On July 4, 2025, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchat Chomklin advanced government policy under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to address and alleviate public hardship from water-related crises. He has instructed the Department of Water Resources to closely monitor El Niño impacts as volatile weather patterns leave some areas with prolonged dry spells while others face intense localized rainfall and flash flooding.

The department is mobilizing all available machinery, equipment, personnel, and resources to work with multi-sector networks to swiftly assist residents, ensure adequate drinking water supplies, reduce damage to agricultural zones, and strengthen preparedness against both drought and flood emergencies.

Theerathun Boonsit, director-general of the Department of Water Resources, revealed that the department is aggressively implementing its 2568–2569 drought and flood relief action plan to address El Niño's intensifying rainfall volatility. Over 50 million rai of land face drought risk, while 20.85 million rai are at flood risk. The department has prepared 399 water pumps and approximately 240 heavy machinery units, along with 2,275 flood and landslide warning stations, roughly 1,000 telemetry, hydrological, and CCTV monitoring stations, and 293 small water source monitoring stations. It also operates 11 regional water management centers, 60 clean water production and supply facilities, over 500 drought and flood relief pumping points, nearly 500 officers, and a 2,300-member civil network.

From October 1, 2024, through the present, the department has assisted 36 provinces with drought relief, pumping 23.25 million cubic meters and distributing over 9 million liters of water to approximately 140,000 households across roughly 190,000 rai of agricultural and residential land. Concurrently, it has aided 35 provinces facing flooding, pumping over 55 million cubic meters and assisting approximately 400,000 households across nearly 130,000 rai, demonstrating proactive implementation of government policy to deliver timely, targeted relief and minimize impact on public life.

BANGKOK: ASEAN’s special envoy on Myanmar has held talks with ethnic minority rebel groups and ‌a government-backed negotiation committee in an effort to tackle the country’s civil war, with both sides expressing openness to dialogue, the Philippines said yesterday (July 14).

The National Savings Fund (NSF) is inviting members to enroll in Direct Debit automatic monthly withdrawals of a minimum 300 baht on the 5th of each month to solve the problem of forgetting to save and ensure they receive government matching contributions. The NSF is upgrading its services to build a savings discipline that is easy and accessible to all target groups, and is inviting informal workers and members to register for automatic monthly bank account debit service (Direct Debit) with a minimum of 300 baht. The new debit date is set for the 5th of each month, starting September 2025, while highlighting the government's matching contribution benefit of up to 100 percent. The primary goal is to encourage informal workers—including traders, farmers, freelancers, students, and workers—to have sufficient pension savings for retirement. Saving at the start of the month promotes better financial discipline. The NSF has adjusted the automatic debit date for new members to make saving an easy and stable part of daily life. For new members registering between July 27–31, 2025, automatic debit will begin on August 5, 2025. Those registering after July 31 will have debit begin on the 5th of the following month, to align with when most people receive their monthly income. Existing members who have already enrolled in automatic debit can keep their current schedule on the 20th of each month, or request to change their debit cycle through their bank. The NSF believes this change will help members manage their savings more systematically. Saving with the NSF is not just depositing money—it is investing in the future with government support. Members receive government matching contributions by age bracket, up to 100 percent or no more than 1,800 baht per year, and all savings can be fully deducted from income tax. Those interested in joining the NSF or switching to automatic Direct Debit can register through any branch of four state banks: Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC), Government Savings Bank, Government Housing Bank (GHB), and Krung Thai Bank nationwide. For more information, contact the Savings Hotline at 02-049-9000 or Line @nsf.th, or visit www.nsf.or.th. "You save, the state helps you save, you get a pension."

CHUMPHON — The search for Si Som, a disabled cat that went missing during a train journey, entered its sixteenth day on 15 July as volunteers deployed thermal drones, infrared cameras, K-9 search dogs and other specialized equipment around Chumphon railway station in an effort to bring the cat home.

Donations from the public and Si Som's family have funded specialized search equipment, including a thermal imaging camera priced at 48,000 baht (reduced from 50,000 baht), a 3,500-baht inspection camera for confined spaces, and high-capacity backup batteries. An anonymous donor covered the entire cost of a thermal imaging drone at 272,365 baht, allowing deployment to accelerate.

The search operation now includes K-9 search dogs, a thermal imaging drone, infrared thermal cameras, snake inspection cameras for narrow spaces, ground search teams, multiple CCTV cameras, and humane cat traps.

Volunteers discovered fresh cat paw prints and rodent tracks near one of the station platforms, in an area close to potential food and water sources. Search dog Sandy detected only a faint scent beneath a nearby bridge, likely weakened by persistent rainfall. The search team has split into two groups: one using thermal imaging equipment beneath the bridge, and another inspecting the underside of railway platforms. Volunteers plan to install nine CCTV cameras covering both sides of the station platforms and place additional humane traps at key locations.

The Hope Thailand noted that the search area is extensive and complex. Heavy rain may have washed away scent traces, and cats are capable of crossing railway tracks and moving through narrow spaces beneath platforms. Volunteers continued searching throughout the night using infrared cameras, as night-time operations offer the best chance of locating the missing cat when frightened cats tend to become more active after dark.

An injured survivor of the Ladprao beer bar fire filed a report with investigators on July 15 to provide additional details for the ongoing case. The man said he arrived at the venue around 10:30 p.m. and was seated near the front stage when, shortly before midnight, he noticed white smoke billowing from the ceiling. He initially dismissed it as a stage effect, thinking it coincided with the music performance. Moments later, he saw sparks and smelled burning, prompting him to rush toward the rear exit near the parking lot. During his escape, panicked tourists grabbed his leg, but he managed to break free and reach safety. The survivor confirmed he never heard a fire alarm but heard people inside shouting "fire," and he did not see the sprinkler system activate. Two security guards with flashlights helped direct evacuees toward the rear exit where he emerged. He said this was his first visit to the venue, so he had not noted the fire exits. He came with four friends, one of whom—Sittipong Chaiyo—died in the fire. He sustained injuries to his forehead and both ears and received treatment under social security insurance at Petchhaboon Hospital. Investigators held a progress meeting this morning on the case, having interviewed 52 people by July 14, including one business owner, 16 staff members, 33 relatives and injured persons, and two officials at the scene. Today, investigators will separately question building and electrical system experts and interview injured survivors still hospitalized. They are also accelerating analysis of footage from 16 closed-circuit cameras captured before and during the fire, using recovered server data.

Deputy Prime Minister Phalpeer Suwannachwee addressed Democrat Party MP Kalee Leowpairojn's questions about the appointment of ministers from the "Luk Thep" faction, asserting that all selections were based on merit rather than family connections. He challenged the opposition to explain what the Democrat Party accomplished during its three-month participation in the previous government, noting no memorable achievements came from their involvement.

Phalpeer highlighted successes under the current administration, including Interior Minister Jaejad Thai-saard's work in disaster prevention, Deputy Interior Minister Worsit Liang-prasit's efforts against local government corruption, and the removal of hidden public utility charges from consumer electricity bills—a problem unresolved for over 30 years. He defended the "Luk Thep" grouping as an effective coordinating mechanism between ministries that previously worked at cross-purposes, and stated that results should be judged after the government has served longer than two months. On the term "Luk Thep" itself, he said grouping ministers by affiliation demonstrates integration and coordination, and credited the factional approach with finally solving long-standing consumer utility issues.