KHON KAEN — 4 July 2026, The mother of a Khon Kaen monk who died after being struck by a pickup truck allegedly driven by an 11-year-old boy in Mukdahan says her son had found purpose in the monkhood after surviving a serious accident years earlier.

Phra Khamsing Chailert, 41, died while walking with a group of monks on a tudong, a Buddhist pilgrimage. His mother, Panja Chailert, 69, said the death of her youngest son has left the family struggling to cope.

Speaking at her home in Ban Pong Daeng, in Khon Kaen's Phu Wiang district, Panja said Phra Khamsing had been ordained during Buddhist Lent (Khao Phansa) in 2025. Before entering the monkhood, he had survived a serious accident that required medical treatment, but she said his body and some of his abilities had never fully returned to normal.

She said her son later became close to Phra Yongyuth, a monk who had come to stay at the village temple. Phra Yongyuth asked for her permission for Khamsing to be ordained and promised to take care of him.

Panja said she was worried about her son's condition, but Khamsing also wanted to enter the monkhood, so she agreed.

After his ordination, she said, Phra Khamsing often travelled with Phra Yongyuth on tudong trips to different places, and they had always returned safely.

Before the latest trip, Phra Khamsing visited his mother at home and told her he would join another pilgrimage before returning to the village temple for Buddhist Lent.

"I was worried, so I asked him, 'Can't you stay, my son?'" she said. "He answered, 'I won't die.' After that, he didn't say anything more and left with the group for Mukdahan."

Panja said she was shocked when she learned her son had been involved in a crash. She felt weak and overwhelmed, and asked her husband to call Phra Yongyuth, but there was no answer. She later learned that Phra Yongyuth had also been injured in the crash.

A nephew who had travelled with the pilgrimage group later told the family he had tried to hold Phra Khamsing after the crash. He said the monk was covered in blood and gasped three times before falling silent at the scene.

Panja said she believes her son may have died at the site of the crash.

She also said that on the night after the accident, dogs at the temple howled throughout the night. Panja said she believes her son may have returned to the temple rather than to his parents' home, after she had already wished for him to go peacefully to a better place.

The Department of Local Administration under the Ministry of Interior has released a fact-finding investigation report into irregularities in the 2568 local government civil service competitive examination. Following complaints and a search warrant executed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission and Central Investigation Bureau at a residence in Bang Len subdistrict, Nonthaburi province, authorities discovered the house was being used to alter answer sheets and adjust scores for exam-takers who paid bribes ranging from 350,000 to 800,000 baht. The search uncovered approximately 3,000 copies of answer papers.

The Department appointed a fact-finding committee via order 674/2569 on June 23, 2569, to investigate the entire examination process. The preliminary investigation findings revealed: (1) The examination process follows established procedures initiated by the National Council for Peace and Order Order 8/2560, with the Central Civil Service Examination Committee tasked with conducting the exams; (2) The 2568 examination scope of work includes stronger safeguards against corruption compared to 2566, promoting transparency and fairness; (3) The pass-list processing revealed that private company employees, implicated in the answer sheet forgery scandal, accessed and modified the database file 115 times, with civil servants from the Department of Local Administration receiving flash drives from the contractor.

Over 150 representatives from government agencies, private sector, international organizations, academia, and civil society gathered at the Pullman King Power Bangkok hotel for the MA-RE-DESIGN project closing ceremony. The event focused on reduction, sustainable design, and plastic packaging recycling to prevent marine litter under the theme "Creating the Plastic Future: Scaling Circular Economy with Collaborative Action." This marked both a celebration of accomplishments and a platform for partners to continue the mission ahead.

Thailand generates over 25 million tons of municipal waste annually, with approximately 12 percent being plastic waste, according to the Pollution Control Department (2020). This contributes to plastic leakage into the ocean. Thailand faces two key challenges: managing existing waste streams while building systems to prevent leakage from the source. Globally, UNEP estimates 11 million tons of plastic flow into the ocean yearly, a figure that could nearly triple by 2030 without effective intervention.

The MA-RE-DESIGN project began in 2023 and is implemented by Germany's International Cooperation Organization (GIZ), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and UNEP's Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA), working closely with Thailand's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. The Pollution Control Department serves as the primary implementing partner, with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources as the main partner.

