Police Major Prayoon surrendered after being exposed as part of a five-officer criminal gang involved in extorting Chinese nationals. He faces serious charges of corrupt conduct and unlawful detention, with dismissal from service expected.

The case began when Saraburi Province immigration police coordinated with Wang Somboon Police Station to raid a residence in Wang Mai Subdistrict, Wang Somboon District. Officers discovered five Chinese nationals being held captive and extorted for 300,000 baht each—totaling over 1.2 million baht—in exchange for their release.

Investigation revealed that two victims transferred cryptocurrency totaling 4,000 US dollars (approximately 120,000 baht) out of fear of physical harm. Officers recovered clear evidence of the money transfers on mobile devices.

The raid resulted in the arrest of five suspects: Sergeant Pawawin, 43; Sergeant Wutthikorn, 39; Sergeant Somchai, 45; Sergeant Pichest, 41; and civilian Natthanan, 43. Officers also seized four semi-automatic firearms, 24 rounds of ammunition, and two Toyota pickup trucks.

Some suspects revealed that a sixth police officer—a Senior Sergeant—was involved but escaped when officers arrived, claiming to buy food.

Police Major Prayoon subsequently reported to Wang Somboon Police Station investigators to surrender and face charges. Station Commander Visakh Petchkasem and Deputy Commander Atthathanaphak Thongpholanpanchai accepted his surrender personally.

Investigators initially charged the suspects with unlawful detention, abuse of authority, extortion, and corrupt conduct. The case will be forwarded to Saraburi Provincial Police for disciplinary proceedings. All suspects remain in custody pending court appearance, and the four police officers are being recommended for dismissal to ensure investigation transparency.

Saraburi Provincial Police Deputy Commander Preeya Somsathan, overseeing the investigation unit, along with Deputy Commander Jaturaphut Singhatsit and Investigation Chief Damrong Iemphairojn, visited Wang Somboon Police Station to monitor case developments and accelerate further investigation.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has announced a new sustainability cooperation agreement with the Japan Football Association (JFA), despite the latter being a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Under this agreement, UEFA will share knowledge and experience to support JFA's sustainability initiative called "Asu-Pass!" UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin stated that sustainability in football must be clear, tangible, and action-focused, emphasizing the need to reduce consumption and waste while strengthening the game and its surroundings for future generations. He stressed that this goes beyond environmental protection to include people, health, education, and community welfare, as well as leveraging football's potential to create sustainable impact off the pitch. JFA President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto added that he is delighted to have reached this sustainability cooperation agreement with UEFA, noting that in the current global football landscape, how we address social issues such as climate change, human rights, discrimination, and protection has become as important as sports performance and business growth. Based on his international activities and dialogue with stakeholders from various countries, he is firmly convinced that sustainability is an essential issue when considering the future of football. JFA is a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and both UEFA and JFA maintain regular contact with AFC to exchange views on sustainability. Through this new cooperation, JFA will adopt best practices from European football to strengthen its social and environmental efforts by sharing guidance with 47 regional member associations, partners, and the broader football community.

At 9:30 AM on May 21, 2025, at Parliament, Nattapong Ruengpanya, a Pheu Thai party list MP and party leader, commented on the role of privy councilors and the executive branch's participation in a meeting with the National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Commission on May 19. He stated that he and the Pheu Thai party have concerns about this matter, noting that the Prime Minister's actions may be inappropriate. Multiple parties have expressed that this type of meeting format with privy councilor participation has been conducted for years.

Nattapong said they need to clarify principles first, and this question should be directed to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul regarding whether his actions are correct. "This is an incorrect principle. I don't believe that something incorrect from the past should be continued just because it was done during the National Council for Peace and Order era. I hope to see better improvements in the Prime Minister's work," Nattapong stated.

When asked why the Pheu Thai party used the term "order" rather than "observation" or "suggestion" as reported about the privy councilors' role, Nattapong explained that they must be cautious of public perception. The Prime Minister has a duty to prevent society from criticizing the practice as having been approved.

Nattapong further noted that the appearance of privy councilors attending the meeting could create such criticism, and it is the Prime Minister's direct responsibility to prevent such imagery from being broadcast. He stated that Pheu Thai will use various platforms, including today's press conference, to communicate directly with the Prime Minister.

When asked if Pheu Thai would implement corrections if they became government, Nattapong said the Prime Minister could already make such decisions. If he or a Pheu Thai representative were Prime Minister, they would establish appropriate roles.

Regarding whether Pheu Thai only recently learned of these meetings dating back to 2017, Nattapong clarified they did not just learn about them, but during the National Council for Peace and Order era, it may not have received attention. However, since the current Prime Minister constantly claims readiness to follow the people's will and advance democracy, he should understand this principle better. "If something was wrong in the past, it shouldn't be used as an excuse to continue it. This is a principle everyone agrees on," Nattapong said.

When asked about legal concerns, Nattapong said this issue doesn't affect the legal case involving 44 MPs and article 112 amendments, but rather concerns principles of governance. He emphasized that as representatives, they have a duty to voice concerns if they see something wrong, despite potential legal risks.

