Israel strikes Iran as Trump insists Tehran wants a deal
(Photo: AFP)TEHRAN - Israel launched strikes across Iran on Thursday, hours after US President Donald Trump said Tehran wanted a deal to end the nearly four-week war despite its top diplomat rejecting any talks with Washington. “They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly,” Trump told a dinner for Republican members of Congress. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump “does not bluff and he is prepared to unleash hell” on Iran if no deal is struck. These include guarantees that the United States and Israel do not resume the war and compensation for war damages. Iran has still kept up retaliatory attacks on Israel and Gulf nations that it accuses of serving as launchpads for US strikes.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 26, 2026 07:51 UTC
Status of 3 Thai crew still unclear
Status of 3 Thai crew still unclearCargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. REUTERSThailand is awaiting confirmation of the status of the three remaining crew members of the Thai-flagged vessel Mayuree Naree, which was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz and later drifted into Iranian waters. He also repeated a warning that Thai nationals in high-risk areas should urgently consider leaving and closely follow official updates. He said the government is committed to ensuring the safe evacuation of Thai nationals from danger zones at the earliest opportunity. Some 1,486 Thai nationals have been assisted in leaving affected areas.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 26, 2026 07:43 UTC
UN pushes fuel solutions for Cuba amid US talks
UN pushes fuel solutions for Cuba amid US talksFrancisco Pichon, the UN coordinator in Cuba, warns of a "potential loss of life" if the island's fuel reserves are exhausted. (Photo: AFP)HAVANA - The United Nations has proposed an emergency plan for crisis-hit Cuba, including tracking fuel use, amid talks with the United States on allowing energy imports for humanitarian services, a UN official said Wednesday. “The feasibility and implementation of this action plan obviously depend on fuel solutions,” he said. The UN has been in talks with Washington to allow fuel in for humanitarian purposes. President Miguel Diaz-Canel has imposed emergency measures to conserve fuel, including strict fuel rationing.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 26, 2026 07:42 UTC
Lao suspect tells police of grisly killing
The suspect points out where he disposed of his girlfriend’s remains during a crime re-enactment in Pak Kret district of Nonthaburi on Thursday. Bangkok police learned the story from the 24-year-old after he was brought to the capital from the northeastern border province of Nong Khai for interrogation on Wednesday night. The suspect, identified only as Tom, told police that jealousy motivated the murder, said Pol Lt Gen Siam Boonsom, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau. The suspect said he bought garbage bags from a convenience store and used them to wrap the body parts. He later called a motorcyclist via a ride-hailing app to take him to Nong Khai, where he was arrested on Tuesday night before he could cross back into Laos.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 26, 2026 07:39 UTC
Fuel shock pushes Thai fishery close to shutdown
Some fishermen in Samut Sakhon say current crisis is worse than CovidFishermen prepare to bring their catch ashore in Samut Sakhon, just west of Bangkok. Thai diesel prices reached 39 per litre on Thursday after price caps were abandoned and subsidies trimmed, having risen from 30 baht in February before the conflict in the Middle East erupted. If diesel prices touched 40 baht a litre, fishing trips would become unviable and some boat crews are already adjusting their trips to conserve fuel, fisherman Boonchoo Lonluy said. “We can’t live like this.” (Story continues below)Trawlers are docked at a pier as rising diesel prices make fishing operations unprofitable, in Samut Sakhon province. “If we can’t take more hits, we have to dock because of the fuel price,” fisherman Prariyes Maneesumphan said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 26, 2026 07:38 UTC
PM recruits Wan as adviser
PM recruits Wan as adviserWan: Appeals to MuslimsFormer parliament president Wan Muhamad Noor Matha has accepted the role of chief adviser to the prime minister, supporting peace-building initiatives and addressing unrest in the far southern provinces. The announcement came via Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's Facebook comment on the page of Sugano Mata, Yala MP and secretary-general of the Prachachat Party. Prachachat is among 16 parties which elected Mr Anutin as prime minister in parliament on March 19. I have invited Professor Wan Noor to help care for our Muslim brothers and sisters and to promote peace across the country as chief adviser to the prime minister. Mr Sugano responded with appreciation: "I must thank the prime minister for giving this opportunity to the Prachachat Party."
