Students in various uniforms are enthusiastically gathering leaves to thatch the roof of a 'tub,' a traditional temporary shelter, creating a captivating scene at the Ban Wang Sai Thong tourism site in Satun Province.

This is more than just entertainment—it represents the transmission of forest wisdom through a new generation of Mani youth adapting to the outside world.

Mani students from Ban Wang Sai Thong School demonstrate their expertise in constructing 'tubs' from selecting and layering leaves as weatherproof roofing, building fires for warmth, and roasting 'hva man,' a tuber staple, to employing inherited hunting tools and ecological knowledge.

Kru Toi, teacher Praphai, the students' closest mentor, explains that the demonstration reflects instincts one hundred percent innate to these children, as it mirrors their actual forest lifestyle. The school merely supplements what's lacking—formal education, social etiquette, and communication skills—enabling them to confidently welcome and inform tourists.

What's compelling isn't just their shelter-building skills, but the aspirations of these young people. One student, Chub, expresively shares her dream of becoming a nurse to care for her frequently ill parents. Many classmates show passion for sports, noting that classroom learning is harder than building shelters, yet they enjoy studying and aspire to become athletes.

While these students are adapting better to urban society and earning supplementary income from community service and tourist boat tours, educational pathways remain limited.

"The critical obstacle is that their shelters lack electricity and internet, so homework can only be completed at school or in the evenings," Kru Toi explains. "Basic supplies like pencils, erasers, and notebooks are scarce."

Kru Toi currently oversees 43 Mani children ranging from preschool to primary school. Encouraging children to express themselves through traditional lifestyles not only generates income and added value for Ban Wang Sai Thong community tourism but also builds 'immunity' for these ethnic minority youth to stand firm in modern society happily, without forgetting their roots.

In March, a restaurant in Saga, Japan received a mysterious phone call. When staff answered, the caller tersely instructed them to "check the entrance area." Upon investigation, staff discovered a note stating "I have planted a bomb," immediately triggering a tense situation.

The restaurant had been preparing to host a farewell party for a group of advance-booking customers. With the bomb threat, they were forced to cancel the event entirely. Although a subsequent search found no explosives and confirmed it was a hoax, the incident caused significant disruption.

What made this case particularly shocking was that the farewell party actually belonged to police officers from Saga Prefecture Police. Initially, many suspected an outside threat or someone with a grudge against the officers. However, the investigation took an unexpected turn when the suspect turned out to be the police officer whose own retirement party had been planned.

The officer explained straightforwardly that he didn't want to attend his own farewell party because he felt awkward and dreaded the social pressure of the gathering. He was a police officer in his twenties stationed at the central unit of Saga Prefecture Police and was scheduled to resign in late March. Normally, this should have been a smooth transition with a dignified farewell from service.

However, his actions did not go unnoticed. He faced disciplinary punishment and had his employment extended beyond his original departure date. He ultimately submitted his resignation formally on April 30th instead of his original date.

The case was referred to prosecutors on charges of obstructing business through intimidation and threats. Although it remains unclear whether the case will proceed to trial, it has become another widely discussed incident in Japan.

Chiang Mai — Border Patrol Police Region 335 set up an emergency checkpoint following a tip-off about illegal drug smuggling from the border into Chiang Dao town in Chiang Mai province. At 2:30 AM on May 24, officers spotted the target vehicle (Chiang Mai license plate 5218) heading toward Ban Nam Roo and ordered it to stop. The driver accelerated and fled, but patrol teams managed to intercept and arrest the suspect, identified as Abepha Wajia, a resident of Ban Pa Muang Ngam in Chiang Dao district. During the search of the pickup truck, authorities discovered 2,000,000 methamphetamine pills. The suspect admitted to being hired to transport the drugs but claimed not to know who hired him. Officers are now investigating further to identify and apprehend the mastermind behind the smuggling operation.

Jancharoem Suwannpeng, the 2024 Olympic bronze medalist, displayed championship-caliber form by decisively defeating Irish boxer Casey Rock with a unanimous 5-0 score to advance to the women's 65-kilogram semifinal. She has guaranteed herself a bronze medal at the international "Eindhoven Boxing Cup 2026 European Boxing Gold Tournament" held in Eindhoven, Netherlands on May 23.

Likewise, women's 51-kilogram boxer Chuthamasn Ruksathai delivered an excellent performance, defeating Poland's Nadia Formela by unanimous 5-0 decision to advance to the semifinals.

In the women's 54-kilogram division, Thai boxer "Focus" Nathnicha Chongproengklang also performed superbly, defeating Germany's Tatjana Obermayer 5-0 to advance to the semifinals.

Meanwhile, in the men's 80-kilogram division, "Lan Somjit" Weeraphol Chongjorhaw narrowly lost to Germany's Sofiane Bisset 2-3, unfortunately being eliminated before the semifinals.

On May 24, 2026, the semifinals will feature three Thai boxers competing: women's 51-kilogram Chuthamasn Ruksathai facing Spain's Marta Lopez de Arbol, women's 54-kilogram "Focus" Nathnicha Chongproengklang facing Poland's Angelika Chrystofinska, and women's 65-kilogram Jancharoem Suwannpeng facing England's Amy Broadhurst.

Ukrainian boxing star Oleksandr Usyk retained his heavyweight world title with a TKO victory over Rico Verhoeven, a former kickboxer competing in only his second professional boxing bout, in the 11th round.

Usyk faced off against Verhoeven in Egypt in what was the fighter's second professional boxing match, with the WBC and WBA heavyweight championship belts at stake.

The fight proved surprisingly competitive for fans until the 11th round, when Usyk accelerated his pace and landed a devastating left uppercut that sent Verhoeven to the canvas. After his opponent rose, Usyk unleashed a barrage of punches that forced the referee to stop the fight, despite the scorecards showing 95-95, 95-95, and Verhoeven leading 96-94.

The 39-year-old Usyk retained both heavyweight championship belts and extended his professional record to 25 wins with no losses. Verhoeven protested the stoppage as premature and called for a rematch, though that decision rests with Usyk.

Popular creator Fon Monsterfon and restaurant owner Yo Arunee from Khao San Road recently appeared on the talk show "Open House Mount House 23," where they discussed the sweet moments between Nos Udom and Yo Arunee. During their conversation, Fon shared a particularly endearing Valentine's Day story: Nos Udom had his secretary call to arrange a surprise meeting with Yo at her restaurant, but since Yo didn't know it was Nos calling, he ended up waiting for hours. When asked what Nos has done for Yo, Fon revealed that he's fixed everything in her restaurant—all the toilets, ceilings, and fans—which Yo's staff had been unable to repair for 18 years. Nos also drew a portrait of the couple that was turned into a t-shirt design, with proceeds going toward hiring better staff at the restaurant. Most recently, Fon posted a video of Nos and Yo on a trip together with a cheeky caption suggesting they were on a secret honeymoon and had changed their surname to "Sae Tae," prompting congratulatory comments from followers who now believe the couple is officially together.