Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Suriya Juangrungruangkit has announced that his ministry is prioritizing systematic land and soil resource management while promoting technology and innovation to strengthen the country's agricultural sector. He has tasked the Department of Land Development with urgently rolling out proactive saline soil management nationwide under an innovation agriculture framework to ensure sustainable livelihoods for Thai farmers. This approach integrates knowledge, technology, and innovation with area-based management to increase land-use efficiency, reduce production costs, and create lasting job security and improved living standards for farmers.

The department is implementing area-based management across sub-watershed basins, combining soil and water conservation systems with digital innovation and data to enhance land use and farmer prosperity. According to Department of Land Development Director Sumitra Wattana, the agency is now actively addressing the saline soil crisis through integrated development covering 33,200 rai across 17 northeastern provinces, using area-based management on sub-watershed bases with measures tailored to the severity of salinity problems.

Saline soil conditions severely limit agricultural production, degrading soil structure, reducing fertility, and hindering plant growth—especially rice, the nation's primary economic crop. The department is therefore implementing systematic solutions through four integrated dimensions: (1) developing active soil and water conservation systems at the watershed level to reduce and slow salt spread while promoting green manure crops and increasing organic matter to restore soil fertility; (2) sub-watershed area-based management, classifying areas into four salinity severity levels to determine appropriate measures; (3) applying innovation and technology to manage saline groundwater levels, preventing salt from rising to the surface, and developing proactive monitoring systems to restore saline areas; and (4) establishing a center of excellence for saline soil management by developing soil database systems and e-services to support planning, monitoring, and solving saline soil problems accurately and efficiently.

Thailand's women's water polo team defeated Japan to claim the silver medal at the 2026 Asian Age Group Championship held at Thammasat University's aquatic sports center in Rangsit on the final day of competition. Both Thailand and Japan entered the match with identical records of 4 wins and 1 loss, with China having already secured gold by winning all six matches. The winner of this Thailand-Japan matchup would take silver, while the loser would earn bronze.

Thailand started cautiously and took an early 7-3 lead, then mounted sustained offensive pressure to extend their advantage to 10-4 by the end of the second quarter. Japan rallied in the third quarter to close the gap to 9-12, prompting Israeli head coach Maxim Kordovsky to make tactical adjustments in the final quarter. Thailand's pack defense and long-ball counterattacks, combined with standout performances from goalkeeper Pantila Asayuth (an Israeli league MVP) and sharpshooter Parneya Chotrojjananan, secured a dominant 17-13 victory.

After the match, head coach Maxim Kordovsky praised the competition as excellent for youth-level water polo and noted that keeping the team relaxed against Japan paid off. He emphasized the need for continued development across all aspects of Thai athletes ahead of the Asian Games. Soob Chaiyya, chairman of the Thai Water Sports Association's water polo division, said the silver medal victory has boosted team confidence, as the players represent Thailand's Asian Games roster and have a realistic goal of finishing in the top three.

Chalermwong "Pee Sing" Borisit, CEO of Home Golf Simulator by Chalermwong, officially launched the OMNI Edition from Square Golf as the official distributor of this globally popular golf simulator device. He invited renowned golfer Petchr Sodsompun Gaewkanjana, known for precision iron play, to test the device's accuracy and provide expert feedback. Partners BenQ and Leborn also presented golf sim accessories at the testing event held at 4th Swing on Wednesday, July 22, 2025.

Pee Sing stated: "I invited Petchr, a world-class golfer renowned for accuracy in approach shots, to test the OMNI Edition and give real-world feedback. Since this brand is still very new to Thai golfers, I wanted to hear from a pro-level perspective on how accurate the device's various parameters are."

Petchr revealed: "After testing, the parameters displayed are very close to top-tier machines used during international competitions. With its complete functionality, portability, durability, and long-lasting battery for full training sessions, the OMNI Edition is an excellent tool that delivers real value."

