The Department of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Culture, jointly with Wat Thai Bodh Gaya in Bihar State, India, the Thai Consulate General in Kolkata, and the Thai Consulate General in Mumbai held a 15-day merit-making ceremony to dedicate merit to Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati, Princess Siriphatchr, and Maha Vachiralakshadathida. Ceremonies were held at both Thai consulates general on June 25, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (local time) at Wat Thai Bodh Gaya's ordination hall in India.

Phra Brahmavachir Bodhivongs, abbot of Wat Thai Bodh Gaya and chief Buddhist missionary for India-Nepal, presided over the monastic side, while Chaiyapal Sukaiam, Director-General of the Department of Religious Affairs, led the lay participants. Deputy Consul General Benjapa Thabtong of Kolkata, Ministry of Culture officials, and Thai and Indian Buddhists attended. During the ceremony, ten Thai monks and ten international monks chanted Buddhist scriptures, offered merit dedications, conducted alms-offering rituals, and shared food with the assembled monks.

This ceremony was not merely a merit-making occasion but also a reflection on Her Highness's faith and commitment to nurturing Buddhism's connection with the sacred Buddhist lands. This bond has been evident since 2553 Buddhist Era (2010), when Thai Airways Limited organized a special merit-making flight to Bodh Gaya on the 50th anniversary occasion, with gracious royal permission from His Majesty, then as the Crown Prince, who served as the first pilot, bringing Buddhists to pay respects at the Mahabodhi Temple, the Sri Mahabodhi Tree, and the Vajrasana platform, accompanied by Princess Bajrakitiyabha and Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana—a display of royal faith that impressed both Thai and Indian Buddhists.

In 2559 Buddhist Era (2016), Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha visited Bodh Gaya again, where she meditated beneath the Sri Mahabodhi Tree within Mahabodhi Temple, the site where Buddha achieved enlightenment. She paid respects at four sacred pilgrimage sites in India and Nepal and graciously provided aid to local underprivileged communities, earning her the affectionate title "Maharani" (Great Queen) among Indians, reflecting her virtuous character, boundless compassion, and beloved status.

In June 2026, Thai monks and administrators of Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya conducted a memorial ceremony beneath the Sri Mahabodhi Tree, the very place where Her Royal Highness once meditated, reflecting the enduring respect, affection, and gratitude that Buddhists and monks in the sacred Buddhist lands continue to hold for her.

This merit-making ceremony aimed to dedicate merit, honor her royal faith, compassion, and efforts in promoting Buddhism, while reflecting the steadfast bond between Thailand and the sacred Buddhist lands that remains honored by Buddhists to this day.

Luang Por Kring Pannyapalo, officially titled Phra Khru Withaan Kanchanakij, was a highly respected monk at Wat Bodhi Liam in Tha Mueang District, Kanchanaburi Province. He was the principal disciple of the legendary Luang Por Noi Kandhajocho of Wat Sirsothon in Nakhon Pathom, the master of the renowned Rahu-Moon Consuming and Celestial Archery traditions. As a devoted student, Kring inherited knowledge of numerous sacred amulets related to Rahu. Born March 30, 1917, in Ban Thuan as Kring Jindakul to parents Nai Nak and Nang Thiap Jindakul, he was ordained on April 24, 1940, at Wat Tha Ruea. He spent his monastic training at Wat Wang Sala before relocating to Wat Sirsothon to study Buddhist scripture and esoteric sciences under Luang Por Noi. Among his teacher's two main disciples, Kring alone showed deep interest in mystical knowledge. Luang Por Noi consecrated betel leaves and areca nuts for him to chew daily before teaching him archery and Rahu magic, making Kring the only disciple to receive complete Rahu instruction. He later settled at Wat Hua Phong, returning to Wat Sirsothon in 1944 at the community's invitation. During World War II, Japanese soldiers camped near Wat Bodhi Liam. According to local legend, when Kring passed through their camp one evening, a Japanese soldier mistaking him for an enemy drew a samurai sword and slashed his back, tearing his robes yet leaving his skin untouched. Awed by this miraculous event, the soldiers greatly revered him, providing jeep rides to Wat Sirsothon and later gifting vehicles and generators to the temple. Wat Bodhi Liam thus became one of Kanchanaburi's first temples with automobiles and electricity. In 1976, Kring received ecclesiastical promotion to Phra Khru Withaan Kanchanakij. He was devoted to monastic discipline, remaining at the temple during hot seasons when others took leave, maintaining buildings and supporting Buddhist education. Despite his commitment to Wat Bodhi Liam, he maintained deep ties to Wat Sirsothon, generously supporting it throughout his life. He passed away peacefully on July 14, 1992, at 4:30 p.m., having lived 75 years with 52 years in monastic robes. His most celebrated sacred objects are the Rahu talismans called 'Rahu Kala Kaew,' created from 1947 onward. These amulets feature either droplet or pillar shapes, differing from Luang Por Noi's style, and are crafted from single-eyed shells and old lead from Si Sawat District, with Rahu imagery carved on the front.

