TASSANEE VEJPONGSA

Video journalist

Vejpongsa is a video journalist for The Associated Press in Philadelphia. She was previously based in Taipei and Bangkok.

A police vehicle is parked on a road leading to the scene of a helicopter crash in Washington Township, N.J., Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023. Investigators are examining the wreckage of a TV news helicopter that crashed in the New Jersey Pinelands, killing the pilot and a photographer on board. WPVI-TV of Philadelphia says a two members of its news team were in the helicopter when it went down about 8 p.m. Tuesday in Wharton State Forest. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Philadelphia news helicopter crashes in New Jersey forest, killing pilot and photographer

Investigators are examining the wreckage of a TV news helicopter from Philadelphia that crashed in the New Jersey Pinelands, killing the pilot and a photographer on board.

Heavily armed law enforcement officers move along Rt. 52 as the search continues for Danilo Cavalcante in Pocopson Township, Pa., on Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023. Cavalcante escaped from the Chester County Prison. Cavalcante was able to escape a prison yard in suburban Pennsylvania last week by climbing up a wall and over razor wire, officials said at a news conference Wednesday. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Fugitive killer eludes Pennsylvania police for eighth day as wary residents keep a watchful eye

The hunt for an elusive murderer who escaped a Pennsylvania prison has stretched into a second week.

Pennsylvania State police search the woods and a creek in Pennsbury Township, Pa., on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. Murderer Danilo Cavalcante was able to escape a prison yard in suburban Pennsylvania last week by climbing up a wall and over razor wire, officials said at a news conference Wednesday. (Steven M. Falk/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Pennsylvania murderer escaped by scaling a wall topped with razor wire, prison official says

Pennsylvania prison officials say a murderer made a brazen escape from a suburban Philadelphia jail yard by scaling a wall, climbing over razor wire and jumping from a roof.

This photo provided by the Chester County Prison shows Danilo Cavalcante. Cavalcante, convicted this month of fatally stabbing his girlfriend escaped Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023 from the suburban Philadelphia prison and prosecutors say he is also wanted in his native Brazil in a separate slaying. (Chester County Prison via AP)

Authorities expand search area for killer who escaped Pennsylvania prison after latest sighting

Authorities have moved and expanded the search area for a convicted murderer who escaped from jail in suburban Philadelphia.

A rider poses at the start of the Philly Naked Bike Ride in Philadelphia, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa)

Riders in various states of undress cruise Philadelphia streets in 14th naked bike ride

Hundreds of riders in various states of dress -- or undress – are riding through some of Philadelphia’s main streets for the 14th Philly Naked Bike Ride.

FILE - A tour guide fans herself while working in Times Square as temperatures rise, July 27, 2023, in New York. Nearly 60% of the U.S. population, are under a heat advisory or flood warning or watch as the high temperatures spread and new areas are told to expect severe storms. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

Extreme heat moves east where many will see their hottest days of the year

Nearly 200 million people in the United States, or 60% of the U.S. population, are under a heat advisory or flood warning or watch and have been since Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Vinnie Clemente, right, buys Powerball tickets from Elias Harv at a gas station, on Friday, July 14, 2023, in Crystal, Minn. Harv said he’s seen a surge in customers buying lottery tickets as Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots reached $875 million and $560 million respectively. (AP Photo/Mark Vancleave)

More are participating in the lottery as the Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots soar

Convenience stores are swamped as the Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots soar to some of their largest in the history of the games.

Police on the scene of a shooting Monday, July 3, 2023 in Philadelphia. Police say a gunman in a bulletproof vest has opened fire on the streets of Philadelphia, killing several people and wounding two boys before he surrendered to responding officers. (Steven M. Falk/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Five dead in Philadelphia shooting that’s nation’s worst violence around July 4

A 40-year-old killed one man in a house before fatally shooting four others on the streets of a Philadelphia neighborhood, then surrendering along with a rifle, a pistol, extra magazines, a police scanner and a bulletproof vest, police said.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, right, talks with Robert Buckley, president Buckley & Co. during a news conference to announce the reopening of Interstate 95 Friday, June 23, 2023 in Philadelphia. Workers put the finishing touches on an interim six-lane roadway that will serve motorists during construction of a permanent bridge. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti)

Interstate 95 reopens less than two weeks after deadly collapse in Philadelphia

Interstate 95 has reopened less than two weeks after a deadly collapse in Philadelphia shut down a heavily traveled stretch of the East Coast’s main north-south highway.

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, left, and Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha listen to their national anthems during a welcoming ceremony at the Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Malaysian PM vows to help Thailand solve southern violence

Bangkok (AP) — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Thursday that his government is committed to helping Thailand solve a Muslim insurgency in its far south but does not condone the use of violence to end the conflict.

Chinese tourists tour Pung Tao Gong Chinese Temple in Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand, Monday, Jan. 23, 2023. The beaches and temples of destinations like Bali and Chiang Mai are the busiest they have been since the pandemic struck three years ago, but they’re still relatively quiet. (AP Photo/Wichai Thaprieo)

Asia travel hotspots quiet as Chinese tourists stay away

The beaches and temples of Asian travel hotspots like Bali and Chiang Mai are the busiest they’ve been since the pandemic struck three years ago, but they’re still relatively quiet.

