SRT apologises after staff lose passenger’s cat from luggage compartmentLegacyA search is ongoing for a disabled pet cat that went missing during a train journey from Yala to Bangkok on June 28 after it was separated from its owner due to railway animal restrictions. The cat’s owner, Wanmareeyanee “Young” Hajimahmud, posted in a Facebook group seeking help to locate her six year old female ginger cat, Sisom, whose name refers to her orange colouring. The cat has disabled rear legs. Photos shared by Wanmareeyanee show Sisom with orange and white fur. The owner said the cat was wearing a red shirt with “KFC” written on the back, along with a handmade diaper and white and blue striped trousers at the time she went missing. Wanmareeyanee said she placed Sisom in a zipped cat carrier before boarding train number 170 from Yala to Bangkok on the night of June 28. Photo via Facebook/ W Maryani Hj Npd She explained that she usually travels on ordinary trains to remain with her cat, but the service was fully booked, forcing her to take an air-conditioned train where animals are not permitted. According to Wanmareeyanee, train staff instructed her to place the cat in the luggage compartment. She said she wanted to stay in the compartment after learning that its lock was broken, but decided against doing so because only male staff were present in the area. She tried to negotiate with the train staff, pointing out the cat’s disability and asking them to allow Sisom to stay with her, but was denied. Wanmareeyanee stated that train staff found Sisom missing in the early hours of June 29 but informed her later that morning at about 6.30am. She added that different staff members gave conflicting accounts about when the cat disappeared, causing confusion about the timeline. Photo via Facebook/ W Maryani Hj Npd The owner also said that she suspected someone had opened the carrier and let the cat escape, as the bag’s zipper was left open. The missing cat case drew criticism online, with some questioning the enforcement of the animal ban and the recklessness of the train officers. Other comments focused on the reported broken lock in the luggage compartment and concerns over passenger belongings. Wanmareeyanee later updated that The Hope Thailand, a non-profit animal welfare foundation, and its founder Peeraboon “Poom” Charoenwai had joined the search and were coordinating with the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). Peeraboon said on the foundation’s official Facebook page that he had spoken with a senior SRT officer, who apologised for the incident and pledged a full search operation. Photo via Facebook/ The Hope Thailand The senior officer said staff delayed informing Wanmareeyanee, allegedly due to concerns about entering a female passenger area late at night. The officer added that procedures would be reviewed to prevent similar delays. Peeraboon said Sisom is believed to have gone missing along the route about 30 kilometres before reaching Krungthep Apiwat Central Terminal in Bangkok. Volunteers, railway staff, and the foundation are conducting searches along the route. According to a report by DailyNews, drones have been deployed to assist in the search. No confirmed sightings of Sisom have been reported. The story SRT apologises after staff lose passenger’s cat from luggage compartment as seen on Thaiger News.

The Cabinet has approved a new ministerial regulation to strengthen public procurement standards and hold contractors accountable for construction work causing serious damage to public life and property. Contractors will be blacklisted as project abandoners and barred from bidding on state work for 2 to 10 years, aiming to filter out low-quality operators, reduce recurring state project problems, and boost transparency in public budget use. Government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek revealed that the Cabinet approved the draft regulation on project abandonment as proposed by the Finance Ministry to improve procurement standards, increase contractor responsibility, and protect public safety. The regulation was prompted by past incidents where state construction contractors caused serious harm to public life and property, yet government agencies sometimes failed to terminate contracts or list them as abandoners, allowing the same operators to continue bidding on state projects. The current 2560 Procurement and Property Management Act does not fully cover such cases, necessitating updated standards to match current circumstances and better protect public interests. The regulation defines contractors or contract holders whose serious construction work failures endanger public life or property through negligent performance or non-performance as project abandoners. Once the Finance Ministry's Permanent Secretary lists them as abandoners, they lose the right to submit proposals or sign contracts with government agencies for 2 to 10 years, with their names distributed to all state agencies through the Comptroller General's system and communicated to the listed contractors. This measure prevents contractors with histories of serious damage from re-entering state work, reduces risks of recurring project problems, and improves contractor selection transparency, quality, and value for money in public spending.

