Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angsakulkiattikul inspected progress on rail projects in Nakhon Ratchasima on August 21, 2569. He reviewed the Thailand-China high-speed rail project Phase 1 (Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima) and dual-track railway Phase 1 (Mab Ka Bao to Chum Thang Jira) and heard proposals and concerns from local authorities, joined by Watchraphol Tomornsakdit (Nakhon Ratchasima MP District 2), Manas Suwannarinthon (Deputy Governor), Yolada Wangsupkitjgosal (Governor), and government agencies.

Siripong said the inspection tracked key transport projects for Nakhon Ratchasima, following the trial opening of Highway M6 between cities, which has improved travel efficiency significantly. For the dual-track railway, construction is underway on multiple contracts with two remaining that need acceleration; it is expected to open around 2572. The Thailand-China high-speed rail Phase 1, despite delays beyond original plans, remains manageable and is forecast to open in 2574, reducing Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima travel time to about 90 minutes. Phase 2 (Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai) procurement is expected within 2570, targeting a 2576 opening; when complete, travel from Nong Khai to Bangkok will take roughly three hours.

Delay causes include land acquisition and public complaints, particularly from Khok Krauat community, currently under negotiation. Once cleared, construction will resume normally. Contractors abandoning work will face legal action, while safety standards and contract management will be enforced to prevent individual contractor problems affecting the whole system.

MP Watchraphol submitted local concerns, especially over high-speed rail contracts 3-5 (12.8 kilometers), originally planned as a 7-kilometer earthen embankment but feared to harm drainage and divide the city. He requested the design be changed to elevated tracks. He also proposed the 100-rai Nakhon Ratchasima railway station area be developed as a transport hub rather than maintenance center to boost local economy and commerce. He further suggested coordinating with the Interior Ministry and local administrative bodies to resolve railway and electrical crossings, and to explore solar power systems due to frequent electrical equipment theft along the route affecting public safety and movement.

Siripong agreed to review all proposals.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthammaphan announced on August 21 that her ministry is coordinating with private sector partners and the Pharmaceutical Organization to collect essential supplies and distribute relief bags to flood-affected residents in Nan province. Concerned about the situation affecting northern Thailand residents, she has instructed her ministry to provide full assistance by mobilizing food, drinking water, milk, essential items, and medicines from private businesses and related agencies. "The Commerce Ministry wants to deliver aid to people quickly, especially in the early stages of disaster. Essential everyday items will greatly ease people's suffering, so we are urgently coordinating with the private sector and relevant agencies to support and dispatch supplies to Nan province," she said. The relief effort has garnered cooperation from the Internal Trade Department's private business network and the Pharmaceutical Organization, which are contributing ready-to-drink milk, instant noodles, canned fish and fish products, drinking water, sanitary pads, soap, shampoo, laundry products, cleaning solutions, tissue paper, and necessary medicines and medical supplies. The Internal Trade Department is packing approximately 500 to 1,000 relief bags for efficient transport and distribution to disaster victims. Officials are working urgently to pack and prepare these bags for delivery to Nan province by Friday, August 21, with rapid distribution to affected residents. Supporting companies include One Thai Food Industry, Thai President Foods, Saha Pathana Pibul, Thai Food Products Manufacturing, Thai Union Group, Royal Foods, Pattaya Food Industry, Thai Nam Tip Corporation, Nestle Thailand, Friesland Campina Thailand, F&N Dairies Thailand, Dutch Mill, Green Spot, Lactasoy, Kao Industrial Thailand, and the Pharmaceutical Organization. "On behalf of the Commerce Ministry, I thank the private sector, the Pharmaceutical Organization, and all sectors for supporting this relief effort," Suphajee said. "We will expedite delivery of all supplies to disaster areas to reach Nan residents as quickly as possible and send encouragement to all affected people to safely overcome this crisis."

