May 22, 2026 – Naphak Pengsuk, prospective candidate for Bangkok Metropolitan Assembly in Lat Phrao district representing the Thai Phakdin Party, posted a message on Facebook announcing his withdrawal from the election race.

In his statement, he explained: "I am announcing my decision to withdraw as a candidate for Bangkok Metropolitan Assembly in Lat Phrao district on behalf of the Thai Phakdin Party due to health issues that require serious treatment and rehabilitation at this time.

Many people may know that I experienced a severe accident several years ago that required knee surgery. Throughout the years since then, I have continuously worked to care for and rehabilitate my body in order to work and live normally. However, recently my old injury has become severely inflamed again and has begun to clearly affect my daily life.

After consulting with my doctor and careful consideration, I have decided that treatment and physical rehabilitation are now essential. I believe that serving the public should be done with full capacity, and since my body is not yet ready, this decision is something I must responsibly communicate to the people of this district.

I apologize to everyone who cannot run in this election, and I thank you for all your trust, support, and opportunities you have given me. Although I am withdrawing from this election, I remain a member of the Thai Phakdin Party and continue to believe in the ideals and work approaches we have built together. I am ready to fully support the work of the Thai Phakdin Party and the party's replacement candidate for Bangkok Metropolitan Assembly in Lat Phrao district. Thank you from the heart."

On May 22, a Facebook user with the account name Bnkx.7 posted a video warning about scammers impersonating customers. The post read: "Warning about scammers—they're getting really clever now, posing as customers requesting rides through the app, then sending QR codes to scan. Please be careful everyone."

The reporter spoke with 25-year-old Chalemsai (surname withheld), known as Bank, the ride-hailing driver and author of the post. Bank recounted that on May 17 around 3 a.m., he picked up a passenger in the Thonglor area to drop off in Samut Prakan. He then received a call from what turned out to be a scammer posing as a customer who had hailed him through the app. The scammer claimed it wasn't a passenger pickup—just a request to collect documents from a hospital and deliver them to Samut Prakan, a 32-kilometer distance. The scammer offered 1,000 baht for the round trip, though the app showed only 338 baht. The scammer also requested to add Bank on LINE, claiming he would send job details through the messaging app.

Bank initially said the job could be sent through the app, but the scammer insisted on using LINE, claiming it was hospital documentation. Bank wasn't suspicious at that point and shared his LINE contact. When Bank asked about payment, the scammer said he would pay through LINE. Not yet alarmed, Bank drove to the location the scammer had marked. Halfway there, the scammer called again, told him to stop, and said he'd sent the job through LINE. When Bank checked, he found a QR code. Unsure what it was, the scammer asked him to scan it. That's when Bank became suspicious. When the scammer asked what bank Bank used and insisted he scan the QR code, Bank realized the danger and hung up.

The scammer called back again. Bank pretended he had scanned the code, and the scammer claimed the money had been deposited. Bank said it hadn't arrived, so the scammer asked if he'd confirmed the transaction or entered an OTP code. Hearing this, Bank immediately hung up again. Shortly after, the order was canceled.

Bank said he never imagined scammers would operate this way—hailing drivers through the app and deceiving them with smooth talk until they become victims. Comments on the post revealed that taxi drivers have been targeted by this same scam frequently. Bank reflected that if he'd fallen for it that day, he would have been stressed and lost all his account funds, which would be terrifying for someone less cautious.

Bank's final message to other ride-hailing drivers: Be careful when working late night or making deliveries. Check carefully if a customer asks you to scan a QR code or access a banking app before handing over your phone—that's definitely a scammer.

BANGKOK — On May 22, 2026, Thai Senator Noppadon Inna briefed ASEAN+3 diplomats on Thailand's effort to revoke the 2000 and 2001 Memorandums of Understanding with Cambodia, arguing these agreements undermine Thailand's sovereignty and national interests amid persistent border and maritime disputes.

On Friday, the Senate Extraordinary Committee investigating the advantages and disadvantages of scrapping the two MOUs held a special briefing at Parliament in Bangkok. The session, chaired by Noppadon, drew ambassadors and diplomatic envoys from ASEAN nations as well as China, Japan, and South Korea.

Noppadon said the briefing aimed to explain the committee's conclusions directly to regional diplomats following heightened international focus on the Thai-Cambodian border situation. The committee unanimously recommended revoking both agreements after months of field research, consultations with military leaders, and examination of legal and historical documents.

According to Noppadon, the committee consulted with the Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy, Ministry of Defense, and the Foreign Ministry's Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs. The panel also conducted field surveys across seven border provinces and received briefings from the First and Second Army Areas about previous armed conflicts and border tensions.

The committee determined that the MOUs no longer adequately safeguard Thailand's territorial sovereignty, maritime rights, or national security, particularly given unresolved overlapping land and sea claims.

