Thailand's agriculture department is warning the northeastern and western coastal regions to brace for heavy rainfall between July 26-30 as a monsoon trough crosses Laos and Vietnam while the southwest monsoon strengthens over the Andaman Sea, Thailand, and the Gulf. The combination will bring intense, sustained rainfall to some areas, creating dangerous conditions for flash flooding and flash floods, especially in foothill zones and low-lying agricultural areas. The Department of Agricultural Extension is urging farmers in affected regions to jointly assess conditions, survey vulnerable areas, and prepare protective measures by establishing drainage systems and monitoring weather updates continuously.

For disaster relief, farmers must have current agricultural registrations as damage assessments will verify records. Once provinces declare disaster zones, farmers have up to 90 days from the disaster date to apply for assistance. Eligible farmers receive compensation based on crop type: rice at 1,340 baht per rai, field and vegetable crops at 1,980 baht per rai, and permanent tree crops at 4,048 baht per rai, capped at 30 rai per household. District agricultural staff will assess damage together with farmers using official forms, and applicants can track assistance status at https://disaster.doae.go.th/

On July 24, 2025, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), through the National Policy Office for Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (NOPI), joined the Food and Drug Administration, the Competitiveness Fund Management Office, the Agricultural Research Development Office, the National Science and Technology Development Agency, the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards, the Food Institute, the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Future Food Trade Association, the University Presidents Assembly, and network partners to organize an event "From Science to Shelf: Positive Lists Accelerating Product Development, Reducing Costs, and Elevating Thailand's Future Food Industry to Higher Value" at Chaturasai Building, 14th floor, NOPI, to announce integrated cross-agency cooperation and accelerate the Positive Lists for Other Function Claims as a mechanism for developing Thailand's future food industry.

The event aimed to announce integrated cooperation between government, research institutions, and the private sector to drive Thailand's future food industry, including reporting on progress and lessons learned from Positive Lists implementation, providing guidance to entrepreneurs on correctly applying Positive Lists for product development and health claims communication, and creating a monitoring mechanism to track Positive Lists benefits for economic impact assessment.

During the event, Deputy Prime Minister and MHESI Minister Yotchanan Wongswatdikul expressed support and announced the cooperation, emphasizing that Positive Lists represent a crucial step in developing the country's innovation infrastructure by reducing costs, shortening timelines, and improving efficiency in future food product development—aligning with MHESI's policy of advancing research and innovation for practical application, fostering an innovation-based economy, and strengthening national competitiveness.

"Positive Lists are a systematic mechanism that enhances agility in innovation development, builds confidence among entrepreneurs and consumers, and transforms Thailand's food industry from basic agricultural production and export toward high-value agriculture and food sectors through innovation-based economics," Yotchanan said.

MHESI will continue supporting Positive Lists implementation by promoting cooperation across all sectors to develop contemporary, standardized knowledge and databases, support commercialization of research outputs, promote Thai entrepreneurs—especially SMEs and startups—to develop innovations and compete globally, and create an innovation ecosystem fostering growth in the future food industry.

Dr. Surajai Satthikunnarat, Director of NOPI, noted that Thailand has long succeeded as the "world's kitchen" through agricultural strength, biodiversity, and entrepreneurial potential. Data from 2025 shows Thailand's future food market is valued at approximately 356 billion baht, growing at an average of 8.6% annually, with health foods and functional compounds representing 89% of the market, reflecting Thai entrepreneurs' opportunity to create added value from local raw materials such as black cardamom, ginger, basil, turmeric, and cocoa into high-value functional compounds and health food products.

A 33-year-old police officer from Sakon Nakhon has died unexpectedly following a motorcycle accident. On July 24, 2025, rescue teams responded at 12:28 a.m. to a motorcycle crash near a sports field on Sakon Nakhon Police Station grounds, where they found an unconscious male victim. Despite immediate CPR efforts and coordination with hospital rescue teams, the officer was pronounced dead at Sakon Nakhon Hospital Center. An autopsy was conducted as standard procedure. The accident has raised questions about sand piles in the road area that may have contributed to the crash. Sergeant Nongrit Chaowarundit, 33, who worked at Sakon Nakhon Police Station, was remembered by colleagues and online communities as a dedicated officer beloved by those around him. His family has brought his body back to Wanorniwat district in Sakon Nakhon for traditional religious funeral rites, with a cremation ceremony scheduled for July 26, 2025.

