Road deaths reach 272 after 6 ‘dangerous days’

Speeding concerned for almost 40 % of accidents

Rescue workers try to retrieve the bodies of the dead and injured victims from a tour bus after it plunged into a ditch in Chaiya district of Surat Thani on Wednesday night. Five people were killed and 30 injured. (Photo supplied/Supapong Chaolan)
After the tour bus plunged into a trench in the Chaiya city of Surat Thani on Wednesday evening, rescue workers tried to retrieve the bodies of the dead and wounded patients. Five people were killed and 30 injured. ( Photo supplied/Supapong Chaolan )

On Wednesday, 346 people were killed and 346 were hurt in road fatalities across Thailand, bringing the total in the so-called “ten harmful days of the New Year vacations to 272.

The Road Safety Directing Center of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported on Thursday that 339 street accidents had been recorded on January 1.

Officials this year expanded the New Year’s Road Safety Campaign from seven to ten times as they increased public awareness and promoted more responsible driving. The battle period runs from December 27 to January 5.

In the first six days, speeding has been the major cause of accidents, at 38.9 % of the total, followed by drunk driving at 31.6 % and poor visibility at 16.8 %.

As in previous years, most of the vehicles involved in accidents were scooters, at 86.4 %.

From Dec 27 to Jan 1, there were 1, 739 road fatalities that claimed 272 life and injured 1, 694 persons nationwide.

Surat Thani province has recorded the highest number of accidents ( 63 ), injuries ( 73 ) and deaths ( 12 ) in that period. Five people died in the latter’s accident on Wednesday evening when the tour bus a&nbsp went into a ditch in the Chaiya area.

A year ago, a total of 284 people were killed and 2, 307 injured in 2, 288 traffic fatalities during the” seven dangerous time” of the New Year vacation.

Thai bridges have long been ranked among the world’s most dangerous. According to the most current data collected by the World Health Organization to 2021, Thailand ranked 16th out of 175 countries in highway fatalities per 100, 000 people, at 25.4. That same year, the WHO recorded 18, 218 road traffic fatalities in the country, an average of 50 per time.

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Tourist’s temper tantrum leads to B3,000 fine

A Chinese male apologizes for abusing the police officer who prevented him from releasing the lamp in Chiang Mai.

Japanese tourist Hirano bows to police officers after paying his fine at the Chiang Mai station on Wednesday. (Photo: screenshot)
Hirano, a Chinese holiday, bows to police officials after making his fine on Wednesday at the Chiang Mai place. ( Photo: screenshot )

A Chinese tourist was stopped from releasing a hot-air lantern due to a fire hazard during the New Year’s Countdown in Chiang Mai and fined 3, 000 ringgit for violating a officers get.

About 30 minutes after midnight on Wednesday, a video of the incident showed the male, later identified as Hirano, 31, trying to launch the lamp in a crowded place in front of the Tha Phae Gate. The tourist was followed by a police officer who used the name Thaweesak to take the lantern over.

The visitor yelled in the officer’s face, shoved him, and grabbed him by the neck as he got upset. The film was uploaded online and quickly shared on social media.

Eventually, the visitor apologized to officer Thaweesak and returned to the Chiang Mai place on Wednesday evening. He claimed that the officers get had caused him to become angry because he misunderstood the law allowing the release of lanterns in the area.

Authorities explained the rules to him and fined him 3, 000 baht. Hirano acknowledged that he had a mistake, but he said it wouldn’t prevent him from returning to Thailand.

The next time, he said, he would make sure to act better.

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Two crashes in Surat Thani leave 12 dead

Thirty people were hurt in a journey vehicle crash that left five people dead, and seven were hurt in a pickup truck accident.

The front of a Toyota pickup truck is seriously damaged after it crashed into a tree on Asian Highway 41 in Surat Thani on Thursday. Seven people were killed. (Photo: JS100 Radio)
On Thursday, a Toyota pickup truck crashed into a branch on Asian Highway 41 in Surat Thani, really causing damage to the front of the vehicle. Seven people were killed. ( Photo: JS100 Radio )

In two street accidents that occurred on Wednesday and Thursday within four kilometers of one another in this southern county, Thirty-eight people were killed and 30 people were hurt.

Around 7 a.m. on Thursday, authorities from the Chaiya train and firefighters were called to an event on Asian Highway 41 at the 124/500 meter, according to Pol Maj Pichit Khaosuwan, the station’s key.

A Toyota pickup truck with Bangkok license plates and a top that was severely damaged next to a branch on the median was discovered.

