A gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine run by Tongzhou Group in Shanxi Province, northern China, occurred around 7:30 p.m. on May 22nd, resulting in at least 90 deaths with over 100 injured and hospitalized. Mine officials have been detained for questioning, though authorities have yet to reveal the explosion's cause. Reports indicate that carbon monoxide levels at the facility exceeded safe limits. China's emergency management ministry has deployed 345 rescue personnel from six rescue units to the site. President Xi Jinping called for maximum efforts in treating the injured and conducting a thorough investigation, emphasizing that regions and departments must learn from this accident by maintaining continuous workplace safety vigilance and preventing future catastrophes. China has experienced multiple mining disasters over the past two decades, including a 2009 mine explosion in Heilongjiang Province that killed over 100 people and a 2023 collapse at an open-pit coal mine in Inner Mongolia that left 53 dead.

A mother is heartbroken, remembering the shirt and shoes she bought for her son. Her son disappeared from home over 10 days ago and was found dead in a palm grove not far from their house. Police are accelerating their investigation into the cause of death.

At noon on May 23, 2025, Maj. Kittiwat Suwannpraserit, investigation deputy chief at Krathumbaen Police Station, received a report of a body discovered in a palm grove along the Khlong Muensaram canal road in Kaen Chai subdistrict, Krathumbaen district, Samut Sakhon province. He rushed to the scene with district administrative officials, an on-duty doctor from Krathumbaen Hospital, forensic officers, and volunteer rescue workers from the Ruam Katanyu Foundation.

The team had to trek through the palm grove for 200-300 meters to reach the body. The deceased was a male with a bloated body, dark discoloration, and partially peeling skin. He was found sitting on the ground with ligature marks around his neck. He wore a black t-shirt and warm-up pants, with flip-flops placed beside him. The body had nine tattoos, wore a stainless steel necklace with a fallen ring, and two overturned plastic containers were nearby. A black backpack was found in a water channel.

The deceased, known as Mr. Deft (pseudonym), 53 years old, is believed to have died approximately 10 days ago. His mother confirmed the identity through the shirt and shoes she had purchased for him, as well as the backpack he always carried. The deceased lived across the street from the palm grove where he was found.

The deceased lived alone with his elderly mother, whom he cared for. He had no conflicts with anyone, no chronic illness, and received financial support from his son. However, he was a worrier and easily took things to heart. Before his disappearance, he had mentioned going to work with a friend. Around May 14, his mother went to pay his insurance. When she returned, he was not at home. His calls went unanswered. Inside the house, she found his waist pouch containing his ID card and phone, but she did not know what to do.

When his grandson, the deceased's son, came home on his day off to collect money for his father, his grandmother told him his father had disappeared and could not be reached. The grandson then filed a missing person report at Krathumbaen Police Station. The cause of death remains unknown.

Police have instructed forensic officers to collect evidence from the scene. The body has been sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Siriraj Hospital for a second autopsy to clarify the cause of death before the family receives it for merit-making ceremonies.

The Department of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Culture, working with the Phang Nga Province Cultural Office, launched a Dhamma Day temple visit program titled "Taste Local Delicacies, Admire the Landscape, Make Merit Offerings at Lad Long Lae" in Lad Long Lae, Takua Tung District, Phang Nga Province. The initiative aims to stimulate community economic activity by generating income through food, clothing, souvenirs, homestays, hotels, and tourism ventures, while promoting local knowledge and providing Buddhists with regular opportunities for merit-making, precept-keeping, and meditation. On the morning of Saturday, May 16, 2025, Department of Religious Affairs Director Chaiyapol Sukeiam led officials, administrators, and residents in visiting cultural networks, releasing crabs into mangrove forests, and meeting religious and community leaders at Ban Sam Chong School, including paying respects to Phra Prasart Sarophon (Chaiwat Issaratham), the provincial sangha leader. The program leverages the area's rich natural resources and cultural capital, including local foods, traditional crafts, performances, and community products using palm gardens as activity venues. Community members will showcase local produce such as vegetables, shrimp, shellfish, crab, fish, and seasonal fruits, along with traditional handicrafts and cultural performances to generate income and engage youth in community development. The Department of Religious Affairs is expanding this successful program by selecting locations with distinctive traditions, nearby temples, merit-offering services for tourists, traditional costume rentals, and vendor areas that boost local revenues. Director Chaiyapol emphasized that the program helps communities and encourages Buddhists to visit temples regularly for merit-making beyond just holy days.

