At 17:54 on August 15, 2025, Thailand's Meteorological Department Earthquake Watch Center reported a 6.8-magnitude earthquake centered in the northern Sumatra region of Indonesia. The epicenter was initially recorded at latitude 2.98°N, longitude 99.06°E with a magnitude of 6.4 and depth of 168 kilometers. The data was later updated to latitude 3.03°N, longitude 99.11°E, with a magnitude of 6.8 and depth of 175 kilometers. Near the epicenter, the tremors are expected to reach intensity level 8–9 on the Mercalli scale, potentially causing severe structural damage and partial building collapse.

Residents in Songkhla, Trang, Krabi, Phuket, and Satun provinces reported feeling the earthquake. However, the magnitude and epicenter location did not meet the criteria for issuing a Cell Broadcast alert. The Meteorological Department issued its second announcement on August 15, 2025 at 18:44, confirming that the tremors were felt across the five provinces but posed no immediate threat requiring evacuation alerts.

The Ministry of Education and Foremost have signed a cooperation memorandum to advance the "Foremost One Million Smiles 6th" program, celebrating Foremost's 70-year milestone in Thailand. The initiative will deliver one million boxes of Foremost Omega 369 UHT milk to children nationwide, promoting sustainable nutrition and child development through high-quality dairy products.

On August 13, 2026, Education Minister Presert Chantharueangthong presided over the signing ceremony alongside Dr. Olarn Chowvivattana, Corporate Relations Director of Friesland Campina (Thailand) Public Company Limited, at the Ministry of Education headquarters.

Presert stated that this full partnership between the Ministry of Education and Foremost represents the sixth year of the program. He emphasized that milk consumption is not merely a basic benefit but builds food security and sustainable quality of life for Thai children. The government aims to expand access to quality milk equitably across all children, particularly in disadvantaged and remote schools, to address malnutrition sustainably. He expressed confidence that collaboration between the education ministry, Foremost, and partners will maximize benefits for Thai children, and praised Foremost's 70-year commitment to Thai society.

Dr. Olarn highlighted that Friesland Campina, operating in Thailand for 70 years, recognizes its responsibility to create lasting positive social impact. He stressed that investment in children is the best investment for Thailand's future. This year's program features enhanced national cooperation through partnerships with the Office of the Basic Education Commission, the Private Education Promotion Office, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, and Big C supermarkets to distribute one million boxes of milk. The initiative includes nutritional monitoring, field surveys, growth assessments, and physical and cognitive development evaluations.

Gai Arirat Krishnasomit, founder of Animal Healings and Communication Thailand, was invited by organizer Siriwan Raksawong to speak at Thailand Reptile Expo 5 (T-REX 5: Monster in Love) about the science of animal communication and its benefits for pet owners. During the event, Gai demonstrated communication with Prik Gaeng, an aardvark owned by Vi-Virattee Rachutakul from The Zookeeper Thailand, showcasing that animal communication applies to diverse species beyond dogs and cats.

Gai invited fellow animal communicators including Ariya Trusunan and Vivarn Jenmanachaykul, both trained to Reiki Master level, to share their experiences on stage. The team was supported by students Shruta Luang Chame, Piyarat Somjit, and Achiranun Nansirithanadhip, all working to promote animal communication knowledge more widely.

T-REX 5, held at BCC Hall Central Plaza Ladprao, is Thailand's premier exotic animal expo, now in its fifth year under the theme "Monster in Love." The event features displays and activities involving snakes, geckos, tortoises, spiders, ants, and sugar gliders, along with contests, expert talks, and educational booths. Featured speakers include Kan, operator of the Ant Keepings Thailand page, and Sun from the Antverse channel, discussing ant-keeping, alongside a sugar glider rope-climbing competition.

On accepting the invitation, Gai remarked: "I'm grateful to Nok-Siriwan for embracing animal communication science and recognizing its value for anyone caring for animals. I want people to understand that all animals have lives, souls, and feelings—they simply cannot communicate through human speech. An animal communicator serves as a messenger, helping convey what animals want to express so their caretakers gain deeper understanding." Throughout his career, Gai has communicated with diverse species including dogs, cats, and snakes.

CHONBURI — Four foreign divers who went missing during a technical diving exercise off Samae San in Chonburi were found safe on Friday night after managing to reach shore at Nam Sai Beach.

The Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center Region 1 was alerted at 16:35 on 14 August after the captain of a boat carrying the group reported that four divers had failed to return from a dive near Ko Rong Khon and Ko Rong Nang, off Samae San in Sattahip district. The dive site is about eight nautical miles from U-Tapao Airport.

