A mechanic riding alongside a freight train driver has recounted the moments leading up to a catastrophic collision, explaining that he initially mistook a bus blocking the tracks for an advertisement sign until they drew closer. He quickly alerted the driver and both men pulled the emergency brake.

May 18 – Investigators have released new details about the freight train No. 2126 (Laem Chabang-Bang Sue) collision with Air-conditioned Bus Route 206 at the Makkasan railway crossing beneath the Airport Rail Link station on Asoke-Din Daeng Road in Bangkok. The collision resulted in a fire, killing 8 people and injuring more than 30 others on the afternoon of May 16.

Investigators examined CCTV footage near the scene and identified two people in cab seat No. 2 before the collision: Somphon (46), the freight train driver, and Siriphumi (21), the mechanic sitting beside him.

During questioning, Siriphumi revealed to authorities that from a distance of approximately 500 meters before reaching the intersection, he saw what appeared to be a parked bus that looked like an "advertisement sign." Only when the train drew to within 300 meters did he realize it was actually an air-conditioned bus blocking the tracks. He immediately signaled the driver, and both men pulled the brakes.

The train was traveling at approximately 35-40 kilometers per hour at the time of impact. Siriphumi confirmed he did not hear any radio communication and saw no one waving a red flag to warn them.

The Burapha Task Force has successfully reclaimed Thai territory, bringing residents of Nong Chan village back to their homeland for farming after more than 40 years of Cambodian occupation and control.

On May 18, 2025, the atmosphere along the Thai-Cambodian border in Kok Sung District, Sakaeo Province, has become active once again. The Burapha Task Force and specialist forest reserve units have entered the Nong Chan area in Non Makmun Subdistrict to ensure security and facilitate residents who are gradually bringing in tractors and heavy machinery to reclaim their agricultural land. Thailand has successfully restored sovereignty over the disputed territory after a lengthy period.

The area had been continuously invaded and occupied by Cambodian forces for over 40 years, causing many residents to lose the opportunity to farm their ancestral lands. Recently, the Thai military has fully secured and controlled the territory, allowing original landowners to begin returning home to rehabilitate the area for agricultural use once again.

Initially, four villagers have brought machinery to prepare the land, covering approximately 146 rai total, under strict security measures by military personnel. The area remains at risk from unexploded ordnance left over from past conflicts. During operations, officials discovered a suspicious object resembling a buried explosive device in an agricultural plot, prompting an immediate halt to clearing work and cordoning off the dangerous area. The Humanitarian Demining Unit 1 was called in to urgently inspect and retrieve the ordnance.

Authorities have stated they will expedite scanning and clearing operations to ensure the area is 100 percent safe before allowing residents to confidently return and resume farming. This marks another significant step in returning Thai territory to the people after they have waited for more than four decades.

May 18, 2026 – Wongthon Vimlaksorn, 28, legal department head at Sri Plang Energy Company Limited, filed a report with Udon Thani City Police after a motorist pumped a full tank of 95 octane gasoline at the Sri Plang gas station on the Udon Thani-Nong Bua Lamphu Road and fled without paying.

According to Wongthon's account, staff opened the station as usual around 5:03 AM when a man in his 40s driving a black Honda sedan—bearing an Udon Thani license plate—circled the pump once before pulling up. The driver requested a full tank of 95 octane gasoline. The female attendant obliged, filling the tank for 1,040 baht. As she was closing the fuel cap and about to collect payment, the man immediately drove off without paying, even taking the price sign that was positioned in front of his vehicle.

Jitthamas, 35, a gas station attendant with one year of experience earning 12,000 baht monthly, explained: "He lowered his window slightly, asked for a full tank of 95, so I filled it up. He said he'd scan to pay, so I was getting my phone ready when he just drove off. I was shocked and couldn't do anything right. I've never experienced this before. I'd like to tell that car—there's no need to do this. Our station already offers discounted prices, cheaper than competitors. Diesel is 30 satang less, and gasoline is 1 baht cheaper. I don't know what management will say. If they deduct my salary, it'll be tough. I'm hoping he'll come back and pay."

Police conducted a six-hour marathon interrogation of a train assistant before sending him for drug testing at the Police Hospital. Initial findings show the suspect, who recently completed railway school training and started work approximately one month ago, is still under investigation. The main focus is determining whether his role involved assisting the train driver or was limited to monitoring cargo containers.

Siriphummai, 21, a train mechanic and assistant driver, was called in for questioning at Makkasan Police Station this afternoon. At 7:47 p.m., Deputy Metropolitan Police Commissioner Siam Bunsawat arrived at the station to monitor the case progress and participate in the interrogation, along with Deputy Commissioner Sakyah Saengwan and other investigators assigned to the train-bus collision case.

After six hours of questioning, officers transferred Siriphummai to the Police Hospital for drug testing.

According to reports, Siriphummai recently graduated from railway school and has been employed for approximately one month. His primary duty is to monitor cargo containers on the train. Police plan to call in central railway experts on May 19 to clarify his job responsibilities and determine whether he assisted the train driver with signals or was solely responsible for the cargo section.

There were three railway staff members on the train: the driver, the mechanic, and the container counter. The container counter was not involved in this incident as he remained on the cargo section throughout the journey.

At the ISTAF Sepaktakraw World Cup 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on May 18, 2569, Thailand's men's four-player team took on Myanmar in the quarterfinals. Though the Thai team fought competitively, they fell short, losing 1-2 in sets with scores of 16-17, 15-6, and 12-15, unfortunately halting their progression in the tournament.

Barcelona has completed a contract extension with German head coach Hansi Flick through 2028 following his continued excellent work with the team, especially in leading them to consecutive La Liga championships. Flick took over Barcelona's helm in 2024 and has since guided the team to win back-to-back La Liga titles, as well as one Copa del Rey championship and two Spanish Super Cup titles. His original contract was set to expire in 2027, but the new extension adds one additional year and includes a further optional extension clause for another year. The 61-year-old coach expressed his satisfaction, stating: "I'm happy about this. We'll continue working together until 2028, which means both the club and I have the right to make decisions about the future. It's a good agreement, and I know I'm in the right place for me."