Wild elephant wanders into Thai grocery store for food
The shocked shop owner told the Associated Press the plus-sized customer ate nine bags of sweet rice crackers, a sandwich and some bananas.
After a 10-minute meal, the AP reports park rangers ushered the intruder safely out of the store.
The elephant, named Plai Biang Lek, is said to be a familiar figure in the area. He has been known to enter local houses in search of food. But this was the first time he was spotted in a store.
Thousands of wild elephants roam the forests in Thailand, but with their habitat under pressure, many stray into villages when they get hungry.
In this case, there was no major damage. But Plai Biang Lek left an unpaid bill worth about 25 dollars.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Diplomat
5 days ago
- The Diplomat
The Hidden Impact of the Thailand-Cambodia Border Conflict
Amidst the elite family intrigue and international implications of the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict, the real story risks being lost. That story concerns neither Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Hun Sen, nor colonial border demarcation, nor international court rulings; instead, it is about the innocent lives lost and the indigent rural communities on both sides of the border who have been driven further into debt and desperation. On a recent trip to Surin and Sisaket provinces in Thailand, I witnessed and documented the impact of the conflict. At a convenience store in Sisaket that had been hit by a Cambodian rocket, for example, survivors told me it took two nights before they could recover all the bodies, fearing the presence of unexploded ordnance. Even though I had seen photographs and videos of war beforehand, nothing could truly prepare me for the heartbreak of standing in that space. A place that should have been bustling with shoppers was now completely silent. Outside the convenience store, shattered glass lay scattered in every direction. Burned fragments of debris were strewn across the ground. A gaping hole in the ceiling allowed daylight to pour into the store, illuminating its charred remains. The smell of smoke still lingered, even though fire hoses and rain had washed much of the dust and ash away. Unfamiliar, haunting details stood out: a packet of peanuts, its plastic wrapper melted onto a twisted metal hook; fridge doors blown wide open, every glass pane shattered. The scene spoke volumes about the devastating power of the weapon used. Many of the locals in Surin and Sisaket that I spoke with still remember the border-related violence that broke out in 2011. They said this year's conflict is the most serious escalation since then. Not just because of the weapons used, but because of what was lost. In addition to hitting military outposts, rockets also struck homes, farms, shops, and even a hospital. Many civilians have lost their lives from or because of the conflict, including a 65-year-old man, who took his own life, reportedly after being prevented from returning to his home along the border. Just a day after a barrage of Cambodian rocket and artillery fire landed in four Thai border provinces, I spoke with a Thai rubber plantation farmer in a shelter for displaced people in Surin. With tears falling down her face, she told me: I have 30 chickens, so my husband decided not to come to the shelter. …I still call him to check if he's eaten and ask how the situation is. … Because we've had to flee like this, villagers can't tap rubber and sell it. It's affected our income. We're grateful for the support we receive here [at the shelter], but can we really sleep peacefully at night? I worry about home. This kind of testimony does not fit neatly into military briefings or diplomatic cables, but it is how war manifests for those in the firing line. Although I wasn't able to talk with people on the Cambodian side, I can only imagine their hardships mirror what Thai survivors are going through. On Thailand's western border with Myanmar, where I am currently living, people are suffering the long-term impacts of a different war. Refugees fleeing decades of internal armed conflict in Myanmar are still stuck in limbo. They cannot return home to Myanmar, and now, with the wholesale withdrawal of American aid, they cannot even rely on the minimal assistance they once had. As of July 31, the Border Consortium, one of the few remaining lifelines for displaced people in the region, discontinued its support to all but the most vulnerable refugees in nine border refugee camps due to funding shortfalls. Many organizations have been working tirelessly to address the shortfalls, but without the political will, it remains nearly impossible to offer these communities a real way out. Communities living on Thailand's borders must not be allowed to fall through the social safety net that, in many ways, marks this nation out as a leader in the region. On the Cambodia border, a ceasefire is not enough. The two nations must not only end hostilities and resolve the territorial dispute, but also begin a real recovery process that centers the voices of those affected. This should include government-backed conflict insurance, compensation, and access to mental health support. We are not talking about the symbolic or procedural compensation under the law, but reparations and support that allow them to rebuild their lives and return to normalcy with dignity. Along the Myanmar border, hundreds of thousands of people displaced by decades of war and repression continue to live without security or stability, made worse by the recent funding cuts. Thailand must provide them with legal status and sustainable livelihood, by promoting local integration that allows them to stand strong and self-reliant. True peace and freedom within a federal, democratic Myanmar must remain the ultimate goal. We must invest not only in border security, but in rebuilding trust, restoring livelihoods, and returning dignity to people who have lived under the shadow of war for far too long – on both borders. It is the lasting traces of war, the ones that remain long after the gunfire stops, that we too often leave unspoken.
Japan Times
09-08-2025
- Japan Times
Thai soldiers injured by landmine near Cambodia amid fragile ceasefire
Three Thai soldiers were injured by a land mine on Saturday while patrolling a border area near Cambodia, the Thai army said in a statement, days after the two neighbors agreed to a detailed ceasefire following a violent five-day conflict last month. One soldier lost a foot and two others were injured after one of them stepped on a land mine as they patrolled an area between Thailand's Sisaket and Cambodia's Preah Vihear provinces. The soldiers are being treated at a hospital, the army said. Thailand said the incident took place within its territory and in an area recently cleared of land mines. It added it would lodge a complaint against Cambodia for violating a treaty that bans the use of land mines and for infringing on Thai sovereignty, the Thai foreign ministry said in a statement. Both Thailand and Cambodia are signatories to the Ottawa Convention against land mines. Cambodia's defense ministry said on Saturday that it "has yet to receive clear confirmation from Cambodian front-line forces concerning the explosion," adding that its army has been strictly respecting the spirit of the ceasefire. The incident is the third time in a few weeks that Thai soldiers have been injured by mines while patrolling along the border. Two previous incidents led to the downgrading of diplomatic relations and triggered five days of violent clashes. The Southeast Asian neighbors were engaged in deadly border clashes from July 24-28 in the worst fighting between the two in more than a decade. The exchanges of artillery fire and jet fighter sorties claimed at least 43 lives and left over 300,000 people displaced on both sides. A fragile ceasefire has been holding since Thailand and Cambodia agreed on Thursday to allow observers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to inspect disputed border areas to ensure hostilities do not resume. Bangkok earlier accused Cambodia of planting land mines on the Thai side of the disputed border that injured soldiers on July 16 and July 23. Phnom Penh denied it had placed any new mines and said the soldiers had veered off agreed routes and triggered old land mines left from its decades of war.
NHK
01-08-2025
- NHK
Second wild bear encounter in one day reported in Fukushima City
A man was injured in what was the second wild bear encounter with humans in a single day in Fukushima City, northeastern Japan. The fire department received a call shortly before 11 a.m. on Friday that a couple had been attacked by a bear while strolling in Azuma Sports Park. The prefectural government, which operates the park, says the bear initially headed toward the wife but instead attacked the husband, who shouted to chase the bear away. The man, in his 50s, suffered injuries to his left leg after being bitten. The prefecture says the bear disappeared from the park, but it decided to go ahead and close it for the time being. Police are patrolling the neighborhood and urging people to be cautious. Early Friday morning, a newspaper delivery man who was riding a motorcycle collided with a bear about one kilometer form the park. The man sustained scratches.
