BANGKOK — 13 May 2026, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said it is continuing efforts to manage debt obligations and oversee operations at the Chatuchak Weekend Market, with outstanding payments owed to the State Railway of Thailand totalling 1.338 billion baht in unpaid land rental fees.

According to a source at Bangkok City Hall, the amount includes 672 million baht under a court ruling, consisting of 605.7 million baht in principal rent covering a period of three years, six months and 27 days, along with 66.4 million baht in interest calculated up to the filing date of 27 June 2022.

The BMA also faces additional interest charges of 5 percent on the principal amount, totalling 101.3 million baht, calculated from 27 June 2022 to 31 October 2025, as well as monthly compensation payments of 14.1 million baht from 1 July 2022 to 31 October 2025, amounting to another 564.7 million baht over three years and four months.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the administration maintains the principle that debts must be repaid once fair and accurate figures are agreed upon. He said the BMA has sufficient budget reserves, but the case remains under appeal as officials seek clarification on the final amount and request relief from interest accrued during the COVID-19 crisis.

Chadchart also said the BMA plans to return management of the market to the State Railway of Thailand, citing the administration's lack of expertise in market operations. He added that the railway agency or the government could further develop the site into a "soft power gateway" to strengthen tourism in the future.

Earlier this year, BMA executives inspected the market to accelerate collection of overdue payments from vendors and improve the market's financial management system ahead of a legal resolution and any future handover or new operating agreement.

BERLIN (AP) — Albrecht Weinberg, who survived several Nazi concentration and death camps and lost most of his family in the Holocaust before returning to Germany in his 80s, has died at the age of 101, authorities in his home region said Tuesday.

Weinberg died in Leer, in northwestern Germany, weeks after he marked his birthday and the premiere of a film about his life, "Es ist immer in meinem Kopf" ("It is always in my head"), attended by hundreds of guests, the city said in a statement.

"Since returning from New York to his East Frisian home 14 years ago, Albrecht recounted tirelessly and with incredible energy his terrible experiences during the Nazi era and warned again and again against forgetting," Mayor Claus-Peter Horst said.

Weinberg, who was born in Rhauderfehn, near Leer, on March 7, 1925, survived incarceration at the Auschwitz, Mittelbau-Dora and Bergen-Belsen camps as well as three death marches at the end of World War II. He spent years teaching high school students and others about the atrocities he had to live through.

Speaking last year, Weinberg said the memories of his wartime experiences still haunted him. "I sleep with it, I wake up with it, I sweat, I have nightmares; that is my present," he said.

He said he worried what would happen when he was no longer around to bear witness.

"When my generation is not in this world anymore, when we disappear from the world, then the next generation can only read it out of the book," he said.

Weinberg was awarded Germany's Order of Merit in 2017 but handed it back last year in protest at a parliamentary vote in which a motion put forward by Friedrich Merz, now the country's chancellor, calling for many more migrants to be turned back at Germany's borders passed with the help of a far-right party.

Israel's ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, said in a post on X that he had got to know Weinberg well and paid tribute to him as "a bridge — between past and present, between pain and hope, between the dead he could never forget and the young people whom he encouraged to seek the truth."

On May 13, 2025 at 2:20 PM, Prichardr Wachrasindu, Pheu Thai party list MP and deputy party leader, criticized Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul for failing to advance constitutional reform. Anutin claimed that referendum results don't bind the original draft constitutional amendment pending in parliament, but Prichardr argued this demonstrates government insincerity. He contended that the PM and cabinet cannot escape responsibility since the referendum results are a binding public mandate on all institutions. Though parliament initiates constitutional amendments, the cabinet can endorse the existing draft or propose a new one for parliamentary consideration.

Prichardr noted the cabinet and ruling coalition aren't clearly separated, as Anutin heads Bhumjaithai, the largest party in parliament. The referendum itself resulted from a previous cabinet resolution barely different from the current one. He observed that the government faces two options: approve the pending draft amendment by Bhumjaithai and Pheu Thai, or if rejecting it, provide a clear roadmap with reasons and a timeline for a new proposal. Instead, Prichardr said the government does neither, reflecting insincerity.

He warned the PM to mind public sentiment and speculated whether Anutin and Bhumjaithai benefit from the 2017 Constitution's provisions—particularly the Senate selection mechanism—making them reluctant to reform it. Though referendums don't bind particular drafts, they mandate constitutional amendment by all institutions. Prichardr criticized the PM's inaction as the primary concern.

