The Mass Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) has explained the circumstances of a building collapse that occurred during demolition work on Pracha Songkhro Soi 28 in the Din Daeng district on the evening of July 27, 2026. No injuries or fatalities were reported, and the MRTA has ordered the contractor to clear the area quickly. The incident happened during the demolition of a reclaimed building to prepare the site for construction of the Orange Line BTS extension project from Bang Khun Non to the Thailand Cultural Center. Initial investigation shows the collapse followed the planned demolition line, with proper safety barriers and supervision in place, so no members of the public were in the work zone. However, some corrugated metal sheeting from the collapsed structure spilled into adjacent residential areas.

The MRTA has instructed its project consultants and contractors to cordon off the affected area, warn residents to avoid the site, remove the scattered materials from neighboring properties, and restore the area to normal conditions. The authority emphasized that all future work must proceed with extreme caution and strict adherence to maximum safety standards at every stage. The MRTA apologized for the incident and pledged to work with its consultants and contractors to implement preventive measures to avoid a recurrence and ensure public safety and confidence.

At midnight on July 28, 2025, rescue officers from the Sawang Prake Kusol Foundation in Rayong received a report of an 18-year-old woman who had fallen from the third-floor balcony of a dormitory in Chiang Noen subdistrict, Muang district, Rayong province, and rushed to assist.

While en route, officers found the woman's boyfriend transporting his injured girlfriend on the back of a motorcycle heading to the hospital. However, the blanket wrapped around her body came loose and became tangled in the motorcycle's wheel spokes, making it impossible to continue riding. Fortunately, rescue officials arrived just in time, provided immediate first aid, and safely transported the woman to a private hospital.

When questioned, the boyfriend explained that his girlfriend had walked out onto the third-floor dormitory balcony shortly before the fall. He was unsure of exactly how she fell to the level below. Shocked and worried about his girlfriend—who reported severe pain in her back and both legs—he did not wait for emergency responders to provide proper first aid for a fall victim. Instead, he hastily put her on the back of his motorcycle to take her to the hospital himself.

When they reached Highway 36, the blanket slipped and wrapped around the motorcycle's wheel spokes, causing the bike to break down. Fortunately, rescue officials passed by, found them, and helped transport the injured woman to the hospital in time.

The Meteorology Department's 24-hour forecast issued on July 28, 2569, predicts very heavy rain in parts of the Northeast and East regions, with heavy rainfall also expected in the North, Central, Bangkok metropolitan area, and South. The forecast is driven by a monsoon trough passing through the upper North and northern Laos, combined with a strengthening southwest monsoon covering the Andaman Sea, Thailand, and the Gulf of Thailand. Residents are urged to be cautious of heavy to very heavy rainfall and accumulated water, which may trigger flash floods and flash flooding, particularly in foothill areas near waterways and low-lying zones.

The upper Andaman Sea will see moderately strong winds and waves 2-3 meters high, exceeding 3 meters in thunderstorm areas. The lower Andaman and upper Gulf of Thailand will have waves around 2 meters, rising above 2 meters in thunderstorm zones. Mariners are advised to navigate cautiously, avoid thunderstorm areas, and small boats in the upper Andaman should remain ashore during this period.

Regional forecasts for the next 24 hours include:

**North**: 70 percent thunderstorms with heavy rain in some areas. Provinces including Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phayao, Nan, Tak, Phichit, and Phetchabun. Low 23-27°C, high 30-34°C. Southwest winds 10-20 km/h.

**Northeast**: 70 percent thunderstorms with heavy to very heavy rain in some areas. Provinces include Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Udon Thani, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Kalasin, Mukdahan, Roi Et, Yasothon, Amnat Charoen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buriram, Sisaket, and Ubon Ratchathani. Low 23-26°C, high 30-34°C. Southwest winds 10-20 km/h.

**Central**: 60 percent thunderstorms with heavy rain in some areas. Provinces include Lopburi, Saraburi, Ayutthaya, and Kanchanaburi. Low 23-27°C, high 33-36°C. Southwest winds 10-25 km/h.

**East**: 70 percent thunderstorms with heavy to very heavy rain in some areas. Provinces include Nakhon Nayok, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Sa Kaeo, Rayong, Chachoengsao, and Trat. Low 24-28°C, high 28-33°C. Southwest winds 20-35 km/h. Sea waves around 2 meters, exceeding 2 meters in thunderstorm areas.

**South (East Coast)**: 40 percent thunderstorms with heavy rain in some areas. Chumphon and Surat Thani provinces. Low 23-26°C, high 33-35°C. Southwest winds 15-35 km/h. Waves around 1 meter nearshore, 1-2 meters offshore, exceeding 2 meters in thunderstorm zones.

**South (West Coast)**: 60 percent thunderstorms with heavy rain in some areas. Ranong, Phang Nga, and Phuket provinces. Low 23-27°C, high 30-34°C. From Phang Nga northward: southwest winds 20-40 km/h, waves 2-3 meters, exceeding 3 meters in thunderstorm areas. From Phuket southward: southwest winds 20-35 km/h, waves around 2 meters.

On July 28, 2025, officers led by Lt. Col. Anuek Sathongyu, commander of Pattaya City Police Station, along with officers from Chachoengsao Immigration and Nong Prue Police Station, coordinated with the Pattaya Indian Association to raid a two-story townhouse in Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province. Intelligence indicated Indian tourists were being held captive and tortured for ransom.

When suspects fled on motorcycles, police entered the residence and found three Indian nationals in bedrooms, bound with tape over their mouths. All three showed signs of severe torture, with bruised ankles from being beaten with hard objects. One victim had spray paint applied to his body to simulate bleeding. The rescued tourists—identified as Himanshu, 23; Ehis, 24; and Mekhid, 26—were relieved and immediately called relatives in India to report their rescue.

According to the victims' account through a translator, they had purchased a seven-day Thailand tour package for approximately 70,000 baht per person. After arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 5 a.m., they took a taxi to Pattaya. At a restaurant on Sukhumvit Road, they were picked up by a motorcyclist who drove them to the townhouse. Upon arrival, approximately four Pakistani nationals and one Indian man bound them, gagged them, hung them upside down, and beat them with sticks. The gang demanded 10 million Indian rupees (approximately 3.5 million baht) from relatives, threatening to extort money in exchange for release. The victims were held from July 21 for more than five days without food, water, or bathroom access, and were beaten daily.

The rescue operation was initiated after the victims' relatives called Thai police from India requesting help to locate their missing family members. Police conducted surveillance and planning before executing the raid.

The Phuket Express -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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