Minister of Tourism and Sports Surasak Phan-charoenworrakul and Prime Minister's Office Minister Suksumruay Wantaniyakul made an urgent visit to Amnat Charoen province to oversee tourism and sports initiatives and resolve the long-running problems of the provincial central sports stadium, which has been stalled for more than a decade. The ministers held a meeting on August 2, 2026, at the provincial administrative office to discuss tourism and sports operations, attended by ministry officials, parliament member Janina Kemnarak, and local government heads. Following the meeting, the sports minister led an inspection of the province's sports infrastructure, including a 1,000-seat multipurpose gymnasium, the provincial swimming pool, and the central sports stadium.

The visit aimed to identify obstacles and monitor progress on the stadium project, which has plagued the province for over ten years and deprived residents of essential public sports infrastructure. Minister Surasak stressed firmly that the ministry has ordered all relevant agencies to aggressively solve problems at every stage, and that the decade-long stalled project must move forward, with the central sports stadium to be completed and opened to the public by 2027 as planned.

Once completed, the minister said the stadium will boost Amnat Charoen in multiple ways: it will accommodate provincial and regional sporting competitions, develop young athletes, and provide standard exercise facilities for residents. Economically, it will drive sports tourism, attract visitors, generate local revenue, and improve living standards sustainably. The in-depth visit demonstrates the ministry's proactive commitment to ending chronic project delays and ensuring state infrastructure delivers maximum public benefit across all regions of Thailand.

SA KAEO — Immigration police in Sa Kaeo have arrested a Cambodian woman for allegedly working outside the conditions of her work permit after finding her selling fresh pork at a municipal market.

The operation was carried out by Sa Kaeo Immigration Police in cooperation with the provincial employment office during an inspection of foreign workers at Sa Kaeo Municipal Fresh Market in Muang district.

Officers found the 33-year-old Cambodian national selling fresh pork and asked to inspect her documents. Authorities said she held a valid Cambodian passport and was legally permitted to remain in Thailand until 2027.

However, an inspection of her work permit found that she was authorized to work only as a laborer. Selling fresh pork was deemed to be outside the scope of employment permitted under her work authorization.

She was charged with working without a valid work permit or performing work beyond the conditions authorized under Thailand's law governing the employment of foreign workers.

The suspect was taken to Muang Sa Kaeo Police Station for legal proceedings.

Sa Kaeo Immigration Police said inspections of foreign workers will continue across the province, warning that authorities will take legal action against employers and migrant workers found violating the conditions of work permits or other labor regulations.

Luang Pu Ruem entrusted long-preserved coconut husks to create closed-eye golden amulets featuring sacred powder mixed with blessed materials and seven-month beeswax as a binding agent. The amulets are pot-bellied, meditation-posture figures seated on lotus pedestals, marked with the letter "r" on each piece, with a total of 2,528 amulets created in 1985. After consecration began in January 1985, they were released for veneration on February 19, 1985, and have since become extremely rare and difficult to obtain. The article also covers other notable amulets including lockets of Luang Pu Iem from Wat Sanam Sung, amulets of Luang Pho Phra Sai from Wat Pho Chai in Nong Khai, and coins of Luang Pu Suk's Maha Prab series from 2555, each with detailed descriptions of their design, materials, and spiritual significance.

Luang Pho Am Isitinno, the first abbot of Wat Ketu Noi Amphawan in Muang District, Ratchaburi Province, was a revered elder monk who gained prominence during the early reign of King Rama V. His history is known only through accounts of village elders, who relate that before entering monastic life, he was a notorious bandit called "Tiger Am." He fled from authorities until he met his future preceptor, Phra Upachchaya Pan Sopako, the abbot of Wat Bang Khun Thian Nok. Inspired by profound faith, he asked to become the preceptor's disciple with firm resolve to abandon his criminal past and live virtuously according to monastic discipline. His preceptor mercifully ordained him as a Buddhist monk, bestowing the monastic name Isitinno at Wat Bang Khun Thian Nok in Samut Songkhram Province.

When authorities tracked Tiger Am to Wat Ketu Noi Amphawan while he was assisting Phra Upachchaya Pan, his preceptor declared: "Tiger Am no longer exists; there is only Phra Am," and guaranteed officials that he would be responsible for supervising Phra Am. As a result, Phra Am remained at Wat Bang Khun Thian Nok and became an essential assistant to Phra Upachchaya Pan, helping construct various monastic buildings, including the ubosot of Wat Ketu Noi Amphawan.

Wat Ketu Noi Amphawan is a community temple of the Thammayutika Nikaya sect located at 94 Moo 9, Khung Krathin Subdistrict, Muang District, Ratchaburi Province. It received official permission to establish in 1892 and received royal ordination of the Buddhist boundary in 1960. Historical records mention Khun Ta Ketu and Khun Yai Noi, devout benefactors who donated their land to Phra Upachchaya Pan to build the temple. After the ubosot's completion, local Buddhists helped raise funds and construct various monastic structures. Permission to establish the temple was granted in 1892 under the name Wat Ketu Noi Amphawan, commemorating the meritorious devotion of Khun Ta Ketu and Khun Yai Noi, though villagers simply called it Wat Ketu Noi.

