Luang Pho Am Isitinno, the first abbot of Wat Ketu Noi Amphawan in Muang District, Ratchaburi Province, was a revered elder monk who gained prominence during the early reign of King Rama V. His history is known only through accounts of village elders, who relate that before entering monastic life, he was a notorious bandit called "Tiger Am." He fled from authorities until he met his future preceptor, Phra Upachchaya Pan Sopako, the abbot of Wat Bang Khun Thian Nok. Inspired by profound faith, he asked to become the preceptor's disciple with firm resolve to abandon his criminal past and live virtuously according to monastic discipline. His preceptor mercifully ordained him as a Buddhist monk, bestowing the monastic name Isitinno at Wat Bang Khun Thian Nok in Samut Songkhram Province.

When authorities tracked Tiger Am to Wat Ketu Noi Amphawan while he was assisting Phra Upachchaya Pan, his preceptor declared: "Tiger Am no longer exists; there is only Phra Am," and guaranteed officials that he would be responsible for supervising Phra Am. As a result, Phra Am remained at Wat Bang Khun Thian Nok and became an essential assistant to Phra Upachchaya Pan, helping construct various monastic buildings, including the ubosot of Wat Ketu Noi Amphawan.

Wat Ketu Noi Amphawan is a community temple of the Thammayutika Nikaya sect located at 94 Moo 9, Khung Krathin Subdistrict, Muang District, Ratchaburi Province. It received official permission to establish in 1892 and received royal ordination of the Buddhist boundary in 1960. Historical records mention Khun Ta Ketu and Khun Yai Noi, devout benefactors who donated their land to Phra Upachchaya Pan to build the temple. After the ubosot's completion, local Buddhists helped raise funds and construct various monastic structures. Permission to establish the temple was granted in 1892 under the name Wat Ketu Noi Amphawan, commemorating the meritorious devotion of Khun Ta Ketu and Khun Yai Noi, though villagers simply called it Wat Ketu Noi.

Within the temple stands a sacred Buddha image named Luang Pho Dam, or Phra Phuttha Samruddhi Phichit Phrairee, enshrined in the ubosot. The legend tells that in 1914, during King Rama V's reign, a group of fishermen casting nets in the Gulf of Mae Klong encountered resistance when pulling up their net due to something entangled. A diver sent down discovered a Buddha image with only the head present, lacking the hair knot and base. The fishermen brought it to Phra Upachchaya Pan, who was building Wat Ketu Noi Amphawan at the time. The preceptor enshrined the image in the ubosot and had a new hair knot and base cast to restore it. Because the Buddha image was made of black bronze, locals named it "Luang Pho Dam." Since then, it has been venerated by that name.

Luang Pho Am was appointed as the first abbot of the temple from 1892 onward, developing its facilities and promoting its growth. He passed away in 1918 after overseeing the temple for 26 years.

The NEVO Q05, Changan's newest electric vehicle brand from China, is generating real enthusiasm with its design, features, and approachable pricing. This EV crossover SUV targets young professionals and families starting out, offering versatile performance for both urban and rural driving.

We reached out to Wachee-Wachinun Kittiweekirat, Changan Auto Sales Thailand's corporate communications specialist, for a test drive. She promptly arranged access to the top-tier Ultra model at their headquarters near Rama 9 Road in central Bangkok. The battery showed 90% charge with a remaining range of 348 kilometers.

Inside, the minimalist black-tone design creates a refined, sophisticated feel. The seats are soft and supportive with ventilation holes, ideal for Thailand's intense heat. The driver's seat adjusts electrically in six directions with easy entry and exit functionality. The steering wheel logo, inspired by binary code (0 and 1), reflects the brand's focus on continuous technological progress.

The 14.6-inch touchscreen central display offers full connectivity, while the 10.17-inch instrument cluster is quite large but text is small for older drivers. Below the screen sits an adjustable air vent and 50-watt wireless phone charging.

In normal traffic on Rama 9 Road, the elevated driving position provided excellent forward visibility and lane assessment. Driving in comfort mode with standard regenerative braking minimized jerky acceleration and deceleration, similar to a conventional gasoline vehicle. The chassis emphasizes firmness over softness, avoiding the wobbliness common in EVs. Throughout city and highway testing, there was no dizziness or motion sickness.

Acceleration and lane changes performed as expected for an EV, responsive and confident without bothering passengers. During two days of city driving in traffic and heavy rain with flooding, the battery consumed 19% over 81.1 kilometers—a rate of 4 km per 1%, with efficiency of 10.8 kWh.

On the highway, the vehicle cruised smoothly at decent speeds with stable, quiet suspension. The steering is relatively responsive, which benefits city driving with light effort but requires tightening at higher speeds for added confidence. At 110 kilometers per hour, wind noise became noticeable but remained acceptable—no need to shout.

At highway speeds, the suspension felt firm yet refined, neither mushy like many EVs nor harsh. When cornering or changing lanes abruptly at above-normal speeds, there was slight body roll but nothing alarming—typical for this vehicle class.

