Eight teachers from Ban Huay Moo School in Mae Sariang District, Mae Hong Son Province, faced a harrowing journey home, crossing 29 swollen streams over eight hours to cover 48 kilometers and arriving safely.

On August 22, the group of eight teachers had to confront a severe natural obstacle: torrential floodwaters during their return journey home after school on Friday evening, August 21. Teacher Nuttamon Khunkam shared the account on Facebook with photos, describing the arduous trip. The group consisted of two male and six female teachers with six motorcycles, departing from school at 10 a.m. heading to Mae Sariang District, covering approximately 48 kilometers.

The challenging journey of 48 kilometers took eight hours total, arriving at their destination at 6 p.m. The main obstacle was crossing 29 streams with raging floodwaters and dangerously high water levels.

Despite the hardship, the two male teachers exerted tremendous effort pushing and supporting all six motorcycles across each stream one by one. Two motorcycles sustained damage from the floodwaters and difficult terrain and could not start, forcing them to be left behind temporarily.

Despite the journey being filled with difficulties and risks, the teachers' mutual care, unity, and spirit of cooperation allowed all eight to safely reach Mae Sariang District that evening. Their journey earned praise from social media users, highlighting the admirable dedication and spirit of rural teachers.

Heavy rain is falling continuously, making roads slippery and wet. A single misstep can result in a dangerous fall and injury. Emergency medicine specialist Dr. Wung Sewian has noted that during rainy periods, he frequently treats patients with slip-and-fall injuries and fractures. Many people wonder why stepping in just a little water can cause such serious falls and broken bones.

Dr. Wung Sewian shared on Facebook that worn shoe soles combined with wet, slippery surfaces can cause loss of balance and accidents from a single step. He identified five types of shoes to avoid on rainy days:

1. Old shoes with worn-smooth soles: When tread grooves become shallow, water drainage and ground grip efficiency decrease. Uneven or misshapen heels increase walking instability and fall risk.

2. Tight flip-flops and loose sandals: These cannot secure the heel properly, allowing the foot to slide inside the shoe. When stepping in standing water, shoes may slip off or be swept away.

3. High heels and thick-soled unstable shoes: These have minimal ground contact and raise the body's center of gravity, increasing risk of ankle sprains when stepping in water or on uneven surfaces.

4. Shoes with hard, smooth soles: On wet tiles, drain covers, or metal sheets—and along covered walkways and roads—friction between shoe and ground drops rapidly. The doctor notes that danger depends not on leather material but on sole texture and grip quality.

5. Oversized or undersized shoes: Oversized shoes allow foot sliding; tight shoes cause friction and blisters. Diabetic patients, who have reduced foot sensation, may develop wounds unnoticed.

How to choose safe shoes for rainy days?

Dr. Wung Sewian recommends four key principles:

- Shoe soles should have clear tread grooves and good grip - Shoe uppers and heels should fit snugly - Shoe size must fit properly - Laces or straps should secure shoes firmly

If shoe soles are worn flat or hardened, or heels are worn unevenly, consider buying new shoes. Beyond proper footwear, the doctor advises taking shorter steps, walking slowly, and avoiding sudden direction changes on rainy days.

One overlooked situation is the transition from outside to indoors, where wet tiles cause slips more easily than roads. Dr. Wung Sewian emphasizes that elderly people, diabetic patients, those with osteoporosis, and those with fall history should view proper shoe selection not as mere comfort but as essential injury prevention. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control also identifies foot problems and improper footwear as major fall risk factors in seniors.

On August 22 at 9:30 a.m., police received a report of a foreign national committing robbery at a convenience store branch in the Phadung Dao area. Lieutenant Krit Homkajorn from Phlabphlai Chai 2 Station coordinated with patrol officers to investigate.

During the response, Senior Sergeant Prasart Somkhanet from Phra Ratchawang Station, who was on patrol motorcycle, happened to pass the scene and observed the theft in progress. He intervened to stop the incident as civilians alerted him and attempted to pursue the suspect. However, when the foreign man tried to flee, he wielded a box cutter and slashed Sergeant Prasart's neck, inflicting injuries.

The suspect then ran toward Tiger Plaza shopping center. Metropolitan Police Division 6, along with officers from Phlabphlai Chai 1 and Chakravarti stations, mobilized to pursue and successfully apprehended the man, seizing the box cutter as evidence.

The suspect was identified as Alexander Troy Lopez, 29 years old, a U.S. citizen. After arrest, he appeared disoriented and uncooperative, leading officers to suspect intoxication. A test at the police hospital detected methamphetamine, a substance found in crystal meth and ice drugs. Officers will conduct blood tests and medical confirmation before pursuing additional charges. Preliminary charges include attempted murder of a government official and theft.

The Department of Intellectual Property has released a patent trend analysis on innovative sports textiles, highlighting Thailand's potential to build on its strengths in biomass and electronics to become a regional manufacturing and innovation hub for sports textiles in Southeast Asia.

On 22 August 2025, Ormorn Saaptwitthidharma, Director-General of the Department of Intellectual Property, revealed that analysis of global patent data from 2007 to 2024 identified more than 19,347 patent families in sports textile technology. Applications surged from 391 families in 2007 to a peak of 1,966 families in 2021, with an average annual growth rate of 9.0%, encompassing innovations from next-generation synthetic fibres and sensor-embedded fabrics to advanced recycling processes, reflecting the breadth and depth of innovation in the sports textile supply chain.

