A 15-year-old student was hospitalized after overdosing on antidepressant medication, revealing she had been sexually abused for seven years by a 71-year-old man, her grandmother's brother, who worked as a groundskeeper at a school. The girl became distressed at school and confided in her teacher, who immediately took her to the hospital. Medical staff noted her symptoms of dizziness, confusion, and weakness, and upon questioning, she disclosed the abuse that had begun when she was 8 years old and intensified recently when the suspect moved into her home full-time.

Don Muang Police arrested the 71-year-old suspect and are pursuing charges. The Paveena Hongsakul Foundation for Children and Women intervened to locate the girl's mother, who had been separated from her family and was unemployed. The foundation has provided financial assistance and taken both mother and daughter into their care, planning to support the girl's continued education and medical treatment while helping the mother find employment.

As the girl's mental condition improved during hospitalization, she wrote an account of the abuse on paper to provide to police as an initial statement. The foundation coordinated with her mother to file a formal complaint, and the mother confirmed her intention to pursue the case fully. Police have remanded the suspect in custody pending court proceedings and opposed bail, with a multidisciplinary assessment interview scheduled for later.

The Po Teck Tung Foundation has mobilized volunteers to pack emergency relief bags valued at over 700,000 baht and is sending a second disaster response team and mobile kitchen to reinforce relief efforts in Nan province. Foundation chairman Wichian Techapaibuun, concerned about flooding across northern Thailand, directed operations manager Aranya Tothuad to lead a rescue team with four-wheel-drive vehicles, generators, life jackets and emergency supplies to Nan. The team is currently helping evacuate residents and move patients from affected areas.

On July 20, 2025, the foundation dispatched a second relief team of over 20 personnel, including radio operators from Bangkok Radio Center 3, and a mobile kitchen to support ongoing operations. Volunteers at the foundation's Bangkok headquarters packed over 1,000 emergency kits containing canned food, instant rice, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shower cream, mosquito spray, sanitary napkins, tissues, LED flashlights, batteries, garbage bags and basic medicines, worth approximately 700,000 baht in total. Since the flooding began, the foundation has deployed rescue and life-saving teams with boats, water rescue equipment, generators, four-wheel-drive vehicles, ambulances, life jackets, drinking water and medical supplies to assist flood victims in Nan. The foundation has also set up a command center to coordinate emergency calls and a mobile kitchen to serve affected areas.

Flood victims needing assistance can call the Po Teck Tung Foundation hotline at 1418, available 24 hours daily. Callers should provide their name and callback number, coordinates, number of victims, and details of any patients, injured persons, elderly, children or disabled individuals. The foundation thanks donors for contributing supplies, labor and funding to support flood victims. Anyone wishing to donate can contact the Po Teck Tung Foundation hotline at 1418 and select the donations department.

Thai Savings Bank director Songpol Cheevapaññarojn announced strong uptake of the government's energy transition initiatives. The bank's first tranche of 50 billion baht in electric vehicle loans has been fully disbursed, prompting the bank to approve an additional 50 billion baht to meet ongoing demand. "EV loan demand has been excellent," Songpol said. "The initial 50 billion baht allocation is exhausted, and we've added another 50 billion baht. If that is fully utilized, we can consider further increases." The Thai Savings Bank and Government Housing Bank will lead solar panel installation financing. Over 1,000 customers have requested solar installation loans in the past month. Under the new solar programme, the government will cover installation subsidies while banks provide low-interest credit. "The exact interest rate hasn't been finalized, but it will definitely be affordable," Songpol said. He noted that solar installation is an investment requiring careful evaluation. The most suitable candidates are homes using at least 50 percent of their electricity during daylight hours with roofs facing the right direction and free from building shadows. "Equipment prices have fallen significantly. For qualifying households, payback should take about seven years, while solar panels last 20–25 years, making the remaining period essentially income generation and expense reduction." In the first eight months of the year, the Thai Savings Bank reported continuous profitability and loan growth across all segments. Soft loans with a 1 trillion baht ceiling have seen 500 billion baht approved and disbursed. The EV loan programme's first phase of 50 billion baht was so popular that the bank authorized an additional 50 billion baht. Supply chain and clean energy financing expanded significantly from the previous year, with over a thousand requests for energy transition credit. The bank's non-performing loan ratio remains below 4 percent and continues declining, reflecting improved repayment behaviour among small customers. The bank's net interest margin stands at 1.7–1.9 percent, the lowest among all commercial banks in the system, as it has cut lending rates to assist borrowers and raised deposit rates to support savers.