At test conclusion, the battery had 25% remaining after consuming 65% over 265.7 kilometers—maintaining the same 4 km per 1% efficiency.

On August 4, 2025, Ms. Bulan Salajanes's brother filed a missing persons report at Bang Lamung Police Station in Chonburi, asking police to expedite the search and investigate possible links to an ongoing violent crime case. The family became alarmed after following news coverage of a suspect known as "Por" and discovering that bodies were found in areas near where Ms. Bulan had lived and traveled regularly, including Pattaya and Khao Chi Chumphon. Ms. Bulan, 35, normally lived in Pattaya and traveled regularly to her hometown in Chaiyaphum Province, maintaining contact with friends and a foreign boyfriend who supported her financially. However, she abruptly stopped communicating with everyone without explanation.

According to her brother, Ms. Bulan traveled frequently between Pattaya and Chaiyaphum, usually meeting her foreign boyfriend when in Pattaya. After she went missing, the family initially reported it in Ayutthaya Province where the brother lives, but was directed to file a report in Pattaya as the relevant jurisdiction. Preliminary investigation revealed that Ms. Bulan once stayed in a certain area and borrowed someone's phone to contact her boyfriend before leaving. The family noted that she later disappeared without further contact, which is unusual since she could normally borrow a phone if hers was lost.

Her brother posted her photo on social media the previous evening, attracting significant attention, but no credible sightings have been reported. Her phone number cannot be reached, and close friends confirm her disappearance is highly abnormal given the unusually long silence. Police are investigating her travel routes, reviewing CCTV footage, identifying persons of interest, and tracking her missing motorcycle. Authorities are coordinating with relevant agencies in Chonburi to search and determine her safety. At present, there is no confirmed evidence linking her disappearance to Por's case, though investigators are thoroughly examining all facts and suspicious details raised by the family.

A disciplinary committee has ordered Trat FC and Baan Khai United to each pay 1 million baht and recommended expulsion from league membership following their withdrawal from Thai League 3 for the 2569/70 season. Baan Khai United notified the league on July 14 that it would not field a team, while Trat FC requested to withdraw on July 22, both after receiving official approval to participate on July 9. The committee ruled unanimously under league regulations that both clubs must pay the 1 million baht fine, return all sponsorship funds they received, and forfeit their membership status. The matter will be referred to the association's board and general assembly for consideration of suspending and permanently removing the two clubs from membership due to violation of league bylaws.

On August 4, 2025, at Parliament, opposition coalition leaders led by Prasit Wacharisindu held an event titled "Two Years After the Senate Election: Deep Dive into Evidence in the Senate Special Election Case—How Much Can We Trust the ECT?" featuring witnesses and academics. Prasit identified five problematic ECT behaviors: (1) insufficiently rigorous regulations on Senate elections, including six regulations allowing candidates to use the same number for morning and afternoon voting, enabling ballot manipulation before election day; (2) inadequate vetting of candidates, with examples including candidates lacking qualifications or disqualified individuals like Kodiyah Songngam, who was reportedly an advisor to the Ang Thong governor during 2021-2023; (3) neglect of fraud prevention during the Senate election, especially at the national level; (4) suspicions of case suppression and the formation of a special subcommittee apparently intended to whitewash the matter; and (5) concerns about potential case dismissal citing insufficient evidence, when the ECT should refer the case to court if evidence suggests probable fraud occurred. Prasit emphasized the opposition's distrust of the ECT's impartiality, citing conflict-of-interest issues among some senators serving on vetting committees. He stated the opposition presented evidence publicly because they lack confidence the ECT will act fairly, and called for the case to be referred to court based on the 26th examination subcommittee's resolution regarding all 229 senators involved.

Thailand has discovered the Hipposideros rotalis (Laotian Leaf-nosed Bat) for the first time in the country, highlighting the ecological abundance of the Sam Roi Yot forest. Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchat Chomklin stated that the government emphasizes continuous conservation and restoration of natural resources to preserve forest richness and national biodiversity. This discovery, made within Sam Roi Yot recreational forest in Bueng Kan Province, demonstrates the tangible results of these efforts.

According to Suchat, the discovery resulted from work by the Forest Research and Development Office under a vertebrate wildlife biodiversity study project in the Sam Roi Yot area, supported by the National Science, Research and Innovation Committee. Research teams surveyed the area from early 2025 and found this bat species in Thailand for the first time, though it was previously reported only in Laos.

The minister stated that this discovery reflects the ecological richness of the Sam Roi Yot forest ecosystem and provides valuable scientific information for studying national biodiversity. Although the species is classified as low-risk for extinction, it confirms that Thailand's forests retain significant potential for discovering species of scientific importance in the future.

"The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment prioritizes surveying and conserving new wildlife and plant species because they reflect the completeness of our nation's natural resources," Suchat said. "We will continue forest management alongside supporting research to maintain biodiversity and pass on abundant natural resources to the next generation."

The Forestry Department will strengthen conservation of the Sam Roi Yot forest area and continue supporting biodiversity research to create new knowledge and improve natural resource protection for the country.