Peter Coker Jr., left, is issued search warrants from police at his villa on the southern resort island of Phuket, Thailand, Jan. 11, 2023. Coker Jr., who used to work in Hong Kong and who is wanted in connection with an alleged stock manipulation scheme that led a small New Jersey delicatessen to be listed as a public company worth $100 million, has agreed to his voluntary extradition to the United States after being arrested last week on the resort island of Phuket, a Thai legal official said Friday, Jan. 20, 2023. (Crime Suppression Division, Royal Thai Police. via AP)

Thailand holds suspect in $100 million deli case

A suspect wanted in in connection with an alleged stock manipulation scheme famously involving a small New Jersey delicatessen has agreed to voluntary extradition to the United States after being arrested last week on the resort island of Phuket.

A lone passenger walks outside the main entrance of the Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023. Thailand ushered in a new age of train travel on Thursday when what’s said to be Southeast Asia’s biggest railway station officially began operations. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Train station’s opening in Bangkok ushers in new travel era

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand ushered in a new age of train travel on Thursday as Southeast Asia’s biggest railway station officially began operations.

A rescued sailor from HTMS Sukhothai corvette is transferred on land at the Bangsaphan deep port in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, Thailand Monday, Dec. 19, 2022. The warship sank on Sunday in rough seas in the Gulf of Thailand. (AP Photo/Anuthep Cheysakron)

Survivor found from Thai navy ship that sank Sunday

Thailand’s navy says it has found one survivor and recovered five bodies from a Thai warship that sank over the weekend in rough seas in the Gulf of Thailand.

In this photo provided by the Royal Thai Navy, the HTMS Sukhothai corvette warship lists off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province, Thailand, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022. The Thai navy ship sunk in the Gulf of Thailand and ships and helicopters were working Monday to rescue sailors from the water. (Royal Thai Navy via AP)

Thai navy searching for 31 missing sailors after ship sank

Thai navy ships and helicopters are searching for more than 30 sailors still missing more than 12 hours after their warship sank in rough seas in the Gulf of Thailand.

Tesla electric vehicles are displayed during a public launching event Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022, in Bangkok, Thailand. Tesla has launched sales in Thailand, offering its popular Model 3 and Model Y at prices aimed at competing with rivals like China’s BYD. (AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa)

Tesla launches in Thailand, vying to compete with China EVs

Tesla has launched sales in Thailand, offering its popular Model 3 and Model Y at prices aimed at competing with rivals like China’s BYD.

FILE - Flower vendors sit outside Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand on Aug. 3, 2021. A Thai court on Tuesday resumed the long-delayed trial of two members of China's Muslim Uyghur minority accused of carrying out a 2015 bombing at a Bangkok landmark that killed 20 people. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)

Trial resumes for suspects in 2015 Bangkok shrine bombing

BANGKOK (AP) — A Thai court on Tuesday resumed the long-delayed trial of two members of China’s Muslim Uyghur minority accused of carrying out a 2015 bombing at a Bangkok landmark that killed 20 people.

A participant runs past signage at the venue of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation APEC summit venue, Friday, Nov. 18, 2022, in Bangkok, Thailand. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

War, North Korea missile test loom over Asia-Pacific summit

Asia-Pacific leaders meeting in Bangkok appear likely to issue a statement condemning Russia’s war on Ukraine.

A Siamese crocodile is seen at Siracha Moda Farm in Chonburi province, eastern Thailand on Nov. 7, 2022. Crocodile farmers in Thailand are suggesting a novel approach to saving the country’s dwindling number of endangered wild crocodiles. They want to relax regulations on cross-border trade of the reptiles and their parts to boost demand for products made from ones raised in captivity. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Thai crocodile farmers want trade restrictions relaxed

Crocodile farmers in Thailand are suggesting a novel approach to saving the country’s dwindling number of endangered wild crocodiles.

A monk lights funeral pyres to cremate those who died in the day care center attack at Wat Rat Samakee temple in Uthai Sawan, northeastern Thailand, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022. A former police officer burst into a day care center in northeastern Thailand on Thursday, killing dozens of preschoolers and teachers before shooting more people as he fled. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Families bid farewell as Thai massacre victims are cremated

Hundreds of mourners and families of victims of last week’s massacre at a day care center in northeastern Thailand have bid farewell to their loved ones who were cremated in rows of makeshift pyres.

Recently built cremation furnaces dry at Wat Rat Samakee temple in Uthai Sawan, northeastern Thailand, Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. The furnaces were being built Monday to cremate the bodies of the mostly young victims of last week's massacre at a day care center by a former policeman. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Cremations readied for Thai day care massacre victims

Makeshift furnaces made of clay bricks have been built on the grounds of Buddhist temples in a small town in northeastern Thailand on the eve of the cremation of the young victims of last week’s massacre at a day care center.

