Kok River (photo: Panumet Tanraksa)Thailand has sought Japan’s support in collecting water samples from Shan State in Myanmar to identify a source of toxic runoff that is threatening the health of people on both sides of the border. He said Japan is keen to take part in Thailand’s initiative to tackle water pollution and has also engaged in similar projects in Myanmar. “Japan will help us conduct a heavy metal test on water and sediment samples. Two main sources of arsenic in the Kok River could stem from either agriculture or rare-earth mining, he said. On Tuesday, the department conducted a laboratory test on water samples collected from the Kok River.

Thaksin Shinawatra arrives at the Supreme Court in Bangkok on Sept 9, 2025, when he was ordered to serve his one-year prison term. (Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya)Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is likely to quit politics when he is released from prison, his daughter Paetongtarn said on Thursday. She made the comment as she walked out of Klongprem Central Prison in Chatuchak district, after reporters pressed her on whether her father would quit politics when he is paroled later this year. It is unlikely that he will not quit,” said Ms Paetongtarn, also a former PM. Thaksin returned to Thailand on Aug 22, 2023, after more than 15 years of self-exile abroad.

Iran-US talks begin in push to avert warThe talks follow repeated US threats of strikes. Iran's president insisted ahead of the talks that the Islamic republic was not "at all" seeking a nuclear weapon. "Our Supreme Leader has already stated that we will not have nuclear weapons at all," President Masoud Pezeshkian said, in a reference to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. While Iran has insisted the talks focus solely on its nuclear programme, the US wants Tehran's missile programme and its support for militant groups in the region curtailed. "You can't let the craziest and worst regime in the world have nuclear weapons," Vance told "America's Newsroom" on Fox News.

Thai Airways International Plc expects revenue to grow 5% this year as it adds new aircraft and expands in key Asian markets, including India and China. The carrier targets 200 billion baht in revenue in 2026, up from 190 billio a year earlier, chief executive officer chai Eamsiri said on Thursday. Airlines including Singapore Airlines and Qantas have reported rising passenger volumes and solid revenue as international travel rebounds, helping support stronger earnings results. THAI, which resumed trading on the Stock Exchange of Thailand last August, posted a full-year net profit of 30.9 billion baht in 2025, reversing a net loss of 26.9 billion baht a year earlier. Revenue rose 1.3% to 190 billion baht, indicating a more gradual recovery compared with some regional peers.

Thai manufacturing index rises on election activityCampaign posters are seen along a footpath in Bangkok prior to the Feb 8 election. Election-related business helped lift manufacturing activity in January. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)Factory activity in Thailand picked up in January, driven by heightened political activity during the election campaign and strong demand in the automotive sector, according to the Office of Industrial Economics (OIE). The Manufacturing Production Index (MPI) rose 1.4% year-on-year to 101.58 points, compared with from 95.02 in December, said Supakit Boonsiri, the director-general of the Office. In January, automotive manufacturing rose 6.3% year-on-year, fuelled by demand for hybrid EVs and BEVs in the domestic market, with price competition boosting sales volume.

Officers say suspect filled bidet sprayer with thinner and his urine and semenPolice escort the suspect from the crime scene at a temple in Phichit province on Tuesday. Police had identified him from videos and posts he made in a chat group where other sexual deviants shared their stories. The contributor of the clips was a member of a Telegram chat group that charged membership fees. In the same chat group, police found another user sharing naked pictures of minors who reportedly were his debtors. The suspect, identified only as Kiti, 26, allegedly required young debtors to send him naked pictures together with their ID cards as “collateral” for their loans.

Clean-up under way on Koh Hey, southeast of Cape PanwaOil tarballs, spilled from the capsized cargo ship Sealloyd Arc, are seen along the beach on Koh Hey, a small island about 8km southeast of Cape Panwa in Phuket on Wednesday. (Photos: Achadthaya Chuenniran)PHUKET - The oil spill from the capsized cargo ship Sealloyd Arc earlier this month has reached Koh Hey, a tourist island just off the southeast coast of this tourist island, with authorities continuing clean‑up operations on Thursday. Phuket MP Chalermpong Saengdee called for emergency management after black stains were found in the seawater and on the beach at Koh Hey, a popular snorkelling destination also known as Coral Island, on Wednesday. Areas at risk include Ao Rawai, Koh Kaeo Noi, Koh Kaeo Yai, Nai Harn, Rawai Beach and Kata Beach, he said. The Panama‑flagged cargo ship sank on Feb 7 and was later located south of Koh Kaeo Noi at latitude 7°43.88” North and longitude 98°16.62” East.