The project operates on three levels—local, national, and regional—to create replicable and scalable examples for plastic management following circular economy principles. Funded by Germany's Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUKN), the project applies circular economy principles throughout the plastic product lifecycle, from design through collection, sorting, and recycling. The closing ceremony was led by Alexander Simon Rendell, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador for Environmental Affairs, and Dr. Panjporn Wetchayan from GIZ Thailand, with distinguished guests reflecting the shared commitment of all sectors cultivated over the project's duration.

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vosinha shared a touching moment about receiving praise from Lionel Messi, Argentina's captain, and called the opposing player the best in the world. Vosinha played in Cape Verde's 2-3 loss to defending champion Argentina in the 2026 World Cup qualifying round of 32 on July 3rd. After the match, Vosinha described his encounter with the superstar: "I approached him after the game ended. Before I could say much, he hugged me right away and said, 'You played really well. You're a truly excellent goalkeeper. Your family must be very proud of you.' Hearing that from someone like Leo meant a lot to me." He continued, "I thanked him and replied, 'Thank you Leo, you're the best.' Then I asked for his jersey. He smiled and said, 'Of course, I'll give it to you at the tunnel to the locker room.' This moment is something I'll remember for the rest of my life."

Young artist and actor Bikin Putipong Assakratanakul has been sharing more of his humorous and playful side with fans lately, leading audiences—especially older female fans—to joke that he looks good even when being silly. However, Bikin sees this as revealing another dimension of his personality that people don't typically witness.

Bikin recently attended the Central Nortville shopping mall opening celebration and discussed the Mini Reception clip he created for fans whose Korean concert tickets had to be cancelled. He also clarified remarks made by fellow artist PP Krit, who joked that Bikin said he wasn't jealous and didn't attend concerts. Bikin shared updates about his upcoming acting projects, music work, and other surprises planned for the year.

When asked about the singing clip that went viral as a meme, Bikin explained: "It was a Mini Live session intended to give fans who purchased tickets for the cancelled Korean show something special. I wanted to make it warm and intimate, but worried it might feel awkward, so I tried to find a special song to perform."

Asked why he chose that particular song, he said: "Because I was afraid it wouldn't be special enough. This one definitely is. It's not easy to sing because it requires a lot of inner emotion and courage."

Regarding fan comments wanting to see him cool and handsome rather than funny, Bikin responded: "Oh, that's sometimes the case. People have many dimensions—serious moments, cool moments, sad moments, funny moments. I want people to see that diversity. I'm at an age where I just want to do what I enjoy. Whether it's work or other things, if I'm into it, I want to try it."

When asked if fans should expect more funny content, Bikin cautioned: "Don't set expectations like that. If it's not funny, I'll be blamed. Let me just be myself. Whatever interests me, I want to try. It's entertaining and doing something different."

On whether he prefers the cool or funny angle, he said: "I can do anything. It depends on the context and feel. Lifestyle content like this shows dimensions people don't usually see during professional work. It's opening another angle that seems more fun."

Regarding how much he plans before posting content, Bikin revealed: "I barely plan at all. My online team selects interesting clips, and I choose which ones I want to do. There's no advance planning."

On how this content helps his future career, he explained: "I think it shows people more dimensions of who I am. In this social media era, seeing both serious and fun angles adds depth to my image. My goal is to be myself. If I enjoy and have fun doing something, it presents the real me best."

When asked about PP Krit's comment that he said he wasn't jealous and didn't attend concerts, Bikin clarified: "I may have used the wrong word last time. 'Not jealous' means we're not in a relationship where I'd need to be. He can do what he wants—that's his right. Why would I be jealous? Everyone has their own identity, preferences, needs, and life decisions. We shouldn't interfere too much with each other's lives. If he's happy with what he does, I think that's wonderful."

Asked if he's seen PP's work, Bikin said: "I've seen some. He's talented and keeps developing himself. I'm proud to see him moving forward on the path he wants. He's great."

Regarding his own acting projects this year, Bikin said: "Just wait and see. I've discussed several projects, but some didn't work out due to scheduling or other factors. Once a project is finalized, I'll announce it immediately."

As for music projects, he teased that updates would come soon.