Actress Namtarn Pichukkana Vongvarotanasil takes on another challenging role as 'Fang Kham Ghost' in the film 'City Curse,' paired with fresh-faced actor Tee Bunyakiat Vongsa-ajem.

Today she discussed her work on the film, her acting career spanning over a decade, and future goals, while also sharing updates about her wedding after her long-time boyfriend Pai Pattish Pisetchkul—whom she's been dating for 14 years—surprised her with a marriage proposal during the Northern Lights trip in Norway.

On her role in 'City Curse': Nametarn said: "In this story, I play Fang Kham Ghost, a spirit that has existed for over 100 years with no memory of how she died. A human has been taking care of her all this time, and the role has evolved across generations until the current era where the caretaker is a social media kid. He wonders why other ghosts have legends but I don't, so he tries to create pages and Instagram accounts for me to make me legendary. He tries to teach me how to be a scary ghost, but I can't do it. I'm bad at scaring people. So he brings me different horror movies to copy from. My co-stars like Sprite, John, and Ann teach me how different ghosts move and act—how Japanese ghosts crawl, how Thai ghosts dance—and I try to copy them, but no one is ever scared of me."

On finding answers about her character's death: Nametarn explained: "Yes, the character needs to find out why she died. I noticed that everyone has a partner, so why don't I? I believe my destined partner must have a shell-shaped mark on their neck. The male lead happens to have one, so I'm convinced he's the one. Turns out it's a tattoo, not a mark, so I'm disappointed. The story has a lot of cute, romantic comedy elements. Mostly I'm the one pursuing him because I've been around for 100 years, so my jokes might be outdated compared to Gen Z kids—it has that puppy-tricking vibe."

On working with actor Tee Bunyakiat: Nametarn said: "He's very sweet. When I found out I'd be working with him, I looked him up and discovered he's a famous footballer. He's close in age to my younger brother, so we connected easily. He's also from the North like me, so communication was smooth. His character is very heavy—he has the most emotional baggage in the story. He's emotionally complex and has to be depressed throughout most of the film. He has less screen time but delivers a lot. His acting is excellent. I saw his potential from the workshop day itself. He came to ask me for advice on some scenes, especially the comedic parts or difficult film scenes because films are different from series—they use a single camera and need to shoot dramatic scenes multiple times from different angles. He once asked why later takes didn't feel as good as the first one, and I explained that you have to reset yourself each time, which is already difficult."

On how quickly she decided to take the role: Nametarn said: "Not long at all. I've worked with director Kop since the film 'Som Bai.' We've actually been discussing this project for 3-4 years before it came together. When he contacted me, I asked to read the script first because I didn't want to repeat a character. After reading it, I loved it. The character is contemporary and connected to the social media era where ghosts have to create content. It was challenging—could I make people believe she's Fang Kham without looking like Som Bai?"

On whether the shooting locations were scary: Nametarn said: "We actually shot in Phu Chiao forest and in old houses that were decades old. But no one got haunted by ghosts because we shot from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., and by the time we'd go back to sleep, the sun was already rising. Ghosts can't haunt you then. (laughs) But there was something incredible—the male lead's house in the story belonged to an elderly owner who once told her descendants not to demolish or sell the house because someone would come to film a movie there. At the time, no one believed her."

Japan is embracing an unconventional mental health practice called "Coffin Therapy," which involves lying in a coffin for approximately 30 minutes to reflect on life and contemplate mortality. Originally piloted by a funeral company in Chiba Prefecture, the practice has expanded to spas and workshops nationwide.

