August 13, 2026 — Deputy Police Colonel Aratchwasit Sriboonmanannont, superintendent of Anti-Money Laundering Division 3, led officers from the division's Anti-Money Laundering Bureau in cooperation with Regional Police Unit 6 and Bang Rak Police Station in the arrest of four call center scam gang members: Nattapong, 33; Huynh (Vietnamese national), 38; Tang (Chinese national), 38; and So Mo Thaw (Myanmar national), 29. The first three were arrested in Bangkok, while the fourth was apprehended in Mae Sot district, Tak province.

The case began on August 6 when Bang Rak Police received a complaint from a 22-year-old university student who reported that on August 2, he received a call from a scammer posing as an AIS telecommunications officer, claiming a phone number registered in his name was being used for online gambling. The caller then transferred him to someone claiming to be a Ranong Provincial Police officer.

The fake officer told the victim that his bank account was linked to money laundering and that he needed to transfer funds for investigation. The victim made 10 bank transfers and handed over cash on 3 occasions in person to a masked individual, totaling 12,356,609 baht. The gang instructed him to delete all chat records and photos, then told him to visit a nearby police station to retrieve a check from officers. When the victim went to Yannawa Police Station, he discovered the fraud and filed a report.

Investigators traced the operation to Nattapong, who has a history of drug-related offenses and had been hiding in the Lat Krabang area. Following his arrest, police tracked down and arrested the three other suspects. Authorities have issued arrest warrants for nine additional gang members and seized approximately 1 million baht in cash during the operation. An additional 12 million baht in suspect accounts has been frozen, which may be linked to fraud cases involving other victims.

Luang Pho Odul has expressed concern about being blackmailed rather than physically harmed, after a mysterious woman came to his door calling at 4 a.m. He reassured family members and lay disciples that he is taking precautions, avoiding receiving visitors alone and refusing to attend external engagements unaccompanied.

On August 13, 2025, at Wat Pa Odulyaram temple in Khon Kaen province, Phra Kru Odul Sarnnithet, the abbot, returned from a scheduled dialysis treatment at Srinakarin Hospital in Khon Kaen. Upon arriving at the temple, relatives helped him walk to his quarters. His sister Naddha then entered with family members and press. Luang Pho Odul assured his sister about his health, noting that police are monitoring the situation and that lay attendants are keeping watch. He emphasized that he takes personal precautions: when relatives visit, temple staff are present; when he has outside engagements, he never travels alone.

Luang Pho Odul also revealed that a woman of ill intent previously came to his door at 4 a.m., but he did not answer. He is not fearful of physical harm but rather of blackmail and reputational damage. He also called for government officials to act neutrally and not be swayed by orders from any particular faction. He noted that his heir has reported him for drug testing four times, and authorities have complied each time, appearing to follow the heir's directives. Despite these concerns, he affirmed that he is not afraid and will not relocate. His sister Naddha spent a short time with him before returning home.

The Thailand Junior Championship, or AJGA International Fairway Series, runs August 14-16, 2025 at Alpine Golf Resort in Ban Thi district, Lamphun province, with an official practice round on August 13 that drew strong engagement. An evening seminar on overseas education was held by IMG Academy and the International Preparatory Golf Center, attracting young golfers and parents to the resort's main conference room. The competition features 120 junior golfers from multiple nations—72 boys and 48 girls—selected as top performers from various qualification paths including Thailand Golf Association rankings, national team players for 2026, and international invitees. Competitors are divided into age brackets (under 18) competing over three days in stroke play format for 54 holes, with separate boys and girls divisions. The tournament is managed by Global Golf Management Company. Champions and top finishers earn invitations to major junior events, including the AJGA full season, NextGen Amateur World Finals 2026, Thailand Junior Masters, Blackmountain Asian Junior Masters 2027, US Kids Golf Thailand Championship 2027, and Thailand Junior Championship AJGA IPS 2027. The opening ceremony was attended by Panthapree Dapngan (Regional Sports Development Director) and Pro Boom Pratchai Ratkul (Tournament Director), followed by an education seminar featuring coaches Greg Robertson from Texas Christian University and Taylor Riggs from Iowa State University, along with representatives from IMG Academy and IPGA, advising young golfers on scholarships and university golf programs in the United States.

On August 13, a criminal court acquitted actress Savika Chaiyadech (Pingky), her mother Sarinya Chaiyadech, and her brother Kittisesth Chaiyadech of charges involving fraudulent loan schemes and Computer Act violations in a forex 3D case. At 9 p.m., Sarinya was released from Bangkok Women's Correctional Prison and was warmly embraced by waiting relatives outside the facility.

Sarinya expressed gratitude to the court for showing mercy to the family, saying she was happy that she and others were released, though she felt sad for those still inside and wished all her children could be freed. She noted that Pingky did not come to receive her due to work obligations, but they had embraced at the courthouse earlier in the day after the verdict was announced.

