Theerutham Suphavibulpon, former director-general of the Department for Local Government Promotion, appeared before the Anti-Corruption Division to face six charges related to improper performance or omission of duty, falsification of government documents, and certification of false documents. After giving an initial statement, he denied all accusations and demanded to fight the case in court, maintaining that his examination administration followed proper procedures as chairman of the local government employee examination committee and that this constitutes his right to contest the allegations in court. In the broader exam fraud case, police have identified 13 suspects. Eleven are local government officials caught altering answer sheets and face charges under computer crime laws. The other two are Theerutham and the director of Mahasarakham University's Education and Psychology Testing Office who won the examination contract. The Anti-Corruption Division expects to finalize findings for submission to the National Anti-Corruption Commission on August 12 for further investigation. The highest-ranking official charged is the former director-general. Separately, the Interior Ministry is handling 5,925 individuals whose exam scores were altered and will revoke their appointments as local government employees. The provincial civil service commission will notify each local government organization to remove the incorrectly placed candidates and replace them with properly ranked alternatives. However, complications remain: 561 candidates have not yet been registered, and 97 others already hired have had their scores inflated. The Interior Ministry's handling of these cases and potential litigation remain uncertain. Analysts note that the scale of this exam fraud scheme resembles the notorious parliamentary election fraud case, with both politicians and major political parties implicated. The question arises whether exam fraud and electoral fraud ultimately represent the same systematic process.

Rattanathib Police Station in Nonthaburi received an unexpected delivery of 18 premium coffees worth approximately 3,200 baht on August 5, with no indication of who sent them or who they were meant for. A rider delivered nine bags between 2:20 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to the station's public relations desk, leaving the staff confused.

When no one came to collect the coffee, officers called the coffee shop to clarify. The shop confirmed the order was paid in full through a rider app, but the customer provided no name and gave only vague instructions to deliver to the police station. The shop agreed the officers could consume the coffee and took responsibility for the order.

Public relations officer Areeja Chue-Vongse explained that the busy afternoon made it impossible to question the rider immediately. "We were confused because there were so many coffees," she said. "At first we thought it might be a large catering order, and we were worried about a delivery mistake or potential problems." Officer Nakorrin Man-Thup confirmed the station contacted the coffee shop and verified there were no safety concerns before distributing the drinks to officers on duty.

Station Commander Pruet Jamroongsasn thanked the generous benefactor, suggesting they were likely a member of the public who had received good service and wanted to show appreciation to the hardworking staff.

Celebrating 70 years of Thai-New Zealand diplomatic relations, Education New Zealand (ENZ) and the New Zealand Embassy in Thailand have announced excellent scholarship news for students wishing to pursue higher education in New Zealand. Students, parents, and interested individuals are invited to attend the 2026 New Zealand Education Fair on Saturday, August 29, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Samyan Mitrtown Hall 2, 5th Floor. This is the largest New Zealand education event of the year.

The fair will feature over 70 schools, universities, technology institutes, and language schools from New Zealand, covering all education levels from short-term English courses to secondary, undergraduate, postgraduate, and vocational programs. Visitors can receive one-on-one consultation directly with institution representatives. Educational scholarships worth over 2 million baht are available, and attendees will hear the announcement of the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships, full government-funded scholarships, with application information from experts (announcement at 10:30 a.m.).

Highlights include the NZ Simulated Classroom experience, where Thai students can experience New Zealand's Active Learning teaching style with New Zealand teachers, free English proficiency testing, and expert guidance on study planning. A special panel discussion will feature Suk Kwan Boolkul discussing parental perspectives on the important decision to send a child to study in New Zealand. Another major highlight is the presentation of the "7 Friends for 7 Decades" award, honoring seven distinguished individuals who have played important roles in promoting educational cooperation between Thailand and New Zealand during this 70-year diplomatic milestone, along with the announcement of the 2026 Alumni Hall of Fame award.

Special prizes include free round-trip flights to New Zealand for those who apply to featured institutions at the fair, and all registered attendees have a chance to win Air New Zealand flight tickets. Fair highlights include meeting representatives from over 70 leading New Zealand educational institutions at all levels, scholarship opportunities worth over 2 million baht, the announcement of the Manaaki Scholarship, the NZ Simulated Classroom with New Zealand teachers, free English proficiency testing, a special panel discussion with Suk Kwan Boolkul on tips for having your child study in New Zealand, the "7 Friends for 7 Decades" award presentation and the 2026 Alumni Hall of Fame announcement, and entry into a drawing for free round-trip flights to New Zealand for those who apply at the fair.

