Ingfah Warahah's performance dancing in the rain during the Phaya Sattanakharaj ceremony in Nakhon Phanom went viral across Thailand. The dancer recently discussed her experience at the "A Fair: Best of 4 Regions" market event at CentralWorld Bangkok, explaining the spiritual intentions behind her performance. She revealed that she prayed for the rain to stop at crucial moments and believes it was a miracle—something difficult to explain.

Ingfah confirmed that even in heavy downpour, she never considered stopping her dance because she had made a vow to complete it. She also asked for blessings regarding love, admitting she is currently single and waiting for someone with matching values who can be supportive. She emphasized she's not particular about gender and that her manager Bossnawat is now more open-minded. She hopes to meet someone suitable and is aiming to get married by age 35.

"I approached this trip with faith," Ingfah explained. "We had to visit four events, starting at night with offerings for good timing. We were told a storm would arrive in 3-4 days. It wasn't ordinary rain—it was a typhoon. During the night prayers, I asked for the events to go smoothly and for the rain to stop if possible during certain parts. I wasn't just concerned about myself; I didn't want the guests to get sick or suffer."

She described how the rain miraculously stopped at key moments. When she performed in her red costume as a northern Thai dancer in the afternoon, the rain paused, then resumed after she finished. For her largest performance—the viral moment—Ingfah made a specific prayer: "Father, I dance four songs. If it must rain, let it be during the third song. I want to be the first dancer to perform in the rain, but let there be beautiful moments." During the first two songs, there was barely any rain, but by the third song, it began falling more heavily in striking streaks.

Ingfah noted that during the performance, she wore contact lenses but couldn't see due to the smoke and heavy rain, so she danced using her senses and spiritual intention, trusting the movements would come naturally. She was amazed that despite the conditions, her outfit remained pristine with nothing falling out of place.

She concluded by sharing her final prayer for the event: "I asked that this Nakhon Phanom 7.7 event—which waited for me for three years before my turn came—be a success at the national and international level. I pray that everyone sees the clip, sees the faith and our ceremony, and that it brings fulfillment to their wishes."

At 11 a.m. on July 9, 2025, at the Sanam Luang City Hall, Chatchatchai Sittiphan officially took office as Bangkok Governor for his second term. He performed ceremonial respect to royal portraits and submitted written wishes for the King's birthday celebration on July 28, 2025, as well as paying respects to deceased members of the royal family at the Rattanakosin Hall.

Chatchatchai was joined by his management team including Vishnu Suetsampol, Tawida Komlvetcha, Sannont Wangsamngaibun, Pornprom Wikitsetr, Kunanop Laeipraiwat, Pol. Gen. Adisorn Ngamjitsuksri, and Sittichai Aranyakananth, who paid respects to the City Hall shrine before beginning their duties.

At 11:30 a.m., an official handover ceremony took place at the Rattanakosin Hall, where the Bangkok Permanent Secretary formally transferred authority to the new governor.

Chatchatchai thanked all involved in the recent election, noting that 1.53 million voters supported his team—a reflection of four years of collaborative work. He emphasized that the public's confidence and mandate required continued dedication and cooperation for another four-year term.

Following the ceremony, Chatchatchai held consultations with the Permanent Secretary and deputy secretaries to discuss administration and governance strategies going forward.

Chatchatchai then announced his administration structure. Deputy governors include: Vishnu Suetsampol, Tawida Komlvetcha, Sannont Wangsamngaibun, and Pornprom Wikitsetr. Chakkaphan Phiwngam was named advisory chairman, overseeing budgets and coordination with city council members.

Advisory committee members include: Pol. Gen. Adisorn Ngamjitsuksri (anti-corruption and transparency), Dr. Nartpon Chanchanglair (education), Maj. Gen. Dr. Thaveepongsa Pajareya (public health), and Dr. Suporndham Mongkolsawat (disability services and employment).

PHUKET: Police are working to identify an unidentified foreign man who died at Patong Hospital after being found unconscious outside Jungceylon shopping mall in Patong early yesterday morning (July 8).

On July 9, 2024, the Constitutional Court deliberated on a royal decree granting the Finance Ministry borrowing authority to address energy crisis impacts and support Thailand's clean energy transition for 2024. The case was brought by 133 members of parliament—representing at least one-fifth of the total—who challenged the decree's constitutionality under Article 172. The court unanimously ruled that provisions aimed at assisting citizens, farmers, and businesses affected by the energy crisis comply with the Constitution. However, the court split 7-2 on the 200 billion baht portion for promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy technology transition across government, private sector, communities, and the public. The seven-member majority, comprising Nakarin Mektrairat, Udom Sittiwiratchathamma, Wirut Sangthian, Naphdol Teppittak, Banjongsak Wongprachaya, Sumet Roikculchaloem, and Sarawut Songsiwilai, upheld that section as constitutional. The two dissenting justices—Chiraniti Havanon and Udom Ratthamrit—argued the 200 billion baht allocation for clean energy technology promotion and skill development exceeded constitutional limits.

