PHETCHABURI — Archaeologists are preparing to lift a soil block weighing more than one tonne to safely remove the skulls of four ancient human skeletons, estimated to be 1,500–2,000 years old, from the Don Yai Thong archaeological site in Phetchaburi province.
The operation is being carried out by archaeologists from the Fine Arts Office 1 in Ratchaburi, working with conservation scientists from the Office of National Museums under the Fine Arts Department.
Reporters visited the excavation site at Ban Don Phlap, Moo 6, Samo Phlue subdistrict, Ban Lat district, on 15 July 2026, where excavations have continued since early July.
The site has already yielded four bronze drums, animal jawbones believed to belong to cattle or buffalo, and ancient human skeletons. On 2 July 2026, archaeologists also uncovered two gold rings. One bears a Brahmi inscription reading “Pusarakhitasa,” meaning “one protected by the auspicious Pushya star.”
According to Dr Uthen Wongsathit of Silpakorn University’s Faculty of Archaeology, a specialist in ancient languages, the inscription is believed to date from the 5th–7th Buddhist centuries, or approximately 1,900–2,100 years ago.
The latest phase of the excavation focuses on Skeletons 1–4, whose skulls remain in the ground beneath ancient bronze ornaments covering the cranium. Other skeletal parts, including the torso, arms and legs, were removed earlier.
To prevent the fragile remains from breaking apart, the team is excavating around the skulls to create a rectangular soil block about 40–50 centimetres deep. Polyurethane (PU) foam is being applied on all four sides to stabilise the soil.
Workers are also digging beneath the block to insert a precast concrete slab, which will support the base before additional PU foam is injected underneath. Once reinforced, the entire soil block, together with the concrete base, will be lifted intact.
Archaeologists estimate the combined weight of the soil block and supporting slab at just over one tonne.
The work has proven particularly challenging because the first group of skeletons lies close to another burial containing Skeletons 5–8. Muddy ground conditions and groundwater continually seeping into the excavation pit have further complicated the delicate operation.
TOKYO, Japan — 15 July 2026, Thai youth representatives won a total of 32 awards at the World Mathematics Invitational (WMI) 2026, an international mathematics competition held on 13 July at the Chiba Prefecture Cultural Hall in Japan.
More than 1,300 students from 25 countries took part in this year’s competition. Thailand fielded a team of 27 students, who returned home with nine gold medals, five silver medals, 10 bronze medals, one merit award and several special prizes.
Phumithep Klungurai, president and who holds the position of Vice president of the WMI committee, said the performance of the Thai representatives this year reflected the potential of Thai students on the international stage.
Among the standout performers was Piyaphat Wanotthayan, a Grade 4 student from Anuban Sisaket School, who achieved the second-highest score worldwide in his grade. He also received The STAR of WORLD, recognising the highest-scoring contestant from Thailand, as well as the Legend Award (2024–2026) and the Diamond Award.
Another Thai student, Phat Suwanwisan of Chulalongkorn University Demonstration Elementary School, placed third worldwide in the Grade 5 category and also received a Diamond Award.
Thailand also secured two Legend Awards, presented to contestants who have won either a gold medal or a Diamond Award for three consecutive years at the WMI. The recipients were Thitaree Thamwijitrakul of Anuban Sisaket School and Theerawat Chantarotai of Knightsbridge House International School Nonthaburi, both of whom also won gold medals.
The Diamond Award is presented to contestants who finish among the top 3% of participants in their respective grade levels.
The World Mathematics Invitational (WMI) is an annual international mathematics competition that brings together students from Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania to showcase their analytical thinking and mathematical problem-solving abilities.
A Thai restaurant in southwest London has attracted renewed attention after British actor Tom Holland named it as his family’s favourite local restaurant during an interview released on 14 July by NYT Cooking.
Speaking in “Matt Damon and Tom Holland: The Pizza Interview,” Holland recommended The Cocoanut, a Thai restaurant in Kingston upon Thames, saying it is the place his family regularly visits when dining out in their hometown.
