OR and The Minor Food Group have signed an expansion partnership agreement to elevate PTT Station networks and OR's commercial spaces into Food & Lifestyle Destinations. The collaboration merges OR's strength as a leader in service station networks and lifestyle ecosystems with Minor Food's expertise as Thailand's premier restaurant operator, covering brand development, food innovation, restaurant management, and nationwide supply chain systems to deliver quality food experiences accessible to consumers in every community.

OR and Minor Food will jointly expand four leading restaurant brands: The Pizza Company, Dairy Queen, The Steak & More, and the newly launched Chiho Ramen, which debuted through this partnership with OR. All four brands will operate through PTT Station networks and OR commercial spaces nationwide, with a shared target of expanding to more than 150 locations by 2025. OR's food business operates under Foodellus Company Limited, established as the primary vehicle to drive OR's food operations with an investment target exceeding 2 billion baht by 2025 to develop food business as a key growth driver for OR's long-term lifestyle business.

The Minor Food partnership represents a major step in this vision, combining the strength of more than 2,400 PTT Stations nationwide with Minor Food's restaurant development and management expertise to create a Food & Lifestyle Destination reaching consumers in every community. William Heinecke, chairman of Minor International, stated the collaboration goes beyond branch expansion—it creates a new growth platform for Thailand's restaurant business by merging the complementary strengths of both organizations. Chiho Ramen exemplifies Minor Food's ability to develop new restaurant concepts suited to PTT Station locations and supported by strong, comprehensive supply chain systems.

UOB Thailand has joined the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) as a banking partner in the "UOB x TAT: Travel Thailand Together" campaign to support domestic tourism, stimulate spending, and distribute income to local operators nationwide. The collaboration reflects TAT's commitment to partnering with private sector allies to continuously promote travel within Thailand and drive economic circulation through tourist spending. According to UOB credit cardholder spending data from the first half of 2025, travel and accommodation spending ranks among the top five spending categories, demonstrating strong and consistent Thai consumer demand for domestic trips. The bank is leveraging this behavioral insight to create campaign offerings that align with cardholder preferences while supporting TAT's goals to boost travel and stimulate local economic activity. Nidhi Sieprae, Deputy Governor of TAT for Marketing Communications, stated that the partnership combines the strengths of both organizations to deliver valuable benefits and travel experiences to UOB cardholders while helping tourism operators reach quality travelers and supporting sustainable growth in Thailand's tourism economy. Under the campaign, UOB credit cardholders can redeem accumulated UOB Rewards points for travel benefits, receive 15% cashback on direct hotel payments at participating Thai properties, and collect premium UOB x Snoopy items with qualifying purchases of 1,000 baht or more. Suphothip Pongsachanyakij, Senior Assistant General Manager of UOB Thailand's Credit Card Business, noted that the bank is utilizing its data expertise and financial products combined with its partner network benefits to help customers travel more affordably while distributing revenue directly to hotels, accommodation providers, and tourism businesses across the country.

Minister Suchat Chomklin and a task force of over 400 officials launched an operation to reclaim Noi Beach, demolishing 50 structures that encroached on Nakagerd Range National Forest Reserve. The beach, long disputed for over 20 years, had been granted fraudulent land titles covering 18 rai before Thailand's Supreme Court invalidated them in 2014, returning the area to protected forest status.

Suchat stated the government is determined to recover state land for all Thais, rejecting claims that influential figures operate above the law. He emphasized that the land, valued at roughly 100 million baht per rai, generated substantial rental income without legitimate investment, constituting abuse of power. The ministry is also coordinating with the Anti-Money Laundering Office to investigate illicit proceeds from illegal land use.

During a helicopter survey, Suchat ordered four agencies—including the National Parks Department, Forestry Department, and Provincial Administration—to identify and recover additional illegal structures on hillsides throughout the province. Following the demolition, Noi Beach will be designated as a recreation forest and learning center for public benefit. The Phuket initiative aims to serve as a model for nationwide land reclamation efforts.