Interested individuals can register for free on Saturday, August 29, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Samyan Mitrtown Hall 2, 5th Floor. Registration is available at https://www.learnenglishnewzealand.com/nzeducationfair

A 19-year-old trainee was shot in the abdomen at Suranari Camp firing range in Nakhon Ratchasima on August 6, 2025 at 1:00 PM. The victim, identified as Mr. A (pseudonym) from Nong Chok district, Bangkok, suffered a gunshot wound with a bullet lodged inside and was rushed to Suranari Camp Hospital where he remains in critical condition under full medical care. Police, forensic officers, and military personnel secured the scene, collected evidence, and reviewed CCTV footage. Preliminary investigation revealed the victim arrived alone for his first day as an annual member, had been receiving instruction from a trainer on proper firearm use, and was holding a pistol with his right hand before the incident occurred.

Police Commander Sirichai Srichaipanya stated that officers were notified at approximately 1:00 PM. The victim had already been taken to hospital before police arrival. The investigation showed the victim enrolled as a new annual member with a trainer providing proper instruction before the incident. Authorities have contacted the victim's father in Chachoengsao province, and family members have been informed of the situation. Investigators will interview the trainer, range staff, and the victim's relatives to determine the cause and circumstances of the shooting. CCTV footage will be reviewed in detail to document the sequence of events. No clear motive has been identified at this time.

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) confirmed that a partial breach of investor data on its TSD Investor Portal did not compromise investor assets because no usernames or passwords were leaked. The exchange is strengthening cybersecurity measures, conducting deep investigations, monitoring suspicious transactions, and coordinating with all securities firms and commercial banks to track related accounts and prevent losses while restoring investor confidence.

According to Assdej Kongsiri, chairman and managing director of the SET, following the unauthorized access to personal information of TSD Investor Portal users, the exchange has conducted a detailed system examination and expanded its investigation scope to identify the cause and patch vulnerabilities. The team is working intensively and upgrading cybersecurity safeguards.

The SET has also coordinated with all securities companies and commercial banks to jointly monitor and track customer accounts affected by the breach. Transactions from affected accounts are being reviewed as special cases, and any unusual activity will be investigated and addressed immediately to protect investor assets.

Kongsiri confirmed that as of now, no investor assets have been harmed, and the accessed data did not include usernames or passwords that could be used to access systems or conduct transactions. Therefore, outside parties cannot directly access investor accounts.

The SET is continuously monitoring system transactions and conducting historical reviews to analyze attack patterns and whether they occurred previously, using this information to strengthen preventive measures. Kongsiri noted that the accessed data consists only of basic registration and profile information, not data needed to transfer assets or conduct securities transactions directly. The exchange will continue close monitoring and ongoing improvements to cybersecurity standards to protect data and maintain long-term investor confidence.

On August 6, 2025, at Parliament, Asaipol Sannitripath, a Bhumjaithai party representative and chair of the House committee on anti-corruption and misconduct, announced discussions on investigating business registration, ownership, and land title documentation by foreigners in Phuket. Following a field visit to Phuket on June 26–27, the committee learned of cases in which foreign nationals held land and operated businesses using Thai nominees to register legal entities, a practice that could threaten national security and the economy. Officials will examine law enforcement compliance and investigate possible corruption or negligence by government officials.

The committee invited representatives from the Land Department, the anti-money-laundering committee, the business development department, the Central Investigation Police, economic crime units, Phuket commerce authorities, and the anti-corruption organization to provide information. The business development department reported issuing four orders and two directives to screen corporate registrations that may involve Thai nominee shareholders, and is studying amendments to foreign business laws and vetting at-risk entities.

In Phuket, investigators found 1,752 companies with foreign shareholders and forwarded data to the provincial governor for action through provincial committees. A data-integration system linking 13-digit corporate ID numbers with the Land Department is being developed to speed checks. Phuket's commerce office established a task force to investigate foreign business law violations; enforcement measures reduced foreign business operations by over 50% and triggered closures in about 20% of cases. Violations are referred to police for legal prosecution.

The Land Department screened 203,000 corporate records from the business development department and identified 4,041 high-risk entities nationwide, sending results to provincial offices. All 77 provinces now have appointed provincial committees and are gathering data for joint review with the business development department before forwarding to the Board of Investment for examination. If a foreign legal entity lacks investment promotion status, the Land Department director may compel land sale under Section 94 of the Land Code.

Phuket has 6,621 corporate records, with 361 in the high-risk group already submitted to the provincial committee. The province has filed 109 cases, prosecuted 34, and brought two to court. An anti-money-laundering official noted that the Prime Minister has convened 23 agencies to coordinate policy on the issue.