Silk shirts used to hide heroin in overseas parcel plot

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2 July 2026, 16:29

Silk shirts used to hide heroin in overseas parcel plot

The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) has seized another 24.38 kilograms of heroin hidden inside silk clothing, coffee sachets and winter jackets packed in international parcels bound for Australia and Taiwan, while expanding its investigation into a network linked to the Golden Triangle drug syndicate.

ONCB Secretary-General Pol. Lt. Col. Suriya Singhakamol said on 2 July 2026 that the ONCB, together with partner agencies, had intensified efforts to intercept narcotics destined for third countries.

Authorities confiscated 24.38kg of heroin concealed inside local handicrafts, silk garments, coffee sachets and winter jackets packed in five international parcels prepared for shipment to Australia and Taiwan.

The operation followed the seizure of two parcels in Bangkok on 30 June 2026, when officers found 8.17kg of heroin hidden inside local products destined for Australia.

Investigators traced the parcels to Loei province. On 1 July 2026, ONCB officers inspected a parcel delivery shop in Loei and discovered that three more parcels with similar characteristics had already been dispatched to two locations in Bangkok, prompting immediate raids.

At the first location in Bang Kapi district, officers seized two parcels containing 6.23kg of heroin concealed inside silk clothing. The shipment was bound for Taiwan.

At the second location on Rang Nam Road in Ratchathewi district, officers found 9.98kg of heroin hidden inside coffee sachets and winter jackets. The parcel was destined for Australia.

Further investigation found that the person directing the shipments to Australia is a Thai national wanted under an arrest warrant in Tak province on fraud charges, who allegedly issued instructions while residing in Australia.

On 2 July 2026, officers searched three locations in Loei and Nakhon Phanom provinces linked to the parcel shipments and bank accounts used to receive transport payments.

Those involved in sending the parcels told investigators that they had delivered the shipments twice together with the man’s Lao wife. They said they collected the parcels from a Lao man, while payment for the deliveries was transferred into the wife’s bank account.

Pol. Lt. Col. Suriya said Thailand’s proximity to the Golden Triangle, a major production area for methamphetamine, crystal meth, heroin and ketamine, as well as its role as a regional transport hub with extensive land, air, sea and international parcel networks, makes close cooperation between domestic and international agencies essential in disrupting drug trafficking at every level.

He said authorities will continue expanding the investigation to identify other members of the trafficking network and prosecute everyone involved under the law.

Members of the public with information on drug-related activities are encouraged to contact the ONCB hotline 1386, available 24 hours a day. Officials said all information provided by informants will be kept strictly confidential.

Foreign man confronts Thai woman over swastika tattoo

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2 July 2026, 14:56

A video circulating on Thai social media shows a heated argument between a foreign man and a Thai woman at a fast-food restaurant, after the man questioned a tattoo on her ankle that appeared to depict a swastika symbol.

In the clip, the man wearing a red tank top is seen telling restaurant staff that the woman had a swastika tattoo. The woman is heard arguing back, saying she had the tattoo done when she was younger and did not understand its meaning at the time. Both parties exchange heated and profane remarks throughout the video.

The woman also insists she has not harmed anyone.

The incident has sparked online discussion, with some users pointing out that there have been previous cases in Thailand where individuals have displayed swastika or Nazi-related symbols without fully understanding their historical context or significance.

Thailand does not have specific laws prohibiting the display of such symbols.

Drunk man rescued after falling asleep in water tank

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2 July 2026, 14:26

Drunk man rescued after falling asleep in water tank

KHON KAEN — 2 July 2026, A heavily intoxicated man was rescued after climbing into a 500-litre water tank and falling asleep inside, police said.

Police were alerted at 11:30 after residents reported finding a man inside a water tank in an alley off Phimphasut Road in Khon Kaen municipality.

When officers and rescue workers arrived, they found the unidentified man standing upright inside the tank with only his head above the rim. He was unresponsive despite repeated attempts to wake him.

Rescuers drained the water from the tank before carefully tipping it onto its side to pull the man out safely.

After regaining consciousness, the man walked to the roadside and rode away on his motorcycle. There is no report explaining why no officers stopped him from doing so, despite the fact that he was clearly intoxicated.

A local resident, Montakarn Buathong, 44, said workers behind her home discovered the man inside the tank and initially feared he had died because he was motionless.

She said the man later told rescuers he had been drinking heavily before parking his motorcycle near the alley. He then climbed over a fence, opened the tank’s lid and got inside to sleep.

Residents said he was fortunate to survive, noting that if he had lost his balance and fallen into the water inside the tank, he could have drowned.

