Coach Gianttapong Ratchakraiangkrai, head coach of Thailand's women's volleyball team, praised Turkey for playing at full strength in their final VNL 2026 match held in Osaka, Japan on July 12. Thailand's 17th-ranked team lost to 4th-ranked Turkey, the 2023 world champion and last year's runner-up, 1-3 in sets with scores of 27-25, 21-25, 19-25, and 22-25.

In this match, Pimpichaya Kokram, Thailand's standout middle blocker, delivered an excellent performance with a team-high 25 points, consisting of 22 spikes, 2 blocks, and 1 ace. Taddao Nuekchaeng contributed 12 points, and Warisara Sitaleurt added 12 points. For Turkey, Melissa Vargas led the way with 25 points.

After the match, Coach Gianttapong Ratchakraiangkrai said the team gave their best effort in their final game since they had already achieved their target. He praised Turkey for playing at 100 percent without letting up, noting that this VNL tournament held significant value and meaning for all the athletes.

On July 12, Ms. Rapeeprorn Pohsri, a 33-year-old street sanitation worker for Sai Mai district office, filed a complaint seeking justice after being struck by a white Toyota Altis while cleaning and clearing drainage on a sidewalk. The accident occurred on July 9 around 5:10 a.m. on Chaengwattana Road near a Lotus shopping mall in Bangkok's Sai Mai district.

Rapeeprorn recounted the incident: a white Toyota Altis suddenly struck her from behind with tremendous force as she performed her routine duties, launching her body several meters away. She sustained severe injuries to her knee area, with doctors unable to confirm whether she will fully recover normal walking ability.

Worse than the physical pain, she said, was the driver's response. Rather than stopping immediately to help, the driver continued for over 500 meters before parking near a Big C supermarket on Chaengwattana Road. Security footage showed the passenger opening the door to inspect vehicle damage while the driver remained in the car, showing no intention to check on the victim or return to the scene. To this day, no one has taken responsibility.

Rapeeprorn appealed: "How would you feel if this happened to your family member? I'm asking the driver to take responsibility for their actions."

A coworker who witnessed the incident and rushed to help found Rapeeprorn unconscious on the ground with a swollen head from impact and severe ankle injuries. The coworker confirmed Rapeeprorn was working safely within protocol, wearing a reflective safety vest clearly visible even in early dawn conditions.

The coworker appealed to drivers to exercise greater caution and show compassion for street workers who begin work at 4:00 a.m. to keep the city clean and safe for the public.

Nirand Kaeng, cofounder of the Sai Mai community page, reported that his team is reviewing CCTV footage in detail. They have identified a white sedan but the license plate remains unclear in the footage.

Nirand appealed for public cooperation: anyone driving on Chaengwattana Road near the Lotus mall around 5:00 a.m. on July 9 who has dashcam footage or other evidence of the incident is urged to submit it to police as evidence for prosecution.

The Health Promotion Foundation (HPF) joined forces with Ubon Ratchathani province and over 10 partner organizations to announce the success of the "Ubon Thrives" wellness city model through the Iconic RUN Fest 2026: RUN UBON festival held July 11-12, 2026. The event drew overwhelming support from residents, runners, and tourists nationwide, with over 1,000 participants joining the signature dawn run along the Mun River. The initiative showcases collaborative efforts across all sectors to advance the "wellness city" concept through exercise, chronic disease prevention, healthy food development, urban design, and leveraging Ubon's cultural heritage for long-term quality of life improvement.

The two-day festival officially opened on July 11 at Central Plaza Ubon with remarks from provincial officials, HPF leadership, and representatives from government, private sector, academia, and community organizations. The campaign launched a comprehensive wellness city development framework linking the lifestyles of people across all age groups through physical activity, non-communicable disease prevention, healthy food innovation, urban design, and cultural development.

Throughout the day, experts from public health, urban design, fitness, and contemporary development led seminars, alongside activities including food mapping to promote low-sodium local dishes, wellness area demonstrations, and community engagement programs that drew large crowds.