In remarks to the diplomats, Noppadon contended that ongoing ambiguity over border demarcation has fueled persistent tensions between the nations, especially stemming from conflicting interpretations of historical maps, including the contentious 1:200,000-scale map tied to the Franco-Siamese boundary delimitation process.

He also alleged Cambodia has repeatedly violated agreements, dismissed Thai diplomatic complaints, and committed provocative actions along the border.

Noppadon cited Ban Nong Chan in Sa Kaeo Province and Chong An Ma in Ubon Ratchathani Province as examples.

Regarding Ban Nong Chan, he noted that hundreds of thousands of Cambodian refugees fled into Thailand during Cambodia's civil war in 1979. Thailand, working with organizations including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the Thai Red Cross, provided humanitarian assistance, food, shelter, and medical care at border refugee camps.

Noppadon asserted that after the conflict concluded, some Cambodian nationals refused repatriation and continued settling on Thai soil, creating long-standing friction that eventually escalated into armed skirmishes.

At Chong An Ma, he stated Thailand had temporarily eased border controls as a humanitarian and neighborly gesture.

A tragic collision between a train and an air-conditioned bus on Route 206 at the Makkasan railway crossing on Asoke-Din Daeng Road killed 8 people and injured 32 others, raising serious concerns about Thailand's transportation safety systems. Preliminary police investigations revealed multiple contributing factors: the train operator was unfit for duty, testing positive for cannabis and methamphetamine, and lacked proper certification under the 2568 Rail Transport Act due to transitional legal enforcement issues; signal operators neglected safety protocols; and the bus driver carelessly parked across the railway tracks. All responsible parties face negligence charges resulting in injury and death.

Following the tragedy, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul expressed condolences and ordered Thai Railways and Bangkok Mass Transit Authority to urgently care for and compensate the injured and families of the deceased. He assigned the Transport Ministry to study solutions for the dangerous railway crossing, recommending tunnels or overpasses to enhance safety.

Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn announced relief measures providing 2.39 million baht for deceased victims' families. The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority will cover medical treatment costs ranging from 80,000 to 1 million baht, supplemented by 30,000 baht from partner networks and 20,000 baht from accident funds. Thai Railways provides initial aid of 5,000 baht with additional compensation up to 50,000 baht for ICU patients based on injury severity.

Authorities are studying the relocation of railway cargo and passenger transfer points outside Bangkok with three-month completion deadline. Transport Minister Assistant Siripong Angsukulkiatti ordered three-phase remedies: short-term human error reduction through stricter drug testing of train operators and daytime freight restrictions; medium-term technology deployment for safety monitoring and increased personnel at risk areas; and long-term infrastructure development proposals.

Social media is ablaze as influencer and actress Em Withawat posted a fiery rebuttal to internet trolls who had criticized her appearance, fitness, and self-care habits. The actress opened her counterattack with a blunt post stating: "Shut your mouths if you don't know what you're talking about. My body type is the standard for Thai women. That's all you need to know." She then followed up with a series of cutting comments addressing the specific criticisms:

- Calling her too thin and unattractive while bragging about their own 32-inch waist - Getting arm botox and claiming she looks weak, then searching for arm liposuction promotions - Suggesting she spend time on back acne treatment, buy perfume, and stop using bleaching cream while claiming to be "natural" - Sarcastically noting that nobody in the world is beautiful except them and their mother - Saying she used to be cute but now looks tired - Pointing out that she's too skinny and not radiant enough - Addressing clinic spam comments about weight loss, mocking those seeking free advice and then ignoring responses

Demolition Order Issued for Viral 10-Story Chinese House; Owner Vow to Fight in Court and Rebuild After Being Declared Illegal Construction

On May 22, foreign media reported that a bizarre 10-story pyramid-shaped house in Guizhou Province, southwestern China, has been ordered demolished following years of dispute over illegal construction.

The house stood prominently above rice fields in Xing village, becoming a small tourist attraction that drew numerous travelers and media attention due to its fantasy-like appearance resembling the worlds of acclaimed Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki.

The unusual structure was built by Chen Tianming, 43, who spent over 8 years expanding his family's original single-story stone house into a complex high-rise structure complete with staircases, balconies, and wooden frameworks resembling a maze, costing approximately 200,000 yuan or about 960,000 baht.

However, on May 20, local officials demolished nearly the entire building in just a few hours, leaving only the foundation of the original structure. Authorities stated the house lacked proper construction permits and posed safety hazards.

Chen told media he felt no regret despite the destruction of his years of work and does not blame himself for being unable to protect it.

Reports indicate that authorities have demolished most structures in the area since 2018 to prepare for tourism resort development in a region famous for its terraced rice fields and natural mountain beauty.

Chen refused to relocate and continued expanding his house in 2024, when it was officially declared "illegal construction."

Despite the demolition, Chen insists he will pursue legal action to prove the demolition itself was unlawful. "If I can prove the demolition was illegal, I still have the opportunity to rebuild it again," he stated.