Police: Lao man confesses to murdering, dismembering girlfriend
(Police photo)A Lao man has been arrested in the northeastern province of Nong Khai as he attempted to flee across the border after allegedly killing his Lao girlfriend in Bangkok, dismembering her and discarding the body parts in plastic bags. Early on Tuesday morning he was seen carrying a black plastic container holding black plastic bags in front of his apartment building. (Story continues below)Immigration police officers bring the Lao suspect, identified only as Tom, to the Nong Khai bureau for questioning after he was arrested on Tuesday. (Photo: Nong Khai Immigration Facebook)Police from the Thung Song Hong station in Bangkok travelled to Nong Khai and apprehended the 24‑year‑old, identified only as Tom, as he was about to cross into Laos. During questioning, the suspect told police he entered Thailand via the Nong Khai border checkpoint on Aug 19, 2025.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 25, 2026 13:03 UTC
Signs of jet fuel hoarding emerge in Asia
An employee of Bangkok Aviation Fuel Services prepares to refuel a passenger jet at Suvarnabhumi airport. (Photo: BAFS)Signs are growing that Asian countries are hoarding jet fuel after the Iran war sent oil prices surging, reflecting growing strain on the aviation industry. In Vietnam, the aviation agency warned of potential jet fuel shortages from early April and is cutting flights as a result. Difficulties securing fuel threaten to aggravate the airline industry’s woes as the Iran war rages on and keeps oil prices high. “The surge in jet fuel prices alongside disruptions to Mideast flight routes appear to have also caused inflationary pressures on air travel,” Citigroup analysts wrote.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 25, 2026 12:25 UTC
25 Indians held in Pattaya online gambling raid
Suspects sit on the floor as immigration police officers gather evidence inside a Pattaya villa that they said was a base for a large online gambling network with estimated annual turnover of 700 million baht. (Photos: Immigration Division 3)PATTAYA - Twenty-five Indian nationals have been arrested following a raid on a luxury villa allegedly used as a base for a large online gambling operation generating more than 700 million baht a year, immigration police said on Wednesday. Inside, officers found all 25 suspects actively working in organised roles, including marketing, accounting and customer service. The sites were reported to handle an average turnover of about 5.6 million rupees per day, equivalent to about 700 million baht annually. The suspects have been charged with working without permits or working beyond the scope of their permitted rights as foreign nationals.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 25, 2026 12:14 UTC
Crackdown on illegal work results in over 140 arrests
Crackdown on illegal work results in over 140 arrestsMore than 140 foreign nationals were arrested between March 16 and 22 in a sweeping crackdown on illegal employment in Chon Buri, immigration authorities said on Tuesday. "We are stepping up inspections, suppression, and deportation of foreign nationals who violate labour laws," he stated. Another Lao national was detained for illegal work and overstaying in Thailand by 2,061 days. Common labour violations included street vending, labour work, retail sales and restaurant jobs, many of which are restricted occupations for Thai nationals. Since February, authorities have revoked 250 visas linked to illegal employment, he said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 25, 2026 10:03 UTC
‘No fee charged’ for transit of Thai tanker through Hormuz
Second Thai vessel awaiting clearance as Tehran says strait is open to ‘non-hostile’ nationsThe Hong Kong-registered oil tanker Callisto lies at anchor in the Gulf of Oman, off Muscat, on March 10, 2026. (Photo: Reuters)A Thai oil tanker that passed safely through the Strait of Hormuz was not required to pay any fees to Iran, according to a source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Another Thai vessel, owned by SCG Chemicals, is also awaiting clearance to transit the strait, Mr Sihasak said. The safe transit for the Thai tanker came two weeks after the Thailand-flagged bulk carrier Mayuree Naree was attacked by a projectile in the strait, causing a fire onboard and forcing the crew to evacuate. Iranian and Omani authorities have reached the vessel, but Thailand is still awaiting information on the status of three missing crew members, according to the Thai foreign ministry.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 25, 2026 09:51 UTC
US officials downplay controller 'distraction' in New York crash
