KAMPHAENG PHET — A Thai mother is devastated after learning that her 34-year-old daughter, who had worked as a traditional massage therapist in South Korea for seven years, died under unexplained circumstances.

The family, from Kamphaeng Phet province, said they do not have enough money to bring her body home for a funeral.

Several Facebook pages shared an appeal seeking relatives of a Thai woman who had died suddenly in South Korea. She was later identified as Piyawan, known as Pla, 34, from Kamphaeng Phet.

The case came to public attention after many Facebook pages posted a photo and urged the woman's relatives to urgently contact the Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul.

A local community leader in Trai Trueng subdistrict recognized the woman as a resident of the area and immediately contacted reporters.

Reporters later visited the family home in Trai Trueng subdistrict, Mueang district, Kamphaeng Phet, where they met Pla's 69-year-old mother, Lam Yai, who was grieving heavily.

Lam Yai said her daughter had traveled to South Korea seven years ago to work as a traditional massage therapist. She regularly called home to check on the family and occasionally sent money to support them.

Their last conversation was on 8 August, when Pla told her mother that she was experiencing unusually heavy menstrual bleeding. Her mother advised her to buy painkillers. She said her daughter had no known underlying medical conditions.

The family was shocked by the news and said they would leave South Korean authorities to investigate the exact cause of death.

Tearfully, Lam Yai said she had contacted her daughter's colleagues in South Korea and learned that transporting the body back to Thailand could cost around 200,000 baht, while bringing only her ashes home would cost about 100,000 baht.

The family earns a living through general labor and is struggling financially, leaving them unable to cover the costs. Lam Yai appealed to members of the public for help so her daughter could be brought home for a religious funeral.

Winai Detsri, chief executive of Trai Trueng Subdistrict Administrative Organization, visited the family to offer support and is coordinating with relevant agencies to explore ways to provide assistance.

The major obstacle is the high cost of transporting the body internationally, which is beyond the family's financial means.

People wishing to help cover the cost of bringing Pla home can donate through the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives:

Account No.: 016982971787 Account name: Nang Lam Yai Samridee

The family said the account will be closed once sufficient funds have been raised to cover the necessary expenses.

The Department of Land Transport is accepting applications for assistive equipment grants for people with disabilities injured in road accidents. Applications and supporting documents may be submitted from today until September 30, 2026. Department Director Sarawong Paitoon Phong said the Road Safety Fund has allocated revenue from the auction of auspicious license plates to help accident victims. This marks the 16th consecutive year of the program, which provides prosthetic limbs, standard and electric wheelchairs, beds, oxygen generators, and similar equipment. From 2009 to 2026, the program has assisted 21,800 people with disabilities. Each province holds ceremonies to distribute equipment, with license plate auctioneers participating in this charitable effort to reduce road accident losses and improve quality of life for disabled persons.

For fiscal year 2027, the department is allocating funds from auspicious license plate auctions for assistive equipment. Applicants must be Thai nationals who have not previously received assistance from the Road Safety Fund or other government agencies, or whose last assistance was more than three years ago (two years for prosthetic limbs or arms, unless the new equipment is a different type).

Applicants must not have violated the department's conditions for equipment grants. Applications with supporting documents may be submitted between July 15 and September 30, 2026, during government working hours at the Department of Land Transport Building 2, Floor 5, provincial transport offices nationwide, or online at https://web.dlt.go.th/rssf/.

Required documents include: national identity card or other government-issued identification; disability card (if available); photographs (at least 3x5 inches) showing the disability from at least three different angles, no more than three months old; photographs of current assistive equipment if available; photographs of the living environment (required for electric wheelchair applicants); medical treatment records from OPD cards or government documents; and evidence of insurance claims or compensation from insurance companies or victim compensation funds confirming the disability resulted from road accidents. Applications may be submitted in person or online using the provided QR code. For more information, call the department hotline at 1584 or 0-2271-8888 extensions 2511-2512.

The Cabinet has approved the appointment of Chanthanon Wannakheched, a special advisor to the Prime Minister's Office, as the new Permanent Secretary of the Energy Ministry, effective August 18, 2025. Chanthanon, 55, brings extensive government experience spanning agriculture, economics, and public administration. His notable career positions include serving as Agricultural Advisor at the Thai Embassy in Tokyo from 2010 to 2014, Deputy Secretary-General of the Agricultural Economics Office from 2017 to 2019, Inspector-General of the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry from 2019 to 2020, and Spokesman for the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry from 2020 to 2025. He has also served as a Special Advisor to the Prime Minister's Office and as Chairman of the Bangkok Metropolitan Water Authority.

