The Thai Volleyball Association held its 2025 Thai Volleyball Family Day with the theme 'Moving Forward Together' to express gratitude to national team athletes, coaches, and supporters who have advanced Thai volleyball to success. The event took place on May 24 at the Chatturathip Room of the Golden Tulip Sofitel in Bangkok, with Association President Somporn Chabangyang serving as opening chairman. The gathering honored coaches and athletes across indoor and beach volleyball of all age levels, as well as personnel and sponsors who contributed to the association's outstanding achievements throughout 2025, bringing honor to Thailand. Attendees included Air Vice Marshal Chanyarut Wongprasoet, Honorary Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Thai Volleyball Association, alongside former and current national team athletes, coaching staff, and sponsor representatives.

The association distributed awards to senior and youth team athletes as well as coaches who dedicated themselves with sacrifice, patience, and determination. Prize money totaling over 10 million baht came from the association and the National Sports Development Fund, with particular recognition for the women's indoor team's outstanding achievements, including a gold medal at the 2025 SEA Games, the 2025 SEA V.League championship, and a 13th place finish at the 2025 Women's Volleyball World Championship. The men's indoor team also captured the 2025 SEA Games gold medal with continuously improving performance.

The association also appointed Dissagorn Gunthon, chairman of the Playground Intelligence Development Foundation, as Honorary President of the Thai Volleyball Association in recognition of his support in building the association's international reputation. Association President Somporn Chabangyang stated that the event aimed to create warmth within the volleyball family while honoring benefactors and rewarding coaches and athletes who represented Thailand in international competitions throughout the past year. He noted that although prize money was limited this year due to significant budgetary expenditures on hosting the Women's Volleyball World Championship, all athletes understood and took pride in serving their nation.

Regarding preparations for the Thai women's volleyball team for the 2026 Volleyball Nations League, which begins the first week in June in China (June 3-7), foreign-based players have returned. The association plans to gather approximately 30 athletes before narrowing the roster to around 20 in line with Asian Games 2026 quotas, with possible retention of 1-2 additional players as injury replacements given the lengthy VNL competition schedule. The association will also prepare promising young athletes to gain international competition experience for future representation.

Health warning: A 56-year-old Chinese man endured three years of urinary obstruction without seeking treatment, only to discover a giant bladder stone weighing 1.3 kilograms requiring emergency surgery.

About three years ago, Mr. Chen (pseudonym), a 56-year-old farmer from Longtang in western Guangdong Province, China, began experiencing abnormal urination symptoms including frequent urination, difficulty urinating, and occasional sudden urinary interruptions that required him to change positions to successfully urinate.

Initially, Chen assumed his symptoms were related to common prostate problems and refused medical examination or treatment, choosing instead to use symptom-relief medication. His farm work also made it impractical to take time off for hospital visits.

As time progressed, his condition deteriorated significantly. He became reluctant to venture far from home, fearing sudden urinary episodes, and had to wake up multiple times nightly. This resulted in insufficient sleep and physical exhaustion.

Doctors noted that the stone, measuring 10×13 cm and weighing 1.3 kg—nearly equivalent to two adult fists combined—severely obstructed urine flow.

Eventually, his family persuaded him to seek medical treatment. Chen visited the urology department at Guangzhou Medical University Hospital in Shuixi City, where he received shocking news: doctors discovered a massive stone in his bladder.

The stone measured approximately 10 centimeters by 13 centimeters and weighed around 1.3 kilograms—nearly the size of two adult fists—and severely obstructed urine flow.

X-rays revealed that the stone occupied most of the bladder space and posed a life-threatening risk if left untreated due to continuous pressure on the bladder wall.

The hospital assembled a multidisciplinary medical team and developed a detailed surgical plan specifically for this case. The surgery ultimately succeeded, allowing Mr. Chen to return to normal life after years of suffering.

Source: Oddity Central

A devastating six-fatality traffic accident occurred on May 23 along the Khao Pib-Khao Thalue Road in Sawi District, Chumphon Province, when a pickup truck hydroplaned in heavy rain, crossed the center lane, and collided head-on with another vehicle. Among the victims was two-year-old child and a 2-year-old girl, with three additional injured. One of the deceased was 18-year-old Pattawarinton Nui-tung, known as "Pai," who was just days away from starting her nursing program at Boromarajonani College of Nursing, Suratthani—a dream she had worked tirelessly to achieve despite a difficult childhood.

Pai grew up in hardship, separated from her parents at age three and raised by her aunt and grandmother. She showed exceptional dedication to her studies, driven by her passion to become a nurse and help others. She had previously interned at the local hospital and volunteered with the rescue unit since high school, earning the affection of her colleagues and supervisors. Rescue official Piyyanat Noorat shared the emotional impact of discovering that one of the bodies they extracted was Pai, noting that her commitment to helping others never wavered despite life's challenges.

