Thailand's weightlifting team will send its strongest squad to chase medals at the 20th Asian Games, led by two Olympic medalists, Weeraphol Wichuma (Wave) and Surajana Kumbao (Oy). General Wisut Dechsakul, secretary-general of the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association, is confident the team's capabilities place it at the forefront of Asia and will not disappoint fans.

General Wisut revealed that Thai weightlifters are training at the National Weightlifting Training Center in Chiang Mai with support from Thailand's Sports Authority (SAT). The team has a quota of 10 athletes—five men and five women—selected through intensive trials to secure the strongest competitors with the best records. Weightlifting is among Thailand's medal-winning opportunities at the Asian Games.

The stars anchoring Thai hopes include Wave Weeraphol Wichuma, a gold medalist at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games and silver medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and Oy Surajana Kumbao, a gold medalist at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games and bronze medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Both are key pillars in Thailand's bid for medals.

"The association has fully applied sports science to build athletes' physical condition to peak performance and aid injury recovery, with strong support from SAT," General Wisut said. "Thai weightlifters have consistently delivered for the country, and we will do our best this time. Though we face strong rivals like China, South Korea, and Indonesia, our elite-level athletes should not let anyone down. We ask Thai sports fans to support us."

Minister of Tourism and Sports Surasak Phancharoenworakul opened the Tourism Authority of Thailand Action Plan 2027 meeting in Bangkok on July 13, 2026. He was joined by Permanent Secretary and Board ...

Environment Minister Suchat Chomklin ordered the Pollution Control Department to coordinate with the Land Transport Department and National Police to conduct rigorous inspections of all intercity bus depots following spot checks on 36 buses across three depots that revealed 21 vehicles—58 percent—exceeding black smoke emission standards. The minister instructed enforcement action against all non-compliant buses and rapid engine repairs without waiting for the air pollution season. The inspection was prompted by a complaint from parliament member Suphannath Meenchaiyanan of the Thai People's Party regarding routes 26, 191, and 510. Results showed the Minburi depot detected 8 non-compliant buses out of 16 inspected, Suanluang depot found 12 out of 14, and Thammasat depot found 1 out of 6, though route 510 bus number 1-40194 that was complained about passed standards. Suchat emphasized that black smoke control must continue year-round, not just during the PM2.5 crisis period, and urged both state and private bus operators to maintain engines regularly and promote safe driving habits to reduce gear-dragging, a major cause of black smoke. Bangkok's Mass Transit Authority plans to gradually introduce 1,520 electric buses starting with 500 vehicles by March 2025 and completing the full fleet by May 2025 to improve public transport cleanliness and reduce air pollution.

On July 13, 2025, at Parliament, Sirikanya Tansakul, a party-list MP and Pheu Thai deputy leader serving on the special budget committee, commented on the Department of Local Administration's decision to cancel its proposal for projects funded by a 400 billion baht emergency decree. Sirikanya said the cancellation was fortunate, as she had received information about the plan long ago but was awaiting the Constitutional Court's ruling. After she posted her concerns just one day ago—flagging the inclusion of projects that may not genuinely meet energy transition requirements, such as solar installation on equipment and vehicles—the department decided to withdraw the proposal. However, she believes this is not the end of the matter and expects the administration to resubmit the projects using revised procedures.

"This is a very large slice of the budget—200 billion baht—and every ministry wants a piece of it," Sirikanya explained. "The next time they submit, the conditions may not be as transparent. They will likely hide and obscure the details much more, making oversight significantly harder."

Despite this concern, she stressed the importance of close monitoring and thanked those who had provided tip-offs and civil servants and local government officials who have raised red flags. She said that if irregularities emerge again, these groups would likely come forward with information, allowing problems to be caught before projects begin.

Sirikanya noted that many ministries have already submitted projects through a screening committee. She hopes the parliamentary committee will rigorously track spending from the 400 billion baht emergency loan, scrutinizing every baht. She reiterated that the original scheme was flawed from the start, as achieving genuine energy transition within one year—despite the large budget—is unrealistic. She vowed to minimize spending in this area in favor of other priorities, such as the smart grid transmission line project funded by state enterprises.

When asked whether any projects in the 400 billion baht decree duplicate those in the 2570 fiscal budget, Sirikanya confirmed she had found approximately 3 billion baht in overlaps, including solar roof and solar irrigation projects. She instructed relevant agencies to clarify which budget source should be used and to avoid drawing from both simultaneously.

