BANGKOK - The world's top wildlife trade organisation increased protections on Friday for more than 70 species of sharks and rays, in a move conservationists hailed as a "historical win".

SONGKHLA: As floodwaters recede across Hat Yai, many residents remain isolated in affected areas with depleted phone batteries and no means to contact the outside world.

CHIANG MAI:  Crowds of tourists continued to flock to Doi Inthanon on Friday to experience the biting cold, as temperatures on the mountaintop dropped further with grass frost hitting a new low for the season at  -4.9°C.

The Corrections Department has defended its policy after a family photo of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra embracing his children during a prison visit sparked criticism from a former senator about security protocols.

Japan has often prided itself on its orderly, low-crime society, but cracks in that image are widening amid rising car thefts and home intrusions fueled by export markets and public complacency.

The Hat Yai mayor is facing growing calls to resign as residents remain furious over his underestimation of the severe flooding that left much of the city underwater.

Thailand Post has rolled out the digital post ID or D/ID digital addressing system, which can be used to pinpoint flood-affected areas in the South.

The Samui property market now mirrors Phuket's 2022 peak, with newly launched villas reaching a 15-year high and land prices up 10%, according to property consultancy Colliers Thailand.

The severe flooding in southern Thailand is a short-term drag on economic activity, but eventually will support a rebound in retail and construction-related stocks once the recovery begins, say analysts.

The People's Party (PP) is firmly opposed to Pheu Thai's attempt to establish a Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA), saying the proposal will add unnecessary steps to the charter amendment process.