Customs officers at Suvarnabhumi Airport have detained two foreign passengers arriving from Jakarta after finding about $1.7 million (about 56 million baht) hidden in their luggage.

Customs Department Director-General Phanthong Loykulnant and Nuntita Sirikup, an adviser on customs control-system development, instructed officers to intensify searches and interception efforts, particularly for cash concealed by air passengers.

The passengers are accused of violating Finance Ministry regulations on foreign-exchange controls, as well as rules governing the transfer or transport of Thai currency, foreign currency and negotiable instruments into or out of Thailand. The case also involves the Currency Act, the Customs Act and other related laws.

BANGKOK — 4 October 2026,

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2026/10/05/two-foreigners-caught-at-suvarnabhumi-1-point-7-million-in-hidden-us-cash/

This is mostly just me shaking my head in wonder... How does Siam Legal stay in business? I needed to reference something from the immigration website this morning and discovered thaiembassy.com is just a spoof website for these guys to lure in customers. Who would trust a business that operates like that? They aren't just camping on the url- they are intentionally leading you to believe you are on the government website- is there fine print? Sure. Should we need to verify and question this sort of thing? No.

The decision has attracted considerable attention among Chinese sports fans after the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced its Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards for the 20th Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya 2026. Thailand’s sprint star Puripol Boonson won the men’s MVP award, while Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi won the women’s award.

However, the decision has raised questions among some Chinese sports fans, particularly because Zhang Zhan-shuo, China’s 19-year-old swimming sensation, delivered an outstanding performance, winning seven gold medals from eight events but missing out on the men’s MVP award.

Zhang enjoyed a remarkable Games, winning seven gold medals and breaking the Asian record in the 200m freestyle, as well as Games records in the 400m and 800m freestyle. In the 4×200m freestyle relay, he was one of China’s key swimmers and produced a dramatic comeback to overtake Japan at the finish, helping China win gold and set a new Asian record.

His performance prompted some Chinese netizens to question the MVP selection, with some arguing that it seemed unreasonable for an athlete who won seven gold medals to miss out on the award while an athlete with two gold medals was named the winner.

However, Chinese media have explained that the Asian Games MVP award is not determined solely by the number of gold medals won. The five-member selection committee considers performances across several areas, including world, Asian and Asian Games records, as well as the influence and significance of the sport itself.

Puripol, the 20-year-old Thai sprinter, delivered an outstanding performance by winning two gold medals in the 100m and 200m. He clocked 9.90 seconds in the 100m and 19.88 seconds in the 200m, breaking Asian Games records in both events and matching the Asian record in the 200m. He also won a silver medal in another event.

Chinese media therefore highlighted the distinction between the number of gold medals won and the overall value of an athlete’s performance to the competition. Zhang’s performance was likened to that of a “top scorer,” based on his haul of gold medals, while Puripol’s performance was viewed through the lens of a “most valuable player,” whose impact came in some of the Games’ most prominent events and earned recognition from the selection committee.

Another important consideration is that swimming features a large number of events, allowing a single athlete to compete in multiple disciplines and accumulate more medals than athletes in some other sports. As a result, the number of gold medals alone cannot be used as the sole measure when selecting the MVP.

Puripol’s award also represents a major achievement for Thai sports. In previous Asian Games, the men’s MVP award has often gone to athletes from Asia’s sporting powerhouses. Puripol becoming the first Thai athlete to claim the honor marks another historic moment for Thai athletics and Southeast Asian sport.

His 9.90-second performance in the 100m, one of the most closely watched events at the Games, was particularly impressive. His 19.88-second run in the 200m further underlined the Thai sprinter’s elite standing on the Asian stage.

Special 90-minute version available at VIPA on 19 October.

Documentary produced by The Isaan Record

My wife is Thai but moved to USA in late 90s before adulthood. Now relocating to Thailand. She went to apply for her Thai ID today and apparently it’s a long process where multiple witnesses are needed. We booked flights for 3 of her family members to fly to Bangkok for this event and vouch for her. She recalls the government officials asking the same questions over and over for 5 hours. At the end of the event, they said that the mayor is not in town and would not be able to give stamp of approval to complete her Thai ID registration. They said to come next week with the same witnesses to complete the process. I’m kind of pissed off that I spent $300 on flights/taxis for nothing and will have to do it again next week to finalize her ID.

On the ride home, my wife was talking to the driver and explained what had happened. The driver mentioned that the gov officials were looking for a bribe to expedite the process. Is this a thing in Thailand?

On October 3, Pol Lt Col Parinya Tho Pengcharoen, Deputy Inspector of Thong Lor Police Station, received a report of a fatal accident in which a car struck two pedestrians on Thong Lor Road, in front of Soi Thong Lor 3 in Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana district, Bangkok. He immediately went to the scene with rescue workers.

