- WFFT Animal Trafficking Allegations/Hua Hin Racer Marina Jazz Festival/Salesian Academic Day in Hua Hin/Credit Card Fraud Proof Shifted to Banks/Bangkok faces severe air pollution/Thailand sets SEA Games gold record
- THAILAND-CAMBODIA CONFLICT: Cambodia Tallies Heavy Losses/Continued tension along Sa Kaeo border/Thai marines retake Trat border area/PM vows to never give in/Cambodia Said Violating Geneva Conventions/International media view
- ECONOMY: Thai banks cut interest rates/Agricultural economy to grow/How affordability reshaped ambition
- TOURISM: Thailand’s tourism crown slips/Chiang Mai guesthouses pivot/Power bank bursts on Thai AirAsia flight
- THAILAND EXPERIENCE: What really happens to tigers at ‘selfie zoos’/Discover Eco-Friendly Tourism
- CLIMATE THAILAND: 25% of new cars sold globally were EVs
- INTERNATIONAL/HUA HIN LINKS
Animal Trafficking Allegations Denied by Dutch WFFT Founder
The Dutch founder of the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), Edwin Wiek, has denied accusations of animal trafficking after receiving a tiger from the Karen National Liberation Army (KNU) in Kanchanaburi on Wednesday.
The allegations were made by retired national park official Chaiwat Limlikit-aksorn, who claimed that Wiek and Thai officials were involved in the illegal transfer of the tiger from Myanmar into Thailand. Chaiwat made these claims public online and called for an investigation. Continued …
Hua Hin Racer Marina Jazz Festival January 10
The owners of Why Not are behind the second edition of the Hua Hin Racer Marina Jazz Festival, which will be held south of Hua Hin in Pranburi on Jan. 10.
‘It’s an amazing venue, the marina is located between the river, the mountains and sea,’ says Eliot Nielsen, who organized the festival last year with his wife Surassawadee Phumbua and Philippe Oursel. This year’s event begins at 4 pm with the Swing Mother Funky Quintet and concludes with a fire show finale, finishing at 11 pm. Continued …
Salesian Academic Day held in Hua Hin
The Salesian Schools Commission in Thailand organized the third Salesian Academic Day Dec. 11-12, hosted by Hua Hin Vitthayalai School with the slogan “Collaborating for Tomorrow: Salesian Academic Excellence 2025”.
The event was attended by representatives from six Salesian schools, including teachers and students, a total of 1,900 people. During the event, plaques of honor were presented to teachers who had achieved excellent academic results in each Salesian school. Continued …
Thai Court Ruling Shifts Credit Card Fraud Proof to Banks
Thailand’s Supreme Court has ruled that banks, not customers, have the responsibility to prove who authorized disputed credit card transactions. This ruling sets a legal precedent aimed at enhancing consumer protection amid increasing cyber scams. By placing the burden on banks, the decision represents a major step towards empowering consumers against unauthorised credit card charges.
The landmark decision, Supreme Court ruling No. 2624/2568, originated from a case where a bank pursued a customer over disputed charges made without the cardholder’s consent. The customer insisted their card had been compromised, while the bank contended liability lay with the cardholder, adhering to typical credit card agreements holding users responsible for all transactions. Continued …
Bangkok faces severe air pollution crisis
The Bangkok Air Quality Information Center this morning reported a concerning rise in PM2.5 levels across the city, with many areas exceeding safe limits.
The average PM2.5 concentration for Bangkok is 36.7 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³), just below the standard limit of 37.5 µg/m³. However, certain areas are facing dangerously high pollution levels. Continued …
Thailand sets SEA Games gold record
Thai athletes more than compensated for the football heartbreak of the previous night by setting a new benchmark for total gold medals at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games yesterday.
As of last night, the country’s haul stood at 232 golds, with more expected before the close of competition. The figure comfortably eclipsed the previous record of 205, set by Vietnam at their home Games in 2021 — an edition delayed and disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Continued …
Cambodia Tallies Heavy Losses in Border Conflict
Cambodia is counting mounting human and economic costs from renewed fighting with Thailand, as hospitals treat severely wounded soldiers and civilians flee border areas. The second round of clashes has lasted longer and proved more destructive than the five-day conflict in July, with heavy casualties and widespread displacement.
