The Department of Geology has explained that a 5.3 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar was caused by movement along the Sagaing Fault, with two aftershocks recorded. Residents in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Chiang Mai, and Lampang felt tremors, but authorities confirm no structural damage to buildings occurred.

On May 18, 2025, the Geological Disaster Operations Center of the Department of Mineral Resources under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment reported a 5.3 magnitude earthquake occurring at 09:05 AM Thailand time at a depth of 10 kilometers in the sea near southern Myanmar's coast. This was classified as a moderate earthquake, located at latitude 16.351°N and longitude 96.286°E, approximately 247 kilometers southwest of Mae Sod District in Tak Province and about 500 kilometers from Bangkok. Two aftershocks measuring 2.7-3.2 magnitude were recorded by 2:00 PM.

The earthquake was caused by movement along the Sagaing Fault in Myanmar, a right-lateral strike-slip fault moving at approximately 2 centimeters per year. Historically, this fault has produced major earthquakes, including a 7.3 magnitude quake in 1930 that killed over 500 people, and an 8.2 magnitude earthquake on March 28, 2025, which killed over 5,000 people and was felt across many areas of Thailand.

The tremors from this earthquake were felt by residents in high-rise buildings in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Chiang Mai, and Lampang, with intensity classified at level 4 (light) on the Modified Mercalli Scale. Most people felt the shaking, but it caused no structural damage to buildings. The Geological Disaster Operations Center continues to monitor and assess the situation, providing guidance to networks and the public while coordinating with relevant agencies to closely track ongoing seismic activity.

On May 18 at Parliament, Raveesak Prisananantakul, coalition coordinator and Ang Thong representative from the Bhumjaithai Party, discussed the coalition meeting schedule and substantive issues. He explained that May 20 would be the first week for Cabinet-initiated laws to be considered, alongside Senate amendments and previously completed matters in various legislative stages. Regarding the train-bus collision at the Asok-Din Daeng intersection, the coalition plans to submit an urgent oral motion on May 20 to allow Parliament to voice opinions and recommendations to the Cabinet for enhanced safety measures and prevention strategies. When asked about constitutional amendments, Raveesak stated the Bhumjaithai Party would hold an internal meeting on May 19 to discuss substantive content before agreeing on a timeline. Concerning the Constitutional Court's acceptance of the 400-billion-baht emergency decree, he expressed confidence it should not be problematic, but noted the court has 60 days to rule and Parliament has suspended its consideration pending the court's decision, as parliamentary review can only proceed following the Constitutional Court's judgment.

CANNES, France — Thai actor Keng Harit turned heads at the 79th Cannes Film Festival red carpet on May 18, 2026, with the hashtag #KengHaritAtCannes topping global trends on X. The actor from Thai production company Domundi impressed international media with his confident presence, dressed in a bespoke AMI Paris ensemble featuring a white poplin shirt with a distinctive knotted collar and tailored black suit, accessorized with a Chopard caterpillar-shaped brooch for the Spanish film premiere El Ser Querido. From the moment he left his hotel, fans propelled #KengHaritAtCannes to number one trending in Thailand and number three globally on X, demonstrating the rising international popularity of the Thai star and his growing fanbase both domestically and abroad.

An elderly woman facing hardship has just discovered she contracted a serious disease from her new husband. With her children and grandchildren unable to provide care and her son homeless, she placed her final hope on asking her granddaughter to drive her to a temple, seeking what she hoped would be a final refuge in life. However, she has encountered restrictions under religious department rules.

On May 18, 2025, at Sai Hairm Temple in Lam Luka district, Pathum Thani province, Phra Ajarn Ard Sophon Pattavet, the temple's abbot and district religious official, revealed that temple staff notified him that security cameras captured a white sedan entering the temple grounds at 9:12 AM that morning. The car parked in front of the abbot's residence before letting the elderly woman struggle to get her belongings out of the vehicle and then driving away immediately.

When temple staff and monks questioned her, they learned she was a 63-year-old from Prachuap Khiri Khan province suffering from a serious illness and mobility issues requiring a walking stick. She explained that in 2018, she lived with a new husband at a temple in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. When he later died from the same serious disease, she discovered she had been infected by him.

After that, the temple could no longer accommodate her due to religious regulations prohibiting women from residing alone within temple grounds. She then sought shelter with her sister and her daughter, whom the sister was raising. However, she was asked to leave after a short time. She then moved in with her granddaughter in Pathum Thani province, but after about a month, the granddaughter said she was unable to care for her due to her in-laws needing to stay there for medical treatment. With nowhere else to turn, the elderly woman decided to seek the compassion of the temple and asked her granddaughter to drive her there.

