On Tuesday, May 12, 2026, Phra Phromvachirathon (Sophon Sophonchitto), abbot of Wat Devrajkunchon and ecclesiastical chief of Region 13, presided over a meeting of provincial ecclesiastical leaders, deputy leaders, and secretaries in the Buddhist Sangha Region 13 administrative zone (Chachoengsao, Rayong, Chanthaburi, and Trat) according to the Council of Elders Resolution No. 143/2546, Session 2/2026.

The purpose was to establish a development plan for Region 13's ecclesiastical work across six areas consolidated into four main task groups: (1) administrative governance and database management, (2) education and educational welfare, (3) dharma promotion, practice encouragement, and missionary work, and (4) public welfare and religious property.

Public welfare work is a mission undertaken by all ecclesiastical divisions to continuously support communities and respond to immediate situations, held at Wat Sutthawat temple in Nong Prueio subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, Chachoengsao province.

Phra Phromvachirathon conveyed to provincial ecclesiastical leaders, deputy leaders, and secretaries in Region 13 the teachings of His Majesty the Supreme Patriarch, emphasizing strict adherence to Buddhist precepts and discipline, with patience as the foundation for religious work, and fostering unity within the monastic community. He urged monastic administrators to conduct themselves and manage operations according to law, Council regulations, and procedures with strictness. He entrusted the ecclesiastical administrators with two principles: patience and compassion, Buddhist teachings to practice for the wellbeing and morale of their subordinates, enhancing work efficiency and effectiveness. As the Buddhist aphorism states: "Khanti metro labhi yasso sussilo suhavato piyo devamanussa nom manopo hoti khanti," meaning the patient and compassionate one gains benefits and honor, enjoys happiness always, and is loved by both celestial beings and humans.

Phra Phromvachirathon further explained that khanti, or patience, means enduring difficulties to achieve noble purposes and worthy objectives when facing undesirable circumstances. It represents a state of mind and body prepared to face any situation without dejection or weakness. This patience is a virtue enabling practitioners to succeed in their work. Compassion, or metta, is a feeling of goodwill toward others, free from selfishness, bias, or hatred, but always directed toward universal happiness and prosperity.

It is not about favoring one's own preferences or others' preferences. When people live together practicing mutual patience and compassion without harboring harmful or oppressive intentions, with mutual understanding and generosity, there will certainly be only peace, tranquility, and happiness.

Luang Pho Obhasi of Ashram Bangmod (Wat Phutthabuscha) in Bangkok was a distinguished Buddhist monk with unique practices different from other venerable teachers, earning the title "Master Who Worships Fire as Buddha Veneration."

Originally named Chuan Maliphan, he was born in 1898 in Pak Phanang, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, and ordained at Wat Pho in Nakhon Si Thammarat. He studied Buddhist scriptures with such diligence that he impressed the monastery's Pali scholars, who committed to advancing his education in Bangkok. Before traveling to the capital, he became a student of Sangharaja Krom Luang Wachirayan (M.R. Chuen Nophawong) at Wat Bowornnivet. He eventually received full ordination and earned a seven-topic Pali degree.

He dedicated himself to intensive vipassana meditation and studied with the renowned Luang Pho Kob at Khao Sarika cave monastery. Around 1941, he began practicing forest dwelling asceticism with extreme dedication, eating only once daily. Eventually settling at Bangmod in the Thonburi side, he gained local followers who brought him offerings. Rather than keep them, he burned everything, explaining that human suffering is caused by greed, delusion, and ignorance. By burning the offerings, he performed Buddha veneration to invoke the power of enlightenment to eliminate suffering.

As his reputation spread, locals built Ashram Bangmod for him. Over time, his practice of burning offerings evolved to include textiles, canned goods, and jewelry brought by devotees. During the Indochina War period, his amulets and sacred objects became highly valued protective talismans.

He passed away on October 31, 1955, at age 57 with 37 rains (years as a monk). His body remained uncorrupted—considered miraculous. His disciples preserved him in a glass coffin enshrined in a stupa at the ashram. Today, Wat Luang Pho Obhasi, also known as Wat Phutthabuscha, continues to attract devotees and believers.

Luang Pho Obhasi's second-series amulet coins, created in 1953, come in two designs: the large serpent (Phaya Naga) and small serpent versions. They are stamped coins with loops.

