On August 19, Thadsapol Ampaipipattakul, superintendent of Prawet Police Station, confirmed that renowned actor and presenter Ray McDonald passed away on the lower sofa area inside his home in Soi Pattanakarn 61. Police received notification from his wife at 6:40 a.m. Upon reviewing security camera footage inside the house, officers found that Ray had collapsed unconscious starting at 12:12 a.m. The family initially reported he had no underlying medical conditions, though authorities are awaiting detailed autopsy results.

Ray McDonald was born on May 21, 1962, in Roi Et Province and was a Thai-Scottish (Eurasian) actor and presenter. He completed his secondary education in England. He received the Suparnnhong Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1997-1998 for the film "Crazy Karaoke Dream" and the Komchadluek Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor for "Escape with Galileo." He had continued working on film projects, with his most recent being "Best Friends Secret."

Recently, he reunited with close friends Leo Putt and Tar Phao Thaephathdin to produce a YouTube show called "Puttar" on the YouTube channel Rayron: Wander.

On August 19, authorities received a report at 6:37 a.m. of an unconscious person at a residence on Pattanakarn 61 Road in Prawet district, Bangkok. The Po Teg Tung Foundation and related agencies rushed to the scene, where they found Ray McDonald, a prominent actor and presenter from the 1990s, unconscious. Medical staff attempted to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at 7:05 a.m. Ray McDonald was born on May 21, 1967, in Roi Et province. He was a Thai-Scottish (Eurasian) actor, television host, and model who became famous as a leading man and teen presenter in the 1990s, notably hosting the popular program Teen Talk. Police are continuing their investigation into the cause of death.

On August 19, Nan Province officials reported severe flooding in Santisuk District following heavy downpours. The Na Lao irrigation dam sustained damage when one wall was breached by powerful currents, also damaging the adjacent road. Authorities have issued warnings for residents to prepare for incoming water.

Heavy and continuous rainfall has caused water levels in multiple streams to overflow their banks, flooding homes, agricultural areas, and some roads, particularly near Ban Pang Chang in Phong Subdistrict. District officials, village heads, local government organizations, disaster prevention staff, and police have surveyed the affected areas and warned riverside residents to move belongings to higher ground and prepare to evacuate to safe areas if conditions worsen. All local authorities have been instructed to remain on alert 24 hours a day.

As of 6 a.m., heavy rain continued, with multiple waterways overflowing and flooding homes and farmland. The Phu Yaeng–Kiew Muang route leading to Muang Nan District was completely submerged, making it impassable. Rescue teams deployed boats to help residents trapped near Ban Si Bun Ruang in Phong Subdistrict, though operations were hampered by strong currents. Additional residents were stranded at Mwab Bridge in Ban Namsoong, Doo Phong Subdistrict; rescue operations were delayed initially due to dangerous currents but were eventually completed safely once water levels dropped.

Looking back, if you search for a Thai football club that captured headlines over the past year, Kanchanaburi FC invariably comes to mind first. Club chairman Dr. Prawat Kitthammakul made a bold declaration that the team would finish top-3 in the Thai League, despite having just arrived on the top flight for the first time in the club's history. This rightfully shone a spotlight on the western province's football ambitions, especially with massive spending and the signing of Andros Townsend, a former Premier League star. But football can be brutal. As an inexperienced newcomer to the Thai League, despite unlimited budgets to recruit players, their top-3 target proved far too distant. Ultimately, they fell short even of a close call. They became the first team to be relegated to Thai League 2 that season, with dismal results (winning only 4 of 30 games). Back to square one. Although forced to restart in Thai League 2, the "Iron Horse" refuses to give up. While other clubs relaxed during the off-season, Kanchanaburi pushed forward with a major squad overhaul from day one. The recruitment of South Korean head coach Park Hang-seo, who made history in Vietnamese football, gave the team the freedom to fully restructure, from scouting players to unlimited budgets. The result: only 10 of the original squad remained, with at least 14 new signings, including John Bajjo, Apisit Soradat, Thirawut Sawaltsorn, Aphichat Denmman, and Nantawat Suankaew. These may not be "superstar" signings that generate headlines like before, but rather a "scratching where it itches" approach, prioritizing balance and chemistry with Park Hang-seo's system. The clear goal: promotion back to Thai League 1. Football in rural heartland. Another factor that contradicts Kanchanaburi's on-field performance is its fans. Although their form has been poor enough to want to turn away, statistics never lie. Last season, the club averaged 5,094 supporters per match—the fifth-highest attendance in the league for a province that is not a major metropolitan area. This is because the people of Kanchanaburi stand by their hometown club, regardless of its status. Digging deeper into grassroots football, you find that the local population is genuinely football-mad. Beyond Kanchanaburi FC, the province also has professional futsal clubs like Thai Army and Kanchanaburi Futsal. Another crucial factor the province has not overlooked is providing a football platform where youth can flourish. Kanchanaburi FC, besides playing professional football, also fields a youth team competing in the U-21 league (PEA Youngster League). Meanwhile, the provincial government continues to support football actively, with the Provincial Sports Association organizing annual competitions in futsal, football, and other sports, including the "Futsal Honouring the Queen" tournament, which attracts many teams. Several schools are also competing to develop and scout talented young players to elevate their institutional football teams, from Kanchanaburi Provincial Administration School 1 (Ban Kao Witthaya) to the latest example of Wisuttirungsee School, which just introduced "Gob" Suchao Nuchnoom, a former Thai national team midfielder and native of Kanchanaburi, as well as founder of the Kob Suchao Academy (KSA), to serve as head coach to develop the school's football team.

