Rajamangala University of Technology Isan (RMUTI) in Nakhon Ratchasima has achieved a major milestone in Thai rail technology development by successfully testing its homemade Light Rail Transit prototype, 'Tram Luuk Isan,' on actual tracks at its Khon Kaen campus. The prototype, developed by Thai research and engineering teams, demonstrates the university's capacity to innovate in rail systems while producing quality personnel to support the nation's growing rail industry.

University Rector Associate Professor Dr. Khotsit Sriphudhon described the prototype testing as a crucial step in developing rail technology by Thai engineers, showcasing both the university's role in knowledge creation and workforce development. He emphasized that this achievement represents Thai capability to design, research, and develop functional rail technology, laying the foundation for Thailand's rail industry growth powered by Thai talent and expertise.

Testing covers straight and curved track performance, braking systems, propulsion mechanisms, wheel assemblies, and critical components developed by university researchers including rail fasteners and rail pads. The development incorporates international rail engineering standards adapted to Thailand's context, ensuring safety and performance standards competitive at global levels.

Rector Khotsit noted that the testing track at Khon Kaen campus functions as a large-scale laboratory, allowing students, faculty, and researchers to learn through real-world experience in design, manufacturing, installation, testing, maintenance, and rail system management. Over 15 years, RMUTI has continuously developed curricula, research initiatives, and rail industry partnerships. The 'Tram Luuk Isan' success represents not only institutional achievement but a significant step for Thailand in building indigenous rail knowledge, reducing foreign technology dependence, and developing a complete rail industry ecosystem. The university aims to position its Khon Kaen campus as a regional center for rail learning, research, and innovation, connecting workforce development, research, and industry collaboration to support Khon Kaen's development as a rail hub and advance Thailand's long-term infrastructure development.

At 9:00 a.m. on July 10, 2025, Deputy National Police Commander Thatchai Pitanilabut, heading the National Police Office's Anti-Human Trafficking Center, announced the arrest of a suspect in a sextortion case involving continuous child sexual abuse. The investigation revealed crimes spanning more than 10 years, with more than 20 child victims. The operation aligns with Prime Minister Anuthinthaung's directive to prevent and suppress human trafficking and crimes against children under the "Together We Can Stop Human Trafficking" initiative.

The case represents a serious hidden threat within educational institutions. The suspect holds a doctoral degree and works as a mathematics teacher at a prestigious school, exploiting his professional reputation and credibility to target students. Police arrested him at his residence in Muang Nakhon Pathom district.

The investigation began on July 2, 2025, when parents of a boy under 15 filed a complaint after discovering their son had been sexually abused by a private tutor. The child exhibited depression and physical injuries. Medical examination confirmed inflammation. The boy later revealed the teacher filmed the abuse and threatened to expose him if he told anyone, using blackmail to coerce repeated abuse over one year—more than 22 instances. Investigators coordinated with multi-disciplinary teams to interview the victim and parents, gathering evidence. The National Police Office's TICAC unit (Internet-Based Child Sexual Abuse Task Force) assisted in the arrest of the suspect, a prominent elementary school teacher, at his residence in Nakhon Pathom Province.

PHUKET: Two women, one Thai and one Filipino, have been arrested at Phuket International Airport after authorities allegedly found more than 32 kilogrammes of cannabis flowers concealed in their luggage in two separate cases yesterday (July 9).

NAKHON RATCHASIMA — On July 9, 2026, the 10th Regional Office of Fine Arts uncovered what is believed to be an ancient burial mound dating to the Late Prehistoric period at Mun Bon Dam, where archaeologists discovered human skeletal remains and a large number of artifacts, including a rare intact Phimai Black pottery vessel estimated to be about 2,500 years old.

On Wednesday, officials from the 10th Regional Office of Fine Arts in Nakhon Ratchasima, led by the head of the Maha Wirawong National Museum and a senior archaeologist, inspected the site after villagers reported finding human skeletal remains and archaeological evidence, particularly pottery fragments, in the middle of Mun Bon Dam at Taling Chan Village (Moo 9), Chorakhe Hin subdistrict, Khon Buri district. They were joined by district officials, staff from the Mun Bon Water Transmission and Maintenance Project, and local community leaders. The inspection followed a continued decline in the reservoir's water level, which exposed the site.