Cambodian beggars detained in Pattaya crackdown after viral child-begging video

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2 July 2026, 13:47

PATTAYA — Thai authorities have detained three Cambodian nationals during a crackdown on foreign beggars in Pattaya following public outrage over a viral video showing a disabled man begging while carrying his young child.

The operation was carried out at about 21:20 on Tuesday by officials from the Chon Buri Provincial Social Development and Human Security Office, the Chon Buri Children and Family Shelter, Pattaya police and the Chon Buri Immigration Office.

Officers located the disabled man, identified only as Tok, 35, in Pattaya’s Soi 6 area. Police said he appeared to notice the authorities and attempted to wheel himself away before being detained. The child seen in the viral video was not with him.

During questioning, Tok admitted he had previously taken his child with him while begging because his wife was sometimes unavailable to care for the child. He said he stopped doing so after images of him circulated on social media and drew widespread criticism.

Tok told authorities he had lived in Thailand for more than 10 years and earned about 200-300 baht a day from begging. He said he remained in Thailand because he could earn more money than in Cambodia, where he claimed he would struggle to find work.

He also admitted that he had previously been arrested and deported several times but repeatedly re-entered Thailand illegally through natural border crossings in Sa Kaeo province. He told investigators he paid about 5,000-6,000 baht each time to be transported by van into the country.

During the operation, officials also detained two Cambodian women. One, identified as Moi, 42, was allegedly begging while carrying her two-month-old baby, with her seven-year-old child sitting nearby. Another woman, identified as Por, 50, was also found begging in the same area.

All three adults were taken to Pattaya City Police Station for processing before being handed over to immigration authorities for legal action, verification of their immigration records and deportation proceedings.

The two children were placed under the care of the Chon Buri Children and Family Shelter to ensure their safety and welfare.

Authorities said they would intensify efforts to crack down on foreign beggars and human smuggling networks, particularly cases involving the use of children for begging, saying the practice harms children’s welfare and damages Pattaya’s image as an international tourist destination.

8 monks killed, 13 injured after pickup truck ploughs into pilgrimage in Mukdahan

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2 July 2026, 13:00

MUKDAHAN — Eight Buddhist monks were killed and 13 others seriously injured after a pickup truck crashed into a group of monks on a walking pilgrimage in northeastern Thailand’s Mukdahan province on Thursday, police said.

The crash occurred at about 12:00 on a roadside in Ban Na Si Nuan, Mueang district. Rescue workers, police and emergency responders rushed to the scene, where monks were found lying on the road and roadside. Five monks were pronounced dead at the scene, while three others later died in hospital. Thirteen injured monks were taken to nearby hospitals for emergency treatment.

Preliminary police investigations found that the pickup truck was being driven by a juvenile, who allegedly took the vehicle without permission from a parent or guardian before crashing into the procession of monks. Authorities secured the scene and are gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses and investigating the cause of the crash. The investigation is ongoing.

Doctors remove stone-like vaginal mass linked by patient to ritual in Indonesia

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2 July 2026, 12:31

This article contains descriptions of a surgical procedure and medical details some readers may find disturbing.

SONGKHLA — 2 July 2026, Doctors at Hatyai Hospital have removed a large stone-like mass from a 47-year-old woman who had suffered chronic pelvic pain for three years, in an unusual case the patient linked to a ritual she said she underwent in Indonesia years earlier.

Dr. Sunthorn Srisuwan, an associate professor of orthopaedics at Hatyai Hospital in Songkhla province, shared details of the case on his Facebook page under the title “Sorcery vs. Medical Science and Nursing Science at Hatyai Regional Hospital.”

The patient had experienced chronic lower abdominal pain for three years, along with pelvic pressure while urinating and abnormal vaginal discharge. She initially sought treatment at a provincial hospital before undergoing a computed tomography (CT) scan for further investigation.

The scan revealed a foreign object measuring approximately 10 to 12 centimetres inside her vaginal canal. The irregularly shaped mass contained a horseshoe-like internal structure, prompting doctors to refer her to Hatyai Hospital.

A gynaecological oncology team led by Dr. Khosit Tantinam and Dr. Atcharawadee Poolsawat examined the patient and found that the mass was extremely hard, resembling stone. They then consulted the orthopaedic department to determine the safest way to remove it.

Inside the operating theatre, doctors initially planned to chip away at the mass and remove it through the vaginal canal. However, after assessing its size, shape and hardness, they concluded that approach would be impossible and could leave fragments behind. After discussions between the teams, doctors decided that a laparotomy, or abdominal surgery, would provide a much safer approach.

