BANGKOK — 9 July 2026, Thai police have arrested four Indian nationals accused of attempting to smuggle protected wildlife out of the country after investigators expanded a probe into a transnational wildlife trafficking network.

The suspects, identified as Glastin, 53, Manimaran, 37, Lingesh, 24, and Noorul, 52, were arrested under warrants issued by the Central Tax Court on 6 July 2026.

They face charges of attempting to export goods without completing customs procedures and illegally exporting protected and controlled wildlife under Thailand's Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act.

Police also seized one gibbon, one Indonesian langur, 100 Indian star tortoises, three suitcases and a white Mazda 3 sedan registered in Udon Thani.

The investigation began in May 2026, when officers were alerted by an airline after baggage belonging to a passenger travelling from Thailand to India was returned because it contained live wild animals and animal remains.

Investigators uncovered what they described as a transnational wildlife trafficking network. According to police, Glastin was responsible for finding buyers, while Manimaran and Lingesh procured wildlife to match customer demand and arranged shipments overseas.

Police said the group allegedly used a house in Soi Bang Kradi 19 in Bangkok's Bang Khun Thian district to keep and pack the animals before export.

Officers later observed the suspects handing over suitcases containing wildlife to another suspect, identified as Thameem, at a hotel. The luggage was then taken to Suvarnabhumi Airport to be checked onto an international flight.

Authorities intercepted the baggage and found one gibbon, two langurs, six tegu lizards and five blue-tongued skinks concealed inside the suitcases. Thameem was arrested at the scene, and investigators later obtained warrants for four additional members of the alleged trafficking network.

Police said the four suspects admitted the charges during questioning.

The suspects and the seized animals have been handed over to investigators with the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division for legal proceedings. Authorities said the investigation is continuing to identify and arrest other members of the network.

Ingfah Warahah's performance dancing in the rain during the Phaya Sattanakharaj ceremony in Nakhon Phanom went viral across Thailand. The dancer recently discussed her experience at the "A Fair: Best of 4 Regions" market event at CentralWorld Bangkok, explaining the spiritual intentions behind her performance. She revealed that she prayed for the rain to stop at crucial moments and believes it was a miracle—something difficult to explain.

Ingfah confirmed that even in heavy downpour, she never considered stopping her dance because she had made a vow to complete it. She also asked for blessings regarding love, admitting she is currently single and waiting for someone with matching values who can be supportive. She emphasized she's not particular about gender and that her manager Bossnawat is now more open-minded. She hopes to meet someone suitable and is aiming to get married by age 35.

"I approached this trip with faith," Ingfah explained. "We had to visit four events, starting at night with offerings for good timing. We were told a storm would arrive in 3-4 days. It wasn't ordinary rain—it was a typhoon. During the night prayers, I asked for the events to go smoothly and for the rain to stop if possible during certain parts. I wasn't just concerned about myself; I didn't want the guests to get sick or suffer."

She described how the rain miraculously stopped at key moments. When she performed in her red costume as a northern Thai dancer in the afternoon, the rain paused, then resumed after she finished. For her largest performance—the viral moment—Ingfah made a specific prayer: "Father, I dance four songs. If it must rain, let it be during the third song. I want to be the first dancer to perform in the rain, but let there be beautiful moments." During the first two songs, there was barely any rain, but by the third song, it began falling more heavily in striking streaks.

Ingfah noted that during the performance, she wore contact lenses but couldn't see due to the smoke and heavy rain, so she danced using her senses and spiritual intention, trusting the movements would come naturally. She was amazed that despite the conditions, her outfit remained pristine with nothing falling out of place.

She concluded by sharing her final prayer for the event: "I asked that this Nakhon Phanom 7.7 event—which waited for me for three years before my turn came—be a success at the national and international level. I pray that everyone sees the clip, sees the faith and our ceremony, and that it brings fulfillment to their wishes."

PHUKET: A 20-year-old man was arrested after allegedly fleeing a police checkpoint in Thalang, colliding with a motorcycle during the pursuit before crashing his vehicle, where officers found a homemade firearm and ammunition.

