Surat Thani—Police in Phun Phin District responded to a fatal shooting on August 8 after receiving reports of gunfire at a home in Tambon Phun Phin. Officers found the body of Rong, 37, seated on a chair with two close-range shotgun wounds to the right chest. At the scene, police recovered two spent shotgun casings, three pellets, and a gun pad.

The shooter, identified as Ni, 35, surrendered at the scene with the long-barrel shotgun used in the incident. He is the brother-in-law of the deceased. According to his statement, Rong had a severe drug addiction and had recently returned home from treatment. Upon his return, Rong repeatedly quarreled with their mother-in-law and other household members in front of his three children, despite repeated warnings from Ni, who felt distressed by the behavior's effect on the children.

The incident occurred when Rong asked his mother-in-law for money, and after being refused, struck her. Ni, witnessing this, argued with Rong before grabbing the shotgun and firing two rounds at close range, fatally wounding him. Ni remained at the scene and surrendered to authorities. Police are proceeding with legal charges.

A college student stabbed a 20-year-old Chinese man to death in his girlfriend's room after claiming he was attacked first and did not intend to kill. The victim's relatives nearly attempted vigilante justice as police questioned the suspect.

At 7:10 a.m. on August 8, 2025, Na Jomtien police received a report of a 20-year-old Chinese man fatally stabbed in a rental room in Na Jomtien subdistrict, Sattahip district, Chon Buri province. The victim was found with multiple stab wounds. A 21-year-old woman, identified as Ms. A, was also in the room with injuries and was in a state of shock.

At 2:30 p.m. the same day, Deputy Inspector Adisorn Kop-goy, the investigating officer from Na Jomtien station, led a team to bring Thanachat, 20, a college student in Chon Buri, to his girlfriend's room—the crime scene—to reconstruct the incident and record his confession. He was charged with premeditated murder.

During the reconstruction, Thanachat showed officers where he had discarded the knife behind the room in thick brush. Using a metal detector, police recovered a curved folding knife with a sharp tip, identified as the murder weapon, for forensic examination.

As police brought the suspect to reconstruct the scene, relatives of the deceased Chinese man arrived at the location. Upon learning the news, they wept and grieved. As officers began the reconstruction, the relatives attempted to harm the suspect, but police intervened, controlled the situation, and quickly removed him from the area.

Meanwhile, provincial forensic police examined the crime scene and surrounding areas, collecting evidence from inside the room, the crime scene, and related locations for the case file.

During initial questioning, Thanachat stated he had been dating his girlfriend for approximately three months. On the night of the incident, he had gone to work in Pattaya before returning in the morning to his girlfriend's room. When he opened the door, he found a stranger inside and asked who the man was while holding a knife to threaten him.

The Chinese man allegedly tried to wrestle the knife from his hand and attempted to use it to attack him. A struggle and choking ensued. Thanachat claimed he managed to retrieve the knife and used it to stab the Chinese man multiple times, denying he intended to kill him. After the incident, he fled to Pattaya. When he learned the man had died, he decided to surrender to police.

The 21-year-old woman revealed that she worked as a hotel employee. The victim had visited and come to the hotel regularly. The two had become acquainted and chatted for approximately two months. On the night of the incident, the victim came to her room around midnight, and they talked before both fell asleep.

In the morning, her boyfriend returned and knocked on the door. She opened it, and all three discussed the situation, but an argument broke out and violence ensued. She tried to intervene but was cut by the knife, sustaining multiple wounds. Unable to overpower either man, she witnessed her boyfriend stab the Chinese man until he died.

After the incident, police detained Thanachat and initiated legal proceedings. They accelerated the investigation of related witnesses, reviewed security footage, and collected forensic evidence to proceed with prosecution.

The government has greenlit an expansion of state-to-state (G to G) rice sales to China by a further 220,000 tonnes, while moving ahead to amend the existing agreement and extend delivery until 2026. According to the government office, the Cabinet has approved the increase in rice trading volume under a bilateral agricultural trade memorandum signed on December 19, 2014, as proposed by the Ministry of Commerce. The expansion aligns with China's wishes, with COFCO Corporation seeking to purchase a combined 500,000 tonnes from Thailand—280,000 tonnes from the existing contract and 220,000 tonnes in new purchases. The Ministry of Commerce has been tasked with drafting an amended contract in coordination with the Foreign Ministry, while incorporating views from the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry and the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC).

