Thai actor Pond Naravit brought his mother and grandmother to a public event together for the first time, appearing at a Mother's Day occasion. The event gave him an opportunity to share a deeply personal story he had never revealed publicly before: when his mother was eight months pregnant, she contracted dengue fever, and doctors presented his father with an impossible choice between saving the mother or the child.

Pond revealed that he has known about his mother's dengue diagnosis during pregnancy for a long time, but was hesitant to share it with others because of its sensitive nature and the sadness it brought whenever he thought about it. He expressed deep pride in how much he has grown and reached this point in his life.

When asked if this was the first time bringing his mother and grandmother to an event, Pond said it was indeed the first time. He noted that his mother is normally shy, but was willing to attend after learning about the event. He explained that he doesn't need to brief them much because they have attended many of his events and understand what to expect. On Mother's Day, he tries to make time to stay home and at least share dinner with them, acknowledging that their work schedule is quite demanding.

When asked what he wanted to tell his mother and grandmother, Pond said: "I'm grateful to have been born as your child and grandson. Even though life has had its share of difficulties, you have raised me to be a good person. I believe that."

Regarding when he learned about his mother's dengue illness, Pond said he had known for a long time but was reluctant to share it, feeling it should come from his mother herself. He admitted being somewhat shocked that she found the courage to tell the story. He said that knowing about this experience makes him always forgive his mother when conflicts arise, recognizing that surviving dengue while eight months pregnant is no easy feat.

When asked if his mother's decision to share was a difficult one, Pond acknowledged being surprised when she told him. He noted that the doctors gave them a choice that day, but he was grateful his mother fought through and not only survived the illness but he was also born healthy.

Pond said that today he has many loved ones around him. He doesn't verbally express his affection 100 percent of the time, but instead focuses on actions with his family. He and his mother are very close, almost like friends, and they share stories about their lives with each other.

When asked if his mother and grandmother expressed how proud they are of him, Pond explained that his mother is not very vocal, but his grandmother is the one who speaks constantly. His grandmother regularly sends him messages saying how proud and talented he is, and she watches over him all the time.

As he has become the head of the family, Pond said he doesn't like to frame his actions as favors or obligations. He wants his mother and grandmother to feel at ease, not burdened. He emphasized that he focuses on actions rather than words, believing that deep down they understand his feelings, but he wants them to feel comfortable and not think they are a burden to their son.

When asked if he is proud, Pond responded with heartfelt affirmation: "I am very proud. I never thought it would turn out this way."

Phuket — On Wenesday morning (August 12th), the people of Phuket gathered in solemn unity to pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, The Queen Mother, on the occasion of her birthday anniversary and National Mother’s Day. At 7:00 a.m., Governor Chotnarin Kerdsom presided over the royal merit-making ceremony at Mahisorn Auditorium at Phuket Provincial Hall. […]

Phuket – The Phuket Juvenile and Family Court has ordered the detention of a 12‑year‑old Myanmar girl for 30 days at a provincial juvenile observation and protection center following an assault on a Thai student. Our previous story: Phuket Governor Chotnarin Kerdsom has directed local authorities to step in and provide urgent support following a […]

Naa Nek made his first appearance on Club Friday Show to finally address issues he has carried for over a decade. He spoke about his time as a DJ at A-Time and at Samsen Pak Wan intersection, revealing that he has long harbored the feeling that host Chod never liked him. In his youth, Naa Nek admitted to behaving poorly in the radio industry—acting rough, making mistakes—and getting into trouble with fellow DJs while under the influence. Chod responded bluntly, questioning why Naa Nek expected to still be loved after such behavior.

Naa Nek also reflected on his struggles with romantic relationships, describing himself as insecure from childhood and unsuccessful with dating. He acknowledged later becoming a serial dater, but his most painful experience was having children with a partner whose love he doubted. The relationship deteriorated after their first child was born, ultimately ending in separation, leaving him with the guilt of having two young children—ages 7 and 3—whose situation he kept private from the public.

In a moment of transparency, Naa Nek revealed that his children had never been told the truth about their parents' separation and only saw him through television appearances. He expressed a desire to formally explain to them what happened and apologized for any emotional loss they suffered. He reflected that through his hardships, he learned that while life brings both gifts and lessons, one must carry both forward—forgiveness is not something that simply disappears, and the best path is to live honorably to avoid future regret.

On August 12, Deputy National Police Commissioner Trairuengchai Piwparn said the Royal Thai Police are aware of reports and online commentary regarding an incident that occurred at a funeral in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, which has raised concerns about potential case interference involving a former minister. The National Police Commissioner has instructed investigators to proceed strictly according to law, prioritizing facts and evidence regardless of the individuals involved or their connections.

Piwparn confirmed that he has telephoned the acting commander of Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Police to closely oversee the case proceedings. Investigators are now being asked to gather all evidence, verify the facts, and follow legal procedures completely. Should evidence implicate any person, legal action will be taken against them without exception, privilege, or immunity. The commissioner will monitor the case and release updates to the public as developments become available.

Peeraphan Korthong, Secretary-General of the Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE), stated that the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives prioritizes elevating Thai agriculture through technology and innovation to help farmers increase production efficiency and tackle labor constraints as the sector enters an aging society. The ministry is promoting agricultural machinery use alongside the development of Agricultural Service Providers (ASP), a model that allows farmers convenient access to machinery services aligned with seasonal demands, reduces capital investment burden for individual purchases, and enables machinery owners to generate supplementary income from local service provision.

The key advantage of the ASP model is making agricultural machinery more cost-effective and widely accessible. Small-scale farmers can select machinery services as needed for specific production activities—from soil preparation and planting to maintenance, drone spraying, harvesting, and product transport—reducing reliance on manual labor, cutting work time, minimizing production losses, and improving accuracy in input use. Service providers gain opportunities for continuous income from existing machinery, stimulating local economic circulation and broadening machinery service distribution to more farmers in their areas.

Thailand's agricultural sector currently faces clear labor constraints. The average age of agricultural household heads has risen to 59.44 years as of 2022, while the proportion of farm workers over 60 increased from 13% in 2003 to 22% in 2018, while workers aged 15-40 dropped from 48% to 28% in the same period, underscoring the necessity of deploying machinery and technology to lighten labor burdens and boost efficiency.

The OAE supports a sharing economy approach in agriculture, encouraging farmers, agricultural cooperatives, and machinery-owning entrepreneurs to develop as ASP operators and serve other farmers lacking their own equipment. This enables cost-effective shared machinery use, expands technology access for small-scale farmers, and creates supplementary income for local machinery owners.

This aligns with the Department of Agricultural Extension's Agricultural Service Provider registration system via https://emachine.doae.go.th/, supporting farmers, cooperatives, and entrepreneurs to formalize service provision and tailor machinery management to regional farmer needs during each production season.

The OAE Secretary-General noted that when ASP machinery services are delivered appropriately to the area, crop type, and production period, farmers gain opportunities to raise yields and income, while service providers earn supplementary revenue from machinery service fees.

For 2025, the OAE will expand these efforts by collecting agricultural machinery service-rate data from 296 nationwide samples through its regional offices to build geographic datasets supporting cost-analysis studies, policy development, and improved agricultural machinery service planning responsive to local farmer needs.