At 9:30 a.m. on July 10, 2025, Deputy Superintendent Sombutti Phumphetchasai of Thoen Police Station in Lampang received a report of a pickup truck that had skidded off the Thoen-Sapbrap highway and struck a tree in the median at kilometer 640 in Ban Mae Tiea, Mae Tho Subdistrict, Thoen District. Two people were found dead inside the vehicle, prompting authorities to coordinate with Thoen Hospital's forensic doctor, Mae Tho rescue workers, and the Lampang Rescue Association, who brought cutting equipment to the scene.

At the accident site, rescuers found a white Toyota pickup registered in Udon Thani that had collided violently with the tree, nearly splitting the vehicle into two pieces. Two male bodies were discovered in the wreckage, and rescue personnel had to use cutting tools to extract them amid ongoing heavy rain.

The deceased were identified as Thawat (surname withheld), the driver, and Wichanya (surname withheld), a passenger. Both were employees of the Bhumibol Dam Power Authority in Sam Ngao District, Tak Province. The men were traveling from the dam to Mae Mao District to join colleagues for a group activity when heavy rain struck. It is believed the vehicle skidded out of control and collided with the tree in the median, resulting in both deaths.

Police will conduct a detailed investigation to determine the exact cause and proceed with legal procedures accordingly.

Rajamangala University of Technology Isan (RMUTI) in Nakhon Ratchasima has achieved a major milestone in Thai rail technology development by successfully testing its homemade Light Rail Transit prototype, 'Tram Luuk Isan,' on actual tracks at its Khon Kaen campus. The prototype, developed by Thai research and engineering teams, demonstrates the university's capacity to innovate in rail systems while producing quality personnel to support the nation's growing rail industry.

University Rector Associate Professor Dr. Khotsit Sriphudhon described the prototype testing as a crucial step in developing rail technology by Thai engineers, showcasing both the university's role in knowledge creation and workforce development. He emphasized that this achievement represents Thai capability to design, research, and develop functional rail technology, laying the foundation for Thailand's rail industry growth powered by Thai talent and expertise.

Testing covers straight and curved track performance, braking systems, propulsion mechanisms, wheel assemblies, and critical components developed by university researchers including rail fasteners and rail pads. The development incorporates international rail engineering standards adapted to Thailand's context, ensuring safety and performance standards competitive at global levels.

Rector Khotsit noted that the testing track at Khon Kaen campus functions as a large-scale laboratory, allowing students, faculty, and researchers to learn through real-world experience in design, manufacturing, installation, testing, maintenance, and rail system management. Over 15 years, RMUTI has continuously developed curricula, research initiatives, and rail industry partnerships. The 'Tram Luuk Isan' success represents not only institutional achievement but a significant step for Thailand in building indigenous rail knowledge, reducing foreign technology dependence, and developing a complete rail industry ecosystem. The university aims to position its Khon Kaen campus as a regional center for rail learning, research, and innovation, connecting workforce development, research, and industry collaboration to support Khon Kaen's development as a rail hub and advance Thailand's long-term infrastructure development.

At 9:00 a.m. on July 10, 2025, Deputy National Police Commander Thatchai Pitanilabut, heading the National Police Office's Anti-Human Trafficking Center, announced the arrest of a suspect in a sextortion case involving continuous child sexual abuse. The investigation revealed crimes spanning more than 10 years, with more than 20 child victims. The operation aligns with Prime Minister Anuthinthaung's directive to prevent and suppress human trafficking and crimes against children under the "Together We Can Stop Human Trafficking" initiative.

The case represents a serious hidden threat within educational institutions. The suspect holds a doctoral degree and works as a mathematics teacher at a prestigious school, exploiting his professional reputation and credibility to target students. Police arrested him at his residence in Muang Nakhon Pathom district.

The investigation began on July 2, 2025, when parents of a boy under 15 filed a complaint after discovering their son had been sexually abused by a private tutor. The child exhibited depression and physical injuries. Medical examination confirmed inflammation. The boy later revealed the teacher filmed the abuse and threatened to expose him if he told anyone, using blackmail to coerce repeated abuse over one year—more than 22 instances. Investigators coordinated with multi-disciplinary teams to interview the victim and parents, gathering evidence. The National Police Office's TICAC unit (Internet-Based Child Sexual Abuse Task Force) assisted in the arrest of the suspect, a prominent elementary school teacher, at his residence in Nakhon Pathom Province.

