Gulf Development Public Company Limited is building a green corporate culture through the expansion of its "Please Give Us Your Bottles" programme into its second year, scaling from its Bangkok headquarters to seven offices in the Eastern Zone of the Gulf group. Employees participated in sorting PET plastic water bottles from the source, and the 1,183 kilograms of PET bottles collected between January and July 2025 were handed over to Wat Chak Daeng temple for upcycling into new products such as monastic robes, blankets, clothing, and various household items made from plastic bottle fibre, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2.48 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Sitthamon Ratanawalee, GULF's Strategic Planning Director, explained that the programme encourages employees to adopt simple, sustainable environmental practices through everyday plastic bottle sorting, ensuring waste enters proper management systems and is transformed into valuable new products. This year, GULF expanded the initiative to power plants in the Eastern region, collecting 1,183 kilograms of used PET bottles. Since the programme's launch in 2024, a total of 1,637 kilograms of PET bottles have been sorted, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 3.42 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, demonstrating that fostering a culture of proper waste sorting and management within an organization can produce concrete environmental benefits.

Venerable Phra Maha Pranom Thammalankharo, abbot of Wat Chak Daeng, stated that the temple and GULF are collaborating to upcycle PET bottles into various products including clothing and blankets, with bottle caps transformed into commemorative keychains, creating benefits for society and the environment simultaneously. He noted that viewing waste as a resource for production creates value rather than disposal costs, and encouraged people to also manage "mental waste" such as anger, resentment, and attachment through mindfulness and compassion.

One participating employee expressed pride in the initiative, noting that despite being a small daily action of sorting bottles, it provides meaningful understanding of how collected PET bottles are utilized and contributes to broader environmental awareness.

Thailand's Energy Policy Management Committee has approved an additional 4.475 billion baht in refinery surplus profits to subsidize diesel prices for 31 days starting August 16, 2025. Energy Minister Eknath Promphan announced that the reduction of 2.40 baht per liter applies to all diesel grades at refineries, with the move marking the sixth round of such subsidies totaling approximately 17.422 billion baht in cost-of-living relief.

The decision comes as Thailand's six refineries generated a combined surplus of about 9.735 billion baht during July 2025. Of this, 2.815 billion baht was allocated in an earlier subsidy round, leaving 6.920 billion baht. The latest 4.475 billion baht allocation will deplete the fund to approximately 2.445 billion baht remaining for future management. The government is continuing to monitor global oil market volatility and refining costs to determine future subsidy measures, with officials emphasizing the need to balance consumer relief with fair treatment of all sectors.

Labour Minister Chulphan Amornvivat announced Thailand's preparations to host the 29th ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting (ALMM) and related meetings scheduled for August 23-28, 2026, at Dusit Thani Bangkok. The conference theme is "ASEAN Human Capital Development: Skills Recognition Towards International Acceptance," aiming to elevate labour standards, promote skills certification, and strengthen regional labour cooperation among the 11 ASEAN member states to benefit over 357 million workers.

Almost all ASEAN members will attend, and the International Labour Organization (ILO) director-general will participate in discussions with ASEAN members. The meeting will also include the ASEAN Plus Three framework, bringing together 10 ASEAN nations and three dialogue partners: China, Japan, and South Korea, with Thailand as this year's host.

Thailand will present a three-pillar skills recognition ecosystem: certification of ASEAN vocational training curricula, ASEAN labour skills standards, and ASEAN centres of excellence. The initiative runs from 2026-2030 and will introduce the "ASEAN Digital Skills Passport" to enhance competitiveness of Thai and regional workers on the international stage.

Chulphan emphasized the need for common labour skills standards accepted across ASEAN member states to create unified development guidelines. As both a labour-sending and labour-receiving country, Thailand recognises the importance of shared standards. The ultimate goal is achieving regional and potentially international recognition to advance ASEAN's labour market in skills development, worker mobility, and competitiveness.

The meeting will also address labour market changes, particularly the impact of artificial intelligence on job structures, work patterns, and competition globally. AI poses new risks, especially for young workers and new market entrants, as automation may transform certain job types while workers lacking market-aligned skills face employment challenges.

PHUKET: Police have arrested three people and are seeking arrest warrants for five more following rival teen gangs exchanging threats and gunfire in Ratsada.

Keng Hrusit continues to dominate social media as one of Thailand's most-watched emerging actors under Domundi. His breakthrough came with the film Vimarn Nam in 2567, which became the country's top-grossing film for three consecutive weeks and earned over 151 million baht, followed by a standout performance in the series Khemchira Must Survive, where his portrayal of the warm yet dignified Teacher Phrom resonated deeply with audiences.

Born August 19, 1999, in Phu Sang District, Phayao Province, Keng studied at Chiang Khom Witthayakhom School and later earned his bachelor's degree from Phayao University's Faculty of Education. While training as a teacher, he gained viral attention as a handsome educator, launching his entertainment career through various competitions and modeling work, including winning the Mr. Chinese Chiang Mai 2021 title and placing as Chiang Mai debutante champion.

His entertainment journey accelerated after joining Domundi's DMD Friendship The Reality program, where he won Best Partner alongside Nam Ping Naphaskon Pingmuang and secured his leading role in Khemchira Must Survive. Beyond acting in films like Diva Ravi, where he plays the challenging role of artist idol Alex Kim, Keng is also an accomplished singer with soundtrack contributions including To The Moon, Jai Chong Man, Mantra, Took Chat Phop, Kiao Kao (Forever Entwined), and BEAST. Fans can look forward to the special series Khemchira Must Survive Forever with his on-screen partner, releasing soon in June 2026.

A Palace Security Command officer has filed complaints with parliament's legal affairs committee seeking justice after allegations of unfair investigation and misconduct in a Phuket Palace Security Command energy conservation initiative featuring solar panels paired with car batteries incapable of storing solar power. On August 13 at parliament, Member of Parliament Rangsiman Rom, chairman of the House legal affairs and human rights committee, received a petition from Nasipat Chaiyavimonsit, a Palace Security Command officer, containing two main complaints: first, requesting fair treatment regarding alleged misuse of authority and unjust investigation; and second, seeking review of the palace's energy conservation projects between 2557 and 2559. Nasipat stated she was unfairly appointed to an investigation committee after complaints of corruption emerged in the Phuket Palace Security Command project, with the investigation dragging on since 2564 without resolution while only she faces penalties despite being merely an implementer, with no senior officers held accountable. Regarding allegations that she had a financial stake of one billion baht in the Yanuya Beach matter, Nasipat firmly denied ever visiting the site or knowing anyone involved, and stressed that her project work followed all proper procedures and made efficient use of budget. Nasipat requested that the committee investigate the corruption in the palace's energy conservation projects, which installed solar panels but used car batteries incapable of storing solar energy. Rangsiman responded that given the corruption within the Palace Security Command, the committee would gather information and use all evidence provided by Nasipat to conduct further investigation.