Bangkok — A fierce fire tore through a wooden residential community in Bangkok's Din Daeng district early Wednesday, destroying four to five houses and forcing residents to flee in panic.

At 01:53, the 199 emergency hotline received a report of a house fire in Soi Ratchadaphisek 7, Yaek 15-4-1, along Ratchadaphisek Road in Din Daeng district.

Firefighters from Huai Khwang Fire and Rescue Station, along with rescue workers and volunteers from Ruam Katanyu Foundation, rushed to the scene. The area is a densely packed community of adjoining two-storey wooden houses. On arrival, officials found flames raging through the structures, while nearby residents scrambled to escape.

Fire engines faced difficulties reaching the blaze because the alley was narrow. Firefighters and rescue volunteers had to carry firefighting equipment into the area before spraying water to contain the flames and prevent them from spreading. The fire was brought under control after about 30 minutes.

A preliminary inspection found that four to five houses had been completely destroyed by the fire. No injuries or deaths were reported. Police are investigating to determine the cause of the blaze.

The Department of Internal Trade is moving forward with a mature coconut absorption program for 2025, allocating funds for provincial commerce offices to work with agricultural committees in accelerating purchases of mature coconuts to clear surplus stocks and assist farmers affected by falling prices. The department has notified provinces of the budget allocation and is calling on provincial commerce offices and agricultural committees to expedite the purchasing process, distribute collection points across affected areas, and deliver fair assistance to farmers. Prachuap Khiri Khan province is expected to meet first to approve the project on August 20, 2025, followed by other provinces, with the Department of Internal Trade providing close supervision to ensure purchases meet volume targets and match local production conditions.

The program has been approved to use funds from the agricultural support revolving fund totaling 46.6075 million baht to expand market channels, connect buyers and sellers, reduce surplus mature coconut inventories, stabilize prices, and increase farmer income through both direct market sales and processing surplus coconuts into dried coconut meat. Large mature coconuts will receive management support not exceeding 4 baht per fruit, with a combined target price of 10 baht per fruit for large coconuts, aiming to absorb 10 million fruits using 40 million baht to accelerate market entry and boost farmer incomes.

Mature coconuts that have deteriorated over time or lack suitable quality for direct sale will be processed into dried coconut meat to reduce losses and return production to commerce. The department will provide processing support not exceeding 5 baht per kilogram of dried coconut meat under a target price of 20 baht per kilogram, with a goal of 500 tons using 2.5 million baht. The program covers eight major coconut-producing provinces—Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Samut Songkhram, Narathiwat, Pattani, and Chachoengsao—which together produce approximately 92 percent of Thailand's coconuts. Eligible farmers are registered with the Department of Agricultural Extension and have production in program areas. The purchasing period runs from approval through October 31, 2025, with the program period from August 13 through December 31, 2025. The Department of Internal Trade will closely monitor implementation to ensure equitable, widespread purchasing within program volume limits.