Saucony Thailand, the exclusive distributor of the global running brand in Thailand, has unveiled Saucony BKK 10K, the country's first international-standard running event, which becomes part of the prestigious Saucony 10K Series alongside Berlin, London, Paris, and Hong Kong. The race underscores Saucony Global's confidence in Bangkok as the Asia Pacific host, aimed at elevating competition standards to international levels while inviting Thai and international runners to experience the city's heart through a carefully designed course. The event operates under the "RUN AS ONE" concept, celebrating runners of all levels, nationalities, and cultures through an integrated experience of performance, lifestyle, and running culture, while positioning Bangkok as a key sports tourism destination in Asia.

Scheduled for Sunday morning, October 25, 2026, the Saucony BKK 10K will start at Siam Square in central Bangkok, using the city's iconic landmarks to blend sport, lifestyle, art, and culture into a world-class running experience. The event is expected to attract over 5,000 Thai and international runners, generating economic activity across tourism, hospitality, dining, and related businesses while promoting sports tourism.

Beyond the race itself, Saucony BKK 10K functions as a running festival offering diverse experiences throughout the week, including a Race Expo, Community Run, Shake Out Run, partner activities, sports and lifestyle experiences, and entertainment festival. Siraphon Wattana, CMO of Reve Edition Co., Ltd., stated that "Saucony BKK 10K is not merely a race but a platform connecting people, the city, and running culture. We want Bangkok to become a destination that runners worldwide wish to visit, delivering a world-class experience that embodies the spirit of RUN AS ONE."

The event will feature custom race jerseys, finisher medals, and race experiences designed to international standards, supported by partnerships with leading brands. Saucony Thailand is confident that Saucony BKK 10K will become a landmark event in Thai running and demonstrate the country's capacity to host international competitions while boosting the economy, tourism, and community spirit.

Thailand's fire-safety engineering board has identified spray-applied heat insulation foam above the ceiling as the likely primary fuel source behind the violent ignition and gas accumulation at the Ladprao beer hall fire. On July 15, Buskorn Saensuk, chair of the Fire Prevention Engineering Committee under the Engineering Institute of Thailand (AITI), inspected the site and reported findings from Monday onward, focusing on how large volumes of combustible gas were generated.

Investigators found that while the ceiling's decorative facing materials were thin, the steel-frame ceiling was topped with approximately 3 inches of spray-applied heat insulation foam covering the entire area, bearing burn marks since Monday. When forensic teams and disaster-mitigation officials opened the ceiling yesterday, they discovered high pressure from below had fractured it, revealing evidence of internal combustion from explosive pressure building underneath.

The interior space was saturated with sprayed foam insulation. The stage area burned most intensely—video footage shows heavy smoke plumes identified by witnesses as acrid combustible vapor flowing from inside. The high pressure forced flames and smoke through various breach points in the foam and ceiling. When evacuation and rear-door opening released large volumes of accumulated fuel gas into fresh air, violent combustion ensued.

Whether the foam itself is fire-resistant remains under investigation. Inspectors noted that while some areas far from the stage showed deformation from blast, the stage and bar areas showed different burn patterns: typical areas had 3 inches of sprayed foam above the ceiling, but stage and bar zones had bottom-side coating that left foam residue on top—only soot and char below. Although fire-retardant additives make foam harder to ignite at certain temperatures, foam remains combustible; if exposed to heat beyond test thresholds, it will burn. Laboratory testing is required to confirm whether fire-retardant additives were used.

Thailand's hot climate amplifies fire risk from sprayed insulation, so material selection must prioritize fire-resistant or hard-to-ignite properties available in the market, and electrical systems must be evaluated alongside materials—sealed ceilings without heat vents cause electrical degradation. Buskorn explained that in fire simulations, low ceilings with fires at ceiling level cause heat and smoke to layer and drop toward breathing height, accelerating fire spread and creating life-threatening conditions.

Buildings with high fuel loads should therefore have code-compliant smoke-venting systems capable of clearing smoke during emergencies.

On July 15, 2569, at Parliament, Chaiyanond Detchdetcho, a Democrat Party list MP and deputy party leader, addressed the 40-baht curry controversy, stating that Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supa Jutatumpon, whom he views as skilled, had challenged him to produce evidence of 30-baht curry, offering to investigate with him. Chaiyanond argued that Supa should understand that 30-baht curry exists in other provinces and in Bangkok government offices and schools. He called on the government to verify the current lowest curry price and set that as a standard nationwide. He criticized the Commerce Ministry for failing to reduce product prices despite falling oil costs, saying energy prices have dropped but consumers see no relief. "I've told this eloquent minister repeatedly, but she doesn't listen," Chaiyanond said. "I think she should spend her time solving problems instead of inventing excuses. Check which consumer goods rose in price when energy costs went up, and verify if they've fallen now that costs have dropped. If shops haven't adjusted prices to match lower costs, what legal measures will you take?" He also warned of an impending fruit surplus in the southern harvest season and urged the Commerce Ministry to coordinate with Thai Post, private firms, the Agriculture Ministry, and domestic trade authorities to manage distribution, rather than dismissing the issue. When asked whether Supa should evaluate her own performance, Chaiyanond said the Prime Minister should decide that, but from his perspective, the public will be the judge. If goods remain expensive, wages stay the same, and living costs rise, Supa should reflect on her work. He emphasized that Thailand is a state, not a private enterprise that can do whatever it pleases.

