On July 28, 2026, at 5:50 p.m., His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen proceeded by royal motorcade to the birthday commemoration ceremony held at the ubosoth of Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram. The ceremony was attended by members of the royal family.

Upon arrival, His Majesty ascended the steps of the ubosoth and received blessings from the monastic clergy. He then lit the great auspicious candles placed on the Dhamma Stone, followed by candles for the Buddha images Yodfa Chulalok and Loet Lanilamai. Her Majesty the Queen lit incense and candles before the Dhamma Stone. Monks chanted the Buddhist prayers for the ceremony.

His Majesty lit additional candles at the monk's rostrum while the monks chanted, then descended to offer royal gifts to the elderly attendees. The King then proceeded to the Amornintaravinijchaya Throne Hall, where he received the respects of those gathered. A royal announcement was read establishing new ecclesiastical rank. The King presented ceremonial items to the newly appointed monks, and the clergy chanted auspicious chants.

The ceremony continued with the lighting of grand auspicious candles at the nine-tiered white umbrella throne. Incense and candles were offered to the Buddha images, and the King took the five precepts with instruction from Somdej Phra Theerayanumon. Seventy-five monks chanted Buddhist prayers for the birthday celebration, with His Majesty lighting candles as the chanting reached key passages.

On July 28, Prisheet Wachrasindhul, a People's Party list MP and deputy party leader, posted on Facebook describing the alleged election fraud operation as extending beyond merely coordinating candidates to exchange votes systematically. The scheme, he stated, also involves hiring people to run as candidates to cast votes for actual candidates locked in by the network through ghost candidacies. He emphasized that financial trails are the strongest evidence of such behavior, though they are difficult to trace because most payments are made in cash, as confirmed by witnesses from Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phuket, and other provinces.

Priveet disclosed that he has obtained financial evidence from at least two provinces. The first involves evidence from Surat Thani linked to Subin Saktda, whose financial transfers were previously revealed by iLaw. Those transfers, connected to MP Pichai Chomphuphol of Bhumjaithai Party, showed money flowing from Subin to ten provincial council candidates totaling 32,000 baht on June 15-16, 2567, just one day before the provincial-level election.

The second financial trail originates from Nong Bua Lamphu, linked to senator Sarachai Wichayasuwan, who currently serves as Nong Bua Lamphu senator from Group 13 after receiving the highest group votes in the national election. A witness from Nong Bua Lamphu, Sunanchai Chuay Udonthanakij, previously testified that he participated in the scheme to establish and hire candidates run by Sarachai, and that he overheard Sarachai reporting to Deputy Prime Minister Thongsak Thongsri, then Minister of Interior, regarding the recruited candidates.

Priveet confirmed that the newly disclosed financial evidence aligns with witness testimony. The records show transfers from Sarachai to Phannipha Phasu, identified by multiple witnesses as Sarachai's secretary, totaling 553,600 baht—51,300 baht from one bank and 502,300 baht from another. Additionally, transfers from Phannipha to seven Nong Bua Lamphu provincial council candidates between May and August 2567 totaled 105,000 baht, distributed as follows: Thanyarat Suwan (36,000 baht), Sumalai Songsaengrit (3,000 baht), Sunanchai Chuay Udonthanakij (1,000 baht), Piyalak Silladaeng (15,000 baht), Somphar Sukuan (40,000 baht), Somsak Bundee (5,000 baht), and Samrit Kongan.

Immigration Police Region 3 has issued a warning to foreign tourists not to fall for unusually discounted tour packages, reaffirming Thailand's safety and welcoming visitors of all nationalities. The alert follows an international crime case in which Chachoengsao Immigration and Pattaya City Police rescued three Indian tourists who were lured by fraudsters posing as tour operators offering below-market packages. Upon arrival in Thailand, the victims were separated from their group, held captive, and subjected to physical abuse, photography, and video threats to extort ransom money from relatives abroad. Police have issued arrest warrants and taken all five suspects into custody, with investigations ongoing.

Deputy Commander Prinya Glinkaset, serving as Region 3's spokesman, urged foreign tourists to exercise caution when purchasing tour packages, especially those offered at abnormally low prices or by unverifiable service providers. He explained that immigration screening uses international standards, checking databases including the Immigration Bureau's technology system, Thailand's national security database, and international databases for blacklisted persons, outstanding warrants, or criminal records before allowing entry.

The spokesman noted that approximately 2.5 million Indian tourists enter Thailand annually, ranking second only to Chinese visitors and boosting the tourism economy. However, only a fraction under 0.1 percent engage in illegal activity—a negligible proportion compared to the majority of quality tourists. Any fraud or crimes occurring after entry are handled through police and security agency coordination to assist victims, apprehend offenders, and prosecute cases strictly. This operation aligns with the National Police Office's policy to intensify scrutiny, screening, and enforcement against foreign nationals engaged in criminal activity or posing security threats, particularly transnational crime, gray-market operations, and use of Thailand as a base for illegal activity.

