Animal welfare advocates are angry after the Nakhon Ratchasima municipality posted signs declaring that feeding stray dogs is illegal, and are calling for the signs to be removed and the message reworded. The municipality took the action after a rabies outbreak in the province from the start of the year to now, which infected 30 animals and exposed 17 people to the disease, including at least one death. Animal welfare organizations and volunteer groups say the signs unfairly criminalize feeding and argue the budget should instead go to vaccination and neutering programs. However, affected residents say the ban has worked: stray dogs leave food scraps, defecate in public areas that may harbor disease, cause traffic accidents, and attack people and each other.

At a public hearing on August 18, both sides agreed that the municipality's messaging was unclear and proposed revisions. Dr. Kung Vongchansuk, secretary of the Korat Animal Welfare Volunteer Association, said the phrasing "feeding equals breaking the law" was unfair and misrepresented the actual sanitation law. He suggested rewording to ask for cooperation in not feeding animals in specific areas, or allowing feeding only in designated containers that are cleaned immediately. Paricha, who runs the "Pary Rescue Dogs Korat" Facebook page, said her group already works with authorities on spaying, neutering, and vaccination drives, and wants the signs to distinguish clearly between health and legal issues. Community representatives countered that the signs have noticeably reduced problems and asked for clearer, more comprehensive communication from the municipality going forward.

Prime Minister Anuthul Chanyaweerakul revealed that foreign investors filed requests for investment promotion worth 60,000 million Australian dollars, approximately 1.4 trillion baht, in the first half of the year, following informal discussions with Australian business leaders at the Thailand-Australia Investment and Business Partnership Reception organized by the Board of Investment in Sydney. Major Australian investors continue to expand their production base in Thailand, reflecting confidence in the country's political stability, security, and logistics readiness. The Prime Minister stated that foreign investors view Thailand as a top investment choice, and the government is working to build confidence and promote national harmony to boost Thailand's appeal to investors.

A key factor receiving positive feedback from investors is the Board of Investment's Thailand Fast Pass, which serves as a comprehensive problem-solving center for investors, streamlining and expediting the investment process without any negative issues reported by investors who have engaged with it. During his planned meeting with the Australian Prime Minister in Canberra on August 19, the Thai Prime Minister said he would discuss jet fuel exports, as Australia has significant demand while Thailand has surplus jet fuel from diesel production, and Thailand stands ready to relax regulations to enable exports if Australia signals intent.

Regarding the promotion of Thai workers in Australia, the Prime Minister said he will raise the issue, noting that Thai restaurants in Thai Town are growing but facing chef shortages, necessitating negotiations to address visa and employment limitations. He emphasized that skilled Thai workers entering Australia represent genuine expertise and capability, not illegal or undocumented labor as in the past, and that opening opportunities for skilled Thai workers will benefit Australia's economy and create win-win benefits for both nations.

At 1:45 p.m. on August 18, 2025, the Chom Thong District Disaster Response Club reported a van rollover with a male passenger trapped inside near Pa Dok Siao Waterfall on Doi Inthanon. Emergency responders from the club and Doi Inthanon National Park rushed to the scene with rescue equipment. National Park rescue personnel used specialized tools to safely extract the injured man from the vehicle and transferred him to Chom Thong Hospital for treatment. The cause remains under investigation by police.

The Bank of Thailand reported that the commercial banking system remained stable and solid in the second quarter of 2026, with capital, reserves, and liquidity at high levels. Commercial bank credit across all networks expanded 2% from the same period a year earlier, primarily supported by lending to large businesses requiring increased working capital due to higher energy costs and raw material prices. However, credit to SMEs and consumer lending continued to contract, reflecting elevated credit risk. Non-performing loans (NPL, or Stage 3) fell to 534.8 billion baht in the second quarter as banks accelerated debt management efforts, keeping the NPL ratio to total credit steady at 2.82% similar to the previous quarter. Stage 2 credit declined to 6.78%, partly as vulnerable borrowers moved into NPL status while some borrowers improved their standing. Banks continued to pursue preventive debt restructuring, helping slow the emergence of new NPLs. Net profits at commercial banks grew from the year-earlier period, supported by gains from fair value measurements of financial instruments and higher securities brokerage income, coupled with reduced provisions after banks had built reserves aggressively in prior quarters and implemented more efficient cost management. These factors offset declines in net interest income from rate adjustments aligned with policy rates and borrower relief measures. Going forward, ongoing Middle East tensions and an uneven Thai economic recovery pose risks to debt repayment capacity, particularly for vulnerable SMEs and households facing volatile earnings and high living costs. The Bank of Thailand will closely monitor commercial bank loan quality, while debt relief measures and continued liquidity support from financial institutions are expected to help sustain businesses and households ahead.