The fighting resumed on Dec. 7 along the 800-kilometer border, involving artillery exchanges and close-quarter battles over forested hilltops. Thai air strikes have hit targets inside Cambodia, which has limited air defenses and no significant air force, while Cambodia has fired BM21 rockets into Thailand, killing one civilian and injuring others despite early evacuations. Continued …
Army reports continued tension along Sa Kaeo border
The Burapha Task Force of the 1st Army Region provided an update on the ongoing conflict along the Thailand-Cambodia border. The situation remains tense as Cambodian troops continue to reinforce positions at Ban Nong Ya Kaew and Ban Nong Chan in Sa Kaeo, stockpiling supplies, weapons, and ammunition, preparing for 2-3 days of sustained combat.
The conflict, now on its 12th day, involves clashes over territorial control in three key areas. Continued …
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Thai marines repel Cambodian forces’ attempt to retake Trat border area
Gunfire erupted once again along the Thai-Cambodian border early yesterday as Cambodian forces attempted to reclaim the so-called Ban Sam Lang (three houses) area, prompting Thai marines to respond with artillery and mortar fire, forcing the intruders to retreat in disarray.
Capt. Thammanoon Wanna, commander of the Trat Marine Task Force, yesterday confirmed that Thai surveillance detected movement of three to four Cambodian vehicles entering the Ban Sam Lang area of Ban Nong Ri in Trat province during the early hours. Continued …
Anutin vows nation will never give in
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has declared that Thailand will never yield amid escalating hostilities along the Thai-Cambodian border, reaffirming the government’s full support for the armed forces in defending national sovereignty.
The remarks came after a group of activists visited the Bhumjaithai Party headquarters to present flowers and offer moral support, urging the prime minister to fulfil his duties with resolve and to ensure that no one infringes on the country’s sovereignty. Continued …
Cambodian Actions Said Violating Geneva Conventions
The 2nd Army has highlighted three key behaviors by Cambodia that it says violate the Geneva Conventions and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) amid the ongoing Thai-Cambodian border clashes.
Since the border conflict began on Dec. 7, and has continued for 13 days, the 2nd Army has released details of Cambodia’s military actions that breach IHL. The investigation, including video footage and photographs, revealed several violations. Continued …
International media view on Thai-Cambodian border clash, scam centers
The ongoing Thai-Cambodian border conflict has entered its 13th day. Recently, The Wall Street Journal reported on the Thai Air Force’s attack on a “scam center” as part of the strategic objectives in the region.
The paper highlighted that many buildings in Cambodia, far from being mere entertainment venues or tourist accommodations, are, in fact bases, for online scams, siphoning money from victims worldwide. These operations are linked to human trafficking, money laundering, and cybercrime on an industrial scale. Continued …
Thai banks cut interest rates following MPC decision
In a move aligned with the Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC) unanimous decision to reduce the policy interest rate by 0.25% to 1.25% from 1.5% per annum, several commercial and state-owned banks in Thailand have announced cuts to their interest rates. This is aimed at easing the financial burden on consumers amid an economy showing clear signs of slowing down and increased risks.
For retail clients, KBank has adjusted its MRR (minimum retail rate) by 0.01%, from 6.78% to 6.68% per annum. Additionally, deposit rates have been cut by 0.05% to 0.10%. These changes will be effective from Dec. 22. Continued …
Agricultural economy to grow despite headwinds
The country’s agricultural economy is expected to see slightly slower but still robust growth of 2%-3% next year as landowners and farmers have secured more water resources and benefit from higher demand in the global market, as well as accelerated domestic economic growth.
However, the industry still faces a raft of challenges, including the impact of climate change, geopolitical conflicts, and higher tax barriers, according to the Office of Agricultural Economics. Continued …
Working sideways – how affordability reshaped ambition
In Bangkok, work no longer arrives as a single, contained thing. For many younger people, especially Gen Z and early-career millennials, employment sits inside a wider arrangement rather than at the center of it.
