Following UNESCO's 48th ordinary World Heritage Committee meeting held in Busan, South Korea, with unanimous approval on July 25, 2025, Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahaviharn in Nakhon Si Thammarat was designated a cultural World Heritage Site. This marks Thailand's sixth cultural heritage site, ninth overall, and the first for Southern Thailand.

People of Nakhon Si Thammarat and across Thailand held a major celebration, with the provincial administration organizing a grand ceremony featuring nearly 1,000 Nora dancers performing ancient Nora movements. The event united a previously recognized UNESCO heritage—Nora, traditional southern Thai performing art—with Thailand's newest World Heritage designation.

Following the recitation of Buddhist chanting, the ceremony continued with nearly 1,000 Nora dancers performing twelve classical movements: Mae Lai (opening movement mimicking Thai crane grace), Rahu Catching the Moon (buffalo horn posture), Kinnaree (fairy-like undulating), Catching the Dance, Descending, Small Descent, Phala hand turn, Lotus Bud (closed hands), Lotus Bloom (fingers unfurling), Lotus Petal (continuous hand movements), Lotus Smile (partially opening petals), and Spider Weaving (alternating finger movements at chest level).

Nora is a southern Thai classical dance, particularly from Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phatthalung, forming the sacred heritage that marked the temple's UNESCO World Heritage status as a treasure of all humanity.

Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahaviharn covers 34.43 acres in rectangular form, surrounded by brick walls enclosing stupas centered on the main golden chedi. The complex features one large main stupa on a raised square base, four directional chedis at corners, and 120 smaller chedis arranged in three square tiers. The stupa's spire rises 10.89 meters, gilded with 800 measures (approximately 216 kilograms) of pure gold—the origin of Nakhon Si Thammarat's motto 'Golden Stupa.'

A key tradition linked to the temple is the Cloth Draping Festival, where townspeople collectively donate thousands of yards of fabric to ceremonially drape the main stupa on religious occasions—a custom unique to Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Due to its historical, architectural, and cross-religious significance as a faith center across generations, Thailand nominated Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahaviharn for World Heritage status, achieving preliminary listing in 2013.

On August 8, 2025, Vorakorn, known as "Pop," age 37, the owner of two adjacent businesses—Thong Phan Bai Coffee Shop and Himmajong Khao Man Gai (Branch 2)—located on Somdet 700 Pi Road in Mae Hia, Chiang Mai, was shocked to find his shops completely destroyed. A pickup truck had smashed into the buildings, reducing the storefront, metal sliding doors, windows, walls, ceiling, coffee equipment, and display cases to rubble. The shop was left unable to operate, with damages estimated at over one million baht.

Police Lieutenant Thanapong Naphaswichaya, deputy investigator at Chiang Mai City Police Station, reported that officers responded to a call around 1:30 a.m. reporting a pickup truck collision. At the scene, they found a gray Ford pickup with severe front-end damage and blown tires. The driver, 48-year-old Bhatradanai, sustained minor injuries and was taken for questioning. Since the shop was unattended, officers towed the vehicle to the police station for examination.

Owner Vorakorn explained that after closing the shop, he had returned home to rest in the San Pak Wan subdistrict. When he arrived early the next morning to open, he discovered the catastrophic damage and was forced to close temporarily for extensive repairs.

Prompong Nopridet, former spokesman for the Pheu Thai Party, responded to the violent incident at Thepsirin School in Nonthaburi by expressing deep condolences to the families of the deceased and support for the injured, students, teachers, parents, and all affected. He called for a thorough investigation into the source and cause of the weapon before drawing conclusions, while acknowledging the government and Education Ministry's current safety measures as a positive direction that must be implemented nationwide, not just temporarily.

Prompong proposed three urgent measures: First, establish a 30-day framework for comprehensive security inspections at all schools nationwide, including access control, risk assessment, emergency reporting systems, emergency response plans, and staff and student preparedness, along with minimum safety standards adapted to each area and age-appropriate training for violence, fire, earthquake, flooding, and other disasters. Second, close loopholes in firearm access from the source by reviewing regulations on possession, storage, and preventing children or unauthorized persons from accessing weapons, while screening measures in schools should match local risk levels. Third, provide active psychological care with ongoing support systems for affected students, teachers, staff, parents, and families with easy access to assistance and rapid referrals when needed.

