Five government agencies have announced strict measures to prohibit all screen media for children under two years old, advancing early childhood development by establishing solid foundations during this critical period that impact life quality and learning skills.

On August 21, 2025, at the Ashvin Grand Convention Hotel in Bangkok, Deputy Education Minister Akranun Kannikittinan opened the fifth national academic conference on early childhood development titled "Journey Through the Little Galaxy: Reduce, Play, Know – Building Happiness for Thai Preschoolers." The conference was organized by the Office of the Education Council under the Ministry of Education in partnership with network allies, attended by experts, administrators, teachers, caregivers, parents, and representatives from relevant agencies, including Office of the Education Council Secretary-General Prawit Arawwarn, Deputy Secretaries-General Niti Nachit and Supchai Chanpum, and policy adviser Ampha Promwat.

Deputy Minister Akranun stated that early childhood is the foundation of human quality, and human quality is the foundation of national security and prosperity. The government prioritizes early childhood development as a national agenda and has approved a policy proposal of "3 Accelerate, 3 Reduce, 3 Increase" to ensure all Thai children receive age-appropriate development, happiness, and reach their full potential through cooperation from all sectors.

The concept "Journey Through the Little Galaxy" invites Thai society to work together: reduce risk factors to development, promote play to encourage natural learning, and promote knowledge to create correct understanding among families, teachers, and caregivers, leading to sustainable development of Thai children.

On this occasion, five main agencies—the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, Ministry of Interior, and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration—jointly pledged to seriously reduce screen media use in early childhood and prohibit it entirely before age two, to promote age-appropriate development in all areas. The guidelines are as follows:

Prohibit all types of screen media, digital media, and digital devices for children under two years old without exception.

Seriously reduce screen media use in children aged two and above. Screen media use must be conditional and under close supervision by parents, guardians, teachers, and caregivers, with controls on mobile phones and digital devices in classrooms.

Require agencies with early childhood development facilities to implement strict measures controlling screen media, digital media, mobile phones, and digital devices in their facilities, while promoting age-appropriate activities and learning experiences.

Secretary-General Prawit stated that the Early Childhood Development Policy Committee and the Education Council, as secretariat, have mobilized all network partners to drive the "3 Accelerate, 3 Reduce, 3 Increase" policy proposal to promote early childhood development in crisis conditions. The Cabinet approved it as a national agenda on March 27, 2024. The conference was held under the concept "Journey Through the Little Galaxy: Reduce, Play, Know" to unite cooperation from agencies and organizations nationwide in exchanging knowledge, experience, and innovation in driving early childhood development.

On August 21, Deputy Prime Minister Yotchanun Wongswat and his team waded through mudslides to survey damage and recovery efforts in the Silalaeng Subdistrict of Phayao Province. The official inspected homes in the community, beginning with the first house where floodwaters and thick mud had surged inside, destroying property. At a second home, mud surrounded the house causing severe damage, though the main living area remained safe.

At a third home belonging to elderly residents, mud had infiltrated the living quarters. When the deputy prime minister entered to pay respects, the elderly woman greeted him warmly, expressing joy that help had reached such a remote area. At a fourth house, the ground floor was completely destroyed and filled with debris and thick mud, forcing residents to move temporarily to the second floor. Multiple other homes in the area were similarly devastated by the floodwaters and mudslides.

The official then visited the home of teacher Nanan Kasernsri, a local school teacher whose house stood directly in the path of the flash flood. Nanan recounted a harrowing escape when the water suddenly changed direction and rushed toward her with tremendous force. She grabbed a wooden pillar to keep from being swept away until her father threw her a rope to pull her to safety. When warning systems failed and phone signals were cut off, Nanan used social media to call for help. This prompted six ranger personnel from the 32nd Ranger Unit to wade through the water and evacuate about 20 vulnerable people, including elderly residents and those with hearing and vision disabilities, to safety at Phamuead Temple.

Deputy Prime Minister Yotchanun praised Nanan's quick thinking and bravery, calling her and the ranger personnel "true heroes" for their life-saving efforts in the crisis. He announced immediate recovery measures, ordering heavy machinery to remove mud from the community and requesting the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation to expand emergency funding to 100 million baht. The government will coordinate home repair assistance of approximately 88,000 baht per household through disaster prevention funds, supplemented by social development ministry contributions of about 49,000 baht each, to aid more than 33 severely damaged homes.

