Deputy Prime Minister Pokkrong Nilpraphan outlined the government's civil service reform strategy, confirming that the dissolution of redundant agencies has been approved by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and the Interior Minister. The Land Development Bank of Thailand (LDBT) is targeted as the first agency to be abolished in late September, potentially to be merged with the National Land Policy Committee Office (NLPC). The Strategic Reform and National Reconciliation Office and 4-5 state enterprises that have repeatedly failed assessments are also slated for dissolution. Pokkrong emphasized that the restructuring will be gradual to minimize disruption to civil servants, and reiterated that maintaining the current system is no longer viable due to changing global circumstances. He stated that the government must accept that the old organizational structure cannot continue, and that Thailand's public sector must undergo significant structural changes to remain competitive. Two options will be provided for affected employees: voluntary early retirement or transfer to new agencies, though benefits will be adjusted according to the new organizational framework. The deputy premier dismissed concerns about political backlash, asserting that the government has mandated this reform and emphasized the critical need for structural adaptation to address national challenges including energy and fiscal concerns.

On July 26, 2025, Deputy Police General Natthasak Chaunasai and Police General Pattanasak Bupphasuwan ordered a raid on a hotel in Bang Khen subdistrict, Muang district, Nonthaburi province, suspected of harboring an underground Chinese criminal network. Over 100 officers executed a court-issued search warrant and cordoned off the premises.

Inside the hotel, police found approximately 40 residents, mostly Chinese nationals, Shan people, and Myanmar nationals. Officers seized over 200 items including ketamine and happy water drugs, drug-packaging equipment, gambling apparatus such as chips, cards, dice, baccarat boards, and hi-lo devices, as well as cash, bank accounts, ATM cards, phones, and CCTV footage. One 33-year-old Chinese man was arrested on charges of distributing Category 2 narcotics with intent to distribute for commercial purposes. Three Myanmar nationals, aged 24–31, were arrested for illegal entry and unauthorized residence.

The initial investigation revealed the hotel operated under abnormally tight security. Access required electronic key cards and personal escorts through restricted stairwells to the 7th and 8th floors, where even cleaning staff were forbidden entry. The Chinese network had rented the entire hotel exclusively for Chinese customers, converting floors 2–6 into accommodation and floors 7–8 into a casino and drug-party venue. The operation offered comprehensive services including lodging, gambling, narcotics, and sexual services, with staff mostly Chinese nationals ensuring territorial control and exclusivity.

Police records showed that in 2566, immigration officers had previously raided this same hotel and arrested 26 Chinese gamblers and 23 Thai nationals while seizing gambling tables and equipment. The hotel had closed for renovation and subsequently reopened under heightened security protocols.

Under interrogation, the Chinese suspect claimed to be merely a hotel manager tasked with delivering drugs to customers on order, with narcotics stored in guest rooms and cash delivered upon request. He denied ownership of the ketamine and 110,000 baht found in a safe. The three Myanmar suspects confessed to illegally entering Thailand to work in construction. Police have transferred all suspects and evidence to Bang Ratchathewi Station and are pursuing additional conspirators.

NONTHABURI — More than 100 police officers raided a hotel on 26 July 2026, uncovering what authorities described as a base allegedly operated by Chinese grey capital offering gambling, drug parties and prostitution services exclusively to Chinese customers.

The raid was carried out under a search warrant issued by the Criminal Court at a hotel on Ngam Wong Wan Road in Bang Khen subdistrict, Mueang district, Nonthaburi.

Police found more than 40 people staying at the hotel, most of them Chinese, Shan and Myanmar nationals. Officers seized more than 200 items, including ketamine and Happy Water, drug packaging equipment, gambling materials such as chips, cards, dice and baccarat and hi-lo tables, as well as cash, bank account records, ATM cards, mobile phones and CCTV data.

A 33-year-old Chinese man was arrested on suspicion of possessing and selling a Category 2 psychotropic substance, ketamine, for commercial purposes and in a manner that could lead to its distribution among the public.

Three Myanmar nationals, aged between 24 and 31, were also arrested for allegedly entering and staying in Thailand without permission.

The operation followed complaints to the Crime Suppression Division that Chinese nationals were entering and leaving the hotel around the clock, while the premises were not open to the general public. Residents also reported alleged illegal gambling, drug parties and regular gatherings.