This marks a historic convergence of faith around 'Luang Pu Tai Hong' as the Po Tek Tung Foundation has built a Buddhist temple enshrining one of Thailand's largest white jade Tai Hong statues, located in central Sathorn, Bangkok, on 4 rai 17 square wah of sacred land spanning over 120 years.

The 'White Jade Tai Hong Temple Celebrating the 72nd Royal Cycle' stands as a heritage of Buddhist compassion and a valuable resource for studying ancient Chinese miniature architecture. The project was undertaken to commemorate both the royal celebration of the 6th cycle of birth on July 28, 2567 BE and the foundation's 110th anniversary. The foundation received royal grace from His Majesty, who bestowed the building's name and presided over its opening ceremony with Her Majesty the Queen, ceremonially planting a twin parasol pine tree on May 20, 2569 BE.

Nai Wichit Chinwongwrkul, vice chairman of the Po Tek Tung Foundation's board, explained the foundation's purpose: it serves as a bridge of merit for those with faith to channel charitable assistance through social welfare programs, carrying forward Luang Pu Tai Hong's legacy of helping society without discrimination based on class or religion, guided by the principle of 'Save life, preserve life, create life.'

The foundation has constructed the temple adjacent to the '80th Royal Cycle Memorial Park of the Po Tek Tung Foundation,' a historic land dedicated to faith and gratitude to Thailand, originating from 'Sosan Wat Don,' where 710 Chinese citizens pooled resources in 1899 BE to purchase land for a public cemetery. This marked the beginning of the Tai Hong corpse management association and the Tai Hong Phlapphlaichai temple, which were later registered as the Po Tek Tung Foundation (originally named the Hui Kiao Po Tek Siang Tung Foundation).

'This White Jade Tai Hong Temple will serve as a center of faith gathering for believers from both Thailand and abroad, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia, accommodating tens of thousands of visitors. The temple offers incense, joss paper, and Luang Pu Tai Hong amulets—sacred talismans—to the faithful who come to pay respects and make requests, all provided free of charge. Those wishing to make merit can do so according to their faith and ability,' Nai Wichit stated.

Dr. Setsapong Jongsongwan, an independent scholar of Chinese studies and expert in Mahayana Buddhism who served as advisor for the temple's construction, described the design as ancient Chinese architectural art in the Zhaozhuang craftsmen style. The entire structure is reinforced concrete, adorned with carved wood and stone.

The temple's focal point is its main 2-story hall, which houses the enshrined statue of Luang Pu Tai Hong carved from one of Thailand's largest white jade stones. The statue rests on a central altar constructed from three carved jade pieces with a combined height of 5.1 meters and total weight of 51.50 tons, displaying remarkable beauty and profound spiritual significance representative of Luang Pu Tai Hong.

Luang Pu Tai Hong was a Chinese Buddhist monk from the Song Dynasty era who traveled to Tieya District in Zhaozhuang, Guangdong Province, during a time when people faced repeated calamities including storms, floods, fires, epidemics, and droughts. He devoted himself tirelessly to helping people, collecting and performing funeral rites without hesitation, establishing clinics to care for the sick, and providing food and necessities to the poor while encouraging villagers to participate.

Following the release of "Khao Kala," a film exploring alien beliefs and the mysteries of extraterrestrial life through accounts from nine famous personalities, director Ying Terk Thandet Ramsombhop discussed the film's production process.

How did Khao Kala come about? Ying Terk explained: "It came from stories we wanted to present. I had the idea of approaching Khao Kala in an interesting way, viewing it not just as a matter of belief, but as a universal UFO phenomenon. The challenge is that it happens in Southeast Asia, where people don't typically believe in such things. However, if it's about ghosts or nagas, they communicate and believe in those stories."

What makes it compelling? Ying Terk stated: "We presented Khao Kala as one of the top 10 UFO sightseeing locations in the world, yet Thai people don't know about it. What's strangest is that Khao Kala is the only such place globally that isn't a tourist destination. From a tourism perspective, it should be Thailand's soft power, but instead it remains unknown. It's not just underdeveloped as a tourist site—it's abandoned. You need forest permission to visit."

