The Pattaya Songthaew Cooperative has taken action against a driver accused of overcharging two Thai tourists 300 baht for a ride from Runway Market Pattaya to Terminal 21, despite the vehicle being full of passengers. The incident occurred on July 5 at 11 p.m. and was shared on Facebook by the affected passengers, who were shocked by the excessive fare and felt taken advantage of despite visiting Pattaya frequently and normally encountering friendly people.

Thongchai Sukhkhojoy, chairman of the Pattaya Songthaew Cooperative, stated that upon learning of the incident through social media platforms, the cooperative promptly contacted the affected Thai passengers to discuss the matter directly. He assured them that the cooperative would enforce its regulations and transport rules strictly and not let wrongdoing slide. "Wrongdoing must be punished," he said. "We've called in the driver for questioning and imposed an initial penalty: a seven-day suspension with the vehicle parked at the cooperative office and a warning notice posted. We're also reviewing his disciplinary record to see if he has violated regulations before, and we will refer the case to the Chonburi Provincial Transport Office for further action."

The driver apologized to the public and the two passengers, citing rainy weather on the day of the incident. He expressed remorse for his actions and stated he is prepared to accept the punishment from both the cooperative and transport authorities to make amends.

At the Khon Kaen International Convention and Exhibition Centre on July 6, Democratic Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva spoke to media about the 'Thai Help Thai Plus' program. Abhisit said the party supports relief assistance for people facing hardship, but argued that if the government had adopted the Democratic Party's proposed oil price model, the situation would have stabilized by February without requiring emergency relief and a fraction of the current spending.

By choosing this approach, he argued, many people who don't genuinely need assistance are receiving aid, ultimately forcing the government to collect money from taxpayers. He questioned why taxpayers should subsidize the Prime Minister and Finance Minister's meals while the government creates debt for citizens—even though people still need help.

Abhisit emphasized that the program's 170 billion baht budget will be exhausted within four months, noting that the program is now in its second and third months while prices continue rising. He asked whether prices will drop after the program ends and what the government will do then. He concluded that if aid were limited strictly to those truly in hardship, assistance could be extended far longer.

Young singer Puay from L.กฮ. has earned the 'Darling of Lukthung Network 2026' award, his first major prize after spending over a decade in the music industry. He credited all his fans for the honor, expressing his gratitude for their continued support and encouragement.

Lukthung Network organized a grand celebration with the 'Network on Tour' concert at Ocean Chumphon mall on Sunday, July 5, 2026, bringing together artists and DJs from across the region. Featured performers included Puay of L.กฮ., Off Dokfa, Biw Phongphipat, Biw Wallabee, Noi Suwina, Anass Sunlakaya, and Menthol. The free concert drew enthusiastic crowds from Chumphon and neighboring southern provinces.

Puay expressed his joy at receiving the award, stating: "After more than ten years in the industry, this is my first award from Lukthung Network, and I'm very proud. I dedicate this to all my L.กฮ. fans. Thank you for believing in me and standing by my side. Thank you to Lukthung Network, the team, and all the DJs who organized this event."

The award was determined through a nationwide voting system where listeners accumulated points by listening to songs through the Lukthung Network app during a 'point-burning' campaign. Voting took place from June 20-30, 2026, with listeners using accumulated points from throughout the year—the more they listened, the more points they earned. This year saw a historic record of over 300 million listening points accumulated through the app, with SMS voting also available as an additional channel.

The Department of Climate Change and Environment is advancing community-based eco-friendly products by integrating green innovation and storytelling to transform local resources into a low-carbon community economy.

On July 6, Dr. Pirun Saiyasit Paanich, director of the Department of Climate Change and Environment, presided over the opening of the "Green Fair: Community Environmental Products" event, aimed at strengthening the capacity of grassroots networks to add value to community products while adapting to and reducing the impact of climate change.

Dr. Pirun stated that amid the global climate crisis, the department prioritizes building competencies across all sectors, particularly at the grassroots level. Current efforts must go beyond promoting adaptation to new global conditions; they must focus on sustainably leveraging natural resource bases through green innovation and product storytelling to increase economic value for communities.

