CHONBURI — White flowers covered the site where the bodies of Russian siblings Diana and Roman were found on 6 August as their family held a final memorial ceremony, joined by senior officials, Buddhist monks and members of the public paying their last respects.

The ceremony was led by the siblings' mother, Sharina Nazimova, at the spot in Huai Yai subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, where the bodies were discovered. Prayers were also offered for the three Thai victims who were allegedly killed by the same suspect.

The case shocked Thailand after police alleged that the suspect was responsible for the murders of Russian siblings Diana and Roman as well as three Thai nationals in separate incidents. Investigators say all five killings were carried out by the same suspect, who has been arrested and is facing prosecution on multiple counts of premeditated murder.

The religious ceremony was presided over by Phra Khru Kasem Kittisophon, abbot of Wat Samakkhibanphot in Sattahip district. Among those attending were Chonburi Governor Narit Niramaiwong, Chonburi Provincial Police commander Maj. Gen. Pongphan Wongmanithet, Bang Lamung District Chief Anusak Piriyamorn, Huai Yai police chief Pol. Col. Worawut Nittayawan, other government officials, and large numbers of Thai and foreign mourners.

The memorial was marked by scenes of grief as relatives and well-wishers laid white carnations, lilies and roses at the site where the siblings' bodies were found. The white flowers symbolized purity, respect and a peaceful farewell.

The family also placed a cup of coffee — Diana's favorite drink — at the memorial site in remembrance of her, a gesture that deeply moved those attending. Throughout the ceremony, Nazimova was overcome with emotion and wept as relatives, friends and mourners comforted her.

Speaking after the ceremony, Nazimova thanked the Thai people, government agencies, police officers and volunteers who had supported her family since the tragedy. She said the compassion and kindness shown by people in Thailand had given the family strength during one of the most difficult periods of their lives.

The memorial marked the family's final farewell to Diana and Roman. Family members, friends and members of the public expressed hope that the judicial process would proceed swiftly and that the suspect would be held fully accountable for the deaths of all five victims.

The family, who are Buddhists, said Diana and Roman were raised solely by their mother.

What started as a customer request has become a signature dish at Ba Ratree's modest tin-roofed stall along an irrigation canal in Ang Thong province. Journalist Kanoksakdi Saengtrakarl from Thai PBS News visited the eatery located near Koo Manao Wan temple in Wisetchai district, Ang Thong.

Owner Ratree Thongnamniam, 55, has been running the made-to-order food stall for over seven years, offering a wide variety of dishes including basil stir-fries with beef, pork, liver, shrimp, and squid; mixed basil curry; fresh and tender beef noodles; clear soup; spicy and sour soup; fermented tofu soup; and sukiyaki—all priced at 40 baht.

The signature "basil noodles" dish was created when a regular customer complained of being tired of both rice and noodle soup, requesting that the owner combine the two and adjust the seasonings to individual preference. After a successful trial, the dish became a permanent menu item.

The dish's appeal lies in its simplicity, using familiar ingredients with a fresh twist. It combines the soft, chewy texture of rice noodles with the bold, concentrated flavors of basil stir-fry. Customers can choose from thin noodles, thick noodles, or clear noodle jelly, with protein options including pork, beef, chicken, squid, shrimp, or mixed meat, starting at just 40 baht.

Ba Ratree's is open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Phone: 08-1759-6901.

PHUKET: Officials and academics gathered in Phuket on Wednesday (Aug 5) to discuss the island’s future development as Governor Chotinrin Kerdsum highlighted the province’s economic strength, with Phuket generating an estimated B545.37 billion in tourism revenue in 2025 and recording a Gross Provincial Product (GPP) of B272.4bn.

Thanaworn Pholvichit, rector and chairman of the advisory board at Thailand's Chamber of Commerce University's Economic and Business Forecasting Center, announced that the SME competitiveness index for Q2 2025 stood at 45.1, down 0.8 points from the previous quarter. All measured indices—business conditions, operational capability, and business sustainability—fell below 50, indicating sector weakness. While sales showed improvement, profit margins stagnated due to persistently high costs, especially fuel expenses. The index is expected to improve in July and August as oil prices begin declining.

When broken down by company size, medium enterprises achieved the highest operational capability index at 50.7, followed by small businesses at 47.8 and microenterprises at just 43.1. By sector, manufacturing led at 49.1, buoyed by export opportunities projected to grow as much as 10% this year, with services at 46.5 and trade at 44.9. Vachir Kuntaveetep, dean of the economics faculty at Thailand's Chamber of Commerce University, noted that most business operators reported revenue, orders, costs, net profit, employment, and debt levels remaining flat year-on-year, but liquidity has deteriorated compared to the previous year, resulting in an overall business conditions index of 43.9 for Q2 2025.

