TrueID announced on July 16, 2025 that it is shifting its business direction toward becoming a digital ecosystem hub, connecting content, commerce, and user communities. The company launched Tata Tung by TrueID, a vertical series mini app designed for smartphone viewing, in partnership with DramaBox, the world's leading vertical drama platform. TrueID's Chief Executive Officer Windtidisak Kalsa Sani stated that the company is committed to supporting Thai creators and the content industry through new benefits, partnerships, and opportunities to grow from domestic to regional and global markets.

According to Omdia data, the global microdrama market is projected to reach $14 billion by the end of 2025, with Thailand ranking in the top 3 in Southeast Asia and top 10 globally. Tata Tung offers unlimited vertical series for 69 baht per week or 159 baht per month (regular price 199 baht), with True and dtac subscribers able to subscribe for 39 baht monthly. The platform features over 40,000 episodes from around the world, all with Thai voice-overs.

Praphatsorn Lau Renu, head of content and media business development at Charoen Pokphand Group, explained that Tata Tung was developed based on understanding Thai viewer behavior and preferences. The partnership with DramaBox will not only bring global content to Thai audiences but also develop Thai originals, adapt globally successful stories for Thai context and culture, and create co-production opportunities for Thai writers, directors, actors, studios, and creators.

DramaBox Chairman Chen Ruixing stated that Thailand is a strategically important market for DramaBox's long-term growth vision. The partnership combines DramaBox's global short-series expertise with True and Charoen Pokphand Group's consumer insights, technological capabilities, and extensive distribution networks in Thailand. DramaBox is committed to supporting Thailand's content industry through knowledge sharing, production standards, technology transfer, and workforce development, with plans to develop original content and co-productions to build a thriving content ecosystem.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced on July 16 that he has appointed Deputy Permanent Secretary Nirat Pongsitthavaror to act as Director-General of the Department of Local Administration to investigate alleged cheating in the local government civil service recruitment exam. Speaking at Don Mueang military airport before departing for China, Anutin clarified that the Interior Ministry will report findings to the Central Committee for Local Government Employee Examinations (CCEE), which has statutory authority over the recruitment process under current local administration law.

Anutin stressed that responsibility lies with those directly involved in any violations. When asked whether candidates could be disqualified before his return from China, the Prime Minister reiterated that he has no role in the disciplinary process itself—only to alert relevant agencies to investigate any irregularities. He emphasized a principle of accountability: "Whoever does right bears responsibility for right; whoever does wrong bears responsibility for wrong." When pressed for further comment, Anutin ended the interview, saying "last call for boarding passengers."

The Stock Exchange of Thailand, working with the Public Debt Management Office (PDMO) and Bank of Thailand (BOT), has developed the Bond Connect infrastructure to enhance access to debt securities investment through the capital market and support purchases of government "Auompplus" savings bonds. The initiative makes it easier for the public to invest in government bonds with a minimum investment of just 1,000 baht under a total allocation of 2 billion baht.

The allocation will use a "Small Lot First" principle to give smaller investors priority, ensuring fair and equitable distribution across a wide range of investors. The bonds offer higher returns than fixed-term deposits, with fixed interest rates of 1.8% annually for a 3-year maturity and 2.8% annually for a 10-year maturity. The first offering runs from 8:30 a.m. on August 3 to 3:00 p.m. on August 5, 2026. Anyone with a Thai securities account can apply through 24 participating securities firms and banks via digital platforms, branches, and the Streaming app.

Assadej Kongsiri, Chief Executive Officer of the Stock Exchange of Thailand, stated that the Bond Connect Platform is a public-private collaboration leveraging the Thai capital market's infrastructure to support government policy and provide greater convenience for citizens accessing government bonds. Investors can hold bonds in scriptless form through a securities trading account and manage them alongside other assets. The bonds are also eligible for secondary market trading on the exchange with transparent, verifiable market prices. Additionally, investors can view their "Auompplus" holdings alongside other assets through the wiset application, and may eventually use the bonds as collateral to enhance investment flexibility.

