PHUKET: Ratsada Mayor Jirayus Songyot has announced legal action against the administrators of Facebook pages accused of publishing false information that he says has damaged his reputation.
PHUKET: Ratsada Mayor Jirayus Songyot has announced legal action against the administrators of Facebook pages accused of publishing false information that he says has damaged his reputation.
Reigning Miss Supranational Thailand 2026 Kanyalak 'Aei' was stripped of her title over a passport mix-up during visa processing, but she claims the document was never lost—just held by the visa agency while she recovered from serious illne
A major pageant controversy has erupted after the Miss & Mister Supranational Thailand 2026 organization issued an order removing Kanyalak 'Aei' from her title as Miss Supranational Thailand 2026 and ending her role as Thailand's representative to Miss Supranational 2026 effective immediately, shocking pageant fans.
In response, Aei posted a detailed timeline explaining the circumstances. She clarified that the passport issue arose during visa processing: on June 26, 2569, she submitted a visa application following the pageant's procedure and handed her passport to a visa agency assigned by the organization. On June 30, visa officer A informed her in a LINE group that her visa was approved and introduced another officer B who would handle passport return and asked for a mailing address.
Aei explained she was busy with costume fittings and had no one home to receive documents, so she asked officer B to hold the passport until closer to her travel date. No further communication occurred about returning the document. Between July 2-8, Aei had scheduled pageant activities including a press conference, photo shoots, wardrobe fittings, and preparations.
On July 9, Aei became seriously ill with high fever and adverse medication reactions, requiring hospitalization. During travel preparations while in a confused state from illness and medication, she couldn't locate her passport and called officer A at 12:57 AM on July 11, worried about what to do if it was lost. Officer A immediately clarified that the passport remained with officer B and would be delivered that morning, noting he hadn't rushed delivery because he saw Aei was hospitalized.
Aei received her passport on July 11 at 11:33 AM and rescheduled her departure to July 12 in coordination with the pageant. She emphasized her passport was never lost but remained with the visa agency throughout, and the confusion arose only during her illness and medication-induced disorientation. She questioned the pageant organization's actions and apologized if she had made any genuine mistakes.
A 32-year-old volunteer rescue worker died in a Bangkok beer hall fire on July 12, succumbing to smoke inhalation while working to support her family in Buriram province.
The body of Ms. Yadakarn, nicknamed Nong Oom and aged 32, who died in a beer hall fire in Ladprao on the night of July 12, was brought to Wat Mai Thai Charoen in Hu Thamnop subdistrict, Pak Chong district, Buriram on the morning of July 15 for a merit-making ceremony. The Poh Tek Tung Foundation coordinated the transport. An autopsy determined she died from oxygen deprivation due to smoke inhalation.
Her mother, Boonthong, 55, recalled that her daughter enjoyed helping others and had worked as a volunteer rescue worker in Kalasin and Khon Kaen provinces for many years. She had a 13-year-old son from a previous marriage whom her mother raised. The mother asked her daughter to stop volunteering work and instead seek employment to support the family. Her daughter then moved to Bangkok, where she worked and sent money home each month, calling regularly to check on her mother and brother. She had been preparing to return home soon for the rice-farming season as she did every year. The family was devastated upon learning the tragic news, particularly her son, who has now lost his mother.
The Poh Tek Tung Foundation, upon learning that Oom had previously served as a volunteer rescue worker, contacted the Suang Jaraniyat Rescue Unit in Buriram to provide 20,000 baht in financial assistance to the family.
Thailand's education ministry endorsed Kasetsart University's 20-year strategic plan aimed at adapting to digital transformation, climate change, and demographic shifts while strengthening graduates' competitiveness and innovation capacity.
Thailand's Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation outlined the future of Thai higher education and backed Kasetsart University's strategic planning for sustainable development and global competitiveness. On July 15 at the Ashvinn Grand Convention Hotel in Bangkok, Dr. Phan Perm Sak Karunee chaired the opening ceremony of the "Kasetsart University 20-Year Foresight and Future Projection Study (2028-2047)" and delivered a keynote address on "Megatrends and the New Higher Education Landscape: Impacts on Kasetsart University." The event was attended by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kongsak Thiangtharm, acting rector of Kasetsart University, along with over 50 executives and experts from higher education institutions, government agencies, and the private sector.
