomtien Second Road where the incident allegedly took place.

Police said the suspect initially fled the scene and attempted to leave Thailand via Suvarnabhumi Airport, but was intercepted and detained before departure. The Pattaya Provincial Court had earlier issued an arrest warrant on charges related to taking a minor under 18 from parental custody for indecent purposes.

During interrogation, with a lawyer and interpreter present, the suspect initially denied involvement but later confessed after being confronted with CCTV evidence showing him transporting the suitcase.

Police said he gave a partial confession, claiming the killing occurred in self-defence.

He alleged that he met the victim at Jomtien Beach at around 03:00 on 25 June, after which they went to his condominium. He claimed the victim later received a phone call and said she wanted to leave, requesting 500 baht as compensation.

He said an argument broke out when she demanded more money. The suspect claimed the victim suddenly produced a knife and held it to his neck, leading to a struggle during which he grabbed her hand while she held the weapon and allegedly strangled her.

He claimed the victim became unresponsive during the struggle and later died.

The suspect said he then placed the body in a suitcase and kept it inside the bathroom for more than a day before later transporting it on a motorcycle and dumping it near the railway tracks.

He also expressed remorse and apologised to the victim’s family, while insisting the death was not intentional and occurred during self-defence.

At 10:50, police processed the suspect, took fingerprints, and formally charged him with four offences: intentional murder, concealing and moving a body, and offences related to taking a minor aged over 15 but under 18 for indecent purposes.

He was then sent to Pattaya Provincial Court for his first remand hearing.

Man found dead after hours in parked car at gas station

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Khaosod English

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27 June 2026, 11:22

Man found dead after hours in parked car at gas station

PHRAE — 26 June 2026, A gas station worker in Phrae alerted police after noticing a parked car had been left unmoved for several hours, later discovering a man unresponsive inside the vehicle.

Police at Mueang Phrae Police Station received the report at 21:05 on 26 June 2026 from staff at a petrol station near Sasi But Intersection in Nai Wiang subdistrict, Mueang district.

Officers, along with rescue workers and a duty doctor from Phrapetrole Hospital, rushed to the scene and found a bronze Toyota Fortuner parked near a restroom. A man was found seated in the driver’s seat, leaning back with his mouth open and arms hanging down, showing no signs of life.

Police opened the vehicle and found the ignition on with the air conditioner running, but the engine had stopped. The man was later identified as a 66-year-old resident of Ban Ko subdistrict in Uttaradit province.

He was wearing a black shirt and jeans. No signs of physical assault were found, but multiple medications were discovered inside the car.

A 23-year-old gas station employee said the vehicle had been parked since around 15:00 with the engine initially running. By evening, the engine had stopped and the car remained in the same position. He later checked the vehicle, tried to wake the driver but received no response, and then called police.

CCTV footage showed the car arrived at around 11:00, after which the driver went to use the restroom before returning to the vehicle and remaining inside without leaving again.

Police said the engine may have been left running until it ran out of fuel, causing it to stop. They suspect the man may have died from an underlying medical condition.

The body was sent to Phrae Hospital for a detailed post-mortem examination. Police are notifying the man’s relatives and continuing their investigation.

Teen girl’s body found in suitcase near train track

By

Khaosod English

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27 June 2026, 10:20

Teen girl's body found in suitcase near train track

CHONBURI — 27 June 2026, An Australian man has been arrested after the body of a 17-year-old girl was found stuffed inside a suitcase abandoned near railway tracks in Pattaya, following an investigation into her disappearance.

Police said the victim’s friend filed a missing person report after losing contact with the teenager for more than 24 hours, fearing she had come to harm.

Investigators reviewing CCTV footage found that at 03:34 on 25 June 2026, the girl was seen holding hands with an Australian man as they entered a condominium on Jomtien Second Road. The pair went to a room on the 15th floor, but the girl was never seen leaving the building.

