Agriculture Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit announced the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives' 99-day performance report and outlined goals to boost Thai farmer incomes by at least 5 percent within one year. Joined by Deputy Agriculture Ministers Watcharapol Khaokhom and Piyarat Tiyapairat, Suriya outlined efforts to help farmers face climate crises from the super El Niño phenomenon, low crop prices, high production costs, illegal agricultural imports, and global trade barriers.

Over the past 99 days, the ministry has promoted upgrading Thai rice through innovation and sustainability by distributing high-yield rice varieties to farmers and encouraging alternating wet-dry farming methods to cut costs and water use. A low-carbon rice pilot program across 25 provinces covering 100,000 rai has reduced production costs by 24 percent and increased yields by 10 percent, with plans to expand to 500,000 rai by 2027.

The ministry has also integrated water management efforts across irrigation, land development, and royal rainmaking departments, opening 12 royal rainmaking operations covering 59 provinces to mitigate flooding and drought affecting over 2.5 million rai of agricultural land. A central command center has pursued 146 legal cases against illegal agricultural goods, seizing over 26 tons of frozen meat, while fresh durian exports exceeded 100,000 million baht in the first half of the year. The ministry is expanding fresh fruit markets in New Zealand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, and China, and is negotiating with Malaysia to resume Thai shrimp exports within 30 days.

The ministry has also streamlined regulations by amending nine outdated rules and reducing approval time from 14 days to one day. It is upgrading land rights documents into agricultural titles for use as collateral, partnering with the Agricultural Bank to suspend debt for 8,858 farmers totaling 940 million baht, and reducing cooperative member debt by over 9,300 million baht. Minister Suriya emphasized that global food security must begin with the security of Thai farmers, stating that the past 99 days mark only the beginning of change as the ministry commits to improving farmer quality of life, boosting agricultural competitiveness, and ensuring long-term food security for Thailand.

KRABI — 15 July 2026, "The scammer cat of Phi Phi Island" has become an internet sensation after leading South Korean tourists into a convenience store and persuading them to buy it cat treats in a viral video viewed millions of times online. Netizens have jokingly dubbed the feline a "professional shakedown artist."

The clip, filmed by South Korean visitors travelling on Phi Phi Island in Krabi province, has brought smiles to social media. Using pleading eyes and adorable meows, the feline successfully melted the tourists' hearts into buying it creamy cat treats. The video has since gone viral, attracting more than 270,000 likes and millions of views across social media platforms.

In the video, the cat walks ahead of the tourists into the pet food section of a convenience store before stopping in front of the wet food shelf. When one of the women asks whether it wants a particular item, the cat turns around to look at her, picks up a packet of creamy cat treats in its mouth as if hand-picking its preferred snack, and meows in response, prompting the pair to laugh before buying the treat and feeding it outside the store.

The video's creator described the cat as surprisingly intelligent, saying it knew exactly how to lead people to the shelf and even appeared to deliberately choose the specific treat it wanted. They jokingly added that, in the end, the kitty successfully sweet-talked its way into getting exactly what it wanted.

Following the video's viral success, the clip attracted numerous humorous reactions online, with many social media users claiming the cat was no amateur but a regular at the convenience store that had perfected the same tactic on countless tourists. Several users pointed to an earlier post by a Hong Kong tourist, who shared a similar experience after being led into a convenience store by what appeared to be the same cat. The tourist jokingly captioned the post, "I got scammed in Thailand," before revealing that the culprit was the feline. The visitor initially believed it was a stray but later noticed it was wearing a collar, suggesting it had an owner.

Additionally, several Western travellers have also shared similar videos showing the cat regularly relying on the same tactic. The cat has since earned playful nicknames from internet users, including "the Phi Phi scammer" and "the four-legged con artist," in reference to its ability to weaponise cuteness and effortlessly charm tourists into buying treats.

The viral videos have sparked discussions among both Thai and South Korean social media users, with some joking that the cat appeared to understand Korean, while others speculated it belonged to the store staff or a local resident because of its apparent familiarity with tourists and its knowledge of the layout of the cat food aisle. Although many affectionately refer to the kitty as a swindler or scammer, most commenters agreed that its polite behaviour and apparent intelligence were precisely why so many visitors were charmed by it.

