PHAYAO — Relatives and residents in Phayao broke down in tears of relief after two villagers who had been missing for seven days in forest in Chiang Muan district were found safe.

The two men, identified as 74-year-old Nak Kamlue and 20-year-old Rames Jan Daeng, both residents of Ban Pin, Moo 3, Chiang Muan subdistrict, disappeared after entering a remote forest area and lost contact with their families.

Earlier on 14 August, relatives and local residents performed a traditional ceremony known as "opening the forest", making offerings and asking forgiveness from the spirits believed to protect the land and mountains. They prayed for the forest to open a safe path for rescue teams to locate the missing men and bring them home.

The breakthrough came when search teams operating deep inside the forest contacted the joint search command centre by radio to report that they had found both missing men.

The news immediately brought an emotional scene at the command centre in Chiang Muan district. Relatives who had been anxiously waiting for updates burst into tears, hugged one another and cried with relief after spending a week fearing for the men's safety.

Officals initially reported that both men were safe. Rescue teams were working to bring them out of the forest and hand them over to medical and public health personnel for health assessments and first aid.

The discovery followed seven days of intensive search efforts involving rescue workers, officials, community leaders and local residents. Search teams had faced dense forest and difficult terrain that made access to the area challenging.

Authorities are still awaiting further details, including the exact location where the two men were found, their physical condition and the route used by rescuers to reach them.

The Chiang Muan Subdistrict Municipality's joint missing-person search command centre is expected to release further official information.

Aurora Design Company Limited, one of Thailand's major gold retailers, reported strong first-half 2025 results amid volatile gold prices. Operating revenue reached 29.7 billion baht, up 67.9% year-on-year, with net profit of 928.5 million baht, up 22%. The growth was driven by the Modern Gold business and the gold-pawning service under the brand "Gold Comes Money Goes."

According to Anipat Srirungtham, Aurora's Chief Marketing Officer, Modern Gold generated 28.3 billion baht in the first half, up 69% from the same period last year. Diamond and design gold jewelry revenue grew 27.3% to 679.7 million baht, while interest income from gold-pawning services surged 74.4% to 687.8 million baht. In the second quarter alone, operating revenue reached 13.9 billion baht, up 57.9% year-on-year.

The standout performer was the "Gold Comes Money Goes" pawning brand, with customer loan portfolios reaching 10.5 billion baht as of end-Q2, up 59.8% year-on-year. The company expanded its branch network to 667 locations, adding 120 branches from the previous year, generating interest income of 361.8 million baht in Q2, up 67% year-on-year. However, gold prices fell sharply at the end of Q2, declining from a high of 81,850–81,950 baht per baht of gold in the first half to 64,050 baht by end-June, forcing the company to adjust inventory valuations and impacting Q2 gross profit at 1.04 billion baht with a gross margin of 7.4%.

A criminal court has dismissed charges against actress Pinky Sawicka Chaiyadeach, her mother Sarinee Chaiyadeach, and her brother Kittichase Chaiyadeach in a Forex-3D pyramid scheme case. Executives including Apirak Kothi and five others have been sentenced to 49,110 years imprisonment each, with two companies fined 4.911 billion baht each plus interest. On August 14, 2026, Varanan Srilum, director of the Consumer Protection Division and spokesperson for the Special Cases Investigation Bureau, explained that prosecutors must next decide whether to appeal. If no appeal is filed, prosecutors must report to the DSI director, who may then either accept the decision or request the Supreme Prosecutor to decide. Theeruyut Kaewsingh, Deputy Director of the Defense Rights Protection Department, outlined compensation criteria for acquitted defendants under the Compensation Act for Injured Persons and Relief for Accused Persons in Criminal Cases of 2001 and its 2016 amendment. He stated that dismissal on grounds of reasonable doubt does not disqualify defendants from seeking compensation, but payment can only occur once a case becomes final with no further appeals. Compensation is calculated at 500 baht per day of detention from the date of custody. He explained that defendants must submit case finality documents and the court's acquittal judgment to the committee, which will review details of the court's ruling to determine if the defendant had no involvement in the offense. Previously, the Defense Rights Protection Department has awarded compensation to acquitted defendants under this law.

Knight Club Capital Holding Public Company Limited (KCC) reported net profit of 334.72 million baht for the first half of 2025, a 198% increase from 112.43 million baht in the same period last year, representing nearly threefold growth. Operating revenue reached 547.29 million baht, up 137% from 231.06 million baht, with the main driver being other operating income, which surged from 0.36 million baht to 422.28 million baht due to recognition of gains on fair value adjustment of investments and dividend income received.

