The Promotion of Arts and Crafts as a Profession Foundation, under royal patronage, is organizing a Khon performance of Ramakien: The Sida Episode, scheduled to run from November 5 to December 10, 2026, at the Thailand Cultural Centre's Grand Hall.

The foundation has announced auditions for talented youth aged 15-25 from across Thailand who are currently studying or have graduated from educational institutions nationwide. The selection process began on May 5, 2026, and closed on June 12, 2026, attracting record-breaking interest with 1,135 applicants—more than any previous year.

Auditions for male characters (gods, demons, and monkeys) will be held Saturday, July 4, 2026, while auditions for female characters will take place Sunday, July 5, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Faculty of Fine Arts Building, fourth floor, Graduate Institute of Dramatic Art in Salaya, Nakhon Pathom.

Candidates must be between 15 and 25 years old, possess strong skills in Thai classical dance for Khon performance, demonstrate good personality and attitude toward the art form, and commit to training and related activities as required by the foundation. Eligible applicants must be currently enrolled in or have graduated from secondary school, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral programs.

Selected performers will receive training from expert artists and instructors across various disciplines to develop mastery and perform gracefully on stage. This production honors the late Queen Sirikit's commitment to reviving Khon, a treasured Thai cultural art form at risk of decline. Since 2007, the foundation has continuously staged various Ramakien episodes, including most recently the Satyapalii Episode in 2025, which gained tremendous popularity and inspired Thai people of all ages to appreciate and preserve national arts and culture in line with the late King's vision.

The foundation encourages young dancers nationwide who are passionate about Thai classical dance performance to participate and become outstanding Khon performers.

Police in Nong Sua District quickly arrested two teenagers suspected of opening fire on rival schoolmates after a dispute-resolution meeting turned violent. On July 2, 2025, Colonel Watcharavichaya Nithiwarratchaya, commander of Nong Sua Police Station, along with deputy commanders and investigation officers, arrested 17-year-old Methapatthana and 15-year-old Somathi. Officers seized two homemade firearms, one shotgun, and 14 rounds of 12-gauge ammunition from the suspects.

The investigation began after Nong Sua Hospital reported three male students receiving treatment for gunshot wounds. Officers discovered three injured students: 17-year-old Rapiphat with serious facial injuries, 17-year-old Ratchananon with body injuries, and 17-year-old Jetsada with injuries to his body. All three were shot by schoolmates using homemade shotguns.

During questioning, the injured students explained that the incident occurred on Thasaban 16 Soi, Moo 6, Bung Ba Subdistrict, Nong Sua District, Pathumthani Province. Both groups had arranged to meet to settle previous grievances, but the gathering turned into a confrontation. The alleged shooters then fired at the victims, who were transported to Nong Sua Hospital, while the suspects initially fled before being apprehended by police.

During interrogation, both suspects admitted to keeping the weapons at home and cooperated with officers in a search that recovered the homemade firearms and shotgun ammunition. They face charges of attempted murder and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. The suspects were transferred to Nong Sua Police Station for further legal proceedings.

Spain's goalkeeper Unai Simon has set a new record for consecutive minutes without conceding a goal in World Cup knockout matches after keeping a clean sheet in Spain's 3-0 rout of Austria on July 2.

The previous record was held by Italian goalkeeping legend Walter Zenga, who went 517 consecutive minutes without allowing a goal during the 1990 World Cup. In that tournament, Zenga was unbeaten throughout the group stage (beating Austria 1-0, the United States 1-0, and Czechoslovakia 2-0), followed by the round of 16 (defeating Uruguay 2-0) and the semifinal (defeating Ireland 1-0). In the final, Zenga's streak continued until the 67th minute when Claudio Caniggia equalized for Argentina 1-1, before Argentina won on penalties 4-3.

Simon's record traces back to Spain's final group match at the 2022 World Cup, when Spain lost to Japan 1-2, with Ao Tanaka scoring the goal on Spain in the 51st minute. In the round of 16, Spain drew with Morocco 0-0 after 120 minutes before losing on penalties 0-3.

In the current World Cup, Spain has won two matches and drawn one without conceding (0-0 draw with Cape Verde, 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, 1-0 win over Uruguay), followed by the round of 32 match against Austria mentioned above.

So far, Simon has now kept a consecutive clean sheet for at least 519 minutes in World Cup play. If he continues his streak, the goalkeeper could extend this record further in the round of 16 match.

