Every dream needs an opportunity to begin, and for football lovers, a small pitch near home may be the starting point of a much greater journey than ever imagined. Behind the cheers and competition on every field lies determination, intention, and dreams of experiencing world-class football.

Believing that football enthusiasts' dreams should not be confined to the pitch alone, Carabao Group has launched the "Carabao 7-a-Side Cup 2026" for its fifth consecutive year, reinforcing its role as "the drink of football fans." Under the concept "From Our Home Field to Wembley," the tournament invites amateur footballers nationwide to prove their skills while competing for the Thai championship title and earning the right to attend the Carabao Cup Final 2026/27 at Wembley Stadium in England, with total prize money exceeding 3 million baht.

This year marks a significant upgrade in the tournament's fifth iteration, shifting to a league-based qualifying system across 16 partner football stadiums nationwide. Each stadium will host 12 teams, totaling 192 teams, enabling football lovers from all regions to compete locally under the "Local Pride" concept before representatives advance from each stadium to the national finals to determine Thailand's champion team.

Komolditthip Samutrkojarom, deputy managing director of Carabao Group, stated that Carabao believes football sponsorship is not merely about brand awareness but about creating opportunities for football enthusiasts to showcase their abilities. Through years of supporting the Carabao Cup alongside the English Football League (EFL), the company has brought world-class competition experience and standards to Thailand via the Carabao 7-a-Side Cup, now in its fifth year and growing annually through partnerships with stadium networks nationwide, athletes, media, and official communications partner Siamsport, aiming to continuously elevate Thailand's amateur football landscape.

This year's tournament has been reformatted into a league system under the "Local Pride" concept, distributing matches across 16 partner stadiums nationwide. It welcomes working professionals, students, community football teams, and football enthusiasts to prove their skills while generating economic activity in each region over the 11-week competition period, while maintaining competition standards across venues, referees, and rules to deliver the best experience for all participants.

"Carabao 7-a-Side Cup is not merely a football tournament but a platform of opportunity that opens space for all Thais who love football to showcase their abilities and potentially advance from a neighborhood pitch to world-class experience at Wembley Stadium, because we believe dreams should not be limited only to professional footballers," said Komolditthip.

Regarding the finals, Carabao plans to organize major football and entertainment activities, inviting world-renowned football legends to join in creating excitement, meet fans, and celebrate the competition. The company will also draw lots to award four partner stadium owners trips to attend the Carabao Cup Final 2026/27 in England, reflecting mutual growth within the partner network. The winning team of Carabao 7-a-Side Cup 2026 will also receive special privileges.

A Grade 9 student carried out a shooting at Thepsirin School in Nonthaburi province, resulting in multiple deaths and numerous injuries before the shooter died by his own hand at the school. The suspect's grandparents were also found shot dead at their home. On August 7, at Phlai Bang Police Station—the jurisdiction where the incident occurred—officers separately interrogated the shooter's parents to gather evidence and facts in the case. During questioning, the father briefly stated: "I apologize to society for what my son has done. Right now I still haven't seen my son's face." The father appeared visibly stressed and excused himself to smoke. The mother appeared emotionally devastated and declined to give any interviews.

Thailand's men's singles sepaktakraw team delivered a dominant performance to defeat the Philippines 2-0 sets and claim the men's singles title at the ISTAF World Sepaktakraw Championship – The 39th Thai King's Cup 2026 held at Fashion Island on August 7. Despite the Philippines showing significant improvement, Thailand proved superior, securing victory with set scores of 15-12 and 15-11. This marks Thailand's fourth gold medal at the tournament, following earlier wins in men's doubles, women's doubles, and women's four-person team events.

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Phuket –  Phuket police have carried out a high-profile operation in the heart of the city, arresting a Myanmar national and seizing more than one kilogram of crystal methamphetamine along with a red-plated vehicle believed to be linked to the crime. Police told the Ohuket Expresss. They executed a coordinated raid, searching the suspect’s residence […] Phuket Police Nab Myanmar Suspect with Over 1kg of Crystal Meth -=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=- The Phuket Express - Real. Unbiased. Impactful. In the moment.

