Veerasak Kovsuratana, advisory chairman to Deputy Prime Minister Suthumphanwanit and former tourism minister, addressed the Thai Travel Business Association's June meeting on "Thailand's Tourism Future and Global Competition," arguing that the tourism sector urgently needs major structural reform. He noted that the former Ministry of Tourism and Sports, established in 2002, lacked strong economic infrastructure, causing it to be perceived as an event-organizing agency rather than a policy-making body over the past 20 years.

Kovsuratana highlighted how other countries strategically position tourism: Japan places it under transport and infrastructure to support aging societies, China puts tourism under presidential or prime ministerial oversight for cross-agency integration, and South Korea combines culture, tourism, and sports to leverage soft power as an economic driver. He proposed Thailand shift toward high-value tourism, focusing on visitors willing to spend more, stay longer, and distribute income to secondary cities.

His key recommendation is establishing a "Tourism Economy Office" with equivalent status to financial or agricultural economic offices, using data-driven analysis to set structural policy rather than emphasizing events. Integrating tourism into the Culture Ministry would align heritage sites, historical parks, and religious institutions under unified management. Kovsuratana also suggested distinguishing "travel" from "tourism," as many visitors come for education, business, or healthcare rather than tourism, requiring different metrics. He emphasized the strategy should prioritize visitor quality and broaden the concept to "visitor economy" rather than simply counting tourist numbers.

Kafeology is a coffee shop and homemade bakery hidden inside the Cassia Rama 9 Bangkok Hotel. The name Kafeology combines "kafe" with "ology" (meaning science or expertise), reflecting the shop's coffee expertise. The shop operates in a grab-and-go style, offering customers a wide variety of drinks, pastries, and drip coffee. James Thanachote Chrungjit, Project Manager of the Rama 9 branch, explains the specialty of the shop's coffee beans, which are carefully selected directly from Thai farmers. "What makes our coffee special is that we use organic Thai coffee sourced directly from farmers, and we blend it with specialty coffee beans from abroad. Our House Blend features dark roast coffee mixing Thai and Brazilian beans, while the medium roast uses 100 percent Thai beans. For those who don't drink caffeine, we offer our De-caf Specialty, carefully selected from premium organic farms with rich, smooth flavor."

ES-Yen is recommended for those who enjoy milk coffee, featuring the House Blend dark roast with aromatic, smooth, and robust vintage-style coffee flavor.

The Tropical Shot is the shop's signature bestseller, offering a fresh, tart aroma of tropical fruits blended with coffee cherry notes that enhance the freshness. It pairs perfectly with the shop's homemade pastries.

Chocolate Croissant is the number-one seller, featuring generous chocolate coating on top of the croissant with a generous filling inside.

Strawberry Danish features fresh strawberries with strawberry jam, offering sweet and tart notes. The Strawberry Short Cake features fresh strawberries with a wonderfully sweet, creamy flavor.

The shop features Monthly Specials—rotating bakery items that change every month. Last month featured Brioche, a soft and fluffy bread with a buttery aroma. Starting July, the menu will include Apricot Almond Tart and Peach Danish.

"Since we bake our pastries ourselves, we challenge ourselves by rotating our bakery menu every month so customers can enjoy new treats," the manager explains.

For those seeking a health-conscious coffee shop or organic smoothies made with natural sweeteners and freshly baked daily pastries, this is highly recommended.

Kafeology Rama 9 is located inside Cassia Rama 9 Bangkok Hotel, open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM with parking available.

On July 2, Deputy Inspector Siriyaporn Kongpetchsak of Nong Prue Police Station in Chon Buri received a report of a foreign man with stab wounds found dead in a rental home in Moo 4, Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District. Officers, forensic teams, Pattaya tourism police, and rescue workers responded to the upscale single-story community.

Inside the bathroom of a bedroom, they discovered the body of a 34-year-old British man, a cannabis farm businessman in Bang Lamung. He lay on his back with a stab wound below his left chest, placed on bedding with a pillow and covered by a gray towel. Blood saturated the bedding. He had been dead at least six hours.

The victim's 21-year-old British wife sat crying near the body, appearing intoxicated from cannabis with cuts on her fingertips. She claimed her husband had stabbed himself. She said she suffered from depression and severe anxiety.

Investigators found a 50-centimeter spatula knife in the kitchen sink, thoroughly washed of blood. Blood traces scattered throughout the home. A British friend reported that the victim's cannabis business partner, based in the United States, called warning him something bad might have happened. Upon arriving and recording video evidence, the friend found the wife sitting with her husband's body, speaking incoherently and claiming self-infliction. He immediately called police.

Neighbors reported the couple had rented the house only two weeks prior. They frequently heard the two arguing. Around 4 a.m. the previous night, dogs barked loudly. At 2 a.m., someone brought dog food but no one answered. The morning's arrival of the victim's friend preceded discovery of the body.

Police learned the man rented the home for 85,000 baht monthly and operated a large cannabis farm in Bang Lamung Soi 14. Officers detained the wife for detailed questioning and ordered fingerprint and DNA analysis. Police expressed doubt in her statement, noting inconsistencies: if he self-inflicted the wound, why didn't she immediately call for help or notify police? Why was his body moved to the bathroom? Blood trail evidence and her cannabis intoxication raise further questions. Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage to determine the actual cause.

