The Public Health Ministry has moved to clear the air over its hiring of community nurses (ASP), reaffirming that the role is meant to support, not replace, professional nursing staff. The controversy erupted when the ministry announced plans to recruit 7,256 community nurses for training, while approximately 7,000 professional nurses in the system remain temporary employees.

Health Minister Pattana Prom-Pattana stated that hiring community nurses does not aim to substitute for professional nurses but rather to strengthen the health team's capacity to deliver continuous essential care to communities. The two roles cannot be compared directly, he said.

Community nurses will focus on four key patient groups: homebound and dependent patients, those with chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), mothers and children, and patients with mental health and substance abuse issues. This creates a systematic, rapid-response community care model.

Selection criteria vary by educational background: general bachelor's degree holders (up to age 65) undergo 240 hours of training; health science graduates (up to 65) complete 120 hours; and licensed health professionals such as nurses, doctors, or community health workers (up to 70) undertake 30 hours. Provincial selection committees with representatives from various sectors will review qualifications, and performance is evaluated annually. Top performers (top 10%) gain benefits like nursing degree study opportunities, while the bottom 10% receive warnings and their contracts end after two years.

Addressing concerns about professional nurses still awaiting permanent positions, Dr. Suphachoke Wetchaphanit, head of the Public Health Ministry's inspection team, confirmed the ministry has implemented systematic multi-faceted solutions. The ministry is accelerating the permanent hiring of over 5,842 medical and nursing personnel to ensure job security and reduce temporary and daily-wage nursing positions.

Of this total, 4,525 professional nurse positions are being filled, with completion targeted for September 2569 (2026). Many units have already processed over 40% of appointments. Additionally, the ministry is requesting allocation of 8,642 new civil service positions in ongoing discussions with the Civil Service Commission (CSC). The CSC has requested supplementary data from the Public Health Ministry, including distribution of professional nursing positions across health zones, five-year production and attrition statistics for nurses, and proposed improvements to job classification and senior-level nursing positions.

Although refrigerators help preserve food and add convenience to daily life, storing both raw and cooked foods together for more than seven days risks bacterial contamination and the development of aflatoxin—a toxic mold-derived substance that damages health. Aflatoxin, produced naturally by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus molds, is classified by the WHO as a Group 1 carcinogen with clear evidence of causing cancer in humans. The toxin is heat-resistant and survives cooking at around 100 degrees Celsius, directly attacking liver cells and potentially leading to cirrhosis, acute liver failure, and significantly increased liver cancer risk. The humid, poorly ventilated environment inside refrigerators actually promotes mold growth in stored food.

Five high-risk foods include pickled vegetables, which accumulate nitrite over time—converting to the carcinogenic nitrosamine—and are further threatened by mold-induced aflatoxin. Leafy greens like kale, water spinach, and lettuce bruise easily and deteriorate within days at low temperatures as natural enzymes and microorganisms break them down, potentially producing harmful substances. Tropical fruits such as bananas, mangoes, papayas, and dragon fruit lose their quality and flavor when stored too long, darkening and softening, making them vulnerable to mold penetration and aflatoxin formation. Noodles and rice noodles also present risks when refrigerated extended periods. Nutrition experts recommend buying leafy greens in appropriate quantities and consuming them within one or two days, stored in a dry place away from direct sunlight rather than prolonged refrigeration.

Agriculture Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit announced the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives' 99-day performance report and outlined goals to boost Thai farmer incomes by at least 5 percent within one year. Joined by Deputy Agriculture Ministers Watcharapol Khaokhom and Piyarat Tiyapairat, Suriya outlined efforts to help farmers face climate crises from the super El Niño phenomenon, low crop prices, high production costs, illegal agricultural imports, and global trade barriers.