US officials downplay controller 'distraction' in New York crashThe deadly collision crushed the cockpit of the Bombardier aircraftNEW YORK - US officials on Tuesday played down speculation that distracted air traffic controllers might have contributed to a deadly collision between an Air Canada jet and a fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport. Two pilots were killed in the runway crash late Sunday, which crushed the cockpit of the Bombardier plane and heavily damaged the emergency vehicle. Media reports said investigators were probing whether airport traffic controllers were distracted by a separate odor issue on a United Airlines flight -- the emergency to which the fire truck was responding. "I would caution pointing fingers at controllers and saying distraction was involved," Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, told reporters. Two air traffic controllers were working in LaGuardia's tower at the time, Homendy said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 25, 2026 09:37 UTC
Thailand’s largest mall operator plans $3.4 billion expansion
(File photo: Wisuttipong Rodpai)Central Pattana Public Company Limited, Thailand’s largest shopping mall developer, plans to invest more than 110 billion baht (US$3.4 billion) in the next five years to expand its portfolio, betting on growth in major cities and a tourism rebound. The operator of Central World, Bangkok’s largest shopping mall complex, aims to increase the number of its mixed-used projects to 33 by the end of 2030 from 27 currently, Chief Executive Officer Wallaya Chirathivat told reporters on Wednesday. “We remain highly optimistic about Thailand’s long-term potential, even amid a very challenging period marked by geopolitical tensions,” Ms Wallaya said. We need to sustain our investments to maintain long-term growth.”The Chirathivat family, which controls Central Pattana, has built one of Thailand’s biggest retail networks spanning malls, department stores and mixed-use developments. Central Pattana currently operates 45 shopping malls, 11 office buildings, 17 hotels and 53 residential projects.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 25, 2026 09:20 UTC
Thailand abandons fuel price caps
(File photo: Pattanapong Hirunard)Thailand has abandoned attempts to cap domestic fuel prices that have been pushed up by the Middle East war, and instead will offer targeted assistance for the sectors hardest-hit by high prices. The government on March 2 announced price caps on the most widely used transport fuels, saying it would not let diesel move past 33 baht a litre. As a result, the state Oil Fuel Fund spent 20 billion baht in the space of three weeks to subsidise fuel prices at a rate of about 1 billion baht a day. In the public transport and logistics sectors, about 360,000 truck drivers and 30,000 public transport drivers will receive fuel subsidies. The Ministry of Transport, meanwhile, will to provide fishermen with B20 diesel (diesel with 20% palm oil content), which is cheaper than conventional diesel by five baht per litre.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 25, 2026 09:20 UTC
US worried by rise in ‘foreigner butchering’ scams from China
Once released, they’ve been running small-scale scam operations from apartments and office buildings in cities across China, often exclusively targeting foreign victims. China has previously warned Cambodia that scam centres are a strain on ties. (Photo supplied)The commission said hard data on the number of “foreigner butchering” operations was hard to ascertain, but cases were clearly increasing. “While there have been at least 40 legal cases involving foreigner butchering operations inside of China in recent years, these likely represent only a small fraction of the scale of the problem,” the report said. Cambodia does “not have the capacity to get after these incredibly sophisticated scam centres,” Kuiken said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 25, 2026 07:18 UTC
Energy crisis aid for specific sectors
Energy crisis aid for specific sectorsSelect groups are to receive handouts to lighten the burden from costs such as energy. About 13.4 million Thai people are in this group and the Finance Ministry is studying the appropriate amount for aid, Mr Ekniti said. In the public transport and logistic sectors, about 360,000 truck drivers and 30,000 public transport drivers will receive fuel subsidies. The Ministry of Transport is to provide fishermen with B20 diesel (diesel with 20% palm oil content), which is cheaper than conventional diesel by five baht per litre. Operators in the industrial and service sectors will be offered soft loans to support their liquidity, Mr Ekniti said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 25, 2026 07:10 UTC
