On May 15, Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkoskulkiat chaired a meeting to drive forward the policy for upgrading school bus safety standards to international levels. The meeting included the Director-General of the Department of Land Transport Sarapong Paiturpong and representatives from relevant agencies including the Ministry of Education, Office of the Basic Education Commission, Department of Local Administration, National Police Office, Consumer Protection Committee, Consumer Organizations Council, and road safety experts.

Deputy Minister Siripong stated that this meeting is part of implementing the government's policy to elevate school buses to international standards. The government prioritizes the welfare and safety of children and youth who will become the nation's future workforce. The objective is to integrate all school buses operating outside the regulatory system into proper oversight processes so that every vehicle meets safety standards prescribed by law. Lessons from past incidents will be analyzed to strengthen preventive measures.

Implementing school bus safety measures is not solely the responsibility of the Transport Ministry but requires cooperation and integration across relevant agencies. The Ministry of Education, through schools and educational institutions, must play a role in ensuring safe and convenient student transportation. The Ministry of Interior, through its Department of Local Administration, will drive area-level integration efforts and emphasize that local authorities must prioritize school bus services, particularly for disadvantaged children.

The Transport Ministry has been continuously working to upgrade school bus safety standards. The Department of Land Transport coordinated with the Ministry of Education to create a school bus database through schoolbussafety.dlt.go.th. To prepare for the new academic term, provincial transport offices have been instructed to coordinate with schools to inspect the braking systems of all school buses, as brake failure has been a major cause of recent accidents. Buses that fail inspection must be repaired before being used for student transportation.

The Deputy Minister emphasized that school bus safety is a complex issue involving multiple agencies and requires ongoing coordination.

A Philippine senator wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity has fled the Senate, where he had taken refuge to avoid arrest, according to officials. Sen. Ronald dela Rosa left the heavily guarded Senate building following volleys of gunfire Wednesday night exchanged between the building's security personnel and government agents positioned nearby, an incident that sparked confusion and apparently enabled his escape.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued a late-night television statement urging the public to remain calm, while police launched an investigation into suspicions that the shooting was deliberately orchestrated to provide dela Rosa with cover. "There is no obstruction of justice," Senate President Alan Cayetano stated regarding the senator's departure while under Senate protective custody, claiming he had not seen any ICC arrest warrant and that dela Rosa was free to leave.

Critics have called for Cayetano and the Senate security chief to be held accountable for the senator's escape. The 64-year-old dela Rosa served as national police chief under former President Rodrigo Duterte (2016-2022), who was arrested last March on an ICC warrant for alleged crimes against humanity related to deadly anti-drug operations. An ICC warrant unsealed Monday charges dela Rosa with crimes against humanity, specifically the murder of at least 32 people between July 2016 and April 2018, during his tenure leading the national police under Duterte's brutal drug war.

Dela Rosa has challenged the warrant's legality and petitioned the Supreme Court to block Philippine government enforcement of it. The court ordered dela Rosa and government officials to provide additional details within 72 hours. Both dela Rosa and Duterte have denied authorizing extrajudicial killings, though the former president previously made public threats against drug suspects.

The situation reflects escalating political tensions between the Duterte and Marcos families. Vice President Sara Duterte, Duterte's daughter, has accused Marcos of "kidnapping" her father and handing him over to a foreign court. These disputes underscore long-standing divisions within the Philippine democracy. On Monday, Sara Duterte faced impeachment by the House of Representatives, dominated by Marcos allies, over alleged unexplained wealth, misuse of state funds, and public threats to assassinate Marcos, his wife, and the House speaker if she were killed in their intensifying conflict. She has denied the allegations.

NAKHON RATCHASIMA — May 15, 2026: Two dogs were rescued after being left trapped inside a parked car under the hot sun for several hours in northeastern Thailand, prompting concern from local residents who feared the animals could die from heat exposure.

The incident occurred near Talad Nok market in Sikhio district, where residents noticed the dogs had been left inside the vehicle from the morning until around midday during extremely hot weather. The car windows had been left slightly open.

Video recorded by bystanders showed the dogs appearing weak and distressed inside the overheated vehicle. A white dog was seen lying beneath the driver's seat, while a brown dog struggled with its head stuck through a partially opened window, panting heavily and whining for help.

Unable to free itself or climb back into the vehicle, the brown dog remained trapped as local residents and market vendors attempted to cool the car by pouring water over it while waiting for authorities to arrive.

A local vendor said residents became alarmed after noticing the dogs had been inside the vehicle for an unusually long time during intense heat and feared the animals could suffer fatal heatstroke.

Disaster prevention officers from Sikhio municipality later arrived at the scene and forced open the vehicle after failing to locate the owner.

Officials immediately removed the white dog from the car, while the brown dog required additional assistance because its head remained wedged in the window opening. A motorcycle taxi rider helped support the animal's body while rescuers carefully freed its head.

The vehicle owner later returned and apologised, saying personal business had taken longer than expected.