A frustrated Thai woman reported an Indian man to police after he conned her into supporting him for three years following their meeting on a dating app. On July 2, 2025, officers from Nonthaburi Immigration arrested Mr. Gurvinder Singh, 28, an Indian national, at a condominium in Wat Chalo subdistrict, Bang Kruai district, Nonthaburi province. He was charged with illegally remaining in Thailand as his visa expired on March 19, 2022, resulting in an overstay of 1,201 days.

The victim, Ms. Daow (pseudonym), 34, a government employee, reported that she met the suspect about three years ago through a dating application. At the time, he claimed to be a student in Singapore working part-time while coming from a wealthy, high-status Indian family who had sent him to study in Canada, Russia, and Cyprus. Convinced by his apparent wealth and international background, she agreed to a relationship. After several months of online communication, he persuaded her to let him move to Thailand to live with her and work together.

Upon arriving in Thailand, the suspect refused to find employment or help with household chores. Over the three-year period, he never worked or contributed financially, remaining at home while the victim bore all living expenses. His behavior also became increasingly temperamental and unpleasant. The victim eventually decided to seek police help after realizing she had been exploited.

When questioned, Ms. Daow acknowledged her mistake in using the dating app, noting that while others had found success, her experience turned into a burden. She has since deleted the app and warned others to thoroughly screen and verify people before trusting them.

Gurvinder Singh admitted he came to Thailand to avoid returning to India after completing his studies in Singapore. He used the dating app to find someone, met Ms. Daow, and moved in with her without extending his visa, allowing his stay to become illegal over time.

At 8:30 p.m. on July 2, 2569, investigators from Mueang Kamphaeng Phet police station received reports of a pickup truck that had overturned on the roadside with multiple fatalities and injuries. Officers arrived at the scene on Highway 1116 near Ban Pang Khun in Na Bo Kham subdistrict, Mueang district, Kamphaeng Phet province, where they found a black Toyota Revo four-door vehicle with license plate Kor Jor 37 (Amphoe Charoen) completely overturned.

The truck was illegally transporting 10 migrant workers. Two male workers were killed, two sustained serious injuries, and six suffered minor injuries. The driver fled the scene. Emergency responders from Na Bo Kham subadministrative organization and rescue volunteers provided assistance to the injured and transported the deceased to Kamphaeng Phet Hospital for identification and legal proceedings.

Investigators determined the accident resulted from heavy rainfall that made the road slippery, and the unfamiliar driver lost control of the vehicle. The two fatal victims were thrown from the truck bed and struck by the vehicle. Police will interrogate all remaining migrant workers to identify the human traffickers and pursue legal action. This stretch of highway is frequently used by smugglers transporting illegal workers into Thailand, and authorities have made numerous arrests in the past.

Emergency responders in Udon Thani province received a call at 1 p.m. on July 2, 2025, about an unconscious man in a residential home in Mak Khaeng subdistrict. Upon arrival, rescue workers and hospital staff found 38-year-old Tosapol (nickname O) dead in his bedroom, lying on his back wearing only boxer shorts. An alcohol bottle and blood-stained pillow were found at the head of the bed. Initial assessment suggested he had been dead for at least two hours.

A detailed autopsy at Udon Thani Hospital revealed the man had been shot in the right temple, with the bullet exiting through the back of his head. This contradicted the initial report of a patient collapse, prompting police to conduct thorough questioning and evidence collection. Investigators discovered the weapon was a .38mm handgun belonging to the victim's father, a retired police officer. The gun was not in the deceased's hand when police arrived but had been placed on a shelf near the bedroom entrance and covered with cloth.

Niran (an alias), the 23-year-old younger brother who entered the room with their mother, explained that when he opened the door, he found O lying in bed with the gun on his chest, still in hand. Thinking O was asleep and fearing the gun might discharge if O woke suddenly, he removed it and placed it on the shelf with cloth covering. When he later tried to wake O and turned on the light, he saw blood and realized his brother was dead, immediately alerting authorities.

A friend named Pao, 38, disclosed that the day before the incident, the deceased had said he wanted to die. Pao attempted to console him and planned to take him to see a doctor. Another friend, Jingchoo, 25, revealed that two to three weeks prior, the victim had admitted over the phone that he wanted to die but gave no reason. She had encouraged him to seek medical help. Friends described him as generally kind and helpful, though he had withdrawn socially over the past year.