Phra Kru Suwan Selaphon, known as Luang Pho Sai Akkhavanso, is a highly respected Buddhist monk at Wat Tha Khanu in Thong Pha Phum district, Kanchanaburi province, and a devoted disciple of Luang Pho Doem of Wat Nong Po in Nakhon Sawan. Originally named Sai Kiawatsit, he was born on Sunday, October 18, 1914, in the Nang Loeng area of Bangkok, to parents named Perm and Chan Kiawatsit. In his youth, his parents sent him to school through eighth grade before he entered railway service. Around 1957, while working as a railway official, he contracted a serious neck infection that resisted treatment from both traditional healers and modern physicians. He then became a disciple of Phra Kru Niwas Thamkhan (Luang Pho Doem Putsaro), abbot of Wat Nong Poi in Takhli district, Nakhon Sawan, who healed him completely. This miraculous recovery inspired his faith in Buddhism, and he requested to be ordained as a Buddhist monk, receiving his upasampada ordination on July 18, 1945, at Wat Khao Thong in Phayuhakiri district, Nakhon Sawan, where he was given the monastic name Akkhavanso.

After his ordination, he studied under Luang Pho Doem at Wat Nong Bua for five years until his teacher's death in 1951, after which he began his tudong pilgrimage. Wat Tha Khanu had been established by Luang Pu Puk Uttamapalo, a Mon-born monk from Photharam district in Ratchaburi, who served as its first abbot until his death in 1929. His successor, Luang Pu Te Neng Obhaso, a Burmese-born monk, oversaw the temple until 1951 before returning to Myanmar permanently. With no permanent leader, the temple fell into disrepair despite monks occasionally sent from Kanchanaburi city.

On December 26, 1952, Luang Pho Sai arrived from Nakhon Sawan on tudong and established himself at Wat Tha Khanu. Impressed by his disciplined practice, the local people provided excellent support, and in February 1953, he continued his pilgrimage into Myanmar. He returned on July 25, 1953, spent the rainy season at the temple until November 6, 1953, and was formally invited by villager Boon Tham Nok Lek to remain as abbot.

After the 1954 retreat, Boon Tham traveled to Nakhon Sawan with the villagers to request that Luang Pu Sai become the permanent abbot. Upon receiving permission, he returned with the faithful community on November 17, 1954, and immediately began restoring the temple. He was officially appointed abbot of Wat Tha Khanu through a letter of appointment signed on January 1, 1955, by Phra Wisutthirangsi (Di Buddhachoti) of Wat Nuea, the provincial sangha leader for Kanchanaburi. Subsequently, he was appointed as a ceremonial chair-bearer in 1955, an upajjhaya (preceptor) in 1960, assistant tambon sangha leader in 1968, and ampher sangha leader of Thong Pha Phum in 1971. In 1968, he received the monastic title Phra Kru Suwan Selaphon from the royal bestowment.

Working alongside devoted villagers, Luang Pho Sai led the restoration of Wat Tha Khanu until it became fully developed once again, earning the award for model temple development in 1973.

