Anthony Hudson, Thailand's head coach, candidly stated that the mixed squad is not the championship favorite, with the current goal being to perform at their absolute best in the 2026 AFF Championship. The Thai men's national team reported for duty on July 14, 2025, at the Novotel Future Park Rangsit to prepare for the tournament, with Hudson leading 24 players. Patrick Gustavsson will join the squad on August 5.

Hudson explained: "I've made it clear, after the squad announcement and FA Awards ceremony with Madam Pang Nulprann Lamsam, the FA president, that our goal with this mixed squad is to try our best and advance as far as possible. In my view, the Thai national team is not the championship favorite this time due to several conditions, such as Vietnam, which has prepared their team 3-4 weeks in advance, and Singapore as well. However, overall, I'm satisfied with the talent we have right now. Our goal at this moment is to do our very best."

"I think we cannot overlook Vietnam's national team because, as you know, they have had a long preparation period and paused their league to support the squad. They have brought in their best players for this competition. Speaking this way is not putting pressure on them, but we're being straightforward because in theory, we truly cannot overlook them."

"Regarding FIFA expanding the World Cup final tournament, I see it as an advantage for nations like ours. After working with many national teams, expanding the World Cup creates positive opportunities for many nations, whether in terms of team value, investment, and overall national development. It's certainly beneficial. It will encourage various national teams with lower FIFA rankings that have never participated in the World Cup to have a clearer development pathway, including league development and youth development, which is good for national teams."

Picha Utara, who returned to the senior national team for the first time in over two years, said: "It feels complete now, but Bangkok only trained yesterday for one day. I prepared myself during the break with online training with my club for about 2-3 weeks."

"I think every club and every league I've been to has been good experience. It depends on how players adapt and fine-tune in the upcoming leagues. I think we need to fine-tune quite a lot because this squad has new players and some returning players who haven't been with the team long enough. We need to try to learn and adapt to each other. I think the time we have should be sufficient if everyone works hard. The goal is to do our own job well and stay focused in the same direction."

"The World Cup expansion issue hasn't been discussed much yet, but for me personally, regarding the quota increase, everyone wants to perform well now to reach that point and show whether we're ready or not."

The 2026 AFF Championship features Thailand in Group B with Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar, and Laos. The match schedule is as follows:

Laos vs Thailand – July 25, 2025, 20:00 at Laos National Stadium 16

Thailand vs Malaysia – August 1, 2025, 20:00 at Suphachalasai Stadium

Philippines vs Thailand – August 4, 2025, 20:00 (Thailand time) at New Clark City Stadium

On July 14, 2025 at Government House, Deputy Government Spokesman Lalida Perithvivattana announced cabinet resolutions to appoint high-level administrators. Within the Ministry of Culture, two officials were rotated: Yuthika Israngkur at Ayutthaya, director-general of the Department of Cultural Promotion, transferred to the position of deputy permanent secretary; and Chotika Akkakitsopha, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Culture, appointed as the new director-general of the Department of Cultural Promotion. Additionally, Panombuthorn Chantrachooti, director-general of the Department of Fine Arts, received a one-year extension in his position from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

The cabinet also approved appointments of a board chairman and eight board members to the National Astronomical Research Institute, replacing outgoing members whose three-year terms had ended. The new appointees include Saran Posyajinda as chairman and seven expert members: Kitti Tangjitmaneesak, Thananon Chaiyarueangsi, Theeraphatchanpiriyakul, Pichai Sonjaeng, Soruj Tiphsena, Sudkhaneuang Khampharat, and Supoj Techawornsinkul. These appointments took effect on July 14, 2025, with the approval of Deputy Prime Minister Yosthana Wongsawat.

The "Do F***ing Nothing EP.2" event, encouraging participants to spend 30 minutes in silence without reading books, talking, listening to music or using their phones, will return to the central amphitheatre at Benchakitti Park on 1 August from 17:00 to 18:00. Participation is free of charge.

The event is open to anyone looking to take a break from technology through a digital detox, spend time with themselves, or simply sit in silence alongside others.

Participants are encouraged to arrive 15–30 minutes early to choose a suitable place to sit. At 17:00, a 30-minute countdown will begin, during which attendees may sit quietly at their own pace, lie down, daydream or meditate, provided they do not disturb other park visitors. Participants are free to leave any time. The organisers said the event is not a challenge or competition, but an opportunity for everyone to spend time in whichever way they feel most comfortable.

After the 30 minutes are up, participants can either head home or join small discussion groups to share their experiences with others. The organisers suggest forming groups of three to five people to discuss topics such as why they chose to attend and what they experienced while sitting quietly.

