The Parliamentary Police Commission is preparing to summon the Department of Special Investigation to examine allegations that a Phuket opposition MP is connected to a financial network involving nominee companies. Watchrajpong Kuwichitsuwan, chairman of the Police Commission and a Samut Prakan MP from the Bhumjaithai Party, revealed that the DSI is preparing to question Somchai Tetchawarawarin, known as Lawyer Kaeng and a Phuket MP from the People's Party, following discovery of his involvement in financial flows through legal entities alleged to be nominees. The companies, in which he reportedly holds shares and serves as authorized director in over 30 firms, lack genuine business operations but focus on holding land and condominium units valued at more than 100 million baht jointly with foreign nationals. The Police Commission will summon the DSI director and relevant officials to verify whether these activities occurred, whether the case should be accepted as a special case, and whether legal violations or nominee arrangements for foreigners apply. Watchrajpong stated that the People's Party should investigate the matter seriously, just as it examines political opponents, and should not allow the suspect to face consequences alone without the party taking responsibility. He urged Somchai to come forward, clarify his position, and not remain silent, as silence suggests an attempt to conceal wrongdoing. Watchrajpong emphasized that if nominee behavior for foreigners is confirmed, it would set a poor example and suggest disregard for the law. He noted that government policy, led by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and the Interior Minister, aims to crack down seriously on such schemes as they pose threats to national security and sovereignty, as well as social and economic stability.

True Corporation has mobilized its northern Thailand network teams to respond urgently to flooding in Nan and Phayao provinces following heavy, continuous rainfall that triggered flash flooding, particularly in Pua District of Nan Province. Water levels have risen rapidly, damaging homes and critical infrastructure. True is closely monitoring the situation and network status for both mobile and home internet services, and has established a northern command center at its Chiang Mai office to coordinate operations and deploy field teams with personnel, equipment, backup power systems, and mobile base station vehicles (COW units) from across northern Thailand to support Nan Province and maintain continuous communications for residents and emergency responders.

True is also working with the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation to send emergency alert messages via Cell Broadcast to residents in Pua District, warning of sudden floods, overflow, and landslides. The alerts urge people to move valuables to higher ground and relocate vulnerable groups such as elderly residents and bedridden patients to safe areas, and to seek assistance from local agencies if evacuation becomes necessary.

For network management, True has prioritized base stations in at-risk areas, especially critical cell sites serving hospitals, command centers, public assistance centers, and essential infrastructure. The company is closely monitoring power systems, transmission systems, area access, and base station status to assess risk and promptly repair any network damage. Teams have prepared mobile base stations, temporary base stations, generators, backup power systems, field equipment, and vehicles, and are ready to dispatch repair and signal-boosting teams once it is safe to access affected areas. True is coordinating closely with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, government agencies, local government organizations, rescue units, and other relevant agencies to support communications in disaster zones, evacuation shelters, and emergency response centers. The company is prioritizing the continuity of communications through both mobile networks and home internet during the crisis so residents can contact family, seek help, and receive government alerts, while also supporting coordination among rescue teams and government officials. Field teams will follow safety guidelines from government agencies and adapt to actual site conditions to ensure rapid and safe network recovery.

Police from Region 2 Provincial Police arrested Sunant, 48, on August 19 following a warrant issued by Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Court on a fraud charge. The suspect had evaded a court judgment requiring her to pay 400,000 baht in compensation and fled to work as a shopkeeper in Ban Chang district, Rayong. The case originated from a widely publicized incident in which an air force officer's wife filed a complaint against the other woman. The matter proceeded to court, where both parties agreed to settle with the defendant promising to pay 400,000 baht. However, after the judgment was handed down, the defendant failed to pay and went into hiding. The court subsequently approved an arrest warrant. On the 19th, officers tracked down the suspect working at a shop in Ban Chang, Rayong, and took her into custody according to the warrant. She was processed at Ban Chang Police Station before being transferred to Nakhon Ratchasima Police Station for legal proceedings and court referral.

Three factories in Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey province have closed or are preparing to shut down as soaring transportation costs and falling orders linked to disruptions along the Thailand-Cambodia border put pressure on businesses, Cambodia's Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training said. The closures affect nearly 4,000 workers. ML Intimate Apparel (Cambodia), which employed 683 workers, and Hi-Tech, which employed 2,532 workers, have already closed, while Nidec Die-casting Cambodia, with 724 workers, is scheduled to cease operations in October.

