Betong District in Yala Province is another food destination that travelers shouldn't miss. One menu item recommended by Yala Province correspondent Jetsada Siriyothai is 'Satay Betong,' or Malay-style satay, served at 'Tuan Satay Old Shop,' which features original recipes from Puyut in Pattani Province. The shop is located on Nakrachcabamrung Road in Betong Municipality, Betong District, Yala Province, and has been operating for over 20 years. Shop owner Yah Abet explains that the satay comes in both chicken and beef options, cut into perfectly-sized pieces and marinated with a special spice blend featuring various aromatic herbs. The meat is grilled over hot charcoal until it becomes fragrant, tender, and deeply flavorful. When ordered as a set, it's served with white compressed rice made from cooked jasmine rice cut into squares, paired with satay gravy made from peanuts that has a sweet, rich, and well-rounded taste characteristic of Malay-style satay. Sets are sold for 40 baht each. Those wanting to taste the original recipe satay can dine in at the shop or order to take away. It's recommended to arrive early in the evening, as the shop sometimes sells out before closing time on busy days. Tuan Satay Old Shop is open daily from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM. For inquiries, call 09-9414-9629.

On May 21, 2026, Lieutenant Colonel Kritpanit Putsiri, Commander of Ratchasima Police, received a report of a deceased person found inside a residence in Village 8, Muang Mai Subdistrict, Ratchasima District, Chaiyaphum Province. Officers and rescue personnel traveled to the scene, a small dwelling located within a secondhand goods shop. They discovered the body of a male identified as Somchai Daoreung, 54 years old. Based on initial examination, officials estimated the man had been dead for approximately three days. Neighbors reported they had not seen him leave his home for several days, the gate remained closed, and a foul odor was emanating from inside. They alerted the village headman, who initiated the investigation. Authorities transported the body to Ratchasima Hospital for a detailed autopsy to determine the cause of death before proceeding with further legal procedures.

The Sunlit Fields series takes viewers back to the model fishing boat home in Bang Yai Phraek, a living learning center about ancient fishing vessels that functions as a museum of waterfront village heritage. At the center is Uncle Noi Chatchawal, a master boat craftsman who has devoted his life to preserving community identity amid waves of inevitable change.

The location is filled with model boats of various kinds, from ordinary canal boats to offshore trawlers. One of them is the "dolphin boat," a large fishing vessel that lent its name to Tha Chalom. Once the primary vessel of local fishermen, it now exists only through Uncle Noi's craftsmanship.

"In the beginning, it was simply the way villagers lived," Uncle Noi explains. "Simple boats were used for regular transport, fishing in canals and along shores. Later, as communities grew and prospered, people needed to venture into the sea, so we had larger boats like the po and dolphin boats. Today, these boats no longer exist. If we don't make efforts to preserve them, they'll disappear completely. It would be truly tragic."

Beyond the boats, the riverside community of Tha Chin is deeply connected to the "jak" plant, a local vegetation that once thrived along riverbanks. Ancestors made use of every part—leaves for roofing and walls, tender shoots for sweets, young fruits for curries and dips. When the fruit matured to around eight or nine months, it became a dessert. Essentially, nothing went to waste.

The team brought children Thannawa, Mee Pooh, and Rung to the home of Aunt Tum Pratum, Uncle Noi's wife, to learn how to prepare "kaeng moeng jak," an ancient home-cooked curry now rarely found. The process begins with slicing young jak, soaking it in salt water to remove astringency, then simmering it with coconut cream, curry paste, and chicken, filling the house with wonderful aromas.

"Finding jak isn't difficult," Aunt Tum notes. "Whenever I want some, I simply cut it from near the house. It's convenient. But sadly, many people no longer know about it."

When the curry was ready, the hungry children eagerly tasted it. Thannawa expressed amazement: "It's delicious! So tender and flavorful"—before going back for seconds. This taste test serves as the best proof that despite being ancient cuisine, the flavors remain vibrantly contemporary.

