The claim appeared in multiple TikTok videos, including one posted on April 26, 2025 (archived here), with the following caption, which read (translated from Thai into English by Lead Stories staff):

Breaking news, watch out for this insect! #epidemic #southernourland #pumpkintown #Bangkok #goodlifeinbangkok #warning #pharmacistfiu #pharmacistfiu

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Thu May 1 13:19:54 2025 UTC)

The video claims leishmaniasis is spreading in Thailand, with 14 cases reported in the southern provinces at the time of writing. The person in the video says that besides the south, people in Bangkok, Chantaburi, and other northern provinces should also be on alert, as cases were reported there too.

According to the Thai Department of Disease Control (archived here), the disease isn't new and has existed in Thailand since 1996, with an all-time total of 45 cumulative patients and seven deaths. In 2025, there have been two confirmed patients with one fatality so far, the agency said on April 25, 2025. The two patients were from Songkla and Bangkok.

Dr. Jurai Wongsawat, Thai DDC's spokesperson, said at a press conference on April 22, 2025, which was posted on the agency's Facebook page (see screenshot below), that leishmaniasis is a protozoan infectious disease transmitted by sandflies to mammals, including dogs, cats and rabbits, being disease-carrying animals (archived here).

(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Thu May 8 09:04:13 2025 UTC)

Wongsawat said the public can protect themselves from the disease by taking similar precautions as they do for mosquito-related diseases. "If we strictly follow these measures, we can also be safe from this disease," she concluded.

Meanwhile, the Director of Bangkok's Medical Service Department Lertluck Leelaruangsang said on May 1, 2025, through the administration website (archived here) that the central Bangkok government has collaborated with all 50 district offices to implement measures to monitor leishmaniasis in the Bangkok area.

(Source: Screenshot taken from the Thai Department of Disease Control on Thu May 1 2025 UTC)

The claim appeared in multiple TikTok videos, including one video posted on April 7, 2025 (archived here), which had the following on-screen caption, saying (translated from Thai into English by Lead Stories staff):

What do the coalition parties say? There is a lot of talk that Thaksin threatens that anyone who votes against or abstains will be expelled from the government

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Thu Apr 10 12:55:20 2025 UTC)

The video features a news package from PPTV 36's evening broadcast on April 7, 2025 (archived here). Although the claim has no clear origin, Thai media, including Infoquest, Manager Online, and Workpoint (archived here, here, and here), picked it up without attribution but said it was from "news reports."

The claim followed the controversial bill (archived here) dubbed an "entertainment complex bill" and a "casino bill" proposed by the government. It would introduce casino resorts at tourism spots across the country. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her allies initially sought a speedy legislative process for the bill. However, they have since postponed it after strong opposition in the form of protests and petitions.

Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra denied the rumor with reporters on April 8, 2025 (archived here), stating that while there were general discussions with the coalition parties in the past, he was only asking for each person's opinions and that nobody objected.

Other government officials have also denied the rumor.

Minister of Tourism and Sports and Phue Thai Party Secretary General Sorawong Thienthong said through the party's Facebook page on April 7, 2025 (archived here) that the claim is "completely false," and asked for evidence.

"I understand that the media must work quickly because there is high competition," he said. "But when news comes out like this, we are damaged. Who will be responsible for us? The news source in question, please find me so that I can confirm it because I am confident that Thaksin did not give an interview anywhere."

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transportation Suriya Juangroongruangkit said on April 8, 2025, that the former prime minister wouldn't pose any threat as he wouldn't interfere with the current administration's affairs, according to ThaiRath (archived here).

Minister of Social Development and Human Security Varawut Silpa-archa said on April 8, 2025, that he was unaware of the rumor and had not seen any discussions on the matter when reporters asked about it, according to TNN News (archived here). He's the leader of Chart Thai Pattana Party, a part of the government coalition.

Thamanat Prompow, a member of the House of Representatives and advisor to Kla Tham Party, said on April 8, 2025, that he was present at the discussion and that some coalition parties said that if they agreed to vote for the bill, they should all agree, but if they didn't, they should be expelled from the coalition parties, according to Bangkok Biz News (archived here). He confirmed the former prime minister didn't say it.

The claim appeared in a video posted on TikTok on February 18, 2025, no longer available on the platform but archived here, which had the following caption (translated from Thai into English by Lead Stories staff):

What are they doing in Pai? Is this true or not?

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Thu Feb 20 14:16:09 2025 UTC)

The video features screenshots of news headlines, including some that read: "Thai Pai residents suffer. 30,000 Israelis permanently live here" and "Taking over Pai. Jews invade Thailand."