Pattaya homeowner issues warning after CCTV catches clothes thiefLegacyA homeowner in Pattaya is warning residents to secure their belongings after CCTV footage showed a woman stealing clothes from a drying rack outside her house. The homeowner, 49 year old Nipaporn, shared the footage with reporters after discovering several items missing from her home in Pattaya. CCTV footage from her home showed a woman dressed in black, wearing sweatpants, carrying a black basket and wearing a face mask that concealed her identity. She walked up to the clothes racks outside the house, browsed through the hanging items, and picked out several pieces before placing them in her basket and walking away. Photo via Pattaya News Nipaporn said she had hung clothes on two racks outside her home before going to bed on August 18. The theft occurred at around 5.52am the following morning. She only noticed items missing later that day and checked her CCTV system, where she found the footage. The missing items included a pair of shorts, a skirt and two shirts. Nipaporn said that although the stolen items were not particularly valuable, the incident left her feeling unsettled, especially given that it happened directly outside her own home. She has asked police to step up patrols in the area, particularly during the late-night and early morning hours, and urged other residents to keep clothes, shoes and other belongings in a secure place rather than leaving them outside, even if the items are low in value. Photo via Pattaya News Related news

Foreigner denies theft at Koh Pha Ngan shop, CCTV says otherwise Sri Racha underwear thief caught on CCTV leaves family unsettled Clothes thieves become aggressive when confronted at market

The story Pattaya homeowner issues warning after CCTV catches clothes thief as seen on Thaiger News.

Elderly Thai man appeals for help after bank, police fail to explain missing moneyLegacyAn 83 year old Thai man is seeking an investigation, claiming 615,600 baht was missing from his bank account without his knowledge, while more than 2 million baht he deposited later failed to appear in the account balance. The elderly man, Thanaphon Phutthaphong, appealed to DailyNews to report his story, hoping public attention would lead to a serious investigation into the alleged irregularities. Thanaphon said he discovered irregularities in his savings account at a bank branch in the Wat Phraya Krai area of Bang Kho Laem district, Bangkok. The name of the bank has not been disclosed. Thanaphon said his account previously held about 1.6 million baht. He later discovered two withdrawals recorded on October 21, 2024, for 536,977.41 baht and 78,622.59 baht, totalling 615,600 baht. Photo by Wittybear via Getty Images He also said he made several deposits during 2024 and 2025 worth more than 2 million baht in total. However, he claimed the account balance did not increase in line with the amounts he had deposited. Thanaphon said he had not previously checked his bank book in detail due to his age, prompting him to seek an explanation from the bank manager after discovering the irregularities. According to Thanaphon, the manager told him that the disputed withdrawals had been made by him. However, when he asked to see CCTV footage showing the transactions, he was reportedly told that the relevant footage was unavailable. Thanaphon said the lack of CCTV footage left him unable to determine how the money had been withdrawn. He subsequently filed a complaint with Yan Nawa Police Station on April 23, asking officers to investigate the disputed transactions. Photo by Syda Productions via Canva He said there had been no clear progress since the complaint was filed. He also tried contacting the investigating officer by phone and LINE but was unable to reach the officer. Thanaphon said the investigator last informed him that police had contacted the bank manager to request relevant documents. However, the manager reportedly said the bank could not provide certain documents because they were important records that the bank was required to retain. Police also reportedly told Thanaphon that CCTV footage provided by the bank showed him inside the bank but did not show him on the date when the disputed withdrawals were made. Photo by Ponsulak via Getty Images Thanaphon said he plans to seek assistance from another police station. He said he wants only a clear explanation of what happened to his money and fair treatment. Thanaphon also expressed concern that his efforts to investigate the disputed transactions could potentially put him in danger if influential people were involved. He asked that the bank account dispute be considered as one possible line of investigation if he suffers any harm. DailyNews reported that it is seeking further information from police and the bank to establish what happened to the disputed transactions. Related news

Elderly Nonthaburi man alleges repairman stole 40,000 baht Monk demands that bank hand over missing money Where’s our money? Chiang Mai bank loses farmers’ 100 million baht

The story Elderly Thai man appeals for help after bank, police fail to explain missing money as seen on Thaiger News.