Officials initially discovered an intact Phimai Black ceramic vessel resembling a bowl or alms bowl, measuring about 15 centimetres in diameter and estimated to date from approximately 2,500 to 1,500 years ago. Numerous human skeletal remains were also found nearby.

Additional archaeological evidence from the same period included orange glass beads, iron tools, earthenware pottery, and polished stone axes. Several buried earthenware vessels believed to have been placed as grave goods were also uncovered. The discovery area has been designated "Mun Bon Dam Archaeological Site 1."

Based on preliminary assessments, officials believe the site was an ancient burial mound from Thailand's Late Prehistoric Iron Age because of its elevated position beside an ancient waterway. It may represent the closest prehistoric burial site ever discovered near the headwaters of the Mun River.

Wannapong Palakawong Na Ayutthaya, an archaeologist with the 10th Regional Office of Fine Arts, said the site contains clear evidence of a burial mound used by Late Prehistoric people.

"The most remarkable discovery at Mun Bon Dam Archaeological Site 1 is the intact Phimai Black vessel because archaeologists usually recover only broken fragments of this type of pottery," he said. "The complete vessel allows us to make a relatively reliable preliminary estimate, placing the site in the Iron Age of the Late Prehistoric period, approximately 2,500 to 1,500 years ago."

He added that Phimai Black pottery is typically found throughout the upper Mun River basin but has not previously been documented this close to the river's headwaters. Wannapong said the site appears to be a significant burial mound. Further archaeological research could provide valuable new insights into the prehistoric communities that once inhabited Khon Buri district.

Spain's southern Andalusia region reported at least 12 deaths from a wildfire in Los Gálladrós, Almería province on July 10, with six others injured. Some victims were found inside vehicles engulfed by flames. Witnesses believe the fire was triggered by damaged electrical wires that rapidly spread to nearby forests, though authorities have not yet confirmed the actual cause.

The disaster strikes as Spain and much of Europe face severe, sustained heat waves that have sparked wildfires across southern European regions, including France, Portugal, and Spain. Local government head Juanma Moreno described it as a tragedy, with approximately 150 firefighters working to extinguish the blaze in a small village.

The fire has forced authorities to close multiple roads while over 1,000 residents were evacuated to temporary shelters. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez previously announced that Spain would mobilize its largest wildfire response effort of this summer season.

June saw Spain record its highest average daily temperatures in 76 years, with some days breaking historical records for that month. Certain Spanish regions may experience temperatures as high as 42°C. In 2025, Spanish forests burned across 393,000 hectares—the highest figure on record—representing damage six times greater than Spain's 2016-2023 average.

The European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) noted that this damage far exceeds historical norms, driven primarily by climate change, which has pushed global temperatures higher and made Europe the fastest-warming continent—warming at twice the global average rate.

In a major breakthrough in an international drug trafficking case, police arrested a suspect using the alias "Rin Rin" on July 10, 2025, in Phayao province. The arrest is connected to the case of a Thai flight attendant who was apprehended in Australia with drug-filled luggage.

The Narcotics Suppression Command, alongside investigators and Phayao provincial police, apprehended Ekawit, the person operating under the alias "Rin Rin." He allegedly coordinated with a courier named Uthai and facilitated communications with the flight attendant to transport the suitcase to Australia.

During initial questioning, Ekawit admitted to being "Rin Rin" and communicating with the flight attendant through messaging applications to arrange the international luggage shipment. He also provided details about another suspect using the alias "Rose Rose," who had also contacted the attendant. Investigators are still determining whether "Rose Rose" is the same person or connected to the same trafficking network.

Following his arrest, police took Ekawit to a location in Chiang Kham district, Phayao province, to reconstruct the crime for the investigation file. He was then transferred to the Narcotics Suppression Command for further interrogation.

Meanwhile, senior narcotics officials traveled to the Phayao provincial police operation center to oversee the case progress and conduct additional questioning. On the same day, four major agencies—the National Anti-Corruption Commission Office, the Special Cases Investigation Department, the Narcotics Suppression Command, and the Metropolitan Police Command—held a joint meeting to share intelligence and plan further investigative steps. They created a network map of the international drug trafficking operation to identify and prosecute remaining members.