A dispute between a customer and a well-known TikTok durian vendor in Phayao has gone viral after a disappointed buyer posted on Facebook warning others not to purchase fruit from the roadside stall, claiming to have found worms inside a durian. The vendor responded by pointing to a clearly displayed sign stating that customers could claim a replacement for any defective fruit.

The controversy began when a Facebook user shared photographs and an account of buying durian near a roundabout in central Phayao, saying the fruit was inedible and a waste of money. "Don't buy it under any circumstances," the customer wrote, alleging the durian contained worms and tasted terrible despite costing significantly more than ordinary fruit.

The post quickly drew hundreds of comments. Some Facebook users shared their own experiences buying durian, both good and bad, while others argued the customer should have contacted the seller first before posting publicly.

The stall owner, a TikTok personality, defended her business in the comments section. She disputed the customer's claim, noting that the pale flesh indicated the durian was unripe, and questioned why the customer accepted a replacement while still publicly complaining. The vendor emphasized that the shop had a clear policy allowing customers to return durians for any quality issues and that signs explaining the policy were prominently displayed at the stall. She urged customers to contact the shop directly so staff could inspect the fruit and resolve problems, rather than posting complaints online.

The exchange quickly became a topic of widespread online discussion, with the post being shared across social media platforms and generating hundreds of comments from observers.

Two soldiers were injured on July 17, 2025, when they accidentally stepped on an old, partially-functioning landmine during a clearing operation at Phu Pha military base. Sergeant Major Chakrit Buakaew, commander of a 40mm L60 anti-aircraft gun unit attached to the 122nd Infantry Company, sustained bruising and compression injuries to his right foot and ankle, along with mild chest tightness from the blast. Sergeant Major Satit Pongkaew, a gunner in the same unit assisting with the clearing work, was struck by shrapnel and soil fragments but showed no deep wounds and was taken for detailed medical evaluation. Both soldiers were evacuated immediately and transported safely to Kantharalak Hospital. The landmine was identified as residual ordnance left in the area; both casualties remained conscious, alert, and suffered no loss of limbs, though both experienced blast compression effects.

On July 17, 2022, the Defense Ministry secretary, General Thrapong Malakham, addressed a parliamentary committee regarding increased personnel budget allocations and military workforce reductions. He explained that the increased budget is necessary to implement the government's policy of raising salaries by 10% within two years, with bachelor's degree holders earning a base of 18,000 baht. The military is executing a five-year force restructuring plan (2023–2027) that includes reducing non-commissioned and enlisted personnel by 5%, totaling 14,598 positions. So far, 10,274 troops have been cut, remaining on target with the ministry's plan. Officer-level reductions follow a separate 20-year schedule (2008–2027) with a 50% reduction target, proceeding as planned.

Thrapong also reported progress on the government's volunteer soldier initiative, recruiting personnel aged 18–20 and 22–26 for four-year contracts at 12,090 baht monthly salary plus a special allowance of 2,280 baht (equivalent to 96 baht per day, matching regular soldier pay). The program targets 100,000 recruits over four phases from 2023 to 2026, with 25,000 volunteers per year. If recruitment meets targets, the number of mandatory conscription calls could be significantly reduced or eliminated entirely.

A 30-year-old man who ate boxed meals containing fried pork or fried chicken almost daily was diagnosed with colorectal cancer after experiencing bloating and appetite loss for over six months. According to Dr. Jangchan Seawian, a gastrointestinal specialist at Sinkwang Hospital, colorectal cancer—which kills more than 7,000 people annually—is no longer a disease limited to the elderly; cases in people under 54 have risen from 11% to 20% in the United States.

The doctor warned that prolonged consumption of high-fat, low-fiber diets gradually accumulates damage to the intestines. He emphasized this is not an isolated case and recommended that those who eat outside regularly add vegetables to every meal. Beyond diet, prolonged sitting over eight hours daily without exercise increases mortality risk by 52%, but research shows just 150 minutes of brisk walking weekly—or about 22 minutes daily—can nearly eliminate the harmful effects of extended sitting. If people replace one hour of sitting with intense physical activity, mortality risk from heart disease and stroke drops by 64%. For those with limited time, activities like using stairs instead of elevators, power-intensive chores, or brief movement breaks every 30-60 minutes can also help reduce health risks.