The Cocoanut has been serving authentic Thai cuisine in Kingston upon Thames since 2010. The third-generation family-run business combines traditional Thai dishes with the atmosphere of a classic British pub, with the owners saying they aim to offer authentic Thai flavours in a relaxed setting. The venue is also dog-friendly.
The Holland family’s connection to the restaurant has been highlighted before. In 2024, Tom’s brother, Sam Holland, visited the restaurant’s kitchen to watch chefs prepare pad Thai and shared the experience on social media, reflecting the family’s fondness for Thai food.
Holland also recommended The Cocoanut to The Infatuation London editor Jake Missing in 2024, describing it as one of his favourite London pubs.
The Thai Meteorological Department has forecast lighter rain across Thailand from 16-19 July 2026, before showers and heavy rain return on 20-21 July, raising concerns over flash floods, runoff and overflowing rivers. The agency said the North and the western part of the Central region are the areas that need the closest watch.
From 16-19 July, rainfall will ease nationwide, although some areas in the North and upper Northeast will still see heavy rain as a low-pressure area lingers over upper Vietnam. The southwest monsoon covering the Andaman Sea, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand will weaken during this period.
From 20-21 July, rain is expected to increase again, with heavy showers in some areas, especially in the North and the western part of the Central region, as a low-pressure cell moves over Laos and upper Vietnam and the southwest monsoon strengthens. The department warned that accumulated rainfall could trigger flash floods, forest runoff and overflowing waterways, especially in foothill areas near channels and low-lying land.
Wave conditions in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand are expected to remain moderate, with upper Andaman waves around 2 metres and more than 2 metres in thundershowers. Lower Andaman waters and the upper Gulf are forecast at 1-2 metres, rising above 2 metres in stormy areas.
In the North, thunderstorms are likely over 30-40% of the area from 15-19 July, rising to 40-60% on 20-21 July, with isolated heavy rain. Temperatures will range from 23-27C to 29-35C, with southwest winds of 10-20 km/h.
In Bangkok and surrounding provinces, thunderstorms are expected over 30-40% of the area on 16-17 July and again on 21 July, with rain easing to 20-30% on 18-20 July. Temperatures will range from 26-28C to 32-36C.
CHIANG MAI — 14 July 2026, A karaoke bar in Chiang Mai has agreed to fully refund nearly 150,000 baht (4470.94 USD) to two British tourists following a dispute over a bill that the visitors claimed was excessive, while the business maintained the charges reflected the actual services provided and that they had been billed according to the establishment’s standard rates.
The dispute came after the British tourists, accompanied by a lawyer, filed a complaint alleging they had been charged almost 150,000 baht during a visit to a karaoke venue in the city.
The Thai wife of one of the tourists, along with their lawyer, met with investigators at Chiang Mai City Police Station as scheduled. Police summoned representatives of both the tourists and the karaoke bar for further questioning on the night of 13 July and encouraged them to negotiate a mutual resolution.
The case stems from an incident on 28 June, when the British man, who lives with his wife in Hang Dong district, and a British friend went for food and drinks in the Nimmanhemin area before travelling to a karaoke venue inside Chiang Mai’s old city.
According to the tourist’s wife, the two men were heavily intoxicated. After initially paying less than 1,000 baht for their first visit, they attempted to leave but were allegedly persuaded by staff to remain. She said her husband eventually threatened to call the police before they were allowed to leave.
She said the pair later took a tuk-tuk to drop the man’s friend at his hotel before asking the driver to take her husband home to Hang Dong district. Instead, she alleged the driver returned him to the same karaoke bar while he was too intoxicated to make decisions for himself.
The following day, the couple discovered charges exceeding 120,000 baht on the husband’s credit card and a further 26,000 baht on his wife’s card, bringing the total to nearly 150,000 baht. They subsequently filed a police complaint requesting an investigation.
The victim said that after coordinating with financial institutions, they found their bank records showed multiple transactions completed within a short period, including payments allegedly transferred to an individual’s PromptPay account rather than an account registered to the business, raising concerns about the transactions.