Another CCTV camera later captured the man at 21:34 the same day dragging a black suitcase out of the condominium before loading it onto a red Yamaha Aerox motorcycle. He rode along Sukhumvit Road, turned into Soi Chaiyaphruek 2 and continued against traffic along a road beside the railway tracks.

Police said the man disappeared from CCTV coverage for more than nine minutes before returning to the condominium without the suitcase, raising investigators’ suspicions that it may have contained the girl’s body.

Officers searched the condominium room after the missing person report was filed but found neither the girl nor the Australian man. They said signs of a struggle were discovered inside the room, prompting a search for the suspect.

At about 19:00 on 26 June 2026, police located the suspect, identified as Simon, 46, at Suvarnabhumi Airport while he was attempting to purchase a ticket to return to Australia.

Police said he had scratch marks on his neck and arms consistent with fingernail injuries. Immigration officers detained him for questioning, but he denied any involvement in the girl’s disappearance.

Later that night, at 23:17, investigators traced the route taken by the suspect and found a black 26-inch suitcase abandoned in grass beside railway tracks about 4.2 kilometres from the condominium.

Rescue workers confirmed the suitcase contained a human body before forensic officers carried out a detailed examination. Inside, they found the naked body of a young woman stuffed into the suitcase and covered with a brown cloth.

Police said the victim had severe facial injuries and signs of a violent assault. A forensic doctor estimated she had been dead for at least two days. Investigators said the body’s appearance and tattoos matched those of the missing 17-year-old girl.

The body will be sent to the Police General Hospital’s Institute of Forensic Medicine for formal identification and to determine the exact cause of death.

Following the discovery, the Pattaya Provincial Court approved an arrest warrant for Carman on a charge of removing a minor under the age of 18 from the custody of her parents or legal guardian for indecent purposes.

During questioning at Pattaya City Police Station, Carman continued to deny wrongdoing, claiming the girl left the room while he was asleep and that he did not know what had happened to her.

Police said they remain unconvinced by his account and are continuing to gather evidence, including forensic examination results, to determine whether additional charges will be filed.

Govt to digitize cannabis exports as trade tops 2.566 billion baht

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Khaosod English

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27 June 2026, 09:48

Govt to digitize cannabis exports as trade tops 2.566 billion baht

BANGKOK — 27 June 2026, Thai government said Thailand’s cumulative cannabis export value has exceeded 2.566 billion baht and is preparing to introduce an electronic export notification system to streamline procedures for exporters.

On 27 June 2026, deputy government spokeswoman Ploythalay Laksameesaengchan said the government is continuing to modernize public services through digital technology to improve efficiency for citizens and businesses, reduce administrative duplication, enhance data exchange between agencies and facilitate trade.

She said the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM) is preparing to link its DTAM Next platform with the Customs Department’s National Single Window (NSW) system. The integration will support electronic submission of the Phor Thor 32 (ภ.ท.32) form, which is required for each shipment of controlled herbal products, including cannabis.

The NSW serves as Thailand’s central platform for exchanging electronic export documents and data. According to the government, Thailand’s cumulative exports of controlled herbal products have reached 2.566 billion baht, with total export volumes exceeding 201,658 kilograms, reflecting continued growth in the sector.

Once the systems are connected, exporters will be able to submit Phor Thor 32 applications entirely through the DTAM Next platform. Previously, businesses had to prepare paper documents and submit them in person.

Application data will be transferred automatically to the Customs Department’s NSW system, reducing paperwork, shortening processing steps, improving data accuracy, preventing document forgery and allowing applicants to track the status of their submissions more conveniently.

The department currently issues around 100-200 Phor Thor 32 certificates each month. Officials expect the digital system to reduce paper document use by more than 1,200-2,400 copies annually, while lowering travel and administrative costs for exporters.

The new system is also expected to cut processing times from 5-7 working days, including paper document delivery, to 1-2 working days through the electronic platform, enabling businesses to better plan exports and manage operations more efficiently.