Four persons — two women and two males— were found dead at the scene, according to volunteers. According to local media reports, three additional individuals were severely damaged and rushed to Chaiya Hospital, where they were later declared dead.

A witness testified to police that the truck had been moving at a high speed before veering off to prevent a vehicle parked by the side of the road to pick up some students, which caused the collision.

According to authorities, the truck was moving between Chumphon and Trang, and that everyone inside was related.

The collision took place on a road about 4 kilometers from the site of a tour bus injury on Wednesday evening that left five people dead and 30 injured.

According to local police, the bus carrying 37 individuals skidded off Asian Highway 41 and slammed into a wayside drain in tambon Pawae of Chaiya area at around 7.30pm on Wednesday.

The power of the crash killed five citizens at the picture and injured 30 people, three significantly. Of the injured, 12 were sent to Chaiya Hospital and the 18 another to Tha Chang Hospital.

Suthep Boonchum, 47, the bus driver, reported to the authorities that it was carrying 36 tourists and 2 Samut Sakhon provincial drivers to attend Betong in Yala.

On the way up to Samut Sakhon, one rider got off the bus, leaving 37 people on board.

One customer claimed that he heard the vehicle swaying into a tunnel before skidding off the road into the ditch that divided the road. It struck many plants.

The two van individuals were detained for questioning.

In order to arrange for relatives to bring the body of the deceased to the Kusolsatthra Surat Thani recovery foundation, they transported them to the site of the funeral services.

Rescue workers try to retrieve the bodies of the dead and injured victims from the tour bus after it plunged into ditch dividing the road in Chaiya district, Surat Thani on Wednesday night. (Photo supplied/Supaong Chaolan)

After the tour bus plunged into a ditch that divided the highway in Surat Thani’s Chaiya district on Wednesday night, rescue workers tried to retrieve the bodies of the dead and wounded victims. ( Photo supplied/Supapong Chaolan )

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Police to tackle rising cybercrime

Jirabhop: Time to 'amputate' networks
Jirabhop: Time to ‘ limb’ network

The Central Investigation Bureau ( CIB ) is placing a high priority on studying online scammers ‘ tricks and behaviors in order to prepare for the constantly evolving nature of tricks, given that the crime trend for 2025 focuses primarily on cybercrime and call center scams.

Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, the CIB Commissioner, just spoke with the Bangkok Post to discuss the state of crime in the last year.

He claimed that between Jan 1 and Sept 30 279, 861 petitions about cybercrimes were submitted to the Thai Police Online ( TPO ) platform, which resulted in damages totaling at least 28.01 billion baht.

Most of the petitions– 123, 865 in overall– involved company scams, while purchase scams caused the highest economic losses of 10.229 billion baht.

The CIB also found that the majority of victims were working-age individuals ( 25–45 years old ) due to their higher purchasing power, followed by elderly people ( 55 years and older ) due to their limited digital knowledge.

Threats will continue to be the main legal pattern in the coming year, according to Pol Lt. Gen. Jirabhop.

Swindlers are shifting their focus from call center schemes to those that cause even more extensive harm, such as purchase schemes, as the government becomes more aware of how to prevent particular schemes.

Scammers engage in emotional deception to confuse victims into unintentionally engaging in their schemes. According to the CIB’s research, their main goals are to promise incredibly higher income and build a trustworthy reputation.

Pol Lt. Gen. Jirabhop outlined how to create a reputable image can be accomplished in a variety of ways, including by promoting luxurious lifestyles online, holding seminars, or displaying honours. Additionally, it might require fake identities and celebrity endorsements.

According to him, “CIB studies show that fraud groups promise unattainable profits while presenting strong credentials to increase their reliability.”

The CIB director noted that patients ‘ emotional states, especially greed and fear, play significant roles in schemes. Scammers use emotional ploys to manipulate these factors, including making victims make quick decisions under time pressure.

” These parts are greatly concerning, as they contribute to the future trends in cybercrime”, he said.

Public recognition is essential.

The CIB has long worked with related businesses to advance its public relations efforts to prevent violence, according to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop.

The CIB is working on raising awareness of frauds through online channels, such as Facebook, Line, and TikTok, using genuine cases and patients as recommendations for easier explanations.

He claimed that the project expanded to seminars held in schools and communities, with topics addressing issues like setting up protection features in mobile bank applications and checking for the legitimacy of each call or website, as well as security concerns.

Additionally, the CIB has collaborated with Taiwanese authorities on searches and the recovery of victims of call center scams.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ), whose joint operation targeting the “911 S5” malware network in May, is a highlight of the year, is also a beneficiary of this cooperation.