American fitness influencer and YouTuber Connor Murphy has died after drowning in a lake at a luxury residential resort in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan. The 32-year-old was discovered offshore after rescue divers from the Paw Tek Tung Foundation spent about 30 minutes searching. Preliminary investigation found no evidence of foul play, and his body was sent to Ramathibodi Hospital for a detailed autopsy.

Resort staff who captured footage of the incident reported that before the tragedy, Murphy displayed erratic behavior and appeared unable to control himself before running into the water. Multiple witnesses stated he was swimming in the lake before suddenly weakening and disappearing beneath the surface. No one dared attempt a rescue due to the lake's depth of over 10 meters, so emergency responders were called. Divers later recovered his body from the water.

Police inspected the lakeside rental home where Murphy was staying and discovered it had sustained severe damage, with black and yellow paint splattered throughout the approximately 22-million-baht property, covering furniture, decorations, and electrical appliances.

Investigations are ongoing as authorities wait for autopsy results and toxicology reports to determine the cause of death and whether drugs or other substances were involved. Murphy was known for content featuring bodybuilding, fitness, and social experiment videos. His main YouTube channel, Connor Murphy, had approximately 2.36 million subscribers, while his secondary channel had around 1.28 million, and his Instagram account had approximately 378,000 followers at the time of reporting.

Murphy's death has drawn significant attention in the global fitness and influencer community. Many followers have reflected on his rise to fame, recalling his viral videos and livestreams that featured controversial and unusual behavior in recent years.

Officers at Huay Khwang Police Station have been wearing an unauthorized dragon emblem on their uniforms for the past 3-4 years. The emblem, worn on the sleeves of operational uniforms by crime prevention and suppression officers, sparked public controversy after images circulated on social media.

On July 9, 2025, Police Region 1 Commander Pol. Maj. Gen. Worasak Pisitbharn stated that an initial investigation found the dragon patch was intended to serve as a unit symbol for the station's crime prevention section. The design had no hidden agenda or connection to any external organization.

However, further investigation revealed the emblem was never officially authorized under police regulations. The patch therefore violates Royal Thai Police uniform standards.

To ensure proper, correct, and uniform appearance across all police ranks, Police Region 1 ordered all subordinate stations to immediately inspect and remove any unauthorized emblems or symbols that fail to comply with regulations. All units were instructed to strictly adhere to Royal Thai Police regulations going forward.

Police Region 1 reaffirmed its commitment to lawful operations and is prepared to correct any deficiencies to maintain standards and public confidence in the police organization.

At Parliament on July 9, Kraiweerasak Parisnanantkul, an Ang Thong MP for Bhumjaithai Party and chairman of the government coalition coordination committee, addressed concerns about the Senate's handling of the Social Peace Promotion Act. He confirmed that the Senate's July 8 amendments did not change the law's fundamental principles, including Article 112, which had already been approved by the House in a previous session. Regarding the controversial Senate amendment procedures, Kraiweerasak stated that multiple parties had attempted to distort facts, noting that all appendices remained unchanged and only the law's priority ranking was reorganized without inserting any new legislation.

Kraiweerasak emphasized that the election law amnesty covers groups who blocked polling stations during past demonstrations, including yellow-shirt, red-shirt, and all other protest movements. He outlined three exclusions from the amnesty: corruption, violence causing loss of life, and Article 112 offenses, which he stressed remain firm policy. He acknowledged that Article 112 is a sensitive issue and that pushing too hard against public sentiment could create new conflict, citing past amnesty experiences.

When questioned about amnesty for youth offenders under Article 112, Kraiweerasak explained the government's intent is to promote reconciliation and reduce conflict, not create new divisions. He noted that the passed bill benefits over 6,000 people with more than 2,000 pending cases. Regarding the Democratic Party's Facebook post claiming the government amended the bill to exclude coup-related cases while exempting those who blocked elections, Kraiweerasak expressed concern about presenting distorted facts to the public, though he acknowledged the party later removed some misleading statements.