Pai's personal statement for her nursing school application has circulated online, moving many readers with its heartfelt expression of purpose and determination. She wrote of being inspired to care for others after frequently visiting hospitals as a sick child and caring for her diabetic grandfather. The line that particularly resonated with people was: "Determination never betrays anyone." Her body, along with two other relatives who died in the same accident, has been placed at the temple of the rescue association for a five-day funeral ceremony, with cremation scheduled for May 28, 2569. This tragedy not only took six lives but extinguished the bright future of a young woman whose dream of serving others will never be realized.

The PERODUA Malaysia Masters 2026, a World Tour Super 500 badminton championship with a total prize pool of $500,000 (approximately 16.25 million baht), took place at Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In the women's singles final on May 24, "Mai" Ratchanok Intanon, seeded second and ranked seventh globally, faced off against China's Chen Yufei, the tournament's top seed and fourth-ranked player in the world. Mai Ratchanok continued her impressive form, defeating her opponent 2-0 with set scores of 21-17 and 21-15 to clinch the championship title. She took home $37,500 (approximately 1.2 million baht) in prize money and claimed her third title of her career, marking her first championship of 2026. In the men's singles final, "Ikki" Panichpol Teeratanslug, ranked 28th globally, reached the championship match against China's Lii Shi Feng, ranked seventh worldwide, but fell short with a 0-2 loss (16-21, 17-21). Ikki earned the runner-up prize of $19,000 (approximately 620,000 baht).

Wisuth Tantinunt, a Pheu Thai party list MP, responded to Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Yotchanan Wongswadi's remarks made during a special forum at Chiang Mai University, where Yotchanan suggested that increasing Thai citizens' income would reduce corruption and that poverty should be the priority. Wisuth disagreed, arguing that Yotchanan's assumption contradicts research data and international comparisons used for trade and investment purposes.

Wisuth presented evidence showing that Thailand scored only 33 out of 100 points on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) in 2024, the lowest since surveys began, ranking 116th out of 182 countries. This represents a continuous decline from Thailand's 59th place ranking in 1998. Notably, while Thailand's per capita income of approximately $7,000 annually exceeds competitors like Indonesia and Vietnam, both countries rank higher on the CPI (Vietnam at 107th, Indonesia at 111th).

Globally, Wisuth noted that over 20 countries with lower per capita incomes than Thailand have higher CPI scores, including Bhutan, Rwanda, Benin, Ghana, India, Mongolia, and Ethiopia. Additionally, data from the 2020 Global Corruption Barometer covering 17 Asian countries showed that 24 percent of Thai respondents admitted to paying bribes in the past 12 months, ranking Thailand 5th highest, ahead of countries with lower incomes like Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Nepal.

"These facts show that corruption doesn't depend solely on income but on other factors such as strong oversight mechanisms like developed nations have, reducing bureaucratic steps that enable corruption as seen in Vietnam and Indonesia," Wisuth stated. "Most importantly, it requires political commitment to view corruption as a priority problem requiring immediate action, equal to poverty issues, without making excuses to minimize its importance."

"Association with those of unequal conduct brings hardship," a spiritual reflection from Luang Pho Cha Subhaddo of Wat Nong Pa Phong in Ubon Ratchathani. Phra Kru Choti Watrimol, known as Luang Pu Haem Thammacho of Wat Sri Wa Boriburn Pisai (Wat Ban Jarphat) in Sai Khram District, Surin Province, was a renowned venerable teacher who created multiple sacred objects. His most celebrated work is the "first edition coin" cast in 1987, with 5,000 pieces distributed to disciples and military and police personnel along the border. The coin features a Siamese-style design in alpaca metal, displaying a seated meditation image on the obverse with the monk's name inscribed below, while the reverse bears a three-pointed fan amulet with the temple's details inscribed underneath. These amulets have become highly popular among devotees due to their distinctive qualities, commanding considerable prices and remaining rare today.

Retracing to 2014, Luang Pho Mian Kammano, abbot of Wat Ja Niang Wanarama in Buriram Province, created the "Phra Kring Chinbanchorn Conqueror of Demons" amulet to generate revenue for temple maintenance. The bell-shaped amulet features encoded numbers and was consecrated on October 28, 2014, becoming highly sought after.

Phra Kru Niwat Thammakhan, known as Luang Pho Doem Putthaso of Wat Nong Pho in Phichit Province, venerated as the deity of Sikhio, created numerous sacred objects including dancing figurines, lions, yantra cloth talismans, and amulets. His most celebrated work is the "1939 edition coin," an oval amulet featuring a full-bodied meditation image seated on inverted and upright lotus pedestals, with "Age 80, 60th Buddhist Era" inscribed below. The reverse displays a five-pointed yantra with Khmer script and the year 1939, making it a legendary and highly coveted amulet.

Luang Pho Pan Sonanto of Wat Bang Nom Kho in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, a respected master, first created sacred amulets around 1907 in various styles. In 1917, he developed the second edition with improved designs, divided into six main styles: rooster, garuda, hanuman, fish, ant, and bird forms. The rooster style became the most popular, featuring a rectangular fired-clay design with beveled corners, embossed Khmer script on the sides representing the opening verse of the Tripitaka, and a rooster design supporting the base on the reverse—a classic form that remains highly valued in amulet circles to this day.