On August 18, 2025, at Parliament, House Speaker Sophon Sararum responded to opposition and Senate calls for the Supreme Court to establish an independent investigative committee into the National Anti-Corruption Commission's conduct in dismissing the stock manipulation case against former Transport Minister Sakdisiam Chidchob. Sophon said a committee has already been set up with outside members participating. Once the review is complete, he will explain to the public the reasoning behind forwarding or withholding the petition to the Supreme Court.

When asked whether the names of outside committee members could be disclosed, Sophon said while no one wanted to take on this responsibility, there was an agreement that the committee would work independently during the process. After the report is finalized, he is ready to reveal the members' identities. He denied the committee was merely ornamental.

Regarding whether the review must finish this month, Sophon said that depends on the committee, as they operate independently under his authority in accordance with parliamentary rules and receive standard meeting allowances. When asked if there was a work deadline, Sophon noted that when they met, he asked for a thorough examination with no fixed timeframe. He cited another committee he formed to consider appointing parliamentary assistants, which he gave 90 days but they have now requested a 30-day extension because the results must answer to society.

Sophon explained that outside members were included because the Constitution grants the parliamentary speaker discretionary power, which requires careful judgment and research. Since committees have been formed this way historically, he appointed both internal and external members to avoid accusations of selecting his own subordinates. He verified he never consulted with these members beforehand, selecting them based on their professional credentials in law and law enforcement.

When asked if this could be viewed as stalling, Sophon said the perception depends on procedure and historical precedent. "I'm not concerned with whether people call this stalling or not," he stated. "I've done my job and think the process is complete. From here, only results matter. I want to use my mind on other issues facing the nation right now. We should focus our brains on other things too, rather than fixate on just one issue. Let's make this produce results and earn public trust."

Khon Kaen land officials have filed charges against Buakhai Sarasamuth, the estate manager for the late Hiang Pimmsri, owner of title deed number 61945, for falsely claiming the deed was lost when requesting a replacement—while the original document was held by Wat Pa Adulyaram. On August 18, provincial land officer Pongsuwan Chaitonteuk and related staff filed the complaint at Muang Khon Kaen Police Station. The officer disclosed that the filing concerns providing false information to officials to proceed with legal action. Since it emerged that the original deed still exists and is held by the temple abbot, authorities must investigate whether the applicant knew in advance that the deed had not been lost. If confirmed, criminal liability may apply.

In this case, the applicant obtained a certified copy from the land office on July 13 before submitting the replacement request on July 27. However, during processing, the temple abbot produced the original deed to officials, causing the land office to verify and confirm the deed had not been lost. Consequently, the replacement application was cancelled. The provincial land officer explained that the cancellation order is an administrative decision and the applicant has been notified of the right to appeal within 15 days; a notice was sent on August 17, and no appeal has been filed to date.

Furthermore, land office investigations confirm that the criminal complaint filed today will not affect the process of transferring the title deed to the temple's name, which must proceed according to Section 84 procedures. The case status summary notes: (1) the replacement application has been cancelled after confirming the deed was not lost; (2) the applicant has been notified of appeal rights within 15 days with no appeal filed so far; (3) the false information complaint has been filed for police investigation regarding the false claim that the deed was lost; (4) land rights will be handled according to the final judgment unless a new ruling changes it; (5) the title transfer to the temple is proceeding under Section 84 of the Land Code, a separate process from the false complaint case; (6) heirs cannot directly contest the temple's rights under Section 84, but if the estate manager consents to the transfer, the process will be faster; otherwise, the land office must follow legal procedures; (7) the target timeline is approximately one month, though no firm timeframe can be guaranteed due to multiple agencies involved; (8) the provincial land office is consulting the Department of Lands to establish clear and legally correct guidelines before proceeding with the next critical steps.