” We have also worked with the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB ) to establish cyber patrol task forces and partnered with AIS to provide a scam-call alert service via *1185#. Also, we launched a area system called Cyber Police Volunteers to help report attacks”, he said.

Despite these attempts, Pol Lt. Gen. Jirabhop acknowledged the difficulties of battling foreign-based fraud sites.

” We are aware that virtual criminals have the tools and training to carry out their acts,” said the group. Many of these sites operate worldwide, making it difficult for the CIB to take immediate action”, he said.

The CIB has adopted four tactics to clap again at the hoax sites in order to fight crime and properly “amputate” those sites, according to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop.

One is digital forensics application, such as data evaluation from the TPO for offense trends. It also included the scammers ‘ website analysis, to which authorities are required to pursue financial transactions, such as lender accounts and cryptocurrency, using empirical technology as a key tool, such as IP addresses and the scammers ‘ communication system.

CIB officers are tasked with honing their technical abilities, from learning how to use artificial intelligence ( AI ) and machine learning to study scammer behavior to developing and analysing program.

The CIB actively works with mobile providers to search SIM cards and search SIM boxes. Additionally, it collaborates with social media platforms to help prevent inappropriate content before enforcing appropriate laws and procedures in each situation, according to Pol Lt. Gen. Jirabhop.

” We prioritised blocking suspects ‘ access to tools and equipment]to prevent the crime], such as sim cards, internet systems, and even mule bank accounts”, the chief added.

Despite the police’s best efforts, Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said that the public is still encouraged to stay away from scams despite their best efforts.

The public should not be fooled by any offers that appear to be too good to be true, he said, and they should check the information themselves if any investments have unfavorable results and offers.

They should always avoid sending money to strangers and clicking on foreign URLs from mobile messages. For greater online safety, police also suggested switching between passwords across platforms and choosing two-factor authentication.

If you suspect fraudulent activity, contact the police and your bank immediately to suspend the affected accounts, “he said”. We advise people to be cautious and seek out expert advice whenever in doubt because scammers rely on psychological strategies to elicit immediate responses, “he said.

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Prime Minister Paetongtarn calls 2025 a year of opportunity

Paetongtarn: 'Recharge for 2025'
Paetongtarn: ‘ Recharge for 2025 ‘

To mark the start of the year, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra wished her best intentions on January 1st, calling 2025 a time of opportunity for all.

The Thai people’s government sought the blessings of spiritual forces, saying that the year back would be filled with opportunities, hopes, and dreams as the authorities worked to raise their standard of living.

Additionally, Ms. Paetongtarn shared a picture message outlining the year-long ideas for the government. She emphasized the government’s commitment to providing the support and options for Thai people to achieve their aspirations and goals.

” During the trip, I wish you a pleasant time with your people, friends and loved ones. Take this opportunity to refill and get ready for the things that lie ahead,” she said.

The prime minister also updated her Facebook profile picture and handle image with the tag” Empowering Thais” on them.

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CIB to tackle rising cybercrime

Jirabhop: Time to 'amputate' networks
Jirabhop: Time to ‘ leg’ network

The Central Investigation Bureau ( CIB ) is placing a high priority on the study of online scammers ‘ tricks and behaviors in order to prepare for the constantly evolving nature of tricks, given that the crime trend for 2025 focuses heavily on cybercrime and call center scams.

Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, the CIB Commissioner, just spoke with the Bangkok Post to discuss the state of crime in the last year.

He claimed that between Jan 1 and Sept 30 there were 279, 861 cybercrimes petitions submitted to the Thai Police Online ( TPO ) platform, which resulted in damages totaling at least 28.01 billion baht.

Most of the petitions– 123, 865 in overall– involved company scams, while purchase scams caused the highest economic losses of 10.229 billion baht.

The CIB also found that the majority of victims were working-age individuals ( 25–45 years old ) due to their higher purchasing power, followed by elderly people ( 55 years and older ) due to their limited digital knowledge.

Threats will continue to be the main legal craze next year, according to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop.

Swindlers are shifting their focus from call center schemes to those that cause even more extensive harm, such as purchase schemes, as the government becomes more aware of how to prevent particular scams.

Scammers employ mental tricks to trick victims into unintentionally engaging in their schemes. According to the CIB’s research, their main goals are to make promises that will bring in astronomical gains and to establish a trustworthy brand.

Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop emphasized that establishing a reputable image can be achieved in a variety of ways, including by promoting luxurious lifestyles online, holding seminars, or displaying honours. Additionally, it might require fake identities and celebrity endorsements.

According to him, “CIB studies show that con gangs promise unattainable profits while presenting strong credentials to increase their reliability.”

