A 44-year-old Norwegian man who spent more than two years living rough around Pak Kret in Nonthaburi is finally set to return home after Thai immigration authorities stepped in to help him contact his embassy. Odd Stian Hesseberg was found living around temples and public areas in Pak Kret after a social media post raised concerns about a foreign man sleeping near the Pak Kret waterfront.

Hesseberg told reporters he came to Thailand alone about two and a half years ago to meet a female friend in Nakhon Sawan but lost contact with her. He later travelled to Nonthaburi, where he said his bag containing his passport and other documents was stolen. Without his documents, he ended up living rough and sleeping at temples and along the waterfront. He said he wanted to return to Norway but did not know who to contact for help.

Immigration officers located Hesseberg at Wat Klang Kret on 7 August and checked his immigration record. He entered Thailand on 3 March 2023 on a 30-day tourist visa and later received an extension until 16 May 2023. His immigration status currently shows an overstay of 1,179 days. Authorities are now questioning Hesseberg and coordinating with the Norwegian Embassy to arrange his return to Norway in accordance with Thai law.

Temple staff said they had previously tried to help him return home, including arranging transport to the Norwegian Embassy about three months ago. They said they were concerned about his wellbeing as he had been living alone and often sleeping in public places. After being taken by immigration officers, Hesseberg thanked temple staff and local residents who had helped him during his time in Thailand. He said he was happy that he would finally be able to return to Norway, his home country, after more than two years.

Thailand's Education Ministry is preparing to tighten safety measures in schools nationwide, including stricter controls on weapons, drugs, and all types of tobacco. Teachers will be granted full authority to conduct searches. On August 9, Education Minister Prasert Chanthrawong announced that the government and ministry have escalated security to the highest level, with strict bans on weapons and illegal items, screening of at-risk groups, and consideration of installing scanners in schools where appropriate, in coordination with local police. The ministry also held urgent meetings with school administrators nationwide to explain the enhanced security measures, aiming to build confidence among parents, teachers, and students while upgrading safety systems in educational institutions with clearer standards and procedures. Immediate measures include requesting media cooperation to avoid disclosing perpetrator information to prevent copycat behavior, providing ongoing mental health counseling to those affected by incidents, and strengthening security measures across all schools. For long-term action, the ministry is preparing to advance a draft Student Safety Protection Act, while in the short term it will increase enforcement against weapons, drugs, and e-cigarettes, with teachers authorized to conduct searches.

A 24-year-old soldier died on a tour bus while returning to his military base in Chon Buri after visiting his home in Udon Thani. Emergency responders attempted CPR but could not save him.

At 8:00 a.m. on August 9, 2026, Sawang Methadharm rescue services in Udon Thani were notified of an unconscious passenger on a Rayong-Bueng Kan route bus at Bus Terminal 1 and immediately responded.

The passenger was found unconscious in his seat on the Rayong-Bueng Kan bus (Udon Thani registered). Officials performed vigorous chest compressions in an attempt to revive him, but his vital signs could not be restored and he died shortly thereafter.

The deceased was identified as Phalathahan Tantigon (surname withheld), 24 years old, a soldier stationed at a military camp in Chon Buri province. He had traveled home on leave and was preparing to board a bus back to his unit when he suffered sudden cardiac arrest on the bus before returning to the camp. Sincere condolences are extended to his family.

Hatyaiwittayalai School in Songkhla will switch to online classes on 10-11 August following alleged threats by a former foreign English teacher who posted images of guns and threatening messages online after his contract was terminated.

The school said on 8 August that it had terminated the contract of a South African teacher in its English Programme on 24 July over alleged conduct that breached the terms of his employment. After the termination, the former teacher allegedly posted images of firearms, messages and audio clips in a LINE open chat group containing provocative and threatening content.

The posts caused concern among school administrators, staff, students and parents, prompting the school to report the matter to Hat Yai Police Station and consider legal action. The school said the temporary switch to online learning was intended to protect students and staff and prevent any incident that could threaten lives, physical safety or property.

