Venerable Luang Por Jamnian Silasettho, a distinguished Buddhist teacher and vipassana master of Southern Thailand and abbot of Tiger Cave Vipassana Monastery in Krabi province, passed away in Malaysia on August 18, 2025, at the age of 90, having spent 69 years in monastic robes.

Venerable Luang Por Jamnian was born on May 1, 1936, in Tha Rai sub-district, Muang district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province. He pioneered and established Tiger Cave Vipassana Monastery in Krabi province, which became a renowned center for meditation practice and tourism.

His Life and Key Periods:

Youth: He showed interest in meditation and Buddhist studies from childhood.

Establishing Tiger Cave Monastery: In 1975, he founded and developed Tiger Cave Vipassana Monastery in Krabi as a center for vipassana meditation practice.

Social Role: During periods of national conflict, he played an important role in assisting villagers and helping people find safety from various dangers.

Missionary Work: In 2012, he established new monasteries and meditation centers, including Khao Laow Monastery in Ratchaburi province and Rangsee Machchima Monastic Center in Saraburi province.

Final Years: In his later years, he traveled to Malaysia to seek medical treatment and eventually passed away there.

Thailand's National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, led by Deputy Secretary-General Trairat Viriyasiriwong in an acting capacity, jointly conducted raids with the Technology Crime Suppression Division on August 18 at suspected locations in Bangkok following an investigation into internet infrastructure being used to facilitate technology-related crimes.

The inquiry began when authorities identified fraudulent social media pages designed to deceive Thai citizens. Technical analysis traced the scheme through Thai telecommunications provider IP addresses. Further investigation revealed that the network routed through a server system installed in a data center in Bangkok before connecting to an actual operating point in a neighboring country approximately 10 kilometers from the Thai border. The IP addresses have been linked to more than 60 documented cases of fraud against Thai citizens.

Officers from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission and the Technology Crime Suppression Division conducted searches and collected technical evidence, traced network connections, and worked to identify individuals or groups involved in weaponizing telecommunications and internet infrastructure for criminal purposes.

This operation represents an interagency effort to intercept telecommunications infrastructure potentially being used to support technology-related crimes, particularly fraud schemes orchestrated from neighboring countries. Authorities plan to pursue further action against all parties involved in accordance with the law.

Thai Prime Minister Anuthín Charnweerakul received an official welcome on his state visit to Australia at 9 a.m. on August 19, 2025 (Canberra time, three hours ahead of Thailand) at Parliament House. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warmly received the Thai leader before the formal ceremony, which included a 19-gun salute, inspection of an honor guard, and the playing of both national anthems. Following the reception, the two prime ministers held a small-group discussion in a warm and constructive atmosphere, exchanging views on deepening the Thailand-Australia strategic partnership. They discussed matters of mutual importance including economic cooperation, removal of trade barriers, prevention and suppression of transnational and online crime, and shared approaches to common challenges. Both leaders committed to advancing the bilateral relationship and achieving concrete results that benefit their peoples. They then held a full bilateral meeting to explore expanded cooperation across multiple sectors. At 10:45 a.m., both prime ministers issued a joint statement. Government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek noted that the visit aims to strengthen the strategic partnership and deliver tangible results in facing shared challenges and creating benefits for both nations. This marks the first official visit by a Thai prime minister to Australia in 14 years and comes ahead of Thailand and Australia celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations next year. The two countries elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership in 2020 and have continued developing cooperation. The discussions covered four key areas of mutual interest: politics and security, with both sides agreeing to enhance cooperation on traditional and emerging security threats, particularly transnational crime, using existing mechanisms and developing new cooperation.

On August 19, rescue and charitable workers in Phitsanulok received a report on August 18 of a death caused by lightning strike in the Khlong Ped area, Moo 4, Wang Pikul subdistrict, Wang Thong district, Phitsanulok province. Deputy Lieutenant Viral Patchar Worpongsakorn, investigating officer at Wang Thong Police Station, arrived with rescue personnel and found a 46-year-old man lying face-down on a rice paddy bank. Preliminary examination revealed burn-like marks on his head, torso, and legs, with his clothing also damaged. The deceased, identified as Phairoj (surname withheld), aged 46, is believed to have been struck by lightning during a thunderstorm in the area. Rescue officials transported the body to Buddhachinaraj Hospital for autopsy and further legal procedures.

On August 19, 2025, the Board of Investment for Digital Economy and Society (BDE) opened registration for Thai citizens aged 15 and above to participate in the TH-AI Passport program through de.aipass.net. Participants can register using any device by visiting the website through a standard browser, signing in with Google, Microsoft, or Apple accounts, filling in required information, and verifying their identity through official government apps or ThaiD. The registration process involves five steps: visiting de.aipass.net, signing in with a third-party account, filling in information and accepting terms, verifying identity through government apps, and receiving an AiPASS account ready for use from August 31, 2025.

The AiPASS platform brings together over 30 AI models from more than 14 leading developers in a single interface, supporting conversational AI, coding, research, image generation, video, and music creation. The program includes approximately 96 AI-related courses developed with global partners including Google for Education, Microsoft Elevate, and OpenAI, following a Learn • Earn • Plern framework that combines education with practical application. Registration must be completed through a standard browser mode, as private or incognito modes are not supported. For additional information and support, users can contact the Call Center at (02) 021-0300, email aipass@bde.go.th, or visit de.aipass.net.

On August 19, 2025, Parit Wacharasindhu, list-based MP and deputy leader of the Pheu Thai party, posted on his Facebook page responding to Parliament Speaker Somchai Sawangkarn's interview advising the opposition and some senators not to dwell on the petition to the Supreme Court requesting an inquiry into the National Anti-Corruption Commission regarding former Transport Minister Sakdisai Chidchob's stock manipulation case.

Parit stated that while he is not obsessed with the matter, he is concerned Somchai may suppress and truncate the case to prevent it from reaching court. He noted that in the most recent precedent, Senate Speaker Mongkol Surasajacha, while serving as parliament speaker, took less than 41 days to forward a case to court, but in this instance, 74 days have passed and Somchai has only appointed a filtering committee.

Parit further criticized Somchai for claiming the committee should work independently while hand-picking all members himself and concealing their names, making the committee's work effectively shielded from public scrutiny. He also noted that despite claiming to ensure careful consideration, Somchai has not guaranteed the petition's representatives will be invited to provide information to the committee.

Addressing the issue of delay, Parit pointed out that while Somchai denies dragging his feet, he has not set any clear deadline for the committee to complete its work and submit findings.

The opposition sent a letter to Somchai on July 22 requesting he: disclose the filtering committee members' names, set a clear timeline, invite the petitioners to provide information, and publish meeting minutes. As of the present date, no response has been received.

Parit concluded: "If we are concerned the Election Commission will truncate a fraud case to prevent it from reaching court, we should equally be concerned the parliament speaker will do the same with the anti-corruption and Sakdisai matters, as the military regime will undoubtedly employ all means to keep both cases from court."