The CIB director noted that patients ‘ emotional states, especially greed and fear, play significant roles in schemes. Scammers exploit these elements by using emotional ploys, such as putting stress on victims to make quick decisions.

” These parts are deeply concerning, as they contribute to the potential changes in cybercrime”, he said.

Public recognition is essential.

The CIB has long worked with related businesses to advance its public relations efforts to prevent violence, according to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop.

The CIB is working on raising awareness of frauds through online channels, such as Facebook, Line, and TikTok, using genuine cases and patients as recommendations for easier explanations.

He claimed that the project expanded to seminars held in schools and communities, with topics addressing issues like setting up protection features in mobile bank applications and checking for the legitimacy of each call or website, as well as security concerns.

Additionally, the CIB has collaborated with Taiwanese authorities on searches and the evacuation of victims of call center scams.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ), whose joint operation targeting the “911 S5” malware network in May, is a highlight of the year, is also a beneficiary of this cooperation.

” We have also worked with the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB ) to establish cyber patrol task forces and partnered with AIS to offer a scam-call alert service via *1185#. Also, we launched a area system called Cyber Police Volunteers to help report attacks”, he said.

Despite these attempts, Pol Lt. Gen. Jirabhop acknowledged the difficulties of battling foreign-based fraud sites.

” We are aware that virtual scams are a major societal problem, with offenders possessing the resources and expertise to carry out their acts,” said the organization. Many of these systems operate worldwide, making it difficult for the CIB to take immediate action”, he said.

The CIB has used four tactics to “amputate” the scam sites in order to fight crime and properly “amputate” them, according to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop.

One is digital forensics application, such as data research from the TPO for offense trends. It also included the scammers ‘ website analysis, to which authorities are required to pursue financial transactions, such as bank accounts and bitcoin, using empirical technology as a key tool, such as IP addresses and the scammers ‘ communication system.

CIB officers are tasked with honing their technical abilities, from learning how to use artificial intelligence ( AI ) and machine learning to study scammer behavior to developing and analysing program.

The CIB actively collaborates with mobile providers to search SIM cards and search SIM boxes. According to Pol Lt. Gen. Jirabhop, it also collaborates with social media platforms to help block inappropriate content before enforcing appropriate laws and procedures for each situation.

” We prioritised blocking suspects ‘ access to tools and equipment]to prevent the crime], such as sim cards, internet systems, and even mule bank accounts”, the chief added.

Despite the police’s best efforts, Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said that the public is still encouraged to stay away from scams despite their best efforts.

The public should not be fooled by any offers that appear to be too good to be true, he said, and they should check the information themselves if any investments have unfavorable results and offers.

They should always steer clear of sending money to strangers and refrain from visiting unfamiliar URLs on mobile messages. Additionally, police suggested switching between passwords across platforms and choosing two-factor authentication for greater online safety.

If you suspect fraudulent activity, contact the police and your bank immediately to suspend the affected accounts, “he said”. We advise people to be cautious and seek out expert advice whenever in doubt because scammers rely on psychological strategies to elicit immediate responses, “he said.

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Over 12m joined year-end prayers

More than 12 million people participated in New Year move prayers nationwide, according to Culture Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol.

Speaking after a standard alms-giving ceremony yesterday to celebrate the first day of the new time, Ms. Sudawan claimed that the Religious Affairs Department promoted the event in order to welcome the year 2025. A total of 24, 835 institutions across the nation organized the same activities.

In total, more than 12 million individuals participated in the action, both online and on-site, with more than 10, 000 of them joining the prayer at Sanam Luang in Bangkok, where a Buddha artifact from China is enshrined for the people to pay their respects.

As part of the festivities marking His Majesty the King’s 72nd day and the 50th anniversary of this year’s formation of Sino-Thai political relations, the relic, which is said to be a bone of Lord Buddha, was brought to Thailand.

From 7am to 8pm on February 14, those who want to pay their respects to the spiritual artifact may do so at Sanam Luang.

Daily from 7am to 8pm, the Buddha remnant is accessible to public visitors. Additionally, the state has set up public buses and provided plants for worship.

The spiritual Buddha remnant, which is typically kept in the Lingguang Temple in Beijing, was discovered in a tower close toXi’an in 1955.

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Kingdom welcomed 35m in 2024

More than 35 million people visited Thailand in 2024, and the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports spent more than 1.6 trillion ringgit there.

Minister Sorawong Thienthong reported yesterday that 35.32 million people visited the nation and spent 1.66 trillion ringgit there between Jan. 1 and Dec. 29.

