On August 4, 2025, Public Health Minister Phattana Prompan held a press conference following the eighth high-level meeting of the Public Health Ministry. He reported that the meeting reviewed progress on several key initiatives, including wellness programs, community health volunteer projects, and disaster preparedness for floods and landslides across 12 health regions. All areas have been instructed to conduct drills and prepare emergency communication systems, and to coordinate closely with provincial governors and relevant agencies.

Regarding the community health volunteer program (ASP), Phattana noted that applications have closed and are currently being compiled. A significant proportion of applicants hold bachelor's degrees. He emphasized that detailed analysis is still needed to assess regional workforce needs and training capacity, with selection focusing on quality—particularly for caring for bedridden patients, vulnerable groups, mothers and children, and those with mental health issues in communities.

When asked about the Mo Prom app showing medical records that don't match reality, and public requests for official letters to protect their insurance claims, Phattana said that after verifying the facts, if any data is found to be incorrect, the ministry will take all necessary steps to ensure citizens do not lose their rights. He confirmed that the system can verify whether patients actually received treatment before the data is used to confirm benefits.

Dr. Sophon Eamsirithawon, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Public Health, reported that the ministry has received approximately 13,000 complaints both online and in writing. Upon verification, about 7,000 are unique complainants, as some individuals reported the same issue multiple times. Data has been separated and sent to regional offices and health facilities for checking, with a national-level analysis underway. A progress report will be presented at Friday's meeting.

Dr. Somruk Chungsaman, Permanent Secretary of Public Health, stated that preliminary findings show most problems stem from data entry staff misunderstanding procedures, combined with high KPI targets. Regarding cases of deliberate data falsification for financial gain or fraud, the proportion is currently small and is being investigated jointly with the National Health Security Office (NHSO). Any wrongdoing will be prosecuted immediately.

Phattana reiterated that the ministry reaffirms its policy to return health data to the public through Mo Prom, noting the system merely displays data from service units and is not the source of errors. Data corrections will be made in the user-facing interface while original records are preserved in the backend for verification. If wrongdoing is discovered, action will be taken based on facts.

When reporters asked about documents or social media posts describing a "manual for generating hospital revenue," which victims suspect relates to data recording practices, Dr. Somruk welcomed the information for investigation.

Deputy Education Minister Akkanut Kanngittinant met with Swiss Ambassador Pedro Suhalen at the Swiss embassy in Bangkok on August 4 to review cooperation on improving education quality for youth in Thailand's southern border region. The discussion centered on a pilot education project supporting five schools across Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat provinces, designed to boost learning achievement through mother-tongue-based multilingual education (MTB/MLE) using Jawi Malay as the foundation language while following Thailand's national curriculum.

The nine-year program covers kindergarten through sixth grade, expanding annually. Prince of Songkla University is collaborating with Swiss agencies to develop curricula, teaching materials, and teacher training. Deputy Minister Akkanut emphasized that this multilingual approach represents a crucial educational innovation, helping students whose daily language is Malay dialect build bridges to Thai language learning and deeper content comprehension while developing long-term language proficiency.

Akkanut noted that the Education Ministry prioritizes reducing inequality and ensuring equal educational opportunity for all children as mandated by the constitution. However, over 80 percent of students in the southern border provinces attend private Islamic schools. The ministry is therefore coordinating through the Office of the Private Education Commission to extend the program's reach and genuinely support this target population.

Toyota Motor Thailand has unveiled the refreshed 2025 Alphard and Vellfire luxury seven-seater minivans under the "Seamless Serenity" concept, featuring an exclusive Ultimate Inclusive maintenance program that provides peace of mind throughout vehicle ownership.

The vehicles are powered by a new 2.5-liter hybrid engine combining a 2.5-liter dual VVT-i gasoline engine with dual electric motors, delivering smooth and powerful performance with fuel efficiency up to 17.9 km/liter. Both models feature a new four-wheel drive E-Four system and TNGA platform architecture for superior stability and grip, along with the latest Toyota Safety Sense technology and six airbags.

New variant highlights include:

Alphard HEV Smart (3.59 million baht): Features 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and taillights with sequential turn signals, 14-inch touchscreen audio system with navigation and T-Connect, premium Nappa leather seats with power adjustment and heating/ventilation on front rows, massage and smart comfort functions on second-row seats, detachable tablet control for seat and cabin functions, privacy glass, motorized window shades for rear passengers, automatic dimming mirror, and quad-zone automatic air conditioning with nanoe X.

Alphard HEV Premium (4.29 million baht): Adds new automatic retractable side steps, dual moon roof with motorized shade for rear passengers, color HUD display, digital mirror, 14-inch rear passenger display, and 4K front and rear dash cameras.

Vellfire HEV Premium (4.29 million baht): Offers sport-luxury styling with Vellfire-specific LED lights with sequential indicators and distinctive front and rear bumpers.

Alphard HEV Premium Luxury (4.59 million baht): Top-tier model providing first-class riding experience with new automatic retractable side steps and premium styling.

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) is continuing to develop hydro-floating solar hybrid power projects that combine floating solar farms with existing hydropower plants ...

The National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), together with Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna Lampang, Maejo University–Chumphon, Prince of Songkla Unive...

Egg and pork farmers are preparing to raise farm-gate prices in response to surging animal feed costs. Mixed-grade eggs are expected to climb to 4 baht per unit, while pork is projected to reach 70–78 baht per kilogram.

Phayyao Arikun, chairwoman of the Central Small-Scale Egg Farmers' Association, revealed that farms are currently battling poultry disease, which has slashed egg output by 20 percent. Last week, animal feed prices rose by 6 baht per 30-kilogram sack, jumping from 440 to 446 baht. This has driven up production costs while egg yields fall and shortages emerge in some areas. Although current farm-gate prices for mixed eggs stand at 3.80 baht per unit, traders have already maxed out sales at that ceiling. A further increase of 20 satang per unit—bringing prices to 4 baht per egg—is expected soon. Farmers, however, are hoping to delay price hikes as long as possible to support consumers.

Sittipan Tanakiartiphiyo, chairman of the National Swine Farmers' Association, indicated that on August 5 the association and its partners will discuss pork prices again. There is a strong likelihood that live-pig prices will rise another 2 baht per kilogram, pushing farm-gate pork to 70–78 baht per kilogram, with any adjustment taking effect on August 6.

The cost pressures stem mainly from soaring feed-ingredient prices. Corn, a primary feed input, has climbed from 9 baht to 13 baht per kilogram. Soybean meal, another crucial ingredient, has jumped from 13 to 17 baht per kilogram. Wheat and rice prices have also risen. At the same time, pork supplies are tightening relative to consumer demand.