Environment Minister Suchat Chumklin announced on July 24 that he has ordered the Forestry Department to intensify enforcement against illegal encroachment of public areas and state resources, in line with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's policy prioritizing land recovery and law enforcement. The ministry is identifying publicly accessible beaches that have been illegally occupied by business operators and returning them for public use.

Chumklin received a report from Forestry Department Director-General Nikorn Sivirojanant about major business groups illegally occupying forest land on Koh Samui to operate tourism facilities. He immediately ordered field operations to investigate and make arrests.

On July 22, 2025, Udom Sakdit Palakavong Na Ayutthaya of the 11th Forest Resource Management Office (Surat Thani), along with Vivat Noo-in, head of forest protection and wildfire control, led a coordinated team including forest protection officers from Station 16 (Koh Samui), special forest operations units, and local administration officials from Koh Samui District.

The team inspected the Overlap Stone 2 resort located in Ban Tin Tha, Mueang District, Koh Samui. Satellite coordinates confirmed that the facility's structures encroached into protected forest area under the 1928 Forestry Act, spanning 4 rai 3 ngan 35 square wah (approximately 4.55 acres). Officers seized 33 structures and structures in total. The forest protection station was assigned to compile evidence and records for investigation by Bo Put Police Station, with criminal proceedings to follow against those responsible.

Chumklin stated that he has directed the Forestry Department to coordinate with all relevant agencies to expedite case resolution and pursue legal action against violators swiftly. "The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will not tolerate anyone unlawfully profiting from state resources, whether they are influential figures, investors, or business groups. Any encroachment on state land will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," he said.

On July 24, at Thai Army Command headquarters, Spokesperson Pol. Col. Vinthai Suvaree addressed the circulation of a tattoo image allegedly appearing on the arm of a gunman involved in the shooting at a ranger base and checkpoint in Narathiwat province. He expressed skepticism that the image was genuine, arguing that a Muslim perpetrator would not have a tattoo, as this contradicts Islamic teachings. The spokesman concluded the image was AI-generated and likely created by anti-government networks seeking to distort facts and manipulate public opinion.

Vinthai noted that the image quality was unnaturally sharp and overly refined, making it appear artificial—something he believes most people can recognize. He described the tactic as an old method that no longer deceives society, given that modern news consumers have developed sufficient critical thinking skills. Those spreading such images, he suggested, should face public scrutiny regarding their true motives. He urged all Thais to collectively protect government officers and innocent civilians while preventing those with ill intentions toward the country from gaining a foothold in society.

On July 24, 2025, at Parliament, Sirikanya Tansakul, a Pheu Thai list MP and deputy party leader, discussed the overall budget bill review for fiscal year 2570 in the special budget committee. Over the past three weeks, numerous agencies have had their budgets cut significantly. However, during the first week of subcommittee deliberation, Sirikanya noted that despite major cuts, abnormally high budget items and redundancies persist. The Digital Economy Ministry received a 30% budget increase, mostly for central government cloud infrastructure, adding 5 billion baht to this year's budget. She explained that when examining individual agencies, separate cloud system purchases and leases were discovered, creating duplication. The subcommittee reviewing digital government integration plans suspended agencies seeking additional cloud purchases, requiring certification from the Digital Economy Ministry that there is no redundancy before approval. Sirikanya also flagged the Social Development Ministry's cuts to disability benefits while allocating funds for internal Data Center projects with excessive costs: a 200,000-baht fire exit door, an 800,000-baht backup power supply, and 15,000-baht office chairs per unit. The subcommittee, which began work only this week, has already identified numerous irregularities and excessively inflated line items requiring adjustment. She concluded that despite government claims of significant self-imposed cuts to cover pensions and healthcare costs, examination of individual projects continues to reveal overpriced items.

Following the incident involving influencers Jai Ratchanon and Haru Supakob crossing a street with their children near Rom Hub Market in Samut Songkhram, where a pickup truck accelerated toward them, police deputy Sangad Baubamdee recently visited Mrs. A, 37, the driver's wife, to question her about the incident and deliver supplies to assist the family.

