Police have cracked down on an 18-year-old hot-headed motorcyclist who drove the wrong way down a bike lane and verbally abused an elderly cyclist. The young man, who eventually apologized respectfully, faces five charges.

The incident occurred on August 8, 2025, at 7:21 a.m. in the Phumivet Road area of Pak Kret Subdistrict, Pak Kret District, Nonthaburi Province. Khomsan, age 61, was cycling in the dedicated bike lane on Phumivet Road as usual, heading to Pak Kret Market while recording video on his phone to document the rampant wrong-way traffic in the lane. He encountered two motorcycles and a bicycle traveling the wrong direction. The last motorcycle carried a teenage boy in a gray shirt and a young woman in a red shirt who pursued him, shouted vulgar insults, and made threatening remarks. Video footage later spread on social media, sparking widespread public outrage and criticism.

After investigation, traffic police at Pak Kret Station charged the 18-year-old rider on August 12, 2025. He admitted guilt on all counts. For threatening and intimidating another person causing fear, he was fined 1,000 baht. For traffic violations—riding without a helmet, driving without a license, driving the wrong direction, and ignoring traffic signs—he was fined 500 baht per violation, totaling 2,000 baht in traffic fines.

Khomsan explained that he routinely uses Phumivet Road to reach the market and records video of bike lane violations because wrong-way traffic is a daily hazard. He was not attempting to provoke anyone. He heard someone yell "he's filming," then the two teenagers confronted him as shown in the video, using crude language and threats. Fortunately, he was not physically harmed. He appreciated that police brought the suspect's parents to the station; both the parents and the suspect apologized sincerely, and Khomsan accepted their apology without holding a grudge. He noted that the bike lane is regularly invaded by motorcycles at high speed, posing danger to cyclists of all ages. He appealed to motorists that the bike lane is reserved exclusively for bicycles and that entering it violates the law and risks accidents.

Deputy Colonel Thapanpong confirmed that the bike lane is clearly marked as bicycle-only, and motor vehicles are prohibited. The traffic police at Pak Kret Station issued fines for all violations after the social media images came to light. The defendant admitted guilt on all counts and sincerely apologized to the victim until the matter was satisfactorily resolved without further grievance.

Divana, a luxury wellness lifestyle brand, has launched an art exhibition titled "Habitat of Life" by artist George Varakorn Kongmak at divana Perfumery & Cafe in CentralWorld during August 2025. The exhibition represents divana's vision of sustainable living—not limited to environmental conservation, but creating a lifestyle that respects nature through products, space design, and experiences that help people pause, reflect, and reconnect with the natural world.

The Living Gallery transforms the retail space into a lifestyle destination, offering a contemporary art experience combined with divana's signature fragrances and a multi-sensory journey through scent, light, and atmosphere. George Varakorn Kongmak's artwork conveys the relationship between humans, animals, plants, and nature as a single ecosystem, aligning with divana's philosophy that wellbeing begins with balance among people, nature, and the environment.

Divana's chief executive, Patthanapong Ranurak, stated that fragrance serves as a bridge connecting people to nature, memory, and inner peace. The collaboration also features a Limited Edition Aroma Sachet Collection with five exclusive designs inspired by George's artwork, each reflecting stories of nature and ecological balance. The sachets are priced at 590 baht and are available exclusively at divana Perfumery & Cafe in CentralWorld's HUG THAI Zone. The exhibition runs from August 5-30, 2025, with free admission.

The gold amulet coin controversy within the collector community has drawn attention after allegations of a swap surfaced. Pont Thaphraphanjan addressed the matter in a live broadcast, taking responsibility for his team's error in leaving a gold coin inside a testing device. He subsequently negotiated with the coin's owner and reached a settlement at 9 million baht, which the owner accepted without pursuing further claims.

