Psi Scott Says He Refuses Service From Foreign Workers Who Cannot Speak Thai Siranudh “Psi” Scott, a marine conservationist and fourth-generation member of the billionaire family behind Singha beer, said he asks for another server whenever a foreign restaurant worker in Bangkok cannot answer him in Thai, accusing foreigners who secure jobs in Thailand without speaking the language of “taking advantage” of the country. The marine conservationist and fourth-generation member of the billionaire family behind Singha beer said on X that he deliberately replies in Thai when foreign staff address him in English. His post went viral and divided opinion, with supporters calling for formal Thai-language requirements for foreign workers. Critics described his stance as naïve and privileged for targeting individual employees rather than their employers. Thailand increasingly depends on migrant labour as its population ages and workforce shrinks, while the Cambodian worker exodus following the border conflict has aggravated labour shortages. Thailand’s tourism-dependent economy also benefits from multilingual workers, while Thai is not widely spoken outside the country. Countries such as Japan impose language requirements on some foreign restaurant workers, but through formal immigration programmes that also provide training and employer support. #Thailand#

House Panel Examines Lawsuit Against Journalist Over Prachin Buri Projects The House Committee on Political Development, Mass Communications and Public Participation on Thursday called for an investigation into four excavation projects in Prachin Buri after a journalist who raised concerns about their operations was sued and allegedly harassed. Workpoint News editor Pornthip "Jeab" Mongyai told the committee that oversight of resources removed under the “excavate soil in exchange for water” projects in Na Di district appeared inadequate. An expert assessment put the potential value of washed sand from the four projects at about 515 million baht, although this was based on approved project volumes rather than confirmed extraction. The National Anti-Corruption Commission said it was examining project approvals, excavation volumes and whether private operators had improperly benefited from state resources. It has conducted site inspections, depth measurements and aerial-image analysis but has yet to determine any damage or the amount of material removed. The committee also urged stronger anti-SLAPP protections for journalists and corruption whistleblowers. Members warned that existing safeguards may not cover people sued before they report information to the NACC and proposed allowing prosecutors to dismiss apparent SLAPP cases before they reach court. #Thailand# #โครงการขุดดินแลกน้ำ# #SLAPP#

NACC Probes 880,000-Baht Treadmills at Saraburi Gyms The National Anti-Corruption Commission inspected two municipal gyms in Saraburi on Thursday over concerns about value for money, including treadmills costing 880,000 baht each and future maintenance and electricity expenses. The gyms are among 15 public health centres built by the Saraburi Provincial Administrative Organisation over three fiscal years for a combined 460.67 million baht. The air-conditioned Muak Lek facility contains 104 exercise machines and receives about 100 visitors a day, while the Salaeng Phan centre serves 40–50 people daily. The treadmill price is substantially above much of Thailand’s market. Good home models generally cost 30,000–90,000 baht, while commercial machines commonly sell for about 80,000–200,000 baht. Premium imported slat-belt models can cost 400,000–700,000 baht or more, although a precise comparison requires the purchased machines’ brand, specifications, warranty and maintenance package. NACC Deputy Secretary-General Kiattisak Phutphan said the modern but expensive equipment raised concerns about procurement and the financial burden transferred to municipalities. Muak Lek municipality said the free gym cost about 70,000 baht a month to operate, with 200,000 baht reserved annually for maintenance. #Thailand# #ลู่วิ่ง8แสน#

Thailand, New Zealand to Upgrade Ties During Anutin Visit Thailand and New Zealand are expected to elevate relations to a strategic partnership during Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s official visit from August 20–22, the first by a Thai prime minister in 13 years. Anutin will travel with executives from more than 10 Thai companies to explore trade and investment opportunities. Both countries aim to triple bilateral trade by 2045 and increase the use of their existing economic partnership agreement. The planned upgrade was discussed when newly appointed New Zealand Ambassador Raylene Siale Tagaloa Liufalani paid an introductory courtesy call on Anutin at Government House on Thursday. Appointed in December 2025, she assumed her post this year after previously serving as ambassador to Argentina, with concurrent accreditation to Paraguay and Uruguay. The two sides also identified technology, education and tourism as areas for expanded cooperation as they mark 70 years of diplomatic relations. #Thailand# #NewZealand#