The group, led by British diver Gary Philips, entered the water at around 14:30 and had been expected to return to the rendezvous point at about 15:15. When they failed to surface as scheduled and no surface marker was seen, the boat captain began searching and requested assistance from the Naval Special Warfare Command. Two of the missing divers were instructors and the other two were students. They had entered the water in instructor-student buddy pairs for technical diving training at a depth of around 40 to 50 metres.

One additional vessel was unable to join the search from the Sattahip Bay side because of strong winds and rough seas. Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center Region 1 deployed a Royal Thai Navy aircraft to search from the air and coordinated with authorities in Chonburi, fishing-vessel control officials, naval radio networks and maritime rescue groups. Fishing vessels operating nearby were also asked to watch for the missing divers.

Authorities said the dive site lies in a deep-water channel with naturally strong currents. On Friday, the tide reached a low of 0.91 metres at 11:12 before rising to 3.02 metres at 19:36. The divers entered the water while the tide was rising, when currents in the area were relatively strong. Another diver who remained aboard the boat as an assistant to the captain said the two instructors were physically fit and highly experienced at sea. He believed they could potentially have fought the current and reached one of the nearby islands.

As conditions remained difficult after dark, authorities had been preparing to resume a larger search at first light. However, at about 20:50, a team on Samae San reported that all four missing divers had been found after making their way through the water to Nam Sai Beach. All four were reported safe, allowing authorities to end the search and rescue operation.

A policy adviser emphasizes the National Police Commissioner's approach to public engagement, laying out a strategy for a modern police force with civilians as safety partners to rebuild public confidence.

On August 15, 2025, Asst. Prof. Dr. Napdol Kannika, a member of the National Police Policy Committee representing civil society and chair of the public participation subcommittee, discussed progress on the Community Police Volunteer program for proactive policing alongside the public. Throughout his time working with the National Police Office and observing the leadership of National Police Commissioner General Kittarat Panpetch, he has seen one clear principle: the commissioner's leadership is not measured only by decisiveness, but by how effectively he aligns an organization of over 200,000 personnel in one direction, opens the police to public collaboration, retains good people, addresses wrongdoing, and makes citizens feel they are part of the National Police Office.

From his experience, he has witnessed many qualities in General Kittarat that he never expected to see at this level in the police system before. There is a shift in perception: from "police acting on the public" to "police working with the public."

The first observable change is the genuine opening of space for public participation in police operations. This is significant because the police force has a clear command structure and strong organizational culture and internal systems. Allowing outsiders to collaborate, offer input, ask questions, and help design policy requires both confidence and openness from leadership. What he has observed is that the Police Commissioner is positioning the public as "safety partners." This is taking concrete form in developing the Community Police Volunteer network for community security. The National Police Office's directive clearly outlines the goal: to educate the public about their role in community care, reduce the gap between police and civilians, and create opportunities for public participation in crime prevention. General Kittarat personally signed this directive.

This is meaningful change because police cannot be present everywhere 24/7. Instead, Thailand can develop citizens who observe, report, prevent, and know when to involve professional police. It is not about making civilians into police officers, but about creating "mutual safety partners between police and the public." Good leaders must address wrongdoers firmly while ensuring good people are not left unsupported.

Another critical dimension is people management. The police force employs many officers working in the field under difficult conditions, yet their good work often goes unreported. Leaders must do two things simultaneously: decisively and swiftly address police misconduct, while also protecting morale and recognizing the contributions of officers who perform well.

Integrity and transparency in personnel management are equally important. If we want clean-handed police, we must start with a clean-handed system of administration. If positions are seen as gained through money, commitment to reform will falter.

Bangkok, August 15, 2026 – True Corporation, led by Group Chief Executive Sigve Brekke, has launched True Customer Day 2026 under the theme "Filling Hearts Through Meaningful Connection" at True Tower. The company is elevating its customer appreciation mission from a passive exercise to an active field engagement designed to capture authentic customer insights and drive service improvements across all dimensions. The initiative will deploy more than 2,000 managers, frontline staff, and support teams across nine strategic routes spanning the entire country, including Bangkok, its metropolitan area, and major cities such as Chiang Mai, Nakhon Pathom, Chonburi, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Songkhla. Teams will interact with customers directly in communities, business districts, shopping malls, and real-world living spaces.

This initiative represents one of True's major strategic moves in customer experience enhancement, bringing together every department—from executives and retail staff to network teams, digital teams, customer service, and cybersecurity teams—to ensure customer feedback does not end at listening but is translated into genuine service development at every interaction point. The effort reinforces True's commitment to delivering accessible, empathetic, and supportive experiences for customers every day, encompassing reliable connectivity, practical everyday value, and digital security.