Relatives of the victims of a mass killing attack gather for a Buddhist ceremony in front of the Young Children's Development Center in the rural town of Uthai Sawan, north eastern Thailand, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. A former police officer burst into a day care center in northeastern Thailand on Thursday, killing dozens of preschoolers and teachers before shooting more people as he fled. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Families leave offerings for children slain at Thai day care

Families offered flowers and dolls, popcorn and juice boxes to the children massacred at a day care center in Thailand.

Relatives console Seksan Sriraj, 28, who lost his pregnant wife in a mass killing attack, at Wat Rat Samakee temple in Uthai Sawan, north eastern Thailand, Saturday., Oct. 8, 2022. A former police officer burst into a day care center in northeastern Thailand on Thursday, killing dozens of preschoolers and teachers before shooting more people as he fled. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)

Mourners pray at Thai temple filled by children’s keepsakes

Grief-stricken families are praying at a Buddhist temple filled with children’s keepsakes, flowers and photos of the toddlers slain as they napped at a day care center in Thailand.

Tukta Wongsila grieves with her father Saart as holds her daughter Siriprapa “Plai Fon” Prasertsuk's picture, one of the many victims of a mass killing attack in the rural town of Uthai Sawan, north eastern Thailand, Friday, Oct. 7 , 2022. A former police officer burst into a day care center in northeastern Thailand on Thursday, killing dozens of preschoolers and teachers before shooting more people as he fled. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

‘I love you, mommy': 4-year-old Thai day care victim mourned

At least 24 of the 36 victims of Thursday’s massacre at a day care center in Thailand were children, mostly preschoolers.

Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn, left, and his wife Queen Suthida visit the Nongbua Lamphu hospital to meet with relatives of the victims of the day care center attack in the rural town of Uthai Sawan, north eastern Thailand, Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. A former police officer burst into a day care center in northeastern Thailand on Thursday, killing dozens of preschoolers and teachers before shooting more people as he fled. (Matichol Newspaper via AP)

Thais mourn dozens, mainly kids, killed in day care attack

Relatives collapsed in grief over the small coffins of children slain by a fired police officer who stormed a day care center at naptime.

In this image taken from video, a distraught woman is comforted outside the site of an attack at a daycare center, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, in the town of Nongbua Lamphu, north eastern Thailand. More than 30 people, primarily children, were killed Thursday when a gunman opened fire in the childcare center authorities said. (Mungkorn Sriboonreung Rescue Group via AP)

Fired police sergeant attacks Thai day care center, kills 36

A former police officer facing a drug charge burst through a locked door at a day care center in northeastern Thailand, killing dozens of preschoolers and teachers and then shooting more people as he fled.

A resident wades through floodwaters, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, in Ubon Ratchathani province, northeastern Thailand. Authorities in Thailand are warning of possible serious floods in Bangkok and central areas, ahead of expected heavy seasonal rainfall through the rest of the week. The situation is being worsened by a large volume of water moving down from flooding in the north of the country and from discharges from brimful dams. (AP Photo/Sukanya Buontha)

Thai capital on alert for flooding as heavy rains expected

BANGKOK (AP) — Authorities in Thailand warned Wednesday of possible serious flooding in the capital and other parts of the central region from heavy seasonal rainfall expected through the rest of the week.

A resident wades through floodwaters, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Ubon Ratchathani province, northeastern Thailand. Heavy rains and strong winds from tropical storm Noru swept across parts of northeastern Thailand on Thursday morning, knocking down trees and triggering flash floods in several areas. (AP Photo/Nava Sangthong)

Tropical rains flood parts of Thailand, 5,000 seek shelter

BANGKOK (AP) — Water up to waist-high flooded some riverfront neighborhoods and other areas of Thailand on Thursday after a tropical depression dumped heavy rains and knocked down trees, causing at least one death.

FILE - Thaw Nandar Aung, a model from Myanmar speaks to a reporter in Bangkok, Thailand on March 31, 2021. The model, also known as Han Lay, who denounced her country's military rulers last year and feared being arrested if she was forced back home from exile, has flown to Canada early Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, which she says has granted her asylum. (AP Photo/Napaxalun Sattayatam, File)

Model fearing Myanmar military heads to asylum in Canada

A fashion model from Myanmar who feared being arrested by the country’s military government if she was forced back home from exile has flown to Canada, which she says has granted her asylum.

FILE - Pro-democracy protesters perform on a mock "red carpet" fashion show billed as a sort of counterpoint to a fashion show being held by one of the monarchy's princesses nearby in Bangkok, Thailand on Oct. 29, 2020. A court in Thailand on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022 sentenced an activist to two years in prison for insulting the country's queen by wearing traditional Thai attire at a demonstration two years ago for reform of the monarchy, a legal watchdog group said. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Thai protester accused of mocking queen gets 2 years’ prison

BANGKOK (AP) — A court in Thailand on Monday sentenced an activist to two years in prison for allegedly insulting the country’s queen by wearing traditional Thai attire at a demonstration for reform of the monarchy two years ago, a legal aid group said.