Thailand and New Zealand have elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership, setting a target to triple bilateral trade to US$7.5 billion by 2045 and supporting plans to restore direct flights between Bangkok and Auckland in March 2027.

Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon made the announcement after full bilateral talks at Government House in Wellington, held during Anutin's official visit marking 70 years of diplomatic relations.

The two leaders signed a Joint Declaration on the Strategic Partnership, raising Thailand-New Zealand ties to a higher level. They also agreed on the Thailand-New Zealand Joint Plan of Action 2026-2030 as a framework for implementing the partnership.

The plan focuses on four pillars: political and security cooperation, including action against transnational crime, online scams and human trafficking; economic, trade and innovation cooperation in innovation, food and energy security, the green economy, sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation; education, culture and people-to-people ties including skills development and capacity-building; and regional and multilateral cooperation through ASEAN-led mechanisms, APEC and other international forums.

Both sides aim to triple bilateral trade to US$7.5 billion by 2045 and will develop the Thailand-New Zealand Closer Economic Partnership to create new opportunities for businesses and people in both countries. Anutin expressed satisfaction that senior Thai business representatives joined the visit and met with New Zealand officials and businesses, opening cooperation opportunities in new sectors.

Following the joint press conference, the two leaders witnessed the signing of four cooperation documents: a cultural cooperation agreement; a memorandum of understanding between Thailand's Office of the Civil Service Commission and Education New Zealand; an information-sharing and partnership agreement between the Royal Thai Police and New Zealand Police; and a private-sector agreement between Chata Instruments Company Limited and Aeroqual Limited.

Anutin also sought New Zealand's support for Thailand's bid to join the OECD, which Luxon confirmed New Zealand would fully support.

Thai Airways plans to resume direct Bangkok-Auckland services in March 2027. Anutin said he would seek to bring forward the target date to support tourism, trade, investment, education and people-to-people exchanges.

The Thai horror film Midnight Incense (00:00) is generating strong international interest even before its local theatrical debut. The film has already secured distribution rights across 10 countries spanning Southeast Asia, Asia, and Australia—including Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, and Australia.

The film's distinctive appeal lies in its plot centered on house rules tied to midnight and incense, set within a traditional Thai house, a setting rarely used in contemporary Thai horror. This creates a uniquely tense and mysterious atmosphere while maintaining distinctly Thai cultural flavor.

Following strong international market reception, the production team plans to expand licensing deals into additional markets across Asia, America, and Europe to bring Midnight Incense to global audiences. The project has also received budget support from the Ministry of Culture's Cultural Promotion Department to support Thailand's film industry.

Cast members include Saathida Sriprom as Praew, Ekkapop Tatata as Jo, and Ingkrat Damrongsakdigul as Sen, with supporting roles by Thanapol Juksida, Kasidech Dechwongnya, Panichai Sirisuwanna, Nopawan Sukharam, and director Warrit Nilklom.

The Thai ghost story Midnight Incense (00:00) premieres in cinemas on August 27.

The Health Promotion Foundation is ready to work with community hospitals following the health minister's directive, with a shared goal of improving public health and reducing illness and treatment costs while increasing life expectancy.

At a community hospital academic conference, Health Minister Pattana Prom-Pat called on the Health Promotion Foundation to work together with community hospitals and primary care services. Dr Pongthep Wongwatcharapibul, manager of the Health Promotion Foundation, said the foundation is willing to collaborate with community hospitals and has held preliminary talks with Dr Pavit Vanitchananond, chairman of the Association of Community Hospital Directors of Thailand.

Both organizations aim to work together on health promotion, changing public behavior by reducing alcohol and tobacco consumption, increasing physical activity, and improving nutrition. These efforts are intended to reduce cases of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are the leading cause of death in Thailand, accounting for 74 percent of all deaths.

"Community hospitals are a key mechanism for working together on health promotion and helping Thais have better health because they are close to local communities," Dr Pongthep said. "The foundation will provide full support using data-driven approaches in collaboration with the Universal Coverage Scheme, tailored to each area's context, analyzing expenses and reducing patient numbers. For example, we can identify which districts have the highest costs and cases of chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis, what problems each area faces, and provide targeted solutions to strengthen the system. The Health Promotion Foundation's budget represents only 0.5 percent of the country's total health budget, so reducing medical treatment costs requires upstream prevention—reducing disease rates—since the foundation's mission and budget must be directed toward health promotion."

Dr Pongthep added that current Thai health expenditure stands at 5 percent of GDP with an upward trend. According to global life expectancy data from worldometers.info for 2026, Thai people live an average of 77.1 years, but 6.9 of those years are spent in poor health. Medical costs in the two years before death average 119,318 baht per person, representing nearly half of GDP, which is a major factor in skewing the health expenditure structure toward treatment.

