Phuket is targeting an 80% cut in daily food waste by 2040, with up to 50 local administrative bodies joining efforts to tackle the province's 470-500 tonnes of daily waste.
PHUKET: Phuket officials are targeting an 80% reduction in food waste by 2040, with at least 50 local administrative organisations expected to take part in efforts to tackle the province’s estimated 470-500 tonnes of food waste generated each day.
Taiwanese rock band Mayday reunited for an emotional concert at Bangkok's Impact Arena on August 1–2, their first Thailand performance in over 20 years, drawing nostalgic crowds and performing new material alongside classic hits.
F✦FOREVER delivered an emotional and lavish concert experience for Thai fans in their first world tour stop at Impact Arena Bangkok on August 1–2. The concert marked the group's return to Thailand after more than 20 years, reuniting members Jerry Yan, Vanness Wu, Vic Chou, and Ashin from the Taiwanese rock band Mayday. As a giant screen rose to reveal the four members on a star-shaped stage, deafening cheers erupted from the crowd, overwhelmed by two decades of nostalgia.
Vanness Wu greeted the audience in Thai, saying "hello" and "I love you," while Vic Chou asked for more energy from the fans. Jerry Yan recalled filming memories in Thailand and expressed deep gratitude to his bandmates for making this dream reunion possible. Vic Chou noted that after returning to Thailand after so long, he recognized many familiar faces in the audience and media, praising everyone's enduring youthfulness. Ashin humorously asked about visiting late-night restaurants and expressed his love for Thai pad krapow pork.
All four members performed with full commitment, introducing new songs from their latest album and showcasing their artistic growth. Vanness Wu playfully incorporated Thai pop lyrics, while Vic Chou drew screams during "Make a Wish." Jerry Yan dedicated "Wo Shi Zhen De Zhen De Hen Ai Ni" as thanks to loyal fans who supported him through difficult times. Ashin brought a new track, "Alive," performed in a Thai-inspired arrangement after visiting famous Thai tourist attractions. The concert concluded with "Liu Xing Yu," a nostalgic song that transported fans back to their youth, cementing the event as a once-in-a-lifetime reunion for many.
The Supreme Prosecutors have dropped charges against Tantaiz Nrongkul and five others in a 4.5 billion baht money laundering case linked to illegal film streaming and gambling websites. The decision came after prosecutors determined insuffi
On August 13, 2025, the Special Cases Prosecutors' Office notified the Supreme Prosecutors' decision to drop charges against Tantaiz Nrongkul, CEO of Titan Capital Group Holdings, and five others in connection with a money laundering case involving alleged copyright infringement, illegal streaming, and gambling website involvement worth over 4.5 billion baht. The case concerned the alleged unlicensed distribution of 63 foreign films owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment and 64 other companies through the MovieToFree website.
The Supreme Prosecutors determined that because the underlying copyright infringement case remains under investigation with prosecutors, defendants three, five, and eight through eleven were not charged as co-conspirators in the copyright violation. Special investigation officer Sriprae Buajam testified that Tantaiz used the online name "Tantaiz/Tantaiz.1688" and was involved in advertising sales and website system maintenance, working with a technical team called "Deep."
Witness Thale Chatsutthee, a website owner, confirmed that around early 2018 he purchased film files after contacting "Tantaiz.1688" via Line messaging, and that defendant three requested gambling website advertising be placed on his site, with 6,000 baht transferred to a Krung Thai Bank account on August 17, 2018. However, Thale could not confirm that he purchased the film files directly from defendant three, only that defendant three requested the gambling advertisements.
Reusing disposable plastic bottles can harbor more bacteria than toilet seats due to narrow threads that trap saliva and food particles, warns a Thai pharmacist, as PET material also degrades and releases harmful chemicals.
Many people reuse disposable plastic water bottles to cut costs and reduce waste, but experts warn this habit carries hidden health risks. Pharmacist Chen Shiyou posted on Facebook on August 11 that most plastic water bottles are designed for single use only. When drinking, saliva, food particles, and bacteria from the mouth enter the bottle and lodge in the bottle's threads, which are too narrow to clean thoroughly. In hot and humid conditions, bacteria multiply rapidly, and research has found that bacterial levels at the cap of reused plastic bottles can exceed those on household toilet seats.
Beyond bacterial contamination, most disposable plastic bottles are made from PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) material, which degrades under friction, repeated washing, and high temperatures. This degradation creates microscopic scratches invisible to the naked eye, which not only provide crevices for bacteria to accumulate but also allow the bottle to release small plastic particles and chemicals. Long-term ingestion of these particles may pose health risks.
Chen recommends avoiding the reuse of single-use plastic bottles. If temporary use is necessary, fill only with room-temperature water and discard immediately if scratches, deformation, or unusual odors appear. Even when using reusable water bottles or glasses, thoroughly clean the rim and seals daily to prevent saliva residue and bacterial growth.
