At noon on July 29, 2025, at the grounds of Wat Khao Chong Lom in Siracha District, Chachoengsao Province, large crowds came to pay respects to the Thao Wessuwanna Tong Luean statue, a 15.99-meter-tall brass Buddha image weighing 80 tons—the tallest newly constructed Buddha statue in Thailand. The shrine's opening ceremony was held on July 24, 2025. A smaller 9.9-meter plaster statue of the same deity has already blessed 19 lottery winners with grand prizes, while the larger statue granted one grand prize winner on December 16, 2024.

Visitors brought offerings and incense to worship and seek blessings, drawing lucky numbers from incense sticks to use as lottery ticket guidance for the August 1, 2025 drawing. The deity is known to favor dance offerings, with devotees either performing traditional dances themselves or hiring dancers, sometimes spending 100,000 baht on firecrackers as offerings.

Among those seeking blessings was Nang Sao Saithong, a 30-year-old factory worker who came to give thanks and seek further blessings after winning over 200,000 baht in the previous lottery. She drew the number 997 from incense sticks and plans to use it to purchase lottery tickets, hoping to become the 21st grand prize winner blessed by this shrine.

Police are actively investigating a fatal stabbing and shooting case in Kamphaeng Phet Province. A man identified as Somchai allegedly attacked his brother-in-law, Thanawat, using a gun and knife following a quarrel over loud music at a rental room in Pran Kratai District on the evening of July 28, 2025. On July 29, 2025, officers worked the scene and gathered evidence for urgent legal proceedings. A 9-year-old boy, son of the victim and eyewitness to the incident, recounted that his father initially asked for money to buy alcohol before a physical altercation with his uncle erupted. When violence escalated, his father ordered him to hide under the bed. The uncle then returned with a gun and knife, shooting and stabbing the father fatally. Though terrified and hiding, the boy eventually emerged to find his father conscious and attempting to call police with location details to summon help. However, the father succumbed to his injuries before emergency responders could save him, leaving witnesses deeply shaken.

Actor Ping Lampraphlueng appeared on Club Friday Show to discuss his motivation for entering the entertainment industry and his personal struggles. Ping explained that he entered the field aspiring to become a lead actor, driven by childhood feelings of rejection and inadequacy. He revealed being fired from jobs for stealing snacks and skipping work to learn breakdancing—incidents he describes as lasting stains on his life.

Ping's proudest moment came when he saw his own book displayed in a bookstore, a feeling he says surpasses all his film and music achievements. However, his publishing venture turned into financial ruin when books accumulated in stores and he issued checks he couldn't cover, resulting in bounced checks totaling 500,000 baht.

The actor was unable to work for two years following his wife's death, which he described as a traumatic period. He shared guilt over not being home more and believed he was responsible for her fatal car accident while she was lonely. He has since found new love with an online tutor and credits her presence as a blessing, likening it to his late wife sending help to raise their child.

On July 29, 2025, the Samut Songkhram City Police Station received a report of a death on the pedestrian overpass crossing Rama 2 Road in Bang Kaew subdistrict and dispatched officers along with rescue staff from the Saang Benja Dharma Samut Songkhram Foundation to investigate.

Authorities found a male body in the center of the overpass with a rope nearby, believed to have been dead for several hours. On the opposite side of the bridge entrance, officers discovered a neatly arranged travel bag and a pair of shoes, along with a fallen glass, which were photographed and collected as evidence.

The first witness, a young employee crossing the bridge to work, recounted his shock at the discovery. He said that during his morning commute, he initially noticed the bag and shoes on the other side and assumed someone was resting beneath the bridge. As he ascended the overpass and looked ahead, he saw what he thought was a person sitting down. But as he walked closer and looked more carefully, he was horrified to realize the figure was a man who had hanged himself. Terrified, he immediately ran down from the overpass, informed his employer, and called police.

Initial investigation indicates the deceased was approximately 40 years old and was wearing neat clothing, but his identity, origin, and motive remain unknown. Police will send the body for autopsy at a hospital and continue searching for relatives and clues to determine the true cause of death.

PHUKET: Five cannabis shops in Phuket Town have had their licences revoked following a new round of inspections on Monday (July 27), with officials publicly identifying each business and detailing the alleged offences committed.

The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its Consular Affairs Department and the Embassy in Ankara, Turkey—which handles Georgia—is closely monitoring the case of Hohlun Solos, a prominent travel YouTuber whose real name is Bowortat Pungsuk. He lost contact with relatives while traveling to film content in Georgia over the past two weeks. According to Jaithai Upakannitikasatorn, director of the Information Department and spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the embassy is coordinating with Georgian officials, the Thai honorary consul in Georgia, and networks of Thai volunteers in the area to help locate him. Officials are maintaining close contact with his family, and Georgian authorities are actively pursuing all available leads. The ministry pledged to update the public as soon as there is progress.