Uncle Noi believes that for younger generations to truly appreciate local wisdom, they must experience it firsthand—observing, seeing the benefits directly. Whether it's jak groves that provide useful and edible things, or fishing boats that tell entire stories of community life. Because once this generation passes, the dolphin boats, jak curries, and riverside jak groves may exist only in legend.

On May 21, 2025, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin instructed the Pollution Control Department to consider recommendations from Dr. Suebkul Kitnakom, a lecturer at Mae Fah Luang University's School of Social Innovation in International Development, regarding heavy metal contamination in the Kok-Sai-Ruak-Mekong rivers allegedly originating from Chinese mines in Myanmar.

The minister directed the department to resume heavy metal testing in water and sediment at the original Thai-Myanmar border checkpoint (Ban Kaeng Tum), located approximately 200-400 meters from the border, which had served as the primary monitoring point. Since November 2024, the department had discontinued sampling at this location.

The department justified the discontinuation by citing accessibility difficulties, though military personnel had been assisting with sample collection. The current sampling point is at Tha Ton Bridge, approximately 4.7 kilometers from the border. Officials explained the change was made due to safety concerns—the original checkpoint featured rocky rapids where dangerous currents during high water seasons had previously caused accidents. Boat operators were concerned about capsizing while maintaining position against strong currents during the 15-30 minute sampling process.

The minister noted that the department had already expanded monitoring points along the Mekong River in Chiang Of and Wieng Kaen districts in Chiang Rai province as recommended by the public and the university. The Chiang Mai Environmental and Pollution Control Office had informed Dr. Suebkul of these actions. The minister expressed appreciation for the university's recommendations and stated his willingness to consider improvements that would benefit collaborative pollution management efforts.

The Malaysia Masters 2026, a World Tour Super 500 badminton tournament offering a total prize purse of $500,000 (approximately 16.25 million baht), is being held at Axiata Arena Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

On May 21, in the Round of 16 women's singles, Thailand's May Ratchanok Intanon, ranked world No. 7, faced Bulgaria's Kalyana Nalbantova, ranked No. 46. May Ratchanok dominated the match with a convincing straight-sets victory, winning 21-15 and 21-11 to secure her spot in the semifinals. She will await the winner of the match between China Taipei's Huang Ching-ping (world No. 66) and Denmark's Line Christophersen (world No. 17).

In mixed doubles, Thailand's Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai, ranked world No. 20, defeated Indonesia's Bobby Setiabudi and Melati Daeva Oktavianti, ranked No. 42, in a close encounter 18-21, 21-18, and 21-16 to also advance to the next round.

Blue Phongthiwat has become another hot new face capturing attention, particularly after his stage performance at OLYMPOP2 went viral, earning him the nickname 'handsome god's favorite' from fans. The young artist recently spoke at the HONOR 600 Series flagship smartphone launch at Emspherium shopping mall, expressing embarrassment and gratitude for the fan support. He revealed he is fully committed to his music career and preparing to release an album under LOVEiS label within this year, while confirming he won't abandon live performances and is eager to tackle deeper, more challenging dramatic roles.

Recalling his OLYMPOP2 experience, Blue expressed how much fun he had, noting it was his first year performing at the event as a professional artist and that he was still new to the T-Pop industry. He appreciated meeting and collaborating with fellow artists like Thad from ATLAS, Phoo Thatchai from BUS, Alex from DICE, and Tul from Domundi. The basketball game during the event was also entertaining, though Blue joked that the makeup artists made him look fairer than usual.

Regarding the attention he receives, Blue admitted feeling shy, saying he often doesn't realize when cameras are capturing him, but he's delighted seeing the support on social media. When asked about future collaborations, he remained optimistic but non-committal, suggesting there may be opportunities ahead.

For his music career, Blue shared that he and LOVEiS are preparing an album project for release this year. He works closely with the label, contributing his own ideas and preferences about song styles and dance elements. He mentioned they're about 20 percent into the process and hopes everyone will enjoy the final product. While he couldn't reveal the genre or confirm any featured artists yet, he assured fans that music releases are definitely coming this year.