On July 21, 2026, residents of Pang Ku subdistrict in Prachuap Khiri Khan district filed a complaint reporting that one of the poorest elderly people in their community had been disqualified from the government's poverty card program despite her severe hardship. They urged media attention and called on the government to resolve the issue quickly, noting that many other poor households face similar cutoffs.

Investigators found Samae (surname withheld), 67, living alone in a corrugated metal shack with no electricity or gas stove—only a single solar light bulb for illumination. Her kitchen contained minimal supplies: one bag of sugar, one bottle of fish sauce, one bag of salt, and one packet of seasoning powder. She prepares her own meals.

Samae's circumstances have been familiar to villagers for about five years, since she returned to her home village. Neighbors occasionally help out of pity, though support is sporadic.

Neighbor Samjai, 50, explained that Samae previously held a poverty card but it was revoked. The village headman told residents the reason: Samae holds a life insurance policy taken out by her son, which disqualified her.

Samae's son purchased the policy with an annual premium of approximately 12,000 baht and a death benefit of 200,000 baht—intended to cover funeral costs should his mother pass away, since he worried he would not have the means to pay for her funeral himself. When her son could no longer afford the premiums, a sympathetic neighbor stepped in, though on the condition that the insurance payout be split, with part reserved for funeral expenses.

Neither anticipated that Samae would lose her poverty card eligibility. The neighbor expressed heartbreak, noting that Samae survives on boiled eggs as her only daily meal, and called on the government to address this kind of situation urgently.

The Department of Land Transport, led by Director-General Sarapong Paithurypong, announced that as of June 30, 2025, Thailand had 45,947,597 registered vehicles in total—consisting of 44,574,147 automobiles and 1,373,450 transport vehicles. Electric-powered vehicles numbered 1,277,257 units, or 2.78% of all vehicles, representing a 3.17% increase from the previous month. These comprised 694,320 hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), 491,496 battery electric vehicles (BEV), and 91,441 plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV).

In June 2025, 4,328,694 vehicles completed registration and tax transactions, with 3,330,566 mainly paying annual vehicle tax. Most payments (84.25%) were processed at transport department offices, followed by Drive Thru For Tax (10.78%) and online channels (3.84%). New vehicle registrations totaled 274,988 units, with 246,992 newly registered—up 4.28% month-on-month. Personal motorcycles dominated at 72.08%, followed by passenger cars seating up to 7 people at 21.94%.

Electric-powered new vehicles registered in June reached 39,606 units, a 1.01% increase from May, comprising 14,378 HEVs, 22,899 BEVs, and 2,329 PHEVs. Most (36,331) were passenger cars seating up to 7 people, with 3,009 personal motorcycles. The national total of driver licenses and operator permits reached 35,493,073 documents—33,663,919 automobile driver licenses and 1,829,154 transport operator permits. In June, 189,316 new licenses and permits were issued, down 1.94% from May, while 7,005 new public transport driver licenses were issued, up 31.01% due to extended Saturday operating hours for license applications and renewals from June 13 to August 1, 2025. International driving permits requested through the Pao Tang application numbered 5,310, representing 43.89% of 12,099 total applications.

Recently, Ms. Sabeeda Thaisetrach, Minister of Culture, chaired the second 2025 meeting of the National Committee for the Promotion of Moral and Ethical Development, attended by experts and representatives from various agencies at the Ministry of Culture's eighth floor conference center.

Ms. Sabeeda reported that the meeting reviewed past accomplishments across multiple fronts: establishing integrity standards for political office holders and independent organizations, increasing transparency in selecting provincial and Bangkok "good citizens," and integrating five core values—sufficiency, discipline, integrity, volunteerism, and gratitude—into good governance frameworks across the country. The meeting prioritized three key initiatives going forward:

(1) Drafting the third-phase National Moral Promotion Action Plan (2028–2032), emphasizing development of life capital in children under 13, a critical period for behavioral cultivation and learning. The plan will employ age-appropriate mechanisms and create safe, constructive environments enabling children to internalize values from all dimensions—home, temple, school, and community. It will mobilize all sectors to model good behavior, building children's moral foundations and social resilience to grow into quality citizens.

(2) Establishing a concrete moral credit system to build a society that honors good people. The initiative will develop standardized good-deed recording systems, converting abstract moral behavior into measurable "social capital." Research will link good deeds to tangible benefits from multiple sectors—such as scholarships, faster public assistance access, and job opportunity consideration—making moral credit valuable life capital. This creates incentives for sustained goodness across all ages.

