Doctor Jedsada Bunyavongsirojn, deputy director of primary care at Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, warns that normal blood pressure readings of 120/80 should not create a false sense of security about stroke risk. While normal blood pressure is good news, he emphasizes that stroke does not have only one pathway. Some people with normal blood pressure still face high risk if they have elevated blood sugar, plaque buildup in arteries, smoking habits, or undetected irregular heartbeat.

He recommends checking five additional factors:

1. High blood sugar or diabetes — Brain blood vessels are damaged by chronic high blood sugar just like the eyes and kidneys. Many people fear diabetes for its effects on kidneys and feet, but cerebral vessels suffer equally. Diabetes is a stroke risk factor on its own and often comes with abdominal fat and high cholesterol. Blood sugar control should not rely on fasting readings alone; post-meal spikes of 170-180 regularly signal vessel damage even when fasting glucose looks good. Those with abdominal weight gain, family diabetes history, or rising HbA1c levels must manage blood sugar alongside blood pressure.

2. High LDL and arterial plaque — Fat buildup narrows vessels independent of blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force hitting artery walls, but plaque gradually narrows the passage. High LDL and elevated fat particles can accumulate in vessel walls, including those feeding the brain. If plaque ruptures and causes a blood clot, ischemic stroke occurs. Arterial stiffness involves combined risk from high fat, diabetes, smoking, age, and family history. A blood pressure of 118/75 with years of high LDL is not a wash; they are separate risks. Those over 40 should know their total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides, and those with family history of early heart disease or stroke may need additional screening.

3. Atrial fibrillation (AF) — Blood clots may start in the heart, not brain vessels. AF is irregular heartbeat in the upper chambers, causing blood to pool and stall, creating clot risk. If a clot breaks loose and blocks a brain artery, stroke occurs even with normal blood pressure. AF is a major stroke risk factor, yet many feel no symptoms—only occasional heart flutter, skipped beats, unusual fatigue, dizziness, or nothing at all. Anyone over 50–60 with frequent irregular pulse should be tested properly, not just by manual pulse check, since AF can be intermittent.

4. Smoking or regular secondhand smoke exposure — Cigarettes damage blood vessels independent of blood pressure. Smoking affects far more than the lungs alone; chemicals in smoke harm vessels throughout the body.

The National Economic and Social Development Council reported that Thailand's economy expanded 1.9% in the second quarter of 2025, down from the previous quarter and contracting 0.2% quarter-on-quarter on a seasonally adjusted basis. The slowdown was driven mainly by Middle East tensions affecting energy prices, shipping costs, and business confidence.

Despite the headwinds, the Thai economy showed resilience with several engines still firing. Total investment grew 9.1%, while private sector investment surged 13.4%—the highest in 54 quarters or roughly 13.5 years—reflecting business spending on machinery, computers, software, and technology for the digital economy. Exports of goods and services expanded 12.5%, with merchandise exports rising 14.1% on the back of telecommunications equipment, computer components, and technology products following global economic cycles, though passenger car exports faced pressure from carbon regulations and competition from electric vehicles.

Private consumption grew 1.9%, a slowdown from 3.3% in the first quarter, particularly in spending on hotels, restaurants, transportation, fuel, and vehicles. However, food, beverages, clothing, footwear, and furniture continued to expand. The industrial sector grew only 0.1% due to weakening domestic purchasing power, though electronics, semiconductors, and computers posted strong growth, reflecting the transition to new industries. Agriculture expanded 1.5% from fruit and rubber production, while tourism and food services grew 1.5%; although foreign arrivals declined, average spending per tourist rose by nearly 53,000 baht per trip, supporting service-sector revenue.

Council Secretary-General Danucha Pichayanan noted that Middle East impacts in Q2 were significant, affecting energy prices, oil imports, and logistics costs, which widened the current account deficit. However, excluding oil and gold trade, Thailand maintained a trade surplus of roughly 9 billion US dollars, showing the strength of the underlying trade base.

"Q2 faced considerable pressure from Middle East tensions, but the next quarter should see a recovery, and we expect full-year growth of around 2.2%," Pichayanan said.