During the operation, the gynaecology team performed a hysterectomy, partially opened the vaginal canal and carefully dissected dense scar tissue through both the vaginal route and the retroperitoneal space behind the abdominal cavity. Because the area is surrounded by the bowel, ureters and other vital organs, the procedure carried significant risks.

The orthopaedic team used specialised instruments to separate scar tissue from the stone-like mass from below, while the gynaecologists created space from above by clearing adhesions within the pelvic cavity. Working together, the multidisciplinary team eventually succeeded in removing the object intact.

Dr. Sunthorn said freeing the mass proved exceptionally difficult. As it was finally about to come loose, members of the surgical team jokingly asked permission from “the unseen” before continuing. Moments later, the object was successfully extracted.

According to the patient, she had lived in Indonesia several years ago and underwent what she described as a ritual performed by a spiritual practitioner, during which an object was allegedly inserted into her vaginal canal. Because the event occurred many years ago, she said she could no longer remember exactly how the ritual was carried out.

After removing the mass, surgeons opened it because CT imaging had shown multiple dense, round objects inside. When the hardened outer shell was broken apart, doctors found foul-smelling mud-like material and fluid that filled the operating room with a powerful odour.

Further examination revealed green and red acrylic-like spheres measuring about three centimetres in diameter, along with 11 multicoloured beads measuring roughly five millimetres each.

The medical team stressed that it could not determine how the alleged ritual had been performed or explain how the contents had developed into a putrid mud-and-fluid mixture while the outer layer hardened into a stone-like shell.

Dr. Sunthorn said removing the mass intact proved to be the correct decision, as breaking it apart inside the body could have released foul material and foreign debris into the pelvic cavity, greatly increasing the risk of post-operative infection.

According to information cited by Dr. Sunthorn from Manop Janthanaphan, the object’s appearance was consistent with items believed by some practitioners of Indonesian occult traditions to be associated with so-called love-charm rituals, including the reported use of cemetery soil and coloured beads.

However, the medical team said it could not independently verify those claims or establish any scientific connection between the patient’s account and the object removed during surgery.

Purple alert as rising sea temperatures signal imminent coral bleaching crisis

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2 July 2026, 10:48

Purple alert as rising sea temperatures signal imminent coral bleaching crisis

BANGKOK — 2 July 2026, A Thai marine scientist has warned that rising sea temperatures could trigger another widespread coral bleaching event, as global monitoring shows conditions rapidly worsening ahead of a forecast super El Niño.

Asst. Prof. Thon Thamrongnawasawat, Deputy Dean for Special Affairs at the Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, shared an image published by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Thursday. NOAA is responsible for monitoring and forecasting changes in the climate, oceans and ecosystems.

The graphic shows NOAA’s global coral bleaching alert map, projecting bleaching risks across oceans worldwide as an impending super El Niño develops. The highest warning level, shown in purple, has already appeared across parts of the central Pacific Ocean.

Thon said the NOAA graphic illustrates a terrifying threat that is gradually creeping closer. The coral bleaching alert system has five colour-coded levels, and Thailand has not seen areas approaching the highest warning colours for a long time. Now, however, purple zones have already emerged across parts of the central Pacific.

Sea surface temperatures are directly linked to coral bleaching, he said. Although the world has entered the early stages of El Niño only recently, the highest-level warning zones are already beginning to appear.

“I don’t want to imagine how severe conditions could become when El Niño reaches its peak and develops into a super El Niño between November and January,” Thon said.

Based on the projection, he said the red and purple zones are expected to gradually move closer to Southeast Asia, signalling that another major coral bleaching event could be approaching.

Although scattered bleaching incidents have already been reported, Thon said there are still about six months to prepare before the most critical period arrives.

If current projections continue, he warned that Thailand’s marine ecosystems could face their most severe impacts between February and June next year.

The Faculty of Fisheries is now accelerating preparations at several study sites, focusing on coral reefs and seagrass beds while exploring ways to help protect them if sea temperatures rise significantly. Even if the effort can cover only limited areas, he said, the faculty will do everything within its capability.

Thon added that unusually warm seas would affect not only marine ecosystems but also coastal fisheries, aquaculture and tourism, as some reef areas may need to be temporarily closed to allow ecosystems to recover.

“We need to prepare Plans A through Z thoroughly. The warning signs are already here, signalling that this upcoming onslaught could be extremely severe,” he said. “A red alert is approaching.”

