Customs officials at Sri Lanka's airport arrested 22 Buddhist monks returning from Thailand after discovering 110 kilograms of cannabis hidden in secret compartments of their luggage. According to BBC reporting on April 28, officials found each monk was carrying approximately 5 kg of cannabis mixed in with educational materials and candy.

The monks had completed a four-day trip to Thailand sponsored by an anonymous benefactor. Following their apprehension, a 23rd monk—believed to be the organizer of the trip who did not travel with the group—was arrested. This monk had allegedly told the others that the packages were donations that would be collected upon their arrival.

Evidence found on some of the monks' phones showed images and videos of non-religious activities during the trip, including casual clothing and typical holiday activities. All 22 monks were detained for seven days of further investigation after appearing in court on Sunday, April 26. Police acknowledge that some monks may not have known they were transporting illegal substances, and investigations continue to identify additional suspects involved in the scheme.

Thailand has stressed that the protection of vital maritime waterways is a shared global responsibility, warning that disruptions to key sea routes could threaten global trade, energy supplies and economic stability.

Speaking at a United Nations Security Council open debate on "The Safety and Protection of Waterways in the Maritime Domain" on 27 April 2026, chaired by Bahrain, Thailand's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Cherdchai Chaivaivid, highlighted risks to strategic maritime chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz.

He said any disruption in such areas endangers seafarers, disrupts global energy flows, and has wider consequences for the global economy.

Thailand called on all parties to exercise restraint, uphold international law, and respect freedom of navigation.

The Thai delegation also reiterated support for cooperation, dialogue and diplomacy to ensure that the high seas remain open, secure, and governed by the rule of law.

Foundation One founder was moved to tears after hearing the 21-year-old woman's plea for help regarding her methamphetamine-addicted mother who beats family members—her father and five younger siblings—steals all their money, and involves a third party. On April 28, 2026, at Chim Phli Police Station in Samut Prakan Province, the Foundation One founder, along with social welfare officer Nattama Treeratthanaphon and officer Ekkarin Thaokwang from the provincial child and family shelter, brought the family of 43-year-old Charun to meet Police Captain Prachet Pongsathon, reporting domestic violence by an addicted family member.

The situation began when 21-year-old Chuli, the eldest daughter, sought the Foundation's help, describing how her mother (referred to as Nang A) engages in drug use and abuses her father and five younger siblings: two brothers aged 15 and 14, two sisters aged 7 and 5, and a 7-month-old baby brother.

After hearing the family's story, the Foundation founder wept. When he spoke with the mother, she admitted to using methamphetamine, having started through her husband's influence. She claimed she hit her children because she wanted them to be good, denying any intent to harm them, and mentioned she had last used methamphetamine the previous Sunday.

The Foundation founder revealed that Chuli, who fled to Samut Prakan Province, could no longer tolerate her mother's behavior and reported that the mother is addicted to methamphetamine and involves third parties. When angry, the mother loses control, beating and injuring her father and siblings over decades using weapons including knives, metal objects, and sharpened sticks. The father earns 500-1,000 baht daily, but the mother takes every single baht. She beats and verbally abuses the children for minor mistakes, psychologically pressures her sons—one has attempted suicide—and has caused severe injuries including head and eyebrow wounds and bruised, swollen arms. She even beat the 7-month-old baby to spite the father. Despite the father's earnings, the family never eats well. She gives the children only 15-20 baht daily for school, sometimes nothing, and never buys them clothes or shoes—they wear only donated items.

Previously, the older son and daughter convinced Chuli to help them escape. Another son later asked to flee as well, having gone two days without food while being forced to care for siblings around the clock. Regarding the third parties, the mother has been giving them money stolen from the father and Chuli for transportation costs; she currently has 2-3 third-party associates.

Initially, the Foundation and officials brought all the children into the protective care of the provincial child and family shelter. Subsequently, officials will mediate between the parents. The father wants a divorce and to raise the children himself, but the mother refuses and also wants custody of the children.

The Cabinet has approved 1.1 billion baht in central budget funds to prepare Thailand as host of the 2025 World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) annual meeting, expected to draw over 15,000 participants from around the world. The event will showcase Thailand's economic capabilities on the international stage and strengthen global cooperation.

