Bangkok Asset Management (BAM) CEO Raks Vorakitphokathorn announced that the company's overall performance in the first half of 2025 is satisfactory. However, all businesses, including the real estate sector, are facing significant challenges, prompting BAM to adopt a new business paradigm. Over the past 13-14 months, the company has restructured its business model, emphasizing cost structure management and strategically selling properties that generate the highest profit margins. The company has accelerated the disposal of long-held assets, reducing the proportion from nearly 40% to just over 20%. BAM is focusing on selling smaller-priced properties, such as Phlat Plathong apartments, to low-income groups, freelancers, and security guards, enabling them to purchase housing through installment plans. This strategy generated approximately 1 billion baht in collections over the first five months of 2025.

Vorakitphokathorn stated that beyond its social benefit, this approach also reduces the company's debt reserve burden, expected to drop by half year-on-year to 1 billion baht. In the first half of 2025, BAM acquired approximately 10 billion baht in new assets and expects to acquire an additional 10,000-20,000 million baht in the second half. The company is also expanding into the middle and wealthy customer segments through "BAM Premium," offering assets valued at 30-50 million baht. This year, BAM targets 17.9 billion baht in collections and net profit of no less than 2 billion baht.

"In the first half, we acquired about 10 billion baht in new assets. In the second half, we'll add 10,000-20,000 million baht more because our NPL portfolio is two to three times larger than our second and third-ranked competitors. We only refill when we believe our tank is nearly empty," Vorakitphokathorn said.

Vorakitphokathorn explained that BAM has shifted its debt acquisition strategy from bulk purchasing to utilizing AI technology to analyze market demand in advance (Create Demand). The company now focuses specifically on hotel, shopping mall, and office building assets, which remain underrepresented in its portfolio, while reducing purchases of single-family homes and townhouses due to declining demand and difficulty in sales. The company currently holds approximately 30,000 units of these properties. However, hotel-type properties are currently the easiest to sell, reflecting the recovery of the tourism sector.

"BAM has adjusted its operational strategy over 13-14 months, shifting from the old approach of acquiring debt first and hoping buyers would emerge, to analyzing market demand before purchasing. It's like checking what customers order from the menu before cooking in the kitchen—creating demand rather than buying large supplies and searching for buyers afterward. Hotel properties are currently the easiest to sell, and after our portfolio adjustments, I believe BAM has strengthened considerably," Vorakitphokathorn said.

Vorakitphokathorn noted that Thailand's real estate market is currently facing a "sandwich problem," where young professionals (First Jobbers) cannot obtain loans, while older, retired people still have outstanding home payments.

On June 29, police from Thung Luang Station in Songkhla province announced the arrest of the temple abbot, identified as Athichat, and novice monk Chonkan (surname withheld), who were accused of sexually abusing four young novice monks aged 12-14. Following social media reports of abuse on June 24, the four victims filed a complaint at the police station, prompting the two suspects to flee the temple.

Authorities obtained arrest warrants from Songkhla Provincial Court on June 27 charging Athichat with sexual assault against persons unable to resist, as well as sexual offenses against minors under 15 and 13 years old. Novice monk Chonkan faces separate charges for sexual abuse and indecent acts against minors under 15.

Police investigations revealed the suspects fled on June 25 using an orange Nissan vehicle with Songkhla license plate, initially heading to Nakhon Si Thammarat province where they checked into a resort. On June 26, they switched to a Mazda pickup truck and traveled to Khao Khom Forest Buddhist Temple in Tron District, Uttaradit Province, where they were finally apprehended on June 27.

On June 29, Turkish Ambassador Jülide KAYIHAN revealed at the Turkish Embassy in Bangkok that Turkey seeks to develop military relations with Thailand, following similar partnerships with Indonesia and Malaysia. The ambassador highlighted Turkey's diverse defense industry, which includes frigates, tanks, armored vehicles, fighter jets, three-dimensional air defense systems, drones, and missiles—all field-tested domestically and NATO-compliant.

With the Thai Navy currently evaluating frigate designs, Turkey respects Thailand's selection process without pressure, hoping only for the best outcome for Thailand and anticipating future cooperation opportunities. Turkish company ASFAT, one of the bidders in the frigate project, has proposed constructing ships entirely in Thailand while transferring design rights—representing the highest level of technology transfer—enabling Thailand to independently build future frigate variants. The proposal also includes an investment offset program.

Company TAIS, which proposed the I-Class Frigate design, noted that this vessel class currently serves in the Turkish Navy, and Indonesia recently ordered two units of this model.

Rajamangala University of Technology Isan (RMUTI) demonstrated the 'Smart Silk' innovation project, which aims to elevate Thai silk production and boost farmer incomes more than twofold through grassroots economic development aligned with the 'Silver Economy' initiative. The showcase took place on June 29, 2025, at the Queen Sirikit Sericulture Center in Nakhon Ratchasima province, attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Higher Education Minister Yasachai Wongsawadi and Deputy Agriculture Minister Vatchraphon Khaokham.

