The badminton tournament, Toyota Thailand Open 2026 World Tour Super 500, took place at Nimibutr Sports Building, National Sports Stadium on May 17 for the men's singles final. The spotlight fell on defending champion View Kulvutti Wittitisanth, world No. 2, facing off against Denmark's Anders Antonsen, world No. 3, in a rematch of last year's championship bout.

Kulvutti performed well in the first game while Antonsen committed numerous errors and unforced mistakes. The young Thai shuttler closed out the first game 21-9. In the second game, both players engaged in a tightly contested battle, particularly down the stretch, before Antonsen secured a 24-22 victory, forcing a decisive third game.

Kulvutti started strong in the third game, building a comfortable lead, but Antonsen staged a comeback as the match progressed into the middle stages. Both players fought fiercely before Antonsen ultimately claimed the decisive game 21-18. Antonsen defeated Kulvutti 2-1 with set scores of 9-21, 24-22, and 21-18, successfully avenging his loss from last year's final and capturing the Thailand Open 2026 championship title.

Three arrested after 10-kilometre drug chase in ChumphonLegacyHighway police arrested three suspects and seized more than 20,000 methamphetamine pills and crystal meth following a 10-kilometre car chase in Chumphon today, May 17. The suspects were identified as 33 year old Teerapong, 25 year old Suwapat, and 25 year old Pongsakorn. Police seized 20,200 methamphetamine pills and 52.13 grammes of crystal meth during the operation in Hat Phan Krai subdistrict, Mueang district, Chumphon. Police said officers spotted a black Nissan sedan driving suspiciously while patrolling the area. The vehicle reportedly had unusually dark window tint and expired annual tax registration. Photo via Matichon Officers activated emergency lights and sirens and ordered the driver to stop for inspection, but the vehicle sped away. Police coordinated a pursuit and followed the car for around 10 kilometres before stopping it on Highway 4. Inside the vehicle, police found Teerapong driving, with Suwapat in the front passenger seat and Pongsakorn seated in the back. A search uncovered the methamphetamine pills and crystal meth. All three suspects were later taken to Tha Sae Hospital for urine tests, which reportedly found drugs in their systems. Photo via Matichon Teerapong allegedly confessed that he had been hired to transport the drugs from Central Thailand to local dealers in Chumphon province. Matichon reported that the sedan was a pawned vehicle Teerapong bought from an acquaintance for 20,000 baht to transport drugs. The suspects were initially charged with jointly selling Category 1 narcotics and methamphetamine use. Teerapong was also charged with driving while under the influence of Category 1 narcotics. All three were transferred to Mueang Chumphon Police Station for legal proceedings. Photo via Matichon Elsewhere, a Kamphaeng Phet police chase began after a pickup truck driver allegedly tried to evade a checkpoint, before crashing into an 18-wheeler and being arrested with five million methamphetamine pills. The story Three arrested after 10-kilometre drug chase in Chumphon as seen on Thaiger News.

Police have filed charges against the train driver as the investigation into the collision between a train and a passenger bus continues. On May 17, Deputy Police Commissioner Siam Bunserm disclosed the progress of the investigation into the incident that resulted in multiple deaths and injuries. Following instructions from Police Commissioner Kittisart Pansetchai, who inspected the scene yesterday, Deputy Commissioner Samvuay Pheurng Thap gathered an investigation team to accelerate evidence collection, including CCTV footage, witness statements, and technical evidence to determine whose negligence caused the accident and whether all safety protocols were followed.

Deputy Commissioner Siam emphasized that the investigation focuses on whether all responsible parties—including the crossing attendant, train driver, and bus driver—followed standard procedures or failed in their duties. Although the railway crossing has experienced regular traffic congestion and vehicles blocking the tracks, no accident of this severity has occurred before.

So far, charges have been filed against the train driver. The bus driver remains hospitalized with serious injuries and cannot yet provide a statement. The crossing attendant is still under investigation to determine if all duties were properly performed. If negligence is found, additional charges will be filed.

CCTV footage shows that the crossing attendant waved a red warning flag to indicate the crossing was unsafe, but the train neither stopped nor slowed down before striking the bus and sideswiping another vehicle. Experts are still examining the train's data recorder to review speed and braking distance, as well as verifying the proper procedures for flag warning distance, required braking distance, and appropriate speed at the crossing to determine who was negligent or failed in their duties.

