On July 2, 2025, Khemchat Chuaymuang, director of Chumphon Archipelago National Park, outlined tourism in the area. The archipelago comprises over 40 islands, with most visitors opting for day trips featuring coral diving activities. Matra Island stands out as a highlight with abundant horseshoe crabs, white sandy beaches interspersed with rocky outcrops, and pristine shallow coral reefs.

The park offers three underwater nature study routes: snorkeling at Ngam Yai and Matra Islands, and deep diving at Lak Ngam Island. Visitors learn about coral reef ecosystems and their interconnected life forms. The best season for diving is February to April, when seas are calm, water is clear, and visibility is excellent for photography.

The Chumphon waters also offer rare sightings of whale sharks and Bryde's whales near the smaller islands. Additionally, a decommissioned naval ship has been sunk to create an artificial reef for deep diving near Ngam Noi Island.

Park management controls visitor numbers and boat mooring to protect coral areas, with operators cooperating with park regulations. Currently, only about 5 percent of corals show bleaching from climate change. The park is preparing rehabilitation plans, with corals expected to recover if seawater temperatures stabilize, though recovery may take considerable time.

Presong Santiwimon, head of recreation services, recommends visiting Langka Jiao Island, featuring white sand beaches, clear waters, and beautiful coral reefs visible from shore. This historic island was visited three times by King Rama V to observe swiftlet nest collection. The island bears royal inscriptions dated 1432, 1441, and 1448 Buddhist Era. The island once held a swiftlet harvesting concession, now expired.

Admission fees: Thai adults 40 baht, children 20 baht; foreign adults 200 baht, children 100 baht. For more information, call 077-558-144 or visit the Chumphon Archipelago National Park Facebook page.

A Singapore woman has disclosed a shocking incident while eating fried rice from a well-known street food restaurant after discovering what she claims to be lizard remains mixed into her meal. The unnamed customer reported ordering from a branch located inside a Singapore shopping mall on June 28. After eating only about three spoonfuls, she noticed something unusual in the dish and believed it to be the remains of a reptile, forcing her to stop eating immediately. She contacted the restaurant's customer service, left the meal, and demanded accountability from the business. Initially, the restaurant offered two complimentary meals as compensation, but she refused and requested a full refund, stating she would not return to the establishment. The restaurant subsequently conducted an internal inspection, reviewed CCTV footage, and engaged a pest control company to inspect the premises. The investigation found no traces of reptiles within the restaurant. The company stated that food is prepared fresh and served according to food safety standards, with no evidence suggesting animal contamination from within the branch. However, Singapore's food safety authority has been notified and is conducting its own investigation, stating that if sufficient evidence is found, legal action will be taken without hesitation. Food safety is considered a shared responsibility between operators and regulatory agencies. The investigation is ongoing.

In a deep conversation on the Khomkhao Story Podcast EP.106, Poh Patiyya discusses childhood abuse and the 40-year secret he kept about a traumatic incident. When asked if he tried telling trusted adults at the time, he explained that he attempted to speak up but no one listened. He conveyed his message to adults: "Listen to your children first," because the pain of disclosing such trauma is immense and it's not something people discuss easily.

Poh described his fear of not being believed, worried that if adults didn't take him seriously they wouldn't love him anymore. He noted he didn't tell his parents initially—not because he tried and failed, but because he didn't know how. He told his nanny, the housekeeper, and others, but kept it from his parents who were distant; his father worked constantly and discussing such matters was taboo in that era, 50 years prior.

He described feeling confused about what had happened to him, unable to articulate that something was wrong. The trauma manifested in specific triggers: the sound of car window curtains closing now causes him severe distress after all these years. He developed coping mechanisms born of helplessness and hopelessness—refusing to bathe so he'd smell bad and be left alone, or making himself as small and invisible as possible while desperately wanting someone to notice.

After 40 years, Poh decided to speak publicly to become a voice for millions of other survivors and to ensure children in his own family feel safe coming forward. He stressed that while not everyone can safely disclose their trauma, those who can must speak—because the wrongdoers should hide, not the victims. He emphasized this isn't about blaming his mother, but about breaking cycles of silence and protecting future generations.

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation's National Disaster Warning Center is monitoring a tropical depression in the central South China Sea moving westward with a slight northward shift. The system is forecast to intensify into a tropical storm between July 4-6, passing through the Hainan Strait area before moving ashore in southern China. While not directly impacting Thailand's weather, the depression will contribute to increased heavy rainfall across northern Thailand, the upper northeastern region, and central Thailand from July 2-6. The Andaman coast will continue experiencing heavy rainfall due to a strong southwest monsoon. Authorities urge residents to monitor official weather updates closely and follow safety recommendations from disaster prevention officials. The emergency hotline 1784 is available 24 hours for reporting disasters.

On July 2, 2025, at Parliament, Sasinanthan Thamnitinanthan, a Bangkok MP from the People's Party and member of the Political Development, Media, and Public Participation Committee, received a letter from Vara Chanmani, secretary-general of the Strong People's Network, requesting live broadcasts of all parliamentary committee meetings.

Vara explained that parliamentary committees serve as vital mechanisms for investigating and resolving issues directly affecting public and societal concerns. However, citizens lack awareness of their work, prompting this request. He emphasized that all committee meetings should be broadcast except where confidentiality is required.

This initiative aims to encourage public participation, increase transparency in problem-solving, and strengthen democratic development by positioning the Thai Parliament as a truly open and people-centered institution.

Sassinanthan affirmed that the People's Party previously submitted amendments to parliamentary rules on this issue, believing all committee meetings are important and that public access to each committee's distinct agenda would benefit citizens. She stated she will coordinate with relevant agencies to proceed with the proposal.

Thailand's Natural Resources and Environment Ministry reported success from its six-month "Reduce, Don't Waste: Stop Food Waste SDG 12.3" program, which diverted 1,774.35 tons of food waste from landfills and generated 3.5 million baht in economic benefits. Environment Minister Suchati Chomklin designated food waste reduction as an urgent policy priority and declared 2025 the launch year for Thailand's nationwide food waste reduction initiative, aiming to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 on sustainable production and consumption.

The Policy and Planning Office for Natural Resources and Environment signed a memorandum of understanding with 15 organizations—including major shopping malls and universities—to serve as pilot implementers. The program targeted four shopping centers: Siam Paragon, Central Pattana, The Mall, and Seacon, mobilizing nearly 900 food vendors to implement proper food waste management.

Results from the six-month pilot (October 2024–March 2025) demonstrated tangible progress: food waste at the source was reduced by 103 tons (valued at 6.2 million baht), equivalent to preventing 89.4 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Additionally, 1,774.35 tons of food waste were diverted from landfills through composting, animal feed production, and biogas generation, achieving "zero waste to landfill" status and preventing 1,013.16 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions. The results underscore the private sector's readiness to partner in advancing sustainable production and consumption toward Thailand's SDG 12.3 targets.