The Central Local Government Official Examination Committee (CLOEC) convened an urgent meeting on August 5, 2024, to approve procedures for revoking the appointments of 5,925 individuals who cheated on local government employment exams. The committee will present its recommendations to the Central Personnel Management Committee on August 6 to direct provincial authorities and local administrators to remove the fraudulent appointees and initiate criminal prosecution. Following the discovery of widespread score manipulation in the local government exams, the agency plans to restore legitimate positions to qualified candidates by the end of August. Deputy Interior Minister Worasit Liangprasert said fraudulent appointees will be progressively removed from office this month, with their vacant positions filled by the next qualified candidates according to CLOEC criteria. While names of fraudsters cannot be disclosed without legal consideration, evidence will be referred to relevant agencies. All those involved in the fraud must face criminal charges, with information forwarded to police and the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Regarding salaries already paid to fraudsters, Worasit stated they should not have received compensation from the outset, though final procedures must comply with legal processes.

A significant witness in the shocking five-body murder case in Huay Yai subdistrict, Banglamung district, Chachoengsao province, has opened up to reporters about his involvement with suspects Thana 'Pong' and Thongchai 'Thong,' who were arrested for killing and burying five people. The 43-year-old mechanic, known as Neng, explains that he is the person on the audio clip who provided police with information about a motorcycle belonging to two missing Russian siblings on July 26, 2024.

Neng witnessed Thong dismantling one of the motorcycles at his shelter near where motorcycles were buried in an old teak forest area. When he asked Pong about it, he was told it belonged to Thong's younger sibling who was seized due to a 60,000-baht debt. Later, when Russian nationals arrived with missing person flyers bearing photos of the two siblings and their motorcycle, Neng immediately recognized it as the same bike Thong was dismantling. Suspicious of foul play, he consulted with his girlfriend and immediately called police at Huay Yai station to report his concerns.

Neng recalls making light comments to both suspects, jokingly asking if they had done something to the Russians, but they both denied it. He notes that Thong was like an employee in his household, whom he hired to produce charcoal for sale at his shop and provided with a truck to use. Thong had only recently met Pong after Pong's release from prison and his return home less than two months prior. Neng describes Thong as harmless but fearful of Pong, who constantly carried a gun—the same weapon later used in the murders of the two Russian siblings and a Thai family of three. Pong frequently displayed the firearm intimidatingly.

Neng had known Pong for eight years, dating back to when Pong pawned a motorcycle with him before disappearing, presumably imprisoned. Upon his release, Pong sought to redeem the motorcycle but Neng refused. Pong then asked to stay temporarily for 2-3 days before supposedly finding work in Rayong province, but he ultimately remained for nearly two months. During his stay, Pong behaved like an ordinary person, helping with dishes, sweeping, and regularly cleaning the house. Neng provided him with 100-200 baht daily pocket money.

On August 5, police in Muang Surin district responded to a report of a body floating in a large pond near a rice field on August 4. Officers from Muang Surin Police Station, Surin rescue units, and a medical examiner recovered the body from the roughly 10-meter-deep pond. The deceased, identified as Ms. A (pseudonym), 39, had been missing since August 2 at around 2 p.m. after riding a Honda Wave motorcycle registered in Surin. Only a motorcycle key was found on her body, which showed signs of decomposition.

Her husband, Mr. B (pseudonym), 49, said they had lived together and had two children. He reported her missing on August 3 after she left home alone. He stated they had never argued and he did not know why she would take her own life. When police opened the motorcycle with the key found on the body, they discovered her phone tucked under the seat, powered off, with a locked screen that no one could unlock.

The field owner who found the motorcycle first said he noticed it parked on August 3 and reported it to local authorities the next day, fearing it might be stolen. A pair of shoes was found discarded beside the pond, and the body was spotted floating in the water.

Neighbors revealed that the woman had been trying to borrow money from multiple people around August 3. She claimed she needed 30,000 baht to transfer to a foreign national she had been in contact with for about three months to pay for customs clearance fees, promising a large sum would be returned once the payment cleared. Colleagues warned her it was a scam, but she insisted she was not being deceived. The woman worked as a housekeeper at a subdistrict health promotion hospital and had two daughters in grades 4 and 6 who are still unaware of her death.

On August 4, Deputy Inspector Kejrsak Panwanwong of Amnat Charoen Police told authorities he received a report of an unusual odor coming from a residence in Mueang District, Amnat Charoen Province. He responded with staff from the Phet Kedsem Foundation to investigate. Upon arrival, the homeowner opened the door, and officers discovered the body of 48-year-old Ms. Ladda (surname withheld), the homeowner's granddaughter, lying face-down in her sleeping clothes near the entrance. Hospital medical examiners conducted an autopsy and found no signs of injury or struggle, nor any indication of disturbance inside the home. Questioning the deceased's aunt revealed that the woman suffered from high blood pressure, stage 4 kidney disease, and a history of depression. Investigators concluded she likely died of acute heart failure. The family accepted the cause of death without objection, and authorities allowed them to take the body for religious funeral proceedings.

True Corporation delivered another strong quarter with net profit of 6.6 billion baht and EBITDA rising 13.5% year-on-year, buoyed by revenue growth across all business units, expanding customer base, and operational improvements. Chief Executive Sigve Brekke noted the company benefits from mobile network and fiber infrastructure upgrades, targeted regional operations, and artificial intelligence initiatives to elevate customer experience and business performance. Going forward, True will leverage AI transformation across all dimensions through an AI Centre of Excellence, building robust data foundations and upgrading end-to-end workflows to expand innovation capabilities, increase productivity, and drive sustainable growth.

Mobile subscribers increased by 479,000 lines compared to the previous quarter, supported by government stimulus programs including Thailand Helps Thailand Plus and the Education Ministry's "Study Anywhere Anytime" initiative, reaching a total of 48.6 million lines. Fixed broadband users grew by 28,000 subscriptions quarter-on-quarter thanks to network stability and improved service quality, with 5G subscribers now totaling 19.3 million.

Finance chief Nakul Sehgal stated that Q2 2025 marks the company's sixth consecutive profitable quarter, with service revenues returning to year-on-year growth despite macroeconomic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, and ongoing supply chain pressures. The board approved an interim dividend of 5.2 billion baht for Q2 results, representing a 79% payout ratio or 0.15 baht per share.

Key financial metrics for Q2 2025 show service revenues excluding interconnection costs at 41.4 billion baht, up 0.8% year-on-year and 0.8% quarter-on-quarter from growth in mobile and online businesses. EBITDA reached 28.3 billion baht, up 13.5% year-on-year and 1.1% quarter-on-quarter, with the EBITDA-to-service-revenue ratio improving 7.6 percentage points to 68.5%.

Thai police led by Deputy Police Commissioner Kittirat Pantpet have arrested four suspects in a major international counterfeit currency operation. The gang, which includes Liberian and Cameroonian nationals, operated a classic "black money" scam that deceives victims by promising to convert blank paper into genuine U.S. dollar bills using a special chemical process. Officers discovered evidence of the scheme during a luxury car exhibition in central Bangkok, where undercover agents posed as potential investors. The suspects claimed to have access to 6 million USD (approximately 200 million baht) trapped in customs and attempted to solicit 150,000 baht from the undercover team to facilitate its release, promising a 40 percent return. Police seized counterfeit currency notes, blank paper stock totaling 60,000 sheets, various unknown chemical solutions, currency conversion equipment, and mobile phones containing videos demonstrating counterfeit production methods and victim deception tactics. The operation resulted from ongoing investigations into international drug trafficking networks involving foreign nationals operating in Bangkok's Sukhumvit area.