Thailand has attracted record foreign investment in the first four months of 2025, with the Department of Business Development approving 438 foreign business permits worth 129.3 billion baht—a 124% increase from the same period last year, according to Director-General Poonpong Naiyanaphakorn. In April 2025 alone, 91 foreign business permits were issued worth 31.6 billion baht, predominantly from investors in the United States, Singapore, and China.

For the January-April 2025 period, foreign investment grew by 75 additional permits (21% increase) compared to the previous year, with investment valued at 129.3 billion baht—up 71.5 billion baht from 57.9 billion baht in the same period of 2024.

The top five source countries for the first four months of 2025 are: 1) United States - 77 businesses (18%), 5.95 billion baht; 2) China - 65 businesses (15%), 25.09 billion baht; 3) Japan - 65 businesses (15%), 24.72 billion baht; 4) Singapore - 57 businesses (13%), 23.58 billion baht; and 5) Hong Kong - 42 businesses (10%), 8.07 billion baht. Other countries accounted for 132 businesses (29%) worth 41.92 billion baht.

Investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) reached 134 projects (31% of total foreign investment) worth 49.96 billion baht (39% of total investment), representing a 24% increase in projects and significant growth. Major EEC investors include China with 43 projects (21.1 billion baht), Japan with 22 projects (7.04 billion baht), Singapore with 19 projects (7.94 billion baht), and other countries with 50 projects (13.88 billion baht).

On May 21, 2569, police led by Pol. Lt. Gen. Siam Bunsawm and accompanied by other senior officers arrested four men: Nuttapong (28), Thammaratna (32), Sophon (34), and Siripun (29) in a residential area in Tambon Siracha Krathai, Bang Sao Thong District, Samut Prakan Province. Officers discovered approximately 100,000 methamphetamine pills concealed in a bronze Isuzu pickup truck and a white Honda vehicle used for navigation, along with five mobile phones.

Police had been conducting surveillance after discovering a drug network in Samut Prakan Province allegedly storing narcotics in the residential community. When the two vehicles entered the area, officers approached and conducted a search, finding the methamphetamine pills in the Isuzu truck.

During questioning, all four suspects admitted they had picked up the drugs from Saraburi Province and were storing them in a rented house before distribution. They claimed they were involved in drug trafficking to earn money for family expenses, with some citing sick family members requiring care as their motivation.

Police charged all four suspects with possession of Category 1 narcotics (methamphetamine) with intent to distribute without authorization, and for commercial purposes that endangers public safety and national security. The suspects and evidence were transferred to the Narcotics Suppression Bureau for further investigation and legal proceedings.

KHON KAEN — The "Mor Lam Carnival: The Charm of Isan Khon Kaen" launched on May 21, 2026, under the theme "Khon Kaen to the World 2027," aiming to establish the province as the global "metropolis of mor lam" and elevate this traditional folk music genre to UNESCO World Heritage status.

On Thursday, five dazzling mor lam processions paraded down Klang Mueang Road in Khon Kaen's municipal district, with performers showcasing elaborate, shimmering costumes and dramatic routines for spectators and judges. The carnival features vibrant contemporary parades, impressive light and sound productions, and performances from renowned troupes including Rabiab Wathasin. All five processions concluded at the Anti-Drug Sports Ground.

The festival runs from May 20-22 at the Anti-Drug Sports Ground near Bueng Kaen Nakhon lake, also featuring local craft stalls and traditional Isan cuisine. Secretary to the Minister of Culture Saratsanun Unnopporn officially inaugurated the event, which drew thousands of devoted fans despite rainy weather.

Saratsanun highlighted that mor lam is a beloved performing art with dedicated fanbases that drives local commerce and boosts the regional economy. Now in its third year, the carnival reflects the Ministry of Culture's commitment to preserving Isan's mor lam heritage. The Ministry is actively preparing a UNESCO World Heritage nomination for mor lam, conducting research and expecting successful Cabinet approval to advance the formal UNESCO listing process.

For a country which hosts over two million migrant workers from Myanmar and at least half a million from Cambodia, they remain mostly invisible in Thailand. This is partly due to physical similarities, but also due to the fact that they are rarely acknowledged publicly as an indispensable part of the Thai economy, performing hard but low-paying work in the seafood, construction, and service industries, among others.

A small but significant step towards rectifying that will take place this Saturday, when a large mural painting belatedly acknowledging the contributions of migrant workers will be inaugurated in one of Bangkok's most affluent neighbourhoods, in an alley between Thonglor Soi 9 and Soi 11.

The mural itself is far from small, measuring 10 metres high and 12 metres wide.

The artist team was led by Paris-based Burmese artist Chuu Wai, who has experience painting murals across Europe—including Zurich, Toulouse, and Marseille, and also India. Two Myanmar artists based in Bangkok also contributed: Sai Chit Min and Khant Win (YG).

