On July 21, 2569, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Suriya Jungrungruangkit revealed that the King has named the newly discovered golden amethyst trumpet vine "Pimollaksana" (pronounced pim-mon-lak), a name carrying the auspicious meaning of "pure and beautiful characteristics." The designation honors Queen Suthida Bajrasudha on the occasion of her fourth cycle birthday celebration on June 3, 2569, and demonstrates the kingdom's loyalty and reverence.

The new plant variety was discovered by the Highland Research and Development Institute at the Royal Agricultural Station Angkhang in Chiang Mai, and its flowers display notably distinct characteristics from the original species. The Department of Agriculture formally registered the variety on April 17, 2568, and the Plant Variety Protection Committee has approved it for protection under the Plant Variety Protection Act of 2542.

Minister Suriya emphasized that this discovery represents a significant botanical achievement reflecting Thailand's research capabilities and the rich biodiversity of Thai plant species. All Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives personnel expressed deep gratitude for the honor of having this new trumpet vine variety named with such an auspicious and meaningful designation.

On July 21, government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek announced a cabinet resolution in which Prime Minister Anuthins Chanyaveerakul, also serving as Interior Minister, called for a review of state welfare card eligibility criteria. He noted that public feedback reveals many people in genuine hardship are being excluded from the program—such as those who own vehicles no longer roadworthy but still registered in their names, or students working to improve their circumstances whose actual living conditions are not reflected in current criteria.

The PM stressed that citizens should not have to come to the government seeking help; instead, state agencies must proactively reach out, survey local communities, and solve problems on the ground so that deserving people do not fall through the cracks. The Interior Ministry has been tasked with working alongside provincial governors and local units to survey those currently filtered out but who genuinely merit assistance, and to submit findings to the Finance Ministry for swift review.

The Land Transport Department must urgently update vehicle registration records and reduce the burden on citizens seeking to cancel or deregister defunct vehicles, while also proposing legal or regulatory fixes to obstacles in the process. The Finance Ministry has been ordered to quickly review eligibility screening criteria to align with actual hardship conditions and identify rules that may wrongly exclude qualified people, then propose improvements to cabinet.

Authorities are issuing warrants for 11 local government officials involved in a civil service examination fraud scheme, with the investigation now expanding to implicate two senior administrators. On July 21, 2026, the National Anti-Corruption Commission met with Crime Suppression Division commander Pol. Lt. Gen. Patthana Bupphasuwan and his team at the agency's Suvarnabhumi office in Nonthaburi to discuss the warrants for officials identified during raids on illegal test-tampering sites in the province. According to reports, a suspect named Win, an adviser at a major university, indicated during questioning that university and government officials higher up the chain had ordered and orchestrated the examination fraud scheme. Police Lieutenant General Natthasak Chaowasat has instructed Patthana and the suppression team to expedite evidence collection against the implicated figures, with two proposed approaches: either having Crime Suppression Division investigators gather evidence to request arrest warrants from the court, or transferring all evidence to National Anti-Corruption Commission officers to pursue warrants under anti-corruption law. Last week, investigators also questioned Dr. Rueangdej Sirikij, director of the Educational Testing and Psychology Center at Srinakharinwirot University, and Phonmtian Sengwan, director of the Local Personnel Division at the Local Government Promotion Department. The investigation team declined to release further details, stating that all statements and evidence must be consolidated before proceeding with legal action.

On July 21, residents from Laem Son National Park area filed a complaint with police against Arthapol Charoen-Chansaa, director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, and the head of Laem Son National Park. The complaint alleges misconduct in duties and seeks investigation into the filing of encroachment charges against local residents in an area overlapping the national park boundary of over 643 rai.

According to community representatives, the complaint was prompted by the director-general filing charges against residents for encroaching on the national park, despite residents having filed their own complaints about encroachment in the Khao Pak Triam area since May 2024. The representatives argue that park officials should have clear knowledge of park boundaries, which were established in 1983, but historically no physical boundary markers have been installed on the ground—only computer maps and digital records exist.

