The Thai Chamber of Commerce has warned Thai business operators to accelerate stockpiling of raw materials in preparation for potential renewed tensions around the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East. Poht Aramwattananont, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Thai National Chamber of Commerce, revealed that the situation in the Hormuz Strait region may escalate again due to ongoing US-Iran conflict that occurred in late June and early July 2025, shortly after both sides signed a ceasefire agreement (MOU) on June 17, 2025. The escalation could impact transportation systems, especially maritime shipping through Middle Eastern routes, causing volatility in shipping rates, insurance costs, energy prices, and raw material availability for the manufacturing sector.

Shipping lines have prepared contingency plans from previous conflicts, currently rerouting vessels to ports in Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, and Salalah/Sohar in Oman instead of transiting the Strait of Hormuz. While some vessels continue to use the strait, shipping lines conduct ongoing risk assessments, resulting in minimal traffic through the critical waterway.

Poht advised that businesses should not panic but closely monitor developments, as the situation remains fluid and subject to continuous change. Thai businesses must prepare and manage risks through three key strategies: (1) continuously monitor energy prices, transportation costs, and logistics expenses; (2) assess raw material and goods inventory to meet demand and prepare contingency plans to secure supply in case of future shortages; and (3) coordinate with shipping lines and logistics providers to identify cost-effective transportation routes and methods through the Middle East.

The Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Thai National Chamber of Commerce stand ready to serve as intermediaries for member feedback from affected businesses. They will coordinate with government agencies, private sector partners, and relevant stakeholders to address issues arising from Middle Eastern conflict that impact Thailand, with the goal of building concrete confidence in trade, shipping, and energy security. This effort mirrors previous collaboration with the government on Middle East conflict resolution mechanisms through the Center for Administration and Monitoring of Middle East Conflict Situation (CASMECS).

BANGKOK — 15 July 2026, China's ambassador to Thailand has pledged to forward evidence submitted by the People's Party on cross-border water pollution to the Chinese government, after opposition MPs urged Beijing to help address toxic contamination believed to originate from mining operations in a neighbouring country.

People's Party leader and party-list MP Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, accompanied by Chiang Mai MP Pattharapong Leelaphat, met officials at the Chinese Embassy on Monday to present scientific findings, research and mine location data that they said demonstrate the source and extent of the pollution.

Pattharapong said he told the ambassador that the issue affects people of all nationalities and requires urgent cooperation among all countries involved. He said the submission also emphasised that toxic substances detected in northern rivers over the past year did not originate from Thailand's natural heavy metals or activities within the country.

The documents included water and sediment test results from Thailand's Pollution Control Department, along with research by Thanapol Penrat of Naresuan University. Pattharapong said the evidence points to contamination affecting the Kok, Sai, Ruak, Mekong and Salween rivers.

He also highlighted contamination in the Kraburi River, where arsenic and lead levels were found to exceed safety standards. According to the party, the pollution has spread through the food chain, with tests detecting excessive heavy metals in vegetables and lead contamination in fish caught from the Mekong River.

The submission also included the coordinates of 2,676 mining sites, based on data from the Stimson Center, to assist Chinese authorities in determining whether any Chinese entities are connected to the operations.

Pattharapong urged Beijing to enforce relevant Chinese laws governing rare earth management, outbound investment and export controls, and asked the Chinese government to investigate the matter and provide a written response that could be shared with the Thai public.

"We ask the Chinese government to investigate the matter and provide a written response so it can be communicated to the Thai public, demonstrating China's commitment to resolving this issue as a founding member of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation framework with its dedicated environmental mechanism," he said.

He stressed that the People's Party was not seeking to blame any particular company or country, but wanted governments involved in the mineral supply chain to jointly investigate mining operators and tackle the pollution at its source.

The party also submitted research proposing low-cost treatment methods for contaminated mine sites. According to Pattharapong, treating polluted water at operating mines would cost between 5 and 20 baht per cubic metre, while attempting to restore rivers after contamination had spread could cost hundreds or even thousands of times more and, in some cases, may prove impossible.

The Royal Irrigation Department's Office 15 convened in Nakhon Si Thammarat to discuss water management strategies for the Klong Tha Di watershed using mathematical modeling, aiming to improve water administration and systematically prepare for flooding. The meeting was led by Office 15 director Suraphong Chareongarnyont and attended by Dr. Watchara Suadee, an advisor to the Irrigation Department, alongside various department officials and Dr. Pakorn Distkij, an associate professor of engineering and technology at Walailak University.