Dr. Phan Perm Sak Karunee said that higher education institutions worldwide are facing major transformations driven by digital technology advances, demographic shifts, and climate change impacts, all of which affect universities' roles and future direction. Development planning must therefore rely on systematic foresight coupled with readiness for uncertainty, enabling higher education institutions to adapt efficiently, produce quality graduates, create knowledge and innovation that address national development needs, and sustainably strengthen the country's competitive capacity.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary added that the ministry prioritizes strategic foresight processes to help institutions identify long-term opportunities and challenges, and design flexible strategies responsive to rapid change. Key mechanisms include clustering higher education institutions by expertise to eliminate redundancy, build specialized excellence, allocate resources efficiently, and align education management with future industry and labor market needs. Currently, over 111 institutions participate, divided into five main groups: Global and Frontier Research, Technology and Innovation, Area-based and Community Development, Human Resource Development, and Degree and Non-Degree Skill Development. The ministry also drives the Higher Education Sandbox curriculum initiative to remove curricular standard constraints, promote direct collaboration between institutions and employers, and create flexible, modern curricula producing skilled graduates matching national needs.
Dr. Phan Perm Sak Karunee further noted that the ministry established a "Higher Education Development Fund" as a key mechanism for reforming the system, supporting faculty development, curriculum advancement, and student competency development aligned with industry and national development goals. The fund also promotes research, innovation, and quality specialized workforce production to boost national competitiveness and guide Thailand toward high-income status, moving beyond the middle-income trap.
A father and his daughter escaped a burning sedan in Nakhon Ratchasima after detecting fuel smell and smoke; the car was destroyed but all three occupants, including a dog, escaped unharmed.
A sedan erupted in flames in Nakhon Ratchasima on July 15, 2569, at around 7 a.m. near a school in Nong Bua Sala subdistrict, Muang district. Rescue teams from Sayang Metta Tham Sathan were dispatched after receiving reports of the fire. Upon arrival, they found the car engulfed in intense flames and spent approximately 10 minutes spraying water and suppressing agent to bring the fire under control, though the vehicle was completely destroyed.
At the scene, two people and a white dog in a cage were found shaken but unharmed. According to the driver, he was taking his daughter—a teacher—to work when he smelled fuel and noticed smoke billowing from under the vehicle. He immediately pulled over, and both occupants quickly evacuated with the dog before the fire erupted rapidly moments later, reducing the car to a total loss. Fortunately, all three escaped without injury.
Witnesses reported seeing flames under the front section of the car as it approached, but could not alert the driver in time. Police are continuing to investigate the exact cause of the fire. The vehicle uses both gasoline and LPG as fuel.
Thailand will charge households 3 baht per kilowatt-hour for the first 200 units while imposing higher rates on data centers to fund public utilities, with implementation targeted for August if approved by cabinet.
At a Government House press briefing on July 15, 2025, Deputy Interior Minister Phalpeer Suwannachui announced the National Energy Policy Committee's decision to restructure electricity pricing. The first 200 household consumption units will be charged at 3 baht per kilowatt-hour, while data center operators will shoulder a higher rate to fund public lighting and utilities that are being removed from residential bills.
The government will seek to offset approximately 180 million baht in public utility costs by leveraging future revenue from data center investments. The proposal will be submitted to the Energy Regulatory Commission for a 15-day public feedback period and consideration of rate-setting mechanisms, with implementation targeted for the August billing cycle if approved by cabinet.
When questioned about potential impacts on data center investment competitiveness, Phalpeer acknowledged the committee would weigh the trade-offs. A new committee chaired by Energy Minister Anucha Prom-On will benchmark regional and international data center electricity rates against Thailand's proposed rates while considering broader economic factors, including water and energy consumption, environmental costs, and ensuring the burden does not fall on ordinary citizens.
Pattaya police transferred an officer accused in a viral video of conducting improper traffic fines targeting foreign tourists and launched an investigation that could result in criminal charges if misconduct is confirmed.
Pattaya City Police have transferred the officer shown in a viral video allegedly conducting improper traffic fine operations in hidden locations, and have established an urgent investigation committee. If findings confirm misconduct, both disciplinary and criminal penalties will be pursued. A group of Kuwaiti tourists aged 20-30 complained that during their month-long visit to Pattaya, they were repeatedly stopped by uniformed officers and fined for traffic violations in suspicious circumstances, presenting recorded video and receipts as evidence.
On July 15, 2569, Sirivat Katchamat, deputy superintendent of Pattaya City Police, stated that after provincial and local police leadership learned of the matter, they immediately established a fact-checking committee with him as chair to expedite the investigation. The officer featured in the video has been temporarily transferred to Pattaya City Police's service center pending the outcome of the fact-check.