Government Spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek announced that the Cabinet approved budget preparations for hosting the annual meeting of the World Bank Governors and the International Monetary Fund for 2025, allocating 1,162.27 million baht from the central emergency and contingency fund for fiscal year 2025. The Budget Bureau will distribute funds to the Office of Fiscal Policy, the main responsible agency, to proceed with host preparations. The office must prepare comprehensive facilities including conference venues, registration areas, information technology systems, office equipment, furniture, and materials meeting IMF and World Bank standards.

All preparations must be completed before the IMF and World Bank's inspection period in September-October 2025 to ensure readiness for the conference scheduled for October 12-18, 2025. Hosting this meeting demonstrates Thailand's capability and readiness as an international conference host, serving as an important platform to present Thailand's economic concepts and policies to the global community while offering opportunities to expand cooperation and knowledge exchange with member countries.

The 2025 annual meeting is considered the world's most important financial and economic conference, aligned with the government's policy to "establish Thailand's role on the global stage" and foster cooperation with international economic organizations and development groups. Participants will include finance ministers serving as World Bank governors from 189 member countries and central bank governors serving as IMF governors from 191 member countries, with approximately 15,000 attendees expected from around the world.

The Thai Cycling Association has assembled its technical and coaching staff to comprehensively analyze the performance of Thai cyclists across all disciplines competing in preparation for the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, scheduled from September 19 to October 4. The analysis covers road, track, mountain bike, and BMX categories to develop improved training and competition strategies. The effort extends beyond the Asian Games to earning qualification points for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Lieutenant General Decha Hemkasemsri, vice president of the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC), president of the Asian Cycling Federation (ACF), and president of the Thai Cycling Association, revealed that the association is preparing detailed analysis of Thai cyclists' performances. He noted that Thailand's track sprint team of Chay Angsuthasawit, Yeanyong Phetrat, and Narsetrattada Boonma recently achieved 6th place in Malaysia, improving the world team sprint ranking from 19th to 15th place as of April 28.

The analysis will also compare rival nations expected at the Asian Games in Japan, including hosts Japan, China, Malaysia, South Korea, Hong Kong, India, and Taiwan, which have shown rapid development. Coaching staff will design targeted training programs for track sprinters with dual objectives: success at the Asian Games and qualification for the 2028 Olympics, with competition intensity increasing from July 2026 through April 2028. Hemkasemsri noted the association has already spent over 600,000 baht on three track events since February, excluding equipment costs, while still maintaining competition programs in road cycling, mountain biking, and BMX racing for Olympic qualification point accumulation.

Smartphone usage has transformed media consumption habits, making short, concise, and instantly accessible content the mainstream entertainment trend globally known as Verticaltainment. AIS customer data shows vertical series app usage has surged 56% within a year, gaining 3 million new users for a current monthly user base of 9 million. This rapid growth reflects modern consumers' desire for engaging content that requires minimal time commitment and is accessible anywhere, anytime. To address this demand, AIS partnered with ReelShort, the world's top vertical series platform, bringing premium content to Thai audiences first.

Lairshai Khadtrup, AIS Mobile Business Division Executive Head, announced AIS's aggressive expansion into the vertical series market through collaboration with global platform ReelShort, which houses the world's largest vertical series library with over 4,000 titles. AIS launched the 5G ReelShort package at just 39 baht monthly with internet specifically designed for series streaming—a first in Southeast Asia. This positions Thailand as a strategic hub for ReelShort's regional expansion.

Trup stated, "Today, AIS is becoming a fully-fledged Digital Intelligent Platform, creating an ecosystem connecting all digital experiences through partnerships with leading platforms to support every lifestyle, especially the rapidly growing vertical series format worldwide. With over 4,000 titles updated daily in Thai dubbing and subtitles, our ReelShort collaboration strengthens AIS's digital ecosystem and positions us as the single most comprehensive vertical series platform for Thai users."

Joey Jia, CEO of Crazy Maple Studio, ReelShort's developer, revealed that ReelShort is the world's #1 microdrama platform with millions of daily users and 4,000+ premium entertainment titles spanning romance, fantasy, and thriller genres. The platform customizes content for each country, including Thai voice-over and subtitles. With backing from Crazy Maple Studio's Silicon Valley headquarters, content is produced at Hollywood standards for global audiences, with material specifically designed for mobile viewing.

Jia added, "This marks ReelShort's first partnership with a global telecom provider, establishing Thailand as a crucial base for Southeast Asian expansion, presenting a new model combining premium vertical content with telecom services."