(3) Standardizing the moral province assessment mechanism to unify standards and strengthen governance at grassroots levels. The committee assigned a subcommittee to lead assessment across three tiers: moral promotion, moral development, and exemplary moral province, with outstanding exemplary province selection beginning in fiscal year 2027. This will systematize provincial moral data collection and develop local potential as better models.

The meeting also reviewed progress from four policy subcommittees implementing the second-phase National Moral Promotion Action Plan (2022–2026), showing significant advancement.

"Faith alone does not succeed; one must have both faith and wisdom," according to a teaching by Luang Pho Cha Suphattho of Wat Nong Pa Phong in Ubon Ratchathani. Luang Pho Yid Chanthsuvanno, a renowned Buddhist scholar from Wat Nong Jok in Kuiburi District, Prachuap Khiri Khan, was honored in 2555 B.E. when his chief disciple Chaiya Am Samang commissioned the "Merit Coin 89" to mark the monk's 89th birth year. The oval coin features a half-length relief portrait with the number 89, Thai script identifying the monk, and decorative borders. The reverse depicts a Hanuman carrying a flag with Khmer script and temple information. The article also covers other popular merit amulets including the Safety Coin of Luang Pho Sawang from Wat Tha Phutra in Kamphaeng Phet (2510 B.E.), the Luang Pu Teuea Memorial Coin from Wat Pa Aranyavivek in Nakhon Phanom (2552 B.E.), and the Khun Phaen Chinbanchorn Victory Amulet by Luang Pho Mian of Wat Ja Niang Vanarama in Buriram (2557 B.E.), all of which have attracted strong collector interest.

Phra Kru Tham Sarn Raksa, also known as Luang Pho Pring Wachira Suwanno, was the former abbot of Wat Vorajun in Phothipraya subdistrict, Muang district, Suphan Buri province, and served as deputy sangha leader of the province. A renowned and respected Buddhist scholar, he was originally named Pring and was born in 1866 (B.E. 2409) in a house south of Wat Phrao's western water gate. His parents, Nai Tiap and Nang Riean, sent him to study at Wat Phrao at age twelve, where he proved to be an exceptionally intelligent student, quickly mastering Thai script, Khmer script, and Buddhist chants. As a young man, he assisted his parents with rice farming while establishing a secure household with servants. In 1888 (B.E. 2431), at age twenty-one, he was ordained at Wat Phrao's ordination hall, with Luang Pho Kaew serving as his preceptor, Phra Kru Pluem as his instructor in precepts, and Phra Kru In, the provincial sangha leader, as his ceremonial witness. He studied under Phra Kru In at Wat Phrao for one year, then was sent to study at the seminary at Wat Mahathat Yuwarat Rangsrit in Thonburi for approximately seven years before returning to Wat Phrao with expertise in Buddhist scriptural studies.

When ten years had passed since his ordination, a severe drought struck Phothipraya, leaving residents without rice and in great hardship. Because many monks at Wat Phrao received insufficient alms, they moved elsewhere. Luang Pho Pring spent one rainy season studying at Wat Nong Phak Nak in Samchuk district before returning to Wat Phrao for five more years, bringing his total ordination to sixteen years. Subsequently, when Wat Vorajun needed an abbot, the community unanimously requested him to assume the position.

Wat Vorajun, located in northern Phothipraya subdistrict, was established over a hundred years prior to 1834 (B.E. 2377), originally consisting only of two or three wooden and bamboo huts with thatched roofs near an old reservoir under a mango tree. In 1933 (B.E. 2476), the temple was renamed from Wat Chan to Wat Vorajun, with the prefix "Vor" meaning excellent and supreme, at the direction of Phra Ubaligunaupamacharn (Pheuan Tissadatto) of Wat Phra Chetuphonawimaolmankalataram, who held the rank of Phra Thammapit and served as provincial sangha leader of Ratchaburi. He observed that the original name Wat Chan conflicted with Wat Chanyai in Sri Prachuap district, about eight or nine kilometers away, causing frequent government correspondence errors. Upon assuming the position of abbot, Luang Pho Pring undertook major temple restoration work. Before his arrival, the temple had only one well-maintained wooden hall with a thatched roof; he subsequently added and renovated many kutis (monks' residences), a chanting hall, a riverboat pavilion, and other structures.

According to the chedi records, during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), the king had ordered Chao Phraya Yommaraj, then serving as Phraya Sukhumnaywinit, provincial commissioner of Nakhon Si Thammarat, to represent Thailand in traveling to India to receive a Buddha relic. Upon its return, the king selected a portion to enshrine at the summit of Khao Thong at Wat Saket. However, a remaining fragment of the relic remained in its container, which the king presented to Chao Phraya Yommaraj, who subsequently presented it to the temple.