On July 14, 2025, Surapong Inthataworn, secretary-general of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), announced that the commission had found charges against Porchai Kovsuratana, who was PAO governor of Ubon Ratchathani, and his associates for conspiring to defraud a water pump procurement project. The scheme involved purchasing 80 diesel-powered centrifugal pumps with 8-inch diameter capacities and equipment in fiscal year 2013 at inflated prices, resulting in 8 million baht in damages to the PAO and the state.

The NACC investigation revealed that in 2013, the natural resources and environment division of Ubon Ratchathani PAO received loan approval to help farmers combat drought through a piped irrigation system. Porchai, as governor, authorized the formation of a price evaluation committee to determine specifications and set a benchmark price for the pumps. On January 21, 2013, the committee submitted a report setting the price at 750,000 baht per pump under Porchai's direction.

However, inspection found that in fiscal year 2011, Porchai had approved purchasing identical pumps at 650,000 baht each. According to government procurement standards, benchmark pricing should use prices from purchases made within the previous two fiscal years. Despite this, Porchai approved the inflated 2013 price and a sales contract was executed on July 5, 2013, causing the state total damages of 8 million baht.

The NACC determined that Porchai's actions violated the Criminal Code articles 151 and 157, as well as the Anti-Corruption Act provisions on malfeasance and abuse of authority.

On July 14, 2025, military forces from the Burapha Command and the 1206 Ranger Unit conducted border patrols in Aranyaprathet District, Sakaew Province, when they discovered a group of men, women, and children trekking through natural forest paths near Noen Samphoem village. All 14 were identified as Cambodian nationals who had entered Thailand illegally—six men, seven women, and one boy. Ten had passports; four had no identification documents.

Upon questioning, the detainees explained they had previously worked in Thailand but returned to Cambodia last year and could not find employment. They contacted human smugglers and agreed to pay 5,000–8,000 baht per person to be smuggled back into Thailand to find work in markets in Pathum Thani, Rayong, and Bangkok.

"Three smugglers led us on foot through natural passages during the night to avoid detection," one detainee recounted. "But on our way to meet a pickup vehicle near Kud Hin village, we encountered ranger patrols. The three smugglers ran into a sugarcane field and abandoned us, and we were arrested."

The 14 Cambodians have been handed over to Khlong Nam Sai Police Station for prosecution on illegal entry charges. Authorities are pursuing the three smugglers who escaped.

On July 14, Dr. Somruk Cheusamuan, Permanent Secretary of the Public Health Ministry, announced after the 4th National Communicable Disease Committee meeting that authorities will jointly review technical guidelines for urine testing kits and care protocols for positive cases. The ministry's current standard treatment policy covers only patients with confirmed parasitic eggs found in stool samples, while a proposal to treat patients based on urine test results requires further academic review.

The urine test kit was originally developed and evaluated in laboratory settings using samples from high-infection areas, but its sensitivity and accuracy may change in regions with lower disease prevalence. Disease surveillance data shows an average prevalence of only 5%, requiring real-world field performance assessment before adoption as a standard diagnostic tool. Dr. Somruk noted that while the urine test's development had good intentions—stool examination is cumbersome and people are often reluctant to cooperate—it remains in the field evaluation phase and cannot yet replace standard testing methods.

The ministry's primary concern is cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer), which is linked to long-term liver fluke infection. Officials are advancing parallel strategies including screening in high-risk areas for early cancer detection and public campaigns against risky behaviors such as consuming undercooked or raw food, alongside developing more convenient and effective screening tools before implementing them in routine healthcare services.

Dr. Niti Hattanurak, Deputy Director-General of the Disease Control Department, reported that of 380 students testing positive with the urine kit, 292 underwent stool examination, revealing only 4 confirmed liver fluke infections and 11 other parasitic infections such as roundworms. This discrepancy reflects differences between the two testing methods, reinforcing reliance on the World Health Organization's stool examination as the diagnostic standard.