MTS Gold (Mae Thong Suk) and Kubix have launched pre-orders for the MTS Gold Investment Token, marking Thailand's first digital investment token in the gold trading business. The offering targets investors without time to monitor markets but seeking steady returns plus potential bonuses from gold price gains, with full capital repayment guaranteed after 3 years. Pre-orders opened on July 24, 2025, available through Kubix and Orbix apps with a minimum investment of 10,000 baht.

According to Nathpong Hiranyasiri, CEO of Mae Thong Suk Central Company under MTS Gold group, the token offering has raised capital of no more than 2 billion baht, with at least 90% invested in 96.5% purity gold bars as inventory for the company's 13 gold shops across Bangkok and surrounding areas. The remaining funds support working capital. Token holders receive a fixed 3% annual return, opportunities for bonus returns based on gold price spreads upon the 3-year maturity, 1 gram of gold as a gift per 1 million baht invested, and full principal repayment at maturity.

MTS Gold, operating for over 74 years as one of Thailand's top 3 gold industry operators, manages the token. Gold market momentum in 2025 is expected to benefit from strong investment demand driven by geopolitical tensions, debt and equity market volatility, and ETF gold investments, alongside central bank accumulation and limited gold supply from mining constraints and rising production costs. Kubix Digital Asset, operating under Orbix Group in the financial services of Kasikornbank, is providing the ICO portal platform for the offering capped at 2 billion baht, with individual investors able to subscribe starting from 10,000 baht.

A woman named Sugas shared her account of a confrontation with a group of loud foreign teenage tourists on the BTS Skytrain last Thursday around 1 p.m. near Sala Daeng station. Despite wearing headphones and the train not yet being at the station, she could hear the tourists speaking loudly and using crude language. When she politely asked them to lower their voices, they verbally attacked her, making insulting comments and mocking Thailand's economy. When she asked where they were from, they responded "from your mom's place" and gave her the middle finger. One woman in the group, appearing to be a teacher, also gestured rudely at her. The group, which included an Italian member, continued to harass her about her clothing and body until they got off at Krung Thonburi station, telling her to go to the hospital before leaving.

Sugas noted that a Thai tour guide traveling with the group tried to intervene but was ignored by the teenagers. She expressed frustration that no Thai passengers stood up to defend the public space and questioned why Thais tolerate such disrespectful behavior from tourists. She learned later that the guide was responsible for approximately 50 tourists with only one guide per group, and suggested they should have rented a private tour bus instead. After posting the video, netizens tracked down the tourists' tour company, school, and personal Instagram accounts, leading to the deletion of the Thailand tour itinerary and school accounts going private.

Hua Hin Temple was packed with activity as officials held the annual memorial service commemorating the 92nd anniversary of the death of Phrakhru Viriyathigaree, known as Luang Pu Nak Punya Nakho, the temple's founding abbot and a revered spiritual teacher in Hua Hin. The ceremony, held on July 24, 2025, at Hua Hin Temple in Hua Hin District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, drew more than 2,000 devotees and monks from across the province, including 77 abbots and senior monks who chanted Buddhist scriptures alongside local government officials and community leaders.

The festive atmosphere filled the grounds as devotees set up nearly 300 merit-making stalls offering food, fruit, rice, cooking oil, eggs, and everyday supplies to the community. A notable highlight was the large number of people seeking auspicious lottery numbers connected to Luang Pu Nak's memory on this 92nd anniversary, adding a spiritual dimension to the daylong celebration.

Luang Pu Nak, born in 1857 in Lad Pho, Phetchaburi Province, became renowned for his Buddhist scholarship and meditation practice under several respected masters. After a brief period outside the monkhood to support his family, he returned and played a key role in building Wat Wang Phong in Pranburi District. Later, Hua Hin residents invited him to lead Wat Amparam, which was renamed Wat Hua Hin under his leadership. He served as abbot for 38 years, developing the temple into a spiritual center for the community until his death on July 24, 1934, at age 79. The temple has since had 10 successive abbots continuing his legacy.