The mother and girlfriend of Tae Dragon Five, a renowned boy band singer, collected his body on August 8, 2025, at the Forensic Science Institute under the Justice Ministry in Pathum Thani, and are seeking clarity on the circumstances of his death. They fear he may have been robbed and killed. His body was found in the Chao Phraya River near Rama VII Bridge in Nonthaburi after relatives reported him missing from his residence along with his bicycle. Police discovered a black backpack containing cement chunks and bricks weighing approximately 10 kilograms used to weigh down the body. No visible injuries were found, and he is believed to have died about 24 hours before discovery.

His mother, Darara, 79, and girlfriend, Valaiwan, 42, arranged a three-day Buddhist merit-making ceremony from August 8–10, with the cremation scheduled for August 11 due to religious observance restrictions on August 12. Darara described her son as a hardworking and resilient person who attempted several businesses over the years. He opened a children's drama school but was forced to close during the COVID-19 pandemic. He later opened a northern Thai restaurant called "Peang Khanaad" and was planning to open a men's barber school, which was thriving. He regularly volunteered to provide free haircuts to the community every Saturday and had even begun preparing to become a Buddhist monk.

Darara expressed suspicion about the bricks in the backpack, questioning whether her son was attacked or robbed. She noted his new bicycle had gone missing and worried he may have been killed and weighted down underwater. She described him as gentle, never argumentative, and not depressed. On his birthday on July 8, he had invited her to eat together, and they spoke regularly without any sign of distress. She stressed to police that she wants clarity on whether he was attacked or robbed, and maintains he showed no signs of crisis or mental health issues.

Prime Minister Anuthon Chanyaveerakul and his wife inspected the "OTOP Sapitlap Thai: Uniting Hearts with Royal Patronage" 2025 fair on August 8 at Impact Muang Thong Thani, ahead of the official opening on Monday, August 10. The event runs through August 16 and features OTOP and royal-patronage craft products, with large crowds turning out to support local goods.

The PM urged all Thais to shop at the fair, emphasizing its focus on handicrafts and products backed by members of the royal family. He toured the booths, sampling coconut ice cream, brown rice tea, and durian products from the Likhit area. At one point, he stopped to watch a Chinese YouTuber livestreaming products and greeted her in Mandarin, wishing vendors good sales.

Multiple vendors and shoppers approached the PM for photos and conversation. Several merchants praised the Thai Helps Thai Plus 60:40 program as excellent, asking if it would continue. The PM responded that his administration would try to extend it.

A 44-year-old automotive company employee was found dead in a bronze-grey Honda HRV on August 8, 2026, around 11:00 a.m. on a road in Sri Racha, Chon Buri Province. A painter named Somsak noticed the car idling unusually near noon, attempted to wake the woman inside by shaking the vehicle, and discovered her lifeless body when he opened the door. Police determined she had been dead for at least seven hours. Inside her handbag, investigators found multiple sleeping pills in their original packaging and a notebook containing a lengthy farewell letter expressing despair over work stress, accusations of financial wrongdoing, family concerns, and feelings of hopelessness about her job and personal circumstances. The letter detailed her struggles with work conflict, health problems, and financial difficulties. An examination of her body revealed no signs of physical trauma. According to the painter's account, he first noticed the running car at approximately 1:00 a.m., saw it still idling the following morning, and checked on it around noon when he became concerned. Police initially attribute her death to stress related to workplace and personal problems.

The opposition coalition is preparing to present evidence from the fourth Senate election fraud investigation on August 9. According to Panida Mongkolswasdi, a Samut Prakan MP from the Pheu Thai Party, the key highlight will be clearer evidence of a money trail, with new witnesses from different provinces confirming the existence of fraudulent vote-buying schemes. The money trail will reportedly link to previously undisclosed individuals with close connections to political parties, and additional evidence of illegal incentive offers will be presented.

Mongkolswasdi questioned whether authorities possess this information and expressed skepticism about the fairness of the election, noting that witness testimonies and documents are already in circulation. She voiced concern that while the Election Commission has extensive evidence, the 36-member subcommittee cleared suspects of wrongdoing, and she fears the full commission will follow suit despite the substantial documentation proving wrongdoing.

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Nonthaburi – Education Minister Prasert Chandraruangthong has ordered schools nationwide to tighten security following the violent incident at a school in Nonthaburi province, while directing authorities to provide psychological care for students, teachers, parents, and others affected. Our previous stories: Nonthaburi’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department has confirmed a tragic mass shooting inside Depsirin Nonthaburi […] Education Ministry Tightens School Security Nationawide -=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=- The Phuket Express - Real. Unbiased. Impactful. In the moment.

On August 8, 2025, Atthapol Charoenchansaa, director of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, issued an urgent order requiring all field units to rigorously inspect donated food and supplies before distribution to rangers or wildlife at care stations. He thanked the public for their concern and appealed for donations of items in good condition that meet safety standards to prevent health risks and environmental damage.

The directive follows media reports revealing that donated packages sent to field units contained unlabeled canned foods such as young jackfruit in brine, canned sugarcane, and canned corn. The cans were dented and lacked information about manufacturing source, ingredients, or expiration dates. Some unit heads banned the items from field rations over personnel safety concerns and are seeking proper disposal methods to prevent environmental and wildlife harm.

Atthapol said he received the reports and has taken them seriously, ordering all nationwide departments to conduct strict quality checks on all donated food and supplies before distribution to rangers for consumption or field use, prioritizing personnel health and safety. The Department expressed deep gratitude to all sectors and citizens for their continued care and support of frontline forest rangers protecting forests and wildlife, calling this concern an important source of morale and inspiration.

Given that rangers work in remote deep forests where emergency medical evacuation is difficult, the Department requests that donors provide only dry foods or consumer goods in perfect condition with clear expiration dates and manufacturing source labels. This helps ensure safety and avoids waste accumulation and chemical residue impacts on forest ecosystems. The Department hopes for continued cooperation from all donors to protect the health and safety of dedicated forest rangers.