Anutin Says Military Ties Will Not Be Used as US Trade Leverage Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reiterated on Thursday that Thailand would not use military cooperation with the United States as leverage in tariff negotiations, saying trade and security talks were being conducted separately. Anutin made the remarks during talks with US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, following the government’s rejection of a Bloomberg report that military ties, including the Cobra Gold exercises, could be used as a bargaining tool. The comments reinforced an earlier statement by chief trade negotiator Suphajee Suthumpun that military cooperation was an existing arrangement outside the tariff talks. Cobra Gold 2027 will also proceed unchanged in March under an existing six-year plan. Suphajee will lead a delegation to Washington in late August to seek lower tariffs on the remaining 28% of Thai goods still subject to US duties. Thailand says about 72% have received exemptions. No new defence agreement or specific security initiative was announced after Anutin’s meeting with Colby. #Thailand# #US# #CobraGold# #TrumpTax# #ภาษีทรัมป์#

Thailand Suspends Gun Purchase Permits After School Shooting Thailand has suspended firearm purchase permits for the general public and ordered a nationwide crackdown on illegal weapons following last week’s deadly school shooting in Nonthaburi. Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul instructed authorities to establish checkpoints, intensify searches and arrests, and investigate illegal gun networks to prevent copycat attacks. Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt was also tasked with drafting a new Firearms Act. Despite repeated crackdowns since the 2020 Korat mall shooting, progress has been limited. Thailand’s estimated firearm-related death rate fell from 3.91 per 100,000 people in 2019 to 3.49 in 2023, but millions of legal and illegal guns remain in circulation and the country has suffered several high-profile mass shootings since then. Speaking at a local security workshop on Thursday, Anutin also ordered district chiefs and police superintendents to work as unified teams and use shared data to address firearms, drugs, organised crime and other local threats. The workshop brought together 564 officials from 25 provinces, covering 209 districts and 355 police stations in the Central and Eastern regions. #Thailand# #GunControl# #กราดยิง# #เทพศิรินทร์# #กราดยิงเทพศิรินทร์# #กราดยิงนนทบุรี#

Thailand Records 32,812 Excise Offences in 10 Months Thai authorities recorded 32,812 cases involving illegal excise goods during the first 10 months of fiscal 2026, imposing 901.82 million baht in fines, the government said on Thursday. Tobacco accounted for 20,160 cases, or more than 61% of the total. Authorities seized 4.86 million packs of tobacco products and estimated penalties in tobacco cases at 4.38 billion baht. Deputy Government Spokesperson Ploytalay Laksameesangchan said authorities were intensifying operations against smuggled and untaxed goods, particularly illegal cigarettes. Estimated penalties across all excise cases totalled 4.51 billion baht. #Thailand# #บุหรี่เถื่อน#

Thailand Cuts Regional Airport Fees by 50% to Attract New Flights Thailand has cut landing and aircraft parking fees by 50% to encourage airlines to launch new domestic and international services at regional airports. The “New Route–New Airline” programme runs from August 10, 2026, to August 9, 2027, Deputy Government Spokesperson Lalida Persvivatana said on Thursday. Airlines opening new routes, including services suspended for at least one year, will receive the discount for 12 months. New or returning airlines at eligible airports will receive it for six months. The government said the measure was intended to increase competition, expand passenger choices and support regional tourism and local economies. Six routes received similar incentives in 2025, including Udon Thani–U-Tapao, Betong–Hat Yai and Surat Thani–Hat Yai. #Thailand# #Airlines#