Within the temple stands a sacred Buddha image named Luang Pho Dam, or Phra Phuttha Samruddhi Phichit Phrairee, enshrined in the ubosot. The legend tells that in 1914, during King Rama V's reign, a group of fishermen casting nets in the Gulf of Mae Klong encountered resistance when pulling up their net due to something entangled. A diver sent down discovered a Buddha image with only the head present, lacking the hair knot and base. The fishermen brought it to Phra Upachchaya Pan, who was building Wat Ketu Noi Amphawan at the time. The preceptor enshrined the image in the ubosot and had a new hair knot and base cast to restore it. Because the Buddha image was made of black bronze, locals named it "Luang Pho Dam." Since then, it has been venerated by that name.

Luang Pho Am was appointed as the first abbot of the temple from 1892 onward, developing its facilities and promoting its growth. He passed away in 1918 after overseeing the temple for 26 years.

The NEVO Q05, Changan's newest electric vehicle brand from China, is generating real enthusiasm with its design, features, and approachable pricing. This EV crossover SUV targets young professionals and families starting out, offering versatile performance for both urban and rural driving.

We reached out to Wachee-Wachinun Kittiweekirat, Changan Auto Sales Thailand's corporate communications specialist, for a test drive. She promptly arranged access to the top-tier Ultra model at their headquarters near Rama 9 Road in central Bangkok. The battery showed 90% charge with a remaining range of 348 kilometers.

Inside, the minimalist black-tone design creates a refined, sophisticated feel. The seats are soft and supportive with ventilation holes, ideal for Thailand's intense heat. The driver's seat adjusts electrically in six directions with easy entry and exit functionality. The steering wheel logo, inspired by binary code (0 and 1), reflects the brand's focus on continuous technological progress.

The 14.6-inch touchscreen central display offers full connectivity, while the 10.17-inch instrument cluster is quite large but text is small for older drivers. Below the screen sits an adjustable air vent and 50-watt wireless phone charging.

In normal traffic on Rama 9 Road, the elevated driving position provided excellent forward visibility and lane assessment. Driving in comfort mode with standard regenerative braking minimized jerky acceleration and deceleration, similar to a conventional gasoline vehicle. The chassis emphasizes firmness over softness, avoiding the wobbliness common in EVs. Throughout city and highway testing, there was no dizziness or motion sickness.

Acceleration and lane changes performed as expected for an EV, responsive and confident without bothering passengers. During two days of city driving in traffic and heavy rain with flooding, the battery consumed 19% over 81.1 kilometers—a rate of 4 km per 1%, with efficiency of 10.8 kWh.

On the highway, the vehicle cruised smoothly at decent speeds with stable, quiet suspension. The steering is relatively responsive, which benefits city driving with light effort but requires tightening at higher speeds for added confidence. At 110 kilometers per hour, wind noise became noticeable but remained acceptable—no need to shout.

At highway speeds, the suspension felt firm yet refined, neither mushy like many EVs nor harsh. When cornering or changing lanes abruptly at above-normal speeds, there was slight body roll but nothing alarming—typical for this vehicle class.

At test conclusion, the battery had 25% remaining after consuming 65% over 265.7 kilometers—maintaining the same 4 km per 1% efficiency.

On August 4, 2025, Ms. Bulan Salajanes's brother filed a missing persons report at Bang Lamung Police Station in Chonburi, asking police to expedite the search and investigate possible links to an ongoing violent crime case. The family became alarmed after following news coverage of a suspect known as "Por" and discovering that bodies were found in areas near where Ms. Bulan had lived and traveled regularly, including Pattaya and Khao Chi Chumphon. Ms. Bulan, 35, normally lived in Pattaya and traveled regularly to her hometown in Chaiyaphum Province, maintaining contact with friends and a foreign boyfriend who supported her financially. However, she abruptly stopped communicating with everyone without explanation.

According to her brother, Ms. Bulan traveled frequently between Pattaya and Chaiyaphum, usually meeting her foreign boyfriend when in Pattaya. After she went missing, the family initially reported it in Ayutthaya Province where the brother lives, but was directed to file a report in Pattaya as the relevant jurisdiction. Preliminary investigation revealed that Ms. Bulan once stayed in a certain area and borrowed someone's phone to contact her boyfriend before leaving. The family noted that she later disappeared without further contact, which is unusual since she could normally borrow a phone if hers was lost.

Her brother posted her photo on social media the previous evening, attracting significant attention, but no credible sightings have been reported. Her phone number cannot be reached, and close friends confirm her disappearance is highly abnormal given the unusually long silence. Police are investigating her travel routes, reviewing CCTV footage, identifying persons of interest, and tracking her missing motorcycle. Authorities are coordinating with relevant agencies in Chonburi to search and determine her safety. At present, there is no confirmed evidence linking her disappearance to Por's case, though investigators are thoroughly examining all facts and suspicious details raised by the family.