The Health Promotion Foundation is ready to work with community hospitals following the health minister's directive, with a shared goal of improving public health and reducing illness and treatment costs while increasing life expectancy.

At a community hospital academic conference, Health Minister Pattana Prom-Pat called on the Health Promotion Foundation to work together with community hospitals and primary care services. Dr Pongthep Wongwatcharapibul, manager of the Health Promotion Foundation, said the foundation is willing to collaborate with community hospitals and has held preliminary talks with Dr Pavit Vanitchananond, chairman of the Association of Community Hospital Directors of Thailand.

Both organizations aim to work together on health promotion, changing public behavior by reducing alcohol and tobacco consumption, increasing physical activity, and improving nutrition. These efforts are intended to reduce cases of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are the leading cause of death in Thailand, accounting for 74 percent of all deaths.

"Community hospitals are a key mechanism for working together on health promotion and helping Thais have better health because they are close to local communities," Dr Pongthep said. "The foundation will provide full support using data-driven approaches in collaboration with the Universal Coverage Scheme, tailored to each area's context, analyzing expenses and reducing patient numbers. For example, we can identify which districts have the highest costs and cases of chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis, what problems each area faces, and provide targeted solutions to strengthen the system. The Health Promotion Foundation's budget represents only 0.5 percent of the country's total health budget, so reducing medical treatment costs requires upstream prevention—reducing disease rates—since the foundation's mission and budget must be directed toward health promotion."

Dr Pongthep added that current Thai health expenditure stands at 5 percent of GDP with an upward trend. According to global life expectancy data from worldometers.info for 2026, Thai people live an average of 77.1 years, but 6.9 of those years are spent in poor health. Medical costs in the two years before death average 119,318 baht per person, representing nearly half of GDP, which is a major factor in skewing the health expenditure structure toward treatment.

The collaboration with community hospitals aims to achieve behavioral change within one to two years, reducing new cases of NCDs and lowering medical treatment costs within three to five years.

On August 21, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Yossakon Wongsuwan, acting as chair of the committee overseeing flood and drought prevention in northern Thailand, visited Nan municipality's Sumanthewaraj Road to oversee city recovery efforts. He participated in cleaning streets and homes while encouraging volunteers and civil society groups supporting the restoration work. High-pressure water trucks from the Nan Provincial Administration Organization, Royal Irrigation Department, and military personnel supported the cleaning operation to wash away silt and mud deposits. Military volunteers, municipal officials, and Nan residents worked together throughout the cleanup effort. Deputy PM Yossakon personally wielded a high-pressure hose to remove stubborn mud deposits alongside government staff and volunteers. The Nan municipality mayor thanked the government representatives for maintaining a command center in the area over the past three to four days through the recovery phase.

Yossakon revealed that Prime Minister Anuthim Charnvirakul had recently called to check on the situation and discussed plans moving forward. While today's focus remained on area restoration, the government will soon shift toward relief compensation measures for flood victims. Although floodwaters persisted only briefly, they carried massive amounts of silt causing extensive damage, requiring comprehensive measures for farmers and residents needing home repairs through multi-ministry coordination.

Yossakon stated that the Prime Minister intends to visit Nan province this weekend to specifically address relief and compensation. If the Finance Ministry and Comptroller General's Department can systematize collaboration, documentation steps and timelines can be reduced, allowing residents to receive aid quickly and resume normal life and economic recovery as soon as possible.

When asked about long-term flood prevention plans for Nan's economic zone, Yossakon explained that the Irrigation Department and provincial authorities have already proposed strategies. The key principle involves establishing water retention areas at various points to manage water flowing down from higher elevations through reservoirs, catch basins, and small weirs before water reaches the town center.

The plan also emphasizes applying technology for early warning systems by upgrading from geographic information systems to digital twin technology, partnering with the private sector to analyze remote sensing station data from multiple locations. This will enable precise water-level alerts through mobile applications, allowing residents to see specific data for different terrain elevations in their areas.

Police from Naka Station in Muang Udon Thani responded to a distress call on August 19 after a woman reported her ex-boyfriend breaking into her home, confining her, and assaulting her. The incident occurred in a residential area in Muang District. When officers arrived around 1:15 p.m., they found the man and woman arguing outside the house. The man initially claimed they were still in a relationship, but the woman said they had broken up and he was trespassing. Despite showing credentials as a former ranger, the man was taken to the police station. Drug testing revealed abnormal urine color, and he was arrested and referred for treatment. The suspect, identified as a 43-year-old man, declined to comment, citing concern that his parents would learn of the incident and claiming he was treated unfairly.

The victim, a 22-year-old woman, revealed that they met on Facebook seven to eight months earlier. Initially, the man appeared polite and well-behaved, but he soon became jealous, monitoring her phone and controlling her personal life. About a month before this incident, during a violent argument, he grabbed her phone hard enough to cause abrasions, forcibly covered her mouth causing cuts to her lips on metal braces, and hit and dragged her. The most recent incident occurred on August 16 inside a shopping mall when he became angry and prevented her from leaving. He followed her into the women's restroom, grabbed and squeezed her hand hard, and bit her back. He also allegedly squeezed her eyes while she tried to defend herself. Despite informing the apartment complex security that he was not permitted on the property, he subsequently broke into her home, sneaked into her bedroom while she was sleeping, and tried to force sexual contact before she escaped.