The OMNI Edition offers top-tier accuracy, works in any training scenario, and connects to mobile, iPad, and computer applications. It displays up to 21 different parameters with room for future data updates. The device comes with a one-year warranty and expert guidance from a team with decades of golf technology experience since 2000. Orders are now available for Thailand delivery.

A video showing a confrontation between a Thai passenger and a group of foreign passengers on Bangkok's BTS Skytrain has drawn widespread attention online, with the original post receiving about 160,000 views on TikTok and a repost on X surpassing 2 million views as of Friday.

The video was originally posted by TikTok account @1234aaawry and later shared by X user @oohs00. It shows an argument over the group's noise level and route, with both sides exchanging insults. The group speaks mainly in English and may be Italian, although their nationality, identities and ages could not be independently verified. In the video, one young woman says the group is made up of students and is trying to find its way.

The person recording repeatedly tells the group to lower its voice, saying "Just say like normal things, OK? Not 'ahhh', not scream, OK? In Thailand we don't scream." An unseen passenger later comments sarcastically, "Sorry for bringing money to your country," before the person recording accuses the group of having "no manners."

The exchange escalates with both sides trading profanities and insults. When asked where they are from, one male passenger appears to answer, "Your mom." The woman filming later directs the group to a different BTS line, claiming "This line is not good for travel. You have to go to another line, the Sukhumvit line. This one just for living." BTS has no published rule restricting tourists to particular lines.

An older woman travelling with the group objects to being recorded, claiming the passengers are under 18, prompting the person filming to suggest calling the police. The video ends with the woman threatening to call the police herself and continuing to hurl insults.

In a follow-up statement, the original uploader explained that the dispute began before recording started. She said she was travelling home around 01:00 on the BTS Silom Line near Sala Daeng station when she heard loud shouting from a group of young foreign passengers who boarded at the next stop. She asked them to be quieter, and a woman she believed to be a teacher or chaperone responded: "Please be patient. They are children. You can't expect children to be quiet."

According to the uploader, a young woman in the group later apologized and explained they were trying to find their route. The uploader said she replied that she was not angry but wanted them to lower their voices.

BANGKOK: Thailand should recognise its LGBTQ+ economy as a new growth engine that requires legal and structural reforms to attract investment and enhance global competitiveness, according to several speakers at a recent forum.

Thailand's Commerce Ministry is accelerating trade negotiations with the United States to reach a mutually beneficial settlement and preserve a strong long-standing trade relationship. The US is invoking Section 301 of its 1974 Trade Act to investigate trading partners worldwide, including Thailand, on two key issues: structural excess capacity and failure to enforce prohibitions on imports of goods made with forced labor. These tariff measures replace previous Section 122 duties of 10% above normal most-favored-nation (MFN) rates, which expired on July 24, 2025.

On July 23, 2025, the US announced final determinations imposing retaliatory tariffs of 10% and 12.5% on Thailand and 37 other countries including Vietnam, the Philippines, and China for not implementing forced labor import bans. However, Thailand secured exemptions for 2,120 product categories representing over half of its export value to the US, including integrated circuits, hard drives, aircraft parts, natural rubber, cassava flour, pineapple, fruits, coconut products, and sugar. The tariffs take effect July 24, 2025.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphachai Sutthangphanranth, leading Thailand's negotiating team, stated the goal is to reach a balanced agreement that protects public health, national security, and the government's policy-making authority while maintaining a long-term economic partnership. Assistant Commerce Minister Kirida Phaoapichit confirmed the US enforcement of Section 301 tariffs at 12.5% (a 2.5% increase from the previous 10% rate) and noted Thai competitiveness remains viable given the broad exemptions granted. The Commerce Ministry is closely monitoring a separate pending investigation into structural excess capacity affecting 16 countries including Thailand, while simultaneously pursuing a reciprocal trade agreement (ART) to maximize benefits for both nations. Thai negotiators acknowledge discussions may take longer than some regional peers due to sensitive issues and domestic legal constraints that cannot be waived, particularly regarding health and security matters.