At 6 a.m. on May 23, 2025, Deputy Police Chief Samran Nualma, director of the Center for Suppressing Cross-Border Criminals and Illegal Immigration, ordered regional commander Nopsilp Poolswat to mobilize over 300 officers for Phase 2 of the "Foreign Nominee Crackdown on Phangan Island." The operation targeted 32 nominee companies with 36 search warrants from Koh Samui Provincial Court and 45 arrest warrants against foreigners of various nationalities.

Charges include foreigners jointly operating businesses prohibited to them under the Foreign Business Act (Sections 8 and 37), and illegal land possession under the Land Code (Sections 97, 112, and 113). A key discovery involved an Israeli national using a Thai nominee to hold shares and illegally possess eight plots of land (7.5 rai) valued at over 60 million baht, while unlawfully operating a hotel.

Phase 2 results show two categories of violations: First, 32 clear nominee companies with 45 land plots (over 40 rai) and 22 foreign nationals arrested, totaling damages exceeding 200 million baht. Second, 32 companies with majority foreign shareholding holding 38 land plots (over 38 rai), mostly vacant land, with 21 companies subjected to searches for evidence collection.

Deputy Chief Samran revealed the operation follows Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's urgent directive to Deputy Police Chief Kittarat Puntpetch to eliminate nominee operations—using Thai names as fronts for foreigner shareholding and land possession. This accumulated problem on Phangan Island has generated 29 cases since 2024, with 2 court convictions and 62 defendants (32 Thai, 30 foreign). Phase 1 launched May 13, targeting upstream and midstream groups including law firms, accounting firms, and nominee companies, resulting in 37 cases, 3 arrest warrants, and 27 search warrants, revealing patterns of using welfare cardholders and state employees as nominees.

Thailand's sepaktakraw team proved why they're defending champions, securing a commanding 2-0 victory over South Korea in the men's team division semifinals of the 2026 ISTAF Sepaktakraw World Cup at Titiwangsa Stadium in Malaysia on May 23. Thai Team A, comprising Wuthinan Khamsena, Thanapol Satyuen, and Kritsanapong Nonthakoet, won decisively 2-0 sets (15-10, 15-9). Thai Team B, featuring Jirasak Phakbuaengoen, Mueakarin Phanmakorn, and Porntep Thinbangbohn, sealed the overall victory with an identical 2-0 sweep (15-10, 15-9), sending Thailand through to the final with an overall team score of 2-0. Thailand will now face the winner of the Malaysia versus Indonesia semifinal in the championship match on Saturday, May 23 at 7:00 PM Thailand time.

On May 23, 2569, a joyful LGBTQ+ wedding ceremony took place between Pranya 'Milk,' a former contract teacher from Kamphaengphet, and Vishnu 'Chat,' a young businessman from Bangkok. The celebration was held at the bride's residence in Thepnakorn Subdistrict, Mueang District, Kamphaengphet, filled with festive betel processions and surrounded by family members, grandparents, relatives, and friends offering enthusiastic congratulations.

The couple shared that this was their happiest day after waiting three full years. They first met in Bangkok through a friend's introduction. The couple emphasized that what made their love perfect was the openness and acceptance from both families, who supported them wholeheartedly. They have plans to start a joint business venture together in the future.

The bride revealed her secret devotion: before meeting her groom, she had made a pilgrimage to the Trimurti statue in Bangkok with local Kamphaengphet banana bread, offering three prayers. Two wishes have already been fulfilled, and today's wedding marks the completion of her third wish. She praised her groom as a devoted and caring partner.

The morning engagement ceremony saw the groom presenting dowry gifts valued at 200,000 baht in cash, two baht of gold, and a diamond ring. The highlight came when the newlyweds kissed, prompting enthusiastic cheers from jealous guests. The celebration concluded with a reception where the couple thanked all honored guests in gratitude for their borderless love.

Taiwan's presidential office stated on May 23 that it has not received any information about changes to U.S. weapons sales following statements by senior American officials indicating a temporary pause in arms sales due to the need for sufficient weaponry for operations against Iran. Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, is awaiting U.S. approval of a new weapons package valued at up to $14 billion. President Donald Trump said after a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing the previous week that he has not yet decided whether to approve the sale. U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Hong Chao stated on May 21 that "We have done some foreign military sales to them. It's just right now we're doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury – which we have plenty," referring to U.S. operations against Iran. He added that "we're just making sure we have everything, but then the foreign military sales will continue when the administration deems necessary." Hong noted that approval for Taiwan weapons sales depends on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Taiwan's presidential spokesperson Karen Koa stated that Taiwan has not received information about any changes to U.S. weapons sales policy and that the U.S. has a legal obligation to provide Taiwan with defensive capabilities. Although China has repeatedly called on the U.S. to halt its weapons sales policy, Taiwan has rejected China's sovereignty claims, emphasizing that only the Taiwanese people can determine their own future.

Actress Perth Weeratorn Tangkitsuvanich is taking on an exciting new challenge with her first stage play debut in "Once Again... The More It Hurts, The More I Remember, The More I Love," starring opposite skilled actor Aem Bhumi. While she admits feeling slightly nervous because she idolizes Aem's acting abilities after watching him in the film "Youth," she discovered a much funnier side to him in person.

Perth explained her reasons for accepting this challenging project, emphasizing that audiences should expect a completely new character different from all her previous roles. Regarding her stage play experience in "Once Again," playing a friend-zone character opposite Aem Bhumi, she shared: "This story offers a fresh take. Our pair's storyline involves the friend-zone with both comedy and drama. We've already done some rehearsals together, and I have to say Aem has tremendous comedic timing. He might look calm and composed, right? But after watching his work in 'Youth,' he became my acting idol. When I first learned we'd be in a stage play together, I was so excited I was afraid to even talk to him at first. I initially thought he was quiet, mature, and very serious, but in reality, Aem is very friendly. He's hilarious and sometimes so funny that I have to hold back my laughter."

About having such a skilled actor as her scene partner: "At first I was excited and honestly a bit nervous. The more I realized how talented he is, the more I wanted to perform at his level. But I've noticed that his excellence as an actor actually puts me at ease and allows me to relax. It became natural for us to play friends."

On her first stage play experience: "It's very different. In film, you might do a few takes of a scene, but in stage plays, you're delivering the same scene multiple times throughout the show for months. That was initially concerning, but during rehearsals I realized it's a unique opportunity to continuously refine my performance and get deeper into character."

Why did she decide to take on a stage play project? "When I was approached, I didn't hesitate at all because I wanted to try it once in my life. Theater is challenging because if you miss something, you miss it—there's no do-over. I wanted to experience that challenge myself."

She urged fans to support "Once Again," premiering June 15, which tells the story of three couples in three different relationship dynamics. Most importantly, Perth emphasized that the character she plays in this production is completely different from any role she's done before.

Concert ticket hunting has never been easy for fans, who often compete not only with other fans but also with resellers and bot programs that artificially inflate prices and steal seats from genuine supporters. Spotify has launched a new 'Reserved' feature that reserves concert tickets exclusively for true fans without requiring them to compete in a mad dash at ticketing. The Reserved feature works by analyzing streaming data, shares, and engagement with activities on Spotify's platform to identify users eligible to purchase up to two concert tickets per person, with approximately 24 hours to confirm or complete their purchase. Spotify will first test the Reserved feature with Spotify Premium users in the United States starting in mid-2026. Spotify has partnered with ticket vendors and will lock aside two tickets per artist for upcoming concerts, though the specific artists participating in the program have not yet been announced.