A full-time role might exist, but it is rarely the whole story. It is supplemented by freelance work, part-time consulting, tutoring, content creation, small businesses, or projects that are still forming. This is often described as hustling, but that framing misses the point. What’s emerging is not a chase for scale, but an attempt to balance affordability with autonomy. Continued …
Rivals, rain, and rising costs: Thailand’s tourism crown slips
As the windows rattled from distant explosions, British tourist Brian sat sleepless in a dim hotel room in Thailand’s Trat province, waiting out a curfew he had not known existed. With artillery ringing out from across the border with Cambodia, his dreams of reaching the island of Koh Kood seemed to dissolve into the darkness.
“The police said the road was closed and I’d have to find accommodation overnight,” Brian said. “I heard explosions all through the night, but I got out first thing in the morning.” Continued …
Chiang Mai guesthouses pivot to long-haul markets
Tourism in Chiang Mai could reap benefits from robust long-haul markets, while the segment is expected to continue growing next year as LOT Polish Airlines became the latest carrier to confirm a new scheduled flight to Bangkok.
La-iad Bungsrithong, a board advisor for Thai Hotels Assn., said Chiang Mai tourism operators this year have learned to adapt their businesses amid the absence of two major feeder markets, Chinese and domestic tourists, which severely declined. Continued …
Power bank bursts into flames on Thai AirAsia flight, crew douse blaze with bottled water
Multiple videos circulating online show a power bank spontaneously igniting and exploding aboard a Thai AirAsia flight to Hokkaido, sending thick smoke through the cabin.
One male passenger wrote that the flames “rose higher than the seat,” while a female traveler said the aircraft “smelled of burning petrol” and “everyone was coughing”. Footage shows several flight attendants using bottled water to extinguish the fire, which was ultimately brought under control. Continued …
Video exposes what really happens to tigers at ‘selfie zoos’
A chilling video that went viral in May showing a tiger pouncing on a tourist during a photo session has reignited global outrage over Thailand’s tiger selfie industry, where investigators say big cats endure lives of sedation, starvation, and abuse so travelers can snap the perfect Instagram shot.
Investigations by World Animal Protection have documented conditions at 17 major tiger entertainment venues across Thailand. The findings paint a disturbing picture of systematic abuse hidden behind tourist-friendly facades. Continued …
Discover Eco-Friendly Tourism in Thailand
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has recently launched a new website called TravelGreenThailand.com. This website aims to help promote eco-friendly tourism opportunities. The platform is part of Thailand’s ongoing effort to establish itself as a global leader in responsible tourism.
The launch follows Thailand’s hosting of the Tourism Cares Global Meaningful Travel Summit in September. The event gathered leaders from around the world to discuss how tourism can contribute positively to the environment and local communities. With the introduction of TravelGreenThailand.com, the Tourism Authority seeks to build on this momentum by offering a digital resource dedicated to eco-conscious travelers. Continued …
25% of new cars sold globally in 2025 were EVs, 20% in Thailand
More than 25% of new cars sold globally in 2025 are now electric, according to new analysis from energy think tank Ember. This growth is increasingly driven by emerging markets that, only a few years ago, had minimal adoption of EVs.
Indonesia has reached 15% this year, surpassing the US for the first time. Thailand has reached 20% and has sold more EVs in the first three quarters of 2025 than Denmark. These shifts demonstrate how rapidly the region is transitioning from a low base to a position of leadership. Continued …
Twenty-nine beloved celebrities the world lost in 2025
This year, we lost some of the icons who shaped pop culture, from Hollywood legends to beloved musicians and television stars, including Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, and Val Kilmer. We honor their memory by celebrating their lives and their enduring works. Continued …
US strikes over 70 IS targets in Syria
United States forces struck more than 70 Islamic State group targets in Syria yesterday in what President Donald Trump described as “very serious retaliation” for an attack that killed three Americans last weekend. Continued …
Epstein files opened: famous faces, many blacked-out pages
The US Justice Department yesterday began releasing a long-awaited cache of records from its investigations into the politically explosive case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein – though much of the material remained heavily redacted. Continued …
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Thailand’s economic growth target faces several risks
Household debt falls faster than expected
Tourist dies after being gored while washing elephant at Thai sanctuary
Why foreigners often fear being cheated by local transportation
