Two high school students were arrested following a shooting incident at a school in Nong Sua district, Pathum Thani, that injured three fellow students. Police apprehended a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old with two homemade firearms and 14 shotgun rounds. The incident occurred in the evening and prompted police at Nong Sua Station to file charges of attempted murder and illegal weapons possession.

The school closed for one day on July 3, with District Education Director Dr. Hrithai Boonpradap, school Principal Pol. Col. Watchrawit Nithivarat, and Nong Sua Police Inspector meeting to discuss preventive measures. The principal explained the closure was needed to investigate facts, clarify information, and ease parental concerns about student safety following the school violence.

Of the three injured students, one was transferred to Pathum Thani Hospital with a gunshot wound to the face. A second student at Nong Sua Hospital was shot twice in the back with shallow wounds; doctors removed one bullet and plan an X-ray for the other. The third student was beaten but uninjured. The school will require parents of involved students to sign agreements on behavioral supervision. Counselors will closely monitor affected students' attitudes and recovery. The principal acknowledged that current teenage behavior may be influenced by online media, violence imitation, and access to homemade weapons. About 4-5 classrooms were affected. When the perpetrators return next week, parents will again meet with the school to resolve conflicts and restore peer relationships.

The Thai Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (THAICID) held a press conference on July 3, 2026, at the Royal Irrigation Department headquarters on Samsen Road to announce the THAICID-NWIKS 2026 Network Week, themed "Smarter Water for a Stronger Future: Intelligent Water for Sustainable Progress." The event aims to create a knowledge-sharing platform on water management, technology, innovation, and agriculture to address climate change challenges.

Yongyon Nieamthrap, a civil engineering expert on planning and projects at the Royal Irrigation Department and chair of the THAICID-NWIKS 2026 organizing committee, led the announcement. The press conference was attended by three Deputy Directors-General of the Royal Irrigation Department—Worrapoj Petchonchart, Songpol Suaysom, and Thanandon Sutthiphisai—along with representatives from partner organizations including the Thai Hydrological Association, the Engineering Institute of Thailand, the Council of Engineers, the Thai IoT Association, Kasetsart University, and the Agricultural Research Development Office.

Nieamthrap stated that climate change inevitably impacts water resources, agriculture, and food security. Future water management requires knowledge, digital technology, innovation, and cooperation from all sectors to enhance the country's water and agricultural resource management and prepare for future challenges. The THAICID-NWIKS 2026 event will serve as an important platform connecting knowledge, innovation, and collaborative networks at both national and international levels to advance Thailand's water and agricultural management toward efficiency, resilience, and sustainability.

The THAICID-NWIKS 2026 event will be held July 8-10, 2026, at the 80th Anniversary Building of Kasetsart University's Kamphaeng Saen Campus in Nakhon Pathom Province. The program includes national irrigation and drainage conferences, presentations on water management technologies and innovations by domestic and international experts, knowledge-exchange forums on agricultural water use, and opportunities for youth, emerging researchers, and model farmers to share their work and experiences. THAICID invites government agencies, private sector organizations, educational institutions, academics, researchers, engineers, farmers, water user groups, students, and interested citizens to participate and contribute to advancing Thailand's water and agricultural management toward sustainability.

Health Minister Pattana Prom-patana discussed healthcare workforce management in talks with Deputy Prime Minister Yotsanan Wongsuwan and Higher Education Minister. The Health Ministry is reviewing physician distribution for newly graduated doctors entering the service system, gathering data on their numbers and placement across ministry hospitals, medical schools, and private institutions to inform workforce policy. The ministry is also analyzing what motivates doctors and medical staff at different career stages and life phases to better tailor workforce planning. Deputy Health Secretary Somrak Chungsaman is currently reviewing the details with ongoing discussions. When asked about extending service periods for doctors graduated through the Thai Medical Schools Group before returning to their original institutions, the minister said such matters may be discussed internally but no conclusions or announcements have been made.

On July 3, 2026, a 44-year-old monk from Loei province sought assistance from Ekapon Lueanaprasert, founder of a justice advocacy page, to expedite the case after his 12-year-old daughter, ordained as a nun at the temple, was sexually assaulted by Vietnamese monk Si Tan inside his quarters on the evening of May 29, 2026.

According to the father, the Vietnamese monk had invited a group of nuns and lay followers to share a hotpot meal in his quarters—five people total, including the perpetrator, two nuns (one being the victim), and two lay people. During the meal, the monk consumed alcohol. Afterward, he volunteered to drive the temple's golf cart to take the two nuns back to their quarters, choosing to drop off the victim first.

