A deeply disturbing case has emerged from Wang Sam Mao district in Udon Thani province, where a drug-addicted son assaulted his own mother after breaking into the bathroom. The mother sought help from the subdistrict headman, who apprehended the suspect and handed him over to police.

The incident occurred on the night of July 29 at a home in Wang Sam Mao subdistrict. A 53-year-old woman (identified as Ms. A for privacy) reported to subdistrict headman Ms. Srocha Thanomphakdi that her son, high on drugs, kicked down the bathroom door, strangled her, and assaulted her in the bathroom before dragging her to assault her again on a bed. Despite her pleas and telling him "I'm your mother," he refused to stop and continued assaulting her from 10 p.m. until midnight. The mother seized an opportunity when her son fell asleep and called for help.

The subdistrict headman and village security officers rushed to the house, finding the 25-year-old son (identified as Mr. B) naked on a bed. When questioned, he initially denied the crime but eventually confessed to assaulting his mother and taking six methamphetamine tablets before committing the act. The mother confirmed to police that she was pressing full charges and pleaded that her son remain incarcerated, saying she would die if he were released.

According to subdistrict security officer Mr. Anawat Laddao, Mr. B has been using drugs since ages 17-18 and has undergone rehabilitation seven times. He has repeatedly harmed his mother, prompting her to spend her municipal sanitation worker salary of approximately 7,000 baht per month plus an additional 6,000-7,000 baht monthly to send him to a rehabilitation center in Chachoengsao province. After nearly two years in treatment, he escaped and returned to his mother, only to resume drug use within four months. About a week before the assault, an uncle passed away, and Mr. B earned money from funeral donations, which he spent on drugs before attacking his mother.

An elderly lawyer was found dead in his car after it veered off the road two days earlier. Police are awaiting interviews with relatives to determine the cause of death. At 5:00 PM on August 4, 2569, officers from Huay Luang Sub-Police Station in Udon Thani received a report of a deceased person in a sedan parked beside a drainage canal in Ban Dong Nong Phot, Chiang Yuen subdistrict, Udon Thani city. Officers coordinated with Udon Thani city police, hospital staff, rescue teams, and volunteers to investigate.

At the scene, a black Chevrolet Optra with Udon Thani plates was found tilted on its side near the canal with a foul odor emanating from inside. The body of 69-year-old Krittapas was discovered dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt, black trousers, and black loafers with one shoe missing. A necktie hung on the rear-view mirror, and the body lay across the front seats with the gear in D and the key on the seat. Vomit was visible near the driver's door. A blue backpack containing law documents, attorney credentials, and government papers was recovered. Autopsy findings showed blood from the mouth but no signs of trauma or struggle, with death estimated to have occurred approximately two days prior.

Nang Thip Yarat Meechai, village headwoman of Ban Dong Nong Phot, explained that the car had been parked since yesterday morning (August 3) but no one dared to open it. The tinted windows made it impossible to see inside, so residents assumed it was an accident victim taken to the hospital. When a rescue volunteer approached the car that evening and detected a foul smell, they opened it and discovered the deceased man. Police initially theorize that the deceased, nicknamed "Lawyer Muang," drove to visit friends in the area for drinks and was heading home when his chronic illness flared up, causing him to lose control and veer off the road. He then pulled the key and lay down to rest, but nobody found or helped him. The body has been sent to the medical examiner pending family contact for funeral arrangements.

On August 4, 2569, the Excise Department reported an armed attack on its Mueang Pattani branch office at approximately 11:00 a.m. Police officers from the Southern Border Provinces Investigation Division were processing a tobacco-related case with a suspect seated at a marble table outside the office when, at around 11:24 a.m., two gunmen on a motorcycle dressed as Muslim women opened fire with a rifle, discharging 16 rounds that pierced the building's glass windows and walls.

