Dr. Suwitaya Lertthanakulwattana, known as "Seeyaithai Kwaniam Bangrak," a local politician and community worker in Bangkok's Bang Rak district, has submitted her candidacy to lead the Sports Authority of Thailand as the second applicant, following Dr. Siriches Pooltipaiyannont, chairman of the MMA Association.

Current director Dr. Kongsakdi Yodmani's term expires in September 2026. Ms. Natthareya Thaveevong, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, will chair the selection committee to oversee qualifications, accept applications, conduct interviews, written exams, and English language tests. The successful candidate will be presented to the Sports Authority board and then to the Cabinet for final approval.

Dr. Suwitaya has held significant positions as adviser to parliamentary commissions and secretary working closely with prominent politician Samak Sundaravej. She has long been involved in community assistance in Bang Rak and is recognized locally as a coordinator helping residents in the district. She previously ran as a Bangkok City Council candidate from Bang Rak on the Democratic Party ticket.

Dr. Suwitaya holds a doctoral degree in philosophy in social, business, and political leadership from Rangsit University. She currently serves as an executive overseeing the Swarovski jewelry group in Thailand and leads a cosmetics business division known under the brand name "Witaya Kwaniam."

Puk Luk Siriput Bubphamalai, a former Thai national weightlifting champion and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, has been appointed as a civil defense civil servant below contract rank in a clerical position at the Defense Ministry's Budget Office, Policy and Planning Division. The former weightlifting hero officially began her duties on July 16, 2025, with commissioned officer training scheduled for March 2026. Puk Luk, whose birth name is Rattikul Kulnoi, competed for Thailand in the women's 58-kilogram category at the 2012 London Olympics, where she broke her own records in both the snatch and clean-and-jerk lifts, achieving 100 kg and 134 kg respectively.

A strong stench of decomposition led to a horrifying discovery in a reed thicket near a residential village on July 23, 2569, at 9:00 a.m. Police Lieutenant Sawasdi Khongkaew of the Pra Tuu Nam Chulalongkorn Station responded to reports of a body found in the reeds within a soi in Prachatipat Subdistrict, Thanyaburi District, Pathum Thani Province, accompanied by investigators and medical personnel.

The body was found face-down in a reed and grass-covered area approximately 20 meters from the village fence, in an advanced state of decomposition. The deceased was a man aged 40-50 wearing only black shorts, with the tattoo "madman" on his left wrist and visible bite marks from scavengers. No identification documents or personal belongings were found on the body, only a pair of black flip-flops discarded nearby. There were no signs of traumatic injury, and it is believed the man had been dead for 2-3 days.

According to the village security chief, a resident had reported a strong smell of decay, leading to the discovery. An air-conditioning technician had spotted the man acting erratically entering the reed area on July 21, but did not immediately report it. Another resident, Napa, 36, recalled seeing a vagrant-like man on July 20 removing his clothes and shoes near the reed thicket. The deceased was unknown to villagers. Police conducted a preliminary autopsy and collected evidence before transferring the body to the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Thammasat University Hospital for autopsy and identification of relatives.

Thailand's women's national football team drew a challenging opening group at the 2026 Asian Games, placed with hosts Japan, Vietnam, and Chinese Taipei. On July 23, the Olympic Council of Asia held the group draw for women's football at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. The women's football tournament will run from September 14 to October 2, with 12 nations competing. Thailand was drawn in Group E alongside Japan (hosts), Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, and Thailand. The tournament divides competitors into three groups of four teams who play round-robin matches. The group winners, runners-up, and the two best third-place finishers advance to the knockout stage. Group F includes South Korea, North Korea, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Group F features China, the Philippines, Uzbekistan, and Hong Kong.

On July 23, Ms. Lukkaew, the victim, shared her account with online news after parking her car in a parking lot and being struck hard by an unknown man, causing damage to her side mirror and car door. CCTV footage revealed unusual behavior: the man had run into multiple vehicles at high speed. She raised concerns about the facility's security measures and the police's slow case progress.

The incident occurred on July 20 at approximately 10:30 a.m. while Ms. Lukkaew was slowly searching for an empty spot. A large, working-age man suddenly ran and rammed the side of her car with great force, causing the vehicle to shake and damaging the mirror and door. No security guards were present at the scene. After filing a report at Thonglor Police Station, she was told the caseload was heavy and they might not prioritize it, which disappointed her.

When her boyfriend spoke with the project manager, the manager initially denied responsibility, stating: "Security doesn't monitor cars and there are no guards at every point, only at the entrance." The manager told her to read the parking card terms, noting it wasn't a valet service, and added: "If we had to catch every crazy person, we'd have to catch them all over the country."

After the post went viral online, the manager apologized and promised to help identify the perpetrator and discuss compensation. The project manager later provided the vehicle's license plate information. Ms. Lukkaew's car required a month to get parts and eight days of repairs, leaving her without transportation. Her insurance stated they cannot file a claim until the offender is caught. The incident has cost her time and work, forcing her to cancel meetings and deal with repairs.

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has revealed a cryptocurrency mining network with connections to underground Chinese capital and Thai government officials. Speaking at Government House on July 23, 2024, Pol. Maj. Khemchat Prakaihuangmani, director of the DSI's Technology and Information Crime Division, detailed Operation Silent Volt, which raided seven locations and dismantled a network illegally using electricity for digital currency mining.

The operation expanded on leads received since 2565 following five previous arrests. Investigators conducted a three-week advance investigation before the operation, discovering that perpetrators were connected to previously arrested underground Chinese capital groups and Thai government officials. The case has been forwarded to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).

The illegal operation involved a direct connection from a high-voltage 22-kilovolt distribution system, bypassing the PEA's metering system—the largest illegal transformer use ever encountered. The two sites had been operating since April and September of the previous year but left no traces, complicating investigation and follow-up. Investigators will charge the suspects with theft and are examining whether money laundering laws apply.

The network was also linked to transnational organized crime, scamming gangs, and online gambling. Charges have already been filed against seven Thai government officials and one law enforcement officer.

Mongkol Trikitjanant, PEA governor, stated that any officials involved, regardless of rank, will face disciplinary, civil, and criminal action. Some have already been terminated.

Based on calculations involving approximately 2,000 bitcoin mining computers, the actual monthly electricity cost was about 22 million baht. However, perpetrators paid only 10,000-20,000 baht monthly, representing massive economic damage and significant state revenue loss.