Chadchart Looks Set for City Hall, But Lacking Public Enthusiasm Like Four Years Ago

By

Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

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26 June 2026, 17:56

With mere days to go before polling day, incumbent former Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt appeared confident, spending more time telling people at Muang Thai Phatra Fresh Market in Bangkok’s Huai Khwang district on Thursday to simply not to forget to come out and vote. Chadchart did not even bother to explicitly ask people to vote for him, Number 9, most of the time, leaving that matter to his dozen-strong campaign team to handle.

After giving an interview to a dozen or so reporters, including Khaosod English, at a designated spot inside the market, the former Bangkok governor, who is the clear front-runner in Sunday’s gubernatorial election, simply waited as people took turns taking selfies with him. He even asked this Khaosod English reporter whether he would like to take a selfie with him too, but the offer was politely declined in order to maintain our paper’s impartiality.

A member of his team told Khaosod English that they remain cautious and want to ensure Bangkokians do not assume the battle is already won and fail to turn out to vote on 28 June. Chadchart told the press at the market that it is essential to support the 55,000 small businesses in Bangkok, rather than just big corporations.

Another noticeable aspect of the day, however, was that the so-called “Chadchart fever” of his first campaign four years ago was no longer detectable. After four years, that intense enthusiasm has largely dissipated, as Chadchart has come under a barrage of criticism from other candidates. The criticisms range from a failure to solve the PM2.5 micro-dust particle problem that blankets Bangkok for a few months every year, to allowing corruption among Bangkok City Hall officials to occur under his watch.

One female reporter asked how he was handling all the “mud-slinging” directed at him. Chadchart said it was only to be expected after four years in power, but that he was alright. As for earnest criticisms, Chadchart said he accepts them.
When Khaosod English asked what he considered a failure during his first term, Chadchart replied:

“It’s not a failure but something unfinished — graft and corruption. We will continue to do more.”

Chadchart turned defensive, adding that an anti-corruption group had given his administration a score of eight out of 10, and promised he would do more if re-elected.

What about the homeless people left to sleep rough, mostly in older parts of Bangkok such as along the footpaths of Ratchadamnoen Avenue, I asked.

Chadchart said the number has been reduced from 1,600 to 1,200, and that 30 people have been retrained for jobs. A centre to care for them called Baan Im Jai has been established, with six more planned for different parts of Bangkok.

“Right now we have limited authority to bring them in,” he said, adding that closer coordination with other agencies and new laws are required.

So what more can Bangkokians expect if he is re-elected?

“If you trust me, if you believe in our plans,” he said, noting that his administration has 250 distinct plans.

“What you will see in the future is Bangkok with a better quality of life and better productivity. So this is the important thing for the city.”

Bangkok Art Biennale 2026 announces second wave: 27 additional artists | Angels & Mara

By

Mc Marketing

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26 June 2026, 17:31

Bangkok Art Biennale 2026 is pleased to announce the second group of participating artists for its fifth edition, taking place from 29 October 2026 to 28 February 2027 under the theme ANGELS & MARA.

Expanding upon the first announcement, this new group brings together artists from Thailand, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Myanmar, South Korea, Germany, France, Italy, Iran, Canada, and beyond. Their works explore the tensions between hope and despair, memory and forgetting, spirituality and materialism, individuality and collective experience, themes that resonate deeply with the dualities embodied by Angels & Mara.

