Rayong child boxers sexually abused by Norwegian gym owner and tricked into prostitutionLegacyA Norwegian boxing gym owner in Rayong was accused of sexually assaulting child boxers, while the gym manager tricked them into providing sexual services to male customers. Officers from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) received a tip-off about child prostitution at a boxing gym in Rayong. The gym’s manager, who was later identified as 28 year old Naruebet, was procuring teenage boys attending boxing training at the gym for male customers. An undercover police officer then signed up for boxing training at the gym to gather more evidence for the case. According to the undercover officer, the gym trained around 30 people, both male and female, of various nationalities. The undercover police officer then asked Naruebet about the sex services, and the suspect revealed that he had procured young boxers to provide sexual services to male clients. The service fee started at 2,000 baht. Naruebet | Photo via KhaoSod Naruebet said that clients usually requested that these young boys provide oral sex or take an active role in sexual activities. He claimed that most of the children offering the service had financial difficulties, while others just wanted money. He then showed the undercover police officers pictures of 15 young boxers who had provided sexual services. The undercover police officers then pretended to purchase the sexual services and arranged a meeting at a resort in Chon Buri. Naruebet arrived with three children aged between 13 and 16, and was arrested at the resort. Photo via Facebook/ ตำรวจสอบสวนกลาง Meanwhile, another team of officers raided a boxing gym in Rayong, where 12 young boxers revealed to police that the Norwegian owner of the gym also sexually abused them. Each time the Norwegian man visited the gym, he would call several young boxers to his room and sexually abuse them. He reportedly ordered the young victims to engage in sexual activities, watched them, and sometimes had sex with them. According to the young boys, the Norwegian man supported all of the gym’s activities financially and paid each boy between 500 and 5,000 baht for taking part in the activities. Photo via Facebook/ ตำรวจสอบสวนกลาง The favourite would receive additional gifts, such as a mobile phone and a school uniform. He also covered expenses for the families of impoverished children. The young boxers stated that their families knew about the matter, but they did not report it to the police because each child received money and enjoyed a better standard of living after offering sex services. According to KhaoSod, six of the 12 boys at the gym were found to have been sexually abused by the Norwegian man. Officers are now extending their investigation to question the Norwegian man and arrest any other suspects involved.

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Energy Minister Eknath Prommaphand unveiled Thailand's sweeping electricity restructuring plan on July 15, 2025, at Government House, following a National Energy Policy Committee (NEPC) meeting presided over by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. The committee approved a major price reduction measure for all residential households, capping the electricity rate at no more than 3 baht per unit for the first 200 units consumed. This initiative will reach over 23 million households, including renters and temporary residents, with implementation expected in August's billing cycle pending regulatory approval.

"We are not merely adjusting the FT rate quarterly, but completely restructuring the base electricity tariff," Prommaphand explained. "We are separating public electricity charges from the baseline rates to redirect the difference as a discount to consumers." The government also approved a new renewable energy policy by removing the previous 2,000-megawatt cap and industry restrictions on Direct PPA contracts, allowing all sectors to purchase clean electricity directly based on market competition rather than through traditional monopoly channels.

The ministry is redesigning Thailand's electricity system to limit state utilities to grid management only, while buyers and sellers negotiate directly according to market mechanisms. For data center operators—who consume significant power—the government is creating a separate classification to ensure electricity pricing reflects actual LNG import fuel costs without burdening residential users. Data center rates will be monitored to comply with environmental and water resource standards.

When asked whether data center electricity rates would reach 5–6 baht per unit, the energy minister noted that rates would reflect real LNG import costs under current market conditions and could fluctuate with global LNG price movements. The Energy Regulatory Commission will study the tariff structure for data centers, which is expected to be higher than other industrial and residential rates due to their high consumption. The committee also approved measures to address long-standing issues with private power purchase agreements, including reviewing the power purchase premium (Adder) previously set at 6.50–8 baht per unit.

Sompon Isbangyaeng, president of the Thai Volleyball Association, is preparing to meet with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports to request support for hosting the VNL 2027 tournament. This initiative follows Thailand's women's volleyball team finishing 14th in the 2026 Women's Nations League. Sompon disclosed that Volleyball World is interested in having Thailand serve as host not only for regular weekly matches but also potentially for the championship round. He stated that next year the association will discuss the matter with the tourism and sports minister to secure government backing. Volleyball World has expressed confidence in Thailand's capabilities and is willing to designate Thailand as a host venue. Although the final decision on hosting the championship round still requires approval from multiple parties, Sompon expressed confidence that Thailand will secure at least one week of matches. He emphasized that Volleyball World is ready to give Thailand hosting rights and that Thais can look forward to watching the VNL in their country next year for at least one week.

