On July 22, Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angskakul announced that the Finance Ministry is preparing to extend welfare card benefits for people whose rights were suspended during the appeals process for an additional two months, starting fresh for all programs on October 1. The proposal is expected to be submitted to the Cabinet on July 27.

Originally, the appeals period was to end on July 31, which would have resulted in a 60:40 benefit reduction on August 1 for those who did not renew their rights. However, since the appeals period has been extended to September 21, an extension of benefits is necessary. According to the Prime Minister's directive, the goal is to provide maximum convenience to the public, particularly for elderly citizens and people with disabilities who may have difficulty traveling to file appeals. The government plans to provide on-site assistance in communities.

The Finance Ministry is requesting to extend welfare card benefits through September 30, allowing all programs to restart uniformly on October 1. Siripong stated that following this, the Finance Ministry will present the matter to the Public Sector Committee before submitting a recommendation back to the Finance Ministry and then to the Cabinet for approval, which is expected on Monday, July 27.

As Phuket singer Nene Royal attracts international attention following her appearance on America's Got Talent, another young musician who began performing on the island's streets has continued building a career abroad.

Prapaporn "Fiat" Sreemoung, known by the stage name Queen On Street, became familiar to Thai and international visitors for her powerful vocals and electric-guitar performances.

Fiat began her musical journey as a street performer at the age of seven. With support from her father, Fu, who is also a singer and guitarist, she performed regularly alongside him at locations across Phuket and became a familiar presence on Bangla Road.

Between 2021 and 2022, Queen On Street gained significant attention online after videos of Fiat's performances went viral. The clips showed large crowds gathering to watch her perform in Patong. At the time, she was only 13 years old and won praise online for her voice, confidence and guitar skills.

A screengrab from Queen On Street's official YouTube channel shows her performing a cover of Miley Cyrus's "Wrecking Ball". At the time of writing, the video has more than 2.5 million views.

As her profile grew, Fiat began pursuing opportunities beyond Phuket, taking part in music events and competitions overseas. In June 2024, she won first place in an international music competition in Barcelona, Spain, according to posts on her official social-media page and subsequent Thai media reports.

She also travelled to Europe to develop new music projects, including recording sessions in Sweden, and released original English-language singles including "We, Me & I" and "U Can Have It All". The projects marked her development from a young street performer into a recording artist pursuing audiences abroad.

One of Fiat's notable performances was at the "Young Artists for Ukraine" concert in Sweden, where she performed alongside other young musicians from around the world.

Fiat no longer performs regularly at her former spot on Bangla Road as she increasingly pursues music projects overseas. However, her journey shows how Phuket's street-performance culture can provide young musicians with an early stage on which to develop their talent and connect with audiences.

Fiat performs Papa Roach's "Last Resort" in a video posted on her public Facebook page.

Like several other emerging musicians from Phuket, Fiat began by performing in public and building her skills within the local community. Her journey from Bangla Road to concerts, competitions and recording sessions abroad illustrates how a small street stage can become the starting point for a much larger musical career.

On July 22, Thanawat, 24, a motorcycle delivery rider, filed a report at Saen Suk Police Station in Chon Buri with more than 20 friends after being assaulted and injured. Thanawat explained that he was returning from completing a delivery and singing while riding normally when his voice crossed paths with a pickup truck. The driver mistakenly thought Thanawat was cursing at him, so he chased the rider attempting to harm him. Thanawat fled and stopped at a shop, but two men got out of the pickup and chased him down, kicking over his motorcycle and damaging it.

Waleelak, 43, a shop employee, witnessed the incident and said she saw the rider's motorcycle arrive, followed shortly by the pickup truck moving at high speed. Two men jumped out and attacked the rider, then kicked over the motorcycle until it fell. She shouted to stop them and urged both parties to calm down before they separated.

Later, Thaworn, 50, the pickup truck driver, came to Saen Suk Police Station, apologized, and agreed to compensate for the damage. He explained that he was driving in the alley when he heard what he thought was the rider cursing at him, so he thought the rider was insulting him. In anger and frustration, he chased the rider intending to confront him, but his anger led him to kick over the motorcycle. Initial talks and apologies were exchanged, with compensation agreed upon. The driver acknowledged his hot temper and regrettable actions.

SCGP announced strong second-quarter 2025 results, with net profit surging 128 percent on the back of recovering packaging demand across ASEAN. CEO Wicharn Jitphakdi of SCG Packaging Public Company Limited attributed the rebound to improved consumer spending and exports in multiple ASEAN countries, notably Vietnam and Indonesia, combined with inventory buildups to hedge supply uncertainty and government economic stimulus programs across the region. Packaging demand for consumer goods and food products rose steadily as a result.

The company's Indonesian operations returned to profitability through higher domestic sales, efficient cost management, and energy structure optimization, while Vietnam continued to benefit from expanding domestic economic activity and consumption. Second-quarter revenue reached 32.454 billion baht, up 3 percent year-on-year and 11 percent quarter-on-quarter. EBITDA climbed 37 percent to 5.821 billion baht, and net profit hit 2.304 billion baht, up 128 percent from the same quarter last year and 47 percent from the first quarter.

The board approved an interim dividend of 0.40 baht per share, totaling 1.717 billion baht, with an ex-dividend date of August 4, 2025, and payment on August 19, 2025. The company expects continued packaging demand growth in the third quarter, supported by production for inventory builds extending from late Q3 into Q4 to meet export and domestic consumption needs in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand. Energy cost and oil-price volatility are expected to ease, though the company will closely monitor international geopolitical tensions that could affect supply chains and operating costs.

SCGP is also advancing its ASEAN packaging expansion strategy, planning to invest 748 million baht to add 26,800 tons of annual corrugated box capacity in southern Vietnam to support long-term demand growth. The company is also boosting operational efficiency through AI technology, machine learning systems, and smart robotics in production to strengthen competitiveness and drive sustainable future growth.

PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chotinrin Kerdsum has called for broad public and private sector participation in shaping a five-year development plan for Thailand’s Andaman coastal provinces, with the aim of establishing the region as a ‘Blue Economy Hub’.

Phetchaburi Rajabhat University (PBRU) is expanding higher education capacity by opening Pre-TCAS admissions for the 2024 academic year, aiming to give Grade 12 students a pathway into technology and future industries through collaboration with top Chinese educational institutions.

University leadership traveled to Liuzhou, a major EV manufacturing hub in China, to establish partnerships with Liuzhou Polytechnic University (LZPU) and Liuzhou City Vocational College (LCVC)—institutions with advanced expertise in EV technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and smart manufacturing. The collaboration centers on a distinctive 2+1.5+0.5 curriculum model: students spend 2 years at PBRU, then 1.5 years studying in China, followed by 6 months of hands-on internship experience with real companies in Thailand or China. This structure ensures students gain deep knowledge, language skills, cross-cultural adaptability, and practical work experience before graduation.

The curriculum emphasizes EV battery technology comprehensively—from design and battery management systems (BMS) to diagnostics, maintenance, and battery recovery—a skillset in high demand globally in the EV and clean energy sectors. PBRU currently operates 10 faculties covering engineering, technology, health, education, business, agriculture, law, and social sciences, with particular focus on producing a new generation of engineers and technologists ready for future industries. Enrollment is open online at https://pbru.ac.th/admission until August 14, 2024, with scholarships and Earn While Learn programs available to ease family costs.