What's the presentation format? Ying Terk explained: "It's best described as a New Age Mystery Documentary with cinematic storytelling, intercut with real accounts from people who experienced the events—like a true-crime documentary with visual effects created by world-class studios that worked on Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and Alien: Covenant. It features footage from nine celebrities we interviewed: Kong Huay Rai, Ar The Star, Nam Cha Chirapat, Prang Prangthip, Diew The Star, Toffee Sambathasip, Tong Caramel, Dr. Surat Vongrattanaphatsorn, and Luang Pho Tone Suthchitto.

Kong's incident occurred in Sakon Nakhon at Ai Lina farm. Locals might call such beings demons or shapeshifters, but Kong says he saw with his own eyes that it was an extraterrestrial emerging from a tree. After posting about it, someone commented asking if Kong would disappear too. I understand why people feel disconnected from such stories, but that's what we wanted to convey—that celebrities experience this too. The most confrontational accounts come from Nam Cha, Luang Pho Tone, Tong, and Prangthip, who claim to communicate with extraterrestrials, experiencing nested dreams and seeing blue-glowing entities. Everyone dares to speak because they genuinely experienced it."

Did the celebrities act in their own stories? Ying Terk replied: "We asked each person if they wanted to perform their own role. Surprisingly, everyone agreed—Ar, Kong, Diew, and Tong all performed themselves. Prang initially wanted to, but scheduling didn't work out, so Ticha stepped in instead. Nam Cha was the last to agree, taking three months to decide. I understood this involved concerns about image and family—such claims are a double-edged sword. But eventually, he called to say he'd perform himself, which made us very happy because his story is crucial."

Is this film meant to convince people to believe? Ying Terk answered: "That's an excellent question. To this day, I still don't believe, and I made this film without believing myself. But Toffee believes. That's the perfect mix—when one person doesn't believe and another does, the debate becomes engaging. As producer, Toffee was brave enough to give me creative freedom to make this the best I could without forcing a belief narrative. If I were to believe these are real, I'd have to prove it myself.

I once spent the night at Khao Kala near the pagoda..."

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May 24, 2026 – Nikorn Chumlong, a Phum Jai Thai party list MP and member of the party's constitution drafting team, has revealed the timeline for drafting a new constitution, with a new charter expected to be enforced in mid-2029. According to the schedule, if parliament considers the draft in June this year and approves the principles in reading one, readings two and three will follow in October 2026.

Nikorn stated that parliament will then submit the constitutional amendment draft to the government and the Election Commission (EC) to conduct the second referendum, likely in January-February 2027. If the public referendum approves it, the draft will be presented to the king for royal endorsement and enactment.

Nikorn also noted that between August 2027 and August 2028, there will be a selection process for the Constitutional Drafting Assembly (CDA), taking one to two months. Once the CDA is formed, a 45-member committee will be appointed to draft the new constitution. Additionally, a separate committee will be established to gather input from the 15 main CDA members, 15 reserve CDA members, and 15 representatives from the general public, with the drafting process expected to take one year.

"We expect the new constitution to be completed by September 2028," Nikorn said. "Then, in February 2029, a third referendum will be held. Once approved, the draft will be presented to the king, and the new constitution is expected to be enacted between April and May 2029."

Authorities Raid Underground Foreign Bar in Central Chiang Mai, Find Myanmar Musicians and Staff Throughout after residents complained of repeated noise disturbances. On May 24, 2026, an investigation team led by Pol. Capt. Avirud Sukhaem from the Crime Suppression Division 2, along with Chang Phueak Police Station officers, conducted a raid on a bar and karaoke establishment in downtown Chiang Mai following complaints about noise pollution from a venue operating as a Myanmar migrant worker network that had previously caused disturbances multiple times.

The operation resulted in the arrest of 12 Myanmar nationals working as musicians and bar staff who held work permits but were not properly registered with their employers. They were charged under the Alien Workers Act for failing to notify the registrar of their employers and workplace within 15 days of starting work. According to testimony from waitstaff, the underground bar has been operating since the Songkran festival period and primarily serves Myanmar customers and migrant workers, with a Thai manager overseeing operations.

All suspects have been transferred to Chang Phueak Police Station for legal proceedings. Authorities are currently investigating the financial trail, employers, and the capital groups backing the operation for further expansion of charges.