The 2025 Thai national road cycling and mountain bike championships, competing for the King Bhumibol Trophy and the royal cup, held their fifth and final round from August 7–9 at Bhumibol Dam in Samngao District, Tak Province. The opening ceremony for the road time-trial event took place on August 7 at Sirichol Plaza, presided over by Vipu Piwattana, deputy director-general of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), alongside Suneep Butsaphan, deputy governor of Tak; Prasit Upchit, director of Bhumibol Dam; and Admiral Thitphorn Noraksa, secretary-general of the Thai Cycling Association. After the opening, Vipu Piwattana praised Tak Province and the cycling association for hosting the final round at Bhumibol Dam, which he noted was a beautiful venue. The event attracted athletes and teams from across Thailand and the national level, boosting the local economy as athletes bring families, coaching staff, and supporters. The closed circuit at the dam offered high safety standards. EGAT expressed willingness to support sporting events in its areas and noted that local communities could sell food, agricultural goods, and OTOP products during the event. Results from the women's civilian time-trial class (18 km) saw Pithyaporn Saetung of the Fishermen Friends Chiang Mai team finish first with a time of 34:29.286, securing the Thai championship title with 170 points and claiming the royal cup. Petchdarintra Somrat of the Ministry of Defence office finished second in 34:36.315. In the women's under-23 class (18 km), Pithyaporn Saetung won again with 34:29.286 and 180 total points to claim the royal cup, followed by Naphaswan Kaeowtip, also of Fishermen Friends, in 42:14.291. In the men's civilian class (27 km), Flight Sergeant Peeraphol Chao Chiang Khuang of the Royal Thai Air Force KOM KOM team placed first in 43:25.370, followed by Senior Airman Thanakan Chaiyayasombat in 43:33.745. Senior Airman Peerphong Ladngen of Roojai Insurance claimed the Thai championship with 170 points and the royal cup. In the men's under-23 class (27 km), Junior Officer Thanaphat Sukultare of the Prime 19 team finished first in 45:38.615.

On August 7, 2026, Parliament Speaker and House President Sophon Saram led a Thai parliamentary delegation, accompanied by Ambassador Urawadee Sripirm at Bangkok's embassy in Hanoi, to study drug prevention and treatment programs at Hanoi's Drug Rehabilitation and Recovery Center in Hien Bay district. Senior Colonel Nguyen Duc Long, deputy commander of Hanoi police, received the group and briefed them on the city's drug situation and rehabilitation approach.

Sophon said the visit marks 50 years of Thai-Vietnamese diplomatic relations and aims to exchange knowledge and best practices on security, especially drug prevention and control—issues affecting public quality of life and national security. He expressed interest in Vietnam's rehabilitation system to identify suitable models for developing Thai policy and law. Vietnam's delegation noted that drug users are patients requiring treatment, with the state funding medical, psychological, and vocational rehabilitation lasting about two years for first-time users. Drug dealers and smugglers face criminal penalties up to capital punishment, with Hanoi aiming to become drug-free by 2030.

Sophon acknowledged Thailand's ongoing challenges with drug abuse among youth and disagreement over the legal status of drug users, noting Vietnam's experience in both rehabilitation and law enforcement would benefit Thai policymaking. He confirmed Thailand's parliament is ready to advance drug laws and international cooperation mechanisms, intercept cross-border trafficking, and protect youth from drug threats. Sophon then paid respects to Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary and President To Lam, discussing expanded cooperation across economics, trade, investment, tourism, and people-to-people relations, including the Thai-Vietnamese communities in Thailand's northeastern region. Sophon praised growing tourism and investment between the nations and pledged parliamentary support for Vietnamese business investment in Thailand while working to remove legal obstacles for both countries' entrepreneurs.