During the investigation, the karaoke bar explained that the customers had indeed used its services and requested numerous female hostesses to join their table. The business said hostess charges were billed at 700 baht per person per hour over approximately four to five hours before the final bill was calculated the following morning.
The tourists disputed the amount, arguing the charges were disproportionately high. They also pointed to the suspicious nature of multiple transactions of varying amounts being processed, questioning why several payments had been made instead of a single transaction, and claimed one credit card had been charged well beyond its 50,000-baht spending limit. They further questioned how the wife’s credit card, which the husband had been carrying, had also been used.
The complainants also asked police to investigate the role of the tuk-tuk driver after mobile phone location data allegedly showed the vehicle circling several locations before returning to the same karaoke venue. They asked investigators to determine whether anyone else had been involved.
Police said they are continuing to gather evidence, including statements from both parties, financial records and other relevant information as part of their legal assessment of the case. At the time, negotiations between the two parties had yet to reach a resolution.
However, the karaoke bar has since refunded the tourists the full amount, saying it could no longer withstand the backlash on social media.
Nevertheless, the case has also prompted public calls for relevant authorities—including police and local administrative officials—to examine whether the venue was operating with the required licences. Some social media users argued that similar businesses have previously damaged Chiang Mai’s tourism reputation through alleged overcharging and unauthorised operations.
CHUMPHON — 15 July 2026, Thailand’s Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) has arrested the manager of a Muay Thai camp in Rayong province on allegations of child trafficking and sexual exploitation, while authorities are expanding their investigation to locate a Norwegian benefactor accused of abusing children at the camp.
Police said the 28-year-old suspect, identified only as “Check,” was arrested under a Criminal Court warrant issued on 7 July on charges related to human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation involving minors aged between 15 and 18, as well as operating or managing a prostitution-related business.
The operation was led by the ATPD with support from a multidisciplinary child victim rescue team and officials from the Rayong and Chonburi Provincial Offices of Social Development and Human Security (SDHS).
Investigators from ATPD Sub-Division 2 said they received intelligence alleging that minors at a Muay Thai camp in Rayong were being exploited for commercial sexual purposes.
According to police, authorities launched a sting operation, posing undercover officers as prospective students at the camp to gather evidence. They found around 30 male and female boxers, ranging in age from under 18 to 35, including both Thai and foreign nationals.
Police allege the suspect told an undercover officer that he could arrange minors for sexual services, claiming some of the children came from troubled family backgrounds and were seeking money. He allegedly shared photographs of the minors and discussed prices before officers arranged a controlled operation.
Authorities said the suspect agreed to arrange three boys, aged 16, 15 and 13, for 3,000 baht each, with 2,000 baht allegedly going to each child and 1,000 baht retained by the suspect.
Subsequently, officers were deployed, dividing into two teams to carry out raids at separate locations. The first team conducted an undercover sting, arresting Check and rescuing three underage victims.
Officers arrested the suspect after he brought the minors to a resort in Chonburi province. Police said he later confessed during questioning. He was subsequently taken into custody and handed over to investigators from ATPD Sub-Division 2 for further legal proceedings.
In a second operation, investigators searched the boxing camp and interviewed children living there to determine whether they had been victims of trafficking or abuse.
Police said they found 15 boys aged between 11 and 19 at the camp without their parents present.
During interviews with a multidisciplinary child protection team, several children alleged that a Norwegian national, identified only by the alias “Mr. Kim”, had financially supported the camp and was regularly brought into contact with boys staying there.
According to investigators, several children alleged they had been sexually abused by the man in private rooms at the camp and that some incidents were photographed or recorded. They also alleged they received payments ranging from 500 to 5,000 baht, as well as gifts such as mobile phones, school uniforms and financial assistance for their families.
Some children reportedly told investigators that camp operators and family members were aware of the alleged abuse but did not report it because of the financial support provided by the foreign national.
Following interviews, the multidisciplinary team concluded there was sufficient evidence to identify six children as alleged victims of sexual abuse.
