Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenkul held a press conference at The Stories Square in Bangkok to announce the Buriram Marathon 2027, a world-standard running event. The ministry outlined its vision to harness mass participation sports events as an engine for grassroots economic growth and elevate secondary cities into Asia's premier sports tourism destinations.

Key attendees included Newin Chidchob, president of the Buriram International Circuit; Race Director Chotchanok Chidchob; Lieutenant General Chakratip Chaijinda, chairman of the Thailand Amateur Athletics Association; and Buriram Province Governor Piya Pidhnom.

Minister Surasak revealed that the Buriram Marathon, certified to international standards by World Athletics, is entering its second decade with full momentum. Over the past ten years, the sports festival has demonstrated concrete economic value to the region.

The ministry has adopted a three-pronged strategic approach based on the marathon's success:

1. Converting "People Power" into "Economic Power": The Buriram Marathon has generated over 5.2 billion baht in circulating revenue over the past decade by attracting domestic and international runners and tourists.

2. Elevating Secondary City Economics: Using secondary cities as strategic hubs to distribute income and foster sustainable grassroots economic growth. Buriram stands as a successful model for sports-driven urban development.

3. Community Participation: The event's distinctive strength lies in local involvement, with residents across Buriram Province collectively serving as hosts, transforming the sports competition into a festival of joy.

"I believe no other Thai province has achieved the level of community participation that Buriram has in hosting a major sports festival," Surasak said. "In this second decade, the Buriram Marathon will transcend being merely a successful running event to become a key platform for attracting sports tourists and a model for other provinces in developing their cities through sports, positioning Thailand as a leading sports tourism destination in Asia."

Beyond sports and economic dimensions, the press conference also featured a donation to the Thailand Amateur Athletics Association and the presentation of charity bib proceeds from the 2026 Buriram Marathon to Buriram Hospital.

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Bangkok – Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s nomination of Pol Gen Samran Nualma as the 16th Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police (RTP) received unanimous backing from the National Police Commission on Wednesday. The 12-0 vote came after more than 90 minutes of deliberation, clearing the way for the veteran officer to assume the top police […] Police Commission Unanimously Endorses Pol Gen Samran Nualma as Next Royal Thai Police Chief -=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=- The Phuket Express - Real. Unbiased. Impactful. In the moment.

Police announced on July 22 the dismantling of a nominee property scheme involving 33 shell companies controlling 33 luxury homes worth over 1.27 billion baht. The operation was led by Lt. Gen. Natthasak Chaovanasai and other senior officers from the National Police Bureau's Anti-Corruption Division, following complaints from residents and data from the Department of Business Development (DBD) about large numbers of Chinese nationals residing in luxury villages in the Pattanakarn and Bangkok Kreet areas.

Investigation revealed that Piyanucha and her mother Sakorn served as nominees—listed as shareholders and directors—while actual control rested with Chinese national Hao Deng, who provided all capital. The network operated in three ways: purchasing two homes through nominee companies before transferring ownership to Chinese buyers; purchasing three homes and changing shareholding structure upon sale; and purchasing 28 homes through nominee firms for rent or resale via Chinese agencies. Officers seized land title deeds, sales contracts, 15 foreign passports, documents, company stamps, and approximately 1.4 million baht in Thai and foreign currency. Thirty pre-signed share transfer documents were also found, indicating the Thai nationals were merely lending their names.

Preliminary charges have been filed under the Foreign Business Act for using Thai nominees and violations of land law. Investigation continues into all Thai and foreign individuals involved, with results to be forwarded to the Land Department for asset forfeiture proceedings.

BANGKOK — 22 July 2026, The Thai government has dismissed concerns that an upcoming visit by Myanmar junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing could damage Thailand's international image, arguing that direct engagement with Myanmar is necessary to promote peace and address cross-border problems.

Government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek said on Wednesday that Thailand wanted Myanmar to gradually resume a greater role within ASEAN while continuing efforts to support peace and stability in the neighbouring country.

"If Myanmar is peaceful, people living along Thailand's border will also benefit," she said, adding that cooperation between neighbouring countries required their leaders to engage in direct dialogue.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has invited Min Aung Hlaing to make an official visit to Thailand ahead of the BIMSTEC summit, which is due to be held in Bangkok in early August.

Ratchada said the two leaders were expected to discuss a wide range of issues affecting both countries, including efforts to restore peace in Myanmar, drug trafficking, scam operations, transboundary environmental problems, open burning and river pollution.

She said Myanmar had expressed appreciation for Thailand's efforts to help bring the country back into closer engagement with ASEAN.

Ratchada cited an informal meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers hosted by Thailand, which was also attended by Myanmar's foreign minister, as an example of Bangkok's efforts to maintain dialogue.

Myanmar had also acknowledged concerns raised by Thailand over pollution originating across the border and had requested Thai technical assistance on open burning and environmental management, she said.

Asked whether hosting Min Aung Hlaing could harm the government's image because of his international reputation, Ratchada said Thailand was not concerned.

"Countries that are not Myanmar's neighbours may not understand that we have to live together," she said.

"If peace and stability return to Myanmar, Thailand and the Thai people will benefit as well. We need to help one another, not isolate them."

The Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Office reported that the SME Confidence Index for June 2026 improved for the first time in four months since March, reaching 47.8 points. The recovery was driven by the government's "Thailand Helps Thailand Plus" program, which boosted consumer purchasing power and led to increases in new orders, production volumes, and investment activity. However, the index remains below the normal level of 50 because operators continue to face pressure from elevated energy and raw material costs, limiting profit recovery despite rising sales.

The three-month forward-looking index stands at 52.7, marking the second consecutive month above baseline and reflecting cautiously optimistic business sentiment for the second half of the year, though concerns about costs and employment growth persist. On the debt front, the proportion of SMEs carrying debt fell to 69.1% in the second quarter of 2026 from 71% in the previous quarter, with more businesses relying on formal financing channels and 85.3% meeting their payment obligations on schedule, signaling improved liquidity management.

The office is executing the "Transforming SMEs: Elevating Financial Management with AI" initiative to help operators organize financial data systematically and access credit and capital more easily. For long-term policy, it is preparing the sixth SME Promotion Plan (2027–2031) to guide Thai entrepreneur development over the next five years, alongside a revision of SME definitions—unchanged since 2020—to align with evolving business structures, income, employment, and economic conditions, ensuring government support reaches target groups more effectively.

Despite emerging signs of recovery, officials cautioned that the turnaround remains early-stage and stressed the need to monitor whether sales growth translates into sustained improvements in profitability, job creation, and investment—critical indicators of durable SME sector recovery.