On July 8, Danucha Pichayanan, secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), revealed after a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Porkorn Nilprapanh that the committee has made significant decisions to reform renewable energy power purchase guidelines from the private sector, ensuring fairness to consumers and reflecting true costs in line with government policy.

The committee identified the core problem: perpetual power purchase agreements for small and very small renewable energy plants (SPP/VSPP)—both solar and wind—signed between the government and private sector in the past feature automatic renewal upon contract expiration. Additionally, the original buyback rates reference wholesale prices plus fuel adjustment charges (FT) exceeding 3 baht per unit, despite these plants having no actual fuel costs since they generate electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar.

The committee has adjusted the new buyback rate to align with current, cheaper technology, using the community solar project rate of 2.16 baht per unit. This will initially apply to solar cell plants, which have clear benchmark pricing, while wind power plants will receive a separately determined rate.

Danucha outlined the committee's approach, divided into two groups:

1. Plants completing their 25-year contracts (approximately 515 contracts totaling roughly 2,400 megawatts): These currently have automatic 3-5 year renewals. The new resolution eliminates automatic renewal, allowing only one additional extension matching the original contract term (3 or 5 years) at 2.16 baht per unit. Upon expiration, contracts terminate immediately.

2. Plants that have received subsidies (Adder) for 10 years but have not reached 25-year expiration (approximately 46 contracts with around 1,478 megawatts already operational): These are considered cost-recovered from the subsidy period, so remaining contract years will be adjusted to 2.16 baht per unit.

For non-operational plants (4 contracts, 67 megawatts total) exceeding their commercial operation date by 2 years with no progress, contract cancellation will be considered case-by-case.

When asked about electricity rate reductions, Danucha stated no precise figures are yet available, but reducing FT to reflect true costs will benefit overall public electricity rates. The new price structure removes the FT component to reflect current actual costs, as renewable technology prices have dropped significantly.

The Office of Energy Policy and Planning (OEPP) and the Energy Regulatory Commission are calculating the exact electricity rate reduction resulting from the contract revisions, with baseline rate reductions possibly not occurring immediately.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supachee Pasmapunpipat has revealed the results of a recent field visit to Ratchaburi province, where she observed the high-value aromatic coconut development model of Aromatic Farm, an example of elevating Thai agriculture from volume-based to premium products. The Commerce Ministry is promoting the Harmony Model as a blueprint for upgrading the country's agricultural industry across the entire supply chain by encouraging farmers to produce appropriate crops, find market buyers, and ensure products meet food security needs.

Under this model, farmers will be incentivized to produce according to market demand while meeting quality standards and quantity targets. Standards may include Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) for community-certified organic farming, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), organic certification, or geographic indication (GI) registration. Once farmers produce the right products and secure markets, they must expand membership while motivating participants with incentives to maintain quality standards and continuously seek new markets to address the typical blind spot where farmers focus only on production.

Regarding Aromatic Farm, which serves as a prototype for the Harmony Model concept, Supachee noted discussions with founder Nuallaew Thedkiatkul revealed that the farm receives year-round orders from prestigious national companies, hotels, and organizations with strong business growth. The farmer network operates cohesively and has added value through circular economy initiatives and valued waste concepts to create price stability and sustainable income. Most notably, it has partnered with government agencies to pursue carbon credit opportunities.

The operation has also established farmer networks with training programs aligned toward the shared goal of producing quality goods in agreed quantities. A central platform provides knowledge to members from upstream (cultivation and care), midstream (water-splitting techniques, meat extraction, product processing including gelatin, yogurt, and ice cream), with follow-up monitoring before new members join Aromatic Farm. Simultaneously, price stability and sustainable farmer income are achieved through circular economy promotion, emphasizing valued waste by repurposing coconut shells, husks, and residual materials into biochar and value-added products like packaging materials, fuel, eco-friendly products, and alternative energy in collaboration with the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) and the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC), while facilitating access to funding through the Thai SME Development Bank.

Gold prices continued their downward trend on July 8, 2569, as announced by the Thai Gold Association. Ornamental gold prices fell 150 baht compared to July 7, settling at 65,800 baht per baht for selling. According to the latest announcement from the Gold Association at 09:01 AM, gold bars are being bought at 64,800 baht and sold at 65,000 baht per baht. Ornamental gold of 96.5% purity is being bought at 63,505.24 baht and sold at 65,800 baht per baht. Meanwhile, global gold spot prices remain at $4,111.00 per ounce. Gold traders predict that prices could surge by 1,000-2,000 baht per baht tomorrow, potentially breaking through the 80,000 baht mark. Leading gold merchants recommend careful timing when purchasing gold.

