The Board of Investment announced that actual investment in the second quarter of 2026 reached 255 billion baht, up 31% from the same period last year, bringing the first half total to 535.8 billion baht. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas, as chairman of the investment promotion committee, has prioritized systematic quarterly tracking of actual investment disbursements to demonstrate how promoted projects contribute to the real economy and overall economic growth, while accelerating resolution of project obstacles.

Artificial intelligence-related industries led investment in the quarter, including optical signal transmission devices, printed circuit boards, and data storage equipment, accounting for over 127 billion baht—roughly half of all Q2 investment—more than double the previous year. Energy and basic utilities, particularly renewable power generation, attracted 23 billion baht (up 18%), followed by agriculture and food processing at 22.3 billion baht (up 6%), minerals and materials at 21 billion baht, and automotive and parts at 18.2 billion baht (up 15%).

The Board plans to intensify investment monitoring and accelerate project implementation through the Thailand FastPass mechanism while coordinating with related agencies to unlock obstacles. The goal is to ensure promoted projects deliver concrete benefits to supply chains, employment, exports, and overall economic growth.

At a Democrat Party meeting on August 14, party spokesman Pongsagorn Khuanmuang addressed the case of Chai Chaya Detchadecho, a party list MP and deputy southern regional head, who faces assault charges filed by a deputy commander of Thung Yai Police Station in Nakhon Si Thammarat. The party confirmed it will proceed while upholding police dignity and principles.

Pongsagorn noted that three parties involved have given conflicting accounts. The deputy commander filed the complaint four days after the incident without providing a prior statement, citing assault under Section 391 of the criminal code despite claiming no injuries were sustained. The police chief also gave varying statements across several interviews—first denying the incident occurred, then confirming it as a joke, then calling it intentional assault.

In contrast, Chai Chaya appeared before investigators and denied intentional harm. Pongsagorn highlighted that both the deputy commander and Chai Chaya later agreed the incident was merely joking around, and the deputy commander attended a funeral with Chai Chaya the next day, even posing for photos together. The core issue is whether Chai Chaya acted with intent to harm, not whether injuries occurred. The party appealed to the public to submit video evidence to clarify the facts, and pledged that if intent to assault is proven, it will take action against Chai Chaya including party discipline and ethics review.

PHUKET: Two tourists from the UAE have been arrested after fleeing a police stop, speeding through a checkpoint and kicking a traffic officer’s motorbike during the pursuit through Kathu yesterday (Aug 13).

AIS is catering to music fans by launching a new "screen zone" experience for the farewell concert of legendary Thai rock artists Aseni-Wasant. AIS customers can be part of the FAREWELL CONCERT, with the chance to watch live on AIS PLAY during the final show on September 8, 2026, and rewatch the performance between November 15, 2026, and December 31, 2027.

Subscribers to the PLAY PASS package, priced at 500 baht (excluding VAT), will receive a free exclusive autographed postcard from Aseni-Wasant. Mobile customers can sign up by dialing *678*500#, while home internet customers can register through the myAIS app. AIS is reinforcing its position as Thailand's leading video streaming and entertainment content platform.

All AIS customers—both mobile and home internet—will receive a free autographed postcard from the band at participating AIS Shop locations when they sign up for PLAY PASS from today onward, while supplies last. Details and registration are available at www.ais.th/playpass.

AIS is also expanding the home entertainment experience for AIS 3BB FIBRE3 customers through the "Front Row Experience" campaign, transforming homes into concert front-row seats with full home theater quality. Customers who sign up for the supplementary package at 250 baht per month will get free live and rerun viewing access on AIS PLAY through a smart soundbar, plus exclusive gifts including a guitar pick and autographed postcard from Aseni-Wasant for sign-ups between now and August 31, 2026. Details and registration are at www.ais.th/consumers/fibre/services/soundbar/

Gulf Development Company is building a corporate green culture by expanding its "Our Bottles" waste-sorting programme into its second year, reaching seven Eastern Thailand regional offices. Between January and July 2024, the initiative collected 1,183 kilograms of used PET plastic bottles from employees, which were delivered to Jak Daeng Temple for upcycling into new products such as robes, blankets, clothing, and household items made from plastic fibre—reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2.48 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. Sitamon Rattanawadee, Strategic Planning Director at Gulf, presented the collected bottles to Abbot Phra Maha Pranorm Thammaliangkaro at Jak Daeng Temple in Samut Prakan on 7 August 2024. Sitamon explained that the programme encourages employees to adopt simple, sustainable environmental practices through PET bottle sorting, ensuring waste enters proper management channels rather than polluting the environment. Since the project launched in 2023, Gulf has collected a combined 1,637 kilograms of PET bottles, preventing the release of 3.42 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent and demonstrating how continuous waste segregation and management practices within an organisation can yield tangible environmental benefits. The Abbot noted that the temple and Gulf collaborate to transform collected bottles into various products including clothing and blankets from the bottles themselves and keychains from caps, benefiting both society and the environment. He encouraged seeing discarded items as raw materials rather than waste, and suggested that alongside managing external waste through recycling, individuals should also cultivate mental discipline to manage internal "waste"—anger, disappointment, and attachment—through mindfulness and compassion. One participating employee expressed pride in the initiative, noting that understanding where sorted PET bottles ultimately end up and their new purpose reinforces the importance of building environmental awareness.

At 11 a.m. on August 14 at Parliament House, Korweer Prisnanantakul, an Ang Thong MP from the Bhumjaithai Party and spokesman for the special budget committee, reported that the committee has reviewed 96.46% of the 2570 fiscal year budget bill. The processed items include 22 ministries, 12 central budget line items, 3,168 budget-receiving units, and 32 funds. On August 19, subcommittees will present their reports to the main committee room. Officials believe the meetings remain on schedule and expect parliament to begin second and third reading consideration in early September.