May 6, 2026 – Pongsak Kwanmeung, spokesperson for the Democratic Party and former Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) spokesman during Lieutenant General Aswin Kwanmeung's tenure as governor, posted on Facebook to clarify Bangkok's budget situation. He stated that Bangkok's budget operated at a surplus every year, and efforts to pay down BTS debt left behind approximately 76 billion baht, not 94 million.

Recent discussions about Bangkok's financial status have referenced the period when Lieutenant General Aswin served as governor. Without criticizing current administrators, Pongsak sought to clarify the facts in fairness to Lieutenant General Aswin, who committed to supporting the work without criticism or obstruction.

1. Budget Surplus: Bangkok maintained surpluses across multiple fiscal years: 2017 (+54.06 billion), 2018 (+141.93 billion), 2019 (+81.34 billion), 2020 (+45.86 billion), 2021 (+45.51 billion), 2022 (+109.52 billion).

Year-end budget surpluses are normal accounting occurrences resulting from revenue exceeding targets or projects bidding below estimates. However, during 2019-2022, Bangkok faced the COVID-19 crisis. The government provided emergency assistance by reducing land and property taxes by 90% for two consecutive years, costing Bangkok 10,000-14,000 million baht annually in lost revenue. Despite mounting expenditures for healthcare, pandemic relief, and citizen support, the administration managed the crisis through strict fiscal discipline.

2. BTS Debt: Current officials note that even after allocating funds for BTS debt repayment, Bangkok maintained a surplus exceeding 5 billion baht. Lieutenant General Aswin attempted multiple approaches to resolve this pre-existing debt:

2.1 – Requested Bangkok Council approval to use accumulated reserves for debt repayment, but faced rejection due to council concerns about debt burden and municipal bankruptcy.

2.2 – Submitted borrowing legislation to the council to transfer assets and settle debt, successfully resolving the Mochit-Khuekhot portion.

2.3 – Sought central government subsidies for remaining debt, citing the government's original construction of the infrastructure, but was not approved.

2.4 – The government attempted Section 44 negotiations with private sectors, which ultimately yielded no agreement.

3. The 94 Million Baht Narrative: This represents the most unfair characterization. Repeatedly claiming that the previous administration left only 94 million baht ignores the actual transfer of approximately 76 billion baht in accumulated reserves (allocated for civil service pensions, emergency reserves, and resources for new leadership). The new administration and council subsequently approved using 76 billion baht for system maintenance costs (over 23 billion baht) and operational expenses (over 40 billion baht), reducing remaining BTS debt to approximately 50,000-60,000 million baht. Current accumulated reserves are projected at billions of baht.

Ultimately, whether financial management yields a "surplus," "balanced," or "deficit" budget each carries different advantages and disadvantages. What matters most is responsible stewardship.

PTT Public Company Limited has been selected for inclusion in the Dow Jones Best-in-Class Index (DJBICI), formerly known as the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI), for the 14th consecutive year in both the DJBIC World Index and DJBIC Emerging Markets Index, reflecting international-standard business operations.

The company adheres to good corporate governance principles while reducing greenhouse gas emissions across all operational processes in economic, social, and environmental dimensions. PTT also manages its supply chain efficiently to support sustainable growth. The company prioritizes environmental management and climate change mitigation aligned with national and international targets while caring for all stakeholder groups based on balanced sustainability principles, following its vision of "PTT strong together with Thai society and growing globally in a sustainable manner."

Several PTT subsidiaries have also been selected for DJBICI inclusion, including PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited, Thai Oil Public Company Limited, IRPC Public Company Limited, PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited, Global Power Synergy Public Company Limited, and PTT Oil and Retail Business Public Company Limited.

The Dow Jones Best-in-Class Index (DJBICI) is a globally recognized index that evaluates business performance of listed companies according to sustainable development guidelines, covering environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. It is acknowledged internationally by investors, financial institutions, and funds worldwide to build confidence among both domestic and foreign investors.

On May 6, 2025, Pol. Lt. Col. Kurupong Kaeo-saad, superintendent of Wang Yang Police Station, revealed progress in a case filed on April 28 by the parents of a 13-year-old girl from Nakhon Phanom province. They accused village chief Kittipong of assaulting their daughter and sexually coercing her. Pol. Lt. Col. Kurupong stated that investigators questioned both the accused and the victim. Although the village chief initially denied the charges, sufficient evidence was found, and the girl underwent a medical examination. Police are confident they have adequate evidence for prosecution. Pol. Lt. Col. Kurupong noted that despite the accused attempting to reconcile with the victim's family, this case cannot be settled as it is a criminal matter involving a child. Two charges are being prepared: abduction of a minor and indecent assault of a child under 15 years old, and rape with aggravated circumstances, carrying sentences of up to 20 years imprisonment or life imprisonment. The accused was informed of the charges and legal procedures will proceed fairly for both parties. The incident reportedly occurred because the girl worked part-time as a traditional music performer, which the village chief exploited to approach and coerce her. Investigation revealed that Kittipong resigned from his position on April 28, after the incident occurred, placing the matter solely under police jurisdiction rather than district administrative disciplinary action. Meanwhile, social development and human security officials from Nakhon Phanom province, coordinated through a foundation, have been providing support and psychological rehabilitation to the 13-year-old girl and her family.