The Kingdom of Thailand is set to welcome one of the year’s biggest pop culture sporting events as the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, through the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), launches “Am...

Fans were disappointed when actress Best Kamsing announced plans to study language in Malaysia for three months. At the recent Thaimart marketplace launch event at Sirikit National Convention Centre, Best explained her decision as a personal development choice during a period without acting roles, while assuring she can continue taking work in Thailand. She firmly denied rumors of running away from love or life problems, stating she seeks new experience and knowledge instead.

Best also shared an emotional moment from the program when asked about her role as the family's backbone, admitting that despite appearing strong outwardly, she sometimes cries at home. However, she dismissed accusations of ingratitude toward her parents, confident in her full commitment to their care. Regarding online criticism, she noted that she has always been targeted for everything in life, so she has chosen not to read comments.

When asked about the Malaysia choice, Best explained: "I'm going to study language in Malaysia because it's affordable. Logically, if I get work, I can fly back and still have money left over. If I went somewhere further, the airfare would consume all my earnings. For example, if I went to England, I wouldn't make any profit at all."

Best emphasized that she has no drama filming currently, and without TikTok livestreams, reviews, or recording programs, she is genuinely free. She selected Malaysia because it's close—just a two-hour flight with tickets around 6,000-7,000 baht—and she enjoys traveling alone. She plans to stay for three months initially but hasn't decided if she'll extend.

Regarding preparation, Best said: "I don't need to prepare much since it's nearby. If I forget something, I can fly home and get it. They have Thai restaurants, and even though they don't eat pork, they have chicken. It won't be difficult. Think of it like flying to Southern Thailand."

Asked if this trip opens new opportunities, Best replied: "I thought it would be good to go somewhere else and maybe meet business people or new friends. In Thailand, I can still do reviews and sell clips. If I get a review job, I can fly back in two hours to get the products. If an employer hires me for a review, I can fly in the morning, do it in the afternoon, and fly back at night. Even for events, I can do that—finish in the afternoon and fly back by four. It's incredibly easy. I'll still see people on social media like nothing changed."

When asked if fans think she's running away to take a break from love, Best responded: "People are already disappointed with everything I say anyway. I'm the target. Just saying I'm going to study gets me attacked. Why would I run away from love? I don't even have a boyfriend. It has nothing to do with romance. I'm going for knowledge."

Asked about her emotional moment in the program when discussing being the family's backbone, Best clarified: "I cried in front of my siblings Ooy and Chod, though dad happened to be sitting there. (Did it feel pent up?) I usually appear cheerful and fine, but when someone asks probing questions about being the family's support..."

Best insisted she is not bothered by accusations of ingratitude, confident she fully supports her parents. She has chosen to ignore online comments given years of targeted criticism for every aspect of her life.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 knockout matches have all been concluded, and Lionel Messi continues to lead the Golden Boot race. The Argentine forward scored once more in an exciting 3-2 triumph over Egypt in the Round of 16, securing passage to the quarterfinals. His goal extends his tournament tally to 8 goals, keeping him in sole possession of the top scorer position.

Here is the top 10 Golden Boot standings after the Round of 16:

1. Lionel Messi – Argentina – 8 goals / 1 assist in 468 minutes 2. Kylian Mbappé – France – 7 goals / 2 assists in 482 minutes 3. Erling Braut Haaland – Norway – 7 goals in 416 minutes 4. Harry Kane – England – 6 goals / 1 assist in 489 minutes 5. Ousmane Dembélé – France – 4 goals / 2 assists in 391 minutes 6. Ismaïla Sarr – Senegal – 4 goals / 1 assist in 419 minutes 7. Miguel Oyarzabal – Spain – 4 goals / 1 assist in 435 minutes 8. Julián Quinones – Mexico – 4 goals / 1 assist in 440 minutes 9. Jude Bellingham – England – 4 goals / 1 assist in 447 minutes 10. Vinícius Júnior – Brazil – 4 goals / 1 assist in 505 minutes