The narrator opened the video by saying he heard that there are more than 30,000 Israelis in Pai, with about 3,000 permanently living there and the rest going in and out of the country - more than the 21,000 local Pai residents. The post also says the Israelis came amid a ceasefire with Hamas and that there is now infrastructure supporting them as residents, such as a synagogue and haircut spots reserved only for Jewish people.

Authorities have refuted the claim: Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said at a news conference (archived here) on February 18, 2025, that the government looked into it and verified that the claim was not true. She added that the Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul would visit the district in person the following week for inspections.

Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, along with Orna Sagiv, the Israeli ambassador to Thailand, inspected the district on February 26, 2025, according to the Government Public Relations Department (archived here). The deputy prime minister said he was personally briefed by the governor, who confirmed that many claims about the Israelis' presence there were exaggerated, noting there hadn't been any indication of a security threat to local Thai residents or any indication that they would stay in the district permanently.

Chatchai Bangchuad, secretary-general of the National Security Council, told The Standard on February 19, 2025, (archived here), that there are about 3,000-4,000 Israeli tourists in the district each month, but it is a normal situation that poses no threat.

Mae Hong Son Governor Ekwit Meepian said on National Broadcasting Services of Thailand on February 18, 2025 (archived here), that the 30,000 figure, claimed in the TikTok, is the total number of tourists that have been to the Pai district in 2024, noting that not all of them were Israelis.

Mae Hong Son Public Relations Office wrote in a Facebook post on January 22, 2025 (archived here), that there were 221,776 foreign tourists in Mae Hong Son, the province where Pai is located, in 2024, with 31,735 of them being from Israel, the second largest presence after 39,390 tourists from the United Kingdom.

On top of that, Mae Hong Son Tourist Police said on its Facebook page on February 18, 2025 (archived here), the Chabad House in the district (archived here), a physical space that serves the Jewish community and welcomes Israeli tourists as well, is only used as a place for worship on Fridays and Saturdays, and has a capacity of about 200 people. In the same post, the local tourist police also said there hasn't been any action taken by these individuals that would indicate their intention to settle in the area long-term.

Additionally, one of the pictures shown in the TikTok video (see screenshot below) implying to show a recent gathering of Israelis in Thailand is an old picture that was taken and published by Mae Hon Son Immigration on October 2, 2024, at an event celebrating the Jewish New Year (archived here).

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Thu Feb 20 14:18:23 2025 UTC)

An anti-Israelis sentiment in the area likely stemmed from an incident in February 2025, in which four Israelis were deported and blacklisted after causing a disturbance at Pai Hospital on February 6, 2025, according to the Thai Immigration Bureau (archived here). The agency said the four individuals attempted trespassing into the hospital's restricted area. They were fined 3,000 Baht each and barred from future entry for "colluding to cause trouble to others, such as bullying, intimidation, threatening, or acting in a way that causes humiliation."

"It's a part of what happens when there are a lot of tourists, there can be some behavior that may not be appropriate," Governor Ekwit Meepian said, "but we must strictly enforce the law."

The Embassy of Israel in Thailand released a statement on its Facebook page on February 27, 2025 (archived here). The ambassador reaffirmed the country's "ongoing efforts to provide guidance to Israeli travelers regarding Thai customs, traditions, and legal regulations." Ambassador Orna Sagiv wrote (archived here): "Thailand and Israel share a strong bond, and I deeply appreciate the warm hospitality extended to the Israeli travelers. We are dedicated to building mutual understanding and strengthening respectful connections between our communities."

The claim appeared in a video posted on TikTok on November 12, 2024, no longer available but archived here, and had the following on-screen caption (translated from Thai into English by Lead Stories staff):

The real cat didn't make it because there wasn't immediate help. Doctor warns. Don't let this go quiet.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Thu Nov 14 14:06:30 2024 UTC)

The video is a screen recording of a news talk show from PPTV that aired on November 11, 2024 (archived here), featuring an interview with Phatthanan Satchararom, a veterinarian for WatchDog Thailand Foundation, a non-profit animal welfare group.

In the video, Satchararom talks about the procedure for performing anesthesia for animals, which involves monitoring the animal's conditions in real-time, something she pointed out that didn't take place according to the scene from the Thai show. She also says the intervention window is tiny if something happens to the animal.

The death claim stemmed from a scene from the Thai drama series "The Empress of Ayodhaya" or "Mae Yua" in Thai. It was produced by One 31 and also streamed on Netflix. The scene portrayed the cat being poisoned and suffering convulsions before dying. It has sparked concerns around animal abuse, leading to a boycott on social media.