Authorities are working to locate the Norwegian suspect and expand the investigation.
Exterior view of the High Court in Singapore Wednesday 22 November 1995. (AP Photo/Ah Soon)
SINGAPORE — 15 July 2026, Singapore’s High Court has ordered Bloomberg and one of its reporters to pay S$460,000, or about 11.6 million baht, in damages to two government ministers who sued over an article about their luxury property transactions.
Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam and Manpower Minister Tan See Leng filed the defamation lawsuit against Bloomberg and reporter Low De Wei over an article published in December 2024.
Bloomberg maintained that the report did not accuse either minister of wrongdoing and said their transactions were included as newsworthy examples of a broader trend in Singapore’s luxury property market.
However, High Court judge Audrey Lim found that an ordinary reader would understand the article as implying that the ministers had used existing regulations to conduct their property transactions in a non-transparent manner and avoid scrutiny, including possible scrutiny related to money laundering.
The judge said those implications were serious and directly harmed the ministers’ integrity, character and professional reputations.
The disputed article, titled “Singapore Mansion Deals Are Increasingly Shrouded in Secrecy,” examined methods used by some wealthy buyers to obscure their ownership of Good Class Bungalows, a tightly regulated category of luxury homes in Singapore.
It discussed the use of trusts, companies and transactions that were not publicly recorded through property caveats, making it more difficult to identify the parties involved.
The article reported that Shanmugam had sold a Good Class Bungalow for S$88 million, or about 2.2 billion baht, to an unnamed buyer through a trust.
It also reported that Tan had purchased a bungalow for approximately S$27 million, or about 688 million baht, through a non-caveated transaction. He was listed alongside several other public figures who had purchased luxury properties through similar arrangements.
During the trial in April, the ministers argued that their inclusion in the article unfairly associated their property dealings with wider concerns raised in the report about secrecy, a lack of transparency and money laundering.
Bloomberg and Low argued that the article did not suggest the ministers had acted improperly and accused the claimants of applying the most defamatory possible interpretation to the report.
They also said the article had undergone extensive research and verification and that the reporter had repeatedly sought comments from the ministers before publication.
Bloomberg News editor-in-chief John Micklethwait said the organisation was “very disappointed” by the ruling but would respect the court’s decision.
“We argued at trial that our reporting was accurate and served an important public interest,”
he said, adding that Bloomberg continued to believe the ministers had imposed an “extremely strained meaning” on the article.
The court also ordered the article to be removed from Bloomberg’s website following the ruling on Tuesday.
Singaporean authorities had previously ordered Bloomberg to attach a correction notice to the report under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, commonly known as POFMA.
The law, introduced in 2019, allows the government to require correction notices on online material it considers false. Critics have argued that it can be used against reporting and commentary critical of the government.
Bloomberg complied with the order but added that it was publishing the government’s notice under threat of sanction and continued to stand by its reporting.
Correction notices were also issued to other outlets that shared the Bloomberg article or published commentary about it.
Singapore’s political leaders have repeatedly brought successful defamation cases against local critics and foreign media organisations, arguing that legal action is necessary to defend their reputations. Critics, however, say such lawsuits and correction orders can discourage scrutiny of public officials.
CHUMPHON — 15 July 2026, the search for “Si Som”, a disabled cat that went missing during a train journey, entered its sixteenth day on 15 July as volunteers deployed thermal drones, infrared cameras, K-9 search dogs and other specialised equipment around Chumphon railway station in an effort to bring the cat home.
According to an update from the rescue page บ้านหลังสุดท้ายของน้องจรจัด (The Last Home of Stray Animals), donations from the public and Si Som’s family have been used to purchase specialised search equipment, including a thermal imaging camera, a snake inspection camera for confined spaces, high-capacity backup batteries and other field equipment.
The equipment was handed over to The Hope Thailand, whose team is leading the search operation in Chumphon.