She also flagged potential overlap between the 400 billion baht decree and the 12 billion baht economic recovery plan budget. Notably, the 12 billion baht scheme involves cost-sharing between the government and budget-holding agencies—such as the government funding half and local authorities funding the other half—which she sees as an opportunity to mobilize accumulated funds. However, if agencies also draw from the emergency loan, she expressed concern about project effectiveness and suggested reallocating that money to underfunded areas, such as research budgets that were cut by 1.3 billion baht or welfare programs that fell short of announced levels, to ensure every baht delivers maximum value.

On Thursday, July 2, 2026, Phra Phromvachirphothiwong (Veerayut Veeryuthot), abbot of Wat Thai Buddha Kaya and head of the Buddhist missionary delegation to India and Nepal, presided over a religious ceremony. Deputy Culture Minister Sabida Thaisetrect delegated Prasop Riangnguean, Permanent Secretary of the Culture Ministry, to lead the lay delegation in a merit-making Buddhist chanting ceremony honoring Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Walailak, Deputy Registrar, on the occasion of her birthday on July 4. The ceremony was held at Wat Suvarnnaphum Buddhachayanti temple in Bang Saothong District, Samut Prakan Province, attended by Provincial Governor Supahmit Chinsri, Deputy Director of the Department of Religion Patthanachat Pannyasilp, Culture Ministry administrators, officials, and citizens.

On the occasion of her birthday on July 4, Thai people of all backgrounds gathered to express reverence and loyalty by performing merit-making activities in honor of Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Walailak, Deputy Registrar, who has dedicated herself to Buddhist patronage and countless public service endeavors across religious, cultural, artistic, and social development sectors.

In Buddhist affairs, she serves as a devoted patron and supporter of the faith, continually promoting Buddhism both domestically and internationally. She chairs the project to construct the Dharma Museum and Stupa of Luang Ta Maha Bua Yannasampanno at Wat Pa Ban Tat, and supports a radio station broadcasting dhamma to the public. In 2020, she traveled to India to oversee merit-making activities and a mass ordination ceremony marking the tenth anniversary of Chulabhorn Hospital. During that journey, she visited significant Buddhist sites including Kushinara in Uttar Pradesh, where Buddha attained parinirvana. She led the lay delegation in ordination ceremonies, circumambulated the Bodhi Tree, offered robes and gold leaf to Buddha statues, and brought joy to Buddhists from Thailand and worldwide.

In arts and culture, she demonstrates remarkable artistic talent in visual arts and painting, creating valuable works whose exhibition proceeds support public welfare. She continuously promotes, preserves, and disseminates Thai art and culture. In recognition of her outstanding creative contributions and cultural stewardship, the Culture Ministry's National Culture Committee presented her with the "Sirisalapin—National Artist" award for 2024, honoring her as a creator of precious artistic works and guardian of national identity.

Prasop stated that the Culture Ministry, through the Department of Religion and in cooperation with Wat Suvarnnaphum Buddhachayanti in Bang Saothong District, Samut Prakan Province, held this Buddhist chanting merit ceremony to honor and pay tribute to Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Walailak, Deputy Registrar.

At 1:20 p.m. on July 13, 2025, at the Forensic Institute of the Police Hospital, a mother named Nid arrived to identify the remains of her daughter, Ms. Nampip (Ice), and her son-in-law, Mr. Suwicha (Lee), a staff member at Sanam Luang Palace. Both died in a fire at a beer shop in Bangkok's Ladphrao district.

Mother Nid traveled from Nakhon Nayok Province to confirm their deaths. Through tears, she revealed that she is currently caring for the couple's two children, ages 4 and 5, while the parents were living in another province. Her son-in-law was hardworking and supported the family; he held a government position while also driving a Bolt taxi under the name "Bolt Camouflage" to earn extra income. He freely transported patients, students, pregnant women, and the elderly as his contribution to society. Her daughter had recently graduated as a teacher and was employed as a computer instructor at a private school.

An investigation of the TikTok account "Bolt Camouflage" shows that Lee had 146,000 followers and over 3.2 million likes. His profile stated that organ donors, people with disabilities, pregnant women, and students ride free. He had posted multiple clips of helping passengers and the community. Following confirmation of their deaths, thousands of followers left condolences, mourning the loss of someone known for his goodness and generosity.