CUU Thailand has generated significant buzz by introducing a new yaoi couple to the industry: Tissa Warattathisa Limthammaramisor and Anna Suengamean, who star together in "Love Above The Clouds." The pair made their debut at the company's major project launch event at Lido Connect Hall 1, where they gave their first joint interview as on-screen partners, sharing insights into their casting, chemistry, and romantic scenes.

When asked about their excitement as a new couple, Tissa said: "I'm thrilled. This is a new opportunity and experience for both of us. This is our first time playing a couple together, though we may have crossed paths at events before. But this is the first drama we're doing together as a pair." Anna added: "Actually, I was once a host for Tissa's show, and we would tease each other joking about whether girl-girl relationships are trending right now or if we could be the ones. I'm happy to be working with Tissa."

Regarding their characters' relationship, Tissa explained: "It's definitely intense and passionate. With each character's personality, neither gives in to the other. My character is a CEO of a security company, and Anna's character infiltrates the company to gather information." Anna noted: "I'm a spy, so there's suspense involved. The novel version has a lot of romance, but I'm not sure how much romance will be adapted in this version. The intensity is definitely there though."

When asked if Anna initially seemed more like the masculine role (seme) but ended up being more feminine (uke), Anna responded with laughter: "Yes, everyone might think Anna looks strong and more seme, but on the outside I might be seme, but my heart is truly uke. I feel shy. When I first played the masculine role, it felt strange and awkward. When Tissa and I switched roles in one scene, the chemistry was just right. Tissa has a natural leader presence and is more calm, while I'm playful."

Regarding Tissa appearing gentle and sweet on the outside but having more masculine energy, Tissa said: "I'll leave that for viewers to decide. In terms of the character, the masculine role might suit me better, but overall, who knows which side I'm actually on until you watch it."

When asked about a shy moment during an intimate scene with Tissa, Anna said: "I was embarrassed. It was just one shot in the Pilot episode. We didn't even rehearse it beforehand." Tissa confirmed: "We only had blocking directions for that specific part." Anna added: "That's why I was so shy. In our previous scenes together, it felt more like we were acting, but this time since we were cast first and have spent time together, I felt embarrassed." She smiled, noting how the comfort between them made the moment more genuine.

For Tissa, this is her first foray into yaoi drama. She expressed: "I'm very new to this genre. I'm asking for your support. Anna and I have actually met many times already, so I feel comfortable with our pairing. We really hope everyone will support us on this new journey. We're both committed, and we'd like to ask our fans to keep an open mind."

When asked if playing a girl-girl relationship might overshadow her previous male-female dramas, Tissa responded: "I understand that naturally. Since I've been in the industry for a long time and have done many dramas, fans might still remember and love previous works. But this is another new character, and I think everyone should enjoy it because the story is very intense—it's not just sweet and lighthearted."

