A police officer nicknamed Dab A, who was filmed apparently using drugs during an online training session, has been missing for six days and remains unreachable. The Phatthalung Provincial Police commander says authorities have a plan of action and asks the public to have confidence.

The incident occurred during a professional development course hosted by Region 9 Provincial Police on August 10, with 259 officers from the region attending an online training session via Zoom or VTV.

During the training, a sergeant from Thalenoi Police Station in Phatthalung was observed on camera apparently using methamphetamine in plain view. Multiple officers attending the online meeting witnessed this and reported it to their commanders. The officer was later identified as Sergeant Virasak, nicknamed Dab A, who serves as head of crime prevention and suppression at Thalenoi Station and currently works as a radio operator there.

As of August 17, when reporters checked on progress with Phatthalung Provincial Police Commander Deputy Police General Chaowlit Liang Supong, police confirmed they were still pursuing the sergeant for questioning but had not located him. He has been absent from duty for six days.

The Thalenoi Police Station commander has been ordered to expedite the investigation and file a report at Khuan Khunun Police Station, where the incident occurred. The investigation is proceeding on two tracks: criminal charges and police disciplinary action.

When asked whether drug testing had been conducted after several days had passed, Deputy Police General Chaowlit stated that police have a course of action and asked the public to have confidence, saying that if wrongdoing is found, it will be prosecuted accordingly.

Thalenoi Police Station Commander Police Colonel Rangsi Manjit revealed that following the officer's disappearance, investigators checked his residence and questioned his mother. He has been missing since the incident became public and remains unreachable. A search of his home found no illegal items. The commander emphasized that this case has drawn public attention and police will not shield anyone who breaks the law, asking for public confidence in the process.

Thai Commercial Bank has launched the SCB Gold Marketplace feature on its SCB Easy app in partnership with three major gold dealers: Hua Seng Heng, MTS Gold, and YLG. The platform connects the bank's expertise in gold markets with over 17 million SCB Easy users, allowing customers to buy and sell gold from all three dealers through a single interface while comparing prices and choosing their preferred provider.

The service supports 99.99% and 96.5% pure gold, tradable through e-FCD accounts in US dollars, starting from as little as 0.05 ounces (approximately 5,000 baht for 99.99% gold or 3,000 baht for 96.5% gold). Trading runs from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. the following day. Customers can hold gold in digital form, pick it up at partner locations, or request home delivery depending on each provider's terms. The fractional-ounce feature allows new investors to start with modest amounts and build holdings gradually.

Sarathchat Rattanaprorn, Chief Executive Officer of Thai Commercial Bank, stated that the bank is advancing its role from financial service provider to trusted partner and wealth platform, leveraging digital technology to deliver seamless investment opportunities in transactions, asset management, and long-term wealth creation.

Patrick Poolja, Head of Financial Markets at Thai Commercial Bank, identified three key factors driving the platform's development: growing mobile investment adoption, rising interest in dollar-denominated assets, and demand for risk diversification amid global economic volatility. Thailand ranks first in gold trading volume among Southeast Asian nations and in the top 10 globally, with daily trading values exceeding 250 billion baht, reflecting the market's strength and investors' appetite for accessible investment channels. Trading gold through dollars also allows investors to separately manage currency exchange risk while keeping US dollar balances available for other dollar-denominated investments.

Thippa Nawawattanatorp, Chief Executive Officer of YLG Group, noted that gold investors are expanding into younger and working-age demographics. YLG data shows nearly 68% of customers using digital channels are aged 40 or under, reflecting how fractional and digital gold are making the asset more accessible to younger investors aligned with modern digital-first investing habits.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supachee Sutthirphanphong announced at the Thailand–U.S. Trade and Investment Summit 2026: Building on a Longstanding Partnership at Hyatt Regency Bangkok that Thailand and the United States have a relationship spanning more than 200 years based on trust, mutual benefit, and continuous close economic cooperation.

Amid global trade system changes and geopolitical uncertainty, Thailand is ready to shift from simply managing change to becoming part of the solution by elevating itself into a flexible, safe, and reliable manufacturing and supply chain base for the region and global markets.