Interest income from credit extended to borrowers increased to 117.57 million baht, while the company began recognizing interest income from loans—a new revenue stream of 4.65 million baht. Gains from the sale of non-performing assets also rose to 3.64 million baht, reflecting the company's expansion of its asset base and revenue creation from new business opportunities alongside its core business. Net profit margin improved from 48% to 61%, demonstrating enhanced profitability from the expanded revenue base.

KCC continues to expand its non-performing loan portfolio, focusing on secured credit borrowers—a segment in which the company has management expertise. During the first six months, the company invested 330 million baht in the NPL portfolio, increasing its earning assets and supporting future interest income growth. The company is also realizing results from its investment portfolio diversification strategy, with investment sales and dividend income supplementing earnings, while non-performing asset sales have strengthened considerably, increasing more than fourfold year-on-year.

Second-quarter net profit was 68.39 million baht, down 31% from the prior year quarter, which benefited from a one-time gain of 116.99 million baht from the closure of a major corporate credit account. The company's board approved an interim dividend of 0.065 baht per share, reflecting strong first-half results and the company's solid financial position and cash flow.

A man with chronic back pain for three years who could not find relief through orthopedic treatment was eventually diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer that had spread to his spine.

Early-stage prostate cancer typically shows no clear symptoms, leading many patients to discover the disease only after urinary problems or bone pain develops. According to a report, a 62-year-old factory owner underwent continuous orthopedic treatment for 2–3 years without finding the true cause of his pain.

Recently, when he developed urinary difficulties and weak urine flow, he consulted a urologist. Testing revealed stage 4 prostate cancer with cancer cells that had already metastasized to his spine. This revealed that his years of recurring back pain was not caused by bone or joint disease but by metastatic prostate cancer.

Dr. Gu Fangyu, Chief Director of Gujia Medical and the physician caring for this patient, explained that early-stage prostate cancer typically progresses slowly. Most patients have no symptoms at all. Even when urinary symptoms appear—such as weak urine flow, narrow stream, or frequent nighttime urination—patients often attribute these to aging or benign prostate enlargement, missing the opportunity for early detection.

This patient had a PSA value of approximately 10–11, which is higher than the reference range of 4–10 that doctors typically use as a benchmark. However, Dr. Gu noted that a high-precision MRI of the prostate was needed to identify suspicious lesions.

Dr. Gu stated that PSA is a widely used screening tool for prostate cancer that helps identify at-risk individuals. However, because PSA testing is highly sensitive, benign prostate enlargement or inflammation can also elevate PSA levels. Therefore, PSA results must be evaluated together with other diagnostic tests.

When abnormal PSA values are found, more accurate diagnostic methods are now available to help determine whether a patient needs a biopsy. The key to successfully treating prostate cancer is "early detection." Stage 1 and 2 prostate cancer, when treated promptly, has a high cure rate.

However, Dr. Gu noted that when cancer has spread to bone, lymph nodes, or other organs, treatment becomes more difficult, and the five-year survival rate may drop to approximately 30–50%.

In particular, bone is a common site for prostate cancer metastasis. Patients may experience prolonged lower back pain or hip bone pain but mistakenly attribute it to age-related degeneration or muscle and bone problems, potentially delaying diagnosis.

Taiwan's Department of Health and Welfare plans to launch a pilot prostate cancer screening program next year. Dr. Gu recommends that men aged 50 and older, as well as those aged 45 and older in high-risk groups—such as those with a family history of prostate cancer or BRCA gene mutations—should undergo regular screening.

If abnormal PSA levels are detected, there is no need to panic excessively. Patients should promptly seek a detailed evaluation from a urologist. If necessary, additional testing with PHI (Prostate Health Index) or high-resolution MRI may help identify clinically significant lesions early and improve the chances of receiving treatment at the optimal time.

The government has set October 1, 2025, as the launch date for registrations in the Thailand Travel Plus 2025 program via the Pao Tang application. The scheme uses a co-payment model covering accommodation and travel coupons, with support capped at 3,000 baht per benefit across a maximum of 500,000 slots nationwide.

Benefits include state subsidy of 50% of hotel and lodging costs (with participants covering the remaining 50%), digital travel coupons worth 500 baht per benefit (potentially increased to 1,000 baht), and a maximum of five benefits per traveler. The program is available countrywide for both secondary and major cities, on weekdays and public holidays alike, and covers hotels, restaurants, attractions, OTOP shops, and other tourism services.

Eligibility requires Thai citizenship, age 18 or above at the time of registration, a valid national ID card, and no suspension from other government assistance programs. Participants should update the Pao Tang app to the latest version and complete identity verification (KYC) with G-Wallet linked before registering. The details remain preliminary pending cabinet approval by the end of August.