A 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck Japan at 6:28 p.m. Japan time on May 2, 2025, with a maximum seismic intensity of 4 on the Japanese scale. The epicenter was located in Nara Prefecture at a depth of 68 kilometers. Tremors were felt across multiple areas of the Kansai region, including Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, and Osaka. No tsunami warning was issued following the earthquake, though it caused significant alarm among tourists, as Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and Wakayama are all major tourist destinations in Japan. To date, there have been no reports of damage or injuries from the earthquake.

At approximately 10:30 AM on May 2, 2569, Sinchai Taetsomboon, a young man from Nakhon Ratchasima Province, reported to journalists that he had been craving freshwater crabs after seeing news reports of locals collecting them in large quantities following recent rains. He called his girlfriend Mesaa Charakklang and asked her to have his mother send crabs via the intercity bus service from Dan Khun Thot District to the first Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Bus Station, commonly known as the "old bus station."

After confirming the delivery time and location, Sinchai arrived at the station at 10:30 AM to collect the package, but found the crabs missing. He requested to review CCTV footage from the station and discovered that the 10-kilogram pot of crabs his mother had sent had been stolen. Security footage showed a man wearing a white or light green short-sleeved shirt, black shorts, and a dark gray helmet, riding a gray-black Honda Wave motorcycle with unknown license plates. The suspect parked behind an orange bus near a tour coach before walking toward the baggage claim area, then calmly rode away with his left hand holding the crab pot between his legs.

Sinchai expressed shock at the theft, saying he had never heard of crabs being stolen before. However, given the current economic hardship and high cost of living, he acknowledged that thieves likely hoped to either eat the crabs or sell them for profit, as freshwater crabs currently command premium prices of several hundred baht per kilogram. He lamented that despite his effort in arranging for the crabs to be sent so he could prepare a delicious meal, the entire pot was stolen.

On May 2, 2025, Deputy National Police Commander General Kornchai Klaokluang announced that the Royal Thai Police prioritizes ongoing care for officers injured in the line of duty under the 'Police Family: We Don't Abandon Our Own' program. The initiative is providing continuous assistance to Sergeant Major Kritsada Karun, a member of the 2nd Special Operations Company of the Counter-Terrorism Unit, who was seriously wounded in a shooting incident at Terminal 21 shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima on February 9, 2020.

General Kornchai has been personally visiting and providing encouragement since 2025 through the present, overseeing medical monitoring, healthcare expense coverage, and family welfare support to ensure the officer can live with dignity and improved quality of life. The program provides monthly financial assistance of 2,000 baht, along with coverage for a titanium skull replacement surgery costing 68,000 baht to relieve the family's financial burden.

Additionally, the police have installed extra air conditioning units at the officer's residence at the Police Aviation Division welfare quarters in Thonburi, Bangkok—completed on April 30, 2025—to maintain optimal cooling 24/7 and create a proper recovery environment. This comprehensive care reflects the National Police Office's commitment to long-term support for injured officers and their families, embodying the principle that 'the police family never abandons anyone' and aligns with Deputy Commander Kornchai's personal philosophy of never leaving anyone behind.

On May 2, 2569, authorities reported significant progress in a case involving false birth registrations and fraudulent birth certificates issued to Chinese and Myanmar nationals totaling over 50 individuals in Nakhon Ratchasima Province. On May 1, 2569, officials arrested three government employees under warrant: a Phothiklong Subdistrict Municipality employee who served as a senior registry officer, a former district chief of Huai Thaling District, and a former administrative officer from the same district. Early morning on May 2, 2569, the CIB police transported the three suspects from Nakhon Ratchasima to the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) for interrogation, with the national DOPA N.I.C.E. task force participating.

The case originated from a joint operation called "Dragon Scale Reversal" launched on April 29, 2569, by the Department of Interior's anti-registry security task force (DOPA N.I.C.E.), working with the Anti-Cybercrime Center (ACSC), the Royal Thai Police, and related agencies. They uncovered an international crime network that hired Thai nationals to register false marriages and fraudulently certify Chinese children, resulting in two cases with six suspects.

Investigators initially tracked a scammer network connected to visa facilitation brokers serving Chinese clients. They discovered a suspicious child holding both a Chinese passport and a Thai birth certificate. Upon investigation, DOPA N.I.C.E. found the child's name registered at a house in Huai Thaling District, Nakhon Ratchasima. When checking population registration records, officials discovered dozens of children with Chinese and Myanmar mothers had resided at two specific addresses in the district. Field verification revealed both houses had been demolished long ago.

