New releases for your streaming pleasure: Mar 18-24
The unconventional thriller explores guilt and retribution, love and betrayal, and the compromises we make that irrevocably alter our lives. As the investigation unfolds, so does the truth about how even the closest friendships may not be what they seem. Wonder Pets: In the City: Season 2Premieres on March 20Season two introduces a trio of heroes: Izzy the Guinea Pig, Tate the Snake and Zuri the Bunny. Spain's CNI (National Intelligence Center) discovers that all of them participated 35 years ago in a covert operation called "Operation Ciénaga" in Colombia. A fifth officer involved in the operation has survived, and the CNI assigns its best agent, Zeta, to find him.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 21:05 UTC
Cambodia turns to Singapore and Malaysia for fuel
(Photo: Marufish via Wikimedia Commons)SINGAPORE - Cambodia is importing more fuel from suppliers in Singapore and Malaysia to make up for supply shortfalls from Vietnam and China, its energy minister told Reuters on Wednesday, as the US-Israeli war on Iran squeezes fuel availability globally. Vietnam and China have restricted fuel exports until at least the end of March to arrest potential domestic shortages. Cambodia and neighbouring Thailand stopped fuel trade after the onset of an armed conflict in July. Rottanak said Cambodia was boosting imports from Singapore and Malaysia due to export restrictions elsewhere, adding that existing suppliers are also trying to export fuel despite tightening supply. Rottanak did not provide specifics on when the supplies from Singapore and Malaysia would arrive, but said current fuel stockpiles were comparable to historical levels.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 19:05 UTC
Dual bomb attacks rock Pattani
Dual bomb attacks rock PattaniA parking lot with a vehicle was damaged by a bomb impact in Khok Pho district, Pattani, early Wednesday morning. (Photos supplied)PATTANI — Two bomb attacks took place within 10 hours at security officials' posts between Tuesday evening and early Wednesday, leaving five officials injured. The first incident took place at 6.58pm on Tuesday, when an explosion was set off near a checkpoint in Ban Kha village of tambon Tha Nam in Panare district. The vehicle was parked near the checkpoint before an attached bomb was set off. The impact damaged the house and its parking area but did not cause any casualties.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 16:52 UTC
Social Security Fund breaches risk limit
People’s Party MP Rukchanok “Ice” Srinork, who has been campaigning for reform of the Social Security system, joins fund members in submitting a petition at the Social Security Office on March 11, 2025. The country’s largest state fund, managed by the Social Security Office (SSO), supports healthcare, unemployment benefits and pensions for some 25 million Thais. (Story continues below)Phanthira “Petch” Vergara, an investment board member of the Social Security Fund, says broader global diversification is needed to improve performance. (Story continues below)People’s Party list MP Rukchanok Srinork speaks with reporters after visiting a canteen financed with Social Security funds at the Ministry of Labour on Feb 26, 2026. “But for us, it is a closed system that lacks flexibility and transparency.”The Social Security Office has defended its management of the fund, saying it remains financially sound.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 15:21 UTC
Oil shock risk tests Thai leadership
The most immediate impact, he said, would be a sharp rise in oil prices if supply routes are disrupted. Prices could surge to around $150 or even $200, potentially triggering a severe “super oil shock” similar to past crises. “The conflict is not just a regional military issue, but a shock to the global economic system,” Mr Kriengsak said. He also called for professional leadership, warning against political appointments based on patronage. “In times of crisis, leadership can determine the fate of a nation,” he said, urging unity and preparedness to navigate an increasingly uncertain world.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 14:15 UTC
South Lebanon residents flee death and destruction
Israel calls for evacuation of 14% of Lebanese territory as it pursues HezbollahA man from southern Lebanon takes shelter at a school in Sidon on Wednesday. (Photo: AFP)SIDON, Lebanon - The line of cars stretched as far as the eye could see along the coast of southern Lebanon, as residents of areas bombarded in the Israel-Hezbollah war poured into the ancient city of Sidon in search of safety. At war with Iran-backed Hezbollah, Israel has called on everyone living south of the Zahrani River to evacuate immediately. For now the military says it is only conducting “limited” ground operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Some residents of all faiths remain in the predominantly-Shia south, which is also home to Christians and Sunnis.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 14:05 UTC
Oil tax cuts possible if subsidies get too pricey
(Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)Officials at the Ministry of Finance are preparing measures to reduce excise taxes on fuel, as well as draft legislation to allow the Oil Fuel Fund to borrow additional funds to stabilise domestic prices. The Oil Fuel Fund is the main tool for stabilising domestic pump prices. If the fund becomes overburdened, the government may need to use tax cuts as a supplementary measure, caretaker finance minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said on Wednesday. The constitution bars a caretaker government from introducing tax or other financial measures that would obligate a future government. The finance ministry and the National Economic and Social Development Council have held discussions on the energy crisis, which has driven up global oil prices and affects all countries, Mr Ekniti said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 13:52 UTC
Ten suspects caught en route to Myanmar scam hub
(Photo supplied/Piyarach Chongcharoen)KANCHANABURI - Police have arrested seven Chinese nationals and three Myanmar men at a rented property, where they were reportedly waiting to travel to a scam base in the Myanmar border town of Payathonzu. None could produce identification or immigration documents, and checks found no record of the seven Chinese entering or leaving Thailand through official channels. Investigators said the Chinese suspects admitted they had been working for an online scam syndicate in Poipet, Cambodia, opposite the Aranyaprathet border checkpoint in Sa Kaeo province. The three Myanmar men had been labourers supporting the Chinese group at the Poipet base and crossed into Thailand with them on March 13, Pol Col Korn said. The seven Chinese suspects were later identified as Li Xinpin, 36; Cheng Caihao, 21; Gu Xinghui, 23; Chen Feng, 28; Zhang Zhihao, 20; Song Pin, 24; and Ms Wang Huimin, 23.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 13:28 UTC
