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Phuket – Police in Wichit launched an operation to arrest a 30-year-old man accused of shooting his neighbor during a heated argument over alcohol consumption. The Wichit Police told the Phuket Express that at around 2:30 a.m. on Monday (May 18th), officers from Wichit Police Station received a report of gunfire at a residence in […] Man Arrested After Late-Night Shooting Over Drinking Dispute in Wichit -=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=- The Phuket Express - Real. Unbiased. Impactful. In the moment.

On May 19, 2025, Prof. Dr. Yong Pooworawan from the Department of Microbiology at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Medicine addressed concerns about Ebola reaching Thailand. He explained that it is unlikely for Ebola to spread to Thailand because the disease's extreme severity—with mortality rates between 25-90%—actually limits its transmission. Infected individuals become severely ill and rarely have the opportunity to travel long distances by air or across continents, making widespread global pandemics unlikely. Unlike diseases such as influenza or COVID-19, which can spread rapidly due to their lower severity, Ebola's virulent nature restricts its reach.

Ebola is a severe viral infection from the viral hemorrhagic fever group, caused by viruses in the genus Ebolavirus, family Filoviridae. The disease originated in wild animals in Africa and is named after the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it was first identified in 1976. The largest outbreak occurred between 2013-2016 in West Africa, affecting Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, with over 30,000 cases and 11,000 deaths. The current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda involves a moderately severe strain with over 250 cases and 80 deaths, but no vaccine yet exists for this particular variant.

Transmission occurs through direct contact with infected patients or animals, particularly among African communities with traditional practices involving contact with deceased bodies. Each outbreak typically begins in rural areas linked to wildlife, with high transmission in hospitals, resulting in significant healthcare worker casualties. Symptoms include sudden high fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and uncontrolled bleeding internally and externally.

The World Health Organization emphasizes disease prevention through avoiding contact with patients and animal sources, alongside vaccine development for specific strains. A vaccine now exists for the Zaire strain. Thailand's distance from outbreak epicenters, combined with the disease's severity limiting transmission, means there is currently no cause for excessive concern, though public education about Ebola remains important.

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Phuket – Police in Phuket have arrested a 29‑year‑old Russian national after discovering a substantial quantity of narcotics including Ketamine, methamphetamine, heroin, and ecstasy, hidden in his luggage during a routine checkpoint inspection. The Tha Chatchai Police told the Phuket Express that the suspect, identified only as Mr. Gorskii, was traveling on a Phuket–Pattaya interprovincial […] Russian Man Arrested at Phuket Checkpoint on Bus from Pattaya with Large Drug Haul -=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=- The Phuket Express - Real. Unbiased. Impactful. In the moment.

Recently, CKPower Public Company Limited partnered with the Chas Kaengchuang Group to hold a blessing ceremony and install a five-tiered white cloth parasol over the main ordination hall at Wat Na Huai in Pranburi District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, marking the completion of the temple's restoration work. The ordination hall is a historically significant religious structure in the community, believed to have been built during the late Ayutthaya to early Rattanakosin periods. The restoration was carried out in consultation with the Fine Arts Department's architecture office and the Fine Arts Regional Office No. 1 in Ratchaburi to ensure the preservation and restoration aligned with the original architecture and ancient monument conservation principles. This project is part of efforts to maintain the community's important religious site as a spiritual center for Buddhists and to preserve Thai cultural heritage. Thanavat Triwisvethed, Managing Director of CKPower, presided over the ceremony alongside Seevalee Triwisvethed, company advisor; Walaiyanutt Triwisvethed, Managing Director of TTW Public Company Limited; and Dr. Anukul Tantimas, Deputy Managing Director of Human Resources and General Administration at Chas Kaengchuang Public Company Limited.

Japanese police have revealed the arrest of two American nationals involved in an incident at Ichikawa Zoo in Chiba Prefecture on the morning of Sunday, May 17. One of the suspects jumped into the enclosure of 'Punch Kung,' a 9-month-old Japanese macaque who has captured the hearts of the internet and attracted numerous tourists to Ichikawa, while the other suspect filmed the incident. Authorities disclosed that a 24-year-old man claiming to be a college student is accused of scaling a fence to enter Punch's enclosure, and a 27-year-old man claiming to be a singer was responsible for recording the video. Both men initially denied the allegations. Video footage posted on social media by visitors shows a man in a costume covering his head and face climbing over a fence into the snow monkey enclosure. Reports indicate the costume was used to promote a cryptocurrency. The costumed man was then seen walking around one section of the enclosure before animal care staff intervened and brought him inside, after which police arrived to arrest him and charge him with obstructing business operations. The zoo stated that no monkeys were injured and is implementing preventive measures against future incidents, including expanding restricted viewing areas and installing anti-intrusion netting. The facility is also considering a complete ban on video recording around the exhibit and has temporarily suspended approval for YouTuber filming requests.