Pop Ponggul expressed shock and grief over the sudden death of Ray McDonald, saying that every time he met his brother figure, he was full of energy and inspired him since childhood. He wished Ray peace in the afterlife. Ray McDonald died suddenly at his home when his wife, Maem Sarinyya, found him unresponsive on the living room sofa at 6:20 a.m. on August 19. Security footage showed he collapsed onto the sofa at 12:12 a.m. His body was taken for autopsy. Pop Ponggul posted photos and shared memories of working together with Ray, alongside a heartfelt tribute: "I'm shocked, brother. Every time I saw you, you had such fire and energy. You inspired me as a young person and will continue to inspire me as I grow old. I hope you find peace in your new journey. Your coolness and style will never fade from my heart, brother Ray." Comments from the entertainment industry have poured in with expressions of shock and condolence.

Ray McDonald's wife has opened up following the sudden death of her husband, saying he was very tired and wanted to retire, amid the mourning of his friends. At 10:50 a.m. on August 19, staff from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation removed the body of Putipong Srivatana, known professionally as Ray McDonald, a renowned actor and television host, from his residence in the Pattanakarn 61 area and transported it to the Police Hospital's Institute of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. After Ray McDonald's death, family members and close friends including Leo Putt and Ta Barbie arrived at his home, with the atmosphere filled with grief and shock at his sudden passing. Leo Putt revealed his thoughts, saying: "Ray's journey is not over. It is merely a change in form. Ray will continue his journey according to his nature—he wanted to see, to know everything. He had already seen so much of this world, so he wanted to experience the next world and see what it is like. I want to tell my friend to travel safely, be lucky, and get some rest." Ta Barbie shared: "It's good too. Let him get some rest. He deserved to rest because he was always thinking about work. Om told me that Ray and I—we two—we knew what was in each other's hearts and what we felt. I hope Ray is happy." Ray's wife revealed: "He must be very tired now. He wanted to retire. On the camera at midnight, Ray was watching television and then just seemed to fall asleep normally. I thought he was sleeping. When I saw him in the morning, I thought he was pretending to sleep because usually he likes to pretend to sleep when I come down so I'll wake him up. I went to wake him because we had to take our child to school, but no matter how much I called, he wouldn't wake up. I found that Ray's body was stiff—he couldn't be woken. He was gone. As for the arrangements, I will inform everyone again soon."

At a parliamentary meeting on August 19, Rangsimant Rom, deputy leader of the People's Party and chair of the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee, discussed a major agenda item concerning fraud allegations in local government exams from 2567-2569. The committee has summoned officials and agencies for questioning, including the Prime Minister, the Secretary-General of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the Commander of the Central Investigation Police, deputy governors, university rectors, and officials connected to the exam irregularities.

Rangsimant said evidence suggests the fraud goes beyond civil servants and involves political figures, particularly regarding a decision to transfer the exam administration from Burapha University to Srinakharinwirot University. The change involved drafting a Terms of Reference with political involvement, and officials including Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and officials from the Department of Local Administration have been mentioned in connection with cancelling the contract with Burapha University.

The committee is seeking to determine whether the fraud was isolated to individual officials or part of a coordinated scheme, and whether it involves multiple political parties. Officials Somsak Thongsri, Deputy Prime Minister and former Interior Minister, and Tongchaem Chaatikitcharoen, an advisor to the Prime Minister, have been invited to clarify their knowledge of the scheme. Rangsimant noted that while the front-facing aspects of the corruption may be clear, the "behind-the-scenes" involvement remains under investigation and could reveal deeper political manipulation in the exam fraud case.

Arm Suphachai Jaidet, a striker for the Thai national team at Buriram United, has joined in mourning the sudden death of Ray McDonald, a celebrated actor and television host.

On August 19, the entertainment world was shocked by news of Ray McDonald's death. The former leading man and prominent 1990s television host passed away at age 49 at his home in the Pattanakarn area of Bangkok.

Arm Suphachai Jaidet posted a family photograph taken with Ray McDonald's relatives on Facebook, along with tearful and sorrowful emoji captions. The 27-year-old striker also shared posts from McDonald's wife's Instagram, showing how close the two families were to one another.

Arm's connection to Ray McDonald stems from McDonald's role as chairman of Santiphap Youth Football Club, where he provided opportunities for young people from three southern border provinces to showcase their talents. Arm was one of those young people who received that chance and went on to become a professional footballer.

King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi partnered with Bangkok Today news agency to organize the "AI and Economic Development" seminar, aiming to upgrade skills for 20 million Thai workers and drive the new-economy growth while preparing Thailand's business, industrial, and education sectors. On August 18, 2025, Deputy Prime Minister and Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Minister Yoschchanan Wongsawat chaired the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote on "AI and Economic Development." University Rector Thaninthorn Silapcharoen outlined the event's objectives, with support from ministry secretary Chaturin Chanhorm, Deputy Permanent Secretary Pinthapim Arunee, and University Council Chairman Theerawut Bunyosophon. The seminar featured speakers including Bank of Thailand spokesperson Chayavadee Chaiyananth, Bangkok Bank Asset Management CEO Rak Vorakij Phochathan, True Corporation executive Montri Sathaporn, and engineering professor Atthakorn Kaengpol, moderated by the Faculty of Information Technology and Digital Innovation's Dr. Thanawat Techaharungnawat. Business representatives, students, and the public attended in large numbers.

Afterward, the minister and executives toured several key laboratories and innovation centers at the university to showcase its technological infrastructure capabilities: the KMUTNB Techno Park, featuring digital innovation and learning centers, automated systems and robotics operations, and modern automotive technology and rail transport innovation centers; the Science and Technology Research Institute's Central Lab on floor 1, offering international-standard testing and research services for Thai entrepreneurs and industry; and the Thai-French Innovation Institute, showcasing the Schneider Electric Center of Excellence for electrical-electronic and automatic control systems, and modern renewable energy on floor 3, reflecting an advanced workforce upskilling collaboration in automation and clean energy.

The visit demonstrated King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi's readiness as a leading higher-education institution integrating research, innovation, and advanced technology knowledge to address national strategy and sustainably enhance the country's competitive capability.

On August 18, ING Bank N.V., a major shareholder of Thai Military Bank Public Company Limited (TTB), completed the sale of TTB shares through a private placement to institutional investors valued at approximately 475 million euros. Following settlement expected on August 21, ING's shareholding stake is projected to decrease from 19.5% to 11.6% of outstanding shares excluding treasury shares held by TTB. TTB has clarified to the Stock Exchange of Thailand and investors that the transaction is ING's direct portfolio management and does not involve TTB's prior knowledge or involvement in the decision-making process. The bank views the private placement method as reducing the risk of large-scale selling pressure on the secondary market while limiting impact on primary trading, and as an opportunity for institutional investors to invest directly in TTB shares. The transaction also increases the proportion of shares held by minority shareholders (free float), which will benefit TTB's stock liquidity in the long term. TTB confirms the reduction in ING's shareholding will not affect the bank's administrative structure, operations, corporate governance framework, or main business strategy. The bank has undergone continuous organizational transformation and prepared its personnel to manage operations efficiently under Thai management, with ING's main role remaining at board level only. TTB Chief Executive Officer Piti Tantakeset stated the bank remains committed to achieving its goals of improving financial well-being for Thai people while delivering sustainable returns to shareholders through appropriate dividend payments and share buybacks. To date, TTB has completed share buybacks totaling 21 billion baht out of the 35 billion baht four-year program (2568-2571), leaving 14 billion baht available.