Domundi invested over 70 million baht to create a happiness land in 'DMD LAND 3,' delivering a marathon of entertainment for over 7 hours to give the best gift to their fans. The grand and lavish event, led by company founder Off Kittipat Jampaa, took over Impact Arena for 2 full days with 39 artists from 5 generations of the Domundi label delivering exciting performances. The massive concert 'DMD LAND 3: THE FINAL LAND "LAND OF FUSION" CONCERT' took place on May 2-3, 2026 at Impact Arena in Muang Thong Thani, featuring over 7 continuous hours of performances with high-budget production. The show kicked off with all artists performing 'Turn Down for What,' showcasing the breadth of the label's talent across 5 generations through songs like 'Bad Angels' and 'Blinding Light.' Highlights included Nunew's mysterious flying saucer entrance and fierce 'FXCK UP THE WORLD' performance, boy group DEXX's energetic three-song medley including 'Tokyo Drift,' Poppy's sultry 'Umbrella,' Park's smooth 'Gentleman,' and Mark's playful 'Banana.' Jimmy impressed on guitar with 'About You,' while Tommy delivered the emotional 'Don't Go.' Late and Kim charmed audiences riding a Harley in 'Sapya Ga Sa Long,' while Net and JJ brought both dance and vocals to 'Thalnung,' and Riujin and Patchi had the crowd screaming with 'BF.' Mek took over as DJ with 'My Humps' as Nath showcased dance moves center stage, while Om captivated with 'Crazy in Love,' Tutor and Yim impressed with 'Kitty Swag,' and U'u and Safe kicked off their appearance with screams from opening moments.

Over the past 2-3 days, multiple private hospitals have announced their withdrawal from the National Health Security Scheme (Gold Card or 30-baht card), causing widespread disruption for patients. Medical technician Pakpumi Dechahsadin, who runs the popular "Dr. Lab Panda" Facebook page, recently commented on the issue, explaining: "Under the Gold Card system, hospitals must pay patients upfront and then claim reimbursement from the National Health Security Office (NHSO), which holds the funds. However, the NHSO has faced problems—making late payments and paying incomplete amounts. When private hospitals can't sustain losses, they withdraw from the scheme, but state hospitals have no choice but to continue. They're forced to absorb drug and equipment costs until reimbursement, creating cash flow problems and risking financial collapse."

Actress Namcha Chiranath Yusanant recently shared details about a mysterious childhood experience where she nearly encountered alien abduction, explaining how this pivotal moment led her to return to acting after years away through the film "Khao Kala," which draws inspiration from her personal experience. The revelation comes amid heightened societal interest in UFO beliefs and extraterrestrial phenomena.

Namecha gave a special interview at the premiere screening of "KHAO KALA" at ONE Ultra Screens, Level 5 of ONE Bangkok shopping mall. She became involved in the film after UFO researcher Toffee (Sambaht Hahsip) invited her to join the project. "Cha was one of the people who went UFO watching with Toffee. Afterward, he asked if I was interested in being part of his story since he was making the Khao Kala film. I shared the incident I experienced as a child, and that became the starting point," she explained.

Namecha admitted she wasn't initially a believer until she witnessed the phenomenon herself. She remained silent about her experience for over a decade after appearing on a talk show approximately 10-15 years ago, when the public largely dismissed her account as absurd and mocked her for it. "I lost my confidence and was seen as crazy. I decided not to talk about it anymore," she said.

However, meeting Toffee, who is serious and knowledgeable about the subject, prompted her reconsideration. Initially hesitant to revisit the topic, she eventually agreed to participate in the film. "There's something that keeps pulling me back to this experience, as if they're trying to keep connected with me," she reflected.

Namecha noted that growing social acceptance of UFO phenomena has given her more confidence to speak publicly. "At first, I faced criticism and ridicule, but now I receive supportive comments from people who share similar experiences and believe in the phenomenon," she said. She encouraged audiences to watch "Khao Kala," calling it a proud achievement of Thai filmmaking that explores genuine, intense experiences and helps answer lingering questions about extraterrestrial encounters.