Saaptwitthidharma stated that global competition in this industry is not confined to traditional textile manufacturers but has expanded into cross-industry competition, with technology firms, specialty chemical companies, and wearable tech startups all playing a role. Patent ownership is highly fragmented, with the largest patent holder, Aladdin Manufacturing (a major functional fibre and polyester producer from the United States), holding 192 patent families—just 1% of the total. This is followed by Nanya Plastics from Taiwan with 180 families and Sanko Tekstil from Turkey with 150 families, demonstrating that no single player dominates the market and leaving space for new players, including Thai entrepreneurs, to influence the technological direction.

Geographically, China leads decisively in patent volume with 7,086 families (37.7% of the total), consistent with its status as the world's largest textile manufacturing base, combined with surging R&D investment over the past decade and a domestic market that drives intellectual property creation.

The United States ranks second with 3,415 families (18.2%), followed by the European Patent Convention member group (covering 40 countries, including 27 EU members and 13 non-EU members) with 1,868 families (9.9%). The United States and European Patent Convention members focus on high-value technology leveraging electronics ecosystems.

Notably, emerging market countries like India, with 222 patent families, are climbing significantly, demonstrating that nations now compete through technological development and product differentiation rather than production costs alone, seeking competitive advantages that meet evolving consumer demands.

The Director-General explained that sports textile innovation can be divided into three major technology groups: 1) Breathable and compression fabric technology, the largest group at 7,974 families (approximately 39.5% of all patents in this field). This category is approaching maturity but continues steady incremental development with an average annual growth rate of 7.0%, covering moisture management, breathability, and compression control technologies.

The Mall, through Gourmet Market, signals a shift in retail economics, advancing toward total solutions that meet consumer needs. The company has unveiled six key pillars to understand evolving consumer demands and shape the future of Thai supermarkets.

On August 22, Suphavut Chaiyaprasert, Chief Executive Officer of The Mall Group's Supermarket and Food Division and leader of Gourmet Market, explained that retail businesses today must look beyond product and price competition. Instead, they must understand that consumers seek convenience, quality, experience, and solutions that simplify life. At the same time, businesses must create distinct value and connect with consumers on a deeper level.

Building on this vision, Gourmet Market has developed a retail adaptation strategy centered on six pillars: Convenient, Lifestyle, Experience, Value Added, Total Solution, and Community Engagement. These reflect a modern supermarket model that transcends being merely a shopping venue and instead becomes part of the consumer's daily life, addressing their evolving needs at every moment.

**Convenient: Ease as a New Consumer Value**

Today's consumers look beyond basic product features and prioritize items that make life easier, more convenient, and better suited to actual use. For example, everyday products developed for greater usability and specific applications show that even traditional items can create additional value when retailers understand consumer pain points.

**Lifestyle: Products Must Address Changing Ways of Living**

A clear trend is the growth of products in the Longevity and Health & Wellness categories, reflecting that consumers now think beyond basic necessity. Future product selection must connect with consumer lifestyles and passions, allowing retailers to respond quickly to emerging interests and behaviors.

**Experience: Shopping Must Deliver More Than a Transaction**

As consumers can buy from multiple channels, physical stores must create irreplaceable experiences. Gourmet Market's "You Hunt We Cook" service exemplifies this: customers select fresh ingredients themselves, then a chef prepares them into a dish, transforming a product purchase into a memorable experience of freshness and participation.

**Value Added: From Selling Goods to Creating Unique Value**

The concept of value addition in retail is evolving. Beyond simply adding product value, retailers are increasingly offering premium, specialized, and personalized products and services—whether through premiumization, private label development, or curation for specific customer groups. This allows retailers to differentiate themselves and move away from price-based competition alone.

**Total Solution: Selling Beyond a Single Category to Address Lifestyle**

Future retailers need not sell only their core product category but can identify opportunities to address the entire lifestyle ecosystem surrounding consumers. For example, as Pickleball grows in popularity, a store need not sell only paddles and equipment, but can present related products—potentially including fitness apparel, recovery nutrition, and more—to comprehensively serve the activity.

On August 22, 2025, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chamklinc announced efforts to help flood victims across Nan Province, stressing that the ministry will reach even the most remote areas. The ministry deployed two helicopters to support relief operations in Pua District, with six flights that morning to Huay Pud village in Phu Ka subdistrict. The aircraft delivered royal-provided aid bags, emergency supplies from the Phetchkasem Foundation, rice, and dried food to residents still waiting for assistance as land access remained difficult.

The supplies aim to ease hardship and provide essential items while transportation routes remain impaired. Minister Suchart stated the operation reflects the ministry's commitment to comprehensive care, using data from the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) to identify remote areas and populations in need, ensuring aid reaches the right places quickly.

"Our mission now is not measured by distance but by whether people are suffering and need help," the minister said. "If land routes are blocked, we use helicopters. No matter how far, we must try to reach them, because every life matters and people should not be left behind." The ministry will continue closely monitoring the situation and coordinating all departments to sustain relief efforts and accelerate recovery so affected communities can return to normal life as soon as possible.