The ministry said workers at the two closed factories have received their wages and other benefits required under Cambodian labor law. It will monitor the third closure to ensure workers receive all legally required payments.

Ministry spokesman Sun Mesa described the closures as regrettable, linking them to sharply higher transportation costs following what he called Thailand's unilateral border closure. Before the disruptions, goods from Banteay Meanchey factories could reportedly reach production facilities in Thailand within one to two hours. The ministry said transport costs have since increased by dozens of times because goods must be routed through Cambodian sea routes before entering Thailand, with some shipments even requiring air freight.

The ministry is helping affected workers find new jobs through the National Employment Agency and provincial labor authorities. Officials said factories producing similar goods are seeking workers and authorities are arranging transportation to new workplaces. Workers seeking to change careers can also access free vocational training at 32 technical and vocational training schools across Cambodia. The ministry said more than 90,000 job vacancies are currently available nationwide.

BANGKOK — Immigration police have expanded an investigation into an alleged "ghost father" network accused of falsely registering Chinese children as Thai nationals, with four people facing legal action in connection with two families. The case centres on Thai men allegedly being named as fathers on birth certificates despite DNA evidence indicating that the children's biological fathers were Chinese nationals.

Pol Col Suriya Puangsombat, superintendent of the Immigration Bureau Division 3 Investigation Sub-Division, said the inquiry began after a 39-year-old Chinese woman, surnamed Huang, applied to extend her stay in Thailand on the grounds that she was caring for Thai-national children. Police became suspicious of the relationship between the woman and the Thai man named as the children's father on their birth certificates.

On 14 July, investigators collected DNA samples from the parents and children. Huang allegedly admitted that her two daughters were not the biological children of the 53-year-old Thai man, identified under the pseudonym Pradit, but of a 40-year-old Chinese man, surnamed Yue Long. The children's births were registered at Si Racha district office in Chon Buri province.

Checks found that Pradit was listed as the father of six children: three with his Thai wife, two with Huang, and one with another Chinese woman, surnamed Wang, 42. Police said the information gave them grounds to suspect that foreign children had been falsely registered as Thai nationals.

The people linked to the case were placed on a watchlist. On 24 July, immigration officers at Suvarnabhumi Airport alerted investigators after Wang, her Chinese partner, surnamed Zhu, 42, and their son were preparing to fly to Australia. Police asked the family to attend questioning and provide DNA samples. Wang allegedly admitted that Zhu, not Pradit, was her son's biological father. The child's birth had been registered at Khan Na Yao district office in Bangkok.

Wang is accused of jointly making false statements to officials, causing false information to be entered in official documents, and improperly registering a birth. On 4 August, Huang and Yue Long were summoned to acknowledge similar charges, including using an official document resulting from false information. Pradit attended a second summons on 18 August and allegedly confessed to the allegations. He was released temporarily while investigators gather further evidence for prosecutors.

Police said three Chinese nationals and one Thai national are now facing legal action. Immigration Bureau Division 3 investigators said they would continue examining possible links to others involved in similar alleged misuse of Thailand's civil registration system.

Industry Minister Weerawuth Silparch has directed the Industrial Products Standards Office to fast-track the enforcement of solar panel standards and related equipment ahead of their mandatory implementation this September. The government is backing the push to promote solar energy use among households and businesses to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, lower electricity bills, mitigate climate change impacts, and boost energy security as solar installations surge rapidly.

"I have instructed the standards office to accelerate enforcement of solar panel and related equipment standards with a focus on operational safety, while preparing businesses to apply for compliance licenses before the September 2026 deadline," Weerawuth said.

Standards Office Secretary General Ekniti Romyanon confirmed the office is readying over 2,000 solar equipment manufacturers, importers, and retailers across five product categories—circuit breakers, fuses, electrical wiring, batteries, and inverters—on standard requirements and inspection procedures. The licensing process has been streamlined to be fast, accurate, and non-disruptive to operations.

Facilitating measures include allowing use of factory assessments already registered with the standards office and accepting results from international (IEC) testing standards without retesting solar panels. So far, 260 businesses have applied for licenses, with the office completing factory assessments for over 170 manufacturers and registering about 30 additional facilities.

The standards office now accepts applications through its electronic licensing system around the clock, from document submission through fee payment, testing, and certificate issuance. It will prioritize issuing licenses to businesses with complete documents immediately after standards enforcement begins.