Participants can choose between open and closed coffins. Supporters argue that the enclosed space creates a peaceful, private environment for genuine introspection without distractions. While the concept may seem strange internationally, it connects to Japan's "Kuyō" tradition—memorial rites for the deceased that promote awareness of life's fragility and acceptance of death.

The trend emerges as Japan grapples with elevated youth suicide rates. Some proponents believe that safely confronting mortality in a controlled, reversible format may reduce fear of death and help people appreciate life's value more deeply.

Businesses offering Coffin Therapy, including Grave Tokyo, frame it as a "mental reset." Grave Tokyo designer Mikago Fuse emphasizes making death less frightening and helping people recognize life's worth. The company designs colorful, friendly coffins to counter traditional morbid associations.

Tokyo spa "Meiso Kukan Kanoke-in" offers the service for approximately 400 baht, allowing customers to choose open or closed coffins with optional add-ons like relaxing music, projected imagery, or complete silence.

In 2024, a Kyoto university hosted a Coffin Therapy workshop for students. Many participants reported reviewing life anxieties and experiencing reduced fear of death. Some felt motivated to live more fully.

Mental health experts continue recommending standard treatments for depression and suicidal ideation—meditation, mindfulness, CBT, SSRIs, and emerging therapies like ketamine and esketamine for severe cases. However, Coffin Therapy supporters believe symbolically "rehearsing" confrontation with death may complement these established approaches.

The Department of International Trade Promotion is accelerating fruit market expansion, with trade attachés in Nanning actively engaging the Hongxi wholesale fruit market. Thai durian is receiving overwhelming positive responses from importers and confectionery companies. Ms. Sunantha Kangwalkulgij, Director-General of DITP under the Ministry of Commerce, revealed that the department has directed trade promotion office directors stationed in key fruit export target countries to implement Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supachee Suttheermphand's policy to accelerate Thai fruit market expansion to accommodate the current fruit harvest season. A recent report from Niti Prathumvong, Director of the DITP office in Nanning, shows successful progress in promoting Thai fruit exports to the Chinese market, particularly Thai durian, with increasing interest from importers in purchasing Thai durian.

The trade attaché reported meetings with Mr. Su Yueyun, President of the Hunan Fruit Association, and Mr. Li Pingfang, Deputy General Manager of the Hongxi Fruit Wholesale Market, revealing that from January to May 2025, 150,000 tons of Thai fruits were imported, including 70,000 tons of durian. Throughout 2024, the Hongxi wholesale market imported 1 million tons of foreign fruits, with Thai fruits comprising 40%, including 180,000 tons of durian, 100,000 tons of longan, and 100,000 tons of mangosteen, coconut, and pomelo.

Meetings with seven major Thai fruit importers in the Hongxi market focused on expanding market opportunities for Thai fruits in central and western China, particularly durian, mangosteen, and coconut. All confirmed their 2025 durian import targets: Fruit Mate (1,000 containers), He Jinsheng Fruit (800 containers), Yunhui Fruit (500 containers), Hunan Ju Hai Xin Trading (1,000 containers), Long Yuan Trading (1,200 containers), Hunan Chang Nong (900 containers), and Sinkin (1,000 containers).

The trade attaché also met with executives from Greenery Fruit, the largest comprehensive fruit supply chain company in Hunan Province with over 1,600 chain stores throughout China, to discuss promoting Thai fruits in Hunan and nearby provinces. The company confirmed a 2025 target of importing 1,000 containers of fresh durian and 30 containers of frozen durian.

Meetings with He Muji Bakery Supply, which manufactures durian-based processed products including crepes, pancakes, mochi, and mooncakes and currently imports approximately 200 containers of frozen durian pulp annually from Thailand, revealed the company's interest in increasing frozen durian imports. DITP will organize trade negotiations for the company and Thai exporters at future opportunities.

Discussions with Busy Ming, a snack distributor operating 25,000 chain stores under the Zhao Yiming Snacks and Busy For You brands across 30 provinces in China, showed the company's plans to increase Thai snack imports. The trade attaché invited the company to participate in THAIFEX-Anuga Asia 2026 to source Thai snack products.