EC Seeks Red Card, Criminal Charges Against Kla Tham MP The Election Commission has asked the Constitutional Court to revoke Kla Tham MP Kongkiat Ketsombat’s candidacy rights and ordered criminal proceedings against him for contesting a 2025 by-election despite allegedly knowing he was ineligible. Kongkiat won the by-election in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Constituency 8 after declaring that he had no prohibited characteristics. However, the EC found that he had received a final theft conviction in 1999, making him ineligible to contest a House election. The EC said there were reasonable grounds to believe Kongkiat knowingly submitted a false declaration. He could face charges under the MP Election Act and for providing false information to an official. #Thailand# #พรรคกล้าธรรม#

ISOC Official Alleges Phuket Corruption, Says She Was Made Scapegoat An Internal Security Operations Command official has asked a House committee to investigate alleged irregularities in ISOC’s energy conservation projects and what she described as an unfair inquiry that damaged her reputation. Nasiphat Chaiwimonsit submitted two petitions to the House Committee on Legal Affairs, Justice and Human Rights on Thursday. She called for scrutiny of spending on ISOC energy conservation projects from 2014 to 2016, including solar installations allegedly fitted with car batteries unable to properly store solar energy. Nasiphat also claimed she had been made the sole scapegoat for alleged corruption at ISOC’s Phuket office, while no senior commanders had faced consequences. The investigation against her began in 2021 and remains unfinished. Committee chairman Rangsiman Rome said the panel would accept both petitions for consideration and examine the evidence submitted. #Thailand# #กอรมน#

Weak Spending Power Keeps Thai Business Confidence Near 35-Month Low Weak purchasing power, high household debt and rising costs kept the Thai Chamber of Commerce Confidence Index near a 35-month low in July. The index edged up to 41.5 from 41.4 in June, based on a survey of 369 businesses and chamber representatives nationwide. Thailand’s household debt stood at 16.41 trillion baht, or 85.9% of GDP, in the first quarter. Headline inflation rose 1.95% year-on-year in July, while producer prices jumped 7.3%, indicating that businesses faced sharply higher costs but had limited room to raise prices because of weak demand. The government said Thai Chuay Thai Plus generated 111.88 billion baht in transactions by August 12, including 64.35 billion baht in state subsidies and 47.53 billion baht in consumer contributions. However, the co-payment scheme has failed to produce a meaningful improvement in business confidence amid sluggish incomes, subdued provincial economies and weak tourism. The separate Consumer Confidence Index rose to 51.8 from 50.7, marking a second consecutive monthly increase. Its economic outlook component rose to 45.3 from 44.1, employment prospects to 49.8 from 48.7 and future income expectations to 60.5 from 59.3, although all remained below the neutral level of 100. #Thailand# #ดัชนีความเชื่อมั่นหอการค้าไทย#

Household Electricity Rate Cut to 3.86 Baht per Unit Thailand’s average household electricity rate will fall by 9 satang to 3.86 baht per unit for the September-December billing period, excluding VAT, the Energy Regulatory Commission said. The reduction follows a revision of the average base tariff from 3.78 baht to 3.69 baht per unit. Under the new progressive structure, the first 200 units will cost no more than 3 baht each. The rate for units 201–400 will fall to 4.1584 baht, while consumption above 400 units will cost 4.3583 baht per unit. #Thailand# #ค่าไฟ#

Ex-Refinery Diesel Price Cut by ฿2.40 Per Litre Thailand will cut ex-refinery diesel prices by 2.40 baht per litre from August 16 to September 15, using 4.48 billion baht in excess refining margins. The reduction applies to B0, B7 and B20 diesel, the Energy Policy Administration Committee said. Its effect on retail pump prices has yet to be announced. The six refiners recorded an estimated 9.74 billion baht in excess margins in July. After previous and newly approved discounts, about 2.45 billion baht will remain. This is the sixth such measure, bringing the total excess refining margins used to ease living costs to 17.42 billion baht. #Thailand# #ราคาน้ำมัน#

