On July 30, 2025, Sarojn Komkhai, Director of the Department of Labor Protection and Welfare (DLPW), announced that the department is opening public consultation on a draft announcement establishing minimum employment standards for state enterprises. The consultation seeks input from all stakeholders to improve the draft announcement and align it with the updated Labor Protection Act, bringing state enterprise worker protections in line with private sector employees. The key change in the proposed announcement is increasing maternity leave for female state enterprise workers from a maximum of 98 days to 120 days, with employees entitled to receive full wages during the leave period. This aligns with recent amendments to labor protection law and supports work-life balance and family stability while raising national labor protection standards. The DLPW invites employers, state enterprise employees, stakeholders, and the public to submit comments on the draft announcement between now and August 24, 2025, through the Law Portal at https://shorturl.at/Devxi. Those seeking additional details can contact the Labor Relations Office of the DLPW at 0-2660-2184.

Yamin Krisada Nilsai, a Thai male volleyball player, posted a comment after Coach Ott Kiatiphong Ratchakriangkai, head coach of Thailand's women's volleyball team, complained in an interview that the CV Cup host Vietnam had arranged accommodations far from the training venue. Coach Ott previously stated that Vietnam provided lodging for the three participating nations at considerable distance from the practice facility, requiring the Thai team to travel more than an hour and a half, while the host nation stayed much closer to the competition site. Responding to this issue, Yamin Krisada Nilsai posted his thoughts, saying "After hearing Coach Ott's interview, I'm asking why Vietnam arranged accommodations for our athletes so far away that it takes almost ninety minutes to reach the competition venue. That's something else. When Thailand hosts tournaments, we'll arrange lodging far from the venue with beautiful scenic views on a hilltop, laid-back atmosphere. Just joking around—the host stays close while guests stay far away, that's how it goes." Thailand's women's volleyball team is scheduled to play their opening match against Indonesia on July 31, 2026 at 4:00 PM.

Knight Frank Thailand reports that the Thai industrial real estate market continues to grow steadily in the first half of 2026, with industrial land transactions up 17.5% and nationwide average land prices rising 16.2%. Prices in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) have surged over 31% amid strong demand for advanced technology manufacturing investments.

Marcus Bertenshaw, Partner and Head of Logistics and Industrial Consulting at Knight Frank Thailand, revealed the Thailand Industrial Market Overview H1 2026 report, noting that the industrial real estate market remains resilient despite global economic uncertainty. Key drivers include investment in high-value industries, particularly electronics, technology, and advanced manufacturing, sustaining strong demand for industrial space and ready-built factories.

Bertenshaw emphasized that Thailand's competitive edge depends not just on attracting investment, but on capacity to accommodate modern, larger projects using advanced technology. Investors seek locations with robust infrastructure and long-term business expansion potential—factors that will determine Thailand's future competitiveness.

Although promoted investment figures and new project counts have normalized from historically high levels, industrial real estate demand remains strong, particularly from businesses expanding production capacity in value-added sectors. Industrial land take-up in H1 2026 reached 5,503 rai, up 17.5% year-on-year.

Knight Frank notes this reflects a strategic shift: investment is moving from quantitative expansion toward larger, technology-intensive projects requiring efficient long-term operational infrastructure. As of mid-2026, Thailand's serviced industrial land plots totaled 191,292 rai, up 3.1% from late 2025, with EEC accounting for 64.6% of supply. Developers are increasingly adopting built-to-suit and pre-leased models to meet tenants' specific infrastructure and facility needs.

In many communities, retail shops serve not just as shopping destinations but as gathering places where people meet, exchange ideas, and create shared activities—becoming central to daily life. When these spaces are developed to create professional and income opportunities, they strengthen the local economy sustainably.

CJ MORE, a brand that has grown alongside communities, is advancing the concept of "CJ MORE Complete, Right, and Worth It" to elevate retail stores beyond mere neighborhood shops into "community hubs." The company is opening spaces in front of more than 2,000 branches nationwide for local residents to start businesses, generate income, and grow together through rental stalls and community markets, creating vibrancy and continuous economic stimulus at the local level.

Store Fronts: Opportunities for Small Businesses to Grow with Communities

A key role of CJ MORE store fronts is creating opportunities for small entrepreneurs to operate "rental shops"—whether restaurants, beverage stands, barbershops, variety stores, or diverse local businesses—with easy customer access from convenient community locations. Beyond serving as a commercial space, CJ MORE supports these businesses by promoting standout and popular shops through content creation and the government's "Thai Helps Thai Plus 60/40" program, helping them gain wider recognition, reach more customers, and boost sales during economic challenges.

As shops become better known, entrepreneurs earn more income while customers enjoy benefits and discounts, creating more spending circulation within the community and benefiting all in the local economic chain. Rather than being merely commercial areas, these store fronts help small businesses grow, build customer bases, and develop stable operations.

Community Markets: Adding Life and Income for Local People

Another reflection of community hub status is CJ MORE community markets, where locals sell goods—fresh cooked food, homemade snacks, vegetables, fruits, agricultural products, or local specialties—creating important channels for small traders to earn income and supplementary revenue.

These community markets transform store fronts into gathering points for locals, becoming spaces for meeting, conversation, and daily vibrancy while offering customers affordable local goods and sellers direct access to consumers, creating continuous money circulation within the community.

To increase activity and support small traders, CJ MORE links spending between the store and market through promotions for Sabai Card members: when customers spend 150 baht in CJ MORE, they receive a 10-baht discount coupon for market purchases, encouraging them to visit market vendors, increasing traders' earning opportunities, and creating continuous spending circulation within the area.

Thailand's women's volleyball team is frustrated with host Vietnam for placing three competing nations' delegations in hotels far from the competition venue—requiring nearly 90 minutes of travel—while Vietnam's own team stays near the arena. The Thai squad, coached by Kiatiphong Ratchatigerngkrai, arrived in Hanoi to compete in the SEA V Cup 2026 opening leg and has begun training. Coach Ratchatigerngkrai stated that international regulations stipulate hotels should be no more than 30 minutes from the competition venue, yet Thailand's team faced a nearly 90-minute commute on the first day, causing fatigue. He said Vietnam accommodates its own team near the arena while the other three competing nations are housed much farther away, and he intends to raise the matter with tournament officials. Thailand's opening match against Indonesia is scheduled for July 31, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.