Deputy Commissioner Siam added that traffic police already oversee the area, but will now coordinate with the State Railway of Thailand and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to implement additional safety measures, including signal lights, traffic management, and enhanced safety protocols at the railway crossing. He urged the public to respect traffic laws, particularly avoiding parking that blocks intersections and railway crossings, noting that such regulations exist for everyone's safety. With many hazardous areas throughout Bangkok, public cooperation and awareness are essential to supplement police efforts.

A viral moment unfolded at an internet café in Vietnam when a grandmother stormed in looking for her grandson and punished the wrong person. Suspecting her grandson had sneaked out to play games, she rushed to the café to drag him home. Upon entering, she spotted a young man at a gaming station and, without getting a clear look at his face, grabbed his ear and struck him lightly several times as if disciplining her own grandson.

The startled young man soon looked up, at which point the grandmother realized her mistake—he was not her grandson at all. Once aware of her error, she instantly switched from angry mode to affectionate, apologizing profusely while stroking his head, kissing his cheek, and gently pinching his face in an attempt to appease him, all to the laughter of other café patrons.

Later, the café owner revealed that the young man was a polite regular customer who visited on his days off. He always spoke respectfully when topping up credits or ordering drinks. Despite the sudden ear-pulling, he showed no signs of annoyance and instead laughed off the situation with composure.

BANGKOK — The adoptive mother of a missing woman broke down in tears while recounting the final moments before learning her daughter may have been involved in the deadly train-bus collision near Makkasan Airport Rail Link station that killed eight people.

The crash occurred on 16 May and left several others injured after a train collided with a bus near the railway crossing.

On 17 May, 59-year-old Wipada Jantham travelled from Ubon Ratchathani to Bangkok in search of her 25-year-old adopted daughter, known as "Rose", who has remained unreachable since the accident.

Wipada said she became alarmed after her daughter's Apple Watch repeatedly sent notifications shortly after news of the crash emerged.

"At first I was still at home in Ubon Ratchathani, but the watch kept alerting non-stop. I tried calling her dozens of times but couldn't reach her," she said.

Eventually, a rescue worker answered the phone and informed her that her daughter had been involved in an accident.

Wipada said she later checked her daughter's final social media story and saw a photo appearing to show her sitting on a bus with a bag on her lap.

"The moment a mother hears something like this, you can't sit still. I kept searching online to see which hospitals victims were sent to before deciding to fly to Bangkok immediately," she said.

Despite fearing the worst, Wipada said she was still hoping for a miracle and believed her daughter could still be alive somewhere in hospital.

She described Rose as a talented and careful young woman who graduated with second-class honours from Kasetsart University before securing a job in Bangkok after completing an internship. Rose had dreamed of saving enough money to return home and care for her family, Wipada said.

"This tragedy is cruel. I just hope my daughter was not on that bus," she said, while calling on authorities to improve safety measures at the crossing, which locals say has seen repeated accidents.

Wipada also urged the government to ensure the fatal crash becomes the last tragedy of its kind.

AI cameras help arrest human trafficking suspect in PattayaLegacyPattaya tourist police used an AI surveillance camera system to arrest a Thai man wanted in a human trafficking case near Walking Street in Pattaya on the morning of May 15. The arrest took place at around 9.15am after the AI camera system detected and identified a person matching Criminal Court arrest warrant No. 2462/2569, dated April 29. Police moved in and arrested 38 year old Somchat Saelee, a Thai national, as he was walking near Pattaya Walking Street. Photo via Naewna Somchat was reportedly wanted on several serious charges, including jointly committing human trafficking, conspiracy to commit human trafficking, taking a minor for exploitation, coercion, illegally taking a person out of the kingdom, and entering false information into a computer system. Naewna reported that the charges are linked to a network accused of unlawfully exploiting people and minors. Photo via Naewna After the arrest, officers transferred Somchat to investigators at the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) for legal proceedings. Police added that the case displayed how AI surveillance technology is being used to support security work and track suspects in serious cases in major tourist areas such as Pattaya. Photo via Naewna Similarly, back in January, four individuals wanted for their alleged roles in online scam operations were arrested in Pattaya after AI-powered surveillance cameras alerted tourist police to their presence at a busy pier. The arrests occurred at Laem Bali Hai Pier in Pattaya, where facial recognition technology flagged each suspect. All had outstanding warrants for cybercrime and fraud, and were handed over to the relevant police units. One suspect explained to police that they were smuggled into Cambodia and forced to work in a compound involved in romance scams and investment fraud, targeting Thai victims. The story AI cameras help arrest human trafficking suspect in Pattaya as seen on Thaiger News.