When families take children on vacation, one of the most popular activities is getting up close with the animal known as the 'Lord of the Jungle'—the tiger. Images of young tiger cubs being fed milk or large tigers calmly lying down while tourists pet them and share photos on social media have become commonplace.

These encounters seem exciting and like a 'once-in-a-lifetime experience,' but have you ever wondered why one of the world's most dangerous predators appears so calm, docile, and tame?

When apex predators become unnaturally tame

If you've watched wildlife documentaries or seen tigers in their natural habitat, you'd know that the Bengal tiger is regarded as the 'apex predator' of its ecosystem. Tigers in the wild have high vigilance instincts, love freedom, are territorial, and are unaccustomed to human contact. The eyes of wild tigers are filled with power, alertness, and predatory instinct—quite the opposite of some tigers we see at tourist attractions that lie motionlessly for unusually long periods, respond slowly, or appear 'lifeless.'

Often, these images can lead children to believe that wild animals are safe to play with or touch, when in reality, wild animals should never be made so accessible to humans. This raises the question: "What lies behind this apparent tameness?"

Caged tigers vastly outnumber wild tigers

Thailand has been recognized as one of the world's important tiger conservation nations, as the number of Bengal tigers in Thailand's natural habitat has increased in recent years—a significant sign of hope for the ecosystem. However, on the flip side, Thailand now has between 1,500–1,600 tigers living in captivity: farms, tourist attractions, and private zoos. This compares to only about 179–223 tigers in the wild—meaning there are 8–10 times more caged tigers than wild ones (fiscal year 2567 data). This means the majority of Thailand's tigers haven't grown up in forests but under human-controlled systems.

Currently, there are over 30 commercial tiger breeding facilities across the country. Most captive tigers are 'foreign subspecies,' which have no conservation value and don't actually help increase wild tiger populations as many people believe. Tigers raised in these systems typically cannot return to forest life because they lack hunting skills and survival instincts. Consequently, such breeding operations are primarily driven by tourism activities.

Moreover, Thailand serves not only as a breeding ground but also as a crucial transit point for illegal wildlife trafficking networks—a major concern across Southeast Asian countries.

When 'cuteness' becomes business

Tiger cubs are the biggest draw for tourists—small, fluffy, appearing tame, and photogenic. But behind these images lies much that ordinary people never know.

Many cubs are separated from their mothers at a young age to participate in tourist-related activities. Some live constantly with humans, being picked up, touched, and photographed repeatedly every day. When they grow too large for these activities, their lives may change dramatically.

What's concerning is that the more demand there is for photos with wild animals, the more this system gets perpetuated. Although many tourists have no ill intentions, sometimes the 'photo fee' may drive concerning practices.

On May 14, 2026 (French local time), Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supa Juea, along with Culture Minister Sabeida Thaiserit, Permanent Secretary of Commerce Wuthikrai Leeviraphand, DITP Director-General Sununta Kangwankulkij, and other Commerce Ministry officials, visited the Thailand Pavilion at the Marché du Film during the 68th Cannes Film Festival (May 12-20, 2026). The pavilion occupied 82 square meters and represented Thailand's 19th year of participation in the event.

Thailand brought 15 companies to the market, divided into two groups: 12 film production and distribution companies and 3 production and post-production service providers. Companies included Bibbidi Entertainment, Fairfolks Entertainment, Film Frame Productions, GDH 559, GMM Studios International, M Distribution, Mono Streaming, Navalart Nimit, Plabalabla, Sahamongkol Film International, Chayaesaeng Adventure, and T&B Media Global, along with Benetton Films, Second Skin Studio, and White Light Studio.

Deputy PM Supa Juea announced that the Commerce Ministry set targets of at least 250 business-to-business matching sessions, with projected trade negotiations valued at no less than 1.4 billion baht. In 2025, the previous year's participation generated 329 business meetings worth 504.39 million baht, with major trading partners including the United States, China, United Kingdom, France, and Japan. The Marché du Film has been held annually since 1959, attracting over 15,000 participants from 140 countries including directors, producers, investors, distributors, actors, and international agents.

