At 9:20 a.m. on July 21, 2026, at Government House, Education Minister Prasert Chantharwangtong spoke to the media before the Cabinet meeting regarding non-formal education students who dropped out to qualify for state welfare cards. He said he would raise the matter in Cabinet to discuss how eligibility criteria could be adjusted to provide assistance. Students are a vulnerable group requiring special care, as NFED learners range widely in age. Prasert had already raised the issue with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Deputy Prime Minister Ekniti Nitithanprayat during their China visit and said further details would be discussed today.

Regarding students who have already dropped out, Prasert appealed for them to rejoin the system, as the government does not want anyone to leave education. The ministry is working on solutions and will adjust any criteria that can be modified. The exact number of dropouts from the NFED's total enrollment of 200,000 is still being verified. The Education Ministry is also pushing to help former students understand the situation and encourage them to return. Prasert stressed that the Education Ministry does not want students dropping out for such reasons, as education is crucial. The ministry aims to protect their rights and enable them to resume their studies. All relevant information has been prepared by the Education Ministry for presentation at today's Cabinet meeting.

BANGKOK: Corrupt government officials were viewed as the main factor allowing foreigners to illegally operate businesses in Thailand, a Nida poll showed on Sunday (July 19).

BANGKOK: The Thai government aims to complete the construction of a 250-kilometre (155-mile) section of a high-speed rail line that will connect ‌it to China by 2030, as Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul concluded a five-day visit to the country.

Nonthaburi: At 7:30 a.m. on July 21, 2025, police received a report of a fatal shooting in Soi Pak Kret-Jaeng Wattana 23, Khlong Toei Subdistrict, Pak Kret District, Nonthaburi. The victim, identified as Jarukrit (surname withheld), 25, a former mechanical engineering student at Pathumwan Institute, was found lying on the roadside with a single gunshot wound to the right rib cage. The attackers were two men riding a red Honda PCX motorcycle who came up alongside the victim and opened fire. One suspect wore a dark yellow long-sleeved shirt and black pants with a full-face black helmet, while the passenger wore a light green shirt, black pants, and a full-face gray helmet.

Police Colonel Adirerk Thongkamkaew, superintendent of Pak Kret Station, stated that the motive remains unclear, though the victim had recently graduated and was working steadily. According to family and friends, the suspects had been watching the victim for one to two days before carrying out the attack on the morning he left for work. Investigators are analyzing security camera footage and pursuing leads on the vehicle used in the shooting to track down the perpetrators.

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Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchat Chomklin revealed that the ministry is intensifying its crackdown on illegal encroachment at Khao Yai National Park while providing assistance to legitimate residents. The government distinguishes between ordinary people entitled to land rights under Cabinet resolution and wealthy business owners who illegally constructed hotels and resorts for profit. Officials led by Thewinthorn Meesap, head of the land verification and enforcement task force, have posted demolition notices against three resort owners—Rimpha Resort, a luxury vacation home, and Vimaan Mist Wang Nam Khiao—while StarWell Home Garden Resort has agreed to self-demolish. Minister Suchat stated that the ministry has instructed conservation area offices to compile comprehensive data on all hotels and resorts prosecuted but still standing, including owner details, arrest records, case outcomes, current photographs, and evidence. By late August, this information will be submitted to the Anti-Money Laundering Office to pursue money laundering charges, investigate ownership of proceeds from illegal resort operations, and seize assets. "The government's clear policy separates residents living legitimately in forest areas from profit-seeking capitalists," Suchat said, adding that violators face 1-10 years imprisonment or fines of 20,000-200,000 baht or both.