The council raised its 2025 growth forecast to 2.2% and widened its range from the previous 1.5–2.5% to 1.7–2.7%. Global economic growth is now forecast at 3.3%, up from 2.9%, and merchandise exports are projected to grow 2.5–3.5%, with private investment continuing as a key driver supported by the Thailand Fast Pass investment acceleration programme.

For Q3, the council expects a rebound from Q2, which may represent the year's low point if Middle East tensions do not escalate. Oil prices and commodity prices that surged in Q2 are showing signs of moderating in the second half, though close monitoring continues.

Key risks to watch include the Middle East situation, US trade measures, volatile capital markets, El Niño, and persistently high household and small-and-medium enterprise debt levels, which directly constrain purchasing power and employment. Regarding consumption stimulus, the council will track results from the "Thai Helping Thai Plus" programme before considering additional measures, as Q2 figures do not yet reflect its impact. Borrowing under the emergency decree must prioritise value-for-money outcomes.

PHUKET: Phuket City Police arrested 11 people after raiding an alleged illegal cockfighting ring in Ratsada on Sunday (Aug 16), seizing two fighting roosters and other equipment.

At 09:25 on August 17, 2025, at Don Muang Air Base, Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation director Theeraphad Katchimat discussed water conditions in the North and Northeast regions. He explained that the monsoon season has begun as announced by the Meteorological Department, prompting multiple alerts based on satellite imagery and weather analysis coordinated with meteorological agencies. No Pacific typhoons have entered Thailand and water levels remain moderate, though flash flooding and elevated Mekong levels are occurring in some areas. The department has deployed water pumps and coordinated with local authorities, with potential impacts in riverside zones. When asked about monitoring repeatedly flooded areas, Katchimat said Cell Broadcast warnings now reach residents faster and at multiple alert levels, with coordination also extending to local radio stations. Regarding how far in advance Cell Broadcast can warn residents, Katchimat explained that satellite weather checks occur daily with 24-hour monitoring shifts, and all agencies analyze conditions—including rainfall amounts and intensity—before issuing alerts to avoid unnecessary public panic and to clarify the severity level in each warning.

Hadsamran Chaloem Phra Kiat 80 Phupha Hospital in Trang province has created a new innovation combining Thai traditional medicine and modern medicine to treat knee arthritis using black indigo mud from the beach. On August 17, 2025, staff from the Thai Medicine and Alternative Medicine Clinic collected fine black mud from Hadsamran Beach following research confirming its therapeutic properties for degenerative knee disease. The hospital has treated patients with this condition since 2020.

According to Amorin Kiangheeia, head of the Thai Medicine Clinic, the soft black mud can be dug up and used after sifting out sand, keeping only the truly black mud. Collection is easier during certain seasons and difficult during others, but must occur during low tide between the 13th and 15th lunar days only. The Pollution Control Department found in 2018 that Hadsamran District has excellent air quality at blue level with no harmful pollutants, being the only district among Trang's ten districts free of factories with green environment, making the black mud there high quality for treating knee arthritis.

Hospital Director Dr. Purirat Kamhaeng explained the treatment began when villagers applied this mud to their faces and bodies as folk wisdom for health and skin care. The hospital then sent samples to Songkhla Nakharin University for residue testing and began research and trials. They found the black mud has cooling properties, a key principle in Thai medicine, suitable for poultice application to reduce knee symptoms. Dr. Ugrit Kunnatham, an orthopedic surgeon from Trang Central Hospital, assisted in studying knee movement, flexion and extension angles, and assessment methods, integrating Thai and modern medicine successfully.

Marine mud can be kept for about one month but must rest overnight before use to allow minerals to settle and reduce fermentation odor. Each treatment uses 200 grams of mud applied to the knee for 20 minutes, with patients scheduled three times weekly or every other day for a total of 12 treatments. Knee arthritis ranks as the top disease treated in the Thai medicine clinic with patient numbers increasing yearly.

Treating knee arthritis with black indigo mud reduces the hospital's drug costs and helps patients avoid medication side effects while reducing pain, stiffness, and increasing knee joint function and movement range. The salt minerals from seawater penetrate tendons and bone, enhancing treatment effectiveness.