The Sericulture Department collaborated with RMUTI to support farmers in Nakhon Ratchasima. RMUTI President Associate Professor Khosit Sripuddha welcomed the delegation and presented six major innovations:

1. Mobile Mesh Silkworm Rearing Beds: Reduced rearing time to 18 days, decreased mortality rates by 76.08%, and reduced physical fatigue for farmers. 2. High-Efficiency Silk Reeling Machine: Upgraded silk grades from B to A, increasing income per cycle by over 2,460 baht. 3. Silk Bleaching and Dyeing Equipment: Substituted electricity for gas, reducing energy costs by 78.35%. 4. Silk Twist Machine: Enhanced silk strength and elasticity, increasing production income by 90.41% per cycle. 5. Silk Defect Detection Machine: Improved accuracy and reduced silk waste in weaving by 93.78%. 6. Silk Thread Measurement Machine: Reduced production losses by 48.14% per cloth while improving silk length precision.

In 2024, RMUTI delivered over 103 machinery sets to farmers, directly benefiting 890 people and increasing average monthly farmer income from 5,500 baht to 12,900 baht, creating over 137 million baht in annual economic circulation.

Social media is divided! An American mother decided to travel solo to the Turks and Caicos Islands after her 21-year-old daughter forgot her passport at her apartment, intending to teach her about responsibility. However, the decision sparked fierce debate online about whether it was overly harsh.

The woman's post went viral and divided netizens between those who see it as teaching the child responsibility and those who view it as an overly cruel decision.

Cheryl Maguire explained that the trip was a special moment she and her daughter had planned for a long time. They intended to return to a resort where she had taken her daughter when she was just one year old and recreate photos as a nostalgic memory. However, shortly before departure, her daughter—who lives in New York—discovered she had left her passport at her apartment while the flight was departing from Boston, leaving no time to retrieve it.

If they both canceled the trip, they would lose thousands of dollars in non-refundable airfare and hotel costs. Ultimately, Maguire decided to continue alone. She admitted to Business Insider that while she felt guilty leaving her daughter behind, she had been looking forward to the trip and wanted to revisit those old memories, even if she had to go alone.

Maguire explained that she didn't want to punish her daughter but wanted her to learn about the importance of taking responsibility for essential documents, especially a passport. She revealed that her daughter has been forgetful since childhood and she had previously written about this in The New York Times, citing expert advice that suggested helping a child build better habits and prevent mistakes rather than allowing the same problems to recur.

She also acknowledged that her daughter has improved significantly over the years, even studied in Rome, and understands how important a passport is. For this trip, she only warned her daughter once to prepare her documents, later admitting that a bit more warning might have prevented this situation.

After the story was published, social media platforms including TikTok, Facebook, and X erupted with reactions. Many agreed with her decision, viewing her 21-year-old daughter as an adult who should be responsible for her own mistakes. The mother shouldn't have to cancel an expensive trip because of her daughter's carelessness, with people emphasizing that "everyone must be accountable for their own actions."

However, others argued that the purpose of traveling together is to spend time as a family, so Maguire should have stood by her daughter and helped find a solution rather than letting her face the problem alone. They questioned whether "the lesson about responsibility is worth it" if it comes at the cost of the family choosing their own happiness over being there for each other during a time of mistake.

Lawyer Aun has filed a counterclaim against Supachai Jaisamut, the legal advisor of the Bhumjaithai Party, for filing false charges and making false statements, after a criminal court dismissed defamation charges related to the Khao Krachong land issue. A hearing on the merits of the case is scheduled for September 7, 2025.

On June 29, 2025, at the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road, Pattaraphong Suphaksa, known as Lawyer Aun from Buriram, filed a counterclaim against Supachai for the charges of filing false accusations and making false statements in court.

Pattaraphong explained that he filed the counterclaim in response to Supachai's original lawsuit against him for defamation. The original matter stemmed from the former Pheu Thai government's policy to revoke land titles at Khao Krachong totaling 5,083 rai. A legal team representing residents held a press conference where villagers and government agencies from Buriram province confirmed that the policy could not be implemented.

Pattaraphong stated that he raised questions about this matter and created video clips. He also filed a complaint with the DSI (Department of Special Investigation) and publicly challenged Supachai to bring evidence to the discussion for the benefit of the public. This prompted Supachai to file the defamation case against him at the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road.

Pattaraphong further stated that Supachai's defamation case involved false statements on key points, which Pattaraphong considered legally unfounded. The court ultimately dismissed the case at the preliminary hearing stage beginning in early 2025. Therefore, Pattaraphong filed a counterclaim against Supachai for filing false charges and making false statements.

The evidence submitted to the court today includes the original complaint, the statement of false allegations, and key excerpts from the court's dismissal order.

The Criminal Court registered the case under number Tha. 1826/2569 and scheduled a preliminary hearing on September 7, 2025, at 9:00 AM.