SA KAEO — 22 January 2026, Thai immigration police, working with the Finnish embassy, rescued an 11-year-old Finnish girl from alleged confinement in Sa Kaeo province, authorities said.
At about 21:00, Sa Kaeo immigration officers under the direction of Col. Rung Thongmon, the provincial immigration chief, coordinated with relevant agencies and a representative of the Finnish embassy in Thailand to investigate an email plea for help from the child. The message said she was being detained and abused in Khlong Sai village in Watthana Nakhon district.
Investigators found the girl’s two Finnish parents had overstayed their permission to remain in Thailand by 723 days. Officers charged them with remaining in the kingdom after their permitted stay had expired and handed them over to investigators at Ban Thap Mai police station for legal proceedings.
The girl was removed from the situation and placed under protective care. She is now being looked after by the Sa Kaeo office of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and will be transferred to the Finnish embassy for further protection and appropriate care, officials said.
CHONBURI — 22 January 2026, Authorities raided an illegal gambling den in Bang Lamung district, arresting 31 people and seizing cash and gambling equipment, officials said.
At about 19:06, Bang Lamung district chief Anusak Phiriyom ordered a joint operation led by district officers and police to target the gambling site in Nong Prue subdistrict. The den was located in the middle of Soi Phatthanakan 4, Moo 6, in a house without a street number on rented land.
Officers found the operation running openly despite nearby residential homes. About 30 gamblers were inside, along with one dealer who was shaking dice and calling results as players placed bets, cheering loudly and disturbing neighbours.
Authorities seized cash, betting boards, dice trays, covers, three CCTV cameras used to monitor players, and display screens showing dice results, giving the setup the appearance of a small casino.
When officers identified themselves, some gamblers attempted to flee in the ensuing chaos, but all were captured. The air-conditioned room was equipped with electronic displays showing dice scores.
During the raid, a woman in her 50s claimed to suffer a heart condition and showed symptoms, causing brief confusion. Rescue volunteers were called and she was taken to hospital.
The dealer told officers the gambling den had been operating for about a week. He claimed the raid occurred because the organisers had forgotten to make offerings to local spirits, saying the lack of protection led to their arrest.
All 31 suspects, along with the seized items, were handed over to investigators at Nong Prue police station for legal proceedings.
NONTHABURI — A car slammed into a roadside restaurant late on 22 January 2026 after rear-ending a bus and losing control, narrowly missing customers inside, police said.
Police from Bang Bua Thong station, along with volunteers from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation, inspected the scene at about 22:30 at a U-turn near Ikkyu-San Market on Bang Kruai–Sai Noi Road in Bang Bua Thong district, Nonthaburi province.
An Isuzu white sport utility vehicle with Bangkok registration plates was found on the pavement after ploughing into a shop sign and metal stall structure, causing extensive damage. A Route 2-36 public bus with Bangkok plates was parked on the opposite side of the road with damage to its rear, indicating it had been struck.
CCTV footage from the shop showed the SUV veering off course and crashing into the front of the eatery while customers were still seated inside. No injuries were reported.
The driver, identified as 49-year-old Athiwat, told police his vehicle hit the back of the bus as it was waiting to make a U-turn, causing him to lose control and crash into the shop.
A restaurant worker said staff were closing for the night when the car suddenly slammed into the front of the premises. The worker added they had just moved an inflatable display from the spot where the vehicle struck, escaping injury by chance.
BANGKOK — A British tourist who had been reported missing by his family in the UK was found dead in a Bangkok hotel room, police said.
The man, identified by police as Joshua Kershaw, a British national aged 22, had travelled to Thailand for a week-long holiday. Family members said he was 21 and from Grimsby, Lincolnshire.
He was last in contact with his family on 12 January and was due to return to the UK on Monday. Relatives said he had planned to travel to Pattaya, but never arrived.
Bangkok police said officers from Lumpini Police Station were notified on 13 January of a foreign man found dead in a hotel in the Watthana district.
Police said the body was found in room 303, lying on the bed. No signs of injury, a struggle or ransacking were found in the room.
A hotel housekeeper told police she went to check the room after the guest failed to check out. After receiving no response, she used a master key card to enter and found the man unconscious on the bed before alerting authorities.
Relatives said he was found with a bandage around his arm. The cause of death has not yet been determined and an autopsy is pending.
His mother, Jenny, wrote on Facebook on Monday night:
“As much as my heart is breaking right now. We have now located Josh.
“But unfortunately he was not alive. We are now trying to get his body back to the UK.”
His aunt, Jade, said the family could not repatriate his body until Thai authorities complete their investigation and post-mortem examination.
“He was a cheeky chap and so full of joy,” she said. “He was always happy and there were never any bad moment with him.”
She added that a GoFundMe campaign originally launched to help search for him in Thailand would now be used to cover repatriation and funeral costs.
