PHUKET: Some 150 police, military, administrative and local government personnel have been deployed across Phuket as about 5,000 US Navy personnel arrive on the island for rest and recreation.
PHUKET: Some 150 police, military, administrative and local government personnel have been deployed across Phuket as about 5,000 US Navy personnel arrive on the island for rest and recreation.
Thai girl group Felizz has released a new slow pop single titled 'Friend List', featuring actor Thitirawat 'Thi' Thirawat as the love interest in its music video. The song, written and produced by Aim Atchariya, describes the frustration of being stuck in the friend zone. It is available on YouTube and major streaming services.
ThaiHealth has launched a public forum to educate youth about the risks of online gambling, partnering with academic and civil society groups. Officials warn that easy‑money offers on social media are luring young people into gambling, with the number of online gamblers in Thailand jumping from 0.82 million in 2019 to 6.37 million in 2025. The initiative aims to build young people’s media literacy and refusal skills so they can move from being ‘naïve chicks’ to informed, resilient individuals.
In Bang Ban district of Ayutthaya province, floodwaters have risen to the second floor of many homes, forcing residents to use boats for transportation and seek temporary shelter. Authorities and locals are reinforcing embankments with sandbags and urging drainage into surrounding fields to ease the water levels. The shortage of usable toilets has led to requests for temporary floating facilities as the community awaits clearer relief plans.
Thai officials have launched the Traffy Fondue app for real‑time reporting of school safety incidents and are tightening controls on online threats. Administrators who conceal problems will face severe disciplinary action, and the government seeks to amend the Criminal Code to ban forced haircuts and cyberbullying. A student forum will be held on October 5, 2026 to gather feedback on hair‑cut policies.
Marine researchers from Thailand's Department of Marine and Coastal Resources have identified and named over 118 Bryde's whales in the Gulf of Thailand using photo‑identification techniques. The team reported seven new calves this year but also recorded six deaths, including a calf lost to a boat strike, while highlighting how the whales’ near‑shore appearances signal a recovering coastal ecosystem.
A government spokesperson clarified that the Prime Minister never told flood victims to abandon their pets, urging early evacuation before waters rise too high. She said the government is considering creating pet zones in evacuation shelters and encouraged residents to notify authorities about their pets for proper assistance. The spokesperson warned that delaying evacuation to protect pets endangers both people and animals, especially in vulnerable households.
A 26-year-old man seized a police officer's 9mm pistol inside Mueang Rayong Police Station and shot himself in front of several officers. He claimed he was being hunted and had a 58 million baht bounty on his head, leaving a suicide note expressing fear and demanding his head be given to those involved. Police said he had entered the station to charge his phone, acted paranoidly, and despite attempts to calm him, took the gun when an officer was distracted.
Almost no tap on Koh Lanta is fed by a public mains. The island has only three streams that run all year, which is why the state's plan for it pairs a surface-water plant with a desalination unit, and why villages built their own check dams decades before that plan existed.
Photo: Illustration generated for Lanta News
A makeup artist accused a famous, high-paid Thai singer of verbally abusing and belittling her team during a Pattaya concert, using offensive language including repeated insults. She claimed the star's real behavior was worse than the rumors, and the incident ended with a male performer from the act and his girlfriend apologizing to the staff. Social media users have been guessing the singer's identity based on hints dropped online.
A woman's body was found floating in Huai Dan Canal in Udon Thani, initially mistaken for a bloated python. Police say the corpse had been in the water for at least two days, showed animal bites, and had no obvious signs of violence. Authorities are working to identify the victim and locate relatives.
