Doctors are warning that consuming lychees on an empty stomach carries the risk of lychee disease, with children eating more than five fruits at once at risk of severe low blood sugar. Medical experts recommend three safe ways to enjoy the fruit.

Summer is lychee season, and while many people enjoy these sweet and juicy fruits, physicians caution that eating lychees on an empty stomach in large quantities can trigger "lychee disease" or acute hypoglycemia, particularly in children. In severe cases, this can lead to brain dysfunction and be life-threatening.

Dr. Cheng Kan Hong, an allergy and immunology specialist, explained through Facebook that many people wonder why such a sweet fruit could lower blood sugar levels. The danger does not stem from the fruit's sugar content but from unripe or green lychees, which contain two natural toxins: Hypoglycin A and MCPG. These compounds interfere with the liver's gluconeogenesis process and fat metabolism, preventing the body from maintaining normal blood sugar levels.

Dr. Cheng noted that children face the highest risk because they store less glycogen in their livers than adults, and their livers are not yet fully developed. Consuming large amounts of lychees while hungry could cause bodily system failure.

However, people need not avoid lychees entirely. Lychee disease outbreaks previously documented in parts of India and China occurred mainly in malnourished children who ate unripe lychees on empty stomachs in large quantities, requiring multiple risk factors to develop severe symptoms. With proper consumption methods, lychees can be eaten safely.

Doctors recommend three safe ways to consume lychees:

1. Never eat on an empty stomach. Avoid lychees in the morning, when hungry, or in large amounts between meals. The best time is after eating a meal.

2. Choose fully ripe fruit. Unripe or green lychees contain higher levels of toxins than ripe ones, so select fully ripe fruit before consumption.

3. Control portion sizes. Adults should not exceed 10–15 lychees per day, while children should have no more than 5 at a time.

Dr. Cheng also warned people with blood sugar control issues or diabetes not to mistake lychees as fruit that lowers blood sugar. While children face risk of low blood sugar, diabetic patients must beware of high blood sugar instead, as lychees are high in sugar with a high glycemic index and contain large amounts of fructose and glucose. Overconsumption can cause rapid blood sugar spikes and harm health, so moderation is essential.

At 9:50 a.m. on July 13, 2025, Democrat MP for Bangkok Thae Phiphop Limjitrakul assessed the performance of Parliament Speaker Sophon Sararum after three months in the role. Thae Phiphop said that while the speaker may work hard, Parliament should function as the nation's legislative factory, with budgets tied to improved lawmaking, not merely ceremonial activities like flag honors. He questioned whether procedures had genuinely accelerated or parliamentary efficiency improved.

Thae Phiphop called for a more transparent Parliament designed for the public, not just dressed up in fine words about institutional ethics. He noted that many areas of Parliament remain closed to the public, preventing citizens from accessing their representatives. "If I grade this objectively, it's a failing mark," he said. "We've passed very few laws, used committee processes minimally, and some committees lack live broadcasts. Where is the transparency? Where is public participation?"

He stated the opposition is ready to work competitively and that the party seeks structural solutions through legislative reform, not piecemeal fixes. On the speaker's neutrality, Thae Phiphop acknowledged that true neutrality is difficult, as everyone has some bias, but praised former Speaker Chuan Leekpai for setting clear principles and opening space for differing views.

Thae Phiphop criticized the censoring of parliamentary speech as "the lowest point in principle." He urged the speaker to open the floor to all speakers, as scrutiny actually elevates the government by strengthening it through accountability. "Don't view the opposition as rivals," he concluded. "Everyone has a duty. Give everyone the chance to perform it."

The Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) is alerting the public to beware of scammers impersonating MEA staff who make phone calls claiming to upgrade Smart Meters or register patients for medical equipment exemptions, while demanding processing fees, installation charges, or requesting money transfers. These fraudulent activities cause confusion and may harm the public.

MEA reaffirms that enrollment in the "MEA Caring for Patients with Smart Meter Plus" program and registration for electricity payment exemptions for patients requiring medical equipment carries no fees at any stage. MEA has no policy allowing staff to request money transfers or bill payments through personal bank accounts under any circumstances. If contacted by such fraudsters, the public should immediately end the conversation and verify information with MEA before taking any action.

To serve the public, MEA offers registration through two channels: in-person application at any of MEA's 18 district offices with medical documents, and online registration via the MEA e-Service system, available 24/7 with real-time status tracking. Both methods are completely free with no charges or fees.

MEA urges the public to follow information only from official MEA communication channels and not to trust individuals claiming to collect money or request personal information. Anyone encountering suspicious behavior can verify information with MEA before proceeding to prevent fraud victimization and ensure safe electricity service usage in the digital age. The public can verify correct information through MEA's official online channels: Line MEA Connect (@MEAthailand) marked with a green shield icon, or by calling the MEA Call Center at 1130, available 24/7.

BANGKOK — 13 July 2026, Thai youth have once again made their mark on the international stage after a 12-year-old Thai boy won gold and silver medals in computer programming at the International STEM Olympiad – Grand Final Round in Rome, Italy, following an online preliminary stage that attracted more than 10,000 participants from around the world.

Nipun Skyz Lua, a Year 7 student, competed in the Grand Final held from 2–8 July in Rome, where 714 participants from 54 countries took part. The competition's online preliminary stage attracted more than 10,000 participants from 150 countries.

Competing in two coding disciplines, Nipun secured medals in both events: • Gold medal — Code Combat • Silver medal — Code Mentum

Both competitions tested far more than coding proficiency, placing a strong emphasis on analytical thinking and problem-solving using the Python programming language under strict time limits.

In the Code Combat category, contestants were required to apply core programming concepts, including variables, conditional statements (if/else), loops and functions, to design efficient sets of instructions that enabled a computer to solve assigned challenges accurately and effectively.

The Code Mentum category presented even more advanced challenges, focusing on algorithm design and complex problem-solving. Competitors were required to develop the most accurate, efficient and fastest solutions to increasingly difficult programming tasks.

According to the competition's award system, gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded to top-performing contestants based on their results in each category, rather than representing first, second and third place overall.

Nipun's achievement highlights that international coding competitions are designed not simply to assess how well students memorise programming languages, but to evaluate logical thinking, analytical ability and the capacity to translate ideas into instructions that computers can execute.

Winning one gold medal and one silver medal at the age of just 12 marks another significant achievement for Thailand and showcases the potential of Thai youth in science, technology and computer programming on the global stage.

PHUKET: A sea snake washed ashore on Kamala Beach on Saturday afternoon (July 11), prompting concern among tourists before lifeguards safely captured the animal and released it back into the sea.