Bangkok is preparing to overhaul its land and building tax system to make it more efficient, following the discovery that many landowners are planting agricultural crops on vacant plots to claim lower agricultural tax rates and avoid higher vacant-land taxes. The city plans to increase agricultural land tax rates from the current 0.01–0.1% to 0.03–0.12%, or from 100 baht per million to 300 baht per million. The proposal will be submitted to Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, the Bangkok City Council, the Finance Ministry, and the Interior Ministry. The revision comes seven years after the 2019 Land and Building Tax Act took effect. Currently, landowners who leave plots vacant or underutilized pay 0.3–0.7% tax, with penalties increasing by 0.3% every three years. Some owners have planted bananas, mangoes, and lemons on vacant land to qualify for the lower agricultural rate and reduce their tax burden, even if they are not engaged in genuine farming. The higher rate is intended to close this loophole and ensure Bangkok collects full tax revenue.

Bangkok Bank has partnered with Thai AirAsia and AirAsia Rewards to upgrade the AirAsia Platinum Mastercard for its 12th year under the concept "Upgrade Every Trip, Live Smarter." The card was developed based on current customer needs and modern consumer behavior data, emphasizing convenience and value. Beyond simple payment processing, it now serves as a gateway to enhanced travel experiences with increased benefits including point accumulation for AirAsia flights or other rewards, 0% installment options on airfare, and airport and in-flight privileges. The redesigned card features a modern "Be Unique and Travel On" style using recycled PVC material, reducing plastic consumption and energy use in manufacturing. Choke Na Ranong noted that over the past 11 years, the card has received strong customer acceptance, and Bangkok Bank positions itself not just as a financial services provider but as a partner understanding modern consumers who value experience, benefits, and environmental responsibility alongside security standards. Thansita Akkhiruttiphirom, commercial director of Thai AirAsia, stated the airline focuses on building long-term customer relationships rather than just passenger numbers, with the card enabling regular travelers and embedding the brand into daily life through spending, point accumulation, and travel planning. She highlighted this as a key step in building AirAsia's loyalty ecosystem, offering VIP benefits from check-in through baggage claim, plus daily lifestyle rewards through cashback and points even on non-travel days, fostering repeat travel and brand loyalty. Shannon Liu, head of AirAsia Rewards member program management, indicated the program is evolving beyond simple point accumulation for travel.

The criminal court rejected a request from two major companies in the collapsed State Audit Office building case asking the court to conduct an on-site inspection and order new concrete testing, ruling that defendants have the authority to arrange testing themselves without court involvement.

On July 22, 2569, the court scheduled examination of plaintiff witnesses in case number Ayo.2201/2568 against Premchai Kanasut and 22 other defendants, charged with professional negligence in building design, control, and construction that violated standards and caused deaths. The defendants include Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited, led by Premchai Kanasut, and China Railway No. 10 Limited. Premchai was excused from appearing in person due to illness and permitted to testify in camera.

All 23 defendants have denied charges and disputed the concrete testing results that prosecutors claim showed substandard construction materials. During today's hearing, government auditor expert Vichan Jindarat testified, though cross-examination by some defense lawyers remained incomplete.

Regarding the request by Italian-Thai Development and China Railway No. 10 to send concrete samples to Switzerland for new testing with court participation, the court ruled that since the collapsed building remains property of the ITD-CREC joint venture (comprising defendants 16 and 18), the defendants may conduct testing without court authorization. However, the court declined to attend the sample collection process, finding that direct court participation in scientific testing procedures could compromise judicial impartiality in weighing evidence. The court noted that concrete sampling marks the beginning of forensic analysis, and judicial attendance—even for one step—may bias how the court ultimately assesses the testing results.

BANGKOK — The Airport Rail Link has reduced train services after a technical issue affected operations at its depot, with repairs still ongoing more than 10 hours later. In an announcement at 5:03, Airport Rail Link said a problem with the reversing track at its depot had prevented the system from operating its full train service. The service has been temporarily reduced to a single train, running approximately once every hour. The operator said the issue does not affect passenger safety and that engineering and technical teams are working to restore normal operations as soon as possible. Passengers have been advised to consider alternative public transportation options during the disruption. Airport Rail Link apologized for the inconvenience and said updates would be provided through its official communication channels. As of more than 10 hours after the initial announcement, normal service had not yet resumed.

Prime Minister Anuthon Charnveerakul presided over the opening and keynote address at the Thailand–China Cooperation Expo 2026 at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, joined by a coordination mechanism for sustainable Thai-Chinese business partnership involving three key organizations: the Thai Chamber of Commerce led by Pojn Aramwattananon, the Thai-Chinese Chamber of Commerce headed by Narongsakdi Butthapornmongkol, and the Association of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Thailand led by Liu Chewian Lay. High-level officials and partners including Chinese Acting Chargé d'Affaires Wu Zhiou and IMPACT CEO Paul Kanchanapassorn attended alongside government and business representatives.

Prime Minister Anuthon stated the expo occurs at a critical moment in bilateral relations, with both nations needing to review strategies and set cooperative directions for mutual benefit. He noted Thailand and China share deep-rooted relations spanning generations, celebrated 50 years of diplomatic ties last year, and are now embarking on the next fifty years under a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership. He emphasized the government's focus on foreign direct investment (FDI), infrastructure development, and business facilitation through the Thailand FastPass program, which has unlocked over 700 billion baht in investments, while expressing confidence that Thai-Chinese cooperation will bring prosperity to both nations and benefit ASEAN broadly.

Acting Chinese Ambassador Wu Zhiou called this year the beginning of a "golden fifty-year chapter" for China-Thailand relations, reaffirming China's priority commitment to developing ties with Thailand as a trusted strategic partner. He outlined three key expectations for the expo: serving as an effective communication platform between government and private sectors, deepening industrial cooperation through domestic procurement, R&D, and joint human resource development especially for Thai SMEs, and strengthening people-to-people bonds between the two nations.

Pojn Aramwattananon, chair of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and speaking for the Thai-Chinese business coordination mechanism, noted the inaugural expo last year was well-received and successfully created trade, investment, and networking opportunities between Thailand and China. This second edition aims to further elevate economic cooperation between the two countries.

AIS President and Chief Executive Officer Prathana Leelaphanang announced the landmark partnership with UC3 to become the sole official broadcaster of men's European club football competitions in Thailand. The deal covers five UEFA competitions—Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, Super Cup, and Youth League—across Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia for four seasons from 2027/28 to 2030/31, with all matches available live, with highlights, and in replay on AIS PLAY.

"I am proud that we can deliver the greatest European club football competitions to AIS customers and Thai football fans," Prathana said, noting that these tournaments attract massive Thai viewership because they feature top clubs and superstar players from Europe's elite leagues including the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A, and Ligue 1 competing for continental supremacy.

The strategic partnership between AIS and UC3, in coordination with UEFA and the European Football Clubs association representing over 800 top clubs, integrates with AIS PLAY, Thailand's leading digital sports content hub. Combined with other world-class sports rights already held by AIS PLAY, the deal reinforces the platform's position as the premier destination for premium sports entertainment across the week. AIS PLAY is the exclusive channel carrying all content from these five competitions, with full technical infrastructure in place to support the four-year broadcast agreement.