He called for the government to publicly release results after 30 days showing how many schools were inspected, what vulnerabilities were found, and which issues require further action. "This incident must be a national lesson, not just for one school. Let's transform this tragedy into measures, measures into action, and action into tangible security that restores parents' confidence that their children will return home safely every day," Prompong stated.

Pattaya City is stepping up efforts to regulate restaurant boats, tourist vessels, squid-fishing rafts and squid-fishing café boats in Pattaya Bay as the number of operators continues to rise while available space remains limited. Authorities are concerned that overcrowding could affect tourist safety and increase the risk of accidents. Pattaya City is working with the Marine Department and other relevant agencies to establish clear operating criteria, with a key policy of preventing the number of operators from exceeding the bay's capacity.

Wutthisak Rermkij, deputy mayor of Pattaya, chaired a meeting on regulations for restaurant boats, tourist vessels and related businesses in Pattaya Bay. The meeting was attended by government officials, the director of the Marine Department's Regional Office 6, Pattaya Branch, the chief of the Tourist Police Station, the director of the Marine and Coastal Resources Office 2, Bang Lamung district fisheries officials, and operators of tourist boats, restaurant boats, squid-fishing rafts and squid-fishing cafés.

The meeting followed efforts by Pattaya City's Environmental Health and Sanitation Division to regulate businesses operating in public areas in line with the Interior Ministry's 2003 regulations governing the sale of goods in public places. The continued increase in restaurant boats, squid-fishing rafts and tourist vessels in Pattaya Bay has made it necessary to establish clearer rules that reflect conditions in the area.

Officals discussed measures and operating criteria to ensure businesses comply with relevant laws, regulations and requirements. These cover water safety, the use of public areas and protection of the marine environment, as well as clear operating guidelines for businesses to improve service standards and boost tourists' confidence.

The regulations will follow the Marine Department's "Pattaya Model", a framework for organising tourism and water traffic in Pattaya Bay and around Koh Lan. The model focuses on clearly zoning swimming areas and navigation routes, separating water-based recreational activities from boat traffic to prevent accidents and improve water safety standards.

Other measures include inspections of vessels and life-saving equipment, ensuring boat operators comply with waterway traffic regulations, and organising piers and passenger pick-up and drop-off points to suit local conditions. A key concern, however, is the limited space available for businesses.

Pattaya City and the Marine Department previously established designated operating zones in Pattaya Bay under the "Pattaya Model" to ensure that the use of the waterway remained appropriate and safe. The number of businesses operating in the area has since increased, while available space remains limited. Authorities are concerned that a continued rise in the number of boats and activities could lead to overcrowding and increase the risk of accidents, particularly for activities requiring large areas of water.

Police have questioned 16 witnesses and are accelerating their investigation into the source of 98 bullets used in the incident. They are coordinating with a Thai language teacher to give a statement. Investigators inspected a shooting range in the Bang Bua Thong area.

On August 8, 2026, Deputy Commander Chokechai Kanajaroen of Nonthaburi Provincial Police revealed the investigation's progress, stating that police called teachers and students for information. Initially, more than 20 witnesses needed to be questioned; 16 have been interviewed so far, consisting of about 6-7 student classmates and other teachers.

The Thai language teacher believed to be connected to the matter under investigation has not yet provided information. Police are coordinating to have him meet with investigators.

Meanwhile, police are urgently investigating the source of the bullets. After the suspect's friends indicated he enjoyed playing airsoft, authorities need to determine whether he had prior shooting experience or training from elsewhere, or if this was his first time using a real firearm. Police confirmed the bullets were live ammunition, not blanks. Of 98 bullets total, 34 were found remaining in a bag, while the rest were already used.

Investigators also inspected a shooting range in the Bang Bua Thong area to determine if the suspect had ever trained there, but found no record of his use initially.

As for the suspect's parents, police questioned them yesterday. If any outstanding issues or additional information emerge, they may be called for further questioning. The death toll remains at 8 as of now.