Over the past 99 days, the ministry has promoted upgrading Thai rice through innovation and sustainability by distributing high-yield rice varieties to farmers and encouraging alternating wet-dry farming methods to cut costs and water use. A low-carbon rice pilot program across 25 provinces covering 100,000 rai has reduced production costs by 24 percent and increased yields by 10 percent, with plans to expand to 500,000 rai by 2027.

The ministry has also integrated water management efforts across irrigation, land development, and royal rainmaking departments, opening 12 royal rainmaking operations covering 59 provinces to mitigate flooding and drought affecting over 2.5 million rai of agricultural land. A central command center has pursued 146 legal cases against illegal agricultural goods, seizing over 26 tons of frozen meat, while fresh durian exports exceeded 100,000 million baht in the first half of the year. The ministry is expanding fresh fruit markets in New Zealand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, and China, and is negotiating with Malaysia to resume Thai shrimp exports within 30 days.

The ministry has also streamlined regulations by amending nine outdated rules and reducing approval time from 14 days to one day. It is upgrading land rights documents into agricultural titles for use as collateral, partnering with the Agricultural Bank to suspend debt for 8,858 farmers totaling 940 million baht, and reducing cooperative member debt by over 9,300 million baht. Minister Suriya emphasized that global food security must begin with the security of Thai farmers, stating that the past 99 days mark only the beginning of change as the ministry commits to improving farmer quality of life, boosting agricultural competitiveness, and ensuring long-term food security for Thailand.

The best Phi Phi island tour from Phuket leaves at 6am and here is whyLegacyMost Phi Phi island tours from Phuket leave around 8am. They arrive at Maya Bay between 9 and 10am, the same window as the day-trip fleet from Krabi, Koh Lanta, and Phi Phi Don. The beach is crowded before most people have finished their breakfast. That is not a bad tour company. That is just how the schedule works when everyone runs the same departure time. Simba Sea Trips leaves Boat Lagoon Marina at 6am. The sunrise happens at sea The roughly one-hour-ten-minute speedboat crossing from Boat Lagoon Marina to the Phi Phi islands is not dead time. It is the best part of the morning. The Andaman sunrise breaks over open water during the transit south-east, with colour across the sky while the islands are still quiet. Guests are watching it from the boat, not from a beach car park.

The tour arrives at Maya Bay around 7.15am. That is about an hour ahead of the main day-tripper fleet. The beach is empty. The water is clear. The group is a maximum of 18 adults, at a time when other operators on the same route regularly carry 30 to 60 passengers per boat. By 8.30am, when the first day-tripper boats are pulling in, Simba’s group is already leaving for the next stop. What the day actually looks like The Phi Phi Sunrise Tour runs for eight hours across seven stops, with meaningful time at each rather than a drift-by. After Maya Bay: the emerald-water Pileh Lagoon, two snorkel reefs chosen on the day for conditions, a drift past the Viking Cave and Monkey Beach, and a final beach stop at either Bamboo Island or Koh Rang Yai depending on sea state. Lunch is back at Soho Pool Club at Boat Lagoon Marina — a proper sit-down buffet, not a boxed meal on the boat.

Everything is included in the price: hotel transfers from anywhere on the Phuket tourist coast, a light breakfast on arrival, the buffet lunch, soft drinks, coffee, fruit, snacks, snorkelling gear, life jackets, and national park fees. There is nothing to pay on the day beyond optional alcohol at the pool club after. Maya Bay closes each August and September for ecosystem restoration, as part of the national park’s annual conservation period. The closure has been a regular part of the Phi Phi calendar since the bay’s rehabilitation programme began, and during those months, Simba substitutes Bamboo Island, adjusting the itinerary without changing the structure of the day. Why the group size matters The Join-In tours cap at a maximum of 18 adults. That is not marketing language for a medium-sized group. On the water, it means a boat where the captain can slow down if someone spots a turtle, where there is no scramble for snorkel gear, and where the guide knows your name. Most shared tours in Phuket run on vessels built for 30, 40, or significantly more passengers. The economics make sense for the operator. The experience is different for the guest. Who runs the operation?