The evening of July 11 featured a cultural dance opening the city to "Ubon Thrives," followed by a City Run where participants carried a symbolic marker and planted a Global Digital Mark in the historic Ubon district, formally launching the initiative.

On the morning of July 12, the riverside promenade transformed into a national health landmark as the Iconic RUN Fest opened its Race Village at 4:00 a.m. Over 1,000 runners from across Thailand started the 10-kilometer race at 5:00 a.m. in a sunrise run through historic Ubon, welcomed by cheering residents along the route. The event demonstrated the community's collective commitment to establishing Ubon as a thriving wellness city.

A mysterious video circulating online claimed to show CCTV footage from the entrance of the morgue at Maha Raj Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital in Nakhon Ratchasima. The clip depicted someone resembling hospital staff pushing a gurney with a deceased person while a dark, humanoid shadow appeared to follow them throughout. The video sparked debate online, with some people frightened and believing it captured a paranormal event, while others suspected it was AI-generated for entertainment and to create viral buzz.

On July 12, 2025, reporters visited the hospital's morgue area to verify the facts and question staff about the trending video. Hospital officials confirmed the clip was AI-generated or manipulated content. The person shown was not a hospital employee, as evidenced by clothing and attire that did not match standard morgue staff uniforms.

Additionally, the direction the gurney was being pushed did not align with actual work procedures. The video showed it being pushed to the left, an area that leads to the delivery room and kitchen—routes where bodies would never be taken according to hospital protocol. Staff stated that deceased bodies can only be removed through a single designated route from the morgue.

Upon checking the original CCTV camera angles, the hospital confirmed the source was genuine hospital footage, but the scene conditions in the video did not match the current layout. The morgue entrance now has trees planted in various locations, and no motorcycles are parked in front, differences visible from the video that was shared. Initial assessment suggests the location footage originated from three to four years ago before being AI-modified and distributed.

Hospital officials noted they remain unsure of the creator's intentions—whether to generate controversy or achieve another purpose—but firmly denied the "shadow following staff" incident ever occurred at Maha Raj Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital.

The Department of Health Service Support will send officers to investigate five hospitals within the next week in connection with a false birth certificate scheme for foreign nationals, officials said on July 12. Deputy Secretary-General of Health Service Support Dr. Akm Praditsuwon revealed details of the case, which involves charges against district officials and hospital staff. Authorities obtained 40 arrest warrants and 42 search warrants targeting individuals accused of selling packages to register foreign children as Thai citizens for about 90,000 baht each.

Dr. Akm explained that prosecutions will proceed on two fronts. Hospital staff members who falsify medical records—including patient files, financial documents, or OPD cards—face penalties of up to two years imprisonment and/or fines not exceeding 40,000 baht under the Hospital Act. False birth certificate documentation by officials falls under the Civil Registration Act, enforced by the Ministry of Interior.

The investigation will examine all issued documents and determine the scope of the scheme. Officials will assess whether hospital operators and management were involved or whether misconduct was limited to individual employees. Dr. Akm stressed that if evidence shows intentional direction by management causing harm, the case would be treated as a national security threat warranting additional penalties. Historical document audits will establish how many false registrations occurred.

On July 12, 2024, authorities reported the case of Sophaa, 53, from Sri Thep Noi village in Sri Thep district, Phetchabun province, who went missing on July 7 around 1 a.m. Relatives, village leaders, residents, and rescue teams conducted extensive searches but found no trace of him. His wife revealed that he likely fled in fear of his 28-year-old son, who has a methamphetamine addiction and had been physically abusing him and forcing him to withdraw disability money. At 6:10 a.m. on July 12, residents discovered Sophaa's body floating in a public canal approximately 3 kilometers from his home. He is believed to have been dead for at least three days. Neighbors reported that before his disappearance, they saw his son take him to withdraw disability benefits multiple times. A village assistant explained that they found the body while searching, following a foul smell that led them to the canal. Police from Sri Thep station have transferred the body to Sri Thep Hospital and plan to send it for autopsy at Phetchabun Hospital. While family members have not yet confirmed the exact cause of death, the circumstances suggest a tragic situation involving elder abuse and addiction.