The collaboration with community hospitals aims to achieve behavioral change within one to two years, reducing new cases of NCDs and lowering medical treatment costs within three to five years.

On August 21, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Yossakon Wongsuwan, acting as chair of the committee overseeing flood and drought prevention in northern Thailand, visited Nan municipality's Sumanthewaraj Road to oversee city recovery efforts. He participated in cleaning streets and homes while encouraging volunteers and civil society groups supporting the restoration work. High-pressure water trucks from the Nan Provincial Administration Organization, Royal Irrigation Department, and military personnel supported the cleaning operation to wash away silt and mud deposits. Military volunteers, municipal officials, and Nan residents worked together throughout the cleanup effort. Deputy PM Yossakon personally wielded a high-pressure hose to remove stubborn mud deposits alongside government staff and volunteers. The Nan municipality mayor thanked the government representatives for maintaining a command center in the area over the past three to four days through the recovery phase.

Yossakon revealed that Prime Minister Anuthim Charnvirakul had recently called to check on the situation and discussed plans moving forward. While today's focus remained on area restoration, the government will soon shift toward relief compensation measures for flood victims. Although floodwaters persisted only briefly, they carried massive amounts of silt causing extensive damage, requiring comprehensive measures for farmers and residents needing home repairs through multi-ministry coordination.

Yossakon stated that the Prime Minister intends to visit Nan province this weekend to specifically address relief and compensation. If the Finance Ministry and Comptroller General's Department can systematize collaboration, documentation steps and timelines can be reduced, allowing residents to receive aid quickly and resume normal life and economic recovery as soon as possible.

When asked about long-term flood prevention plans for Nan's economic zone, Yossakon explained that the Irrigation Department and provincial authorities have already proposed strategies. The key principle involves establishing water retention areas at various points to manage water flowing down from higher elevations through reservoirs, catch basins, and small weirs before water reaches the town center.

The plan also emphasizes applying technology for early warning systems by upgrading from geographic information systems to digital twin technology, partnering with the private sector to analyze remote sensing station data from multiple locations. This will enable precise water-level alerts through mobile applications, allowing residents to see specific data for different terrain elevations in their areas.

Police from Naka Station in Muang Udon Thani responded to a distress call on August 19 after a woman reported her ex-boyfriend breaking into her home, confining her, and assaulting her. The incident occurred in a residential area in Muang District. When officers arrived around 1:15 p.m., they found the man and woman arguing outside the house. The man initially claimed they were still in a relationship, but the woman said they had broken up and he was trespassing. Despite showing credentials as a former ranger, the man was taken to the police station. Drug testing revealed abnormal urine color, and he was arrested and referred for treatment. The suspect, identified as a 43-year-old man, declined to comment, citing concern that his parents would learn of the incident and claiming he was treated unfairly.

The victim, a 22-year-old woman, revealed that they met on Facebook seven to eight months earlier. Initially, the man appeared polite and well-behaved, but he soon became jealous, monitoring her phone and controlling her personal life. About a month before this incident, during a violent argument, he grabbed her phone hard enough to cause abrasions, forcibly covered her mouth causing cuts to her lips on metal braces, and hit and dragged her. The most recent incident occurred on August 16 inside a shopping mall when he became angry and prevented her from leaving. He followed her into the women's restroom, grabbed and squeezed her hand hard, and bit her back. He also allegedly squeezed her eyes while she tried to defend herself. Despite informing the apartment complex security that he was not permitted on the property, he subsequently broke into her home, sneaked into her bedroom while she was sleeping, and tried to force sexual contact before she escaped.

At 1:30 a.m. on August 21, Lamnai Police Station received a report of a drive-by shooting targeting teenagers on the Lamnai-Ban Nam Yen road in Tambon Lamnai, Muang Yala District, Yala Province. Three victims were on a white and black Honda motorcycle, with injuries and at least one fatality reported.

Police Captain Khotsit Benjagul, commander of Lamnai Police Station, immediately deployed officers and rescue teams from Mae Thabtim and Lampaya to the scene. Officers found an overturned Honda motorcycle with blood at the location and cordoned off the area pending forensic investigation.

The three victims were identified as: a 14-year-old boy (the driver) who suffered a critical gunshot wound to the head and died shortly after; a 17-year-old boy (middle passenger) injured in the motorcycle crash; and a 16-year-old boy (rear passenger) with injuries to his right shin. All three were transported to Yala Hospital for emergency treatment.

Police are continuing to gather evidence, review CCTV footage along the route, and interview witnesses to determine the motive. Authorities are actively pursuing the shooter for criminal prosecution.