Thailand is advancing its intellectual property mission on the global stage by partnering with the European Union and Bhutan to drive creative economy growth and boost competitiveness in world markets and promote technology adoption. Dr. Kiridat Phaobpijit, Assistant Minister of Commerce, revealed that he has been tasked by the Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supachee Suthammapanthu to lead Thai delegations in bilateral discussions with intellectual property partner organizations. The goal is to drive international cooperation and advance the Commerce Ministry's policies for developing Thailand's IP system to keep pace with changes in the global economy while creating favorable conditions for trade and investment, and improving the quality of life for Thai entrepreneurs sustainably. During discussions with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), led by Executive Director Joao Negrão, the Thai delegation thanked EUIPO for its ongoing support and collaboration with Thailand's Department of Intellectual Property. Thailand presented recent progress in IP system development, including the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in various services such as AI Image Search and Trademark Checker to help entrepreneurs check preliminary trademark similarities before filing applications. The office is also developing Fast Track services for patent registration, utility patents, product designs, and trademarks, along with efforts to update Thailand's IP laws to align with international standards and prepare for participation in WIPO international agreements. Dr. Kiridat stated that both sides exchanged approaches to elevate cooperation to address challenges in the digital era, focusing on applying modern technology to improve efficiency in processing IP applications and services. The initiative also promotes access to funding for SMEs using intellectual property as financial collateral (IP Finance), as well as the exchange of information and practices regarding geographical indications (GI) to enhance GI product protection standards and expand market opportunities for Thai GI products in the European Union. The Assistant Minister of Commerce witnessed the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department of Intellectual Property, led by Director General Ormorn Saipthaweedharm, and the European Union Intellectual Property Office, represented by Executive Director João Negrão. This builds upon the previous MOU set to expire in October 2026 and aims to elevate cooperation to align with the economic and technological context of the new era, covering information and tool exchanges, personnel capacity development, enforcement of intellectual property rights, and assessment and commercial exploitation of intellectual property. Both agencies will jointly develop implementation plans to drive concrete cooperation forward. Dr. Kiridat then led the Thai delegation in discussions with Sonam Penjor, Director of the Department of Media, Creative Industry and Intellectual Property (DoMCIIP) of the Kingdom of Bhutan, where both sides discussed approaches to prepare for intellectual property readiness in support of the Thailand-Bhutan Free Trade Agreement.

Police revealed they have compiled evidence to request arrest warrants from the Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court for two men as the masterminds behind flight attendant Meena's heroin smuggling case at the command level for importing drugs through the Mekong River into Thailand, linking to multiple previous cases. Narcotics police and other agencies are investigating an operation smuggling heroin in luggage to Australia and pursuing a mysterious man who left a suspicious package under Meena's condominium. Officers have already detained two key figures: Uthai, the rider who delivered the package to the condo, and Nantawat, the friend who helped destroy a Thai elephant-patterned bag containing hidden drugs. Both have been remanded in custody pending trial. The investigation continues against major operatives including a Line account "Rin Rin" who gave orders and paid money, a Facebook account "Rose Rose" who contacted Meena via chat requesting her to courier the elephant-patterned bag to an Australian recipient, Dier, a Thai woman listed as the package recipient in Australia, and a Laotian network leader based in the neighboring country directing drug smuggling operations into Thailand. On July 9, 2025, Police Deputy Secretary-General Areepakdi Ngenbuam announced the expansion of the cross-border heroin smuggling investigation. After continuous investigation and evidence gathering, all evidence and case details were presented to Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court requesting arrest warrants for two Laotian men, aged approximately 40-50, residing in Laos. Both are considered primary operatives and regional drug owners who transferred payments to network members and ordered the smuggling of drugs into Thailand via the Mekong River. Thai network members then distributed the drugs and prepared them for shipment to Bangkok and beyond to third-country destinations according to recipient lists. If the court approves the warrants, Thai authorities will coordinate with Laotian officials to arrest the two men for extradition and prosecution on charges including conspiracy to commit serious drug offenses, trafficking, and international organized crime. Areepakdi revealed that reviewing past drug cases shows these two Laotian men have employed similar smuggling methods in previous cases resembling Meena's. The heroin shipment to Meena was therefore not their first operation. Thailand and Laos maintain strong cooperation in apprehending drug suspects hiding in border areas.