Prominent collector Pong Suphan has now weighed in on the incident, stating he is not a third party seeking to discredit anyone. He presented factual evidence in the form of photographs of 14 amulet items, showing that one of them changed from a gold coin to a copper coin. Pong Suphan raised further questions about why one of the 14 items, originally photographed as a gold coin, became copper when returned to its owner.

Pattaya Mayor Pramesuan Gampichet has denied inaccurate reports about the municipality's plans, saying the claims of requesting forest land for a garbage dump and dog shelter are baseless. The mayor explained that Pattaya is seriously tackling the stray dog problem through ongoing neutering, vaccination against rabies, and a memorandum of understanding with Pong Subdistrict Municipality to transfer dogs to local shelters.

The mayor noted that current legal constraints limit the number of dogs the municipality can accept and restrict budget use to food and caretaker wages only. To work more comprehensively and efficiently, Pattaya officials have informally consulted with forest officials about finding suitable land for a stray dog center covering the entire Bang Lamung District. The proposed area would include reforestation, water sources, and public parks while preventing forest encroachment.

The mayor outlined four legal steps: first, the municipal council must approve operations outside municipal boundaries—which has already been passed; second, a community meeting must be held by the responsible subdistrict municipality; third, formal permission must be requested from the Department of Forests; and fourth, the Department of Forests must grant approval. The mayor emphasized that the project is currently in the study phase and no construction or facility has been established. He stressed that the stray dog problem requires serious public attention and cooperation.

Residents of Bun Loet Canal village, Moo 16, Wang Tha Chang subdistrict, Kabinburi district, Prachuap Khiri Khan province, reported finding severely blackened water with foam on the surface and a strong foul odor in the canal. Dead fish, including silver barb and climbing perch, were found floating along the banks, raising fears that chemical or toxic substances may have leaked into the natural water source. Village leaders, subdistrict council members, and the Wang Tha Chang subdistrict administration were alerted to investigate urgently.

Field inspections confirmed the canal water was pitch black with foam floating on the surface and an overpowering stench throughout. Dead fish carcasses were discovered along the shoreline. Village headman Udom Thongsaenkhum reported that residents first noticed the water turning black with a strong odor and found three to four dead fish the previous evening. The source of the chemical contamination has not yet been determined, as the canal originates upstream from Khao Chakkhram district in Sa Kaew province.

Community leaders have temporarily banned residents from using canal water for drinking, consumption, and agriculture as a precaution. The area has existing concerns about residual toxins, and authorities are waiting for water samples to be collected and tested to determine the true cause. A local resident named Sa, who raises 28 cattle, expressed distress that she can no longer allow her herd to drink from the canal and now must carry water from her home for the animals, imposing a heavy burden on her livelihood. She has urged government agencies to urgently investigate and identify the source of the pollution.

Devotees and families flocked to Klang Bang Phra Temple on August 12, 2026, to pay respects to Luang Pho Somwang, a 30-meter-tall Buddha image revered by locals and foreign visitors alike for its spiritual power. The temple, located in Nakhon Pathom Province, is famous for granting blessings and good fortune to those who make merit there, with worshippers often returning to make offerings if their wishes are fulfilled. The atmosphere was crowded on Mother's Day, with children and parents joining long queues to place gold leaf on the Buddha's right hand. Many lottery enthusiasts also visited, as the lottery draw was just four days away, hoping to receive lucky numbers through chance-drawing rituals.

Suwan, a 30-year-old housewife from Samut Sakhon, brought her five-year-old daughter to the temple for the first time on Mother's Day with her husband, a factory technician. She had heard of the temple's reputation for good fortune and decided to visit. Suwan prayed for her daughter's future success, good health, and education, and for her husband's career advancement and family prosperity. She also hoped to obtain a car to transport her daughter to school. She asked her daughter to draw three lottery balls from a container, receiving the numbers 841. Before leaving, Suwan performed a respectful gesture, raising her hands to her head while praying for her wishes to be granted, vowing to return with offerings of roasted pork, rice, and eggs if her wishes come true.