Members of the public who witness or have information about criminal activity can report to the Immigration Bureau office at 904 Moo 6, Ban Mai Subdistrict, Pak Kret District, Nonthaburi Province 11120, call provincial immigration offices in their area, or visit www.immigration.go.th.

Authorities have ordered the permanent dismantling of the Buekasamee checkpoint following concerns about repeat attacks, and plan to replace it with a fortified bullet-resistant guardpost. Thirteen armed militants attacked the checkpoint in Rangae District, Narathiwat Province on July 22, killing five ranger officers and injuring six civilians. Police Colonel Suphachat Na Phatthalung, commander of Rangae Station, along with military and administrative officials, agreed to permanently close the checkpoint.

Workers have begun demolishing the tall watchtower that stood at the bridge entrance, which included a small shelter in front of the temporary residence of Sergeant Major Theerayuth Somkakaeng, one of the five ranger officers killed in the attack. Sunshades covering the checkpoint area have also been removed to prevent civilian casualties in future incidents.

In place of the dismantled checkpoint, Colonel Suphachat has introduced a red bullet-resistant guardpost—a reinforced rectangular steel container with specialized steel plating or thick concrete designed to withstand gunfire and explosions. A new checkpoint will be established approximately 200 meters away at the entrance to the Seepo Waterfall road, staffed by rotating police and military personnel around the clock. Three coordinated forces will also conduct roving patrols to inspect vehicles and individuals entering and exiting the municipality, aiming to intercept any insurgents attempting to infiltrate civilian populations and reassure residents that normal life can continue safely.

On July 28, 2026, Ms. Nok (a pseudonym), 53, from Prakonchai District in Buriram Province, sought counseling after her 27-year-old son began showing unusual behavior—isolating himself in his room—because the Provincial Electricity Authority still has not called any of the candidates who passed the Level 3 electrical engineer exam, despite nearly two years having passed and the deadline for removing their names from the eligible list approaching.

Ms. Nok explained that two years ago, after her son completed his studies, he took the competitive examination announced by the Provincial Electricity Authority for the Level 3 electrical engineer position. When results were announced, her son placed 4th among all 13 candidates who passed. He was overjoyed, as he loved this organization. He then applied for part-time work with the Provincial Electricity Authority's Prakonchai office while waiting to be called for his permanent position. However, no interview call has come.

After one year passed with still no call, her son began to experience severe stress and anxiety. She traveled to Bangkok twice to inquire and received assurances from staff that "they will call everyone," but as the two-year deadline for the eligible list approaches, nothing has happened. Ms. Nok expressed that she feels sorry for her son, who genuinely loves electrical engineering work. While working part-time for the Prakonchai electricity office, he has taken on customer complaint calls and worked late into the night despite this not being his responsibility. She wants to know why the Provincial Electricity Authority has not called even one person who passed the exam, and if the deadline expires without hiring anyone, why open the recruitment at all.

Meanwhile, Jem (a pseudonym), 27, Ms. Nok's son, shared that he loves electrical engineering more than anything and has dedicated himself to his part-time work with the Prakonchai electricity office, often working beyond what his wage covers. He still believes and hopes that the Provincial Electricity Authority will call him to work in the field he loves most—so much so that he no longer wants to take exams anywhere else.

A cheating scandal in local government civil service exams has shaken confidence in Thailand's bureaucratic system nationwide. Chair Parkorn Nilpraphand's revelations have exposed an organized network operating systematically across multiple levels. The 5,924 candidates who passed with abnormally high scores represent only the tip of the iceberg; deeper investigation uncovered irregularities in job designation, job description drafting, hiring, exam administration, answer verification, result announcement, and official appointment—virtually every step leaked or was compromised. If civil service exams can be bought and sold, officials selected through fraud cannot be expected to work honestly. The involvement of over 100 people from both government and private sectors shows the problem is too large to blame on a few individuals. Notably, Thailand's highest administrative court has set a precedent that when exam results stem from serious error, those results are void from the start, allowing immediate removal from office without waiting for criminal proceedings to conclude. The committee's job extends beyond fact-finding; it must identify specific vulnerabilities, name those responsible at each stage, and recommend fixes before passing the case to police, the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the Department of Special Investigation, and the Office of the Ombudsman for comprehensive criminal, disciplinary, and financial investigation to reach the masterminds. This case will prove whether the state dares to dismantle networks with deep roots in the civil service. The committee will submit its report to Prime Minister Anutin by August 4. The critical question is whether the findings reach the true architects or merely sever low-level operators, allowing the fraud machine to reappear at the next exam cycle. Only if investigators dig to the root can this become the start of restoring faith in Thailand's entire public system.