Hospital inquiries confirmed no actual births were recorded, and interviews with Thai nationals listed as fathers denied paternity. The municipal registry employee confessed to falsely using Thai male names and hospital credentials to illegally issue birth certificates granting children Thai nationality through their putative fathers. The case also involved falsification of registry records including names of parents and children's ages by district office personnel.

This constitutes official corruption involving false birth registrations allowing foreign nationals' children to obtain both Thai and foreign birth certificates, with fraudulent registry alterations confirmed for 13 individuals per case record. On April 20, 2569, the Department of Interior filed a complaint with the Anti-Corruption and Misconduct Bureau.

The Thai Meteorological Department has issued a forecast for tomorrow warning of thunderstorms and strong winds expected to severely impact one region of the country, with specific provinces identified as at-risk areas. Temperatures are expected to remain extremely hot, with some areas exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. As of May 2, 2569, the Meteorological Department forecasts rising temperatures across northern Thailand over the next 24 hours, with hot daytime conditions and extremely hot weather in certain northern areas. However, thunderstorms and strong wind gusts are still possible in some locations due to a thermal low-pressure system covering northern Thailand, combined with southwest and southeast winds bringing moisture into the region. The public is advised to protect their health due to rising temperatures by avoiding prolonged outdoor work or activities, and to be cautious of dangers from thunderstorms and strong winds that may occur in some areas.

For the southern region, heavy rain is expected in some areas due to strengthening east and southeast winds covering the Gulf of Thailand, the southern region, and the Andaman Sea. Residents in the southern region should be aware of dangers from heavy rainfall during this period. Furthermore, from May 6-8, 2569, the southern region will experience increased rainfall with heavy rain in some areas due to an easterly wind wave covering the lower southern region. The public should remain cautious of heavy rainfall dangers.

Wave heights in the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea are expected to be approximately 1 meter, with heights exceeding 2 meters in areas with thunderstorms. Fishermen should exercise extra caution and avoid areas with thunderstorms. Air quality in northern Thailand during this period will range from good to moderate due to rainfall in some areas.

Weather Forecast for Thailand from 6:00 PM today to 6:00 PM tomorrow:

Northern Region: Hot daytime conditions with extremely hot weather in some areas, featuring thunderstorms in 10% of the area and strong wind gusts in some locations, primarily around Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phayao, Tak, and Phetchabun provinces. Minimum temperature 22-25°C, maximum 35-40°C. Southwest winds at 5-15 km/hr.

Northeastern Region: Hot daytime conditions with thunderstorms in 10% of the area and strong wind gusts in some locations, primarily around Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Nong Bua Lam Phu, Udon Thani, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Chaiyaphum, Khon Kaen, Mukdahan, and Nakhon Ratchasima provinces. Minimum temperature 22-25°C, maximum 34-38°C. Southeast winds at 10-15 km/hr.

Central Region: Hot daytime conditions with thunderstorms in 10% of the area and strong wind gusts in some locations, primarily around Kanchanaburi, Lopburi, Saraburi, Suphan Buri, Ratchaburi, Samut Songkhram, Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom, and Ayutthaya provinces. Minimum temperature 24-26°C, maximum 37-39°C. Southern winds at 10-15 km/hr.

Eastern Region: Hot daytime conditions with thunderstorms in 20% of the area and strong wind gusts in some locations, primarily around Nakhon Nayok, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Sa Kaew, Chachoengsao, Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi, and Trat provinces. Minimum temperature 25-28°C, maximum 34-38°C. Southern winds at 15-30 km/hr. Seas with wave heights approximately 1 meter, exceeding 2 meters in thunderstorm areas.

Southern Region (Eastern Coast): Hot daytime conditions with thunderstorms in 30% of the area and heavy rain in some locations, around Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, and Songkhla provinces. Minimum temperature 24-27°C.

Mae Sai Customs House seized 72 drums of gasoline totaling 1,800 liters worth approximately 75,000 baht that were abandoned along the Salween River, believed to have been prepared for illegal smuggling to a neighboring country.

On May 2, 2025, Warasit Muang Khum, Chief of Mae Sai Customs House, received the seizure report. Customs officials collaborated with the 36th Rangers Battalion to conduct intensive surveillance along the Salween River near the Mae Sam Laap trade facilitation dock in Sob Moei District, Mae Hong Son Province, as part of measures to monitor high-risk areas.

During their inspection, officials discovered 72 drums of gasoline totaling 1,800 liters valued at over 75,000 baht stacked along the Salween River bank. No owner came forward to claim the fuel, and it exhibited clear signs of attempted illegal export. Officials seized the gasoline as evidence for legal proceedings.

This case constitutes an offense of attempted smuggling of goods that have not undergone proper customs clearance in violation of the Customs Act of 2017.