Chengdu, 18 July 2026 – Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul led a high-level Thai delegation to advance Thailand’s tourism cooperation with western China through government and business engagements during his official visit to China from 16 to 20 July 2026, covering Shanghai, Chengdu and Beijing.

The Prime Minister today presided over the Thailand–China Sichuan Investment and Economic Forum 2026, which brought the Thai delegation together with more than 200 representatives of leading businesses in western China to discuss investment and economic cooperation.

The delegation included Mr. Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance; Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Dr. Yodchanan Wongsawat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation; Mr. Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Industry; and Mr. Chaichanok Chidchob, Minister of Digital Economy and Society.

Also attending were H.E. Mr. Chatchai Viriyavejakul, Ambassador of Thailand to the People’s Republic of China; Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT); Mr. Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary-General of the Thailand Board of Investment; and Mr. Sake Nopthaisong, Consul-General of Thailand in Chengdu, together with senior representatives of Thailand’s public and private sectors.

The delegation was formally welcomed by Mr. Shi Xiaolin, Governor of Sichuan Province; Mr. Hu Yuankun, Secretary of the Communist Party of China Sichuan Provincial Committee; and senior provincial officials and executives.

During the forum, the Prime Minister met separately with Mr. Wang Fei, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Sichuan Airlines Group, and Mr. Li Jinfei, Vice President and Head of Hotels and Travel at Meituan, in special one-on-one meetings arranged by TAT Governor Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool.

Strategic cooperation with Sichuan Airlines centred on restoring the Chengdu–Chiang Mai service and exploring new routes to Hua Hin Airport and U-Tapao Rayong-Pattaya International Airport, expanding access beyond Thailand’s established gateways and supporting growing demand from western China.

Separately, TAT’s Ms. Thapanee discussed an expanded strategic partnership with Meituan, a major Chinese digital platform. Proposed cooperation includes data exchange to support market analysis and a Thailand National Campaign under the Two-Way Tourism concept, alongside gastronomy promotion through the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide and support for TAT’s Trusted Thailand initiative to strengthen confidence among Chinese travellers.

The engagements align with the policy of Mr. Surasak Phancharoenworakul, Minister of Tourism and Sports, to strengthen tourism infrastructure and air connectivity, including the development of Hua Hin Airport for international services and the wider use of U-Tapao Rayong-Pattaya International Airport as a regional gateway.

The discussions are expected to advance new direct air services alongside joint marketing with major Chinese partners, supporting Thailand’s tourism performance in the second half of 2026 and throughout 2027. The wider market drive targets more than 5.13 million Chinese visitors and at least 288.385 billion Baht in tourism revenue.

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A popular Pathum Thani restaurant, Somwang Gai Yang, hosted a charity concert featuring artist Sek Loso to fundraise for musical instruments and sports equipment for Wat Bang Poon School students. On July 18, 2025, the restaurant organized the charity concert after learning that many children at the school love playing music but lack adequate instruments because the school's equipment is damaged and insufficient, along with inadequate sports gear. The concert aimed to generate funds to help students acquire musical instruments and sports equipment for learning and practice.

The event was filled with enjoyable activity as community members came together to support the children, providing them access to musical instruments and sports equipment to use their free time productively and stay away from drug use.

The event also included an auction of charcoal artwork by artist Eed Footbat, a musician and visual artist who created a portrait of Sek Loso. The auction attracted enthusiastic bidding from attendees.

Suphorn Gosaletcottum, owner of the restaurant Kruaruaymit in the Talat Thai area of Khlong Luang District, Pathum Thani, won the artwork auction at 25,000 baht and donated an additional 10,000 baht to support the school. In total, the fundraising campaign collected 80,000 baht, which the school principal received in person.

Chalongkan Rungsangyakorn, owner of Somwang Gai Yang, revealed that he learned about the school's needs from the principal and decided to organize the charity concert to mobilize community support. "After learning that some of the school's musical instruments were damaged and insufficient for students interested in music and arts, I wanted to contribute by helping provide music equipment so students can develop their musical abilities and use their free time productively, engaging in meaningful activities away from drug use," he explained.

