Doi Saket Police have identified a man claiming to be a tour guide who has been following and threatening tourists at Doi Luang. The suspect has a regular drinking habit and poses as a guide at the site.

On August 3, 2026, the Doi Saket Police Station in Chiang Mai released an update after tourists posted warning messages online about a man harassing visitors, particularly targeting groups of women or teenagers, and urged others to avoid him and never follow him under any circumstances.

Deputy Police Colonel Supchai Chanthra, commander of Doi Saket Police Station, assigned investigators to coordinate with village headmen from Moo 4 and Moo 8 in Tambon Tephasedet, Doi Saket District, Chiang Mai. Through their investigation, they identified the suspect as Kiarti Chai, a local resident with a habit of regularly drinking alcohol and working as a self-appointed guide for the area.

After village headmen and community leaders learned of the complaints, they brought him in to sign a community agreement at the village meeting hall and referred him for further treatment.

Doi Saket Police Station is prioritizing tourist safety in the Doi Saket area by coordinating with the Tephasedet Sub-district Administration Organization, village headmen, and community leaders to emphasize safety for both personal security and property. Anyone who needs assistance can contact Doi Saket Police Station at 053-495490 or call 191, which covers all of Chiang Mai Province.

Suzuki Motor Thailand is launching a special promotion to make owning the Suzuki Fronx more affordable. The GL model starts at just 599,000 baht, down from the regular price of 689,000 baht, with only 200 units available for orders and delivery from today through September 30. Executive vice president Wallop Triruksgam stated that the company is offering this special deal to reward existing Suzuki owners registered in the Hello Suzuki app and their family members, emphasizing value and affordability.

The GL model comes with free first-year comprehensive insurance and 24/7 emergency assistance for three years. For customers interested in the GLX and GLX PLUS models, Suzuki is offering an additional 20,000-baht discount, zero percent financing, and free first-year insurance. Orders are open from August 1 through September 30, 2026.

The Suzuki Fronx features a 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine available in the K15B base model or K15C DUALJET with Suzuki's exclusive Smart Hybrid Vehicle (SHVS) technology, combining an Integrated Starter Generator and lithium-ion battery for improved fuel efficiency and smooth performance. The vehicle boasts modern sports styling with LED headlights, LED taillights, a 9-inch touchscreen supporting wireless Apple CarPlay, multifunction paddle-shift steering wheel, wireless charging pad, and rear air conditioning vents.

Safety features include TECT body structure and HEARTECT platform for strength and light weight, Hill Hold Control, ESP, Idling Stop system, ISOFIX child seat anchors, and a tight 4.8-meter turning radius for maneuverability in urban and rural driving. Suzuki operates 77 showrooms nationwide, 46 body and paint service centers, and 11 combined service and spare parts centers (2S), plus mobile service units for at-home maintenance and repairs.

Health Minister Phattana Prom-phattan has ordered an audit of approximately 60 billion baht in National Health Security Office (NHSO) funds, demanding clarification within 7 days on which agencies received the money and whether it was spent efficiently. This follows the minister's statement that the national health security budget was not distributed through the Health Ministry's system, despite the ministry being the primary healthcare provider, raising questions about where the funds were allocated and for what purposes.

On August 3, 2025, following a meeting of the NHSO board, the minister stated the issue concerns the 2024 fiscal year budget that still requires clarification. He assigned Manida Phu-charoen, head of the Finance Subcommittee, to provide detailed explanations within 7 days. Preliminary findings indicate 16,000-17,000 million baht was distributed to Health Ministry-affiliated agencies outside the ministry's main office, including approximately 11,000 million baht to Rajavithi Hospital specifically for medicine procurement that cannot be used for other purposes, with the remaining 5,000 million baht entering the ministry's system.

Additionally, over 20,000 million baht in health promotion and disease prevention funds, plus other fund allocations, require detailed review. The minister emphasized the need to know not just where money went, but the nature of recipient organizations—whether they are legal entities, foundations, or clinics—and how effectively funds were spent. He stated the audit will prioritize spending efficiency over fraud detection initially, though any suspicious findings will be investigated further. The minister clarified that the 60 billion baht is not "missing" but rather requires clarification on how it was distributed and its impact on the healthcare system.