Organisers also introduced a new "Sit Squad" initiative, encouraging those interested to form sub-groups of five to 10 participants and organise similar activities independently at different dates, times and locations, rather than waiting for another large-scale event. Those interested can register as members or volunteer as group coordinators through a Google Sheet provided by the organisers.

Participants are advised to bring their own mats, camping chairs, umbrellas and drinks while complying with park regulations, including bans on smoking, alcohol and littering, and respecting other park users. Organisers also recommend preparing for hot weather, rain, large crowds and possible travel delays. Everyone is encouraged to look after their own safety—especially after dark—by remaining in well-lit areas where other people are present.

Following feedback from the previous event, organisers have asked both attendees and members of the media to respect individual privacy when taking photographs or filming.

They recommend that anyone taking photographs avoid capturing identifiable images of others without their consent unless permission has been granted beforehand. Those who do not wish to be photographed are encouraged to wear a red ribbon on their arm, as shown on the event poster, to indicate that they do not consent to being photographed. They may also use a crossed-arms gesture to communicate their wishes directly to photographers. Should any unauthorised images still be published, the organisers said they would later discuss possible courses of action with the participants.

Additionally, the organisers said anyone interested in hosting a "sitting still" event at another location or time is welcome to do so without seeking permission.

On July 14, Deputy National Police Chief Trairong Phiwphan visited the Police Institute of Forensic Medicine to monitor progress on victim identification and the return of bodies to families following the Ladprao beer hall fire that claimed 30 lives. The institute has received all 30 bodies and completed identification of 28, which have been returned to their relatives. Two bodies remain under identification, with one being an unidentified female victim whose relatives have not come forward, preventing comparison tests from being completed. National Police Office spokesman Deputy Police General Wirulwit Suphasing announced an appeal to the public: anyone with missing family members or close relatives who may be among the fire victims can contact the Police Institute of Forensic Medicine for identity verification to expedite the identification process and allow families to conduct religious ceremonies.

On July 14, Pol. Lt. Gen. Natthasak Chawanajai, commander of the Central Investigation Bureau, disclosed that evidence clearly shows the three arrested suspects conspired to alter local government civil service exam answer files. The suspects allegedly planned and recruited local government officials to modify files at a company in Nonthaburi Province run by a man known as Ja Phichit. Although the three main suspects have refused to cooperate during questioning, police say they have solid evidence to prosecute them. Natthasak stated that investigators will issue summons within the coming week for 11 local government officials discovered tampering with answer sheets at Ja Phichit's company. The 11 officials face three charges identical to those against the three main suspects: charges related to election fraud and ballot theft, charges for document forgery and falsification, and violations of the Computer Crime Act for introducing false data into a system. Despite being government officials, the 11 are accused of committing the offenses outside working hours in a private company without exercising their official authority, allowing police to prosecute them directly without referring the case to the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

Thailand's Ministry of Commerce is intensifying protection of intellectual property rights for Thai entrepreneurs operating in the Chinese market through a new memorandum of understanding linking cooperation across both domestic and online platforms. Government spokeswoman Lalida Phirusvisuttana revealed that the Cabinet has approved an MOU between Thailand's Ministry of Commerce and China's market oversight authority on intellectual property enforcement cooperation. The Cabinet also authorized the Commerce Minister or designated representative to sign the agreement, which aims to provide concrete assistance channels for Thai businesses affected by intellectual property violations in China's market and on Chinese online platforms. The MOU establishes a bilateral cooperation framework on intellectual property enforcement between Thailand and China to improve coordination between both countries' agencies on protecting rights domestically and addressing violations occurring on online platforms, an increasingly vital commercial channel. The cooperation covers four key areas: discussions on recent developments in intellectual property enforcement, relevant information exchange, facilitation of rights enforcement, and training and personnel development for both parties to enhance protection effectiveness and action against products or services that infringe intellectual property rights. Spokeswoman Lalida stated that this cooperation will strengthen the Ministry of Commerce's active role in assisting Thai entrepreneurs, particularly in cases involving trademarks, copyrights, patents, and other intellectual property properly protected under Chinese law, working in tandem with private enforcement by the rights holders themselves. Both sides will designate department-level agencies as primary coordinators and can discuss issues arising from the cooperation and jointly develop appropriate work plans, with implementation contingent on budget, resources, legal framework, and internal regulations of each country. The spokeswoman further clarified that the MOU is a non-binding expression of shared intent and creates no international legal rights or obligations, thus is not a treaty and does not fall under Thailand's Constitutional Section 178 on treaties. "The government is committed to elevating intellectual property protection for Thai entrepreneurs abroad, particularly in the Chinese market and online channels, to help reduce damage from infringement, build business confidence, and support Thai goods, innovations, and creativity to compete fairly in foreign markets."