Chaichana Says He Only Pinched Officer’s Ear in Greeting Democrat Party deputy leader Chaichana Dechdecho denied assaulting a senior police officer at a funeral in Nakhon Si Thammarat, saying he had only pinched the officer’s ear as a friendly greeting. Chaichana reported to Thung Yai Police Station on Thursday to acknowledge an assault charge and denied the allegation. He said he and Pol Lt Col Thanongsak Sawatdikomol were close and related, and had embraced at the funeral on August 8. He said his hand may have touched the officer’s face but insisted there had been no slap, argument or fight. Chaichana questioned why Thanongsak waited four days to file a complaint, saying they had since attended the cremation together, posed for photographs, talked and smoked together. He alleged that the controversy was politically motivated and challenged anyone with photographs or video of an assault to submit them to police. Police said three witnesses had been questioned and confirmed that an incident occurred. Investigators appealed for anyone with photographs or video from the funeral to provide the material as evidence. #Thailand# #ชัยชนะเดชเดโช# #ตบบ้องหูตำรวจ# #พรรคประชาธิปัตย์# #สสตบบ้องหูตำรวจ#

Thai Trade Chief Says Military Cooperation Is Outside US Tariff Talks Thailand’s chief US trade negotiator, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun, said military cooperation with Washington was an existing arrangement and had not been included in negotiations over US tariffs. Her comments on Thursday followed the government’s earlier rejection of a Bloomberg report that Thailand could use military ties, including the Cobra Gold exercises, as leverage in the talks. Suphajee said the negotiations focused on achieving a balanced tariff agreement. Thailand had instead highlighted its broader economic contribution to the US, including nearly US$20 billion in existing Thai investment and more than $5 billion in planned investment. Defence Ministry spokesman Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri separately said Cobra Gold 2027 would proceed unchanged in March under the existing six-year plan. Suphajee will lead a Thai delegation to the US in late August to seek lower tariffs on the remaining 28% of Thai goods still subject to duties. About 72% have already received exemptions, particularly agricultural and electronics products. #Thailand# #US# #CobraGold# #TrumpTax# #ภาษีทรัมป์#

Defence Ministry confirms officer involved in mid-air disturbance The Defence Ministry has confirmed that a lieutenant who caused a disturbance on a flight from Malaysia to Bangkok is attached to its Office of Policy and Planning and had been undergoing psychiatric treatment. Ministry spokesman Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri said on Monday that the officer’s symptoms flared up during the flight because of a personal condition. Videos posted online showed the man shouting, demanding that the plane land and attempting to open a door before passengers and crew restrained him. The officer was taken to Phramongkutklao Hospital for observation and further treatment. #Thailand# #Malaysia#

Suvarnabhumi Airport apologizes after Chinese fan incident delays Beijing flight Suvarnabhumi Airport has apologized after a confrontation between security officers and a group of 22 Chinese passengers went viral on social media. The airport said the group, who were following a Chinese celebrity on a Thai Airways flight to Beijing on July 29, repeatedly entered restricted areas, refused security and boarding procedures, and attempted to follow the artist onto the aircraft, prompting the airline to deny them boarding over safety concerns and causing a flight delay. While the airport defended the decision to remove the passengers for violating security rules, it acknowledged that some security officers acted inappropriately during the incident. Disciplinary action has been ordered against those involved, and the airport says it will strengthen staff training and oversight to improve security operations while ensuring passengers are treated professionally. #thailand# #china# #airport# #security# #apology# #ซาแซงจีน#

Breaking News – The Royal Household Bureau announced that Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati passed away peacefully at 19:48 hrs. yesterday at Chulalongkorn Hospital. She was 47 years old. Princess Bajrakitiyabha had been receiving treatment at Chulalongkorn Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, since December 15, 2022. The cremation would take place after 100-days of mourning. #Thailand# #royal# #ข่าวใหญ่# #รพจุฬา#