The drugs were smuggled from Myanmar into Thailand en route to Malaysia, Provincial Police Region 8 chief Lt-General Thesa Siriwatho told a press conference on Monday.

A car occupied by Pethai Raknim, 33, Natthapol Reonthaisong, 31, and Panupong Charanpong, 31, was stopped at a police checkpoint on Phetchkasem Highway in Tambon Khao Chairat. But Natthapol ran out of the car, dropping his driver’s licence, while the other two suspects sped off in the car.

Police who gave chase later found the abandoned car in a rubber plantation in the same tambon and four large packages of 496,000 yaba pills under a nearby tree. A pistol with seven bullets was also found in the car.

After launching a manhunt, police apprehended Pethai at one place then arrested Natthapol along with Borisut Saengthong, 25, who had arrived in a truck to pick him up at another location.

Another team of police arrested Panupong in a car driven by Sathorn Buakaew, 49. Front-seat passenger Siriporn Charanpong, 25, was also detained.

Pethai and Panupong allegedly confessed to police that they were hired to transport the drugs from Ratchaburi to Phatthalung in exchange for Bt500,000, while the other four suspects were travelling in the gang’s other two leading vehicles. They were initially charged with having illicit drugs in their possession with intent to sell.

Pattaya Mayor Pol Maj-General Anan Charoenchasri and other city executives gave 29-year-old vendor Sumalee Sri-aum the certificate of honour and praised her as a good citizen who helped promote the city’s image.

Sumalee found the wallet – which contained Bt29,822 cash, three cashier checks each worth Bt400,000 and important documents – and handed it in to police at 3am on Sunday to help find the owner. The documents identified the owner as Wutthikorn Hanwutthisut.

The owner of the wallet thanked Sumalee for returning his wallet and gave her a cash reward.

Deputy national Police chief Pol General Chalermkiat Sriworakhan told a press conference on Monday that police seized 112,837 yaba pills that were found in luggage during a search last Friday at a condominium building in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district.

Suspect Supadech Yingyuad, 30, had allegedly stored the pills for distribution.

Chalermkiat said Supadech’s father, who is a Central Investigation Bureau deputy police inspector, was also summoned to see if he knew about his son’s alleged drug dealing. Investigators were applying for an arrest warrant for Supadech and were still searching for him.

In the second case, police arrested two Songkhla men Pisit Narongrit, 35, and Prathan Chumkaew, 25, last Thursday along with one million yaba pills in Chiang Rai’s Mae Chan district.

The men were about to move the drugs in a 10-wheel truck to Songkhla’s Hat Yai district, police said. Pisit reportedly confessed that he had been involved in delivering drugs five times previously, and he got paid up to Bt200,000 based on the amount of drugs.

In the third case, police said three Chiang Mai men in their 20s – Manop Saewa, Jaturawit Wongjaktupak, and Chuchat Thanomrungreung – were arrested along with 500,000 yaba pills in Khamphang Phetch province last week.

Police arrested Manop and Jaturawit after they suspiciously avoided a checkpoint and parked their truck in front of a convenience store on Phaholyothin Road in Kosamphi district. Chuchat was arrested at a hotel in Muang district later.

Authorities said the first victim was a resident of Ban Thom Pa Kham village in tambon Thom Na Ngam, Ban Non Sa-ard district.

Police said Ratree Udonkhet, 49, was killed when a house pole fell on her after a tree was topped by a storm and fell onto her house.

Siriroj Phume, 24, was electrocuted after he tried to help a villager who was rendered unconscious by short circuit caused when a storm topped an electricity pole onto a road.

None Sa-ard district chief Chatchawal Pathanon said the storms in his district damaged 186 houses.

Muang Udon Thani district chief Natthapol Withi said 104 houses in four tambon were damaged in his district.

The victim, Hangseng Chen, 62, was on a day trip with Jaiyun Travel Group Co Ltd.

“Suthee Maliwan, the tour guide, told us that at about 11:40am, he made a stop to let the tourists snorkel off the island. He said that he gave instructions to all tourists on how to use the equipment, and told them to wear life jackets before jumping in,” said Lt Sakarin Saengjaroen of Chalong Police.

“However, after about five minutes, he found Mr Chen floating face-down in the water. He was wearing all the necessary equipment as well as a life jacket,” confirmed the lieutenant.

Mr Suthee reportedly saw that Mr Chen wasn’t moving, so he pulled him up onto the boat and administered CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).

They arrived at Chalong Pier at about noon, and transferred the victim to Vachira Phuket Hospital.

“Mr Chen was pronounced dead on arrival. His visibly distraught daughter, Xiao Mei Chen, also told us that her father was diabetic, couldn’t swim, and had never used snorkeling equipment before. She doesn’t have any doubts about the cause of his death,” added Lt Sakarin.

Samart Kwanchai was arrested in July after he was caught distributing 407 leaflets with the message  “Damn Dictatorship and Long Live Democracy, August 7 Vote No”.

The distribution took place as the country was about to vote in the constitutional referendum on August 7. Samart told the court during hearings that what he had done was a basic right of the people.

The Chiang Mai court ruled that the message in the leaflets was abstract and did not have an effect on the charter draft, so the case should be dismissed.

Samart told reporters after the ruling that the ruling was a victory for the people.