As climate change becomes a critical global challenge, the energy sector is advancing significantly toward a low-carbon society. CKPower, one of the region's largest renewable energy producers with one of the lowest carbon footprints, has announced major progress on its sustainability path by winning two awards from the Thailand-Japan Decarbonization Award 2025 (TJDA). The awards reflect not only measurable results but also the company's commitment to driving the organization toward its net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target by 2050 through technology, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration.

CKPower's award-winning distinction comes from innovation projects demonstrating tangible results in resource efficiency and environmental impact reduction. The first project, "Waste and Wastewater Management in Energy Production," at Bangkok-iao Cogeneration Power Plant focuses on efficient water resource management in electricity generation. The facility optimized lubricant systems to reduce waste and improved cooling tower water efficiency through chemical control adjustments, enabling greater water recycling. The project achieved water savings of over 743 million liters, cost savings of 19.5 million baht, reduced lubricant use by over 28,000 liters saving 2.6 million baht, and cut greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 95,000 kilograms of CO2 equivalent.

The second project, "Waste to Value: Bat Conservation for Natural Resource and Environmental Preservation," at Xayaburi Hydroelectric Power Plant applies circular economy principles in the community. The facility converts organic waste from plant food scraps into soil-quality improvement materials, supporting pesticide-free farming while building environmental awareness among youth and community members. Between 2023-2025, the project managed over 31,333 kilograms of organic waste and produced approximately 8,472 kilograms of soil conditioner valued at 72,900 baht annually. Participating households earned an average of 9,300 baht per household from vegetable cultivation.

The success of these initiatives stems from CKPower's "C-K-P" sustainability strategy framework, which balances business growth, environment, and society. C stands for Clean Electricity, targeting 100% renewable electricity use by 2029 and over 95% renewable energy installed capacity by the same year. K represents Kind Neighbor, aiming to improve community quality of life and create value while respecting human rights across the business chain. P signifies Partnership for Life, driving sustainable growth through investment and innovation to strengthen the region's energy security and create long-term value.

The Udon Thani Provincial Oversight Office has expressed alarm over a concrete road construction project that is less than half finished with only three days left before the contract expires on July 17, 2569. The 2.9-million-baht project, managed by Chiang Phen Subdistrict Administration in Pa Tiap District, is 1,500 meters long and was originally scheduled to be completed within 120 days.

On-site inspections revealed that the contractor has completed less than 50 percent of the work, making it virtually impossible to finish within the remaining time. The oversight office has issued mandatory directives to subdistrict officials, requiring strict enforcement of contract penalties if deadlines are missed and prohibiting any reduction in construction standards. Officials have been ordered to conduct rigorous quality inspections at every stage, particularly to prevent shortcuts in concrete curing and material standards. The office warned it will pursue legal action against any government officials found to falsify work acceptance reports or waive penalties owed by contractors. The office pledged to closely monitor the project to ensure the 2.9-million-baht budget delivers genuine public benefit.

Deputy Police Chief Utten Nuypin reported on July 20 that the investigative committee held its third meeting to establish a framework for examining the local government exam fraud case. The committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilpraphan, aims to submit findings to him this week and has gathered evidence on 70 percent of the issues under review.

The investigation is not limited to determining whether fraud occurred, but rather examines the entire process from recruitment and exam preparation through result announcement and hiring. The committee has identified more than 30 points of focus, divided into three stages: pre-exam, during-exam, and post-exam procedures. Representatives from the Royal Thai Police, Civil Service Commission, Office of the Council of State, and other relevant agencies participated in the review.

The committee is comparing local government exam procedures with those used by other government agencies and the Civil Service Commission to develop a unified standard operating procedure (SOP) that can be applied across all government competitive exams in the future. Although the committee has already identified some gaps and potential weak points in the process, it is premature to pinpoint the exact cause of the alleged fraud while data collection from all agencies continues. The investigation examines whether all involved agencies followed their mandates and regulations fully, and identifies areas requiring improvement to prevent future irregularities.