Phuket boat tours at this scale depend on the standard set at the top. Simba Sea Trips was founded in 2005 and is owner-operated by Paul Chappell, a 23-year professional airline captain who brought the same safety culture to marine operations that applies in commercial aviation. The marine safety standards the crews run on today were built by Chappell. Thai-licensed captains crew every boat. The company holds TAT Licence 34/02111. Nearly 6,000 verified reviews across TripAdvisor, Google, and GetYourGuide reflect two decades of that standard being applied consistently. More than 4,300 of those are on TripAdvisor alone, at a 4.9-star average. Simba has also won the Viator Experience Award in both 2024 and 2025. When is the best season? The Andaman coast runs best between November and April. The window for calm seas and reliable visibility at sites like Pileh Lagoon and the snorkel reefs around Phi Phi is firmly inside that dry season, which is also when demand for Phi Phi island tours from Phuket is highest. Booking ahead is worth doing during this period. The 18-adult cap fills faster than most guests expect.

The Phi Phi Sunset and Shark Tour is a second option running from November to April only, for those who prefer an afternoon departure and a different atmosphere on the water. Book or enquire Tours run year-round. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before departure. Contact: sales@simbaseatrips.com | +66 81 787 7702 Sponsored The story The best Phi Phi island tour from Phuket leaves at 6am and here is why as seen on Thaiger News.

Speaking at parliament on July 17, 2569, at 11:40 a.m., Wasawat Phuangpornphisai, a list-based MP and leader of Thai Ruam Phalang Party serving as a special budget committee member, criticized irregularities in the Defense Ministry's equipment and armament procurement budget for fiscal 2570. He objected to spending on air-conditioned office improvements such as guest gifts, electrical charging equipment, and solar panels on office buildings when such upgrades are not urgent. He urged redirecting those funds to border soldiers instead.

Wasawat noted that even allocated border budgets are insufficient. Frontline troop strength has dropped dramatically—in some areas from 20 soldiers to just 4—and infrastructure like roads remain incomplete. While the military requested some 600 million baht from the central budget for 2568–2569 to develop border roads, water, and electricity, the Suranari Task Force received only around 100 million baht despite being the main force on the frontline.

"I work in Ubon Ratchathani province and have witnessed these problems firsthand," Wasawat said. "Instead of spending on phone chargers and foreign guest gifts, wouldn't it be better to help these frontline soldiers earning only 240 baht in allowances? We even have phantom soldiers—names on the roster but not actually on duty." He also raised concerns about the navy's 2,686 million baht submarine purchase from China as part of a total 13,000 million baht submarine acquisition, while China simultaneously supplies 40 T-59D tanks to Cambodia.

Wasawat called this an opportune moment for the Prime Minister and Deputy PM Phumtham to pressure Chinese President Xi Jinping to suspend tank deliveries to Cambodia during the PM's current China visit. He urged creative diplomacy rather than passive acceptance, noting that Cambodia lacks naval capabilities comparable to ground forces. He recommended the committee suspend the submarine budget pending review, and criticized the Defense Ministry for cutting all units' budgets while paradoxically increasing AI funding—a move he called misaligned with border security needs. Wasawat emphasized he speaks from firsthand observation, not for attention, citing instances where Thai soldiers still repair bunkers with rubber sheets while Cambodian troops probe the border.

At 11:22 a.m. on July 17, 2026, the Prasat Police Radio Center received notification of a school bus carrying students on an educational trip from a school in Khuekhant district, Sisaket province, that had overturned on Highway 214 near Wat Talwok in Kangaen subdistrict, Prasat district, Surin province. Investigation revealed that 51 students and 6 teachers aboard the bus sustained minor injuries, with no severe injuries or deaths reported. Police officers, rescue units, and related personnel provided immediate assistance and transported all injured passengers to hospitals. Traffic has returned to normal operations, and authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the accident.