Arahmaiani (Indonesia), Nobuyoshi Araki (Japan), Cedric Arnold (France/Thailand), Beyond Pressure (Myanmar), Channatip Chanvipava (Thailand/UK), Yanran Chen (China), Un Cheng (Hong Kong), Max Hooper Schneider (United States), Leiko Ikemura (Japan/Germany), Sumi Kanazawa (Japan), Renato Leotta (Italy), Liu Jianhua (China), Breda Lynch (Ireland), Ong Kian Peng (Singapore), Chetsada Phuwiang (Thailand), Pierre et Gilles (France), Nazanin Pouyandeh (Iran/France), Naraphat Sakarthornsap (Thailand), Sylvie Selig (France), Sin Wai Kin (Canada/United Kingdom), Udom Taephanich (Thailand), Mika Tamori (Japan), Sudaporn Teja (Thailand), Ralf Tooten (Germany), Tawan Wattuya (Thailand), Woo Hannah (South Korea), and Yeoh Choo Kuan (Malaysia). *Please see Appendix A for artist list

Among the highlights is celebrated Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki, whose provocative and deeply personal images have shaped contemporary photography for more than five decades. Araki’s work explores the fragile boundaries between desire, morality, intimacy, and loss, revealing the complex emotional terrain of human existence. Thai artist Tawan Wattuya, renowned for his expressive paintings that merge political commentary, social critique, and popular culture, presents works that reflect on the complexities and contradictions of contemporary society. Through his distinctive visual language, Tawan explores themes of power, conflict, memory, and collective experience, offering incisive observations on both local and global realities. Leiko Ikemura, one of the most influential artists working between Asia and Europe today, brings her distinctive visual language of hybrid beings, landscapes, and dreamlike figures. Her sculptures inhabit a poetic realm between human and non-human worlds, reflecting on vulnerability, transformation, and coexistence. French artist duo Pierre et Gilles continue their exploration of mythology, pop-culture, religion, and fantasy through their iconic hand-painted photographic tableaux. Their theatrical portraits challenge conventional notions of identity while celebrating diversity, beauty, and self-invention. Thai artist Udom Taephanich, one of Thailand’s most influential cultural figures, brings a multidisciplinary practice that spans visual art, performance, and social engagement. Known for his imaginative and often humorous approach, Udom’s works encourage audiences to reconsider everyday experiences while reflecting on broader questions of community, creativity, and human connection.

Chinese artist Liu Jianhua, widely regarded as one of the leading figures in contemporary Chinese art, contributes works that transform everyday materials into explorations of fragility, absence, and perception. His experimental practice questions the relationship between object, meaning, and reality. American artist Max Hooper Schneider presents speculative ecosystems that blur the boundaries between nature, technology, and civilization. Through immersive installations, Schneider imagines post-human environments shaped by ecological transformation and environmental uncertainty. Indonesian artist Arahmaiani, a pioneering voice in Southeast Asian contemporary art, known for her longstanding engagement with social justice, spirituality, environmental concerns, and intercultural dialogue. Her work challenges political and religious norms while advocating for compassion, coexistence, and collective responsibility. Japanese-Korean artist Sumi Kanazawa creates large-scale installations from layered newspaper drawings that dissolve linear notions of time and reveal histories that continue to shape the present. Thai artist Channatip Chanvipava approaches painting as a process of self-discovery, using memory as both subject and method. Working intuitively without preparatory sketches, he transforms fragments of personal recollection into richly textured compositions and immersive painting installations. Hong Kong artist Un Cheng transforms everyday encounters into intimate psychological landscapes that examine isolation and connection within contemporary urban life.

Myanmar torches $600 million in seized heroin, meth and other drugs

By

Associated Press

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26 June 2026, 17:27

Myanmar Drug Destruction — Smoke and flame rise from illegal narcotics being burnt during a destruction ceremony marking the U.N.’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw)

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Thick clouds of black smoke billowed into the sky on the outskirts of Myanmar’s largest city Friday as authorities burned more than 50 tons of heroin, opium, ketamine, methamphetamine, marijuana and crystal meth — some $600 million of confiscated illegal drugs destroyed nationwide.

Myanmar, also known as Burma, has a long history of drug production linked to political and economic insecurity caused by decades of armed conflict.

It has been a major source of illegal drugs destined for East and Southeast Asia, despite repeated efforts to crack down, and has long been one of the world’s largest producers of heroin and methamphetamine.