While the project was initiated by SEA Junction—a Bangkok-based non-profit organisation that aims to promote a better understanding of Southeast Asia—in partnership with the International Labour Organization's Ship to Shore Rights programme, which is funded by the European Union, and other partners including Norwegian People's Aid (NPA), it was Chuu Wai who scouted for the location. Her search eventually led her to the wall of Thonglor House Music Bar and Restaurant, owned by the generous Khun Jiab who will look after the mural for the next two years.

Earlier, at several other locations, property owners asked how much she would pay to use the space.

"So I said, 'No, no. It's public art,'" she told Khaosod English on Tuesday evening, as the mural was 99 per cent completed. "I almost gave up."

While migrants from Myanmar are scattered across many countries in the region, including Singapore, South Korea, and Japan, the artist said Bangkok is the preferred location. After all, Thailand hosts the largest number of migrant workers from the repressive country outside Myanmar, with estimates, including both registered and undocumented workers, likely approaching three million.

"If I have to talk about migrant workers from Myanmar, I have to choose Thailand. Thailand is the most interesting," she continued in English, with a hint of a French accent after the years she spent there. "There are a lot [of migrant workers] and a lot is going on. I want to bring Thai people and migrant workers closer together. Many people will be walking past and seeing this mural."

The mural depicts 13 migrant workers — 12 from Myanmar and one from Cambodia, two babies, and a dog. All are based on real migrant workers whom the artists spoke to, discussing how they would like themselves to be represented in the mural.

"They face a lot of difficulties. They want people to put themselves in their shoes. They are not coming here [to Thailand]...

Parliament's office has responded to criticism from Dr. Voranung Dechakitvikrom, a Thai Pakdee party list MP, regarding benefits provided through the former lawmakers' fund. On May 21, 2025, Deputy Secretary-General of the House of Representatives Nattakrit Wongjareun, speaking as spokesman for the Parliament's office, clarified that annual health checkups are a one-time benefit capped at 130,000 baht yearly, not an excessive entitlement as alleged. The fund committee revised its medical treatment definition in 2024 regulations to emphasize that preventive health examinations save more budget than curative treatment. Regarding international school tuition assistance, the office emphasized strict adherence to Finance Ministry guidelines limiting education support to 13,200-25,000 baht annually per child, applicable only to private schools receiving or not receiving government subsidies. Benefits are available for up to two legally recognized children from primary through undergraduate level, each under age 25, with only one parent eligible to apply if both are legislators.

Starting early morning in Trang province, hundreds of residents drove motorcycles and cars into Rajamangala University of Technology Trang campus in Sai Khao district, Mai Fad subdistrict, to harvest semet mushrooms—locally called 'hed mhet'—which grow naturally beneath nearly 1,300 rai of white semet trees. Residents from Trang and neighboring provinces including Phatthalung, Satun, and Nakhon Si Thammarat scattered across various mushroom-rich zones, collecting large, white-purple blooms and white flowers with plump, appetizing appearance. A second variety of white semet mushrooms resembling straw mushrooms also grows here. Both types sell for 150-200 baht per kilogram. These mushrooms appear only once yearly during the first rains, from late April through May each year—an eagerly anticipated season when locals can forage throughout the day.

University administrators permit the harvesting to support farmers' livelihoods, given the abundant supply across the expansive grounds with large daily yields. Harvesters need only simple tools like long sticks or knives to dig through fallen semet leaves. The mushrooms are easily spotted due to their distinct white-purple color, with purple varieties outnumbering white ones. Individual collectors typically gather 2-10 kilograms daily—some for household consumption to reduce expenses, others for sale. Some make mushroom harvesting a profession, shipping to other provinces with daily earnings of 500-1,000 baht. Popular dishes include coconut curry, mushroom curry, jungle curry, blanched mushrooms with chili paste, sour curry, and more.

Semet mushrooms have a bitter taste, so they must be boiled and drained 2-3 times before cooking to reduce bitterness, resulting in a chewy, fragrant texture with slight bitter notes at the finish. Health benefits include improved digestion, zero fat content, low sugar levels, weight loss support, cholesterol reduction, muscle building, enhanced immunity, and chemical-free nutrition—nature's gift after summer ends.

One Sai Khao resident shared plans to make tom som (sour curry) with shrimp using today's harvest. Another vendor, Wilas, 58, from Mai Fad village, noted that locals search for semet mushrooms from late April to May when rains trigger growth, with hundreds coming from various provinces. Harvests vary—some collect 10 kilograms daily at 150-200 baht per kilo. Small white mushroom varieties occasionally appear. This year's yield exceeds last year's; heavier rains mean larger harvests.