The government is preparing to dissolve central government offices operating in the provinces after discovering overlapping duties with provincial governors and budget waste. Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapart revealed that the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission will propose to the cabinet that it close regional branch offices and shift services to online and computer systems instead. Multiple state agencies currently maintain provincial branches in various provinces, creating work that duplicates the authority and responsibilities of provincial governors. Significantly, these branch offices lack legal backing under civil service regulations. The Public Sector Development Commission has decided to transition these offices from physical branches to online and computer technology services for the public. This restructuring aims to tighten the bureaucracy, reduce redundancy, and correct legal violations. The government will support affected personnel through transfers back to central offices or voluntary early retirement programs. "Establishing central government offices in provincial areas is actually illegal because there is no legal framework to support it," Pakorn said. "We will propose that the cabinet end these roles and return to online systems instead of maintaining numerous branches that waste the budget. The world has changed—the need for branch offices has diminished greatly because we can use computer technology to manage documents and work instantly, and it also makes corruption prevention easier through standardized nationwide inspection systems." The government is also reviewing compensation structure reforms for local administrators after discovering salary and benefit disparities harming the central civil service. Local officials in some areas earn more than ministry permanent secretaries who oversee nationwide policies and major responsibilities. This inequity stems from local governments setting their own revenue-based salary standards without aligning to the civil service standards that apply to central officials. The government plans to assign the Comptroller General's Department to establish centralized accounting to standardize work practices and local budget spending for efficiency and transparency. "How can a municipal clerk earn more than a ministry permanent secretary who oversees the entire nation and manages enormous tasks?" Pakorn said. "We must make major adjustments by deploying technology and reducing unnecessary personnel to align the entire structure with inspectable management standards. We aim to introduce new working methods suited to the changing world, with neutral accounting standards so the government can verify that budget spending is worthwhile and truly benefits the people." Pakorn also discussed promoting birthplace tax policy to incentivize large companies to support their home provinces.

Longan is an important cash crop that provides income and employment for many farmers, especially in northern Thailand's growing regions. Late July marks the peak harvest season when longan trees naturally produce their highest yields. Lamphun Province is a major longan-growing hub in the north.

Nirot Sancharai, 76, owner of Sancharai Orchard and chairman of the Agricultural Productivity Learning Center in Wiangnonlong District, Lamphun, says that previous market oversupply, price crashes, and sluggish exports forced many farmers to abandon their orchards. This has reduced supply entering the market this July, suggesting prices may improve this year.

However, Sancharai's main concern is preparing for "Super El Niño," which threatens intense heat waves, erratic rainfall, and potential water shortages. While countries like the USA and France face severe El Niño impacts, Thailand's exposure remains unclear.

Climate change signals are already visible in Lamphun: premium-grade AA longan production has plummeted from 80 percent to just 20 percent due to declining rainfall, directly affecting crop quality and quantity. This year, experts warn temperatures could reach 45°C. In such conditions, even people struggle to cope, and Sancharai worries about whether longan trees can withstand such extreme heat. Fortunately, Sancharai Orchard benefits from its location on a flood plain near Ping River with two water sources: the Ping River with a dam and shallow groundwater wells.

The orchard has invested in climate adaptation: installing two additional water pumps and upgrading to mini-sprinkler heads that disperse water in 360-degree patterns or misting nozzles to create fine droplets covering the entire canopy. Mini-sprinklers are mounted 2 meters above the treetops to simulate rainfall, raising relative humidity, lowering temperatures, and preventing sunburn on leaves and fruit. The system operates during peak heat hours, with daily watering schedules adjusted to match changing climate conditions.

Sancharai began farming in 1982 after studying agriculture and fruit cultivation in Israel, initially applying that knowledge to mangoes through pruning and irrigation techniques, but the technology and market were too limited at the time. He then replaced all mango trees with longan on 86 rai, selecting the hardy Ido variety, which resists diseases and pests well and bears fruit faster than other varieties. His continuous innovation earned him Thailand's Outstanding Farmer Award in 2020 for excellence in transforming traditional agriculture into modern farming. His key contributions include:

1. Being the first to use potassium chlorate (KClO3) for off-season longan cultivation, allowing sales at higher prices than seasonal fruit. 2. Inventing compact, high-density longan cultivation on 6-by-6-meter spacing to address harvest challenges posed by 20-year-old trees with thick trunks.

The Arena of Valor Premier League 2026 (APL) esports tournament has concluded at Thien Son Stadium in Da Nang, Vietnam. This year brought a significant change as organizers decided to introduce a competition specifically for female professional players: the APL 2026 Queens Showdown, held for the first time. The tournament aimed to generate momentum and give female players an official competitive stage to showcase their skills.

Thailand's eArena team performed impressively before a packed home crowd of supporters, defeating Vietnam's One Star Gaming 4-2 in the games to become the first team to win an international RoV championship in the women's category, earning a prize of $45,000 USD.