"We must elevate grassroots network operations from their traditional focus on conservation and protection toward sustainable resource utilization," Dr. Pirun said. "We need to shift strategy with all sectors from a quantity-focused to a quality and income-focused approach (value over volume), such as linking products and services to sustainable tourism. This not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also creates stable income for communities through collaborative mechanisms designed with all stakeholders."

Dr. Pirun also outlined four key dimensions for developing community products toward a low-carbon society aligned with the BCG economic model: elevating standards to international levels through science and technology to ensure product safety and quality; modern design and packaging that appeals to contemporary consumers; using innovation to create added value by blending local wisdom with modern technology like AI design and storytelling; and distributing income and expanding sales channels through online platforms and community tourism routes.

The event brought together over 150 participants, including volunteer environmental networks from 50 districts in Bangkok, low-carbon learning centers, and low-carbon community networks, along with relevant government and private agencies.

The event featured products from volunteer networks across 77 provinces compiled into a catalog, with 15 exhibition booths showcasing outstanding work. Panel discussions covered promoting environmentally-friendly products and services toward a low-carbon society and developing sustainable products to strengthen low-carbon BCG communities, featuring experts from various sectors. The program also included workshops on content creation, packaging design, and digital marketing.

On July 6, 2025, Surapong Inthatawon, Secretary-General of the NACC, announced that the commission had found criminal liability against Samruddhi Liang Prasit, Satun PAO chairman, for improperly managing a 29.8-million-baht tourist service center construction contract in Kuan Don district signed in September 2016. The project was supposed to be completed in December 2017 over 450 days with 11 work phases.

After signing, the contractor failed to begin work, prompting the PAO to issue four urgent notices before the contract deadline. By January 2018, only 25.79% of work was completed. Despite staff recommendations to terminate the contract and penalties exceeding 213% totaling 58.1 million baht, Samruddhi repeatedly approved contract extensions and allowed the contractor to submit revised work plans. The contractor continued to miss deadlines for over six years until finally submitting completed work on January 23, 2023.

Investigations revealed that Somkiat Liang Prasit, the managing partner of the contracting company, is Samruddhi's younger brother, suggesting potential nepotism. The NACC found Samruddhi violated criminal law under Articles 151 and 157 of the Criminal Code, Article 172 of the Anti-Corruption Act B.E. 2561, and Article 77 of the Provincial Administrative Organization Act B.E. 2540. The contractor company and Somkiat are considered accessories to Samruddhi's actions. The NACC has referred the case to the Supreme Prosecutor's Office for criminal prosecution and to relevant authorities for disciplinary action.

A crisis has unfolded at Wat Thepprast Sarakamphaeng Noi in Utumpornpisai district, Si Saket province, where the iconic pond fronting the ancient Khmer temple has severely dried up. The water level has dropped dramatically, exposing cracked earth and thick mud in many areas. Dense aquatic weeds now blanket the pond, while the remaining water appears stagnant and dark green, emanating a strong putrid smell. Dead fish of various sizes float scattered throughout the pond and cling to vegetation, creating a distressing sight for visitors.

The temple, which houses Sarakamphaeng Noi Prasart—an important Khmer-era structure built around the 18th Buddhist century during King Jayavarman VII's reign—was historically used as a public hospital. Today it functions as a historical learning center, cultural tourism destination, and religious site where locals and visitors from across Thailand come to make merit, pray, and feed the fish. Feeding the fish has long been a signature attraction, with large schools of fish swarming the surface whenever visitors scattered food.

Visitors arriving expecting this cherished experience left deeply disappointed. Ms. Nuchrin, 40, who brought her three-year-old daughter to make merit and feed the fish, expressed heartbreak at the transformation. "I've visited many times because I loved the peaceful atmosphere and the variety of fish," she said. "Every time we scattered food, fish would rush to the surface creating a beautiful sight. But today we were shocked to find the water almost gone, dead fish everywhere, and a terrible smell. I worry this will damage the temple's reputation and the spiritual experience of those who come to make merit here."

Venerable Sanya, a monk at the temple, revealed that the pond has never experienced such severe water depletion in living memory. The dramatic decline has devastated the aquatic life that local residents and Buddhists have released as merit-making offerings over many years. Local administrative organizations and residents have begun coordinating efforts to address the crisis.