The cat didn't die, however. After the controversy picked up, show director Sant Srikaewlaw posted on his Facebook page on November 9, 2024, a video showing the scene, confirming that it's still alive and that he will publicize a doctor's note once a whole examination is completed. The post and the video have since been deleted, but it was captured by multiple local news outlets, including Thai PBS, Daily News, and TV Pool News (archived here, here, and here). The post also admitted to the use of anesthesia but stressed professionals monitored it.

One News, a news outlet under One 31, confirmed on November 13, 2024 (archived here) that channel executives, the director, and representatives of the cat's modeling agency turned the cat over to the Department of Livestock Development for an examination. The report said artificial intelligence tools were used to confirm the cat's identity.

Veterinarian Somchuan Rattanamangklanon, director of the DLD, said through the department's Facebook post on November 19, 2024 (archived here) that the examination of the cat's identity by comparing frames resulted in an 80 percent match, leading the department to believe it was "likely" the same cat. The department added that the cat was in normal health, and the x-ray didn't find any abnormalities of the organs in the chest and abdomen. A skin examination didn't find any wounds and the blood test results didn't show any abnormalities of blood cells or liver and kidney function.

The examination took place after Boonyakrit Pinprasong, the DLD's deputy director acting as director, sent a letter (archived here) to the channel executives on November 11, 2024, asking them to turn in evidence and testify for an investigation into possible violations of animal abuse laws.

Additionally, Sorayuth Suthassanachinda, a prominent TV presenter with Channel 3, corroborated the report on his Facebook page (archived here) on November 13, 2024, citing Chaiwalan Tunak, director of Animal Welfare and Veterinary Services Division at DLD, that One 31 executives went in the morning of November 13, 2023, without noticing the press and that the department couldn't publicize the examination results yet.

In the November 19, 2024, Facebook post by the DLD, the department said it had assigned the Animal Welfare and Veterinary Services Division to file a formal complaint to prosecute the cat owner and those involved in the animal cruelty offenses.

The claim appeared in a video (archived here) posted on TikTok on September 30, 2024, with the following on-screen caption (translated from Thai into English by Lead Stories staff):

Got some good news to tell. The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security is set to give 1,000 baht senior citizen allowance.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Wed Oct 16 12:19:59 2024 UTC)

The 36-second video continued, adding how the Ministry (MSDHS) is prepared to propose a 1,000 baht allowance for all older adults to a "committee." The video also stated that Minister of Social Development and Human Security Varawut Silpa-archa (archived here) chaired a meeting by the Sub-Committee for the Promotion of Government Welfare, which has approved four proposals including one on the allowance increase.

This is old news recirculating. The sub-committee's meeting took place on February 21, 2024, according to the MSDHS (archived here). But this TikTok video and other videos (archived here and here) with the same voiceover were posted towards the end of September 2024 and the beginning of October 2024.

According to the MSDHS, the February 2024 meeting approved four main proposals: Universal child care allowance, adjustment to the age limit for child care centers, universal senior citizen allowance, and disability allowance.

However, that approval was just an initial step needed before the proposals could go before the Committee to Solve The People's Movement's Problems for a Just Society, as translated by Lead Stories staff. After that, they will have to be presented before the cabinet, which hasn't happened yet. The initial approval had no legal effect but served as the sub-committee's recommendation.

The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society corroborated this in a post on October 9, 2024 (archived here), debunking a similar claim that the Comptroller General's Department will send a 1,000 baht payment to all senior citizens on October 10, 2024. It said the proposal is in the process of being presented to the cabinet.

The current welfare structure for senior citizens follows the 2023 Ministry of Interior's Regulations on the Criteria for Payment of Elderly Allowances by Local Administrative Organizations (archived here).

The payment of the monthly elderly welfare allowance is based on age groups: 600 baht for those 60-69 years old, 700 baht for 70-79, 800 baht for 80-89, and 1,000 baht for those over 90, according to the Department of Older Persons (archived here).

The claim appeared in a video that was posted on TikTok on August 26, 2024 (archived here).

It had the following caption (translated from Thai to English by Lead Stories staff):

Cutting weir construction budget. #Flooding2024 #TikTokNews #MoveForwardParty #WeirCollapsing #TheMask

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Wed Sep 4 11:52:35 2024 UTC)

The video features footage of flooding with an overlay text saying, as translated, "Who is responsible?" and "Proud to have cut the weir construction budget but the people are in trouble." It also features Surachet Pravinvongvuth, a Bangkok member of Parliament from the former MFP, saying, as translated, that the party was proud to have proposed cutting this budget item because it saved the people's money.