Source:Bangkok Post
March 26, 2026 07:38 UTC
Thai state agencies spend B250m a year on trips abroad
Anti-graft group urges end to ‘study’ excursions that are mostly about tourismThe Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand has urged state agencies to put an end to overseas study trips that are largely tourism-oriented. Chairman Mana Nimitmongkol posted on his Facebook that a search through ACT Ai showed that from 2016 to 2025, state agencies organised at least 928 overseas study trips, with total spending exceeding 2.5 billion baht, or about 250 million baht per year. It is therefore a major lost opportunity if the state organises trips without clear and meaningful outcomes,” he said. Mr Mana urged the judiciary to build on this step by tightening policies and practices on overseas travel, ensuring accountability and value for taxpayers’ money, and setting an example for other state agencies. Learning from abroad is key, he said, but trips that double as tourism are a misuse of public resources and violate ethical standards that place public interest above personal gain.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 26, 2026 07:35 UTC
Khon Kaen tourism, meetings take a hit
Khon Kaen tourism, meetings take a hitRising oil prices and the Middle East war are taking a heavy toll on Khon Kaen's tourism and meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) industries, with widespread cancellations of hotel bookings and seminars. Nattiya Tantasook, president of the Khon Kaen Tourism and Mice Association (KKTMA) and acting chair of the Tourism Council of Khon Kaen, said on Wednesday the Middle East oil crisis and escalating geopolitical tensions elsewhere are severely affecting the tourism and Mice sectors. Ms Nattiya urged the government to introduce support measures, particularly financial assistance such as soft loans, relaxed lending conditions and greater liquidity to help businesses stay afloat. She also called for a review of the classification of tourism businesses as high-risk borrowers by financial institutions, which she said continues to restrict their access to funding. Ms Nattiya said about 50% of hotel bookings in Khon Kaen have been cancelled, while planned conferences, seminars and other events have been either called off or indefinitely postponed -- a situation she described as worse than during the Covid-19 period.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 26, 2026 07:30 UTC
Oldest dog DNA suggests 16,000 years of human companionship
Oldest dog DNA suggests 16,000 years of human companionshipDespite being ubiquitous across the world, surprisingly little is known about where dogs come from. (Photo: AFP)PARIS - The discovery of the oldest ever dog DNA suggests they have been our best friends for nearly 16,000 years — 5,000 years earlier than had previously been thought, new research said Wednesday. The first study revealed that the world’s oldest canine DNA was discovered in a piece of a skull in Pinarbasi in what is now Turkey. Before Wednesday, the oldest-known dog DNA was from 10,900 years ago. This mass arrival of farmers resulted in human genetic mixing as people from different areas met and had children.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 26, 2026 07:22 UTC
London plans two-day mega 100,000-runner marathon
London plans two-day mega 100,000-runner marathonOver 1 million people applied to take part in the 2026 London MarathonLONDON - The London marathon could be split across two days next year to reportedly allow up to 100,000 runners to participate and raise millions more for charity. A world record 1.1 million people applied via a ballot to take part in the 2026 London marathon, taking place on April 26, nearly doubling the number of applications from two years ago. The 2025 event set a world record for number of finishers in a single marathon at 56,640 and raised pound sterling87.3 million ($117 million) for a diverse range of charities. "The TCS London Marathon is the world's most popular marathon, and we are continually exploring innovative ways to enable more people to take part, while delivering positive benefits for London," organisers said in a statement to AFP. "Together with our partners and stakeholders, we are looking at the intention for the 2027 TCS London Marathon to take place across two days.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 26, 2026 07:21 UTC
UN declares African slave trade ‘gravest crime against humanity’
(Photo: AFP)UNITED NATIONS - The UN General Assembly on Wednesday designated the transatlantic African slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity”, despite opposition by the United States and some European countries. The United States, Israel and Argentina opposed the measure, while Britain and EU member states abstained. “The transatlantic slave trade was a crime against humanity that struck at the core of personhood, broke up families, and devastated communities,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. “The United States also strongly objects to the resolution’s attempt to rank crimes against humanity in any type of hierarchy,” he added. “The perpetrators of the transatlantic slave trade are known, the Europeans, the United States of America.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 26, 2026 06:56 UTC
Prachachat denounces attack
Prachachat denounces attackThe Prachachat Party has called on the government to find those responsible for the armed attack on Kamonsak Leewamoh, its Narathiwat MP, warning that any failure to act could undermine public confidence in the deep South. Pol Col Tawee Sodsong, the party's leader and a list-MP, joined fellow MPs in calling on police to speed up their probe. Pol Col Tawee said a week had already passed without any arrests made, and urged police to step up their investigations. Pol Col Tawee said the attack appeared premeditated, with the assailants seemingly aware of Mr Kamonsak's travel route from the airport. "The Prachachat Party aspires to see peace in the South.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 26, 2026 06:37 UTC
Thaksin’s parole rights ‘still intact’
Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra is seen in a photo taken with his family during a prison visit in November. (Photo: Supplied)Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's parole rights remain intact, with his eligibility set for May 11 as a review continues, says Justice Minister Rutthaphon Naowarat. Responding to reports of delays after a request was filed by Thaksin’s lawyer, he said discussions with the DoC confirmed the case remains under review by the prison committee. He said no one would be deprived of their rights and the review would be completed before the eligibility date. “Parole reviews are conducted monthly, with around 1,000 cases considered in each round,” he said, adding the process involves multiple agencies to ensure proper scrutiny.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 26, 2026 03:37 UTC
Agencies spend B250m on trips
The Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand has urged state agencies to stop overseas study trips that are largely tourism-oriented. Chairman Mana Nimitmongkol posted on his Facebook that a search through ACT Ai showed that from 2016 to 2025, state agencies organised at least 928 overseas study trips, with total spending exceeding 2.5 billion baht, or about 250 million baht per year. It is therefore a major lost opportunity if the state organises trips without clear and meaningful outcomes," he said. Some trips have cost as much as 20.8 million baht for a single trip, with popular destinations including European countries such as France, Germany, Italy and Austria, followed by Japan and South Korea. Mr Mana urged the judiciary to build on this step by tightening policies and practices on overseas travel, ensuring accountability and value for taxpayers' money, and setting an example for other state agencies.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 26, 2026 00:37 UTC
Ang Thong oil depot probe making progress
Oil Co Ltd speaks to reporters after meeting with investigators on Wednesday to submit fuel transport documents and tax invoices. Investigators on Wednesday summoned the companies linked to the depot to provide information and hand over tax invoices and fuel transport documents. Oil Co Ltd met with investigators again on Wednesday and submitted fuel transport documents and tax invoices for March 1–18 to demonstrate the company’s innocence, after questions were raised about the Ang Thong depot. However, investigators found the fuel had instead been delivered to the Ang Thong depot. Oil failed to issue a transport document to Trillion Petro Trading Co Ltd, the operator of the oil depot in the province.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 26, 2026 00:21 UTC