Pingky told her mother she had missed her every day and expressed concern about readjusting to life outside prison after such a long incarceration. Regarding whether the Department of Special Investigation would appeal, Sarinya said they had fought with their full capability and would be ready to continue fighting if necessary. When asked if they were prepared for an appeal, she reflected philosophically that life is a journey full of uncertainty, but she hoped for justice from the court. She concluded that the four years already spent should be put behind them, and being released today is fortunate enough.

On August 13, Major Yoswat Kaewsubthanynich, superintendent of Khon Kaen City Police Station, updated progress on summonings issued to Pa Da, a 62-year-old woman named Chommani, to face charges of trespassing. Investigators reviewed video clips recorded by citizens showing a group blocking the entrance and exits of Wat Pa Adulayaram in Khon Kaen Municipality on August 10. Evidence from the video, combined with witness testimony gathered during the investigation, confirms that Pa Da was among those involved in the incident.

Major Yoswat noted that although Pa Da did not enter the temple grounds herself, her participation clearly constituted interference with the temple's property rights. Police have also identified approximately 5–6 other individuals involved, along with the source of a cement truck and the person who brought pipes to the site. These individuals will receive summonses for questioning and to hear the charges against them.

Meanwhile, Pongsuwat Chaidtontuek, the Khon Kaen Provincial Land Officer, addressed claims that heirs had filed for a replacement title deed, suggesting the facts may indicate a false report. He explained that whether guilt applies depends on the intent of the applicants and the findings of investigators. The heirs managing the estate on behalf of Buakai claimed the title deed was lost and presented two witnesses to confirm this, attaching a police report as supporting documentation. However, they later indicated during a follow-up that the deed was actually in the abbot's possession, contradicting their original statement.

"If that is the case, it constitutes a false report because statements were given to the land official. By authority, we must file a false report case against the land officer. Whether there is guilt depends on further investigation. If Buakai genuinely believed the deed was lost, there would be no intent; but if she knew it was not lost and still filed the report, it amounts to filing a false report," Pongsuwat said.

Three parties may be considered victims: the land official who received the statement, the police officer who took the report of the lost deed, and the temple, which holds rights under court judgment. To proceed with filing the false report case, the land office must first wait for the abbot to present the original deed and formally object. Since the application process has not yet issued a replacement deed and is currently in the announcement phase allowing stakeholders to file objections, should the abbot present the original deed and it is verified as authentic and not lost, the land officer will cancel the replacement application. A replacement deed can only be issued if the original is genuinely lost or damaged. Once the deed is confirmed as not lost, it does not meet the criteria for issuance. The case will then be referred to investigators and forwarded as a false report filing.

Police are pursuing a man known as Sueua, 45, after he allegedly shot his coworker Ballang, 33, in the forehead outside a used car lot in Bang Pa-In district, Ayutthaya province in the early hours of August 13. Ballang died at Rajdhani Hospital after receiving treatment for severe gunshot wounds. His body has been sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Pathum Thani for autopsy. Investigators from Bang Pa-In Police Station gathered evidence and requested an arrest warrant from Ayutthaya Provincial Court. Police also questioned a 67-year-old man named Uncle Maa for information after finding clues about Sueua's escape route. Officers discovered that Sueua may have hidden in a rice field area in Uthai district, Ayutthaya, but he was not found during their search. At the site, police found one set of clothing believed to be what Sueua wore after the shooting, two empty bottles of rice whiskey, and the remains of a campfire, suggesting he used the area as a temporary shelter before fleeing. Uncle Maa revealed that he regularly walks through the rice fields and typically returns home around 6 p.m. This morning at approximately 6 a.m., he discovered the campfire, signs of grilled fish, two empty whiskey bottles, and an abandoned factory uniform, but did not initially know it belonged to the shooter. Maa confirmed he had no prior knowledge of Sueua's involvement and provided no shelter. He said he knows Sueua because the latter frequents the area to fish and they last met about two days ago. Maa described Sueua as hot-tempered and noted he frequently argued with his wife but never mentioned problems with coworkers. Maa also stated he has no mobile phone and does not use social media, so he was unaware of the incident. Maa later guided reporters to the rice field location, approximately 6 to 7 kilometers from the crime scene, accessible only by dirt road. The area showed signs of habitation, including a pile of firewood, camping traces, and two whiskey bottles on a stone table. Police are examining the evidence to link it to the suspect. According to Maa, Sueua fled on a Honda Wave motorcycle of unknown color without working headlights. Police are urgently pursuing Sueua and gathering evidence from CCTV footage, witnesses, and physical evidence found at the scene to determine the motive and proceed with prosecution.