A close friend of Dior Arisara has defended the actress against what many perceived as a subtle criticism from her ex-husband, Sebastian. Sebastian recently posted multiple photos of parenting moments with their children, including captions about good parenting being 80% about being present and available for children. The posts sparked speculation that he was indirectly criticizing Dior, who is currently in a new relationship.

Marisa, Dior's friend, responded sharply on social media, stating that family matters should not be judged by outsiders who don't know the full story. She emphasized that social media posts do not reveal the deeper truth, and questioned Sebastian's motivations, asking whether the posts were meant to build a certain image.

Marisa further criticized the apparent hypocrisy, noting that when Dior wanted to keep their children's lives private, Sebastian claimed to agree but then posted the photos anyway. She argued that true parenting duties are not about public declarations but about unseen sacrifices—pointing out that Dior has raised their children largely alone and covered 80% of expenses without household help.

Marisa concluded with a pointed statement: "No child wants to see their father abandon their mother during difficult times," adding that in her own experience as both a mother and wife, her husband has never abandoned her during hardship.

Police have arrested a 41-year-old man from Khon Kaen province for throwing a rock at a vehicle and making an obscene gesture before fleeing on a motorcycle. The incident occurred on July 7, 2569, and was captured on a dashcam recording that circulated widely across social media pages throughout Khon Kaen province. The video showed a man on a red motorcycle pulling up beside a car, raising his left arm, then throwing a rock at the vehicle's front while making an offensive gesture before rapidly fleeing the scene.

According to Pol. Col. Yotsawat Kaewsupthanynich, superintendent of Muang Khon Kaen Police Station, investigators tracked down and arrested the man in the video. The suspect, 41 years old and a Khon Kaen resident, confessed to being the perpetrator. He claimed that the car's driver had cut him off first, which upset him, prompting him to pick up a rock from the roadside and follow the vehicle to commit the act. He also admitted to consuming two methamphetamine pills. A urine test confirmed the presence of drugs in his system, leading to charges for methamphetamine possession under Category 1 with legal proceedings initiated. The suspect stated that after committing the act and seeing the social media post, he attempted to contact the original poster to apologize but was unable to reach them.

Prime Minister Anuthín Charnvírakul has ordered accelerated adjustments to oil prices to align with actual costs following continuous declines in global crude oil markets, aiming to ease the cost of living for citizens and businesses. Government spokesperson Ratchadá Thanadírék announced on July 7, 2025, that the PM and Interior Minister addressed the cabinet on the oil price situation, noting that Middle East tensions have eased over the past one to two weeks, causing consistent drops in global crude oil prices. The PM has tasked the Energy Ministry and the Oil Fund Office with closely monitoring the situation and considering how to adjust domestic retail fuel prices to match production costs. The PM stressed that if conditions are favorable, the government should accelerate implementation to ensure citizens and businesses benefit fairly, reducing the burden of living expenses, transportation costs, and production expenses—all of which would positively impact the nation's overall economy.

Suan Dusit University, in collaboration with The Chemical Society of Thailand and the Department of Science Service under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, has announced its readiness to co-host the international Pure and Applied Chemistry International Conference 2027 (PACCON 2027). The conference theme is "Chemical Innovation for Longevity and Well-being" and will be held February 11-13, 2027 at Centara Life Chaeng Wattana Convention Centre in Bangkok, serving as a global platform for knowledge exchange and driving the future of the chemical industry.

The conference will feature world-class speakers, led by Prof. Dr. Susumu Kitagawa, the 2025 Nobel Prize laureate in Chemistry, recognized for groundbreaking research on functional porous coordination polymers and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)—innovations with critical applications in clean energy storage, medicine, and environmental remediation. Also presenting will be Professor Dr. Orawon Chailapakul, a leading Thai analytical chemist with international recognition in diamond electrochemistry, electroanalytical chemistry, and chemical and biosensors.

PACCON 2027 represents a gathering of leading scientists addressing global challenges through chemical innovation to support aging societies and promote sustainable well-being. The event exemplifies a tripartite collaboration between professional associations, government science agencies, and academic institutions. The organizers invite academics, researchers, students, scientists, and industry professionals from Thailand and abroad to submit research papers and register at https://paccon2027.com/ or contact paccon2027@gmail.com for more information.