University student suffers facial injuries after knife attack by classmateLegacyA female university student attacked a classmate with a Stanley knife in a Bangkok dormitory on August 18 and threatened to carry out an acid attack on the victim due to a dispute over an unpaid commission from a part-time job. The injured victim sought assistance from the non-profit organisation Saimai Survive. She stated that she had filed a complaint with Nong Chok Police Station, but that officers had to wait for a medical certificate before proceeding with the case. She was concerned that the attacker might strike again during this waiting period. According to the victim, the attacker was a fellow student from the same faculty. The attacker had invited the victim to work as an administrator on her business’s Facebook page, where she was responsible for responding to customer messages. They agreed on a daily wage of 1,500 baht, plus commission if she met the required target. However, after working for six days, the victim realised that the job was not suitable for her. Photo via Workpoint News She then sent this classmate a message saying she no longer wanted to do the work and complaining that she had not received the promised commission. The attacker became upset, so they arranged to meet to settle the dispute. However, they could not reach an agreement, which led to an argument that quickly escalated into a violent assault. Footage of the incident, shared by the victim, shows the two students standing face-to-face outside the victim’s room. The suspect, wearing pink pyjamas, carried the Stanley knife throughout the confrontation. Suddenly, she slashed the victim’s face, leaving a long wound from her eye to her mouth. The victim also shared images of the cut with Saimai Survive. Photo via Channel 7 Before leaving, the attacker demanded that the victim transfer all commissions she had previously received back to her, and even threatened to carry out an acid attack before leaving. Police told the victim that they could not take any further action until she had received the results of a medical examination. Concerned about the threat of an acid attack, she decided to return to her home province before seeking help from Saimai Survive. After the case had gone public, the superintendent of Nong Chok Police Station said that the investigation team was tracking down the attacker. The police also plan to invite representatives from the university to provide statements. The superintendent said that if the medical examination found that the victim had suffered facial disfigurement, the offence could carry a more serious penalty.

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On August 21, during an official visit to Australia and New Zealand, Prime Minister Anutin Charansanitwong stated that the government values investors from all countries, particularly Japanese manufacturers who have long used Thailand as a primary production hub and become integral to Thai industry. The government is committed to reassuring established investors of its continued support. "My core policy is to remain open and improve conditions to facilitate business operations within good relations for sustainable growth, emphasizing long-term economic development cooperation to maintain Japan's strong production base in Thailand," the Prime Minister said. He noted that the automotive industry is critical, with most components—engines, bodies, chassis, and systems—already manufactured in Thailand under Japanese brands, making it inseparable and requiring investors to remain confident. "Japanese investors came to Thailand very early and became so integrated it is now indistinguishable from Thai manufacturing," he said. "We are ready to resolve obstacles to assure them we will not abandon them—not promising everything when we need them, then adding conditions once they succeed." Regarding electric vehicles, Anutin said he has tasked Deputy Prime Minister Ek Niti with reviewing approaches to ensure foreign investors are not disadvantaged, with structural adjustments to ensure fairness and maintain confidence from all manufacturers. While EV production initially requires many imported components, he said a new domestic supply chain will eventually emerge—batteries, computer systems, and other parts will be compelled by manufacturing mechanisms to establish bases in Thailand. The government will maintain political and economic stability to attract and retain long-term investment. "We must rely on figures," he stated. "Foreign investment inflows have increased significantly since this administration took office, exceeding 1 trillion baht last year, with 530 billion baht in actual investment in the first half of this year alone. There is no evidence of production base relocation or investment slowdown due to Thailand being unprepared."

Close friends Chakrit, An, Kleua, and Pele organized the first night of Ray McDonald's water-sprinkling and merit-making ceremony at Wat Yang Royal Temple, emphasizing their lifelong friendship since childhood. The ceremony brought together family, friends from entertainment and beyond, with the group working together to ensure the event reflected Ray's character and preferences. Ray's son Mika demonstrated great strength and did not want to worry anyone—much like his father, the friends noted.

The tight-knit group, bound by a friendship spanning more than three decades, revealed that although Ray has passed, their conversations and connections will continue. They plan to support his mother Sarunya and son Mika, with each friend emphasizing: "We are already one family."

Kleua Kitti said: "Last night was truly a collective effort. We came together at Ray's house—the main purpose was organizing this event, but another part was to support each other emotionally. That was really important."

When asked how they divided responsibilities, Pele explained: "We're not naturally skilled at this, but we tried to contribute ideas and split the work. There's the hospital side and the side receiving guests here."

An Pattira added: "My responsibility is at the temple—greeting the journalists who started arriving from midday, handling all the food, organizing the flower wreaths and arrangements, and receiving guests at the front."

Pele continued: "There's nothing special we prepared for Ray—as I said, this isn't our area of expertise and we did it as quickly as we could. We met until midnight last night. Many people wanted to participate, so we had to coordinate everything smoothly. We had to be careful not to create friction or conflict and to notice every detail so the event would run smoothly. There's nothing surprising about it—it's just that friends came this way, and Ray did too. I think the friend would be happy about that."

Kleua Kitti noted: "What we did was make it look as much like Ray as possible—something that if Ray could see it, he would like."

Pele explained: "Ray loved the color orange. If you notice the flowers, decorations, and photo frames, they're in Ray's color throughout—since school days. If you notice, his talk show was also orange."

An added: "And his radio show was orange too."

Chakrit said: "The party favors came from everyone close to him working together—whether it's food, rescue workers, or the temple. Friends sat down and thought about it together. As Pele mentioned, we've been together for a long time and gradually reviewed whether we missed anything or forgot anything. Honestly, we didn't know. When we arrived today and it was done, the temple actually didn't have a cold room, but when the monks inside found out it was necessary, they prepared everything. Everything was really urgent, so we have to thank every side."