Transport fares capped in line with fuel prices
Passengers prepare to board a boat at Wat Sribunruang pier along Saen Saep canal in Bangkok. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)The Ministry of Transport has asked operators to maintain current fares while the government continues to cap domestic fuel prices to ease the burden on the public, Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakan said on Wednesday. The ministry has established a war room to monitor developments and track the impact of the conflict in the Middle East on fuel prices and related costs, Mr Phiphat said. Mr Kritphet that Family Transport (2002) Co Ltd, which operates the Saen Saep passenger boats, had confirmed that no fare adjustment was made. The fares must reflect actual cost structures — especially fuel prices, Mr Kritphet said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 12:20 UTC
Starving Bangladeshi migrants rescued from locked room in Hat Yai
16 workers had gone three days without food or water while awaiting transport to MalaysiaSixteen Bangladeshi migrant workers gather outside the rented house where they had been found locked up, in Hat Yai district of Songkhla. (Photo: Assawin Pakkawan)SONGKHLA - Authorities have rescued 16 Bangladeshi migrant workers who were found locked inside a rented house in Hat Yai for three days without food or water while awaiting illegal transport to Malaysia. Those men, who were Bangladeshi nationals, pleaded for food, telling authorities that they had been deprived of food and water for three days. The Bangladeshi migrant workers rescued in Hat Yai said they had paid a broker the equivalent of 96,000 baht each to bring them to Malaysia via Thailand. The rescued migrants have now been placed into the legal process, with further action to be taken in accordance with the law, said Pol Sub Lt Sommart.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 11:41 UTC
Thailand warns of fraud-trafficking link
Foreign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow delivers a speech at the Global Fraud Summit in Vienna on Tuesday. (Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)Online fraud is no longer merely a financial crime but a complex web of human trafficking and rights abuses that no country can tackle alone, Thailand has told a global summit. “The challenge is multidimensional,” he said, pointing to links between fraud, human trafficking and serious human rights violations. Thailand sits on the frontline of the crisis, both as a transit point for criminal networks and a refuge for victims. Authorities have assisted more than 13,200 trafficking victims from 40 countries who escaped scam centres in neighbouring states.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 11:35 UTC
Stricken Thai ship drifts into Iranian waters
The vessel has since drifted into Iranian waters with three crew members believed to be still aboard. (Photo: Royal Thai Navy spokesperson)The stricken Thai cargo vessel Mayuree Naree has drifted into Iranian waters, with efforts now being guided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help the three remaining Thai crew members, according to the Thai navy chief. Twenty crew members escaped unharmed but three remain trapped onboard, believed to be in the damaged engine room. However, the ship has since drifted across the maritime boundary into Iranian waters, making it impossible for Omani authorities to continue tracking it physically. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now pursuing coordination with Iran and working to assist the three Thai crew members, he said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 11:34 UTC
Necessary drugs, medical supplies ‘enough for three months’
(Bangkok Post File Photo)Thailand’s existing stocks of necessary drugs and life-saving medical supplies are enough for three months’ use, the Ministry of Public Health said on Wednesday. He said public health officials had checked existing stocks of necessary medicines, related raw materials and medical supplies crucial for life-saving treatment in Thailand and found there were enough for three months’ use. Officials update stock checks on a weekly basis and are also looking for more sources of medicines and medical supplies to reduce dependence on supplies from conflict areas in the Middle East, said Dr Somlerk. One concern is alternatives to plastic containers for medical products “because most plastic manufacturing is in the Middle East,” he said. In addition, the relevant organisations have been instructed to limit orders for drugs and medical supplies only at really necessary levels, and to quickly pay for previous orders to increase the financial liquidity of the Thai public health system.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 11:15 UTC
Intruder into Moo Deng's enclosure arrested
Intruder into Moo Deng's enclosure arrestedCameras captured a trespasser attempting to photograph Moo Deng and her mother Jona on Tuesday. (screenshot)CHON BURI - A man has been arrested after intruding into the enclosure of famed pygmy hippopotamus Moo Deng at Khao Kheow Open Zoo on Tuesday evening. CCTV footage shows the man, identified only as a Thai national so far, climbing into the enclosure housing Moo Deng and her mother Jona. “Fortunately, he did not get bitten,” Autthapol “Benz” Nundee, Moo Deng’s keeper, said in a Facebook post. The intruder has been taken into custody for investigation to determine his motives and will be further prosecuted, according to Khao Kheow Open Zoo management.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 11:13 UTC
Scam calls surge in Thailand as expats and Thais face rising risks
Last year alone, Thailand recorded about 173 million scam calls and messages, making it the most targeted market in Asia and a growing concern for both locals and expatriates. Of the total, around 39 million were scam phone calls and about 134 million were scam text messages, up from roughly 38 million calls and 130 million messages the year before. The rise shows that scam activity in Thailand has continued to expand even after repeated enforcement efforts. Authorities saw a brief drop in activity earlier in the year during heightened activity along the Thai-Cambodian border. Scam groups quickly adapted, shifted operations and returned with even more activity, underlining how flexible and resilient these networks have become.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 09:17 UTC