Category: The Bangkok Post

Kumamoto Castle reopened to visitors on Thursday, just over two weeks after a magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck southwestern Japan, following safety checks by the city.

The city said inspections through Tuesday found no safety issues that would prevent visitors from entering the nationally designated special historic site, although the July 28 quake left part of the main tower’s floor uneven and caused stone walls in the castle’s compound to collapse in 40 locations.

Kumamoto Castle was heavily damaged by powerful earthquakes in 2016 and remains under restoration, with the city aiming to complete the work in fiscal 2052.

More than 83,000 items of illegally imported Japanese skincare and household product brands, worth 8.3 million baht, have been seized at a warehouse in Samut Prakan, consumer protection police said on Thursday.

The site had been used for storing and packing the goods, which would then be shipped to customers who ordered via online platforms. The operation had been operating for four years, with 200 to 300 orders filled each day, according to the Consumer Protection Police Division.

The search on Tuesday in Bang Phli district resulted in the seizure of 116 product lines, totalling 83,483 items. All were found illegally imported from Japan and sold without authorised Thai licences.

They included 64,000 items of skincare and hair care brands: Hada Labo, Biore, Fino and Tsubaki. Others were Kao dish detergent, P and G laundry detergent, Rohto eye drops and ascorbic acid supplements.

Officers have detained an unidentified warehouse manager, who faced several charges under the cosmetic, hazardous substance, drug and food acts.

A 43-year-old Japanese tourist was injured by a group of suspected robbers near Makkasan station on the Bangkok Airport Rail Link on Wednesday night, police said.

Pol Col Urumpon Khundetsamrit, chief of Makkasan police station, said on Thursday that the attack took place at about 8.30pm at a public park behind the electric train station, which connects Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan province with central Bangkok. The location is linked to Soi Asok-Din Daeng 30, which runs through a deserted area.

Police identified the injured tourist only as Yuki, 43. The man was looking for a staircase leading to Makkasan station but mistakenly entered Soi Asok-Din Daeng 30. As he was leaving the alley, six young men on two motorcycles approached him from the entrance and shouted, ‘Money… money.’

When Yuki told them he had no money, the men surrounded him, struck him three times on the back of the head with a stone and punched him once in the mouth. He then fled to the entrance of the alley, where he encountered a ride-hailing driver who helped him. The tourist lost his credit card in the incident, Pol Col Urumpon said.

The officer said the area belongs to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and is dark and deserted. He urged the SRT to trim the vegetation and install lights, saying groups of young men frequently gather there. Pol Col Urumpon also said he had ordered officers to conduct regular patrols in the area.

Police identified the alleged attackers from surveillance-camera footage and summoned some suspects for questioning. They were aged about 20 or younger, Pol Col Urumpon added.

The arrival of BTS’s world tour in Hong Kong next year is expected to be a sure-fire hit with the city’s hospitality sector, with hotels likely to see a similar surge in bookings to the one experienced in Seoul earlier this year when the South Korean pop superstars launched their comeback series of concerts, according to analysts.

When BTS kicked off their Arirang world tour – their first since completing mandatory military training – in the South Korean capital in April, local hotels recorded a major uptick in bookings, CBRE data showed. Revenue per available room jumped by 34% compared with the same period in 2025.

Hong Kong’s hotels can expect a similar bonanza when the boy band hold their run of three concerts at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium in Kowloon in early March, according to Shaman Chellaram, senior director for hotel advisory at Colliers.

“Major global music concerts such as BTS are expected to provide a significant uplift for the hotel sector,” Chellaram said. “High-profile concerts help drive short-term occupancy, strengthen pricing power, and – more importantly – add momentum to Hong Kong’s growing year-round events economy.”

In particular, hoteliers that “curate a targeted marketing strategy and guest experience in alignment with these mega-events will be well-positioned to boost performance,” he added.

During recent major events in the city, some hotel operators have reported average daily rate uplifts of 10% to 30%, especially in the Tsim Sha Tsui area, according to Chellaram.

Six months ahead of BTS’ arrival, several hotels in Hong Kong have already announced promotions for would-be concertgoers.

Dorsett Kai Tak has launched “early bird offers” and special rates for bookings that weekend, while Royal Park Hotel in Sha Tin plans to offer a complimentary one-way shuttle bus service to Kai Tak Sports Park.

Since Kai Tak Stadium opened in March last year, the mammoth venue has “quickly emerged as one of Asia’s leading event venues and top three internationally in terms of ticket sales in its first year, helping underpin hotel performance for 2026 and beyond,” Chellaram said.

Hotelier William Cheng said he was also expecting a surge in demand for hotel rooms due to the BTS shows, but cautioned that the city needed to do more to attract high-spending tourists beyond promoting concerts and events.