The claim alluded to 1,255 million baht for the cement-core weir construction project by the Department of Local Administration under the Ministry of Interior that appeared in the proposal for the fiscal year 2025 budget earlier this year (archived here).

First, the severe flooding that hit Thailand in August 2024, was caused by excessive rainfall between August 14-21, 2024, according to the Thai Meteorological Department. The agency posted on its Facebook page (archived here) on August 25, 2024, that it was due to the influence of two monsoons, with strong power at times, that passed through Thailand in the north and northwest.

"This causes continuous rain almost every day with rainfall being heavy to very heavy in some days, especially in the mountainous areas," the agency wrote, as translated. "This results in a huge amount of water rapidly flowing into the main river basins."

On the weir construction project, while it was true the opposition MFP party proposed to reject it, other parties including the ruling Pheu Thai Party joined in voting it down, according to a Parliamentary meeting on March 21, 2024 (archived here) recorded by The National Assembly Radio and Television Broadcasting Station.

The 1,255-million-baht item was in Article 20 of the budget bill under the Ministry of Interior. The Ad-Hoc Committee on the Annual Appropriations Bill Budget recommended an amendment to take the item out, after the committee questioned its necessity and transparency, according to committee meeting minutes (archived here) from February 13, 2024.

In the Parliamentary meeting on March 21, 2024, the government and the opposition parties clashed over the rejection of the funding for the construction project. When a motion to adopt the committee's recommendations went before members for a vote, though, it passed with 427-1 votes, with two abstentions, according to voting records (archived here). This means every party voted in favor of cutting the budget for the weir construction project. Another motion to pass the Ministry of Interior's overall budget that included the cut, passed with 270-157 votes, with five abstentions, according to the same voting records.

Initially opposing the cut, Pheu Thai Party released a statement on Facebook (archived here) on March 22, 2024, after voting, instead, in favor of the cut, stating that the party rejected the cut in the committee meeting but lost to the majority, so it decided to "look at the big picture" and passed the amendment to speed up the budget process for the good of the people.

Additionally, Member of Parliament Karit Pannaim, an engineer who has a background in weir construction, said in an interview with The Reporters (archived here) on August 26, 2024, that the goal of constructing a weir is to save water for drought seasons, not to prevent floods because weirs are usually constructed lower than river banks.

The claim originated from a video (archived here) published on TikTok on March 21, 2024. The caption (translated from Thai to English by Lead Stories staff) read:

What does the test for 10-year-stored rice look like?

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Mon May 13 07:56:15 2024 UTC)

The TikTok video and a news report by One 31 News, a Thailand-based channel, claim it has been demonstrated that rice stored for ten years remains edible. The report suggests that while the smell and color of the older rice may differ from newly harvested rice, tests have shown that it is still safe for consumption. Following the release of this news report (archived here), many people have expressed concerns regarding the safety of consuming rice that has been stored for such an extended period.

Over the past decade, Thailand's first female Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, introduced a policy known as the rice pledging scheme (archived here). This initiative aimed to support Thai farmers by allowing them to pledge their rice to the government, which would then purchase the rice at a higher price than market rates. The goal was to bolster rice prices and protect farmers from exploitation by middlemen. However, in 2014, when the Thai government changed, the policy was terminated. Nevertheless, the rice purchased under this scheme has remained stored in the Surin district for the past ten years.

Srettha Thavisin, (archived link) Prime Minister of Thailand, has proposed selling the ten-year-old stored rice to the public. On May 7, 2024, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai (archived here) demonstrated it was safe to eat, by consuming it in front of an audience. However, this has sparked concerns among many Thai citizens regarding the safety of consuming rice stored for such an extended period.

In response to these concerns, an academician from the Faculty of Agriculture of Chiang Mai University (archived here) took to Facebook to debunk the notion that rice is still safe for consumption (see screenshot below). She explained that typically, the longest recommended storage period for rice or animal feed is around one year. Additionally, proper storage conditions necessitate a cool environment with temperatures around 13 degrees Celsius. The academician noted that from the images provided, the rice sacks appeared to be stored in an overcrowded environment, creating a conducive environment for insects and fungi to thrive.

(Source: Facebook, screenshot taken on Wed May 15, 09:18:43 2024 UTC)

Furthermore, on May 10, 2024, Weerachai Phutdhawong, (archived here) a professor of chemistry from the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Science at Kasetsart University, in Bangkok, conducted tests on the stored rice that the government intends to sell using test kits from the rice research center. After performing the tests three times, he found the presence of numerous carcinogens in the rice, in one of the three tests conducted. However, further examination is required to thoroughly assess the presence of aflatoxin, which necessitates a highly technical process.