Thailand Post entered its 144th year on August 3, 2025, launching the "RelationSHIFT" strategy to transform into a lifestyle logistics brand that connects people, businesses, communities, and government through its nationwide postal network. The company aims to create sustainable growth across all dimensions by positioning itself as a key partner for public and private sector entities, collaborating with ministries including Interior, Commerce, and Agriculture to help Thai businesses, SMEs, and locally made products reach digital markets. CEO Danun Suphattraphan explained that amid rapid digital economic change and intense logistics competition, Thailand Post is shifting from volume-driven growth to value-driven growth powered by data, customer insights, and strategic partnerships. The company's 2025-2026 roadmap centers on three pillars: establishing a trusted data-driven infrastructure using AI technology; enabling customer-centric growth by leveraging customer understanding to develop services with clients and partners; and building a national trust-based social infrastructure that connects citizens, businesses, and government to support Thailand's sustainable economic and social development. By combining postal staff expertise with digital platforms, Thailand Post aims to precisely identify and reach target customer groups while helping partners expand into previously untapped markets.

At 4:30 p.m. on August 3, 2025, at the DSI (Department of Special Investigation), actor Rathaphoomi Toakongthrap, also known as Film, made a statement following over six hours of questioning by the Technology and Information Crime Division regarding charges of operating unauthorized Forex trading services.

Film's lawyer, Pramuan Luengwattanavanich, revealed that his client received a comprehensive set of charges including conducting training operations, serving as a business consultant on marketing and sales, and acting as a currency exchange broker. However, Film denies all charges. Regarding the morning's questions about a 142 million baht financial trail that Film allegedly received from his brother Phurithat, the lawyer clarified that this figure does not exist. Instead, only 25 million baht in transfers from a company entered Film's bank account over a seven-year period from 2019 to 2025. The transfers peaked in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic when Film's company, Mask Cute Co., Ltd., which sold face masks, was experiencing strong sales. In total, only 25 million baht over seven years can be linked to Film.

The lawyer further stated that the financial trail to Film's account is unrelated to the Forex fraud case occurring in 2024-2025. The 142 million baht claim has no basis, and all DSI allegations can be refuted. The actual transfers between Film and his brother Phurithat amount to only 11 million baht or 4 million baht in various instances—far below the reported 142 million baht.

Film expressed relief after clarifying the charges, saying he now understands the allegations and timeline involved. He plans to prepare additional financial documentation for future clarifications. Regarding the allegation that he recruited others or acted as a broker with subordinates, Film stated there is no evidence because he never recruited anyone. His lawyer added that the recruitment allegation is merely an assertion by DSI without proof, and Film firmly denies ever recruiting anyone.

PHUKET — A 41-year-old British tourist was found dead in his hotel room in Phuket's Patong area on Monday, with police awaiting autopsy results to determine the cause of death.

Police at Patong Police Station were notified at about 11:20 on 3 August that a foreign man had been found dead inside Room 1414 of a hotel in Patong, Kathu district. Officers, forensic specialists and other relevant officials went to the scene to investigate.

The body was identified as Zakir Mahood, 41, a British national who had been staying alone at the hotel since July 24. He had been scheduled to check out on Monday.

According to the hotel's head housekeeper, the room was last cleaned on 27 July. After that, the guest had placed a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door.

At around 11:00 on the scheduled check-out date, a housekeeper knocked on the door but received no response. After entering the room, staff found Mahood dead inside and alerted police.

Investigators said there were no signs of forced entry, a struggle or the room being ransacked.

A preliminary examination conducted by police and a forensic doctor indicated that Mahood had died approximately 12 to 24 hours before his body was discovered. However, the exact cause of death has not yet been determined and will depend on the results of a full autopsy.

The body was transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital for further examination. Authorities are coordinating with the British Embassy to notify the man's relatives and arrange the repatriation of his body for funeral rites.