The Mekong River has overflowed its banks and flooded a Thai-Lao border trading market in Nakhon Phanom, with water levels reaching 11.98 metres on 12 August, just 2 centimetres below the critical level.

Hydrological officials recorded the river level at 06:00 on Wednesday, showing a 15-centimetre increase from the previous day. Authorities warned that the level could reach the critical threshold by the afternoon.

The Nakhon Phanom municipal authorities have ordered all four floodgates at key pumping stations to be closed to prevent the Mekong from flowing back into the city.

Runoff from Bueng Kan province and the Lao side of the river has also flooded agricultural areas along the riverbank in Ban Klang subdistrict, Muang district, about 28 kilometres from Nakhon Phanom town.

More than 100 rai of banana, bamboo and aromatic coconut plantations have been inundated, with water reaching about 1 metre deep. A concrete road stretching more than 3 kilometres has also been flooded.

The temporary border trading area and OTOP goods buildings have been particularly affected. Five or six rubbish bins were swept away, while ice boxes, tables and chairs belonging to vendors at the market were left floating in the floodwaters after traders failed to move their belongings in time. Some used ropes to secure their possessions.

Daosawan, 59, said she had three bamboo plantations covering more than 30 rai, with more than 200 clumps of bamboo. The rapidly rising Mekong has flooded two of her plantations to a depth of about 1 metre since 9 August. She normally harvests bamboo shoots for sale to fresh markets in the town, with daily orders of at least 50 kilogrammes.

On Wednesday, a vendor placed an order for 2,000 kilogrammes. Only one plantation, with about 50 bamboo clumps, remains above the floodwaters, leaving her uncertain whether she can fulfil the order. She said she may suffer substantial losses and could have to use a boat to harvest bamboo from the two flooded plantations.

Booncharoen Phrombutr, 67, a kamnan inspector in Ban Klang subdistrict, said rapid runoff from upstream areas combined with heavy rain had caused the Mekong to gradually overflow its banks over the past two to three days. Floodwaters have reached about 1 metre in some areas and as deep as 1.5 metres in others.

Traders from Pak Peng on the Lao side, opposite Ban Nad village in Ban Klang subdistrict, have also struggled to cross the border to sell forest products such as rats, squirrels, mushrooms and insects, as flooding has affected the Lao side as well. Some goods that traders were unable to remove from the temporary border trading buildings have been swept away and are still floating on the water, awaiting collection by boat.

Meanwhile, the Songkhram River in Si Songkhram district overflowed its banks on the afternoon of 11 August. Flooding has particularly affected Tha Bo Songkhram village in Tha Bo Songkhram subdistrict and Pak Un village in Si Songkhram subdistrict.

The Department of Employment raided a construction site in Ban Chang district, Rayong province on August 11, discovering 24 foreign workers—three Chinese and 21 Myanmar nationals—employed illegally without work permits. Somchai Morkatsriwan, the department's director-general, said the operation was coordinated with multiple agencies including Provincial Police and Immigration authorities after media reports and public complaints prompted an investigation.

Of 198 workers found at the site, the 24 undocumented foreigners were charged under the Alien Occupation Management Act of 2560 (2017). One Chinese worker faced additional charges for emergency or short-term work exceeding permitted limits. Three employers were also charged with hiring foreign workers without valid permits and referred to Ban Chang Police Station for prosecution.

The department warned employers nationwide to verify work permits before hiring foreigners and reminded foreign workers that they must obtain proper authorization. The public is encouraged to report illegal employment to the Central Registration and Protection Bureau at 0-2354-1729 or provincial employment offices, or call the department's hotline at 1506, extension 2.

A group of rescue volunteers attacked a taxi driver, leaving him severely injured near Fai Chai MRT Station in Bangkok. The incident, which went viral on social media on August 12, sparked widespread criticism after video footage showed approximately 3-4 volunteers assaulting the driver at the station's coin exchange area following a chase down from street level.

Both the volunteers and taxi driver filed reports at Bang Khun Non Police Station. The incident began as a road rage confrontation involving swerving and tailgating before escalating into violence. The taxi driver sustained serious injuries including broken ribs, a fractured nose, and a broken cheekbone, while the taxi itself suffered extensive window damage. Following the incident, the volunteer organization suspended the involved volunteers from duty.