Excise Commissioner Dr. Pornchai Theerawech immediately ordered Jiranun Jaihaow, director of the Excise Office Region 9, to the scene to assess the situation. Damage assessments found two injured persons: Nurahaiyatee Saaem, treated at Mueang Pattani Hospital, and Jiraphon Saenkamnueng, an excise official who sustained glass fragment injuries to her mouth. Property damage included 16 impact points on the office building's glass and walls, plus one motorcycle with a damaged taillight.

Due to the incident's impact on public services and staff safety, local security authorities assessed the situation and recommended temporary closure of the Mueang Pattani branch until the security situation stabilizes. The Finance Ministry and Excise Department expressed concern for public and staff safety and announced the temporary closure of the Mueang Pattani Excise Office branch. The public may instead access services at the main Pattani Excise Office, 10 Srudsdit Road, Sabarang Subdistrict, Mueang District, Pattani Province, via telephone numbers 073-349041, 098-6427660, 093-7211374, 082-4343125, and 088-7863313.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) posted a tribute to the passing of Praphash Kongyiad, an NACC commissioner and former director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office, who died at age 64 on August 4, 2025. Kongyiad, a native of Trang Province, was an accomplished legal scholar who earned his law degree with second-class honors from Ramkhamhaeng University, completed a Master of Laws program at Harvard Law School, and obtained Thai bar credentials from the Judicial Training Institute. Throughout his career in public service, he held major positions including director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office, director-general of the Bureau of the Budget, director of the State Enterprise Policy Office, director of the Public Debt Management Office, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Finance, and inspector-general of the Finance Ministry, before receiving royal approval for his appointment as an NACC commissioner on January 30, 2024.

On August 4, in sugarcane and rice paddy areas west of Ban Wang Charoen village, Moo 2, Huai Mueang subdistrict, Phu Pha Man district, Khon Kaen province, social media posts revealed images of seven large sinkholes, causing alarm and widespread sharing of opinions.

Komphetch Krosing, chief of Huai Mueang subdistrict administration, stated that the ground collapses are not new but have been occurring for approximately 10 years since 2015 and continuing to the present. When the incidents first occurred, relevant agencies, particularly geologists, inspected the area and determined that the zone is limestone terrain susceptible to subsidence. Warning signs before collapse take various forms: some areas show slight settling, some create depressions, and some emit air gusts resembling boiling water before the ground gives way. This situation has alarmed local farmers and gardeners working the fields, as they cannot predict when the ground will collapse. However, no reports have surfaced of anyone falling into the holes or suffering injuries from the incidents. Residents can only take precautions themselves.

Over the past 10 years, authorities have coordinated with geologists and relevant agencies to investigate the causes, but still await answers from specialist agencies. Each time a collapse occurs, a nearby limestone mill brings crushed stone to fill the holes and help residents, but many refilled areas subside again shortly afterward. Some locations have experienced recurrence within just one year.

Huai Mueang subdistrict administration lacks sufficient capacity to address such a large-scale problem, so it coordinated with the limestone mill for assistance. The mill fills holes with crushed stone where they appear, but agricultural land and people's livelihoods are lost, creating hardship for residents. The next course of action is to coordinate with specialized geologists equipped with inspection tools to identify the cause and discuss comprehensive, sustainable solutions with multiple agencies.

Nunsil, 68, a landowner, revealed that she owns two agricultural plots. The first plot contains 3 rai of rice paddy with one collapsing hole that began subsiding on August 3 and had expanded significantly by the morning of August 4, accompanied by sounds of soil cracking. Her second plot spans 9 rai of sugarcane with five large sinkholes, which she fears to inspect for risk of falling in. After discovering the holes, she was shocked but still needed to complete harvesting for her livelihood.

Local residents believe the cause stems from limestone quarrying operations and groundwater extraction that weakened the soil, and are seeking assistance and compensation from relevant authorities, as the affected areas can no longer be farmed. Tomorrow, August 5, geological department officials will conduct another site inspection to identify the cause and discuss solutions with relevant agencies.