Iran fires missile salvo after Trump signals progress in talks
Iran fires missile salvo after Trump signals progress in talksThe Islamic republic has kept up its attacks on Israel and Gulf nations it accuses as serving as launchpads for US strikes. (Photo: AFP)TEHRAN — Iran launched a new missile salvo across the Middle East on Wednesday, after United States President Donald Trump's signals that he was eager to talk with Tehran steadied global markets. Trump, whose daily statements have swung wildly from threatening to conciliatory, said Washington was "in negotiations right now" with Tehran. Prices at the pump have soared in the US after Trump launched the war with Israel, causing him a political headache. As the US leader mounted his threats if Iran did not agree to his demands, French President Emmanuel Macron demanded Tehran take any talks seriously.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 25, 2026 07:02 UTC
People’s Party ‘cobra’ seen sitting with Bhumjaithai MPs
People’s Party ‘cobra’ seen sitting with Bhumjaithai MPsSuriya Wong-aree, People’s Party MP for Udon Thani’s Constituency 7 and its first so-called 'cobra,' sits among MPs from the ruling Bhumjaithai Party during a House session on Wednesday. (Screen capture ONE News31 Channel)Suriya Wong-aree, a People’s Party MP for Udon Thani’s Constituency 7, who defied his party’s resolution during the prime ministerial vote, was seen sitting among Bhumjaithai MPs during the House session on Wednesday. Mr Suriya was the only People's Party MP who went against the party’s resolution in the prime ministerial vote on March 19. He backed Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul for prime minister instead of Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, the People's Party leader and its nominated candidate. In response, the People’s Party resolved to “freeze” the renegade MP - a political sanction aimed at preventing him from collaborating freely with rival parties.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 25, 2026 06:56 UTC
Commission opts to tighten data centre supervision
Commission opts to tighten data centre supervisionThe NBTC is strengthening its regulatory grip on the booming data centre sector. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is tightening its regulatory grip on the booming data centre sector through a proposed shift in the licensing regime that will bring operators under closer state scrutiny. As the digital landscape evolves, the number of licensed data centre operators in the country has climbed to more than 20. The proposed changes also include the possibility of zoning for data centre development. Mr Trairat said once the revised regulations are officially announced, current data centre licence holders must consult with the commission to reclassify their licences from Type 1 to Type 3.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 25, 2026 06:37 UTC
Grab eyes growth amid fuel crunch
The company is also exploring digital lending, offering "Grab Quick Cash" from next month. "We are monitoring the war and fuel costs, which could present a 'mini-crisis'. Grab is spending 10 million baht to provide incentives to riders amid rising fuel costs, and the scheme will run until the end of this month. "We are considering adding a surcharge in case fuel costs continue to increase," Ms Chantsuda said. Although electricity costs have increased, they are still 60-70% lower than fuel costs, Ms Chantsuda said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 25, 2026 06:20 UTC
Underdogs chase World Cup berths in Mexico playoff tournament
Underdogs chase World Cup berths in Mexico playoff tournamentThe BBVA Stadium in Guadalupe, Mexico will host World Cup playoff matches this weekMEXICO CITY - Two of the final remaining tickets to the World Cup will be up for grabs when a high‑stakes playoff tournament kicks off in Mexico on Thursday, bringing together six teams from across the globe. The winner will advance to meet the Democratic Republic of Congo at the same venue on March 31, with a World Cup ticket on the line. For DR Congo, meanwhile, the wait to secure their second World Cup finals appearance has been even longer. More than 70 people were killed in the violence, but Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum and world governing body FIFA have insisted the unrest will have no bearing on the World Cup. Mexico, which is hosting 13 matches at the World Cup shared between Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City, has said more than 100,000 security personnel will be deployed to protect fans at the tournament.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 25, 2026 05:52 UTC