On July 15, 2025, tourist police arrested two Myanmar men, identified as Kao Mia and Ang Ye, at a rented house in Koh Phangan district, Surat Thani province, after discovering they were illegally operating a beauty salon and wedding planning service catering to migrant workers. When undercover officers posed as customers seeking hair services, police found the suspects actively working on clients inside the house. One suspect attempted to flee through the back door but was apprehended.

Authorities conducted a detailed search and seized beauty equipment, wedding decoration items including bride and groom suits, artificial flowers, decorative fabrics, contraband goods smuggled from Myanmar, and 70,000 baht in cash. Evidence from the suspects' phones and Facebook accounts revealed numerous photos and videos of their wedding services for Myanmar workers. Both men confessed to running the beauty salon jointly and operating the wedding business, charging 100-200 baht for haircuts, 600 baht for hair extensions, 400 baht for dyeing, and 100 baht for wash and dry services. Their wedding planning business charged 13,000-20,000 baht per event, generating 50,000-100,000 baht monthly depending on season.

They face three charges: operating unlicensed businesses (beauty salon and wedding planning), working in a profession reserved for Thai citizens (as foreign nationals), and handling smuggled goods that entered the kingdom without proper customs clearance. The suspects have been transferred to Koh Phangan police station for legal proceedings.

A group of Kuwaiti tourists aged 20 to 30 has alleged systematic extortion by uniformed police officers in Pattaya following traffic stops. The tourists claim they were repeatedly apprehended, forced to pay cash fines of 3,500 to 5,000 baht at isolated locations, and issued what turned out to be grocery store receipts rather than official police documents. When they requested to pay fines at a police station or provided previously issued receipts as proof of payment, officers allegedly rejected their requests and claimed the receipts were fake.

The group said officers refused all payment methods except cash and demanded an additional 500 baht just to receive a receipt. They were told they would have to pay at an unidentified vehicle impound facility in Pattaya and warned that motorcycles would be impounded if they did not comply. Some nights the tourists were stopped and fined between two and five times. Though they acknowledged committing traffic violations and said they would accept proper legal prosecution, they described the officers' conduct as "scarier than criminals" and provided journalists with secretly recorded videos and receipts as evidence of the alleged scheme.

Foreign tourist arrivals in Thailand dipped 3 percent year-on-year but generated total revenue exceeding 800 billion baht, with China leading visitor numbers. Tourism Minister Surasak Pancharoen reported on tourism conditions for the week of July 5–11, 2025, noting that the sector continued to benefit from summer holidays across multiple markets including both short-haul destinations like China and Hong Kong, and long-haul markets such as France, Germany, and the Netherlands.

China's tourism market expanded steadily, with cumulative Chinese visitors reaching 2.75 million people and generating over 1.53 million baht in tourism revenue. Increased flight routes including Shenzhen–Phuket, Dubai–Bangkok Don Mueang, and Amsterdam–Suvarnabhumi brought 562,454 foreign tourists into Thailand during the week, up 28,757 visitors or 5.39 percent from the previous week, averaging 80,351 arrivals per day.

By market segment, short-haul markets drew 360,460 visitors (up 3.55 percent week-on-week), while long-haul markets attracted 201,994 visitors (up 8.83 percent). The top five source countries for the week were China (99,638), Malaysia (76,878), India (33,822), Australia (20,009), and the United States (20,008). Chinese and Indian visitors increased 19.34 percent and 3.57 percent respectively from the previous week, while Malaysian, Australian, and American visitors declined 1.82 percent, 2.39 percent, and 0.81 percent respectively.

Foreign tourist numbers are expected to rise further next week, buoyed by ongoing summer holidays in China and several European countries.

From January 1 to July 11, 2025, Thailand accumulated 16.77 million foreign visitors, down 3.09 percent compared to the same period last year, generating 809.94 billion baht in tourism revenue. The top five source markets by cumulative arrivals were China (2,754,366), Malaysia (2,186,834), India (1,272,845), Russia (1,041,728), and South Korea (611,399).