Investigators found that the hotel had unusually tight security. Guards at the car park reportedly alerted staff by radio whenever customers arrived before escorting them to a key-card-controlled lift. Customers then had to walk up stairs to the seventh and eighth floors, where someone with a key would open the doors. Even cleaning staff were reportedly prohibited from entering the areas.

Investigators said a Chinese grey-capital group had allegedly rented the entire hotel to serve Chinese customers exclusively. The second to sixth floors were reportedly used as accommodation, while the seventh and eighth floors had been converted into gambling venues and drug party spaces.

The operation allegedly included airport van transfers and a range of services covering accommodation, gambling, drugs and prostitution. Most staff were reportedly Chinese, allowing the group to tightly control access and prevent outsiders from entering.

Police also found that immigration officers had raided the hotel in 2023, arresting 26 Chinese gamblers and 23 Thai nationals and seizing gambling tables, slot machines and other equipment. The hotel was subsequently closed for renovations before reopening with tighter security.

During questioning, the Chinese suspect claimed he was merely a hotel foreman whose job was to deliver drugs to customers on instructions. He allegedly said drugs were stored in hotel rooms and delivered to designated locations or collected by customers after orders were placed.

He denied ownership of the drugs and 110,000 baht in cash found inside a safe.

The Thailand Cycling Association is upgrading the fourth round of the national youth BMX championship with multiple modernizations aimed at raising competition standards and fairness. The association will introduce a hydraulic gate start system to replace the previous electromagnetic system, improving precision in athlete releases. The track layout has been redesigned with wider lanes and longer straightaways compared to round three, allowing riders to demonstrate their full potential and making races more exciting and fair.

General Decha Hemakrasri, vice president of the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC), president of the ASEAN Cycling Federation (ACF), and chairman of the Thailand Cycling Association, announced that semi-final rounds have been added for categories with three heats to ensure fairer selection of finalists and give athletes more racing opportunities to gain experience and develop skills. The association is also expanding prize distributions and organizing raffle drawings of commemorative items for all participants to inspire young cyclists and their families.

Training sessions will be held on Saturday, August 1, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., divided by age groups, with the main competition beginning Sunday, August 2, at 7:30 a.m. The opening ceremony will start at 8:30 a.m., with live streaming on Facebook and YouTube via the Thailand Cycling Association channels. General Decha emphasized that this round represents an important platform where young BMX athletes who have trained diligently can compete fairly and showcase their abilities to earn trophies and recognition.

The government, through the Ministry of Commerce, is advancing measures to reduce the cost of living for citizens while supporting grassroots entrepreneurs through the "Thai Help Thai x Local Low Cost" program running August 1–15, 2026. The initiative involves a network of more than 130 local wholesale and retail shops, totaling roughly 800 branches nationwide, offering consumer goods at special prices alongside expanded sales channels for SMEs and community product manufacturers.

According to Deputy Spokesperson Lalida Perisiwiwat of the Prime Minister's Office, participating shops will sell essential consumer goods at special prices, with featured items receiving discounts of up to 60 percent, including rice, fish sauce, seasoning sauces, and everyday household products. The Department of Business Development will formally launch the program on August 1, 2026, at Tani Gee Superstore in Nadi, Udon Thani Province.

The program's key strength is using local retail networks as a mechanism linking producers with consumers in each area, enabling SMEs and community products to access expanded distribution channels and reach more customers, thereby keeping money circulating within provincial and community economies. "The 'Thai Help Thai x Local Low Cost' program aims to simultaneously reduce the financial burden on citizens and create market opportunities for small-scale entrepreneurs, using more than 800 local shops as a distribution network connecting community producers directly with consumers," Lalida said.

The deputy spokesperson noted that local shops are crucial engines of grassroots economics because they are close to consumers, understand local needs, and can efficiently distribute small business products to market. The program thus not only helps reduce living costs in the short term but also strengthens local entrepreneurs and creates long-term growth opportunities for community enterprises. The government invites the public to participate in purchasing discounted goods from the program and to follow store lists, branches, and participating products through the Department of Business Development and Ministry of Commerce. Discounts of up to 60 percent represent the maximum available, though specific products and discount rates may vary by store and branch.

PHUKET: Authorities have launched legal action to reclaim more than 126 rai of land worth an estimated B2.1 billion after uncovering an alleged foreign nominee network centred on a British national accused of illegally controlling property on Koh Por in Koh Lanta district, Krabi.