Six people were wounded in a knife and shotgun attack at a fair in Nakhon Ratchasima's Dan Khun Thot district Wednesday night, allegedly triggered by a dispute over a stolen motorcycle.
NAKHON RATCHASIMA — Six people were injured after a group of assailants allegedly used knives and a homemade shotgun at a local fair in Dan Khun Thot district late Wednesday night on 12 August 2026.
The shooting occurred at about 22:30 near the Phor Khun Thot Monument, where the Chim Shop Chai food-and-shopping event was being held. Police intervened and later detained one suspect, while others fled the scene.
Rescue workers took the injured to Luang Pho Khun Parisuttho Dan Khun Thot Hospital. Some seriously injured victims were transferred to Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital.
Event organiser Prakob Patithin said the group attacked people with knives before firing a Thai-made shotgun loaded with luk roi ammunition, which disperses pellets widely when fired. The attack came as vendors were packing up at the end of the event.
The injured included a man with knife wounds to his back and finger; another man shot in the back and injured in the right arm; a seriously injured man struck by 13 pellets across his body and arm; a woman shot twice in the leg and hit in the back by pellet fragments; another woman shot in the left arm; and a man with nine shotgun wounds in the back.
Police said their preliminary investigation indicated the dispute began when the suspects allegedly tried to steal a parked motorcycle. The owner reportedly confronted them and, with help from the event organiser, detained one of them.
One suspect then allegedly escaped, returned with friends armed with knives and a shotgun, and carried out the attack.
Dan Khun Thot police are questioning the detained suspect and have sent forensic officers to test him for gunshot residue. Officers are continuing to search for the remaining suspects.
Thailand's Prime Minister has banned shotguns as raffle prizes for local officials, ordering the Department of Provincial Administration to replace firearms with cash or commemorative items instead following a controversial giveaway on Koh
BANGKOK — On 13 August 2026, Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered the Department of Provincial Administration to immediately stop awarding shotguns as raffle prizes, following an incident in which five long-barrelled shotguns were offered at a Kamnan and village headmen's celebration on Koh Phangan.
Speaking at Impact Muang Thong Thani at 10:20, Department of Provincial Administration chief Narucha Khosa-siwilais said the government's policy was to control the number of firearms in circulation, including by suspending the issuance of Por 3 firearm-acquisition permits.
He said kamnan and village headmen would no longer receive guns as prizes. Organisers must instead offer rewards of equivalent value, such as cash or commemorative pins.
"The urgent policy at present is that this must be cancelled or suspended first," Narucha said, adding that regulations allow prizes to be replaced with items of comparable value.
The shotguns raffled at Koh Phangan last week still require Por 3 permits before they can be legally obtained, he said. As permits have now been suspended nationwide through a central database system, officials will review the case and the recipients.
Narucha also addressed concerns over the suspension of the welfare firearm scheme for officials, which some police officers say could make their work more difficult. He said welfare firearms were intended for officials carrying out public-order duties, but the scheme must also be suspended under the urgent policy to limit firearms, in order to treat state officials and the public equally.
Officials may carry firearms only while on duty and where they have written authorisation from a supervisor assigning them to public-order duties in their area of responsibility, he said. Police stations and government agencies must issue orders covering officers authorised to carry guns for duty.
Anutin, speaking shortly beforehand at the same venue, said he had instructed the department chief to cancel the policy and replace firearms with other prizes.
PHUKET: A new 99-bed accommodation facility offering free stays for patients receiving treatment at Vachira Phuket Hospital and their relatives has been completed and officially opened in Ratsada.
PHUKET: A new 99-bed accommodation facility offering free stays for patients receiving treatment at Vachira Phuket Hospital and their relatives has been completed and officially opened in Ratsada.
A 26-year-old bigbike influencer was jailed for four months after recklessly riding his motorcycle at high speed on Bangkok's Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, weaving dangerously between lanes and endangering other drivers.
On August 13, 2569, senior traffic police officers ordered officers from the Vibhavadi Rangsit traffic control centre to arrest Veeraphet (surname withheld), 26, together with his grey Honda CBR motorcycle with Bangkok registration plates. He was charged with driving without regard for the safety of others' lives and bodies.
The suspect is a popular bigbike influencer who, during March and April 2569, rode his motorcycle on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road (outbound) in Ladyao subdistrict, Chatuchak district, Bangkok. He drove at high speed while revving the engine, weaving abruptly between lanes without signalling to other road users.
This continuous, reckless weaving at close distances, combined with high speed, made it impossible for other drivers to predict his direction and posed a serious danger. The offences were recorded at two locations: near Kasetsart University and near the Special Patrol and Operations Division station. Such driving showed no regard for road safety and risked accidents or injury.
On August 10 at 1:30 p.m., the suspect met with investigators, who explained the charges and impounded the motorcycle as evidence. The suspect confessed to all allegations. On August 11, Phranakhon North District Court sentenced him to four months in jail, an 8,000-baht fine, forfeiture of the motorcycle, and a two-year suspended sentence.
