At a seminar titled "Behind-the-Scenes Budget Review" held on August 15 at Chulalongkorn University's economics faculty, committee member Watanya Bunnag addressed the fiscal year 2570 budget bill for the Thai parliament. She noted improvements in budget transparency, including live-streamed proceedings and budget data made available in both PDF and Excel formats, allowing for easier public scrutiny and analysis.

Bunnag highlighted that regional provincial budgets faced significant cuts this year, with some areas seeing reductions of nearly 80 percent. While this reflects the government's willingness to eliminate redundancy, she emphasized the need to monitor the impact on regional development and service delivery.

A key concern Bunnag raised is the high proportion of personnel-related expenditures in the state budget. When combining salaries, wages, pensions, benefits, healthcare costs, and contracted services embedded in operational budgets, personnel expenses are estimated at no less than 1.5 trillion baht—approximately 40 percent of the total budget. Some budget items, such as healthcare, are also underfunded compared to actual spending, suggesting hidden personnel costs may be even higher.

Bunnag argued that budget review should not focus solely on individual project allocations but should examine the overall budget structure and whether it aligns with national strategic goals. She stressed that if 40 percent of the budget goes to personnel, the remaining 60 percent must clearly demonstrate how it will drive transformation and advance the country's vision for the future.

BANGKOK — Police arrested seven youths aged 13 to 17 on Thursday over the assault and robbery of a Japanese tourist near the Makkasan Airport Rail Link station.

Police said the youths admitted they had approached people for money in a similar way on several occasions without encountering problems, but claimed they assaulted the tourist after he refused to hand over money.

The incident occurred late on 12 August after the Japanese tourist became lost while trying to find the entrance to Makkasan Airport Rail Link station and wandered into an overgrown area nearby.

According to the tourist's account, he encountered a group of six youths riding on two motorcycles, with three people on each vehicle, after they entered from the Asoke-Din Daeng 30 alley area. The group allegedly approached him and repeatedly said, "Money, money." The tourist replied, "No, no."

He told police that members of the group then restrained him and struck him three times on the back of the head with a rock about the size of a fist before punching him once in the mouth. The tourist managed to run towards the entrance of Soi Asoke-Din Daeng 30. His backpack remained with him.

At about 19:20 on 13 August, Pol Col Sakya Saengwan, deputy commander of Metropolitan Police Division 1, together with investigators from Makkasan and Din Daeng police stations, took seven youths into custody. Police located them in several rooms at flats near Din Daeng Police Station in Bangkok's Din Daeng district.

During initial questioning, the youths reportedly gave similar accounts, claiming they had only punched the tourist and had not used any weapons. Police said some of them were carrying knives, but the youths claimed the knives were not used in the attack.

They allegedly admitted taking 1,400 baht from the tourist and dividing the money equally, receiving 200 baht each. They told investigators the money had already been spent.

According to police, the youths said they had frequently approached other people for money in the past and usually encountered no resistance. They claimed that on this occasion, the Japanese tourist refused to give them money, prompting the assault.

Police said a multidisciplinary team would join the questioning of the minors on 14 August before investigators consider charges and further legal action.

The Excise Department has seized 40,500 packs of illegal cigarettes in Chachoengsao province, with an estimated street value of 3.6 million baht and projected fines exceeding 38 million baht. Excise Director Pornchai Theerawech stressed that the department prioritizes prevention and suppression of illegal goods, especially contraband cigarettes, which damage the economy, reduce state revenue, and distort fair trade. He instructed all subordinate agencies to increase rigor in investigations, monitoring, and enforcement against smuggling and the distribution of tax-evading products, with proactive and strict law enforcement.

Following these directives, multiple excise offices coordinated an inspection of a suspected shipment at a distribution center in Chachoengsao on August 13, 2025. Officers discovered a violation of the Excise Tax Act and seized 40,500 packs of illegal cigarettes held for sale without tax payment. The estimated street value was approximately 3,645,000 baht, with projected excise tax of 2,543,400 baht and estimated fines of 38,151,000 baht. The seized goods have been forwarded to Laem Chabang Police Station for further legal proceedings.

Director Pornchai reaffirmed that the Excise Department will continue strict and sustained efforts to prevent and suppress illegal cigarettes and contraband goods. The department will prioritize active investigation and inspection to intercept smuggling and the distribution of untaxed products, applying the law decisively against offenders to protect state interests, ensure fair trade, and boost confidence among law-abiding businesses.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul warned the public not to fall victim to scammers promising easy wealth, speaking at Bangkok Railway Station on August 15 after opening the Digital Shield campaign. He emphasized that people should ignore such calls even when threatened or when callers claim to be relatives in debt, and should report immediately to police.

"Tell yourself not to follow their instructions, no matter what threats they make," Anutin said. "If you can file a report and log it with police, the police and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society will coordinate to rapidly arrest and prosecute these criminals."

Anutin stated that overnight wealth and high returns from one or two phone calls simply do not exist—only deception that causes suffering. He cited statistics showing that call center scams have dropped by more than 50 percent over the past six to seven months, thanks to coordinated work with agencies including the Anti-Money Laundering Office. He noted that while authorities are pursuing perpetrators and seizing cash assets, some may disappear before seizure or be laundered before confiscation.

When asked about the government's targets for reducing fraud cases, Anutin said the goal is set at the highest level and requires a comprehensive campaign so people do not become victims. He cited tragic cases in which government employees and retirees lost four to five million baht in savings from a single scam call promising high returns.

"If people avoid becoming victims of these criminals, they can live normally without debt and retire happily," he said. "In this world, easy money does not exist. Don't do anything and just believe others will make you rich. In reality, that is not how the world works."

Nineteen-year-old Thai-American actress Denis Jelilchaha Kappun has established herself as a regular in horror films, from the sci-fi thriller The Wailing through her current role in The Confession of a Shaman Doctor, now playing in cinemas. Another horror film, Exchange, is scheduled for release in early November. Denis opened up about her frequent work in the horror genre, life in the entertainment industry, and the goals she hopes to achieve.

On her character in The Confession of a Shaman Doctor, Denis explained: "This isn't just an ordinary ghost film—it's more like a life drama that tells human stories. I play Mali, a factory worker who becomes the girlfriend of Doctor To, played by Alek Theeradej. She brings light into his world, and as a character, she sets many things in motion. I can't really spoil this character, so everyone should watch the film."

When asked how the role challenged her, Denis said: "This is another character I've never played before. I'd only done the three Wailing films where I played the same character for three years. Moving to Mali, who is quite different from that character with a different life story and added complexity—even if there aren't many heavy scenes, there are small details to capture. There are also some cute moments. Beyond Alek's dark storyline, all the characters are dark and dramatic, but my part shows a sweeter side of Doctor To."

On working alongside veteran actor Alek Theeradej, Denis praised his dedication: "Alek committed fully and lost weight very quickly. By the time we started filming, he'd already slimmed down significantly. During our workshop, we had to prepare scenes together because the relationship develops rapidly—from strangers to lovers. We needed to build chemistry before filming those scenes."

Denis also expressed gratitude for working with other accomplished actors, saying she felt fortunate to learn from experienced cast members including Alek, Chakrit, Bam, Ranya, Wai Faulkner, and Am Amporn. "Each person has their own style and technique, and I'm grateful to have worked with them all."

On life at nineteen, Denis reflected: "This year started quite heavy. I've been busy constantly—traveling abroad frequently, flying often for work and filming while studying. I've been growing and learning alongside my age. Life gets busier each year, but that's good. If life were always easy, I might get bored. My life isn't easy at all, but there's plenty to learn and it's actually quite fun."