On July 15, Deputy Prime Minister Arkhom Sarnsamak chaired a meeting of the Central Committee for Local Official Examinations (CSTE) at the Department of Local Government Promotion to consider revoking the appointments of 5,000 local civil servants whose exam scores were found to be irregular. When asked by reporters if he felt troubled by the matter, Sarnsamak responded by asking "What would trouble me?" He clarified that authority over such decisions rests with the Central Administrative Committee, but the CSTE is tasked by that committee to conduct the examinations. When issues arise, they must be brought to the CSTE meeting and then referred to the Central Committee for final consideration and resolution, which is expected on July 23.

Before the meeting, CSTE members attended en masse but largely declined to comment. Representatives from the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the Central Investigation Bureau also attended as observers. Suchart Krovkitanon, deputy secretary-general of the NACC, explained that he had only recently received an invitation and would act as an observer. He noted that the CSTE would provide information on whether the 5,000 appointments would be revoked, and he will consider whether to include observations from today's meeting in the NACC's own investigation.

When asked whether the NACC would initially recommend revoking all 5,000 appointments, Suchart said the matter requires further review due to ongoing cross-level investigations. He emphasized that the authority to revoke appointments belongs to the CSTE, not the NACC. Regarding additional exam verification, he explained that the CSTE determines which answers were altered, but has not yet shared those results with the NACC. The investigation remains ongoing to identify all involved parties, including both government officials and test-takers. Currently, 22 individuals remain under investigation, with potential expansion depending on findings. The NACC's findings will be forwarded to the fact-finding committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapart.

Health Minister Pattana Prom-Phattana assured on July 15, 2569 that burn patients from the Ladprao beer factory fire will receive uninterrupted treatment as the ministry proactively arranges transfers to state hospitals before the 72-hour critical emergency care (UCEP) window closes.

The Health Ministry directed the Medical Department to coordinate with Bangkok public hospitals and private facilities treating the injured to plan patient transfers in advance. Hospital pairings have been established to specify which patients will be sent to which facilities, with most receiving hospitals being state facilities with full capacity to provide comprehensive care. The ministry assured the public that both treatment quality and continuity will not be disrupted.

Medical costs will be covered according to each patient's insurance, health insurance policies, or other available benefits. Those without alternative coverage can use the national health insurance card (gold card) for treatment at state hospitals at no additional cost for necessary care.

When asked whether all patients currently in private hospitals would be transferred to state facilities, the minister said discussions and agreements are finalized. However, transfers require doctors from both the sending and receiving hospitals to assess each patient's safety for transport and the receiving hospital's capacity to manage their care. Patients still in critical condition will be evaluated individually by their treating physicians to ensure maximum safety before any transfer.

A Facebook user named Panomporn Suanboon posted dashcam footage complaining about an employee shuttle bus that cut her off and nearly caused an accident near a PTT gas station in Nakhon Luang District, Ayutthaya, around 7:55 a.m. on July 14, 2026. The post describes how while driving in the left lane at normal speed, the shuttle bus suddenly overtook her vehicle and swerved into her lane without warning, forcing her to brake and swerve left to avoid a collision.

Ms. Panomporn, 31, an English teacher and owner of the dashcam footage, recounted that she was driving from Asia Road onto a parallel street heading to school when she encountered the incident near the PTT station in Baan Koh. A shuttle bus initially ahead of her suddenly accelerated, overtook other vehicles, and cut sharply into her lane, squeezing close to her car. She was forced to steer left to avoid impact, nearly driving off the road shoulder, and honked her horn in alarm.

Ms. Panomporn stated that the incident reflects reckless driving that disregards the safety of other road users, including passengers aboard the shuttle bus. She attempted to call the phone number on the back of the bus to lodge a complaint but received no answer, prompting her to publish the dashcam video. She has called on the company to investigate the facts and discipline its drivers to ensure they comply with traffic laws and prioritize the safety of all road users, as everyone has families waiting at home and no one deserves to suffer an accident due to another person's negligence.