Under the original agreement, Thailand committed to supplying 1 million tonnes of rice to China. To date, the Department of Foreign Trade has delivered rice in eight shipments totaling 720,000 tonnes, with 280,000 tonnes still outstanding. The contract has been amended ten times, and both sides have agreed to modify it to accommodate the additional purchase volume and extend the final delivery deadline to 2026. The Ministry of Commerce noted that this volume increase represents a substantial change from the original framework previously approved by Cabinet, necessitating Cabinet reconsideration before contract amendments proceed. The Cabinet also acknowledged guidelines for G to G rice purchase negotiations and contracts, covering negotiation criteria, payment terms, delivery procedures, contract drafting steps, and information disclosure protocols, to standardize and ensure accountability in government rice trading.

NONTHABURI — On August 8, 2026, a student opened fire at a school while apparently searching for a Thai language teacher, following a dispute over receiving a failing grade in the subject. Classmates reported that the student had previously complained about the zero grade, saying they had submitted all assignments but did not understand why their grade had not been changed. The teacher the student was seeking had been absent the day before the incident; after failing to find the teacher following an initial shooting in Building 5, the student allegedly fired three shots into the air on the fourth floor of Building 4 before a fatal incident occurred. Investigators are examining whether the academic dispute and the student's family background—the student's grandmother was a former teacher—may have been factors in the shooting. Multiple classmates have provided statements to police confirming that the student was indeed looking for the Thai language teacher and that the zero grade was the first such failing mark the student had ever received.

Government spokesperson Phatdarasami Tongsluayakorn announced on August 8 that the administration is pursuing an active, community-centered approach to homelessness. On August 7, advisor Anekchai Rueangrattanakorn and officials from the Department of Social Development and Welfare, Bangkok's Quality of Life Protection and Promotion Center, and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration conducted outreach on Rachadalai Road. They identified 16 homeless individuals—13 men and 3 women—and conducted individual interviews to assess their living conditions, physical and mental health, and needs. Two men voluntarily entered the city's protection and quality-of-life center for health assessment, substance abuse treatment, family contact tracing, and readiness evaluation before vocational training and employment support are arranged.

Spokesperson Phatdarasami emphasized that homeless assistance must be tailored to each individual, as causes and circumstances vary widely. The aim is not merely to remove people from public spaces, but to understand their situations and connect them to necessary services that address root problems and enable stable living conditions. The government and Ministry of Social Development will continue field monitoring and coordinate with relevant agencies to provide access to health services, welfare benefits, protection, family reunification, and employment opportunities, ensuring assistance directly addresses each person's needs and leads to improved quality of life.

Khosamangkhalaram Temple is located in Ban Kok Sawang, Tambon Kok Sawang, Amphoe Pla Pak, Nakhon Phanom Province, spread across 98 acres. The abbot is Luang Pho Hoei Suthimono, age 77, with six monks currently in residence.

The temple was inspired by Luang Pu Kham Phan Khosamangkhalaram ("Phra Sunthordhammakorn"), a renowned eastern Thai forest master and meditation teacher from Wat Thatumahajai in Pla Pak. When Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan served as Army Commander, he developed faith in the temple through his work in Nakhon Phanom Province twenty years earlier.

After Luang Pu's death on November 24, 2003, and through 2014, General Prawit convinced his military classmates from Class 17 to donate for the stupa's construction, raising 82 million baht to fund the Phra Maha Dhatu Chedi Khosamangkhalaram, establishing a spiritual center for Buddhists to pay homage and a pilgrimage destination.

On January 9, 2015, General Prawit laid the foundation stone with an initial budget of 400 million baht. The chedi resembles Bangkok's Wat Saket, stands 59 meters tall (matching Luang Pu's age), spans six levels with a central elevator, side staircases, and two 50-meter naga serpents coiling around its base.

Level 1 (top) enshrines the Buddha's relic, imported from Sri Lanka by the former abbot of Wat Bowonniwet, with seven Buddha chambers and deity shrines. Level 2 displays temple treasures, ancient Buddha statues from the Thonburi to Chakri eras, and historical artifacts. Level 3 houses a museum documenting Luang Pu Kham Phan's teachings and the chedi's history. Level 4 serves as a meditation hall with intricate Buddhist and Ramakien murals. Level 5 features the principal Buddha image and statues of renowned masters. Level 6 provides meditation space for visitors.

Construction, overseen by General Suchart Chomphutwip and General Prawit Wongsuwan as chief coordinator from design in 2014 through 2023, has reached 90 percent completion with 500 million baht spent. Though unfinished, Buddhist visitors from the region visit regularly on weekends and holy days. Opening hours: Monday–Friday 12:00–17:00, weekends and holidays 09:00–17:00 (since May 1, 2023).

The stupa features 199 external steps leading to the summit, offering a panoramic 180-degree vista—a breathtaking architectural marvel.