Drug suspect killed in shootout with police in Korat

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2 July 2026, 10:39

Drug suspect killed in shootout with police in Korat

NAKHON RATCHASIMA — A suspected drug trafficker was shot dead during a gunfight with police following a narcotics sting operation in Nakhon Ratchasima late on 1 July 2026, authorities said.

The incident occurred at 23:55 near an overpass on Highway 290 at its intersection with Highway 205 in Mueang district.

According to police, investigators from Chor Hor Police Station had arranged an undercover operation after receiving intelligence about a methamphetamine delivery at the location.

Police said officers moved in to block two suspect vehicles after they stopped by the roadside. One of the vehicles allegedly attempted to break through the blockade, and gunfire was fired from inside the vehicle toward officers. Police returned fire while using their vehicles to prevent the suspects from escaping.

After the exchange of gunfire, officers found Patthan Nitthinanya, 45, critically wounded in a pickup truck. He was taken to Maharaj Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, where he later died.

Police said they recovered a 9mm handgun, 200 methamphetamine pills and two bags of crystal methamphetamine from the vehicle.

An 18-year-old woman, identified as Lalita Yangnontad, was detained after allegedly arriving in a separate car to collect the drugs. She remains in police custody for further questioning as investigators seek to identify other members of the network.

Police said the deceased suspect had previously served a lengthy prison sentence for drug trafficking and had been under surveillance for allegedly transporting methamphetamine from Pathum Thani to customers in central and northeastern Thailand.

Authorities said the use of lethal force occurred after the suspect allegedly opened fire on officers while attempting to flee. The circumstances surrounding the shooting will be investigated in accordance with standard procedures.

Mystery woman sends GPS coordinates, saving missing driver in deep forest

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2 July 2026, 09:54

Mystery woman sends GPS coordinates, saving missing driver in deep forest

RAYONG — 2 July 2026, A mysterious woman who sent GPS coordinates leading rescuers to a missing driver has sparked widespread speculation after a woman suffering from depression was found alive in a remote forest in Rayong.

Rescue Pluak Daeng in Rayong province said it received a request for assistance on Wednesday evening from relatives of a young woman suffering from depression who had driven her sedan away from her home in Si Racha district, Chonburi province, toward Pluak Daeng district without a clear destination. Growing increasingly concerned for her safety; the family turned to social media for help.

Relatives later reported receiving a message from an unidentified woman who claimed she had seen the missing driver heading into a secluded forest in Moo 7 of Map Yang Phon subdistrict, Pluak Daeng district. The stranger attached the exact GPS coordinates pinpointing the location, prompting the family to immediately contact the Rescue Pluak Daeng team.

Rescuers arrived to find the sedan parked deep inside dense woodland in complete darkness, far from any residential area. Inside the vehicle, they found the woman sitting alone in what officials described as a situation consistent with an attempted self-harm incident.

Emergency responders safely removed her from the vehicle before taking her to Pluak Daeng Hospital for medical evaluation and close observation.

The incident has since sparked intense discussion on Thai social media, with many users questioning the identity of the “mysterious woman” who provided the crucial tip and precise location. As the car was hidden deep inside a remote, unlit forest, many have been left wondering how the woman knew exactly where to find the missing driver.

Thai military hosts ASEAN observers at border fence project

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1 July 2026, 17:45

CHANTHABURI — The Thai military on Tuesday hosted a delegation of ASEAN observers at the Thai-Cambodian border in Chanthaburi province, where they were briefed on security measures and the progress of a border fence project, reaffirming that the construction complies with international law.

The nine-member delegation, comprising representatives from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines accredited to Thailand, was led by Air Vice Marshal Chitphon Korkitsammakul, director of the International Affairs Office at the Defence Intelligence Department. Rear Adm Udom Kulsiripanyo, chief of staff of the Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defence Command, welcomed the group and provided a security briefing.

The observers inspected the construction of the border security fence between boundary markers 52 and 59 in Pong Nam Ron district. Thai authorities said the project is more than 45% complete and is intended to strengthen border security and improve border management.

Responding to questions over a gap near boundary marker 52, the Chanthaburi Marine Task Force said it was part of the engineering design and had been left open pending decisions by the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Boundary Commission. The opening will later be fitted with a removable panel to facilitate joint inspections of the boundary marker by Thai and Cambodian officials.

The military said the project is being carried out transparently, in accordance with international law, and with Cambodian observers present throughout the process. The ASEAN delegation also visited strategic locations along the border to assess measures against transnational crime and border management.

The Royal Thai Armed Forces said it remains committed to safeguarding Thailand’s sovereignty while promoting peace and good relations with neighbouring countries in line with ASEAN cooperation.

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