On May 21, 2569, at the Election Commission office, Srisuwarn Charyya, leader of the patriotic organization Rak Chat Rak Plaendin, filed a complaint with the EC and the Political Party Registrar requesting an investigation into the Pheu Thai Party over Facebook posts from May 20 criticizing the government for allegedly risking violations of democratic principles with the Monarchy as head of state.

Srisuwarn stated that while the posts superficially criticize the government, examining the full content reveals they actually target the Privy Council's performance in a manner that could implicate the institution of the Monarchy, potentially questioning whether the council is overstepping into government administration.

Srisuwarn cited the 2017 Constitution Article 6, which clearly states the Monarchy "shall be held in revered and respected position; no one shall defame, accuse or sue the Monarchy in any manner," and Article 10, Section 2, which defines the Privy Council's duty to advise the Monarchy on state affairs. He noted that the Privy Council's participation in a national disaster prevention and mitigation meeting to prepare for the 2569 drought is normal advisory practice, and that the council consists of experienced former military, business, and economic experts whose input benefits the Thai people.

Srisuwarn argued that Pheu Thai's posts, while appearing to criticize the government, actually overstep to implicate the Privy Council's duties, causing widespread social criticism and ideological conflict. He contended this may constitute hostile action against the democratic system with the Monarchy as head of state, potentially disrupting public order and morality, and may violate Article 45 combined with Articles 92(2), (3), (4) of the Political Party Act 2560 and Constitution 2560 Article 101(7) regarding interference in state administration.

Srisuwarn requested the EC and Political Party Registrar investigate the matter and, if violations are found, refer it to the Constitutional Court for consideration of dissolving the party under Constitution 2560 Article 92.

On May 21, 2025, Deputy Police General Kongkrit Leisitthikul ordered a joint operation led by Police Colonel Veerapong Klaithong and Police Major Anutsara Buaedang, in coordination with the Thai FDA (Food and Drug Administration), to dismantle an illegal online pharmaceutical and medical device distribution operation in Bangkok's Ladprao district. Authorities seized 777 items across 67 categories valued at over 4 million baht.

The investigation began after the FDA reported discovering unregistered injectable cosmetic products including Botox and anesthetic creams being distributed illegally. When injected—particularly on the face—these unregistered products risk ineffectiveness, allergic reactions, and serious harm to consumers.

Investigators found that a popular cafe was being used as a storage and distribution hub for both registered and unregistered pharmaceutical and medical products through online channels. Most inventory consisted of products popular in beauty clinics, including Botox, fillers, anesthetic creams, vitamins, and weight-loss pens.

A search warrant was executed at the cafe, revealing large quantities of medical devices and drugs, including registered products sold from an unauthorized location and unregistered products such as Hyaluronic Acid fillers, Botox, Nabota, Aestox, Hutox, Xeomin, Mounjaro, anesthetic creams, skin vitamins, and packaging materials.

During interrogation, the operator admitted to running a beauty clinic alongside the cafe using the clinic's name as a purchasing channel for drugs and medical equipment. Products were stored in the cafe and sold online, with cafe staff handling packaging and shipping through delivery services to over 50 beauty clinics in Bangkok and other provinces for approximately two years.

Initial charges filed include selling drugs without authorization, selling unregistered pharmaceutical formulations, selling medical devices by an unauthorized seller, and distributing unregistered products.

Dr. Supattra Bunserm, Secretary of the Food and Drug Administration, stated authorities will coordinate with legitimate product manufacturers to verify whether the seized items include counterfeit goods to ensure comprehensive legal action.

The FDA cautioned the public seeking cosmetic enhancements to use only licensed medical facilities with qualified physicians and verify product registration numbers through the FDA website or the "Mor Prom" mobile application. Injecting counterfeit products risks severe facial disfigurement or life-threatening complications.

Police General Natthasak Chaownasat, Deputy Commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, stated this operation disrupted the supply chain of counterfeit pharmaceutical and medical products attempting to infiltrate the beauty industry. The storage location lacked proper temperature control and pharmaceutical storage standards required by law, risking product degradation, severe allergic reactions, facial disfigurement, and serious health consequences. He also warned beauty clinic operators against participating in such illegal operations.

The World Health Organization announced that a vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus could take up to nine months before becoming operational. WHO advisor Dr. Vusi Murthi said on May 20 that two candidate vaccines are under development to combat the Bundibugyo Ebola strain, but none have yet passed clinical trials.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported 600 suspected Ebola cases with suspected deaths rising to 139, though numbers are expected to increase given the time required for virus detection. He noted at least 51 confirmed cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and 2 additional cases in Uganda.

On May 17, the WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern regarding the latest Ebola outbreak, though it stopped short of declaring it a pandemic emergency. The WHO's emergency committee agreed the situation does not constitute a pandemic-level emergency. "The WHO assesses the risk of spread as high at the national and regional levels, and low at the global level," Ghebreyesus clarified.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom government announced it would allocate up to 20 million pounds, approximately 876 million baht, to help control the outbreak. These funds will support frontline medical personnel, improve infection control measures, and strengthen disease surveillance.

WHO officials stated they are investigating how long the virus has been circulating, but the immediate priority is containing the outbreak. The first known case involved a nurse who became ill and died on April 24 in Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province. Her body was returned to Mongwalu, one of two gold mining towns where most cases have been reported.