The team initially purchased a thermal imaging camera, normally priced at around 50,000 baht, after the retailer reduced the price to 48,000 baht upon learning about the search effort. Volunteers also acquired a 3,500-baht inspection camera and backup batteries to keep surveillance cameras operating in areas without electricity.
Volunteers later launched a fundraising campaign to purchase a thermal drone, but an anonymous donor covered the entire cost of 272,365 baht, allowing the equipment to be deployed sooner than expected.
The search operation now includes:
• K-9 search dogs
• A thermal imaging drone
• Infrared thermal cameras
• Snake inspection cameras for narrow spaces
• Ground search teams
• Multiple CCTV cameras
• Humane cat traps
Fresh paw prints discovered
Petch from the rescue page บ้านหลังสุดท้ายของน้องจรจัด (The Last Home of Stray Animals) said volunteers found fresh cat paw prints and rodent tracks near one of the station platforms after arriving in Chumphon. The area is close to potential food and water sources and is scheduled for further searches during the night.
The Hope Thailand said night-time operations offer the best chance of locating the missing cat because the surroundings are quieter and frightened cats tend to become more active after dark.
Sandy, a K-9 search dog assisting the operation, searched beneath a nearby bridge but detected only a faint scent, which volunteers believe was likely weakened by persistent rainfall.
The search team has since split into two groups: one using thermal imaging equipment beneath the bridge, and another inspecting the underside of the railway platforms. Volunteers also plan to install a total of nine CCTV cameras covering both sides of the station platforms and place additional humane traps at key locations.
The Hope Thailand added that the search area is extensive and complex. Even though Sandy could not establish a strong scent trail, that does not necessarily mean Si Som has left the area, as heavy rain may have washed away scent traces. Cats are also capable of crossing railway tracks and moving through narrow spaces beneath platforms.
Volunteers continued searching quietly throughout the night using infrared cameras, which are most effective after dark because they detect body heat.
Volunteers urge public not to enter railway tracks
The Hope Thailand stressed that every search beneath the platforms has been carried out with permission from the State Railway of Thailand and only after confirming train schedules to ensure safety.
The page also urged members of the public not to enter railway tracks on their own, warning that doing so could be both illegal and dangerous while potentially disrupting the ongoing search operation.
Search driven by public support
Much of the equipment and operational costs have been funded through donations from members of the public, supporters and volunteer organisations, including thermal cameras, drones, CCTV systems, inspection cameras and other field equipment.
Meanwhile, some social media users have called on the State Railway of Thailand to play a greater role in supporting the search operation, arguing that most of the specialised equipment and funding used so far have come from volunteers, donors and members of the public. As of publication, the SRT had not publicly responded to those calls or announced any additional support for the operation.
CHACHOENGSAO — 15 July 2026, Dashcam and CCTV footage captured the dramatic moment a speeding pickup truck launched into the air after crashing into a road median, flipping over an 18-wheel gas tanker before landing upside down and leaving two people injured, one of them critically.
The crash occurred at 20:20 on 14 July on the Bang Phra bypass road near Sut Yot Resort in Mueang district, Chachoengsao province.
Police, rescue workers and emergency medical teams from Buddhasothorn Hospital responded to the scene after receiving reports of a serious collision involving a pickup truck.
The driver, later identified only as Khamla, a 25-year-old Lao national, was found injured beside the grey Toyota pickup.
His passenger, 60-year-old Chamu Saechi, was thrown from the vehicle during the impact and became trapped beneath the gas tanker. He sustained critical injuries before rescue workers freed him and rushed him to hospital.
According to investigators, Chamu was travelling with his employee to a shrimp farm in Ban Pho district, where they operate a shrimp purchasing business. They were reportedly hurrying to collect shrimp while workers were harvesting at the farm.
Personal belongings belonging to Chamu were found scattered across the road and were secured by officers for safekeeping before being handed over to investigators.
Witnesses told police the pickup had been travelling at high speed with its hazard lights flashing before crashing into the raised median at a parallel road intersection.
They believed the driver may not have realised the road layout because a flashing warning beacon that previously marked the median had been destroyed in an earlier accident and had not yet been replaced.