Deputy Permanent Secretary Nirat Pongsitthathavorn, acting as director-general of the Department of Local Administration, announced on July 16 at Don Mueang Air Base that he would attend a central civil service exam board meeting the following day to consider revoking the appointments of 3,621 local officials. When asked whether all 3,621 officials could be revoked immediately, Nirat said that revocation would depend on whether clear evidence of wrongdoing was found. Responding to claims by the anti-corruption group STRONG Thailand that he was close to Dr. Win, the accused exam fraudster, Nirat stated he had never studied with or hired Dr. Win. He acknowledged knowing Dr. Win on a casual basis, explaining that he meets many people in his role and that Dr. Win had introduced himself to various officials as a courtesy, which he characterized as normal conduct. Nirat denied ever providing Dr. Win with any budget or employment opportunities during his tenure.

CHAIYAPHUM — Six male juveniles who escaped from the Nakhon Ratchasima Juvenile Observation and Protection Center and allegedly stole a school pickup truck in an attempt to return home have been arrested in neighboring Chaiyaphum province.

The escape occurred at 05:30 on 16 July 2026, when the six youths took advantage of officers opening a door in the early morning and ran out of the facility. Police said the group had planned the escape in advance by cutting through the bars of their detention room before fleeing.

At around 07:00, the group allegedly stole an Isuzu pickup truck belonging to Ratchasima Witthayalai School, which was parked about 800 metres from the detention center, and drove toward Chaiyaphum.

Police in several jurisdictions set up checkpoints and tracked the suspects' route as they fled. The abandoned pickup was later found in Noen Sa-nga district, Chaiyaphum. Maj Gen Sujarit Panlek, commander of Chaiyaphum Provincial Police, ordered investigators to work with officers from Noen Sa-nga Police Station to locate the escapees.

The six juveniles were eventually found and taken into custody without incident.

During initial questioning, one of the youths admitted that he missed his family and wanted to return home. He told investigators he persuaded the others to escape from the detention center and steal the pickup truck to travel back to their hometown.

The six juveniles have been returned to police custody and will be transferred back to the Nakhon Ratchasima Juvenile Observation and Protection Center for legal proceedings.

Bangkok's police chief has ordered an urgent hunt for the person who allegedly hired a parcel courier to transport goods from Thailand to Japan after more than 2 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine were discovered concealed inside jars of tamarind paste.

Pol. Lt. Gen. Siam Boonsom, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, ordered officers, including Pol. Maj. Gen. Theeradech Thumsuthee, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Pol. Maj. Gen. Chaiya Phetpanya, Commander of Metropolitan Police Division 7, and the Metropolitan Police Narcotics Suppression Centre, to investigate the case. The directive follows a formal police report filed by a courier who transports goods between Thailand and Japan.

On 3 July, while in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, the complainant was contacted through Facebook by the user of an account named "Chayamin Pai", who asked her to carry a parcel from Thailand to Japan.

On 4 July, a ride-hailing delivery driver dropped off the parcel, packaged in a cardboard box, at The Trust Residence Pinklao on Borommaratchachonnani Road in Bangkok Noi district after allegedly being hired by the Facebook user.

The courier returned to The Trust Residence Pinklao on 6 July to collect the parcel before her trip to Japan. The following day, while inspecting and repacking the items into her luggage, she opened the box and found six large jars labelled as liquid tamarind paste, along with instant noodles, sweets, jelly, dried coconut, snacks, seasonings, peanut butter and herbal inhalers.

She became suspicious because the tamarind jars were unusually heavy. After opening one jar, she found a layer of liquid tamarind paste covering the top. However, after reaching deeper inside, she discovered a plastic bag containing a white solid substance.

Recognising that something was wrong, she returned everything to the jars, repacked the box with the other items, placed it back beneath The Trust Residence Pinklao, and departed for Japan as scheduled.

After returning to Thailand on 11 July, she reported the incident to police. On 13 July, officers accompanied her to inspect the parcel, locating the 40-by-60-centimetre cardboard box where she had left it.

Inside the six 1,500-gram plastic jars, investigators discovered crystal methamphetamine concealed beneath the tamarind paste. The concealed packages weighed approximately 331.3 grammes, 341.1 grammes, 354.5 grammes, 413.1 grammes, 318.4 grammes and 300.6 grammes respectively, with a combined weight of about 2.059 kilogrammes.

Investigation Inspector Mangkorn Panthurasri of Bang Yi Khan Police Station, together with the investigating team, seized the evidence and tested the substance using a methamphetamine field test kit, which returned a positive result.

The narcotics were seized as evidence, and investigators have filed a criminal complaint against the suspect, particularly the user of the Facebook account "Chayamin Pai". Authorities are now intensifying their search for the suspect.