Sirivat emphasized that authorities are currently gathering additional statements from the affected tourists to identify specific locations, payment methods, and other details. He confirmed that if the investigation finds the officer guilty of misconduct, provincial police will pursue both disciplinary and criminal action without exception.
Initial examination confirmed that the receipt shown as evidence is not from Pattaya City Police. Authorities still need to question the tourists further about the receipt's origin to continue their investigation. Sirivat urged all tourists visiting Pattaya to report any unfair treatment or exploitation to Pattaya City Police or the police hotline 112, available 24/7, and assured that Thai police remain committed to fairness, transparency, and swift action on all incidents in the area.
Thailand has reduced visa-free stays from 60 to 30 days for eligible visitors, with the Cabinet approving changes affecting entry privileges for 65 countries and territories.
PHUKET: Thailand’s Cabinet has approved sweeping changes to the country’s visa-free entry scheme, reducing the maximum visa-exempt stay from 60 days to 30 days for eligible visitors while restructuring entry privileges for a total of 65 countries and territories.
Thailand's water authority is mobilizing equipment and personnel to combat El Niño's unpredictable weather, which threatens drought in over 50 million rai while causing flooding in another 20 million rai across the country.
On July 4, 2025, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchat Chomklin advanced government policy under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to address and alleviate public hardship from water-related crises. He has instructed the Department of Water Resources to closely monitor El Niño impacts as volatile weather patterns leave some areas with prolonged dry spells while others face intense localized rainfall and flash flooding.
The department is mobilizing all available machinery, equipment, personnel, and resources to work with multi-sector networks to swiftly assist residents, ensure adequate drinking water supplies, reduce damage to agricultural zones, and strengthen preparedness against both drought and flood emergencies.
Theerathun Boonsit, director-general of the Department of Water Resources, revealed that the department is aggressively implementing its 2568–2569 drought and flood relief action plan to address El Niño's intensifying rainfall volatility. Over 50 million rai of land face drought risk, while 20.85 million rai are at flood risk. The department has prepared 399 water pumps and approximately 240 heavy machinery units, along with 2,275 flood and landslide warning stations, roughly 1,000 telemetry, hydrological, and CCTV monitoring stations, and 293 small water source monitoring stations. It also operates 11 regional water management centers, 60 clean water production and supply facilities, over 500 drought and flood relief pumping points, nearly 500 officers, and a 2,300-member civil network.
From October 1, 2024, through the present, the department has assisted 36 provinces with drought relief, pumping 23.25 million cubic meters and distributing over 9 million liters of water to approximately 140,000 households across roughly 190,000 rai of agricultural and residential land. Concurrently, it has aided 35 provinces facing flooding, pumping over 55 million cubic meters and assisting approximately 400,000 households across nearly 130,000 rai, demonstrating proactive implementation of government policy to deliver timely, targeted relief and minimize impact on public life.
A Democratic Party MP has called for an investigation into alleged collusion between provincial administrators and senators in Nakhon Si Thammarat over a street lighting procurement project, suspecting bid-rigging through specification-lock
On July 15, 2025, at Parliament, Chaichchanai Detdetcho, a Democratic Party list MP overseeing the southern region, called for a strict investigation into provincial administrators in Nakhon Si Thammarat accused of collusion with senators regarding a street lighting project using code 046 LED fixtures, which he suspects involves specification-locking. Chaichchanai said he learned from witnesses at a Senate election anniversary forum that high-ranking provincial administrators in Nakhon Si Thammarat were involved in senator collusion. He stressed that if evidence is this clear, relevant authorities should investigate thoroughly. He noted that the Provincial Administration Organization of Nakhon Si Thammarat is preparing to exhaust accumulated funds and procure LED lights described as "innovative," which he views as wasteful. "I've heard that the original lights were standard highway lights that cost less than solar-cell innovations, but I don't know which provincial governor, deputy governor, or administrator submitted the catalog," Chaichchanai said. He called on the National Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Administration Organization, stating that procuring street lights with code 046 LED fixtures constitutes specification-locking, and he will closely monitor the matter because taxpayers suffer the consequences.
ASEAN's special envoy met with Myanmar's ethnic minority rebel groups and government representatives in Thailand to explore peace talks, with both sides signaling willingness to negotiate.
BANGKOK: ASEAN’s special envoy on Myanmar has held talks with ethnic minority rebel groups and a government-backed negotiation committee in an effort to tackle the country’s civil war, with both sides expressing openness to dialogue, the Philippines said yesterday (July 14).