Supachee noted that the United States is one of Thailand's key trading partners and its number one export market, with hundreds of American companies operating in Thailand, having accumulated tens of billions of dollars in investment and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. U.S. firms also play a major role in technology transfer, workforce development, and strengthening Thailand's competitiveness.

For future investment direction, Thailand is advancing toward a technology-driven, high-income economy based on innovation and sustainable growth. The government is promoting future industries including digital technology, artificial intelligence, robotics and automation, semiconductors, clean energy, biotechnology, and next-generation vehicles, welcoming U.S. investors to co-create Thailand's new growth phase.

"We want to develop our economic relationship with the United States on the basis of partnership and co-creation," Supachee said.

On trade, the Thai government is ready to work with the private sector to expand bilateral trade, particularly by increasing imports of U.S. goods that Thailand needs, such as energy, advanced machinery and equipment, and certain agricultural products, to support a balanced and mutually beneficial economic relationship.

Thailand is also advancing the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) framework between Thailand and the United States to achieve concrete, balanced, and mutually beneficial results. Supachee revealed she will travel to Washington, D.C. again—her third visit this year—to push negotiations toward conclusion.

"The key goal is balanced outcomes for both sides that create mutual benefit," she said.

Supachee also noted that investment relations between Thailand and the United States are not one-sided, with Thai companies having invested over 19 billion U.S. dollars in the United States and planning further expansion this year. Such investment creates tens of thousands of jobs, demonstrating that the two countries' economic relationship can generate opportunities, employment, and growth for people on both sides.

The Thai government is prepared to support investment through infrastructure development, workforce skills enhancement, innovation promotion, and creating a transparent, predictable, and competitive regulatory environment enabling sustained business growth in Thailand.

"Despite global economic uncertainty, we believe the relationship between Thailand and the United States—at government, business, and people-to-people levels—will remain strong and form an important foundation for future cooperation," Supachee concluded.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanpraphat has instructed the Revenue Department to fast-track a restructuring of automotive taxes by September following complaints from manufacturers who have invested production facilities in Thailand. The automakers cited unfair tax structures, particularly differing tariff rates for countries with free trade agreements that allow imported vehicles to pay lower taxes than domestically produced ones, raising concerns that some producers may relocate operations to Indonesia.

Ekniti said the Finance Ministry has been monitoring this structural tax problem as global competition and trade barriers shift rapidly. Thailand's multiple free trade agreements prevent it from setting uniform tariff rates like countries without such agreements, and Thailand cannot raise import taxes in the same manner as the United States. The Finance Ministry is therefore preparing to use excise tax as an additional tool to restructure automotive taxation. Ekniti met with the Director-General of the Revenue Department and Finance Ministry Permanent Secretary, and ordered them to accelerate review and produce conclusions by September.

"We now have another tool in excise tax," Ekniti said. "Even if import duty is zero, we can adjust excise tax to support domestic production and employment."

Ekniti said the manufacturers' demands align with the Finance Ministry's vision, as Thailand has attracted both existing and new automakers to invest, expand factories, and produce hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles, with some EV producers already manufacturing and exporting from Thailand. Creating fairness between imported and domestically produced vehicles is therefore necessary.

While the original automotive tax structure remains, rates for certain vehicle types may be adjusted to suit changing global conditions. Without market protection measures in one country while another focuses on exports, large import volumes could harm domestic producers. The excise tax restructuring will proceed through ministerial regulations under the Excise Tax Act, which would help balance the automotive market and potentially increase state revenue, as consumers choosing imported vehicles would face higher tax burdens while domestically produced cars retain favorable tax costs.

Ekniti cited the Customs Department's example of collecting import taxes from the first baht early this year to help SMEs affected by Chinese imports, a measure that generated over 3 billion baht in state revenue. "We can kill several birds with one stone," Ekniti said. "The key is supporting domestic production, employment, and supply chains."

Thailand's economy grew just 1.9% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, the slowest growth among six major ASEAN economies compared by the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC).

NESDC Secretary-General Danucha Pichayanan announced the figures on Monday, saying growth slowed sharply from 2.8% in the first quarter. After seasonal adjustment, GDP contracted 0.2% from the previous quarter.