In this image from a video, rescuers and fire crews work near the site of a landslide at the base of Mount Maunganui on New Zealand’s North Island, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (TVNZ via AP)
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Landslides hit a house and a campground in New Zealand on Thursday, leaving at least two dead while emergency crews were trying to rescue others buried in rubble, officials said.
The first hit a house in the community of Welcome Bay on New Zealand’s North Island at 4:50 a.m., police said. Two people escaped the house, and the bodies of two who were trapped inside were recovered hours later, Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell said.
Later the same morning, emergency services were called to a second slide at the base of nearby Mount Maunganui. The rubble hit Beachside Holiday Park in a town named after the extinct volcano. Images showed vehicles, travel trailers and an amenities block crushed by debris.
Police Superintendent Tim Anderson said the number of people missing was in the “single figures.”
No survivors or bodies had been recovered by late Thursday from the Mount Maunganui rubble, where dogs were being used to sniff for human victims, Mitchell said.
“There was a shower block and a, sort of, combined shower block-kitchen block and there were people using that at the time the slide came through and they are some of the ones that we’re working hard to try and recover now,” Mitchell told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Further north near Warkworth, a man was missing after floodwaters swept him from a road Wednesday morning as heavy rain lashed large swathes of the North Island, a police statement said.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon urged residents in affected areas to heed local authorities’ safety advice during the extreme conditions.
“Extreme weather continues to cause dangerous conditions across the North Island. Right now, the government is doing everything we can to support those impacted,” Luxon posted on social media.
Fire and Emergency NZ commander William Pike said there were some signs of life immediately after the Mount Maunganui slide.
In this image from a video, a police officer with dog searches people near the site of a landslide at the base of Mount Maunganui on New Zealand’s North Island Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (TVNZ via AP)
“Members of the public … tried to get into the rubble and did hear some voices,” Pike told reporters. “Our initial fire crew arrived and … were able to hear the same. Shortly after our initial crew arrived, we withdrew everyone from the site due to possible movement and slip.”
Mayor Mahe Drysdale said those unaccounted earlier had included people who had left the campground without notifying authorities. The campground was closed after the disaster.
Australian tourist Sonny Worrall said he was lazing in a hot pool within the campground when he heard then saw the landslide.
“I looked behind me and there’s a huge landslide coming down. And I’m still shaking from it now,” Worrall told New Zealand’s 1News news service. “I turned around and I had to jump out from my seat as fast as I could and just run.”
He looked back to see the rubble carrying a travel trailer behind him.
“It was like the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced in my life,” Worrall said.
KOH PHANGAN — 22 January 2026, Thailand’s tourist police on Koh Phangan have drawn international praise after helping a British tourist who lost his wallet and was left without money or contact with his family, authorities said.
Police said the man, identified as Michael Nicholas Lee, 45, was found exhausted on a beach after going without food and water for an extended period. Officers provided meals, drinking water and temporary accommodation before arranging his onward travel and coordinating with the British Embassy in Bangkok.
Lt. Col. Winit Boonchit, an inspector with Tourist Police Station 5 under Tourist Police Division 3, said officers acted under orders from Tourist Police Commissioner Lt. Gen. Saksira Pueak-am after the British Embassy requested assistance. Lee had reported losing his wallet and all ATM cards, leaving him penniless and out of contact, prompting concern from relatives.
Tourist police fanned out to search hotels and key tourist areas before locating Lee sitting on a beach in a visibly weakened condition. He was taken to the Koh Phangan tourist police service unit, where officers ensured he received care and a night’s accommodation.
Police then notified the British Embassy of his whereabouts and coordinated his return to Bangkok. Lomprayah High Speed Ferries Co provided complimentary transport for the entire journey. Officers also pooled personal funds to give Lee some spending money en route and alerted tourist police in Bangkok to receive him and escort him safely to the embassy ahead of his return to the United Kingdom.
Lee and his family expressed deep gratitude for the assistance. He said he was impressed by the speed and friendliness of the Thai police and pledged to act as an “ambassador” encouraging Britons to visit Thailand, citing confidence in the country’s safety and the care provided by its authorities.
A German tourist breaks down in tears after being arrested over a 2,000-baht theft at a Phuket spa.
PHUKET — Phuket police have arrested a 25-year-old German man accused of stealing 2,000 baht from a spa in Muang district, after CCTV footage of the incident circulated on social media.
Police said the theft occurred on 20 January when the suspect, identified as Mr. Laszlo, took cash from a drawer while the cashier was away. The spa later discovered the discrepancy during its daily reconciliation, reviewed CCTV footage and filed a complaint.
At about 19:00 on 21 January, Phuket police and immigration officers arrested the suspect under a Phuket Provincial Court warrant on a theft charge. He was detained at the same massage shop after returning to apologise and offer to return the money.
Police said the shop declined to accept the cash and alerted officers, who took the suspect into custody. During questioning, after being informed of the charges and possible penalties, the suspect broke down in tears and expressed remorse.