The victim recounted that the monk forcefully pushed open her door and sexually assaulted her. Shocked and terrified, she ran to another nun, crying and recounting the incident before they informed the father. He immediately took his daughter to Nong Hin Police Station in Loei to file a complaint.

However, the father revealed that after the incident became known, some senior monks attempted to negotiate a settlement within the temple without filing charges. He refused, viewing it as a serious criminal matter gravely affecting his daughter's dignity and mental state. He was determined to pursue justice through legal processes.

The abbot initially consented to prosecution but suggested financial compensation. The father firmly rejected this, wanting maximum judicial accountability. After filing the complaint, he was ordered to leave the temple and vacate his quarters, with officials citing his disclosure of internal temple matters to police.

Currently, the victim has provided testimony before multidisciplinary professionals with medical examination documentation. The Vietnamese monk remains in custody pending trial. However, the father remains deeply concerned about potential delays in the investigation summary that could lead to the suspect's temporary release or bail, creating high flight risk given his foreign status. Meanwhile, his daughter suffers severe anxiety, fear of men, and inability to venture anywhere alone, prompting him to urge authorities to expedite the case.

Thanakorn Kaetsuwannakun, chairman of the Thai National Shippers Association, has reaffirmed the organization's forecast for 8-10% export growth in 2025, despite ongoing risks from U.S. tariff uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, and global economic headwinds. Recent data shows strong momentum in Thai exports, with the association confident growth targets remain achievable.

Easing Middle East tensions—following temporary ceasefire negotiations between the U.S. and Iran—have reduced energy supply chain risks. Global crude oil prices have fallen from approximately $75 per barrel to around $68 in June, with commodity prices also adjusting downward from conflict-related peaks. However, ongoing damage to Middle Eastern energy infrastructure and low OECD oil reserves mean energy prices may not fall significantly further, making Thailand's energy security and petroleum management policies critical priorities.

Another major growth driver is the worldwide surge in artificial intelligence and data center investment, boosting both exports and foreign direct investment in Thailand. Yet this growth remains unevenly distributed in a K-shaped economy, where exporters and new industries thrive while SMEs, small businesses, and many workers lag behind.

Thanakorn emphasized that attracting foreign investment is only half the challenge—the real test is ensuring those investments create domestic value, link with Thai businesses, and genuinely raise worker productivity. The association is urging the government to accelerate Thailand Local Content policies and increase Regional Value Content requirements, enabling Thai suppliers to enter foreign investors' supply chains while reducing imports and building long-term economic value.

The group also recommends that the government deploy appropriate trade measures—including anti-dumping, anti-subsidy, and safeguard measures, plus product standards—to ensure fair competition and protect domestic industries from substandard imports.

For the second half, Thanakorn calls for maintaining appropriate interest rates while urgently reducing energy costs, particularly electricity, which remains a heavy burden on manufacturers. He also emphasizes the need to continue improving regulations.

A group of Buddhist monks behind the Walk for Peace pilgrimage in the United States has expressed its deepest condolences following the deaths of Thai monks in a devastating road accident in northeastern Thailand, saying the tragedy resonates with them on a deeply personal level.

In a statement released after the July 2 accident, the group said it was "deeply saddened" by the news that a vehicle struck a group of monks during their walking pilgrimage in Mukdahan province, killing nine monks and injuring many others. The group also reassured supporters that the monks participating in the US-based Walk for Peace were not involved in the incident and were safe.

"As brothers in the Dhamma, we feel this profound loss deeply in our hearts," the statement read. The group extended its condolences to Thailand's Sangha, the families of the deceased and everyone affected, while praying for the departed monks and wishing those injured a full recovery.

The monks said the tragedy brought back memories of their own close call during the Walk for Peace on November 19, 2025 near Dayton, Texas, when a vehicle lost control and veered towards their walking group. They said the incident reminded them how vulnerable monks are while walking long distances in pursuit of peace.

The Walk for Peace pilgrimage began in Texas late last year, with around 20 monks travelling on foot to Washington, DC, to promote peace, mindfulness and loving-kindness. The group said such journeys are never without hardship, citing severe weather, physical exhaustion and the dangers of walking on public roads.

"Every step is an offering — a quiet and steadfast promise to endure adversity so that seeds of peace may be planted across the world," the monks said, adding that the tragedy also serves as a reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of living each moment with mindfulness and compassion.

The statement concluded with a prayer for all beings to be free from suffering and to live in peace, safety and good health.