Hat Yai police, working with Songkhla immigration officers, said they had checked the former teacher's records and found that he left Thailand on 19 July and there was no record of him returning. Officers also checked his former residence and found that no one was living there.

Police said they are maintaining security measures around the school and other relevant locations while legal proceedings are underway. The school has also been advised to strengthen security measures and prepare for potential risks.

The school urged students, parents and staff to follow official updates and carefully verify information before sharing it to avoid confusion or panic.

The Zero Corruption working group, led by Thai Chamber of Commerce chairman Porn Aramnuatwanont, has expressed alarm over illegal Thai citizenship and registry status fraud, which has become increasingly complex and networked. The problem extends beyond foreign hiring schemes to include gaps in verification processes, poor data-sharing between agencies, and misconduct by some officials—enabling fraudulent government documents and false certifications linked to nominee structures, money laundering, illegal business, gray-market capital, and transnational crime. These actions threaten national security, undermine the credibility of the civil registration system, and damage Thailand's economic competitiveness.

The working group documented at least nine methods of fraudulent naturalization and registry status: (1) hiring Thai men to certify paternity of foreign women's children; (2) illegal surrogacy arrangements; (3) assuming the identity of deceased, missing, or overseas persons; (4) falsely adding names to household registers; (5) issuing or trading identity cards to non-Thai nationals; (6) false or inflated birth registrations; (7) hiring Thai men to marry foreign women with no genuine spousal relationship; (8) falsely certifying children born in Thailand; and (9) forging birth certificates and vital documents.

One widespread scheme involves hiring Thai men to marry or acknowledge paternity of pregnant foreign women so their children gain Thai nationality through the father's status. Brokers arrange the process, prepare documents, and liaise with hospitals and civil registration authorities. Since paternity recognition in some cases relies primarily on documents and sworn statements, inadequate fact-checking or official negligence can enable fraudulent legal status. The group also found misuse of deceased, missing, or overseas persons' data to obtain national ID cards, false household register entries using fake witnesses, and trafficking in identity documents of non-Thai nationals.

Thai nationality and civil registration status grant rights in education, healthcare, travel, employment, residence, and document holding, and can be exploited to facilitate illegal business, property acquisition, or transactions restricted to Thai nationals. They also serve to conceal identities of persons involved in drug trafficking, fugitives, illegal operations, and cross-border crime. The impact spans civil registration credibility, national ID integrity, security, business registration, property ownership, financial transactions, and fair economic competition.

On August 9, 2025, burglars broke into a luxury home in Wang Phong subdistrict, Prachuap Khiri Khan province, belonging to Karachwal (surname withheld) and her foreign business owner husband. The thieves took advantage of the owners' absence and escaped with property valued at several million baht.

The break-in was discovered when the household caretaker arrived and found signs of forced entry around the bathroom door and a cut window screen, indicating the burglars' entry point. Inside the home, investigators found that a wall-mounted safe had been pried open and entirely removed.

Stolen items include 14 luxury designer handbags: a red Louis Vuitton pouch, blue Gucci Marmont top handle (code 547260DT), cream Gucci Marmont bucket (code 575163DTDRT-9022), Louis Vuitton Monogram Giant Neverfull (UBT110823), MCM orange-brown shopper, black tote, gold Chanel (code AS1160B03954N8473), Christian Dior Lady Dior, and several Louis Vuitton pieces. Also missing are important documents including land titles, vehicle registration booklets, cash, passports (two German, one Thai), gold ornaments, luxury watches, and house keys.

The victim filed a complaint with Prachuap Police on August 7. Investigators are collecting fingerprint evidence and reviewing CCTV footage from the surrounding area to track down the perpetrators. The homeowner is offering a substantial reward for any information leading to arrests and recovery of the stolen property, and is urging the public, local businesses, pawnshops, and second-hand designer bag dealers to report any suspicious activity or attempts to sell items matching the stolen inventory.