Following the case of Mika Salo, a legendary Finnish F1 racing driver aged 59, whose injury made global headlines after being grazed by a motorcycle with serious injuries to his left thigh at Nana intersection on May 19, local residents on May 26 confirmed the incident occurred but denied it involved a knife or cutter blade. They stated that since living in the area, they have never witnessed such knife attack incidents on tourists, believing that local merchants would know about any such crimes as they routinely protect visitors to prevent damage to the tourism industry. However, they acknowledged occasional incidents of bag snatching and drug dealing in the area.

Major (retired) Pheeraphong, a 50-year-old motorcycle taxi driver at Sukhumvit Soi 4, stated he did not witness the incident but confirmed the area has never experienced tourist knife attacks—only traffic accidents during nighttime when tourists frequent the area. The location experiences frequent accidents because tourists sometimes cross without checking traffic signals while vehicles move quickly.

A local shoe repairman named Khun reported that 3-4 days prior, Poh Teg Tung Foundation staff parked at Sukhumvit Soi 4 to assist a tall-built foreign national appearing intoxicated, but he could not confirm if it was the same incident.

According to investigators, Mika exited from Sukhumvit Soi 3 opposite Sukhumvit Soi 4 at a four-way intersection, crossed at the zebra crossing toward Sukhumvit Soi 4 near the police station, then crossed to reach a gas station before heading to accommodation at Sukhumvit Soi 2. The incident likely occurred on Sukhumvit Soi 4 while walking from the police station to the gas station, as the soi has heavy traffic and curves before the entrance, suggesting a vehicle glancing collision occurred at that moment, with the injury sustained to the left thigh area.

May 26, 2569 – True Corporation reported usage statistics for the Paotang application on True and dtac networks during registration for the 'Thai Help Thai Plus 60/40' program on May 25, 2569, the first registration day. Nationwide usage surged 1,864% throughout the day compared to normal periods, reflecting overwhelming public enthusiasm with users registering from the moment registration opened. Usage spiked dramatically from the first minute on True and dtac networks. True Corporation's network and IT teams activated a War Room at the Business Network Intelligence Center (BNIC) with AI-powered Autonomous Network technology managing the network 24/7 to ensure continuous, stable, and efficient nationwide real-time service.

Peak usage occurred between 6:00–7:00 AM, followed by 7:00–8:00 AM, 8:00–9:00 AM, 5:00–6:00 AM, and 9:00–10:00 AM. The data shows many citizens prepared by accessing the app before the official 6:00 AM opening, with usage hitting maximum during the first minute of nationwide registration (data from full 24-hour period on May 25, 2569).

By region, Bangkok had the highest usage, followed by Chon Buri, Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani, and Nonthaburi. By zone, the Central Region (including Bangkok and metropolitan areas) led, followed by the Northeast, South, North, East, and West regions, reflecting broad digital access and service adoption nationwide.

True Corporation prioritizes digital connectivity during critical national moments, particularly for government services with mass simultaneous users. For the 'Thai Help Thai Plus 60/40' registration, the company prepared network capacity through 5G and 4G expansion, AI-powered intelligent traffic management, load balancing in dense areas, and 24/7 signal quality monitoring to support continuous nationwide usage.

Network and IT teams staffed the War Room at BNIC before registration began to maintain signal stability, data transmission speed, and real-time connection security, demonstrating True Corporation's capability to leverage AI and Autonomous Network technology for intelligent network management, support large-scale national digital services, and assure True and dtac customers smooth Paotang application performance at all critical moments.

The Badminton World Federation has released the latest world rankings. This week, Thai mixed doubles pair Omo Phakapol Theeratanaskul and Popu Tharapsi Taratanchai improved their world ranking after claiming the runner-up title at the Malaysia Masters.

Omo Phakapol and Popu Tharapsi advanced to the championship final at the Malaysia Masters before losing to a Chinese mixed doubles pair.

Despite the loss, their performance was enough to propel both players up four ranking positions, jumping from rank 20 to world rank 16 this week with 52,280 points.

Meanwhile, fellow Thai mixed doubles pair Bass Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Fame Supissara Paewsamrarn maintained their position as the world's third-ranked pair with 95,700 points.

In men's singles, View Kulwutti Wititritsanth held steady at world rank 2 with 96,865 points.

Women's singles player May Ratchanok Intanon, the Malaysia Masters champion, remained at world rank 7 with 72,616 points, while Mew Perupone Chochuwong held rank 8 with 64,977 points.

Meanwhile, Pink Pichayamon Obhaasanipatthanakul climbed three positions from rank 27 to rank 24 this week with 47,198 points.