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Sansiri (SIRI) reported Q1/2026 net profit of 864 million baht, up 6% year-on-year, with sales of 13.3 billion baht and a backlog exceeding 24 billion baht. The developer plans to launch six new projects in Q3 worth 13.33 billion baht, capitalizing on low 1% interest rates and relaxed LTV policies. Finance executive Vichan Viriyapusit noted the company achieved 13.3 billion baht in sales and 6.691 billion baht in total revenue during the quarter, with steady growth momentum. The Nara Siri brand under the Sansiri Luxury Collection had strong presales for Bangkok stadium and Bommrachachonnani projects, surpassing 1.5 billion baht in combined sales and prompting faster phase launches. The new Love Charoen Nakhon condominium brand achieved over 1.5 billion baht in presale revenue. With a healthy backlog of 24 billion baht, the company expects to recognize 50% as revenue this year. Completed projects generating revenue include Via 34 Sukhumvit luxury condominiums, Via 61 Sukhumvit condominiums, The Base Seaside with 90% sales, and The Base Srinakharin-Khon Kaen. Q2 plans include six new projects worth 13.36 billion baht, including Setha Siri Great Wangwang-Chatuchote, Mabel Prachachuen 90 single-family homes starting at 5 million baht, and iconic projects like Exit Thonglor, Via 34, and D Condo Vit. The company faces intense competition and price wars in Q2, but benefits from 1% policy interest rates and temporarily relaxed LTV criteria through June 30, 2027 for housing loans. Sansiri partnered with Thai Commercial Bank and Krung Thai Bank for an interest-free payment promotion up to 48 months for homes and condominiums.

A touching viral story has emerged after a two-year-old girl ran up and hugged a stranger, calling her "mom" by mistake, only to shock her real mother when she arrived at the scene and discovered the woman bore a striking resemblance to her.

The incident occurred in Baoding, Hebei Province, China. A 10-year-old boy was playing in the village with his 2-year-old sister when she suddenly ran up and embraced a woman she didn't know, calling her "mom." Confused onlookers watched as even the older brother initially thought the stranger was his mother—until he got closer and noticed something was off. He quickly called his real mother to the scene.

When Ms. Ma, the actual mother, arrived, she was stunned. The stranger (wearing jeans) had facial features and body shape remarkably similar to her own, and was even wearing glasses and dressed in a similar style.

In the video, the little girl stands looking back and forth between the two women for a moment before deciding to run back to her real mother.

Ms. Ma revealed in an interview that she was quite shocked, as she and the stranger had never met before. She later checked with her family and confirmed they had no connection whatsoever.

She joked that she should thank her daughter for introducing her to her "other self," but unfortunately both parties were in a rush at the time and didn't exchange contact information.

After the video went viral, netizens flooded the comments section with reactions. Some joked that "even the real mother got confused by how similar they looked," while others quipped, "If the father came home, he might be really confused." Many viewers found the story to be like discovering "yourself from a parallel universe"—both surprising and heartwarming at the same time.

Around 1914, Prince Damrong Rajanubhap conducted extensive historical and archaeological research in the ancient city of Sukhothai during a period of intense scholarly interest in Thailand's origins, marked by the establishment of the Ancient Society of Thailand, later known as the Archaeological Society. During King Chulalongkorn's reign, royal expeditions explored the northern regions, and King Mongkut authored "Journey to Sukhothai" while serving as Crown Prince and Vice President of the Archaeological Society.

Prince Damrong investigated the Sukhothai Kingdom by comparing various stone inscriptions, particularly the first stele, which mentions the city's guardian spirit dwelling at Khao Luang. The inscription names this spirit "Phra Khaphung Phee" and describes its importance: "At the head of Sukhothai city there is Phra Khaphung Phee, a deity greater than all spirits in this city. Whoever rules Sukhothai and reveres this spirit correctly will keep the city prosperous and good; whoever fails to show proper respect will find the city destroyed."

During the search for sacred objects, Prince Damrong discovered an ancient stone statue of a female deity. Unable to find other deity statues in the Khao Luang range and noting the local reverence for this statue, he concluded it represented Phra Khaphung Phee, an important object of worship for Sukhothai's people.

Local legend connects this statue to "Nang Suang," the mother of Khun Ban Muang and Khun Ramkhamhaeng the Great, and the principal wife of Khun Si Intharaditya, founder of the Sukhothai Kingdom. She was also the grandmother of Khun Pha Muang of the Sri Navanamphu dynasty, who helped restore the kingdom from Khmer control.

The people of Sukhothai enshrined this statue as a city talisman, naming her "Phra Mae Ya," meaning the highest-ranking woman and mother figure of Sukhothai. Today, the original statue is housed in Phra Mae Ya Shrine, with two replica statues positioned at the entrance.

"Phra Mae Ya Sukhothai" is renowned for her power to relieve suffering. During Songkran festivals, residents traditionally paraded her statue, believing it would bring rain, which historically occurred consistently. She is also believed to grant fertility to the childless, protect against illness and misfortune, and bring success in work and careers—acting as a protective mother figure.

When facing difficulties, devotees visit Phra Mae Ya Shrine to pay respects and make offerings of pork, mushrooms, ducks, chickens, flowers, incense, and candles. Lychees are particularly favored offerings. Many replica statues and amulets have been created and are highly revered by the faithful.