On operational capability, most businesses reported product and service quality, technology and innovation, branding, access to capital, and workforce capability remained unchanged. However, debt repayment ability and competitive differentiation declined. The overall operational capability index for Q2 2025 stands at 46.5. For business sustainability, most operators saw income diversification, environmental friendliness initiatives, crisis adaptability, corporate governance, and employee turnover rates holding steady, though profit-generating capacity fell, placing the sustainability index at 44.9.

The university projects MSME sector GDP growth of 2.2 to 2.7 percent in 2025. Business operators are calling on the government to reduce costs—particularly water, electricity, transport, and cooking gas bills—provide favorable financing conditions, lower interest credit access, expand lending limits and repayment periods, help resolve existing debt, boost domestic and international marketing especially through e-commerce expansion and B2B networking events, and develop workforce skills with emphasis on digital and AI competencies.

Thailand and Myanmar have signed a Terms of Reference (TOR) to establish a joint working committee on water quality management in shared border rivers and rivers flowing between the two nations. On August 6, 2025, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchad Choomklin advanced environmental cooperation between the two countries by signing the TOR, which aims to enhance monitoring, tracking, and water quality data exchange while establishing systematic measures to prevent and resolve transboundary pollution issues. The agreement seeks to protect water resources, ecosystems, and improve quality of life for people in border areas sustainably.

Prime Minister Anuthong Chayanweerakul of Thailand and President Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar presided over the signing ceremony, witnessed by the permanent secretaries of both nations' natural resources and environment ministries—Dr. Raviwan Phuridej (Thailand) and La Maung Teng (Myanmar). The signing took place during President Min Aung Hlaing's official visit to Thailand on August 6-7, 2025, to strengthen and elevate bilateral cooperation in economics, trade, energy, and environmental development.

The TOR establishes a cooperation mechanism for monitoring, surveying, and exchanging information and expertise on water quality in shared rivers while defining joint measures for systematic water quality management. It aims to enable rapid and effective problem-solving while minimizing impacts on border communities. The TOR is valid for three years from the signing date. Both countries will establish joint working committees at ministerial and departmental levels to drive concrete implementation, integrating environmental agencies' work in monitoring water quality, sharing technical data, and jointly developing prevention and resolution strategies. This will improve water resource management, reduce pollution risks, and create long-term environmental security for people in both countries.

The Karen Phlop community in Baan Lai Gaew village, Doi Tao District in southern Chiang Mai, is a remarkable handicraft village known for weaving.

The garments produced there follow a remarkable journey: cotton is planted during the rainy season, and once the bolls mature and burst open, they are dried and fluffed before being spun into thin thread. The yarn is then dyed using natural dyes discovered long ago, producing a variety of colors. The dyed cotton is woven into cloth before being cut and sewn in the final steps.

All clothing and daily-use items come from handmade work, reflecting high self-reliance. Historically, Doi Tao was a remote, isolated community far from urban development, but the Karen Phlop people possessed inherited handicraft skills passed down through generations.

Young children, especially girls, grow up watching their mothers weave daily and gradually absorb and practice the craft from childhood. Children often begin with small woven pieces that resemble toys, then progress to small child-sized sashes. As they grow older, most can weave basic cloth patterns.

Children often weave simple sashes for themselves or ask their mothers to stitch them into small shoulder bags, a practice that sparked one of the village's most consistently bestselling products. Small, charming patterned bags represent the top-selling item from the Karen Phlop Baan Lai Gaew weaving group throughout every era. One such bag is called the "Jub Jib sash," which carries a delightful backstory.

At age eight, a girl named Jub Jib learned to weave with her mother's help creating small patterns. After cutting and sewing, her father, who sold woven products at various market booths, took the bags to sell. The young girl's handiwork attracted interest, and orders followed. Proud and encouraged by the attention, Jub Jib continued weaving sashes bearing her name. Years later, as she grew into a young woman, the Jub Jib sash remained highly sought after.

While mothers work on large, intricate cloth pieces, the younger generation learns weaving through small sash projects. Teenagers in the community express their creativity through their own designs, producing crafts that have garnered significant attention. Examples include dolls of Karen Phlop boys and girls, elephants, rabbits, and wild boar—crafted from fabric scraps left over from sewing and transformed into entirely new products.

When traditional wisdom walks hand in hand with design, craft is no longer merely heritage from the past; it becomes a language of the future that people worldwide understand together. Importantly, young people are carrying forward the value of finely made, beautiful, and genuinely nature-friendly handwork. The community—members of many generations and ages—are collectively building their community's future, keeping Karen Phlop weaving alive, and continuously advancing their creative economy.

The Jub Jib sash stands as a testament to this charming and admirable craft movement. Discover Baan Lai Gaew village and the young people creating their community's economy. Follow the story in the Thung Saeang Tawan series featuring Karen Phlop at Doi Tao on Facebook and YouTube at payaiTV.