The Smart Water Operations Center (SWOC) of the Royal Irrigation Department announced on May 23, 2569 that continuous monitoring of water conditions in the Chao Phraya River basin shows steadily increasing water flow from upstream areas entering the basin.

As of 6:00 AM on May 23, 2569, measurements at Station C.2 in Muang District, Nakhon Sawan recorded water flow of 893 cubic meters per second, causing water levels above the Chao Phraya Dam to rise to +16.54 meters. The Chao Phraya Dam is currently releasing 300 cubic meters per second to maintain appropriate water management standards, with water levels controlled not to exceed +16.60 meters. Water flow through the dam is projected to increase to approximately 500-700 cubic meters per second based on upstream water conditions and current rainfall patterns. This volume is not expected to impact downstream areas.

The Royal Irrigation Department continues to monitor water levels, weather conditions, and water management while coordinating with relevant agencies. Residents in low-lying areas along the Chao Phraya River are advised to monitor updates closely to prepare for potential situations and minimize impacts. Additional water situation information is available at https://www2.rid.go.th/th/main

Following the tragic Bangkok train-bus collision that killed 8 people, there are concerns that authorities will only apply temporary solutions rather than address root causes. However, Police Commander General Siam Bunsorn recently convened a multi-agency meeting to develop short, medium, and long-term preventive measures. Representatives from the Transport Ministry, State Railway of Thailand, Bangkok Mass Transit Authority, Department of Land Transport, Department of Rail Transport, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, and local police precincts attended. Bangkok has 58 railway crossing points spanning 28 police station areas. The meeting discussed installing warning systems, automatic barriers, and deploying traffic officers at crossings. Enforcement of traffic laws against violators was also addressed, with potential legal amendments needed for effectiveness. Authorities identified 19 high-risk crossing points, classified by threat level (red, yellow, green), requiring immediate physical remediation. Train schedules must be coordinated with police to manage road traffic flow and prevent vehicles from stalling on tracks. A new communication channel between police and railways will be established for urgent situations. Medium and long-term solutions will include technology installation to improve operational efficiency. A key finding was that coordination between police and railways has been inadequate and poorly integrated. When train schedules are known, police must clear traffic from crossing areas as a priority to prevent congestion. The tragedy that claimed 8 lives and destroyed numerous vehicles represents losses that should never happen again. Serious preventive measures must be implemented—not just temporary responses. The fact that Police Commander General Siam is actively convening these meetings offers hope that such disasters may be prevented going forward.

On May 23, 2569, Deputy Government Spokesperson Lalida Pheriswivatvana revealed that the government under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is advancing grassroots economic stimulation through the Thai Helps Thai Plus 60/40 program to reduce the cost of living for citizens while increasing income for small entrepreneurs, community shops, and local businesses across the country. Merchant registration began on May 25, 2569.

Merchants who previously participated in the People Get Half Plus program can confirm their participation through the Tung Ngoen app from May 25 to September 30, 2569, while new merchants can register through Krung Thai Bank branches from May 25 to July 31, 2569. Massage shops, spas, nail salons, and hair salons are not eligible to participate in this round.

Spending through participating merchants will run from June 1 to September 30, 2569, between 6:00 AM and 11:00 PM, while food delivery transactions will begin June 15, 2569, operating from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM to provide convenient access to goods and services and create additional revenue channels for merchants.

The Thai Helps Thai Plus 60/40 program is another significant government measure to drive the domestic economy through support from the public sector, citizens, and small entrepreneurs to ensure money circulates through grassroots economies and sustains consumer purchasing power during economic recovery.

"The government invites merchants nationwide to participate in the program to increase trading opportunities, expand customer bases, and contribute to driving Thailand's economy from the community level," Lalida said, expressing confidence that distributing economic opportunities to small merchants and local communities will strengthen Thailand's economy sustainably.

The government is also opening citizen registration for the Thai Helps Thai Plus program through the Pao Tang app from May 25 to May 29, 2569, between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM until 30 million rights are allocated or registration closes on May 29, whichever comes first.

Previous People Get Half Plus program beneficiaries can register and check results through Pao Tang app notifications, while first-time participants can register and verify eligibility through SMS and app notifications.

Eligible registrants must be Thai nationals aged 18 and above on registration date, hold a national ID card, have not been restricted by the NACC or ordered to refund money from previous government programs including the People Get Half, Phase 2 through Phase 5 programs, and must not be registered for the state welfare card according to the Finance Ministry database as of May 18, 2569.

On May 23, 2025, 57-year-old Prachuak Sriphu, a wooden furniture shop owner in Muang District, Buriram Province, came forward with her son Punyapat Latthiwach and son-in-law Bunchaa Yodinthorn seeking assistance. They claim that in early October 2024, Prachuak purchased a pickup truck in her son's name for her daughter and son-in-law to use for furniture transport work. She then pledged the vehicle as collateral with a local moneylender for a 45,000-baht loan in Buriram city center.