“Whenever there is a popular concert in Hong Kong, there is a surge of demand for hotel rooms leading to full occupancies and higher rates,” said Cheng, whose Shun Ho group controls ownership of a string of properties, including Ramada Hong Kong Grand View and Best Western Plus Hotel Causeway Bay.

“However, there is a limited number of concert events, and the performance of hotels and the tourism market is also dependent on other factors, such as the weather, and that is important as 80% of our visitors are from mainland China,” he added.

“If the weather is too rainy or there is a typhoon, they won’t come. They also assess the attractiveness of Hong Kong tourism and if there is enough reason for them to spend and stay overnight.”

In the first half of the year, visitors to major events in Hong Kong spent HK$5.8 billion (25 billion baht), or an average of HK$3,314 per head, according to Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po.

In his latest weekly blog, Chan said about 1.75 million visitors were drawn to more than 130 events between January and June, contributing HK$3.3 billion to the economy.

For the second half of the year, Hong Kong is scheduled to hold more than 100 events, including the Food Expo, National Day fireworks display, the Hong Kong Cyclothon and the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival, Chan said.

He added that these were expected to attract more than 1.85 million visitors, HK$5.9 billion in spending and HK$3.3 billion in additional economic value.

Weather forecasters are paying very close attention to the rising water level of the Mekong River, which increases the flood risk in northern provinces nearby.

The Meteorological Department said the Mekong situation dominated the daily morning meeting on Thursday amid continued rain throughout the week in the northern and northeastern regions.

The water level of the river was down slightly or stable in the northern region but it has started to surge in northeastern areas downstream.

The reading in Nakhon Phanom was 12.01 metres on Thursday, up from 11.98m on Wednesday, data compiled by the Water Resource Department showed. The river rose by 14cm to 12.28m when it reached Mukdahan and was up by 21cm to 14.32m in Khong Chiam district of Ubon Ratchathani, it added.

Although the Mekong passed its crisis point of 12m in Nakhon Phanom for the first time this year, officials on Thursday expressed confidence that the downtown and economic centre in Muang district would not be inundated, as its floodwall could handle water levels up to 15m.

Pumps have been installed to drain floodwater back to the river in case rain worsens the situation and makes the Mekong burst its banks, the office said.

Some farmland in three districts in Nakhon Phanom – Na Wa, Tha Uthen and Si Songkhram – was flooded as three tributaries could not flow into the Mekong, it added.

An investigation has been launched after a police officer was allegedly caught using methamphetamine during an online training session attended by hundreds of fellow officers.

The incident came to light after a virtual training programme organised by Provincial Police Region 9 on Monday for 259 police officers ranging from squad leaders to deputy superintendents.

According to reports, participants spotted a police senior sergeant major attached to Talay Noi police station in Khuan Khanun district of Phatthalung behaving inappropriately on camera during the Zoom-based session.

Disturbed by the apparent misconduct, several officers reported the incident to their superiors and notified local media.

Pol Maj Gen Chaowalit Liangsupong, commander of Phatthalung provincial police, said he ordered Talay Noi police station to urgently investigate the matter after learning of the allegations through online media.

If the allegations are found to be true, the officer will face the most severe disciplinary measures available under police regulations, he said.

Reporters who travelled to Talay Noi police station were unable to speak with station chief Pol Col Rangsi Manjit, who was attending a separate training programme.

A police source at the station said the officer at the centre of the controversy had not been seen since the incident emerged and did not attend a workshop at the Region 9 Police Training Centre in Yala on Thursday.

Attempts by fellow officers and reporters to contact him for comment were unsuccessful. Colleagues also declined to answer questions about whether he had a history of involvement with narcotics.

In a statement issued later, Phatthalung provincial police confirmed that the individual seen in the widely shared clip was an officer attached to Talay Noi police station.

The force said an inquiry committee had been appointed to investigate the incident, with both criminal and disciplinary action to follow if misconduct is confirmed.

The officer previously served in Trang before transferring to Talay Noi police station about two years ago, according to local media reports. The reports alleged that he had been involved in drug use and had pawned a service firearm and an official vehicle without facing disciplinary action.

The Tourist Assistance Centre (TAC) has inspected a lion café following social media reports that a Chinese tourist was bitten by a lion.

TAC officers inspected the café in Chalong district on Tuesday and questioned staff about the incident, amid concerns over tourist safety.

Staff confirmed that a Chinese visitor was bitten during the Chinese New Year period several months ago. The visitor suffered only a minor abrasion and received first aid from staff.

The café said the lion involved was a small cub named Caesar and confirmed that all lions at the venue had been vaccinated.

The café was unable to provide CCTV footage because the recording was no longer available.

A Chinese man wanted in China over an alleged investment fraud involving more than 200 people and losses of about 500 million baht has been arrested in Pattaya.