Vietnam posted the strongest growth at 8.4%, followed by Malaysia at 6%, Singapore at 5.9%, Indonesia at 5.29% and the Philippines at 2.3%.

The figures underline Thailand's continued struggle to keep pace with its regional peers. The Thai economy grew 2.4% in 2025, the lowest among the same group. In the first quarter of 2026, Thailand was tied with the Philippines for the lowest growth rate at 2.8%.

Danucha said the second-quarter slowdown was driven by weaker private consumption, a sharp slowdown in government consumption and a contraction in public investment.

Private consumption grew 1.9%, down from 3.3% in the previous quarter, as consumer confidence fell to 50.3, its lowest level in 14 quarters.

Government consumption grew just 0.2%, down from 3.4%, while public investment contracted 1.6%, compared with 9.4% growth in the first quarter.

Several production sectors also slowed. Manufacturing grew just 0.1%, down from 1%, while agriculture expanded 1.5%, accommodation and food services 1.5%, and transport and storage 2.6%. Construction growth almost stalled at 0.1%, sharply down from 6.2% in the previous quarter.

However, private investment provided a major boost, surging 13.4% from 10.1% in the first quarter. NESDC said this was the strongest growth in 54 quarters, or since the fourth quarter of 2012.

Goods exports also remained strong, growing 17.6%, driven largely by electronics and high-tech products. Telecommunications equipment exports jumped 129%, while computer parts and equipment rose 65.5%.

Despite the weak second-quarter performance, NESDC raised its forecast for Thailand's full-year 2026 growth to 2.0%-2.5%, with a midpoint of 2.2%, up from its previous forecast of 1.5%-2.5%.

The revision was mainly based on stronger export prospects, higher expected spending by foreign tourists, stronger private investment and a slight improvement in private consumption.

NESDC now expects exports to grow 15.1%, compared with its previous estimate of 9.6%. Revenue from foreign tourists is projected at 1.65 trillion baht, up from an earlier forecast of 1.49 trillion baht.

Private investment is now expected to expand 9.6%, sharply higher than the previous 3.7% forecast, while private consumption growth was revised up to 2.6% from 2.4%.

Danucha, however, warned that the outlook remains subject to risks, including uncertainty over the global economy and trade, a potential slowdown in global demand, El Niño risks affecting agriculture in the second half of the year, high household debt and continued credit risks among small and medium-sized businesses.

At 11:00 on August 17, Prairat Khamintkul (director of Khon Kaen Central Prison), Police Lieutenant Colonel Yosawat Kaewsubthanynich (deputy superintendent of Muang Khon Kaen Police Station), Decha Sophajit (district administrator of Muang Khon Kaen), and Arthapol Thiphdara (assistant district administrator for security) led investigators from Muang Khon Kaen Police Station, the Region 4 Forensic Center, prison staff, and local administrative officials to examine the discovery site within the construction area for a new staff dormitory building located south of the prison. Construction workers notified authorities after a backhoe uncovered 30 opaque plastic bags—24 blue and 6 pink—buried underground while preparing the land.

Police have cordoned off the discovery zone and surrounding areas, including the fence perimeter where the initial bags were found and a spot approximately 50 meters away where the backhoe dragged additional packages. Investigators questioned construction workers, the equipment operator, prison guards on duty, and project supervisors.

Deputy Superintendent Yosawat stated that the site lies near the construction perimeter, roughly 10 meters from the prison's inmate detention wall. The area was previously overgrown and littered; the backhoe was leveling and compacting soil when the drugs were discovered. "We must verify whether these drugs are old or new stock, accelerate witness interviews, and review CCTV footage," he said. "The location sits opposite a prison camera, but the angle points away from the site. Two main theories are emerging: either criminal groups deliberately planted the drugs for some purpose, or they became mixed with fill soil brought to this area. Further forensic and investigative procedures will determine which." Prison Director Prairat confirmed that the private contractor has been coordinating with authorities since the prison handed over the construction area in February; work began in July on a four-story dormitory with 32 rooms. The construction zone is now completely sealed off to prevent contact between workers and inmates performing community service, with strict controls on all personnel entry and exit. Surveillance patrols monitor the perimeter around the clock from guard towers, and the prison conducts intensive weekly searches coupled with random urine tests for drug use.