AP26177207267565 — Police officers explain about illegal narcotics to attendees during a destruction ceremony marking the U.N.’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw)

Violent political unrest in Myanmar following the military takeover in 2021 — which has led into a civil war between the military government and its pro-democracy opponents, as well as ethnic armed groups — has caused an increase in drug production, according to experts.

In January, the military government claimed the country’s largest-ever seizures of illicit drugs and drug-manufacturing equipment, taken from a total of 12 drug production sites during a series of raids in the northern part of Shan state.

This year, the street value of drugs destroyed was more than double last year’s total, Police Lt. Col. Aung Myat Soe, of Yangon’s Anti-Narcotics Police Force, told reporters at a bus station compound on the edge of the city where drugs were being burned.

In Yangon alone, some $321 million worth of 31 different types of drugs were set ablaze, Aung Myat Soe said.

AP26177207831360 — Smoke and flame rise from illegal narcotics being burnt during a destruction ceremony marking the U.N.’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw)

Events were also held in Mandalay, and in Taunggyi, the capital of eastern Myanmar’s Shan state — areas closer to where the drugs are produced — to mark the United Nations’ International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

Many areas of Myanmar are controlled by long-established militias organized by the country’s various ethnic groups, many of which are involved in fighting against the military-run government in a bloody civil war, alongside pro-democracy groups that sprang up after the military seized control of the country from democratically-elected Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021.

In elections that concluded earlier this year, which international observers said were neither free nor fair with major opposition groups banned, the military leaders won a landslide victory.

The government claims the country’s militias use illicit drugs to fund their insurgencies and are unwilling to engage in any peace process because they do not want to give up the lucrative drug trade.

Some groups are known to be involved in the drug trade currently and in the past, but others also have sought to crack down on narcotics.

The Ta’ang National Liberation Army, for example, which captured significant swaths of the northern part of Shan state in the civil war before signing a ceasefire in October with the military, announced Thursday that it would destroy about $5.5 million worth of seized drugs in the group’s controlled-area.

Tourist captures rare leopard leap in Kaeng Krachan

By

Khaosod English

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26 June 2026, 16:27

Tourist captures rare leopard leap in Kaeng Krachan

PETCHABURI — 26 June 2026, A tourist has captured a rare photograph of a large leopard leaping back into the forest at Kaeng Krachan National Park, with the image quickly going viral and drawing praise from wildlife enthusiasts online.

Kaeng Krachan National Park chief Mongkol Chaiphakdee shared the remarkable photo on 26 June 2026, saying it was taken by tourist Nui Piwpholaphon while travelling along the road leading to Pha Noen Thung, near Stream 1, inside the park.

According to Mongkol, park officials reported that the tourist spotted the protected wild cat at close range while driving through the area. The leopard appeared calm and showed no signs of panic despite the nearby vehicle before gracefully leaping over roadside bushes and disappearing back into the dense forest.

“The sighting of a leopard in this area is an important indicator of the rich biodiversity of Kaeng Krachan Forest,” Mongkol said.

“Since the forest was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, wildlife has been appearing more frequently because the ecosystem remains healthy, with abundant food sources and minimal disturbance.”

The park chief also reminded visitors to follow wildlife safety guidelines if they encounter a leopard or black panther.

Tourists are advised not to sound their horns, leave their vehicles, shout, open windows, or leave engines running. Instead, they should remain inside their vehicles and wait quietly until the animal moves away to ensure the safety of both people and wildlife.

Kaeng Krachan Forest is one of Thailand’s most important habitats for leopards and black panthers. While park officials regularly record the animals using camera traps, sightings by visitors are uncommon.

Capturing a clear image of a leopard in mid-leap is considered especially rare, prompting widespread sharing of the photograph on social media and praise for park rangers’ efforts to protect the country’s largest national park and its wildlife.

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