Government spokesman Ratchada Thanadirek rejected reports from some foreign news agencies claiming that Thailand plans to use military and security cooperation as a negotiating condition in trade talks with the United States, calling such claims false and contrary to Thai government policy. Trade negotiations with the US are based on Thailand's economic interests, fairness, and balanced trade, with the government carefully considering proposals and their effects on farmers, businesses, manufacturers, and the Thai public while seeking mutually beneficial and fair agreements. Ratchada stated that Thailand-US military and security cooperation is a longstanding relationship pursued on the basis of shared security interests and various collaborative efforts, including the Cobra Gold joint exercise, which continues according to its established framework and plans without being linked as a condition to trade negotiation outcomes. The Cobra Gold 27 exercise, the 46th iteration under a six-year training plan through 2030, will involve 31 countries to build capacity and readiness against traditional and emerging threats such as cyber and space operations, with planning meetings scheduled in Hawaii in September ahead of training in March 2025. Ratchada emphasized that Thailand and the US have broad and deep multidimensional relationships spanning economics, trade, security, and people-to-people ties, and that the government will not trade one national interest against another, with each area requiring careful consideration of its respective framework and benefits.

The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) is inviting farmers and customers nationwide to express their love through savings with the Mother's Day Savings Lottery campaign. Customers can deposit savings certificates via BAAC Mobile from now through August 31 and receive gifts while standing a chance to win prizes every month.

On August 12, Paisal Hongtong, Vice Manager of BAAC, announced the special Mother's Day campaign titled "Mother's Day Savings Lottery." The campaign encourages farmers and customers to celebrate Mother's Day by depositing any of BAAC's savings certificates. These include the Gold Piggy Bank certificate at 500 baht per unit with a chance to win 20 million baht monthly, the Silver Piggy Bank certificate at 100 baht per unit with a top prize of 10 million baht monthly, the Money Bag certificate at 100 baht per unit with prizes worth 100,000 baht each month (900 prizes available), and the Gift Bag certificate at 20 baht per unit with a 6-year deposit term offering 3 baht per unit in interest (2.50 percent annually) plus monthly education grants of 100 prizes.

Customers who deposit via BAAC Mobile can claim attractive gifts based on deposit amounts: deposits of 50,000 baht or more receive a magnetic fiber multipurpose cloth, 100,000 baht and above receive a cute cat Art Toy set of four, 500,000 baht and above receive an Agri Animal Art Toy set, 1 million baht and above receive a cute cat cushion, and 10 million baht and above receive a wheeled luggage bag.

For interested customers, participating in the Mother's Day Savings Lottery is both a savings option and a chance to win rewards through August 31 via BAAC Mobile. Customers can register and submit deposit evidence through a QR code within timeframes and conditions set by the bank. Winners will be announced by September 30 on the Facebook page "BAAC Service with Heart" and the website www.baac.or.th. Each deposit can participate in only one promotion. For more information, contact the Contact Center at 02 555 0555.

Deputy National Police Chief Trirongse Pinpunya, serving as police spokesman, offered legal guidance through his Facebook page after a public debate arose over a homeowner's right to use force against an intruder who was then fatally shot. He noted that police have a duty to investigate any shooting death—to examine the scene, collect evidence, and determine whether the use of force was justified—but this does not presume guilt.

Under the Criminal Code section 68, a person who uses force to defend against an unlawful threat faces no criminal liability if the threat is imminent and the defensive action is proportionate. Conversely, if the threat has already passed and force is used afterward, legal evaluation changes. If the facts show lawful and proportionate self-defense, the person is not guilty. If force was used but exceeded what was necessary, section 69 allows courts to impose a lighter sentence or, if the act arose from shock or fear, no sentence at all.

Pinpunya emphasized that there is no blanket rule—neither "you can always shoot a burglar" nor "you are always guilty for shooting an intruder." The key facts are the circumstances at the moment: was the intruder close, unresponsive to warnings, and posing a believable threat to life, body, or property? Police investigation does not mean police conclude the defender is guilty. When someone dies, officers must document the scene, examine weapons and injuries, conduct forensic tests, review CCTV footage, interview witnesses, and gather all circumstances to understand what happened when the decision to use force was made.

The justice system then evaluates the facts and evidence through each stage—investigator, prosecutor, and if needed, court—before a final determination. The important point is that citizens have a legal right to defend themselves and others; the question is whether that defense was lawful and proportionate in the specific circumstances.