When asked about Nikhom Chamnong (Bhumjaithai list MP) suggesting economic problems take priority over constitutional reform, Prichardr countered that all national problems need simultaneous solutions. A capable government should handle multiple issues. Constitutional reform can proceed alongside economic fixes, he argued, since the current charter fails to prevent corruption, draining national resources. He also questioned how anyone knows this won't be a late-term government move, given uncertainty about government longevity.

Prichardr reiterated his observation that Anutin's apparent insincerity suggests the government benefits from the 2017 Constitution and thus resists change.

Does it actually work? A special education school in China is using baby dolls as a teaching tool for problem students, aiming to cultivate gratitude and help them understand the burden parents face.

A special education school in eastern China has faced heavy criticism after implementing an unusual teaching approach with troubled teenagers, requiring them to carry baby dolls throughout the school day as a lesson in gratitude and understanding of parental responsibility.

The school in question is Yuanzhong Special Education School, located in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. It admits teenagers with aggressive behavior, lack of academic motivation, online gaming addiction, emotional instability, or early romantic relationship problems.

After videos of the program were shared on social media, they showed students carrying dolls on their backs during classes and holding them during lunch breaks, creating a viral trend and sparking widespread online debate.

One teacher posted that all students must "care for their own child" for one week, taking responsibility for feeding, sleeping arrangements, and nighttime needs to understand the true role of parenthood.

In another video, students were shown walking unsteadily while carrying 2.5-kilogram dolls to simulate the experience of teaching a toddler to walk. Some students reported that walking just one kilometer left them exhausted and gave them greater appreciation for parents' struggles.

School Principal Tu explained that the approach is part of teaching gratitude, allowing students to experience childcare responsibilities and understand the hardships of motherhood and families. He confirmed that some parents support the method.

However, online responses are mixed. Some view it as "a way to train patience and responsibility," while others see it as "strange and potentially damaging to children's long-term attitudes, even discouraging some from wanting children of their own."

China's special education and youth behavior correction centers remain controversial regarding control methods and care standards. Many charge steep fees of 8,000-20,000 yuan (approximately 39,000-96,000 baht) monthly and operate under closed, quasi-military management systems, raising questions about China's approach to addressing at-risk youth behavior problems.

Rangsun Kiyapatch, running on the Democratic Party (DP) ticket, is campaigning for the Bangkok Metropolitan Council seat in Laksai District and has announced his intention to run again after losing by just 198 votes. He emphasized that Laksai residents are not simply a voting base but a community he feels genuinely committed to.

On May 13, 2569, Rangsun Kiyapatch, the DP candidate for the Laksai BMC seat, revealed that elections will be held on June 28. He stressed that the BMC position is the closest to people's daily lives and is crucial for improving the quality of life in Laksai. The everyday problems residents face—including road conditions, drainage systems, sidewalks, bridges, street lighting, waste management, cleanliness, garbage collection, canals, public parks, health centers, childcare facilities, schools, athletic fields, and elderly care—all fall directly under BMC responsibility.

Rangsun stated that Bangkok has an annual budget of nearly 100 billion baht, and the BMC has a duty to scrutinize, filter, and ensure every baht of city funds is used to address Laksai residents' problems effectively. If Bangkok's budget is allocated more seriously and consistently to tackle existing, recurring problems in the area, many issues residents endure daily could genuinely change.

"I believe the BMC seat is the closest position to the community and can solve problems in concrete, tangible ways. This is why I am determined to run for the Laksai BMC seat again. Previously, I ran twice and lost by only 198 votes, and today I am asking for another opportunity," Rangsun said.

Rangsun noted that over nearly 20 years, he has accumulated experience working intensively in the area through both government and private sector roles, caring for Laksai residents directly or indirectly during every crisis. He has always believed that Laksai is not merely a voting base but a community he is genuinely committed to, and he wants to see a real improvement in residents' quality of life.

A former mobile operator executive accused of hitting and fleeing from a vehicle in the Ladphrao area arrived at Ladphrao Police Station on May 13 at 1:49 p.m. to meet with investigating officers and hear the charges against him. The victim, Saai Mai Tong Rod, reported that the executive hit her car from behind while apparently intoxicated and then fled after exchanging insurance information. The victim claims she has faced pressure from local police attempting to settle the matter and intimidation from the defendant's lawyer, though the case has seen little progress since the January 7 incident.

When arriving at the station, the defendant briefly greeted media before heading to the investigation room on the third floor, accompanied by his lawyer. He remained silent with journalists and his legal team requested that media not follow them inside to observe the questioning process.