YouTube-trained ‘dentist’ among five arrested in medical crackdown near BangkokLegacyFive people accused of providing dental or medical services without licences have been arrested across Bangkok, Samut Sakhon and Samut Prakan, with police seizing more than 1,000 items of medical and dental equipment. The Central Investigation Bureau’s (CIB) Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) carried out searches at five locations yesterday, August 20, with Samut Sakhon public health officials and other agencies. Four people were arrested over alleged unlicensed dental work, while a fifth was accused of practising medicine without a licence. Photo via CIB Officers seized 56 types of materials, dental tools, medical equipment and unregistered medicines, totalling more than 1,058 items and valued at more than 330,000 baht. Police said some of the dental services were being offered from converted homes and roadside premises, including dentures, retainers and fashion braces. In Krathum Baen district, Samut Sakhon, officers found a 30 year old woman allegedly fitting fashion braces to a customer using a mouth retractor and dental etching solution. The woman reportedly admitted learning the procedures herself through YouTube and practising on her own teeth before advertising services on social media. She told officers she earned more than 15,000 baht a month. Photo via Consumer Protection Nearby, police found a 61 year old man who had worked in a dental laboratory around 30 years ago. He allegedly used that experience to take dental impressions and make dentures from his home, accepting work from both locals and healthcare facilities. He reportedly earned between 40,000 and 50,000 baht a month. Photo via CIB A 44 year old woman who previously worked as a dental technician for a private company was also accused of operating from her home, taking dental impressions and making retainers. She reportedly charged almost 10,000 baht per course. Photo via CIB In Bangkok’s Bang Khen district, officers arrested a 56 year old woman while she was allegedly making and repairing dentures for a customer at a roadside dental shop. More than 500 resin dentures and pieces of dental equipment were seized. The woman said she previously worked in a dental laboratory and had operated the roadside business for more than five years, serving around four to five customers a day. Photo via CIB The fifth arrest took place at a beauty clinic in Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan, where officers found a 26 year old woman administering an intravenous vitamin drip to a customer without a doctor supervising the clinic. The woman holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing, but police accused her of practising medicine without a licence. Officers also seized vitamin drip equipment and a quantity of unregistered medicines. Photo via CIB All five were charged with providing medical or dental services without the required licences and were transferred to investigators for legal proceedings. They were transferred to CPPD investigators for further legal proceedings. The four people accused of providing unlicensed dental services admitted the charges, according to police. Related news

Bogus dentist arrested after treating 1,000 patients in Rayong Brace yourself: Fake dentist nabbed in Saraburi smile sting Prison-trained ‘doctor’ busted for illegal penile procedures

The story YouTube-trained ‘dentist’ among five arrested in medical crackdown near Bangkok as seen on Thaiger News.

At Bangkok City Hall on August 21, Governor Chadchart Sittipunt chaired the third meeting of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Strategic Development Committee, with senior city officials in attendance. The committee reviewed the draft 20-year Bangkok development plan for the fourth phase (2028–2032), prepared by Thammasat University's research and consulting institute, and approved a revised city vision statement. The vision shifts from "Bangkok, a livable city for everyone" to "Bangkok, a city that creates opportunities and hope for all," positioning the city for greater challenges and progress.

Chadchart explained that the updated vision and development strategies now encompass broader and clearer working dimensions. The original "livable city" concept emphasized residents' quality of life, but review revealed that cities need two driving forces working together: people and business. Cities function as labor markets and economic systems that generate income to circulate and improve residents' quality of life. The development strategy therefore combines economic opportunity creation with productivity and quality of life improvements, giving people hope. A livable city alone may not be enough; it must also attract talented individuals through business opportunities.

The fourth-phase strategy framework rests on three pillars: the 20-year national strategy framework, the draft 14th national economic and social development plan, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Implementation proceeds through nine core strategies: (1) Good Transportation—convenient, safe, seamless, and accessible systems friendly to the environment; (2) Good Safety—building a resilient city with disaster and emergency preparedness; (3) Good Transparency—reducing corruption through preventive mechanisms, strong governance, and integrity assessments at all levels; (4) Good Environment—pursuing low-carbon status, climate resilience, and integrated waste, wastewater, air, and energy management to reduce pollution and environmental risk; (5) Good Health—prioritizing primary healthcare services enhanced with digital technology for seamless patient care in a "high-tech, high-touch" model; (6) Good Education—advancing lifelong learning for all ages through digital curricula addressing life and job skills, supported by teacher and student development; (7) Good Economy—positioning Bangkok as a gateway to ASEAN through creative business, high-value services, and health economics, creating premium urban experiences and investment; (8) Good Society—building fairness and harmony, raising quality of life and welfare especially for vulnerable groups; and (9) Good Management—elevating organizational performance through data-driven operations centered on public outcomes.

The committee also approved revisions to Bangkok's integrated annual action plan for 2028, shifting from "developing a disaster command center and linking emergency data systems" to "developing block-by-block infrastructure aligned with local context," emphasizing area design and development responsive to community needs.