On May 26, Deputy Labor Secretary Wannapong Kocharak chaired a meeting of the Wage Board Committee, attended by Labor Department Director-General Sarojn Khomkhai and representatives from both employers and workers. The committee reviewed wage standards for 129 skilled professions to ensure alignment with current labor market demands and worker skill levels.

The board determined the review was critical because each profession has distinct job characteristics and skill requirements, with new technologies playing an increasing role. Extensive discussions between employer and worker representatives resulted in several key conclusions. The committee approved a 2.9% increase as the baseline for calculating wages across all skilled professions.

However, additional issues were delegated back to a subcommittee for further review to ensure wage rates reflect actual market conditions for each profession. The board noted that even similar professions—such as automotive repair specialists versus automotive maintenance technicians—require different skill levels and should not use identical calculation methods. Using a one-size-fits-all approach could be unfair to workers and fail to promote genuine skills standards. The timing of wage surveys in different sectors also requires consideration, as the underlying data comes from different time periods.

MONOMAX is making a major push into free-to-air television with the rebranding of MONO29 into MONOMAX SPORTS, positioning itself as the nation's premier sports broadcaster. Capitalizing on the overwhelming success of its Premier League streaming and online sports platform, which reflects growing consumer interest in sports, fitness, and lifestyle content, MONOMAX is bringing its full sports content library to television screens. The channel will restructure its programming with sports content comprising 60% of airtime, original Thai productions 20%, series 14%, and variety shows 6%, starting June 1, 2025. MONOMAX continues to strengthen its position as a premium streaming platform, offering comprehensive world-class sports including the Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, EFL Championship, European football leagues, Thai League, and exclusive Liverpool FC content via LFCTV. The platform currently serves over 4 million registered users and is experiencing continuous growth through expanded world-class content and international partnerships. In a significant development for Thai sports, MONO and JAS have secured a seven-year broadcast deal for Volleyball World covering five countries (Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Cambodia), delivering over 3,000 matches annually from top tournaments including the Volleyball Nations League, FIVB World Championship, and professional leagues from Japan, Italy, and Poland, with VNL 2026 commencing broadcasts on June 3. Additionally, MONO has secured rights to broadcast European national team football (UEFA) including the UEFA Euro 2028 championship, UEFA Nations League (2026-2028), European World Cup qualifiers, international friendlies, and UEFA U21 Championship, reinforcing its vision as a genuine sports content leader delivering world-class viewing experiences.

The Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct, Division 1, will deliver its verdict on May 27, 2025, in a case brought by Veera Somkhwamkit, secretary-general of the People's Anti-Corruption Network (PANCN), against NACC Secretary-General Nivatvichhai Kasemmongkol (defendant 1) and former NACC Secretary-General Voravit Sukboon (defendant 2), along with 10 other defendants. The 12 defendants in total are: Nivatvichhai Kasemmongkol, Voravit Sukboon, Pol. Gen. Watcharapol Prasartrajkij, Precha Lertkomlamats, Pol. Gen. Sataporn Luawthong, Nrong Ratamurit, Supha Piyajitti, Wittaya Akampitaksa, Suvanna Suwannjuta, Pol. Gen. Bunvawat Kruahahngsong, Natchakra Patmasing na Ayutthaya, and Suchat Trakulkaemsukhit.

All 12 defendants are accused of concealing documents related to Pol. Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan's luxury watch during his period as Deputy Prime Minister. The court has accepted the case (Case No. 95/2567 Black) with a verdict hearing set for May 27.

According to reports, Veera has progressively withdrawn charges against multiple defendants after discovering new facts. Two defendants—Suchat Trakulkaemsukhit and Suvanna Suwannjuta—voted in the minority on December 6, 2566, in favor of full disclosure of the watch investigation documents to Veera, with only names of involved officials redacted. However, Veera did not withdraw charges against them, leading the court to dismiss charges against both. Veera has also withdrawn charges against defendants such as Natchakra and Precha, though the court has not permitted withdrawal against Supha Piyajitti and Pol. Gen. Watcharapol Prasartrajkij.

Reports suggest Veera's prosecution may constitute abuse of legal process, as the filing coincided with the selection of a new NACC president. During preliminary hearings, it became clear that Suchat and Suvanna did not commit the alleged offenses, as their lawyers presented meeting minutes showing their minority vote in favor of disclosure. Despite this evidence, Veera refused to withdraw charges until the court dismissed them.

Observers note the pattern of Veera selectively withdrawing charges against some defendants while the court rejected others raises questions about his motives. Sources suggest that if the court issues a final verdict, some defendants plan to immediately sue Veera for malicious prosecution, viewing his actions as a targeted vendetta that caused damage to their reputations.