Customs officials and police arrested a Thai woman and a Filipino national on July 9, 2026, after they allegedly attempted to smuggle more than 32 kilograms of cannabis flower out of Thailand through Phuket International Airport.

The operation was carried out by customs officers at Phuket Airport in coordination with Sakhu Police at the international departures terminal in Mai Khao Subdistrict, Thalang District.

The first arrest occurred around 11:00 when officers inspected a black Pierre Cardin suitcase belonging to Levannah Chelsea Guzman, an 18-year-old Philippine national. Officers discovered 14 vacuum-sealed packages containing cannabis flower weighing 14.5 kilograms including packaging. The suspect admitted ownership of the suitcase and its contents.

She was charged with attempting to export goods without completing customs procedures, along with violations of Thailand's Narcotics Code, the Traditional Thai Medicine Wisdom Protection and Promotion Act, the Ministry of Public Health's Controlled Herbs (Cannabis) Notification, and related laws.

Around 13:00, officers inspected a green SWISH NAVY suitcase belonging to Penpitcha Phutsiang, a Thai national. The search uncovered 16 vacuum-sealed packages of cannabis flower weighing 17.6 kilograms including packaging. The second suspect also admitted ownership of the suitcase and seized cannabis.

Both women were handed over to investigators at Sakhu Police Station for legal proceedings. Authorities said the arrests are part of intensified efforts to prevent illegal cannabis exports through Thailand's international airports, with customs officials strengthening baggage inspections and enforcement measures.

NAKHON RATCHASIMA — On July 9, 2026, the 10th Regional Office of Fine Arts uncovered what is believed to be an ancient burial mound dating to the Late Prehistoric period at Mun Bon Dam, where archaeologists discovered human skeletal remains and a large number of artifacts, including a rare intact Phimai Black pottery vessel estimated to be about 2,500 years old.

On Wednesday, officials from the 10th Regional Office of Fine Arts in Nakhon Ratchasima, led by the head of the Maha Wirawong National Museum and a senior archaeologist, inspected the site after villagers reported finding human skeletal remains and archaeological evidence, particularly pottery fragments, in the middle of Mun Bon Dam at Taling Chan Village (Moo 9), Chorakhe Hin subdistrict, Khon Buri district. They were joined by district officials, staff from the Mun Bon Water Transmission and Maintenance Project, and local community leaders. The inspection followed a continued decline in the reservoir's water level, which exposed the site.

Officials initially discovered an intact Phimai Black ceramic vessel resembling a bowl or alms bowl, measuring about 15 centimetres in diameter and estimated to date from approximately 2,500 to 1,500 years ago. Numerous human skeletal remains were also found nearby.

Additional archaeological evidence from the same period included orange glass beads, iron tools, earthenware pottery, and polished stone axes. Several buried earthenware vessels believed to have been placed as grave goods were also uncovered. The discovery area has been designated "Mun Bon Dam Archaeological Site 1."

Based on preliminary assessments, officials believe the site was an ancient burial mound from Thailand's Late Prehistoric Iron Age because of its elevated position beside an ancient waterway. It may represent the closest prehistoric burial site ever discovered near the headwaters of the Mun River.

Wannapong Palakawong Na Ayutthaya, an archaeologist with the 10th Regional Office of Fine Arts, said the site contains clear evidence of a burial mound used by Late Prehistoric people.

"The most remarkable discovery at Mun Bon Dam Archaeological Site 1 is the intact Phimai Black vessel because archaeologists usually recover only broken fragments of this type of pottery," he said. "The complete vessel allows us to make a relatively reliable preliminary estimate, placing the site in the Iron Age of the Late Prehistoric period, approximately 2,500 to 1,500 years ago."

He added that Phimai Black pottery is typically found throughout the upper Mun River basin but has not previously been documented this close to the river's headwaters. Wannapong said the site appears to be a significant burial mound. Further archaeological research could provide valuable new insights into the prehistoric communities that once inhabited Khon Buri district.