Mrs. A apologized tearfully, explaining that her 44-year-old husband was driving to pick up their child from the hospital at the time and did not intend to harm anyone. She stated her husband was rushing because he wore a prosthetic leg. She disclosed that her husband has since passed away on May 24 following a motorcycle accident on May 7, after spending approximately 17 days in hospital.

"I admit that hearing about this in the news causes me great stress," she said. "I have no milk to feed my child, so he must drink special formula because he is allergic to cow's milk. I want to apologize to Jai and Haru on my husband's behalf. If his manners were poor, I apologize. Now he is gone, and there is nothing more I can say. I truly ask for your forgiveness."

Mrs. A's sister added that she contacted the media to prevent similar incidents in the future. She noted that because the truck driver has died, the full truth cannot be known, and the incident occurred three months ago. She appealed for mercy and understanding, saying some people have accused them of lying despite the incident being completely genuine.

Deputy Sangad disclosed that police investigated the matter due to its prominence on social media and the damage to Samut Songkhram's reputation. Officers located the vehicle, which was found to be a manual transmission pickup with a stiff clutch. Investigators learned the driver had already passed away and was disabled on his left side, which affected his ability to operate the clutch properly—a challenge especially on steep inclines. Sangad urged social media users to discuss the incident fairly without attacking the deceased driver, noting that the difficulty with the manual clutch and his disability likely contributed to the incident rather than any intentional wrongdoing.

At 9:30 a.m. on July 24, 2569 at Parliament, Sirikannya Tansakul, a list-system MP and deputy leader of Pheu Thai Party, discussed the fiscal year 2570 budget bill during a special parliamentary committee review. She stated that approving 6.5 billion baht in central budget funds for drought relief was problematic given that all parties recognize budget shortfalls so severe the government must reserve 10 billion baht transferred from 2569 spending.

The concern deepens because an additional 6 billion baht is allocated for water projects, specifically a solar-powered groundwater drilling initiative rather than conventional groundwater extraction. Sirikannya warned this may repeat 2568 mistakes, when the NACC flagged 7.5 billion baht in drought and flood management spending for corruption risk and irregularities, leading the government to cancel those projects.

She called for public scrutiny as the TOR (Terms of Reference) review opens for comment, urging experts to flag any "spec-locking"—restricting technical specifications to favor particular private companies. Solar groundwater projects require drilling equipment, solar panels, electrical systems, inverters, and other gear, creating risk that benefits go to specific contractors. She criticized the contradiction: the central budget gains 6.5 billion baht for drought while the Irrigation Department loses 7 billion baht, questioning whether drought is even real and noting the government feels compelled to launch emergency projects late in the fiscal year despite tight finances and creditors demanding payment for projects like the orange electric train line and Khlong Dhan bridge costs.

Government spokesman Paradorn Parisunanondkul confirmed that the state welfare card benefits will remain in effect through the end of September while the appeals process is completed. The Finance Ministry will present three additional eligibility criteria to the cabinet on July 27, including vehicle ownership limits and rules for non-formal education students. About 80% of those re-screened already qualify for the Thai Nation Plus 60:40 program.

When asked how many people will ultimately qualify—currently over 9 million—Paradorn said the final number depends on appeals results, but the government will support those genuinely in need and crack down on fraud. The government is not setting a numerical target. The ministry will verify those who used poor people's names for corporate directorships, fake accounting, or tax deductions, and will pursue back taxes and penalties.

Paradorn clarified that the re-screening is driven by complaints of both ineligible people receiving benefits and eligible people being denied them. A recent survey found 2.3 million additional eligible people, prompting the comprehensive review. While the appeals process continues, the Finance Ministry will later audit fraudulent claimants. The official characterized the effort as updating the country's data systems, noting that outdated records—such as vehicle registries showing cars no longer in use—have skewed eligibility determinations.