Dr. Yongjuea Laeosiritathorn, Director of the General Communicable Diseases Division, clarified that the ministry continues to use stool examination as the primary screening method and provides treatment only to confirmed cases, while the urine test serves as preliminary self-screening. Positive urine results require confirmatory stool testing.

Online commenters have criticized a Facebook video claiming to show a traditional method for treating children's toothaches by rubbing cockroaches on the cheek, with worm-like insects appearing on the child's face. The original poster claimed to demonstrate an ancient remedy and asked followers to explain how the treatment worked and whether it provided relief. After the video spread, most responses condemned the practice as unsafe and incorrect, with people advising parents to take children with toothaches to a dentist for proper diagnosis and treatment. Social media users also warned that cockroaches are disease vectors that may carry parasites and bacteria, as they typically live in filthy environments like drainage pipes, garbage cans, and areas with rotting food, making them unsuitable and potentially dangerous for medical use. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jessada Denduangboripant, a biology lecturer at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Science and science communicator, responded on Facebook by identifying the practice as a deceptive "magic trick" designed to fool people into thinking cockroaches were special tooth-eating insects. He advised anyone with toothache pain to seek professional dental evaluation and treatment from a qualified dentist rather than attempting ceremonies or unproven remedies lacking medical evidence.

The Industrial Estate Authority (IEAT) is collaborating with 304 Industrial Park 8 Smart Company to develop a new eco-smart industrial estate in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, combining ecological industrial town principles with smart industrial estate technology. IEAT Governor Sumet Tantprasert said the 1,273-rai estate, located in Kabinburi District, is designed with sustainable infrastructure and is expected to attract 15 billion baht in private investment and create over 10,000 jobs, while supporting the country's New S-Curve industries.

The estate benefits from reliable 24-hour green energy generated by an affiliated power company with 893 megawatts of capacity, including 555 megawatts of renewable energy from biomass and floating solar panels. The facility also features a 40-million-cubic-meter reservoir capable of supplying up to 344,000 cubic meters of water daily for industrial use, with plans to expand by an additional 80,000 cubic meters daily to meet sustainability demands from global brands.

Jatuporn Damnernchanwanit, vice president of 304 Industrial Park 8 Smart, noted the company brings over 30 years of experience managing existing industrial parks covering 20,000 rai across Prachuap Khiri Khan and Chachoengsao provinces. The IEAT has committed 1,039.7 billion baht in standard utility infrastructure, with the estate divided into 971 rai of industrial land, 174 rai of utilities, and 127 rai of green space and buffer zones.

The Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) under the Commerce Ministry is rolling out a comprehensive plan to boost Thai fruit exports, with a 2025 target of 332.5 billion baht in fresh and processed fruit sales, representing 5 percent growth from the previous year's 192.5 billion baht. Sunantha Kangwalkulgij, DITP director-general, revealed that the strategy encompasses market expansion, logistics management, and digital commerce promotion, including forward purchasing negotiations, business matchmaking, and entry into new foreign markets through partnerships with China, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, and the UAE, generating over 3,120 million baht in trade value.

Durian has emerged as a star export, with production expected to reach 2.07 million units—a 33 percent increase—prompting the DITP to target exports of one million units globally. The department is expanding beyond major Chinese cities into 11 secondary cities including Yinchuan, Wuxi, Urumqi, Nanchang, Baicheng, Liuzhou, Changsha, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, and Dalian. A key logistics initiative involves extending border gate hours at Hu Gong in Vietnam and other crossing points to streamline shipments to southern China and reduce seasonal congestion.

To tap into China's booming live commerce sector—now a major growth engine for retail—the DITP plans to deploy key opinion leaders for real-time sales promotions reaching modern consumers. Recent export data underscores market recovery, with durian sales surging 109.5 percent in April, rambutan up 92.8 percent, and lychee growing 70 percent. Additional initiatives include Thai Tropical Fruits Golden Months campaigns, in-store promotions, trade missions, and trade fairs in partnership with department stores, importers, local retailers, and influencers.