Participants agreed on guidelines for applying the mathematical model to analyze and assess water conditions in the Klong Tha Di basin by integrating data from all relevant sectors. The model will examine the hydrological characteristics of the river system, flood conditions in the area, and evaluate the effectiveness of the city's royal-initiative flood mitigation project.

Three simulation periods were established: before construction begins, during construction, and after project completion to support water management planning and flood prevention efforts. The Irrigation Department intends to apply technology and innovation in water management alongside academic expertise to improve forecasting capabilities, address climate change impacts, and ensure sustainable water resources for the public. The mathematical model is expected to be completed by October 2025 as a key tool for supporting decision-making and water management in the Klong Tha Di watershed going forward.

The Royal Irrigation Department's Chonburi Irrigation Project is closely monitoring construction of the Nam Khem Canal water-discharge gate in Chonburi Province to ensure the work meets schedule and engineering standards, while strengthening water management efficiency and security in the region.

Irrigation Department officials from the Chonburi Project and Regional Office 9 visited the construction site in Wat Bosakon Subdistrict, Panasnikum District, to oversee progress, verify compliance with project plans and construction standards, and accelerate the project's advancement for effective local water management.

Vachara Promkhunapon, director of the Chonburi Irrigation Project, stated that the progress review covered inspections of all construction elements, including the gate structure, reinforced concrete work, and drainage systems, as well as contractor performance monitoring. The team will also address any problems or obstacles that could impact the project.

The Nam Khem Canal discharge gate is a critical irrigation infrastructure project for Chonburi's water management. It will improve water control and drainage efficiency, support agricultural water supply, reduce flood damage during monsoon season, and ensure adequate water availability during the dry season. The Irrigation Department will maintain close oversight to complete the project on schedule, meet engineering standards, and enhance the region's water management capabilities for long-term benefits to residents, agriculture, and economic development.

The Commerce Ministry has joined forces with Thailand's Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) to tackle cross-border nominee business practices and shell companies that are destabilizing the economy. Poonpong Nayanaprakan, director-general of the Trade Business Development Department, announced the partnership with Major General Natthasisth Kongchinsasthithi, head of ISOC's Coordination Centre 2, to coordinate efforts in preventing and prosecuting nominee businesses under the Foreign Business Act of 1999.

The two agencies will work together to block and remedy shell company and nominee business schemes by implementing stricter legal registration procedures, including screening for suspicious accounts, requiring Thai shareholders in joint ventures to provide three months of bank statements, and introducing digital identity verification. These measures aim to prevent the establishment of nominee-linked risk enterprises and eliminate fraudulent corporate structures. Currently, there are 1,003,706 registered businesses in Thailand, of which 119,116 are Thai-classified entities with foreign investors holding stakes between 0.01 and 49.99 percent.

Major General Natthasisth stated that ISOC's Coordination Centre 2 prioritizes security matters related to foreign nationals, including migrant labor, human trafficking, and identity fraud, which directly impact social stability and security. The partnership will integrate the Commerce Ministry's strict corporate registration mechanisms with ISOC's security operations to monitor, share intelligence, and intercept foreign nationals illegally posing as Thai business owners or evading regulations. This comprehensive coordination aims to strengthen social security, protect Thai entrepreneurs, and ensure long-term economic stability.

On July 15, 2025, special DSI investigators arrested Mallika (surname withheld), an executive and director of a prominent firm, under a criminal warrant dated July 13. She is accused of conspiracy to commit fraud, operating unlicensed securities brokerage services, conducting unauthorized futures trading, entering false computer data, and money laundering offenses. The arrest took place at a well-known hospital after Mallika claimed she was ill and required medical treatment, with plans to be discharged at 8:30 a.m. DSI officers executed the warrant and took her into custody before transferring her to the Technology and Information Crimes Division at the Government Complex for further legal proceedings. Officers continuously recorded video and audio throughout the arrest and custody transfer in compliance with Thailand's 2022 Anti-Torture Act. When Mallika arrived at DSI headquarters at 9:05 a.m., she was wearing a cream-colored long-sleeved shirt, brown trousers, a black face mask, and eyeglasses. When journalists attempted to ask if she had any statement regarding the arrests or connections to recently detained figure Coach James, Mallika declined to comment and kept her head down while being escorted upstairs for formal charges and questioning. DSI investigations revealed that four brokerage companies were involved in the scheme: one focused on training and seminars, one registered in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, one offering technical analysis and investment education, and one registered in the United Kingdom that had been warned for operating without proper financial services licensing and operating as a scam.