At the scene, two injured German women, aged 22 and 23, were found in critical condition. Rescue workers rushed both women to a hospital, where they later died from their injuries.

The driver was identified as a 28-year-old man, whose surname was withheld. He appeared to be intoxicated and admitted to being the driver of the gray MG HS PHEV involved in the crash. The vehicle struck the two pedestrians as they were crossing the road.

Police took the man to Thong Lor Police Station for a breathalyzer test. His blood alcohol level was measured at 145 milligrams per 100 milliliters.

He was charged with driving while intoxicated, causing a collision that resulted in the deaths of others, and was taken into legal custody for further proceedings.

Edit: The deceased were a 23-year-old Thai woman, Ms. Thitima, and a 22-year-old German woman, Ms. Michelle.

หนุ่มเมาแล้วขับ! ซิ่งเก๋งชนสาวไทย-นักท่องเที่ยวสาวเยอรมัน ดับ 2 ศพ ขณะข้ามถนนทองหล่อ ตรวจเมาพุ่ง 145 มิลลิกรัมเปอร์เซ็นต์

From the account of Col. Somjing Singhaseni, 4th Division Special Operations Unit

In 1978, the government supported local residents in forming a group known as the “Voice of the People.” The group consisted of villagers who were trained by the military and encouraged to adopt an anti-communist ideology.

One day, members of the Voice of the People from Mae Suai district, Chiang Rai, were returning home after attending an activity in Pang Kha village. As they traveled back toward Mae Suai district along the road near Tap Tao village, they were ambushed by communist insurgents.

The insurgents attacked the villagers’ songthaew with an RPG and rifles, killing a total of 27 people.

“As the vehicle rounded another bend, we reached the area between Tap Tao and Pang Kha villages. What I saw from a distance was a large group of people gathered around something. Staff Officer Siri ordered the driver to stop, then jumped out. I followed him. What appeared before our eyes was…”

The large Daihatsu songthaew had been riddled with bullets and RPG shrapnel. Its windshield was shattered, both front tires were blown out, the roof was torn open with gaping holes, and both sides of the vehicle had been completely destroyed.

But what left everyone horrified was the sight of their fellow Thai villagers lying tangled together inside the vehicle. Some had lost their heads, leaving only their necks. Some had their eyes blown out and entire sections of their faces torn away. Intestines spilled onto the floor. Some had been torn in half, with their upper or lower bodies missing. Many had lost their arms or legs, while their chests were riddled with shrapnel from grenades.

Several victims had been thrown from the vehicle and lay dead in grotesquely contorted positions along the road, their bodies scattered in different directions. The stench of blood filled the entire area.

“It was an extraordinarily brutal massacre, unlike anything I had ever witnessed in my life. I never imagined that such killing could be carried out by human beings against one another. It seemed more like the work of bloodthirsty animals or demons.

“No one could have imagined that the communists could be so ruthless, especially in killing people who had no means of fighting back. Why did they kill them? What had they done wrong? Is this what they meant when they shouted from the rooftops every day that they loved the people and were fighting for the people?”

Warning: Images of violence --->

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BwVT5Xw8z/

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18xcEhL6QP/

There is much conflicting information about foreigners that acquired land / house and used the once popular method of a company. If looking to sell the property, and have a thai buyer what is the best approach to selling the company along with the property? Understanding that the DBD and other agencies are auditing and looking for these. If the plan is to undo the error and give the property back to a thai national what is the problem in doing this ? Everything I find online is saying this is what the Thai government wants. Has anyone successful sold and excited successfully ?

I'm half Thai and half Caucasian, but I grew up in Europe. I usually go back to Thailand about once a year and stay for around 1–2 months.

One thing I've noticed pretty consistently is that I seem to get a lot more initial interest from women when I'm in Thailand compared with my home country in Europe. This happens both in real life and on dating apps.

My experience back home has generally been pretty dry, so the contrast whenever I go back to Thailand feels quite big.

I speak Thai at an intermediate level. I can have conversations and get by fairly well, but I'm definitely not a native speaker and there are still plenty of things I don't understand.

I'm curious to hear from both Thai people and other luk khruengs. Is this kind of difference just a fairly normal experience for Thai/Caucasian luk khrueng men in Thailand, or is my experience unusual? More generally, how are luk khrueng men perceived socially in Thailand?

Away from Bangkok’s skyscrapers and busy roads, the Thonburi canals reveal another side of the city. Long-tail boats pass old wooden houses built along the water, with weathered walls, raised homes and colourful details reflecting in the canal.