The deputy prime minister also surveyed the surrounding waterways and discussed long-term structural solutions, noting that the government is working with the Royal Irrigation Department to construct small to medium-sized dams and water retention basins in the upper areas of northern districts.

Prime Minister Anuthit Charnvirakul plans to inspect flood-hit Nan Province after returning from an official visit to Australia and New Zealand, then travel to Ubon Ratchathani to visit soldiers injured by landmines. On August 21, government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek confirmed that the PM and Interior Minister are currently on an official mission to Australia and New Zealand to strengthen trade, investment, and bilateral relations. Meanwhile, the PM continues to monitor Thailand's flood situation closely, especially in Nan Province, and has directed agencies to accelerate relief efforts, with plans to visit the affected area immediately upon his return. The spokesperson said the PM will arrive back in Thailand on the evening of August 22 and will travel to Nan Province on the morning of August 23 to assess the flooding and relief operations, as well as listen to local needs to ensure rapid post-flood recovery and rehabilitation. That afternoon, the PM will then proceed to Ubon Ratchathani to visit and encourage members of a humanitarian demining unit who suffered severe injuries from stepping on a landmine while conducting operations in the Saddle Pass area of Nam Yuen District on August 17.

MONO Company Limited is advancing its shift toward a "Streaming First" strategy, aiming to elevate MONOMAX as Thailand's primary streaming platform while preserving television's role in reaching all Thais. The company has positioned MONOMAX Sports TV to function as a public service, ensuring equitable access to major sports content that Thais care about. Nawaminthon Prasopneter, Chief Executive Officer and Director of MONO, explained: "Moving toward Streaming First does not mean abandoning Thai television viewers. Instead, we want to balance both platforms to suit changing viewer behavior. For us, sports content that brings joy and pride to Thais should be accessible to everyone. We want MONOMAX Sports TV to serve as a true public service, just as we did with past World Cup broadcasts for free Thai viewership. The upcoming Premier League season will feature free matches every week, and when Thailand's women's volleyball team competes, Thais can cheer together. This is our core principle. Simultaneously, MONO will develop the MONOMAX streaming platform to deliver a more complete and higher-quality viewing experience. Free TV will serve content requiring broad reach, while streaming will offer a more diverse range of experiences and content. We believe advancing both platforms in tandem will allow MONO to balance 'access for all Thais' with 'the viewing experience of the future' perfectly."

MONO's shift to "Streaming First" restructures the roles of both platforms to work complementarily, with Free TV creating accessibility while MONOMAX delivers the future of viewing. The company will continue delivering major sports content for Thais to watch and cheer together. Starting in August, MONOMAX Sports TV will broadcast Premier League 2026/27 matches and the AVC Women's Continental Championship featuring Thailand's national team. Premier League matches include: Nottingham Forest versus Leeds United (Saturday, August 22, 21:00); Manchester City versus AFC Bournemouth (Sunday, August 23, 21:00); AFC Bournemouth versus Everton (Saturday, August 29, 21:00); and Chelsea versus Brighton & Hove Albion (Sunday, August 30, 21:00). Volleyball championship matches include: Thailand versus Australia (Friday, August 21, 13:00); Vietnam versus South Korea (Saturday, August 22, 09:00); Kazakhstan versus Australia (Sunday, August 23, 09:00); Thailand versus Indonesia (Monday, August 24, 14:00); Japan versus Vietnam (Tuesday, August 25, 17:30); and China versus Taiwan (Wednesday, August 26, 18:30).

On Friday, August 21, 2025, at 12:00 noon, Lom Sak Municipality reported water conditions in Lom Sak District with a red flag alert. The Phetchabun Province Irrigation Office provided the following water level readings: Station S33 at Lom Kao measured 5.26 meters (declining), Station S53 at Ban Wang Rong Bridge measured 5.28 meters (rising), and Station S3 at Lom Sak measured 7.43 meters (rising). The Phetchabun Province Irrigation Office instructed Lom Sak Municipality to raise the red flag as water levels entered the critical threshold. Residents living in low-lying areas along the Pasak River are advised to relocate their belongings to higher ground. The municipality will closely monitor water conditions and provide continuous updates to the public.