A 65-year-old man presented to hospital in early July with over a month of continuous diarrhea, coming in only after finishing a construction job elsewhere. During the physical examination before ultrasound, emergency medicine physician Dr. Bei Qili immediately noticed alarming signs: the upper abdomen was visibly bulging and abnormally hard to palpation—findings that prompted deep concern even before imaging. Ultrasound confirmed that the liver was filled with tumor nodules.

History-taking revealed the patient was an HBV carrier but had never received regular monitoring. He admitted the abdominal swelling had been present for 1-2 months; he had only intended to visit the clinic during a break to collect medication, but the diagnostic results came as a shock.

Dr. Bei Qili explained that being an HBV carrier does not necessarily lead directly to cirrhosis. Most carriers, if the virus is in a low-activity phase and liver function remains consistently normal, can coexist with the virus throughout life and may not require treatment. However, key factors that worsen disease include ongoing viral activity, chronic liver inflammation, and additional risk factors such as advanced age, alcohol consumption, fatty liver, or diabetes.

Scientific studies show that among patients with chronic hepatitis B with active viral replication and inflammation, approximately 15-20% develop cirrhotic scarring within 15-20 years due to repeated liver damage and repair cycles, eventually progressing to end-stage cirrhosis.

Dr. Bei Qili warned that HBV carriers—even those without symptoms and with normal liver function on blood tests—must undergo regular monitoring. Most patients should visit a gastroenterology or hepatology clinic every 6-12 months. High-risk groups, such as those with cirrhosis, high viral load, family history of liver cancer, or those undergoing treatment, should be checked every 6 months or more frequently at the physician's discretion.

The doctor stressed that comprehensive monitoring is essential and should not be neglected. Beyond blood tests assessing liver function (ALT and AST) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), abdominal ultrasound is mandatory. Blood work evaluates inflammation, AFP is only a supporting marker, while abdominal ultrasound is the most important screening tool for cirrhosis, liver nodules, and early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma.

PHUKET: Phuket joins the rest of Thailand in celebrating the birthday of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn today (July 28), with ceremonies across the island marking the start of a three-day national public holiday that continues with two of Buddhisms most important holy days.

Residents near Tal Lom Temple in Muang District, Chachoengsao Province, are living in fear following incidents on July 27, 2025, involving a man locals say suffers from mental illness who has been attacking residents and chasing them with a wooden stick in the street. One Facebook user posted: "This person is mentally unstable. He should be placed somewhere that doesn't cause trouble for residents. He yells and fights every day."

CCTV footage captured two men wielding sticks and attacking each other on a street in Tesaban Pattana Soi 1, near Tal Lom Temple. Residents explained that before the incident, a 60-year-old woman went to buy groceries near a pork shop when the attacker hit her right arm with a wooden stick. She later went to a hospital for examination and filed a police report.

When her son later approached the man to ask why he attacked his mother, a quarrel broke out and he was beaten on the head with a stick, suffering wounds that bled. Ms. Sumittha, 60, the injured woman, revealed that while she was out buying groceries in the morning, she saw the perpetrator and fled into a roasted pork shop. However, the attacker followed her inside and struck her right arm once before leaving. A monk intervened, but the attacker seemed ready to return and harm the monk as well.

When her son confronted the attacker, he was hit on the head with a stick and received injuries with two separate lacerations. She expressed fear because the perpetrator usually carries a knife and stick at all times, and all residents in the area are worried. She wants relevant authorities to take care of the situation and bring the attacker in for treatment. Both she and her son have already received medical treatment and filed reports.

Ms. A, 33, owner of the CCTV camera, revealed that the incident began when the white-shirted man's mother was attacked before his son confronted the perpetrator, leading to the chase and attack seen in the video. She identified the perpetrator as someone residents believe suffers from mental illness, speaks incoherently, and regularly roams the area.

The camera owner also stated that her house is adjacent to the incident site and she has 3-4 young children living there, making her fearful that if the attacker experiences a mental episode, he may break into her house and endanger the children. She wants relevant authorities to investigate and take the perpetrator for treatment or care at an appropriate facility for public safety.

When the reporter spoke with Mr. M, identified by residents as the perpetrator, his responses to questions about the incident were rambling and unclear, with signs that he struggles to communicate coherently about what happened.

Thailand's Office of Energy Policy and Planning (OEPP) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Electricity Generating Authority (EGAT), Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA), Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), and PTT Oil and Retail Business (OR) to study the feasibility of establishing a Thailand EV Roaming Hub—a centralized data-sharing platform for the country's electric vehicle charging networks.

The MOU aims to link charging networks and standardize data exchange across EV charging systems operated by EGAT, MEA, PEA, and OR, with plans to expand to other operators. As a government agency, the OEPP will oversee policy, management, and a National Access Point (NAP) database containing nationwide charging infrastructure details such as charger specifications, station locations, operational status, and related information. The data will be cataloged with standardized EV data formats to enable seamless integration between systems, allowing government agencies to use the information for electricity demand planning and efficient grid management.

The Thailand EV Roaming Hub initiative is expected to make EV charging more convenient, simple, and trustworthy for users while encouraging other operators to join the network. Findings from the study will be compiled into recommendations for regulatory improvements, service procedures, and policies to make the hub a concrete reality in the future.

The Tourism Ministry revealed seven strategic tourism policies designed to position Thailand as a premier global event destination. Tourism Minister Suraskad Pancharoenworrakul unveiled the initiatives to the Thai Tourism Board and executives, aiming to elevate Thailand into a high-value, sustainable tourism destination under the concept "Tourism for All, Tourism for the Future."

The seven policies include: prioritizing quality over volume by focusing on high-value experiences rather than visitor numbers; spreading revenue to local communities and 55 target communities nationwide; promoting year-round travel through concrete market stimulus programs, including the Thai Tourism Plus co-pay scheme, Fly Thai All the Feelings (offering 400,000 discounted seats through six domestic airlines), and Thailand Air Connect (coordinating with airlines to maintain flight stability and increase capacity).

Additionally, the ministry plans to position Thailand as a global event hub by hosting the Tomorrowland Thailand music festival from 2026–2030, expected to generate 3.5–5.3 billion baht annually and attract at least 127,500 foreign participants. Other policies address the Thai Tourism Board's transition to the Culture Ministry while maintaining operational continuity, and strengthening organizational governance and efficiency to make it a high-performance institution that builds industry confidence.

Poolvat Leesombatpaibuun, secretary-general of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), announced that the commission has approved opening public comment on a proposal to revise residential electricity rates using a progressive rate structure. Under the proposal, the first 200 kilowatt-hours would cost no more than 3 baht per unit, applying to households with meters of 5 amperes or less as well as those with higher capacity. The move aligns with a cabinet resolution from April 28, 2025, which mandated that the first 200 units of electricity consumption not exceed 3 baht per unit.

The proposal also seeks to modernize the definition of residential electricity users to reflect current living patterns, including temporary electrical connections for homes without formal house registration, as well as extending benefits to renters and residents of apartment complexes and boarding houses. This aims to better match actual usage patterns and accommodate evolving residential arrangements.

Thailand currently operates under an electricity rate structure for 2022–2025 approved by the National Energy Policy Committee on April 1, 2021. The committee approved a new rate structure for 2026–2030 on July 15, 2025. Going forward, the ERC will work with the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA), the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) to formalize the proposal before submission to relevant committees. The public is invited to submit comments between July 24–31, 2025, via www.erc.or.th.