"Within three months, I tried to reclaim the truck, but the moneylender refused," Prachuak explained. "He eventually claimed the vehicle had been dismantled. If I wanted a vehicle back, he said he'd find me one with a swapped license plate, but I'd have to pay an additional 120,000 baht. I refused because I didn't want an illegal vehicle. After multiple attempts to recover the original truck, he kept repeating the same story."

Prachuak said she decided to file a complaint at Muang Buriram Police Station in mid-February 2025. Investigators scheduled a mediation meeting at a hotel, but the moneylender refused to attend. The case remains unresolved.

According to Prachuak, she took out the loan during a period of financial difficulty. The moneylender deducted 4,500 baht in advance interest and 1,500 baht in storage fees from the 45,000-baht loan, leaving her with only 39,000 baht in cash. The moneylender charged 10 percent monthly interest without specifying a redemption date, requiring 4,500 baht monthly interest payments until the principal was repaid. Prachuak trusted him because he was familiar to the family—her son-in-law had previously played soccer for his team.

When she tried to contact him about reclaiming the truck, he became evasive. Eventually he claimed the vehicle had been dismantled and offered to provide a plate-swapped vehicle instead, initially asking for 60,000 baht down. Prachuak refused, emphasizing she wanted the original truck back, not an illegal substitute.

The moneylender's wife stated this was merely an offer and that recovering the original truck was impossible since it had been dismantled. If Prachuak accepted the swapped-plate vehicle, the price would be 120,000 to 150,000 baht, with 60,000 baht required upfront.

When Prachuak questioned how she could trust them without documentation and with the original truck still unreturned, the moneylender's wife became angry and threw them out, using derogatory language. This sparked an argument.

After leaving, Prachuak called the moneylender husband, who had remained silent during the discussion with his wife. She pleaded for him to allow her to reclaim the vehicle, explaining she was stuck paying the loan while unable to use the truck for work.

The moneylender falsely claimed that Prachuak's son-in-law had already reclaimed the truck on November 7, 2024. He also mentioned knowing police officers, suggesting she might not receive fair treatment. He threatened to file a complaint with a lawyer if she didn't back down.

Tonight's football program features the DFB-Pokal final as Bayern Munich takes on defending champions Stuttgart, while the Champions League will determine which teams advance to the semi-finals.

Football: Germany's DFB-Pokal Final May 23, 2025

Bayern Munich vs Stuttgart (1:00 AM, broadcast on True Premier Football 4) This is a clash between two Bundesliga sides: Bayern Munich's "Southern Tigers" face defending champions Stuttgart's "White Horse" at Berlin's Olympiastadion.

Bayern's path: Won against Wehen Wiesbaden 3-2, Cologne 4-1, Union Berlin 3-2, RB Leipzig 2-0 in the semi-final, and Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 in the final four.

Stuttgart's path: Drew with Eintracht Braunschweig 3-3 (extra time 4-4, won 8-7 on penalties), beat Mainz 2-0, Bochum 2-0, Holstein Kiel 3-0, and Freiburg 1-1 (won 2-1 in extra time).

Bayern is expected to field Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Luis Díaz, while Stuttgart will likely start Denis Undav, Ermedin Demirovič, and Bilal El Khannouss.

Bayern appears to have the superior quality and are favored to win and complete a domestic double this season.

Italian Serie A matches also scheduled, including Bologna vs Inter Milan (11:00 PM), Lazio vs Pisa (1:45 AM), and several Spanish La Liga matches at 2:00 AM featuring Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao, Valencia vs Barcelona, Espanyol vs Real Sociedad, Celta Vigo vs Seville, Getafe vs Osasuna, Real Betis vs Levanté, and Deportivo Alavés vs Rayo Vallecano.

The Cabinet has approved the Thailand Helping Thailand Plus program, a cost-of-living relief measure for 2025 with a budget cap of 175,718.66 million baht under a 200 billion baht loan framework. Registration opens through the Pao Tang app from May 25-29, 2025 between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM to receive a total of 4,000 baht distributed at 1,000 baht per month for four months.

The program covers 30 million ordinary citizens under a 60-40 cost-sharing model where the government covers 60% and citizens contribute 40% of expenses to access the benefit. Once registered and identity verified, citizens can use the benefit from June 1 to September 30 at participating merchants only, with a daily government subsidy cap of 200 baht.

An additional 13.18 million state welfare cardholders will automatically receive increased benefits totaling 1,000 baht monthly between June and September under the same terms.

A key condition is that each person can only receive one benefit and cannot use it in duplicate with the state welfare card. Unused portions of the allowance within a month cannot be carried over to the following month.

The program aims to help citizens and small business operators cope with the cost-of-living crisis driven by rising energy costs that have inflated goods and service prices. By providing timely relief across both target groups, the government seeks to prevent purchasing power from contracting further.

The initiative also supports small retailers nationwide impacted by rising costs, helping them sustain operations while learning digital commerce and AI systems. Previously participating merchants in the People First Plus program can confirm their eligibility through the Tung Ngoen app from May 25 to September 30. New merchants can register at Bangkok Bank branches from May 25 to July 31.

Building on previous government programs, this is a short-term relief measure requiring complementary policies to sustainably improve living standards and foster genuine self-reliance among citizens.