Metropolitan Police Division 1 tracked a methamphetamine trafficking gang moving 600,000 pills from Saraburi to Samut Sakhon. Officers set up an interception operation and spotted two couriers, who then fled in a pickup truck but ultimately could not escape. At 6:30 p.m. on July 18, 2025, Police Lieutenant Colonel Worasak Pisitbannakorn, Commander of Division 1, authorized an arrest operation led by officers including Sublieutenant Natthaprakan Luangluksami and others. They arrested Chawwlit, 28, and Nisittrakaan, 28, along with 600,000 methamphetamine pills in a construction yard on Chumchon Pattana 1 Road, Phanthayanusinghe Subdistrict, Muang District, Samut Sakhon. The arrest followed intelligence that a trafficking network from Saraburi was arranging a drug delivery in the area. When officers approached the suspects for inspection, both attempted to flee, abandoning their vehicle and running to a nearby construction yard before being apprehended. Initial questioning revealed the two were paid 15,000 baht each to deliver the drugs. Police will continue their investigation and expand charges accordingly. The suspects and drugs have been handed over to prosecutors for legal proceedings.

Thai esports team Bacon Time has successfully advanced to the grand finals of the international RoV championship at the APL 2026 tournament in Vietnam. The Arena of Valor Premier League (APL 2026) esports competition took place on July 18 at Tian Son Stadium in Da Nang, Vietnam, in the Lower Bracket Final between Thailand's Bacon Time and Vietnam's favorite FPT Polytechnic. In the Best of 7 series, FPT Polytechnic opened strong with the first game, leading 1-0, but Bacon Time rallied with two consecutive wins to take a 2-1 lead. FPT Polytechnic then mounted their own comeback, winning two straight games to lead 3-2. Bacon Time fought back to tie the series at 3-3, forcing a decisive seventh game. In the final game, Bacon Time emerged victorious 4-3, securing their spot in the grand finals to face Deep Cross Gaming from Chinese Taipei on July 19.

On July 18, 2026, police arrested Ms. Sirinun, 38, at a housing estate in the Bangna district of Bangkok following an arrest warrant issued on July 15 by the Bangkok South Criminal Court on charges of theft of employer property.

The suspect began working as manager of the beauty clinic in early 2021, with responsibilities for operations, financial records, and management. The clinic's owners later discovered irregularities in revenue records. Upon investigation, they found that the suspect had been embezzling customer service and medicine payments since January 2022 through May 2023—a total of 238 instances causing damages of 441,115 baht. After collecting evidence, the clinic filed a complaint at Thung Mahamaek Police Station, and investigators obtained an arrest warrant.

During interrogation, the suspect confessed that when customers paid in cash, she was supposed to transfer all funds to the clinic's account but instead kept portions for personal use. She claimed she believed the small amounts would go unnoticed and continued the theft regularly. Following arrest, she was handed over to investigators at Thung Mahamaek Police Station for legal proceedings.

The Medical Council is preparing to investigate a private hospital in Ratchaburi province following the death of a 31-year-old man whose wife, a teacher, posted online demanding accountability. The woman claims her husband complained of chest pain and heavy sweating and requested a heart examination, but was not examined before being discharged. He died shortly after, sparking public criticism.

On July 18, 2026, Associate Professor Dr. Methi Wongsirsuwan, committee member and assistant secretary of the Medical Council, expressed deep sympathy for the deceased's family. He clarified that the Medical Council is responsible only for examining physicians' professional standards, while the Health Services Support Department oversees hospital standards.

Dr. Methi said the key issue under investigation is whether the physician's medical judgment in diagnosis and treatment decisions met professional standards. However, currently only one side's information has been heard, so facts from all parties must be gathered before drawing conclusions. The investigation can begin in two ways: if the family files a complaint with the Medical Council, which triggers an ethics investigation, or if the secretary-general considers the case affects professional standards or public trust without a complaint being filed.

"If the family has not yet filed a complaint, the Medical Council will closely monitor the situation and may coordinate with relevant parties to gather facts. If the case has merit, it can be accepted for consideration," Dr. Methi said.

When asked about potential misconduct if the facts match media reports, Dr. Methi said the key issue is whether the physician's exercise of professional judgment was appropriate and met standards, as well as communication and advice given to the patient and family. Inappropriate language or behavior would also be investigated. However, the determination must be based on information from all parties—the family, treating physician, and hospital—to be fair to everyone, and cannot be decided solely on media reports.

Dr. Methi advised the public that if they believe treatment is inappropriate or doubt a physician's judgment, they should report it through the hospital's complaint channels, such as the hospital inspector or administrator, immediately so treatment can be reviewed while the patient is still in care, potentially preventing serious outcomes. He also urged physicians to exercise careful judgment and consult experienced colleagues if uncertain about diagnosis or treatment to ensure patients receive appropriate, professional-standard care.