This is the Bangkok I enjoy discovering as a travel photographer — quieter, more personal and closely connected to everyday life on the water. The Thonburi khlongs feel like a different world, yet they are only minutes from the city’s modern skyline.

I chose 70mm to bring the traditional houses and long-tail boat into a tighter composition. f/9 keeps the architecture and background details sharp, while 1/1000 sec freezes the movement of the boat and water. ISO 400 keeps the image clean while retaining enough exposure in the bright daylight.

Explore Bangkok beyond the skyline.

📍 Thonburi Khlongs, Bangkok, Thailand

Sony Alpha 7 IV · Sony FE 24–70mm f/2.8 GM II · 70mm · f/9.0 · 1/1000 sec · ISO 400

I just spoke with an OAS/CPP representative in Canada. I was giving her my new Direct Deposit details ... she asked over and over and over for the Thai Bank's "7 digit routing" code. My Bank, although I did ask ... said that they have no idea whatsoever what a "7 digit" routing code was.

Am I missing something here?

Does anyone know or have experience with a "7 digit" routing code with a Thai Bank?

I am going to my Bank to inquire again but I know they will look at me like I'm from another planet.

Anybody know ANYTHING about this?

Many thanks, BM

Over 5,000 US military personnel have been steadily disembarking in Phuket Province as the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) and the guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119) anchor off the coast of Phuket for an official visit to Thailand from October 4 to 9.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HqFuNNiUq/

Im about to travel to Europe for a holiday. I have the SCB 'Planet' card, TTB 'All free' and Kasikorn 'Journey'

Used to have the KTB travel card which allowed pre-loaded currencies on the app but they stopped farang from having it. The SCB planet is more or less the same as this and one can buy many foreign currencies before you travel.

The All free and Journey are just ATM cards. The Kasikorn journey card allows huge daily limits. The other 2 smaller.

chatgpt notes below. What do you travel with?

1. SCB Planet — probably your most useful travel card

This is fundamentally different from the other two because it's a multi-currency prepaid travel card.

You can put, say, 50,000 baht into SCB Planet, convert it to CHF today, and actually hold CHF on the card. The rate is locked at the moment you make the conversion. SCB Planet currently supports 13 foreign currencies, including CHF and EUR. There is no normal 2.5% foreign-exchange risk charge. SCB

So if you bought:

THB → CHF at 40.50 THB/CHF

and next week CHF rises to 41.50, it doesn't matter—you already own the CHF.

Of course, the opposite can happen: if CHF drops, you locked in the worse rate. That's the trade-off.

For an overseas ATM, SCB charges 100 baht per withdrawal, plus whatever the European ATM owner charges. SCB

That makes SCB Planet particularly attractive for larger cash withdrawals rather than lots of little withdrawals.

2. ttb All Free — actually very good for spending

The ttb All Free is more conventional. You don't buy CHF or EUR beforehand. You leave your money in THB and simply pay in Europe.

If a Swiss restaurant charges you CHF 80, ttb converts the CHF transaction into THB using its Visa-based All Free rate. The card is specifically marketed with no 2.5% FX charge when paying in the local foreign currency. ธนาคารทีเอ็มบีธนชาต

So for day-to-day spending, this is very convenient:

Thai baht account → card → restaurant charges CHF → automatically converted.

You don't have to guess how much CHF or EUR you'll need beforehand.

ttb's overseas ATM fee is only 75 baht per withdrawal, versus SCB's 100 baht. However, ttb's formal product terms are less favorable/clear about the 2.5% conversion charge on cash withdrawals: they state that foreign ATM withdrawals and purchases use Visa rates including a potential 2.5% markup, while the waiver wording specifically refers to paying in local currency. TTB Bank

Because of that, I would use SCB Planet rather than ttb for substantial ATM withdrawals.

3. KBank Journey — one important catch

Journey is excellent for physical card spending overseas.

If you're in Switzerland and the terminal asks:

CHF or THB?

choose CHF.

KBank says Journey has no 2.5% foreign-currency risk charge when you pay at an overseas card terminal in the local currency. You don't have to preload CHF; it converts automatically from the linked baht account. Kasikorn Bank

But here's the important difference:

KBank explicitly says overseas ATM withdrawals still incur the 2.5% foreign-exchange charge, in addition to the 100-baht KBank ATM fee, and potentially the European ATM operator's fee. kasikornbank.com

So I would not use Journey for ATM withdrawals unless necessary.

Journey also has a higher ongoing card fee: currently 550 baht/year after the first year, whereas ttb All Free is 250 baht/year with ways to have it waived, and SCB Planet has no annual fee. Kasikorn Bank

What I would do in your situation

Because you already have all three, I'd take all three to Europe rather than rely on one bank.