Other violations included improper lane positioning, unpaid annual road tax, incomplete motorcycle controls, and reckless driving causing alarm. The suspect was penalised for these infractions.
A teacher honored her late brother's final wish as he passed away peacefully one day before his birthday, ending 44 years of suffering following a military accident in 1982 that left him blind.
Teacher Sala carried out her mother's final wishes by standing with her brother, Sergeant Major Uthon Kunwut, as he passed away without pain or suffering. His life had seemed so promising in youth—he enlisted as a conscript, continued his education, and earned the rank of Sergeant Major in the Music Corps. Just three months into his military service in May 1982, however, a severe accident left him unconscious for two months. When he regained consciousness, his eyesight was nearly gone, and he endured 44 years of painful, difficult life. On August 10, 2026, his suffering ended one day before his birthday (August 11, 1951). Uthon was the family's firstborn and the first teacher to guide Sala in songwriting, singing, and music—his instrument of choice was trumpet. Had the accident not occurred, he would have been the family's first professional composer. Teacher Sala later posted on Mother's Day, standing beside a photograph of her brother and expressing that she had fulfilled her mother's wish to see him off peacefully, saying she would finally be able to stand beside him in this way. Entertainment figures and fans shared their condolences.
A landowner's daughter clarifies her late father intended to build a temple on 21 rai of land in Khon Kaen but never formally transferred ownership, sparking a legal dispute with heirs now contesting the temple's claims.
The daughter of a landowner has spoken out to clarify that her father genuinely intended to build a temple but did not donate the land itself. She argues that once her father passed away, everything becomes void because the temple was never actually constructed.
The dispute began when heirs of the landowner claimed rights to 21 rai of land at Paa Adulayaram Temple in Muang District, Khon Kaen Province, which the father, known as Hiang, had pledged in 1990. The heirs contested that no formal land transfer ever occurred, leading to a court case where both the lower court and appeals court dismissed their claims. The situation escalated when a group of about 30-40 men blocked the temple entrance with concrete pipes.
On August 13, 2026, a reporter visited the home of Buean, the third daughter of Hiang and Noi, who filed the lawsuit jointly with her mother. Buean explained that her father was a village headman and land seller. Of his total 42 rai of land, he allocated 10 rai to Khon Kaen University and about 21 rai for the temple, with another 5-6 rai of marshland. The area was originally forest until Buddhist nuns built a small dwelling there. Moved by their presence, her father purchased a structure for them, which gradually inspired his intention to build a temple. However, he never formally donated the land to anyone.
Buean recounted that after her father obtained a land title deed in August 1, he presented it at a merit-making ceremony to the abbot, showing villagers his intention to build the temple using that land—though he did not actually transfer ownership. The temple displayed the deed on its wall to announce the planned construction. Eventually, people with ulterior motives sought to seize the land entirely, triggering the dispute.
Buean admitted that she and her siblings gave up the fight due to lack of financial resources to compete with organized interests. Her niece Daa, who lives in Bangkok and works as a real estate agent, took over the case with the family's support. After her father's death, everyone understood that all intentions became void since the temple was never actually built, Buean said. The family had originally discussed dividing the disputed 6 rai among nine siblings after their father's death, in line with his wishes, but lacked the means to pursue it against those seeking to claim the land.
"Everything is now being handled by Daa, and she should be the one interviewed by the media," Buean stated, reaffirming that the land legally belongs to Hiang. She noted that if the temple were truly to be built, the land title should reflect that ownership.
Thailand's Defense Ministry said plans for a US drone manufacturing facility remain in early study stages with no formal agreements yet, as officials continue assessing feasibility and potential technology transfer benefits.
The Defense Ministry spokesman clarified on August 13 that the United States setting up a drone manufacturing facility in Thailand remains in the study and feasibility assessment phase, with no formal agreements yet on which systems would be produced. Pol. Maj. Gen. Surasant Kongsiri explained that the permanent secretary's recent visit to the United States was an opportunity to gather information, observe technology, and demonstrate Thailand's capacity to develop and support low-cost unmanned systems such as LUCAS.
He confirmed that no binding agreements, commitments, or specifications exist regarding which systems must be manufactured, nor has the US received approval to establish a drone factory in Thailand. All activities remain in the detailed study phase, including feasibility assessment and determining a technology transfer framework that maximizes Thailand's benefits.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Surasant emphasized that Thailand has long pursued defense industry development, with unmanned systems and drone technology among key growth areas. The government and Defense Ministry prioritize defense industry development with the goal of long-term self-reliance. Therefore, learning and studying technology from expert nations is essential through various mechanisms including offset policies, technology transfer agreements, co-production arrangements, defense industrial base development, and joint investment to strengthen Thai military capabilities and industrial capacity.