A male body has been recovered floating in floodwaters in Tha Wang Pha District, Nan Province. On August 21, 2025, the Petchkesum Foundation posted an update on Facebook regarding the flooding situation in Nan Province, confirming the discovery of a male body in the district. Following reports from residents to the Petchkesum Foundation's disaster response team, water rescue personnel investigated and successfully recovered the body from the river. The deceased is a male estimated to be between 40 and 50 years old who was swept along by floodwaters in Tha Wang Pha District. Rescue teams are currently coordinating with police and on-duty medical examiners to conduct an autopsy for identification and to locate the victim's relatives. The Petchkesum Foundation expressed its deepest condolences.

Prince of Songkhla University and the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion are advancing micro-enterprise development nationwide through the fourth SME Provincial Champions Awards program, designed to identify and elevate promising entrepreneurs from all 77 provinces into management and business development exemplars that strengthen grassroots economy sustainably.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul presided over the fourth SME Provincial Champions Awards ceremony, held as part of the 18th National SME Awards at the Millennium Hilton Bangkok, with Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supachai Suthammaphand also in attendance.

The fourth SME Provincial Champions Awards is a joint initiative between the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion and Prince of Songkhla University to expand development opportunities for promising micro-enterprises at the provincial level, raising management standards, strengthening competitive capacity, and preparing businesses for global changes emphasizing sustainable growth, digital transformation, and market expansion.

This year, 77 entrepreneurs won the SME Provincial Champions Awards, representing all 77 provinces nationwide, reflecting the program's commitment to distributing development opportunities broadly across regions. An additional 12 special awards were presented, including the Seven Pillars of Excellence recognizing excellence in seven areas, and Sectoral Grand Champions across four industry groups: manufacturing, services, retail and commerce, and agriculture.

The program extends beyond award selection to establish systematic business development processes. Participating entrepreneurs receive business health checks, management training, in-depth consulting, peer learning from successful exemplars, study visits to thriving enterprises, e-catalog development, and networking with partners. This approach identifies business strengths and limitations, then charts efficiency improvements and growth to enable genuine competitive advantage, particularly for micro-enterprises at provincial level that drive local job creation, income generation, and economic circulation.

Ten selected participants will also have opportunities for international business exposure visits, applying knowledge and experience to business development while opening pathways to global market connections.

Prime Minister Anutin stated that SMEs are critical to Thailand's economic foundation, creating jobs, generating income, and distributing economic opportunities across the country. Amid global economic shifts, digital technology, changing business models, and sustainability challenges, entrepreneurs must boost productivity, add value, innovate, and improve market and capital access.

The Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion aims to make the National SME Awards and Provincial SME Champions Awards catalysts for driving inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

A deputy mayor of a subdistrict administrative organisation and her husband were found dead from gunshot wounds in their bedroom in Lom Sak district early on Thursday, with police investigating the circumstances.

At about 02:00 on 21 August, police were notified of a shooting that left two people dead at a house in Pak Chong Subdistrict, Lom Sak district. Police and an on-duty doctor from Lom Sak Hospital attended the scene.

The two-storey wooden house had the incident on the first floor, where the bedroom was located. Police found the body of Sudjai, 44, lying dead on a folding chair. Nearby, her husband Yongyut, 47, was found dead on the bedroom floor. A semi-automatic handgun was found near the scene.

Police initially suspected that Yongyut may have shot Sudjai before using the firearm on himself. However, investigators will collect physical and forensic evidence to establish the exact circumstances and cause of death.

Sudjai was serving as deputy mayor of Pak Chong Subdistrict Administrative Organisation in Lom Sak district. She had also been acting as the organisation's mayor while Mayor Siriyaphorn Mee Saeng was suspended from duty by the Election Commission.

Police said they had so far found no indication that the deaths were connected to local political issues. A personal matter was considered a possible motive, but investigators will question witnesses and examine surrounding evidence to determine what happened and why.

At 9:29 a.m. on 21 August, the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, or GISTDA, released data from its Check Water application, which analyzes satellite imagery and geospatial information. High-risk alert zones (marked red) form a large, continuous area covering the river basins of Sukhothai, Phichit and neighbouring provinces, totalling over 3,900 square kilometres of at-risk terrain.

Sukhothai province faces widespread impact, with dense high-risk areas clearly spread across the central and lower portions of the province. Affected districts include Sawankhalok, Si Samrong, Mueang Sukhothai, Kongkrai Lad, and parts of Si Satchanalai in the north.

Phichit province's central and western areas show extensive high-risk zones, with water masses flowing from Sukhothai and covering key areas in Phrom Phiram, Bang Rakam, Mueang Phichit, and parts of Wat Boranimit district.

Adjacent areas and bordering provinces display both high-risk (red) and lower-risk (yellow) zones spreading across provincial boundaries into parts of Uttaradit, Phichit and Kamphaeng Phet.

The analysis relies on GISTDA satellite imagery with high precision and real-time updates, enabling accurate assessment of water mass direction and expansion. This helps relevant agencies and the public plan and respond to the flooding threat effectively.

At a 10:00 a.m. press conference on August 21, 2025, Democratic Party deputy spokesman Nattakarn Chuchanua addressed government administration and civil service appointments. He first expressed concern for flood victims in Nan Province and praised relief workers from all sectors.

Chuchanua stated that the key issue concerns the government's stated commitment to good governance and ethical principles. However, an IFD poll of over 1,300 respondents conducted earlier this week found that more than 60 percent believe civil service appointments under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul have not adhered to ethical standards, with political considerations, patronage networks, major factions, and financial interests involved.

While promoting senior civil servants such as permanent secretaries with 8-10 years of service remaining is technically legal, Chuchanua said public perception sees this as laying groundwork for political advantage and damaging morale among other civil servants losing career advancement opportunities.

Chuchanua noted that he accompanied party list MP Chuan Likphai in addressing Education Ministry staff, where nearly everyone explicitly disagreed with current appointment practices. He warned the government that the Constitution and Civil Service Act require appointments based on ethics, capability, performance, and conduct without regard to political considerations. Appointed civil servants therefore bear the burden of proving they are not representatives of political parties or serving particular political interests.

"If the government appoints incompetent people for political benefit, the damage falls on the government itself. Such behavior is as reprehensible as vote-buying in parliament," Chuchanua said.

He also noted that Prime Minister Anutin expressed shame earlier this year about rising corruption figures during a Ministry of Interior meeting. Chuchanua countered that Anutin need not feel ashamed or blame others, since he appointed these individuals himself. Failure to select qualified personnel has allowed corruption to spread throughout every level from national to local government.

Chuchanua also discussed the National Buddhism Office's transfer of a specialist-level civil servant from Kalasin to Yala following an inspection tour by the office's leadership. He argued that the southern border region is complex, and personnel transfers there should consider knowledge, capability, and suitability to the area. Deploying problematic personnel to sensitive areas is the wrong approach and warrants government investigation.