Chinese people, numbering 6.70 million, formed the biggest group of visitors, followed by Malaysians ( 4.93 million ), Indians ( 2.12 million ), South Koreans ( 1.86 million ) and Russians ( 1.72 million ).

During the same time, Thais made 197.53 million trips inside the region and spent 952.77 billion rmb, the minister said.

Over the past year, 943, 269 individuals visited Thailand, with the regular arrival charge the highest since 2020. The number of small and long-haul customers rose in all business sections, Mr Sorawong said.

About 100, 000 persons arrived each week from Malaysia over the past month, forming the biggest group of guests during the time, followed by people from China, Russia, India and South Korea. Notably, arrivals from Russia, Malaysia and India increased by 17.01 %, 7.86 %, and 5.14 %, respectively, compared to the previous week. In contrast, arrivals from China and South Korea decreased by 7.86 % and 6.51 %, respectively.

Thailand’s government, Thapanee Kiatphaibool, acknowledged that the entire tourism profits had fallen short of the TAT’s goal of 3 trillion ringgit as a result of the slowdown in the world economy, the Middle East conflicts, and insufficient data collection on online spending by tourists.

This goal had been divided into 930 billion ringgit from local tourism and 2 trillion ringgit from international tourists.

Both domestic and international tourists numbers, according to Ms. Thapanee, exceeded the highest goals, despite falling by over 400 billion ringgit.

Comparing last year with the same period in 2023, the tourism sector fed 2.6 trillion baht into the economy, up 25 %.

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Govt targets fraud via entity registrations

‘ High-risk ‘ applicants may become deferred

In an effort to reduce financial crime, the government is tying information on people who have been identified as high-risk for cash laundering to candidates for legal entity licenses. Starting yesterday, programs with titles that are on the high-risk list may be deferred, requiring legitimate supporting documents.

According to Deputy state spokesman Karom Phonphonklang, fraud involving scammers who use legal entity licenses to deceive the public by leveraging businesses ‘ credibility and operational flexibility is a serious issue that the government is immediately addressing.

For swindlers frequently open bank accounts using legal entity subscription documents, allowing them to get money while avoiding bank financial attention.

This kind of fraud has seriously harmed Thailand’s monetary system and endangered the security of its citizens ‘ resources. It is a pressing concern that the authorities, in cooperation with several agencies, is working to prevent and curb, Mr Karom said.

High-risk individuals for money laundering ( HR-03 ) were recently combined with the Anti-Money Laundering Office ( Amlo ).

Mr. Karom explained that a supervisor or board member’s name on a legal entity registration application may be postponed if their name matches that on the HR-03 list.

The person may therefore provide upstanding supporting files. If these are not provided, the software will be denied. This estimate took influence yesterday.

” This order is an extra measure to address fraud at its core, preventing swindlers from exploiting the legitimate institution membership process,” he said.

The integration of field inspections and data sharing with organizations like the Central Investigation Bureau ( CIB ) will help stop these activities while safeguarding Thailand’s economy and its citizens.

Auramon Supthaweethum, director-general of the DBD, said the ministry just linked the HR-03 information from Amlo through the Anti-Online Scam Operation Centre.

The HR-03 roster includes people identified as high-risk for money laundering and requiring near monitoring.

Moreover, the department has issued an order clarifying the rules for the registration of limited companies and partnerships involving individuals on Amlo’s record.

Registrars can confirm legal entity registration applications that have been submitted in person or online thanks to this order. Registration officials are required to verify that the labels on an app match those on Amlo’s HR-03 record.

If a label on the HR-03 listing is found in an application, the person may verify their identity by providing appropriate documents, such as an ID cards, government official card, state enterprise employee card, mysterious certificate or passport.

The registrar has the right to decline a request if the applicant fails to appear for or provide the requested documents.

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PM calls 2025 a year of opportunity

Paetongtarn: 'Recharge for 2025'
Paetongtarn: ‘ Recharge for 2025 ‘

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra wished her best wishes on New Year’s Day yesterday, calling 2025 a season of possibility for all Thais.

The Thai people’s government sought the blessings of spiritual forces, saying that the year back would be filled with opportunities, hopes, and dreams as the authorities worked to raise their standard of living.

Additionally, Ms. Paetongtarn shared a video message outlining the administration’s plans for the year. She emphasized the government’s commitment to providing the support and options for Thai people to achieve their aspirations and goals.

” During the trip, I wish you a pleasant time with your people, friends and loved ones. Take this opportunity to refill and get ready,” she said.

The prime minister also updated her Facebook profile picture and handle image with the tag” Empowering Thais” on them.

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