PHUKET: Phuket police are monitoring 26 individuals and groups identified as “influential figures” or even as “hired gunmen”, including people linked to land encroachment and drug-related offences, according to information presented to a parliamentary committee visiting the province.

PHUKET: More than 400 Phuket applications for hotel licences have been stuck in the regulatory system since 2018, with authorities now saying they are clearing the backlog after processing more than 300 applications in the past two months.

PHUKET: An unidentified middle-aged man was found floating in a private lagoon in Thalang on Saturday (Aug 8), with police estimating he had been dead for between 12 and 18 hours.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekoniti Nititundtrapaisal announced a comprehensive SME support initiative directing state banks to channel reduced fund contributions into the "SME Credit Boost" and "Quick Debt Closure" programs. The Finance Ministry expressed concern over rising debt among small and medium enterprises and said it has been working closely with the Bank of Thailand to address SME problems as a special case. Existing measures with commercial banks are progressing well, particularly the "SME Credit Boost" program, which has begun disbursing credit into the system and giving entrepreneurs greater access to funding alongside the "Quick Debt Closure" initiative. To expand assistance further, the Finance Ministry is preparing a policy for state-owned financial institutions to help SMEs in parallel with commercial banks, with a key measure being reduced contributions to the special financial institution development fund. Nititundtrapaisal explained that the reduction in state bank contributions would free up liquidity to fund targeted SME projects, including state bank versions of "Quick Debt Closure" and "SME Credit Boost," while maintaining financial institution stability. He also noted that the Small Industry Credit Guarantee Corporation would support the SME Credit Boost program to encourage lending. On budget adequacy, he confirmed current funding is sufficient but emphasized the need to time disbursements carefully, and tasked relevant agencies with calculating exact amounts freed from reduced state bank contributions to design programs with maximum benefit to SME operators.

The Thai Meteorology Department forecasts continued heavy rain in parts of Thailand over the next 24 hours due to a monsoon trough affecting the upper northern region and northern Laos, combined with a strengthening southwest monsoon over the Andaman Sea, Thailand, and the Gulf of Thailand. The public is warned to be alert for severe to very heavy rain and accumulated rainfall that may cause flash floods and flash flooding, particularly in foothill areas near water channels and low-lying zones.

Wave conditions in the upper Andaman Sea and upper Gulf of Thailand are moderately strong, with waves 2–3 meters high, rising above 3 meters in thunderstorm areas. Mariners are advised to navigate with caution and avoid thunderstorm zones. Small boats in the upper Andaman Sea and upper Gulf should remain ashore.

Regional forecasts for the 24-hour period from 6 a.m. today to 6 a.m. tomorrow:

Northern Region: Thunderstorms in 70 percent of areas with some heavy rainfall. Affected provinces include Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Phayao, Nan, Uttaradit, Tak, Phitsanulok, and Phetchabun. Low 22–27°C, high 32–34°C. Southwest winds 10–20 km/h.

Northeastern Region: Thunderstorms in 70 percent of areas with some heavy rainfall. Affected provinces include Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Udon Thani, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Yasothon, Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Sisaket, and Ubon Ratchathani. Low 24–25°C, high 29–33°C. Southwest winds 10–20 km/h.

Central Region: Thunderstorms in 40 percent of areas with some heavy rainfall in Lopburi, Saraburi, and Kanchanaburi. Low 24–26°C, high 32–36°C. Southwest winds 10–25 km/h.

Eastern Region: Thunderstorms in 70 percent of areas with some heavy rainfall in Nakhon Nayok, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chanthaburi, and Trat. Low 24–26°C, high 31–33°C. Southwest winds 20–40 km/h. Sea waves 2–3 meters, exceeding 3 meters in thunderstorm areas.

Southern Region (East Coast): Thunderstorms in 30 percent of areas, mainly in Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, and Chumphon. Low 23–27°C, high 32–35°C. Southwest winds 20–35 km/h. Waves 1–2 meters offshore, exceeding 2 meters in thunderstorm zones.

Southern Region (West Coast): Thunderstorms in 30 percent of areas with some heavy rainfall in Ranong and Phang Nga. Low 24–27°C, high 30–34°C. From Phuket upward: southwest winds 20–40 km/h, waves 2–3 meters, exceeding 3 meters in thunderstorms. From Krabi downward: southwest winds 20–35 km/h, waves around 2 meters, exceeding 2 meters in thunderstorms.

Bangkok and Vicinity: Thunderstorms in 60 percent of areas. Low 26–27°C, high 32–33°C. Southwest winds 10–25 km/h.

On August 10, a TikTok user and patrol officer from Rayong Province posted a video of a routine neighborhood check that led to an encounter with a young woman requesting to be taken to a shelter due to methamphetamine intoxication. While patrolling on a motorcycle, the officer spotted a dark figure sitting in a poorly lit, isolated area on a footpath near some construction cones and stopped to investigate for safety reasons. When the officer asked what she was doing there, the woman approached and said she had been smoking drugs and asked if she could go to a police station or shelter. The officer asked how much she had used, and she admitted to consuming a large amount, saying she was so intoxicated that she had been talking to herself and hallucinating. She requested the officer to take her to a shelter, and the officer proceeded to provide assistance based on her condition and confession.