Prime Minister Anuthin Charnvirakul and Interior Minister attended the "Thai Crafts OTOP: Touching Hearts with Royal Blessing" 2569 exhibition during Mother's Day celebrations, held August 8-16 at Challenger Hall 1-3, Impact Muang Thong Thani. This was the PM's fourth visit following inspection trips on August 8-9 and the official opening on August 10. During his tour, Anuthin joined The Palette band on stage to perform, inviting audience members to sing along and dancing with young visitors in a relaxed, friendly manner that created a festive atmosphere throughout the venue.

From local politician to three-term member of parliament, Chalor Riewrang built both renown and notoriety, earning legendary nicknames along the way. Today, his life has reached its lowest point after he was charged with shooting Thongchai Yenprasert, chairman of the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organization, resulting in Yenprasert's death.

Chalor began by building his political base in local government before entering the national arena. He switched parties countless times, eventually winning election as Nonthaburi MP three times: in 1996 under the Thai Nation Party, 2005 under Thai Rak Thai, and 2011 under For Thailand Party.

The nickname "Lung Snake Charmer" came from voting against his own party line in 1997, when he and 12 other MPs supported Chuan Leekpai for prime minister. The nickname "Lung Bootleg CD" stemmed from allegations that he was involved in a bootleg CD operation; police raided his home but found no evidence of wrongdoing.

He faced another case for filing false asset and debt declarations to the National Anti-Corruption Commission. The Supreme Court convicted him in 2019, sentencing him to one month in jail and a 4,000-baht fine, with the sentence suspended for one year.

His political star began fading steadily. In the 2019 election, he ran under the Palang Pracharath Party but lost. In 2020, he challenged for the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organization chair under the Nonthaburi Power Group banner but lost to the same Thongchai Yenprasert—the man he would later shoot.

After that defeat, Chalor quietly faded from the political spotlight. Though he joined the Thai Pride Party in 2022, he never regained any significant role.

Then on August 10, Chalor fired a 9-millimeter weapon at Thongchai, killing him, and wounded Thongchai's driver. Chalor claimed the shooting was over an 11-million-baht debt, but the Provincial Administrative Organization and Thongchai's associates denied any such debt existed.

Regardless of the facts, the answer must come through the justice system, not through the barrel of a gun. The court denied bail, and Chalor is now held in prison pending trial.

This is not merely the end of one politician's career, but a cautionary tale for all in politics. Power is fleeting, reputation is fragile, and the high walls built on political gain can crumble at any moment. When trouble comes, no office ranks above the law.

This lesson extends beyond serious crime to serious political wrongs—corruption, abuse of power, defrauding the nation and the people. Whether one uses a gun or abuses power while believing oneself above the law, the price one eventually pays may exceed the walls one built. And when that day comes, no position, no party, no ally can reach out to help. It is then a tiger's paw.

Dr. Namthip Vibhavin, president of the Thai Library Association and lecturer at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, has objected to a Cabinet-approved civil service reform plan that would eliminate librarian positions as part of broader public sector restructuring. The government, led by Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilpraphan's human resources policy committee, justified the cuts by citing that personnel costs account for 70 percent of the annual budget and proposing to phase out 11 job categories as staff retire.

While supportive of civil service reform in principle, Dr. Namthip argued that eliminating specialized professional positions like librarianship is counterproductive. He noted that librarians are experts in managing knowledge, data, and information systems—comparable in importance to doctors or nurses—and that the profession has evolved significantly to encompass both physical and digital media management. He criticized the government for implementing the policy without consulting educational institutions or relevant agencies, stressing that librarians are few in number within the civil service and therefore contribute minimally to budget savings.

Dr. Namthip emphasized that Thailand has over 30,000 libraries nationwide, including approximately 800–900 public libraries and more than 150 academic institutions, each requiring at least one qualified librarian. He warned that eliminating librarian positions would harm Thailand's international reputation, particularly ahead of the planned 2029 IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Bangkok, which the Thai Library Association is bidding to host. The association is meanwhile working with professional standards bodies to elevate librarian competencies to international levels.

Thai drift racer Po Tanuphat Lerthtaveevit has been featured by Drift Masters, an international drift racing championship, as he prepares to compete at the world-class event between August 13–15 in Germany. The appearance of a Thai racer on the global stage has captured the interest of Thai motorsport fans, who are encouraging Po Tanuphat to give his all in this major competition. Moving from Thailand to the world stage, the Thai racer is ready to demonstrate his talent and heart on the Drift Masters circuit.

Thai actor Pond Naravit brought his mother and grandmother to a public event together for the first time, appearing at a Mother's Day occasion. The event gave him an opportunity to share a deeply personal story he had never revealed publicly before: when his mother was eight months pregnant, she contracted dengue fever, and doctors presented his father with an impossible choice between saving the mother or the child.

Pond revealed that he has known about his mother's dengue diagnosis during pregnancy for a long time, but was hesitant to share it with others because of its sensitive nature and the sadness it brought whenever he thought about it. He expressed deep pride in how much he has grown and reached this point in his life.

When asked if this was the first time bringing his mother and grandmother to an event, Pond said it was indeed the first time. He noted that his mother is normally shy, but was willing to attend after learning about the event. He explained that he doesn't need to brief them much because they have attended many of his events and understand what to expect. On Mother's Day, he tries to make time to stay home and at least share dinner with them, acknowledging that their work schedule is quite demanding.

When asked what he wanted to tell his mother and grandmother, Pond said: "I'm grateful to have been born as your child and grandson. Even though life has had its share of difficulties, you have raised me to be a good person. I believe that."

Regarding when he learned about his mother's dengue illness, Pond said he had known for a long time but was reluctant to share it, feeling it should come from his mother herself. He admitted being somewhat shocked that she found the courage to tell the story. He said that knowing about this experience makes him always forgive his mother when conflicts arise, recognizing that surviving dengue while eight months pregnant is no easy feat.

When asked if his mother's decision to share was a difficult one, Pond acknowledged being surprised when she told him. He noted that the doctors gave them a choice that day, but he was grateful his mother fought through and not only survived the illness but he was also born healthy.

Pond said that today he has many loved ones around him. He doesn't verbally express his affection 100 percent of the time, but instead focuses on actions with his family. He and his mother are very close, almost like friends, and they share stories about their lives with each other.

When asked if his mother and grandmother expressed how proud they are of him, Pond explained that his mother is not very vocal, but his grandmother is the one who speaks constantly. His grandmother regularly sends him messages saying how proud and talented he is, and she watches over him all the time.

As he has become the head of the family, Pond said he doesn't like to frame his actions as favors or obligations. He wants his mother and grandmother to feel at ease, not burdened. He emphasized that he focuses on actions rather than words, believing that deep down they understand his feelings, but he wants them to feel comfortable and not think they are a burden to their son.

When asked if he is proud, Pond responded with heartfelt affirmation: "I am very proud. I never thought it would turn out this way."

Phuket — On Wenesday morning (August 12th), the people of Phuket gathered in solemn unity to pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, The Queen Mother, on the occasion of her birthday anniversary and National Mother’s Day. At 7:00 a.m., Governor Chotnarin Kerdsom presided over the royal merit-making ceremony at Mahisorn Auditorium at Phuket Provincial Hall. […]