The residents claim that three land title documents (plots 915, 916, and 917) in the disputed area overlap with the national park zone. They contend that the director-general should file charges uniformly against all overlapping titles if treating them as encroachment, but instead chose to prosecute only the plots held by residents while allegedly ignoring those held by companies. The residents assert that some titles were issued before the national park was established, which according to law should not be considered encroachment.

On July 21, 2569, at Government House, Deputy Government Spokesperson Lalida Perischvivat announced that the Cabinet approved in principle a draft ministerial regulation on protected wildlife species as proposed by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry.

The key provision removes the Eared Pita, also known as the Crested Finch, from the protected wildlife list to support breeding and propagation in line with current conditions and promote it as an economic animal generating income for the public.

Perischvivat stated that the Eared Pita is currently listed as a protected non-aquatic bird species (item 576), requiring keepers, breeders, and traders to obtain legal permits and meet specified qualifications and conditions, which restricts widespread breeding and population expansion.

This status change aims to allow people to more easily breed and propagate the bird, increase populations through captive breeding to replace wild capture and hunting, develop it into economic activity generating income for breeders, and support the preservation of community traditions and bird-singing culture and competitions, particularly in southern Thailand.

The Wildlife Conservation Committee approved the delisting and directed the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to closely monitor the species' status and wild populations. If populations decline or face breeding and extinction risks, the matter will be reconsidered for re-protection.

Perischvivat added that the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry received public comments on the draft regulation through the legal portal and the department's website from February 11-25, 2569, with most opinions supporting the approach. Relevant agencies had no objections and saw it as creating additional economic value and income for breeders.

"This status adjustment of the Eared Pita creates a balance between promoting community livelihoods and economics while conserving natural resources," Perischvivat said. "The government will support responsible breeding alongside continuous monitoring of wild bird populations to prevent ecosystem damage and prevent increased wild capture and hunting."

The National Housing Authority is inviting eligible residents and citizens to join the "Clear Debt, Move Forward" program to assist non-performing loan (NPL) borrowers in reducing their debt burden, restoring their credit history, and regaining access to the formal credit system. Borrowers can choose between a one-time settlement with up to 50% principal reduction or interest-free installments over a maximum of 36 months. The program accepts applications until December 31, 2026.

On July 21, 2026, Thavipong Vichaidis, Governor of the National Housing Authority, announced that the program is a collaboration between the Ministry of Finance, the Bank of Thailand, the Thai Bankers Association, and Sukhumvit Asset Management (SAM). It aims to assist individual borrowers with non-performing loan status by reducing their debt burden, restoring their financial standing, and providing an opportunity to re-enter the formal credit system.

The National Housing Authority prioritizes improving citizens' quality of life while strengthening household economic security, and is promoting this measure to ensure Housing Authority residents have access to solutions for debt problems and financial rehabilitation.

Eligible participants must be individuals with non-performing loan (NPL) status, with payments overdue for more than 90 days as of September 30, 2025, and total NPL debt not exceeding 100,000 baht according to the National Credit Bureau (NCB). Applicants must not be bankrupt or listed on the Financial Intelligence Unit's Sanction List. The program covers credit card debt, personal loans, and remaining balances from previously secured loans.

Borrowers can choose payment options based on their circumstances: one-time settlement with up to 50% principal reduction, or installment payment with up to 30% principal reduction, 0% interest, and up to 36 months to pay. This helps reduce debt burden, improve liquidity, restore credit history, and create opportunities for a fresh financial start.

Governor Thavipong stated that stable housing must be accompanied by financial security. The Housing Authority serves as a channel to publicize beneficial government measures, ensuring residents have access to financial rehabilitation opportunities—a foundation for improving quality of life and providing long-term family security.

Interested parties can contact SAM Contact Center at 1443 ext. 6 or via LINE Official @samsocialamc. Eligible applicants can participate in the program until December 31, 2026.