To ease the financial burden on citizens, essential goods and services including rice, eggs, meat, seafood, vegetables, fruit, and motor vehicle transport will continue to be exempt from the 7% value-added tax (VAT). The Ministry of Finance, through the Revenue Department, proposed to the Cabinet to extend the reduced VAT rate through September 30, 2027, which the Cabinet approved on July 27, 2024. The Revenue Department confirmed that while general goods and services will continue to be taxed at 7%, essential items such as food ingredients (rice, meat, produce, fresh seafood, fresh eggs) and vehicle transport remain VAT-exempt to relieve the public's financial burden under current economic conditions. Small business operators earning no more than 1.8 million baht annually are likewise exempt from VAT. For further inquiries, contact any Revenue Department office nationwide or the RD Intelligence Center at telephone 1161.

Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to a recent statement by the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Cambodia, saying it wished to clarify several points related to the Thailand-Cambodia conflict.

In a statement released after Tom Andrews concluded his visit to Cambodia, the ministry said Thailand did not initiate the conflict and claimed the situation resulted from "indiscriminate attacks" by Cambodia targeting civilian areas in Thailand.

Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, highlighted the humanitarian impact of the conflict in his end-of-mission statement on 31 July, including displacement, the return of Cambodian migrant workers from Thailand and economic disruption caused by border closures.

Regarding the UN expert's reference to around 650,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Cambodia, Thailand said the figure included some Cambodians living in areas where Thailand had opened temporary shelters as part of humanitarian assistance in the late 1970s. The ministry said those individuals remained in the areas despite improvements in their situation and repeated requests from Thailand for their return to Cambodia. Thailand argued that they should not be classified as internally displaced persons.

"Thailand is of the view that the right of return should not be exploited for political purposes or propaganda," the statement said, while stressing that Cambodia has a responsibility to provide protection and assistance to citizens affected by internal displacement.

On the return of Cambodian migrant workers, the ministry disputed Andrews' figure of 900,000 people, saying the number included both legally employed workers and those who had entered or worked in Thailand illegally. Thailand said Cambodian workers returned voluntarily following calls from the Cambodian government and rejected any suggestion that it had a policy of expelling migrant workers.

"The Thai Government has always stated its commitment to ensuring the safety of Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand and has never had a policy to expel these migrant workers from the country," the statement said.

The ministry also urged UN human rights mechanisms to uphold independence, impartiality and objectivity, saying assessments should take into account information from credible and verifiable sources as well as perspectives from all sides. Thailand reaffirmed its commitment to human rights and international humanitarian law, saying it has consistently cooperated with UN human rights mechanisms and provided relevant information on the situation.

The statement said Thailand remains ready to rebuild relations with Cambodia but stressed that both sides must create conditions for dialogue by reducing tensions, avoiding provocative actions and implementing the Joint Statement issued on 27 December 2025. Thailand said border-related issues should continue to be addressed through peaceful means and existing bilateral mechanisms.

The girlfriend of Atthapang, nicknamed "Ball," one of the suspects in a five-victim murder and corpse-concealment case, revealed on August 2, 2569 that her boyfriend did not intentionally participate in the crimes but was tricked by a man named Thana, nicknamed "Pong," into going to collect a debt before discovering it was a murder. She claims that after the incident, he experienced anxiety, insomnia, and fear for their family's safety.

She stated that "Ball" had known "Pong" for over seven to eight years from a period when they were involved in drug-related work. After "Pong" was released from prison, he contacted "Ball" to demand repayment of approximately 20,000 baht and sent threats through others, causing "Ball" to fear retaliation since "Pong" knew their family's address.

On the day of the incident, she claimed "Pong" invited "Ball" to collect a debt or loan repayment, leading him to agree without advance knowledge of any murders. When "Ball" returned home, he cried and embraced her in fear, unable to sleep and appearing traumatized by what he witnessed, but refusing to disclose full details fearing his family might become targets if they knew too much.

According to her account, "Ball" only mentioned that upon arriving at the scene, he found a grave already dug, immediately sensing something was wrong as this was not a debt collection as he had been told. She confirmed that "Ball" never claimed to have shot the victims nor revealed who wielded the murder weapon.

She further alleged that after the incident, "Pong" monitored "Ball's" movements to see whether he would report to police, and threatened harm to those involved and their families if information about the case was disclosed.

She revealed that after "Ball" turned himself in, he called her only once, instructing her to secure the house, protect the family's safety, and apologizing to everyone, but providing no details about who committed the murders.

She expressed concern for "Ball's" safety while in custody and requested authorities separate his detention from other suspects, fearing he might face harm.

Phuket woman charged after beheading mother-in-lawLegacyA woman was arrested after allegedly beheading her mother-in-law with a kitchen knife following an argument at their home in Phuket yesterday, August 1. Police were called to the property in Chalong, Mueang district, at around 9.25am after neighbours reported the killing. The victim, 74 year old Chantra, was found dead inside the house. The accused, identified as 36 year old Sri, was found in the bathroom after neighbours restrained her before police arrived. Police believe the two women argued while alone in the house before Sri allegedly grabbed a kitchen knife and beheaded her mother-in-law. Photo via MGR Online Sri was arrested at the scene and taken to Chalong Police Station for further questioning before being charged with murder. Chantra’s body was sent to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Police said the accused’s husband, who is also the victim’s son, had left for work shortly before the incident, leaving the two women alone in the house. He told investigators the couple had lived together for more than a decade and that Sri had cared for her mother-in-law by helping with her daily needs. He also said she had been receiving treatment for a psychiatric condition since 2016. Photo via MGR Online The first witness at the scene, 34 year old Thapanee, said she was riding past the house when she noticed the elderly woman lying near the doorway. Thinking the victim had collapsed, she went to alert relatives before returning and noticing blood, prompting neighbours to contact the police. Officers said they are continuing to investigate the motive and have not yet determined what triggered the attack. Elsewhere, a 73 year old woman was found murdered at her home in Ayutthaya. A 44 year old suspect later confessed, telling police he entered the house at night before assaulting and suffocating the victim with a pillow. The story Phuket woman charged after beheading mother-in-law as seen on Thaiger News.

At 11:00 a.m. on August 2, 2569, Mr. Somboonsomphone (surname withheld), 64, filed a complaint with the "Sai Mai Tong Rawt" Facebook page seeking justice and assistance after suffering serious complications from a tooth extraction procedure at a dental clinic in the Theparak area. On June 5, he had visited the clinic for a preliminary examination, where the treating dentist identified three lower adjacent teeth requiring extraction, scheduled at one tooth per week over three weeks.

The first two extractions in weeks one and two were performed correctly by the original dentist. However, in week three, when the final tooth was scheduled for removal, a different dentist took over the case and mistakenly extracted a different tooth not covered by the treatment agreement. Because the patient was under anesthesia, he did not realize the error until he returned home and checked his mouth.

The wrong extraction has severely impacted his quality of life, as the incorrectly removed tooth was essential for anchoring his denture. He now struggles significantly with eating and chewing. When he attempted to contact the clinic for clarification, they refused to connect him with the original dentist and declined to take any responsibility. He subsequently filed a report with Samut Prakan Police before bringing the matter to the "Sai Mai Tong Rawt" page.

Ekkapon Luangprasert, founder of the "Sai Mai Tong Rawt" page, has urged Samut Prakan's provincial health department and police to investigate the dentist involved and compel her to issue a formal explanation and provide a replacement denture at no charge, given her direct responsibility for the error.