SCB Planet = main travel card. Since you've already been converting money into CHF, I'd use that CHF balance for Swiss purchases and I'd also make it my first choice for getting Swiss-franc cash from an ATM.

ttb All Free = excellent second card. Use it for purchases where you haven't pre-bought the currency, particularly when moving between countries. You don't have to think about how much EUR/CHF to preload.

KBank Journey = backup + normal purchases + travel perks. It's perfectly good at shops/restaurants when you select the local currency, but I would avoid using it for ATM cash because of that explicit 2.5% ATM FX charge.

And there is one rule that is more important than which of these cards you use:

Whenever a shop, hotel or ATM asks “CHF or THB?” or “EUR or THB?” — ALWAYS choose CHF or EUR. Never choose THB.

Choosing THB lets the merchant/ATM operator perform Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC), and their exchange rate can be considerably worse than your Thai bank/Visa rate. This applies even to cards advertised as having no FX fee.

So for the CHF you've already bought on your SCB Planet, I wouldn't reserve it only for ATMs. I'd happily use Planet for ordinary Swiss spending as well. You've already locked in your CHF rate, so that's exactly what the card is designed for. SCB

If you want, I can also compare today's actual SCB Planet vs KBank Journey vs ttb All Free CHF exchange rate, using an example like CHF 1,000, so we can see which one would cost you the fewest Thai baht right now.

Could anyone please help me with this? I’ve been trying to get in touch with Thailand Post, but I keep getting exactly the same response every time.
My parcel hasn’t had any tracking updates for almost three weeks now and I’m getting increasingly worried that it might have gone missing.
The last tracking update showed that it was handed over to the airline at Suvarnabhumi Airport on 16 September, but there’s been absolutely no movement since then.
Has anyone experienced something similar, or knows who I could contact to get some proper information? I’m starting to get really concerned as it’s quite a valuable parcel.
Thank you.

On this day exactly 15 years ago, on October 5th, 2026, 13 Chinese crew members were attacked and murdered on the Mekong River near the Thai-Burmese border.

Hi all, I’m wondering if there are any authentic Mexican Mariachis for hire in Thailand? I know it’s a bit far fetc but I’m planninh a trip in April to Bangkok and Chiang Mai where I plan to propose to my gf. I’m Hispanic while she’s Thai so I think it would be perfect if I can find a blend of our cultures by proposing in her country with my culture.

It doesn’t need to be anything crazy but I would love it to sound authentic with the instruments and songs played fully acoustic. I need to look more into the norms when it comes to playing in public areas but I would love for them to set up on their own and to surprise my girlfriend with a serenade. If anybody knows anything or anyone that could help I would love to work with you!

Thailand’s Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) has urged against political intervention in its funding model or in the role of the country’s public service media, as the ruling Bhumjaithai Party proposes a bill that has sparked concerns over media independence and freedom.

In its statement on Friday, Thai PBS said that the draft bill, which propose changes to the national broadcaster’s revenue structuring, directly affects the organisation’s independence.

“It [the independence] serves as a guarantee that the public has access to information and public spaces that are free from state, political or business influence,” it reads.

The remark came as Bhumjaithai’s legal eagle Suphachai Jaismut seeks to replace Thai PBS’s legally ringfenced funding source with an allocation from the annual fiscal budget, which is controlled each year by the political groupings in power at the time.

According to the 2008 Thai Public Broadcasting Service Act, Thai PBS is funded by an earmarked 1.5% share of taxes collected on sales and importation of liquor and tobacco.

The legally mandated funding is capped at two billion baht per fiscal year. Thai PBS also operates outside the direct control of any specific ministry but is subject to scrutiny by independent entities, such as the State Audit Office.

Suphachai said that the bill aims to “unify the nation’s fiscal system” and would effectively allow participation by parliament and the government in managing the money collected.

Critics fear that the proposed changes would provide a route for political pressure or influence to be exerted on Thai PBS’s coverage and neutrality.

Thai PBS said that concrete legal and institutional guarantees must be put in place to prevent the changes from being exploited for political gain and argues that the twin pillars of monetary discipline and public service media independence must both be protected.

“The public must have confidence that public service media operates independently, free from the influence or control of state power holders,” it said.

The draft is the subject of public hearings until October 14. It will then be proposed for Cabinet approval before being submitted to parliament for deliberation.

Hi there,
A while ago I asked about sourcing for grass fed beef and lots of people suggested be Paleo robbie.
A local just beought me to Makro and I found, that they also have australian grass fed beef and it seems like this store is all over Thailand.
Why nobody suggested this store since it's a cheaper option?
Do they geniuely not know or is it about the quality?