The Chiang Mai University Science Park (STeP) is driving policy innovation to elevate agricultural and food value chains in the Northern Economic Corridor (NEC) toward integration into global value chains. The park held a workshop on August 20, 2026, at its northern facility in Chiang Mai, bringing together government agencies, private businesses, educational institutions, and local entrepreneurs to analyse problems, design solutions, and establish workable policy measures.

General Manager Nueng Pichat Intrawut opened the meeting and explained the project's objectives. Director Associate Professor Pitivatana Wattanchai later closed the proceedings and outlined next steps, aiming to build consensus on implementation direction and incorporate stakeholder input into the policy design process.

The workshop used participatory methods to reflect real-world conditions and constraints in the region. Presenters shared research findings on the agricultural and food value chain situation in the NEC, along with gap analysis results comparing agricultural demand from industry against local production capacity. Participants from all sectors reviewed and validated these findings based on their perspectives and experience.

Working groups conducted root cause analysis using Causal Layered Analysis tools and designed transformation approaches and action plans. Discussions focused on problem-solving, prioritising urgent factors, and crafting policies suited to local context. After group presentations and feedback, participants refined recommendations to ensure alignment with actual conditions before finalising priority measures.

Thai entertainment circles are in mourning following the death of Ray McDonald, a celebrated Thai-British actor, television host, and documentary filmmaker. McDonald was found dead at his home in Bangkok's Phattanakan district on August 19, 2026, at age 49. The exact cause of death is pending investigation and official confirmation from police and his family.

A towering figure in Thai entertainment for nearly three decades since the 1990s, McDonald rose from teen idol to back-to-back Golden Swan Award winner for best actor, later reinventing himself as a globe-trotting documentary filmmaker who inspired generations.

McDonald first gained fame as host of the hugely popular youth program Teen Talk, quickly building a devoted fanbase with his free-spirited style. After entering films, he achieved remarkable success, winning the National Film Association's Golden Swan Award for best actor for his screen debut in Fun Bar Karaoke. He repeated the honour the following year for his role as Art in the youth classic O-Negative, which also starred Chakrit Yamnam and Tata Young, cementing his status as a master dramatic actor.

At the peak of his acting career, McDonald chose to follow his passion for freedom and self-discovery, transitioning to documentary filmmaking focused on human interest and outdoor travel. His series Rayron: The Journey became a landmark work, taking viewers around the world with an authentic, down-to-earth perspective on different cultures and ways of life. The program fundamentally changed how Thai audiences viewed travel and lifestyle, inspiring countless young people to step outside their comfort zones.

Chakrit, Ray McDonald's close friend, arrived at the Forensic Institute at Police Hospital on August 20 to share the autopsy results. Ray's wife Maem was present as Chakrit revealed that Ray had three blocked coronary arteries—two with 90 percent blockage and one with 70 percent blockage—but passed away peacefully in his sleep without pain or suffering.

Chakrit explained that Ray had been working intensively with little rest, traveling constantly for work, and this final journey was simply another chapter in his life of dedication. Maem recounted that Ray had only recently gotten a proper break this month after their child's school vacation, during which they spent quality time together. The night before his death, he played football with their child, exchanged their usual good night kisses, and fell asleep watching television without any apparent distress. Several hours later, around 6:30 AM when he was supposed to wake up to take their child to school, Maem found he had already passed.

Maem disclosed that Ray was afraid of doctors and had resisted seeking medical care, only agreeing to see a dentist after being forced to do so. Despite his fear of medical attention, the autopsy showed no signs of emergency symptoms before his death. Chakrit announced that the funeral rites will last seven days, with the ceremony scheduled for August 26, and requested that the water blessing ceremony be held privately after the body is moved to the temple.