Immigration police arrested the man, identified as Yin, on Tuesday. Police said he allegedly persuaded victims to invest by guaranteeing their principal and offering annual interest of 6.2%. More than 200 people reportedly invested about 100 million yuan, or roughly 500 million baht, before Yin fled to Thailand.

Police initially traced Yin to northeastern Thailand, where he allegedly changed accommodation frequently before moving to a village in Chon Buri.

Immigration police have revoked his permission to stay in Thailand.

An event in which shotguns were billed as draw prizes for public officials on Koh Phangan will be the last of its kind, a senior Interior Ministry official said on Thursday.

Narucha Khosasivilai, director-general of the Department of Provincial Administration, was responding to widespread public criticism of the event, which was held just three days after a mass shooting in Nonthaburi left nine people dead.

Firearms will no longer be given as prizes to kamnan (sub-district or tambon chiefs) and village headmen as part of a series of new gun-control rules announced this week, he said.

Local officials, meanwhile, said on Thursday that while guns had been awarded as draw prizes on the tourist island in Surat Thani in past years, this year’s winners were given cash.

Provincial governor Chumphot Wannachatsiri, acknowledging the social media storm, said there had been an agreement to designate the prizes as firearms for winners selected by lottery. However, no firearms were actually handed over. Instead, cash was given to the winners, who could decide whether to use the money to purchase a firearm.

‘The firearm was simply a symbol of the prize,’ he said. In any case, the timing of the event and images of participants holding up large pictures of shotguns raised eyebrows. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is also the interior minister, also ordered officials to make sure no more gun raffles take place.

On the same day that the Koh Phangan party was held, there was another shooting in Nonthaburi in which a former MP killed the head of the provincial administrative organisation, a former policeman.

Responding to the events in Nonthaburi, Mr Anutin on Tuesday ordered a blanket ban on issuing of new gun permits, along with a halt to the controversial ‘welfare guns’ programme for public officials.

He has also ordered a new gun-control law to be drawn up within 60 days, with a strong emphasis on using technology to track and trace weapon sales and registrations.

Welfare guns on hold

Discussing the suspension of the ‘welfare gun’ scheme, Mr Narucha said it was originally intended to help officials to acquire firearms for maintaining public order at very low prices.

The programme, under which the government has procured tens of thousands of cut-price guns over the past 15 years or so, has given rise to a large resale market.

Given the government’s new policy to curb and limit firearms ownership, the programme has been suspended to ensure equal treatment between public officials and ordinary citizens.

Mr Anutin has also ordered a blanket ban on carrying weapons in public without proper authorisation.

Police have expressed concern that restrictions on carrying firearms, including requirements for officers to leave their weapons at their workplaces, could delay their response in emergencies.

Mr Narucha said the matter would be handled by individual agencies. As a solution, officials who are on duty may carry firearms if they have a written order from their superior assigning them to maintain public order within their area of responsibility.

Morale boosting event

Elaborating on the Koh Phangan event, Mr Chumphot said cash prizes had been provided to kamnan and village headmen in recognition of their assistance to government agencies throughout the year. The morale-boosting practice has been in place for many years.

District chief Paisit Thongcherm said prize money was contributed by businesses and members of the public, with firearms used as the symbolic form of the awards.

In the past, he said, winners of the Department of Provincial Administration’s gold-pin award for kamnan had received handguns or official-duty shotguns as prizes.

The Koh Phangan club, however, gives cash prizes ranging from 15,000 to 20,000 baht. Some winners have used their prize money to purchase personal firearms, but any such purchase must comply fully with government regulations.

‘Sometimes criticism on social media can affect the morale of people who work to assist the government, and may discourage good people,’ Mr Paisit said.

Sonchai Sithongkul, a member of the Surat Thani Provincial Administration Organisation, in an earlier television interview, said the purpose of offering firearms as prizes was to boost morale and provide equipment for officials performing their duties, as the weapons available to personnel in the area were insufficient.

He acknowledged that in light of the government’s tougher stance on firearms, organisers would need to discuss arrangements for future events and consider different types of prizes.

Mr Sonchai said local officials working in the area needed to take their safety into consideration because they could encounter armed offenders.

The body of a 30-year-old German tourist who went missing after being swept out to sea at Freedom Beach has been found.

Jannik Juergen Knobel disappeared at about 3.45pm on Monday after strong waves swept him out to sea while he was swimming with another German tourist, who was rescued by lifeguards.

The search was suspended on Monday evening due to strong winds, high waves and poor visibility. Officers resumed the operation on Tuesday and found Knobel’s body floating off the right side of Freedom Beach at about 3.10pm.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin expressed condolences to Knobel’s family and thanked the teams involved in the search.

The Royal Forest Department will coordinate with the German embassy in Thailand on arrangements concerning the deceased and notify his family.