The impact launched the pickup into the air, sending it over the roof of the passing gas tanker before it overturned and landed on its roof.
The gas tanker sustained only minor damage to its front after being struck by the rear of the pickup as it fell back onto the road.
Police are continuing their investigation and plan to question the pickup driver once his condition allows to determine the exact cause of the crash.
CHONBURI — 15 July 2026, A group of Kuwaiti tourists has alleged that, during their month-long holiday in Pattaya, they were extorted by uniformed police officers after being apprehended for traffic violations, claiming they were forced to pay large cash fines at secluded locations, denied requests to pay at a police station, and issued what they later discovered were grocery receipts. They described the officers’ conduct as “scarier than criminals.”
The Kuwaiti tourists, aged between 20 and 30, reported that they had travelled to Pattaya several times over the past month and acknowledged committing traffic infractions. They said they had no objection to being fined through proper legal procedures.
However, they became suspicious of extortion after they showed a cash receipt previously issued to them by officers to prove they had already been fined. The police allegedly rejected it, claiming it was fake and not an official police station receipt. Despite this, they said they were subsequently apprehended multiple times and repeatedly issued the exact same type of unofficial receipt. Furthermore, the officers allegedly insisted that they pay in cash only.
What was even more shocking, they said, was that they were taken to isolated locations to be fined, while the officers refused their requests to pay at a police station. Consequently, the group decided to expose the matter to reporters, providing journalists with videos secretly recorded during some of the encounters, along with the cash receipts as evidence.
Speaking through an interpreter, the tourists said they had travelled to Pattaya several times before. For this year’s holiday, they travelled as usual, fully aware of the local traffic laws while riding motorcycles. They reiterated that if they were prosecuted properly according to the law, they would accept responsibility for breaking it.
According to the group, the circumstances surrounding their repeated apprehensions were unclear, particularly regarding the formal offences they were alleged to have committed. They said they were fined between 3,500 and 5,000 baht per offence and were stopped between two and five times on some nights.
After being stopped, they were taken to secluded areas. If they wished to avoid having their motorcycles impounded, an unidentified man collected the fines in cash while uniformed police officers stood nearby. They alleged that cash was the only accepted method of payment.
What further raised their suspicions was that when they requested to pay the fine at a police station, they were refused. Instead, they were told they would have to pay at a vehicle impound facility in the Pattaya area—a location they could not later identify. They were allegedly told they would also have to pay towing and storage fees in cash, with bank transfers not accepted.
Bill for thr fee.
If the tourists requested a receipt, they were allegedly charged an additional 500 baht to obtain one. They said they were issued receipts resembling those commonly used by small retail shops, detailing the alleged offence and fine amount. When they later showed the receipts to other police officers, they were reportedly told the documents were fake.
One tourist said the group continued to be stopped and fined because they were uncertain how to challenge the process. In one incident following a minor motorcycle collision, they alleged the same officers again demanded payment under similar circumstances despite them not understanding what offence they had committed.
The tourists said that, having visited Thailand—particularly Pattaya—many times before, they had always regarded the city as a safe destination with effective law enforcement. However, they claimed their experiences this year changed after encountering this group of police officers, who allegedly rotated shifts to stop and fine them every night after midnight, repeating the same pattern of behaviour each time.
The tourists expressed deep sadness and disappointment, saying they had become more afraid of encountering police officers than criminals.
Bill for thr fee.
“We don’t want this to damage the city’s image,” the group said, adding that they hoped Pattaya would remain the welcoming destination it once was.
Following the incidents, the tourists decided to bring the matter to the media so it could be brought to the attention of local commanders and senior police officials. They said they hoped the allegations would be thoroughly investigated and that strict action would be taken if any misconduct was found, ensuring transparency for both the public and visiting tourists.
In addition, the Kuwaiti tourists released video clips they secretly recorded during negotiations with an individual who claimed to process fines on behalf of the police officers and who allegedly demanded the additional fee in exchange for issuing the grocery-style receipt.