Sugas Pattrakanya Hmaykaew, known in-game as "WHATIF," eArena's team captain, expressed her satisfaction with the victory. "I'm very happy—it went exactly as planned," she said. "We were about 90 percent confident we would win the championship, though the games did have some tense moments that excited the fans. I believe the key to winning was the coach's strategy combined with the players' in-game performance. We maintained our standard level, didn't lose our aggression, trusted each other, and played exactly as we practiced."

Coach Tri Akkawinit, eArena's head coach, praised his team and attributed their success to rapid adaptation. "From the start of the tournament, our team has been adapting constantly," he explained. "I told the players to stay calm because I believed that as the games went longer, we would only get stronger. Our team's strength is that every player can play multiple characters in the game better than our opponents. We adapted to the new patch exceptionally well because we started discussing it from day one. We responded quickly and executed perfectly."

The Queens Showdown represents a return to targeting the female gamer market while inspiring women with dreams and skill to pursue esports professionally, not merely as a hobby. Importantly, it demonstrates to the world that esports has space for women as well.

Nan Thaiyika Suwrakarkul, known as "Frozenkiss," a former famous female professional player now serving as brand ambassador for the Miss RoV Tournament, expressed confidence that Thai female competitors now have more opportunities and platforms to showcase their abilities and advance in esports. "For over 10 years since I first competed, this is the largest and most prestigious international official tournament," she said. "I'm proud that Thailand's representative team won as the first champions. Previously things were going well, but COVID-19 disrupted women's tournaments completely. Now that leaders and game organizations are giving female competitors importance, the situation has changed dramatically. Young women today have excellent opportunities and clear pathways forward. eArena's championship will inspire other girls watching that advancement is definitely possible."

Pacharpol Chatchanan, Operations Manager at Garena Online (Thailand) and Arena of Valor Thailand producer, noted that APL 2026 represents a major milestone for RoV, reinforcing the game's success as a MOBA that has thrived for 10 years and become one of the most internationally recognized esports competitions.

On July 29, 2025, Labor Minister Julphand Amorwiwat discussed the administrative court's temporary suspension of Section 2 of the election committee's announcement requiring eligible voters to register with the Social Security Office. The suspension prompted the election committee to postpone the vote, though the court order is temporary and intended only to allow the SSO to reconsider procedures after the announcement raised conflicts with existing regulations. The court's suspension does not cancel or delay the election outright. The SSO's immediate step is to appeal the suspension order to the highest administrative court; if the court revokes it, the election can proceed as planned on September 27.

"This suspension applies only to the announcement, not the regulations, so we must appeal the suspension order," the minister stated. "If the court lifts it, we can proceed with the election on September 27 as scheduled." Julphand emphasized that social security board elections are critically important because the committee has operated in a caretaker status for months, causing operational delays across multiple functions. He expressed determination to accelerate the election process.

When asked about contingencies if the highest administrative court does not revoke the suspension, the minister outlined several options. The first is to await the court's final judgment, which could take considerable time and risk a governance vacuum at the social security board. A second option is to amend the regulations, but this requires a lengthy legal process—including public hearings, draft proposals, review by relevant agencies, and publication in the Royal Gazette—taking at least 45 days before a new election process could begin, making it impractical for immediate action.

Meanwhile, the SSO is exploring an alternative approach: using a database of approximately 11 million eligible voters and placing voter lists at polling units by residential location, allowing insured persons to verify their names and vote directly. However, details still require consideration, such as employees of large companies registered at head offices but working in other provinces, and establishing a cutoff date for verifying voter eligibility when real-time database updates are impossible on election day. Clear criteria must be established before implementation.

"Ultimately, the social security board election must occur—whether on September 27 or later is another matter," the minister said. "But I and the SSO confirm the election must happen soon." Regarding criticism of the registration conditions, Julphand noted his intention to revise the regulations, as many issues warrant review including insured person registration, employer participation, and ensuring all contribution tiers have proper representation on the board. However, because regulation amendments are time-consuming, proceeding before the election could delay the vote further.