The suspect admitted to the theft, saying he acted on impulse, and apologised to the shop owner. Police said investigations are continuing to locate two other suspected accomplices.
UBON RATCHATHANI — 22 January 2026, Foreign military attaches made a second visit to Thailand’s northeastern border on Thursday to receive briefings on recent clashes near Ubon Ratchathani and Si Sa Ket provinces, with authorities saying it remains unclear whether a third round of fighting could occur.
The briefing was held at Fort Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital in Ubon Ratchathani province. Lt. Gen. Thiranan Nanthakwang, director-general of Army Intelligence, and Maj. Gen. Sukontharat Chawaphong, deputy commander of the 2nd Army Region, led a delegation of foreign military attaches, including representatives from the United States, Brunei, Canada, Germany, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Japan and China.
The delegation was briefed on the impact of the Thai-Cambodian border situation in areas under the Suranaree Task Force. Before the briefing, all attendees observed a moment of silence in tribute to 42 soldiers killed in the unrest.
Maj. Gen. Sukontharat said he respected what the delegates had heard and the views they held, adding that he believed “the truth always prevails over falsehoods.” Speaking on behalf of the 2nd Army Region, he thanked the foreign attaches for honouring Thailand and its people and expressed hope that the factual information shared would be used appropriately.
Assessing the situation after the second round of clashes, Thai military officials said Cambodian forces had replaced some personnel, but not through large-scale troop movements. The adjustments were described as routine replacements for losses sustained earlier, along with reinforcement of positions, including bunkers and trenches that had been damaged, and the resupply of provisions and weapons. Overall, officials said the activity was consistent with normal military practice.
On the possibility of a third clash, officials said the situation had eased significantly but cautioned that vigilance remained necessary. The Thai military is on alert, they said, adding that while it is not possible to say whether another confrontation will occur, forces are prepared should tensions flare again.
U.S. Marines with Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, stand for a group photo after conducting an amphibious beach landing as part of exercise Cobra Gold 2020 at Hat Yao Beach, Sattahip, Kingdom of Thailand, Feb. 28, 2020.
BANGKOK — The Thai and US militaries will hold the Cobra Gold 2026 joint exercise from 24 February to 6 March, with more than 8,000 personnel from 30 countries taking part, the Royal Thai Armed Forces said.
The annual drills, now in their 45th year and designated a “heavy year”, will be co-hosted by the Thai military and the US Indo-Pacific Command in Thailand.
Seven countries will participate as core members: Thailand, the United States, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia. China, India and Australia will join additional training activities.
Ten countries will take part under the Multinational Planning Augmentation Team (MPAT) framework: Bangladesh, Canada, Fiji, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand and the Philippines.
Another ten will join as observers under the Combined Observer Liaison Team (COLT): Brunei, Germany, Jordan, Laos, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.
The exercise aims to strengthen military cooperation and develop combined joint all-domain operations, covering land, sea, air, space and cyber domains.
Key activities include a command and control exercise, humanitarian and disaster relief operations, and a field training exercise featuring amphibious landings, non-combatant evacuation, live-fire drills, long-range fires, maritime strikes, air and missile defence, counter-drone operations, counter-landing drills and signals intelligence training.
Cobra Gold has been held annually in Thailand and is one of the longest-running multinational military exercises in Southeast Asia.
PRAN KRATAI — 22 January 2026, Three people were killed early Thursday when a sport utility vehicle carrying Chinese passengers left the road and slammed into a tree in northern Thailand, police said, with investigators finding 23 mobile phones believed to be linked to a transnational scam network.
Police were called at 06:20 to the Pran Kratai–Wang Prachop road in Moo 4 of Ban Lan Krathing, Wang Khuang subdistrict, Pran Kratai district, Kamphaeng Phet province. A black Toyota Fortuner registered in Bangkok was found heavily damaged at the front and right side after hitting a tree.
All three occupants were killed at the scene, trapped inside the wreckage. They were identified as the Thai driver, Phanthip Selamat, 57, from Pha Khao district in Loei province, and two Chinese nationals who were passengers.
A search of the vehicle uncovered 23 smartphones packed in a shoulder bag. Officers also found evidence suggesting the phones were configured with separate devices and numbers tied to major overseas cities, including Miami and Texas in the United States, indicating use consistent with call-centre or scam operations.
Immigration police said the vehicle had previously been flagged as part of a watchlist linked to cross-border labour smuggling. In November 2025, it was reported to have entered Kamphaeng Phet province and evaded tracking by authorities.
Investigators believe the driver was hired to transport foreign nationals to a neighbouring country. Police are checking whether the licence plates are genuine and are analysing data from the seized phones to identify other members of the network.
CCTV footage from the area shows the vehicle travelling at a modest speed before veering straight into the tree without braking, police said.