Victim pronounced dead of severe head injuries at hospital, attacker still at largeThe Australian man died at Patong Hospital in Phuket on Wednesday night after a violent assault, police said. (Photo: Achadtaya Chuenniran)A 58-year-old Australian tourist died after a violent assault on Patong beach in Phuket on Wednesday night. An examination found the tourist had sustained severe head injuries consistent with a violent assault. Rescue workers rushed him to Patong Hospital, and preparations were being made to transfer him to Vachira Phuket Hospital for further treatment. Medical staff subsequently alerted police, and the body was transferred to the forensic department at Vachira Phuket Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

'Public lynching': Senegal cracks down on LGBTQ+ communityThe repression of LGBTQ+ people is politically advantageous in Senegal, where it is widely regarded as deviant. What they are doing is public lynching," a human rights defender told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on condition of anonymity. Some of those detained have faced accusations of deliberately transmitting HIV, fuelling further fierce debate about same-sex relations. The LGBTQ+ community has been "traumatised", the human rights defender said. The climate of regular discrimination has become unbearable for the LGBTQ+ community in the country, activists contacted by AFP said.

The occupants of the speedboat were Cubans ​who resided in the US, the state-run ​news ‌outlet Cubadebate reported, citing the interior ​ministry. As the coast guard vessel approached, “shots were fired from the illegal speedboat,” injuring the commander of the Cuban vessel, the ministry said. A man sent from the United States to take part in this operation was arrested on Cuban soil and confessed, it added. The Cuban government frequently reports incursions by speedboats from the United States into its territorial waters. People-smugglingIncursion incidents are often related to people-smuggling to the United States or drug trafficking, and have included chases, shootouts and armed attacks on border guards.

Epstein files reveal links to cash, women, power in Africa(Photo: AFP)PARIS - Jeffrey Epstein built close ties with powerful figures in Senegal and Ivory Coast, files released by the US government last month show, detailing the late sex offender’s influence network across Africa. you will not suffer,” Epstein wrote. Karim Wade’s lawyer, Mohamed Seydou Diagne, sent two invoices in May 2014 and July 2015 of $500,000 to one of Epstein’s companies. i prefer under 25,” Epstein wrote to Keita after the meeting. The mere mention of a person’s name in the Epstein files does not in itself imply wrongdoing.

USA players Kendall Coyne (left) and Hilary Knight celebrate after winning the Olympic women’s ice hockey gold in Milan on Feb 19, 2026. (Photo: AFP)LOS ANGELES - Hilary Knight, captain of the victorious US women’s Olympic ice hockey team, says it was unfortunate that a “distasteful joke” by President Donald Trump had overshadowed the achievements of US athletes at the Milan-Cortina Games. The US men’s ice hockey team took a congratulatory phone call from Trump as they celebrated their gold medal victory over Canada on Feb 20. The president invited them to his State of the Union address and added he would have to ask the triumphant women’s team as well or risk being “impeached”. Several players on the men’s team appeared to laugh at Trump’s comment, sparking criticism.

(Photo: Royal Thai Army)Cambodian authorities say a crackdown on online scam compounds has cut activity in half since the start of this year, as they face international pressure to dismantle networks accused of stealing billions annually from people worldwide. He added authorities are investigating more than 100 online scam cases, including tracking financial flows and personal assets. “We will bring the ringleaders and masterminds to justice,” he said, adding the state will soon “have control of all online scam operations, both small and large.”Still, activists and analysts who study transnational crime doubt the latest crackdown will eradicate the scam centres. The operations remain highly lucrative and relatively low-cost to maintain, especially with advances in artificial intelligence. The US Institute of Peace estimates that transnational criminal networks running illegal online gambling and scam operations worldwide stole nearly $64 billion in 2023 alone.

Whitehead: Universities are keyBritish Council Thailand says international collaboration in the education sector will address Thailand's productivity, one of the country's main economic challenges. That challenge underpins the International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF), launched in Thailand in 2023 in partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation. Through ISPF, Thai universities partner with leading UK institutions, embedding local researchers in global networks and expanding research capability in key sectors. In parallel, the UK continues to offer scholarships for Thai students and professionals. This year, 10 Master's scholarships are available for Thai students to study in the UK.

Luxury gyms are expanding across Bangkok at a pace that feels less like a passing trend and more like a structural shift in how urban space is being used. Luxury gyms operate on routine, beginning before the workday and running on repetition. They offer a form of predictability that other parts of urban life do not. The expansion of luxury gyms across Bangkok therefore speaks to more than changing leisure habits. For now, the rise of luxury gyms suggests that in Bangkok, the performance of control has become as socially legible as the performance of excess once was.