Phra Ajarn Ard expressed deep sympathy, noting that the elderly woman could barely walk and suffered from chronic illness with no family willing to care for her. He acknowledged the temple's dilemma: "This is not an animal we can simply leave at the temple for care. If it were an animal, we could feed it. But this is a human being, a woman, and according to temple regulations, we cannot allow a woman to reside alone within the temple grounds."

He explained that while the temple has female volunteers who work and then return home, no one resides permanently in the temple. "We cannot blame society. We must look at the reasons and circumstances. The family said they were unprepared and unable to care for her. But what specifically prevented them? This requires a family conversation to find alternative solutions, not simply abandoning her at the temple like this."

Phra Ajarn Ard coordinated with Bun Pibulyanasthan, head of social welfare promotion at Lam Sam Gaew Municipality in Pathum Thani, who came to investigate and interview the woman. Officials discovered she has two children and had previously stayed with a monk brother in Prachuap Khiri Khan, but was told she couldn't stay due to being a woman, citing religious department regulations prohibiting women from residing alone in temples.

When officials contacted her daughter, she said she was unable to provide care. Her son was found to be homeless with no fixed address, unable to care for his mother. When they contacted the granddaughter who drove her to the temple, she also said she couldn't accommodate her and claimed the grandmother decided to ask the temple for shelter herself.

Initially, Lam Sam Gaew Municipality officials coordinated with the Pathum Thani provincial office of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security to provide temporary care under their supervision. They are now investigating the family's capacity to care for the elderly woman.

A 45-year-old woman named Ms. Malai filed a report on May 18 with Thai Noi Police Station in Nonthaburi, alleging that Je Duan, 51, assaulted her by splashing hot coconut milk on her waist, causing severe burns and blisters on both legs. The incident occurred at 7 p.m. on May 17 at a construction worker camp in Thai Noi District.

When reporters visited the camp, they found Je Duan, the camp supervisor, who provided a different account. Ms. Pattaya, the owner of the coconut milk pot who was cooking curry, stated she was standing at a table preparing ingredients when the two parties began arguing near her location. When Je Duan walked past, Ms. Pattaya feared they would collide with her pot, so she moved it indoors. However, someone bumped into her from behind as she lifted the pot, causing the hot coconut milk to spill on her own arm. She then threw the pot away in pain, and the liquid splashed onto Ms. Malai.

Je Duan explained that she had walked to Ms. Malai's room to confront her about spreading gossip. During their conversation, she invited Ms. Malai to talk outside the camp. As they walked, the walkway was slippery, causing Ms. Malai to slip and pull Je Duan's arm, which caused Ms. Malai to collide with Ms. Pattaya, who was holding the hot pot. Je Duan denied deliberately splashing the coconut milk, characterizing it as an accident from the fall.

Je Duan acknowledged speaking loudly but denied using harsh language toward Ms. Malai. She stated that Ms. Malai typically complains about her to other workers, claiming Je Duan acts superior. Je Duan reiterated that Ms. Pattaya, the actual pot holder preparing curry, was the only one handling the pot, and that the incident was purely accidental. She confirmed her willingness to cooperate with police investigations and presented Ms. Pattaya as a witness to corroborate her account.

On May 18, 2025, Surapong Intharawat, Secretary-General of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), announced that the NACC has resolved to indict Boonthong Teriraphirom, former Commerce Minister, for unusual wealth accumulation totaling 107,020,830 baht. During his tenure from January 18, 2012 to June 30, 2013, while serving as Vice Chairman of the National Rice Policy Committee and Chairman of the Rice Distribution Sub-committee, he reported legitimate income from salary and position allowances of only 2,083,320 baht, with his spouse earning an additional 200,000 baht annually in land rental income. However, investigation revealed substantial unexplained bank deposits across multiple accounts held by him, his spouse, children, and two companies he founded where his mother-in-law had withdrawal authority. Supreme Court final judgments in criminal cases numbered Amorndham 25/2558, 1/2559, 178/2560, and 179/2560 confirmed Boonthong committed fraud in the rice pledging program and state-to-state (G to G) rice sales, causing severe damage to the national budget. The identified assets include 300,000 baht in his name, 3.1 million in his spouse's accounts, 70.6 million in his children's accounts, and 33 million in two company accounts. The NACC has determined all 107,020,830 baht in assets constitute unusual wealth and has referred the case to the Attorney General to petition the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Politicians to order asset forfeiture to the state under the 2017 Anti-Corruption Organization Act, Section 118.