A passenger van with Bangkok licence plates carrying 14 Laotian nationals, including the driver, overturned and burst into flames on the Kalasin-Mukdahan highway near Ban Khok Lam village in Khon Kaen province at approximately 5:20 a.m. on August 18, 2025. The van had departed Bangkok the previous evening, headed for Mukdahan province for passenger visa renewal and return home. Emergency responders from three rescue units rushed to the scene, evacuating twelve injured passengers to nearby hospitals including Supphadej Prakayuprach Hospital in Kuchinrai, while two passengers died in the blaze.

Survivors recounted that two young passengers seated near the front had warned the driver about excessive speed—approximately 140 km/h—but after briefly slowing, he resumed the same dangerous pace. A passenger who was injured described observing the driver exhibiting clear signs of drowsiness and abnormal behaviour, including nodding off at the wheel and steering with only one hand. Although the van had stopped for rest earlier in the journey, the driver did not take sufficient sleep before the crash occurred.

The passenger stated he was preparing to warn the driver again about speed when the vehicle suddenly veered off the road and overturned. Authorities from Pong Thong Police Station are conducting a detailed investigation into the exact cause of the accident. The names and identities of the deceased and injured remain under verification.

Deputy Interior Minister Vorasit Liangpraseuth confirmed that the Department of Local Government Promotion will back local administrators moving forward with revoking credentials of civil servants found to have cheated on local government exams, rejecting any suggestion the central government is dodging responsibility.

Speaking at Government House on August 18, 2025, before a cabinet meeting, Liangpraseuth said lists of affected individuals have been distributed to all provinces and will next be shared with local administrative organizations following provincial-level meetings. When asked how local administrators who refuse to sign off on removals will be handled, he explained that local governments are not acting arbitrarily but following data and evidence gathered by investigation teams. The Department of Local Government Promotion has instructed that all information must be accompanied by supporting documentation so officials and the public understand what occurred and can have peace of mind. The department director will continue coordinating discussions for mutual understanding.

When pressed on consequences if local authorities fail to act despite central assurances, Liangpraseuth stressed this is a matter of legal authority and responsibility—not burden-shifting. While the central government wants to resolve the issue completely, different actors have different legal powers and jurisdiction, so implementation must proceed accordingly. He set a deadline of August 31 but said this should pose no problem as many provincial councils are meeting within one to two days.

Addressing concerns raised by the Lamphun provincial governor about the revocation process, Liangpraseuth said he understands the hesitation but action must follow when facts emerge. He emphasized that individuals involved show anomalous exam scores now proven to be incorrect, with documentation showing original versus announced scores. He urged focus on facts rather than other considerations and said that while local administrators must act, the department will provide backing and legal support. All actions will be based on documented fact, with names and signatures already on exam answer sheets. Members of the public have been allowed to review scores without complaint, and the Local Government Association has scheduled a statement on the issue.

Deputy Prime Minister Peeraphan Ratchakij criticized opposition parties on August 18 at Government House for opposing every government initiative without proper justification. He called on all Thais to evaluate proposed projects based on whether they benefit the country, rather than opposing everything reflexively. Peeraphan argued that poorly researched opposition ultimately harms the very causes protesters claim to champion.

Peeraphan noted that resistance to government projects comes from both opposition parties and NGOs, observing that Thailand faces an NGO trap where nearly any government action is challenged, even past cancelled projects like the land bridge. He urged Thais to think carefully about national interest rather than simply opposing or protesting everything.

Regarding the Jao Noi industrial estate revival and the second deep-sea port project in Songkhla, Peeraphan explained these are not new initiatives but were approved by the previous Prayut Chan-o-cha administration. He questioned whether protesters understood the reasoning behind moving the port, citing that the existing Laem Chabang facility has reached capacity and cannot accommodate deeper-draft vessels.

When asked about social media calls for protests at Government House, Peeraphan said demonstrators are welcome to come. He noted that the land bridge project has been cancelled and the Southern Economic Corridor programme suspended, adding that those wishing to sit in the Bangkok sun are free to do so. He acknowledged using strong language but said it was necessary given the circumstances.