The Narcotics Suppression Bureau expanded its investigation into an international drug trafficking network on July 2, with senior officials announcing the arrest and search operation targeting a cross-border drug smuggling ring. According to Police Lieutenant General Suriya Singhakamol, the bureau's secretary-general, the recently arrested air hostess in Chachoengsao province is believed to be part of the same network as the case involving Ms. Meena, who was charged with smuggling heroin to Australia.

Suriya explained that the operation is divided into three groups: a delivery-and-receiving group, from which one person was arrested today; a group of Thai couriers hired to transport goods, whose only role is to pack items into luggage and deliver them; and a receiving group at the destination. The main operator, who owns and runs the entire operation, is based overseas and is a Lao national.

The network uses sophisticated methods, with pre-packaged containers disguised as t-shirts, instant noodles, tea, coffee, vases, and jars manufactured abroad, then shipped into Thailand before being handed to couriers for delivery. Police are actively pursuing several leads, including the Facebook account "Rose Rose," which contacted Ms. Meena to recruit her as a courier to Australia, and an individual who delivered packages to her.

Suriya noted that Rose Rose instructed Ms. Meena to photograph the delivered goods as proof of completion. Ms. Meena was promised 8,800 baht but has not received payment since the shipment was intercepted before reaching its destination. The Facebook account has changed repeatedly, confirming it is a fake profile. While the trafficking ring does not exclusively use drugs from the Golden Triangle, Thailand's convenient transportation infrastructure has made it the preferred transit route for international drug smuggling operations.

At 2:30 p.m. on July 2, 2569, the House of Representatives convened under Speaker Sophon Sararum to address an oral question from Priset Wattrasindhu, a Pheu Thai party list MP, regarding Senate graft proceedings under DSI investigation. Justice Minister General Rutthapol Naowaratol failed to appear, citing official duties, prompting an uproar on the parliamentary floor.

Priset expressed frustration at the minister's absence, accusing him of deliberately dodging accountability and attempting to evade scrutiny of the Senate case by waiting for the Election Commission to intervene. When Speaker Sophon tried to move to the next agenda item, opposition MP Pakorn Udompipat challenged the speaker's handling of the matter, demanding to know if the government would continue disrespecting the legislative branch.

Sophon clarified that the speaker has no authority to compel the executive to answer questions. When Democrat MP Satit Wongnongtoey attempted to discuss parliamentary procedures to assist Priset, Sophon cut him off, citing rules against interrupting general discussions. Despite Satit's objections, the microphone was muted and he was ordered to sit.

Pakorn protested the speaker's decision, arguing members have the right to object. When pro-government MP Romtham Kamnurak offered the opposition an additional question slot for next week, Sophon reminded him that rules allow only three questions weekly, requiring one to be dropped. Pakorn suggested waiving the rules for more questions, but Sophon refused.

The disagreement escalated when Pakorn asked what rule violation he had committed in requesting an exception. Sophon sternly told him such behavior was improper and ordered him to sit, explaining that the government had already proposed a solution. Pakorn remained standing, prompting Sophon to declare frustration over why anyone was at the session at all, before ordering Pakorn to be seated.

ORP is confident that Thailand's IT market will continue growing despite economic challenges, buoyed by the transition to AI Computing. The company is rolling out "COMMART ULTRAFORCE," an IT products showcase and sales event bringing together over 200 leading IT brands with AI technology and special promotions designed to drive purchasing and boost IT sales in the second half of 2025.

On July 2, 2025, Bunlertsak Narathai, CEO of ORP Public Company Limited, announced the launch of "COMMART ULTRAFORCE" at the Bangkok Convention and Exhibition Centre's Halls 98-99. This year's event centers on adopting cutting-edge AI technology, showcasing the latest products and innovations including AI PCs, AI notebooks, gaming PCs, smart devices, DIY PC components, monitors, and accessories from leading manufacturers. Special promotions will run throughout the event from July 2-5.

Narathai noted that the event comes amid challenging conditions in the computer industry, with IT component prices like RAM and SSD rising due to market shortages, driving up prices for assembled computers and notebooks. "Despite overall economic challenges, we're confident Thailand's IT market has growth potential and will be boosted by the clear shift to AI Computing happening this year. We believe COMMART ULTRAFORCE will be a significant driver for mid-year IT sales," he said.

Visitors will experience hands-on demos of the NVIDIA DGX Spark, a compact AI supercomputer designed for high-level AI development and processing. The event also features "The Ultra PC," a flagship DIY computer with a limited-edition GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition graphics card for both AI and high-end gaming, inspiring consumers building new systems.

The UltraForce activity zone showcases the latest AI technology and innovations for consumer experience, with special activities from IT creators, gamers, and esports professionals, plus a cosplay contest.

Pornchai Chansuphahsang, Media and Event Director at ORP, stated that "COMMART ULTRAFORCE" brings together high-performance IT products from over 200 brands to meet consumers seeking AI-era equipment. With 0% installment options, clearance deals, and exclusive offers from IT brand partners, the company expects strong attendance and robust consumer buying decisions mid-year.