Municipal disaster prevention officials warned the public not to leave children or pets unattended inside parked vehicles during hot weather, even if windows are partially opened, because temperatures inside cars can rise rapidly and become life-threatening within a short period.

On May 15, 2024, the Port Authority of Thailand clarified its mission to provide water transport services with transparency and accountability in accordance with good governance principles. A joint private sector committee comprising the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Thai Industries, and Thai Bankers Association, working with the Zero Corruption initiative, surveyed 401 business executives and representatives nationwide between March 26 and April 10, 2024, revealing that the Port Authority ranked fourth in rates of bribery solicitation at 90 percent and second in average bribe values at 100,000 baht per transaction.

The Port Authority explained that it handles licensing, certification, and permits for maritime and water transport services, including vessel registration, maritime permits, and navigation authorizations. In fiscal year 2024, the department processed 287,427 service transactions, including 42,788 vessel registrations, 36,021 maritime certificates, 12,818 crew member documents, 53,364 vessel inspections, 40,554 piloting services, 77,449 port departure permits, and various other authorizations.

The Port Authority commits to transparent and ethical service delivery through electronic systems for permit applications and payments since 2015, reducing direct contact between officials and citizens. The department plans to publish service standards and consumer rights information, including fee transparency, electronic payment options, service completion timeframes, and complaint procedures through its website and Facebook, with a hotline at 1199 for reporting misconduct or bribery allegations.

On May 15, 2025, at Parliament during the first joint parliamentary session, urgent agenda items were considered including approval to review bills that parliament has not yet endorsed and that remain incomplete under Section 147, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution. Member discussions began at 10:00 AM. At 3:00 PM, Phraratchadap Parisunanuntakul, Minister Attached to the Office of the Prime Minister, clarified that the government appreciated members' input and reaffirmed its sincerity and commitment to respecting the legislative institution. The government endorses not only bills from the executive but also from parliament members and the public sector. Among the 34 bills, the government's endorsement reflects careful consideration of legislative proposals, with the cabinet having endorsed bills twice for valid reasons.

Phraratchadap emphasized that if the government were insincere, it could easily approve all 100-plus bills or reject every single one, as previous governments have done. Instead, the government has demonstrated clear intent through thorough analysis and deliberation. Regarding the village health volunteer compensation bill, which the cabinet did not endorse, Phraratchadap explained this was not due to neglect but concern that provisions for volunteers over 60 years old could create problems, as many volunteers fall within the 60-70 age range. The Public Health Ministry will accelerate the bill promptly.

On constitutional amendments, Phraratchadap stated the government and Bhumjaithai Party are sincere and committed, having coordinated with party leaders. On May 19, if no obstacles arise, all 190 parliament members will submit a constitutional amendment draft to parliament to align with public referendum results of 21.6 million votes. He explained the government has not endorsed pending constitutional amendment drafts because parliament should initiate the process, and the pending draft has problems that previously led to dissolution and raises Senate authority issues that would likely fail in the Senate.

Phraratchadap concluded: "With the new parliament, it is appropriate for them to submit new constitutional amendment proposals. Bhumjaithai, with 192 votes, has already pioneered this, demonstrating our commitment to amending the Constitution in line with the 21 million citizens who voted in the February 8 referendum."

At 3:40 PM, Abhisit Vejjajiva, Thai Democratic Party list MP, rose to question and thank the minister for the clarification, noting the minister attempted to explain the endorsement process.

On May 15, 2025, reporters documented the collapse of the "Crab Sculpture" at Kuan Pring intersection in Trang's downtown area, which had cost 1.38 million baht to build. The structure, comprising steel framework, plastering, finishing, and painting work, had been left to deteriorate and suddenly collapsed. Fortunately, no injuries or deaths were reported.

Investigation revealed that both crab claws protruding from the main body had broken and crashed to the ground in severe condition. The internal structure showed 4-inch-wide steel boxes only millimeters thick serving as the main load-bearing elements, which had fractured and failed. Welding connections throughout the structure were cracked and damaged at nearly every joint, with visible rust and corrosion on all steel members. The wire mesh reinforcement for the plaster had rusted through and torn from its binding wires, while the 4-centimeter concrete coating had cracked and deteriorated significantly.

Nearby, a "Golden Shower Tree" sculpture constructed for 560,000 baht showed no structural damage yet but displayed clear signs of neglect and deterioration. Together, these two sculptures consumed 1.94 million baht in combined construction costs. The site has even been used by residents to tether cattle for grazing.

These monuments were initiated in 2017 under Governor Siripat Pattakul using 119.6 million baht in supplementary funding from the Andaman Coast Southern Province Group for a four-location tourism development project launched by Trang Highway Office. The project included three road development initiatives and one area-specific development program, with Trang Province overseeing contracts and the Highway Department controlling construction supervision.

The four locations featured sculptures celebrating southern and Trang identities: bullfighting monuments at Andaman intersection, sculptures under an elevated bridge near Siri Trang Garden, fisheries-themed monuments at Kuan Pring intersection, and sea gypsies and cycling-themed sculptures at Ban Kuan intersection, each costing approximately 30 million baht.