Asked if she felt pressure taking on a yaoi drama for the first time, Tissa said: "I don't want to think of it as pressure. I told Anna that our pairing should feel natural—we shouldn't stress about having to be any particular way." Anna concluded: "I'm very happy Tissa is standing here with me today. She's a partner I can go far with. From the casting to getting to know each other, everything has been great."

Former prominent US news anchor Alex Delgado has revealed her harrowing experience after falling victim to scammers who impersonated the Robinhood investment app in a fake SMS scheme, resulting in losses of approximately $72,000 USD or about 2.3 million baht.

The incident occurred in March when Delgado received an alert message warning that her Robinhood account had unusual activity and instructing her to call a provided number. When she called back, the person on the line claimed to be a fraud prevention officer and told her that someone from Asia had attempted to access her investment account via an Android phone. They convinced her to urgently transfer her funds to another account temporarily for security purposes. Over two days, Delgado followed their instructions, but after completing the transfers, she discovered all her money had been drained from her account with no possibility of recovery, even after contacting Robinhood through official channels and reporting the incident to authorities.

Delgado commented on her experience: "If this could happen to me, even after covering stories like this for years, it can happen to anyone. Don't trust people so easily."

Fresno Police Detective Timothy Johnson has warned the public to watch for common fraud red flags, particularly scammers creating artificial urgency, pressuring victims not to hang up, and sending messages and emails that appear to come from legitimate financial institutions. Johnson emphasized that modern scammers are using increasingly sophisticated techniques, and people should always verify information through official company channels before transferring money or sharing personal information.

Cyber police arrested Jaruwat Prib Wai, a prominent football commentator known as "Wao", at a condominium in central Bangkok for livestreaming football analysis and inviting people to gamble online. He admitted to receiving 50,000 baht per month in compensation. On July 7, 2569, Lt. Gen. Surpol Prembut, commander of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, led investigation officers with criminal court search warrant 489/2569 dated July 6 to search a condominium room in Samsen Nok sub-district, Huay Kwang district, before arresting Mr. Jaruwat Prib Wai, 44 years old, and seizing a notebook computer and iPad.

The cyber investigation unit discovered a TikTok account named "Jeaelooknang Wao77Daow" with over 5,329 followers and clips receiving up to 14,800 likes. The account featured videos and livestreams where he posed as an expert analyst, providing precise football match predictions and betting outcomes. Once he built a fan following, he would promote online gambling platforms via Line ID and websites. Investigation found the Line group linked to two major online gambling websites (ufafat11.com and member2.ufa747.farm), encouraging members to register with promotional incentives. New members depositing 300 to 2,000 baht received complimentary sports merchandise including shirts, bags, water glasses, and caps.

During the search, Jaruwat was resting after livestreaming the World Cup Round of 16 match between the United States and Belgium. Upon questioning, he confessed to being hired for 50,000 baht monthly and had worked for two months. Authorities initially charged him with unlicensed gambling promotion and violations of the Gambling Act, with the case forwarded to the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau for further legal proceedings.

At a parliamentary committee meeting on July 7, 2025 to consider the 2570 fiscal year budget bill, Wan Muhammad Nor Mata of the Prachahat Party criticized the Internal Security Command (ISOC), stating its operations clearly duplicate work done by other agencies and should be abolished. He noted that the agency had minimal functions before 2006 but expanded significantly after the coup, with redundant mandates overlapping with the National Security Council and Royal Thai Police.

Nor questioned whether ISOC's billions in annual spending over many years represents good value, given limited tangible achievements. He argued that the only recent notable action was the shooting of MPs months earlier, and questioned whether such operations are even ISOC's responsibility. "If we talk about accomplishments, there's only one thing—shooting MPs," he said, noting that ISOC vehicles, weapons, and personnel are now involved in court cases.

Nor proposed reallocating ISOC's budget to help impoverished citizens rather than maintaining redundant structures. He called on the National Security Council secretary-general to audit ISOC's spending and personnel numbers since 2006, evaluate actual benefits against costs, and determine whether other agencies could perform ISOC's functions. "If it's unnecessary, don't hesitate to cut it," he urged, arguing the savings should benefit the poor.