It wasn't funny looking back! Veteran comedian Chathurongk Mokchok recounted a traumatic period from his youth when he was pressured into a sexual encounter with a prominent dance teacher in the lukthung music scene. At just 19 years old, while working as a backup dancer, Chathurongk was coerced by the older man—who was in his 40s—to comply with sexual advances under the threat of being sent back to his hometown of Pothanam with no money. He described the experience as traumatic, filled with pain, disgust, and despair as he thought about his mother, father, and his previous life selling goods at markets. After that incident, the man put him on stage as a dancer, earning him 100 baht per performance—which was substantial at the time. This marked the beginning of Chathurongk's career as a performer. Years later, when Chathurongk was hosting the 'Gamphunha' game show, this same teacher would visit him almost weekly asking for money, which Chathurongk always provided. The comedian revealed that his colleagues on the show were well aware of these visits and the teacher's constant requests for financial assistance.

At 6:00 AM on May 26, 2025, officers from Bang Kok Noi Police Station received a report of a road collapse forming a sinkhole near Soi Lang Wang 2 in the Siriraj area, Bang Kok Noi District, Bangkok. They immediately responded and coordinated with the Bang Kok Noi District Office and relevant agencies.

The incident occurred on a three-lane road in the center lane, where the pavement has collapsed into a sinkhole. Officials placed traffic cones to temporarily block the affected traffic lane and warn road users not to approach the hole under any circumstances. Motorists are advised to avoid the area entirely as further collapse is possible.

Relevant agencies are now conducting assessments and working urgently to repair the damage and prevent accidents.

The Ubon Ratchathani Commerce Department is ramping up promotional activities for three Geographical Indication (GI) products from the province: Ubon Ratchathani lotus silk fabric, Ubon Ratchathani jasmine rice, and Ubon Ratchathani monthong durian. According to Oranuch Wanaphinyot, the provincial commerce director, the initiative is advised by national artist Meechai Tetsuriya.

The campaign aims to raise public awareness of these distinctive local products that embody the province's cultural wisdom, heritage, and identity while enhancing their market value and competitive advantage. Knowledge transfer sessions cover the history, production processes, and unique features of each GI product, with particular emphasis on the renowned Ubon Ratchathani lotus silk fabric, which represents centuries of transmitted local wisdom in textile craftsmanship. The initiative seeks to expand market opportunities, boost community income, strengthen the grassroots economy, and preserve local heritage.

The campaign also promotes Thai silk fashion through concepts like "Thai silk for fun," "Thai silk for comfort," and "Thai silk for everyday wear," encouraging people to incorporate Thai textiles into their daily fashion while maintaining authenticity. The effort showcases how traditional Thai silk can be adapted to contemporary fashion trends while remaining elegant, modern, and distinctly Thai.

The Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is empowering a new generation of youth to become health product communication leaders and sustainably combat non-communicable diseases through the inaugural 'Oryornoi Youth Camp,' held May 20-22, 2026, under the theme 'Plant, Shape, Practice, Change.'

The FDA partnered with provincial health offices nationwide to select 88 youth representatives—one per province from all 76 provinces, plus 12 from leading Bangkok schools—to participate in the camp at Rayong Resort. The program aims to develop these young ambassadors into effective health product communicators through active learning methods, including brainstorming sessions to identify youth roles in consumer protection, and media design workshops on the theme 'Shop Smart, Use Smart, Reduce NCDs Risk' to develop modern communication skills that are easy to understand and accessible to the public.

The camp featured six learning stations including 'Truth or Cake,' 'Respectful Court,' and 'Oryornoi Quiz' to enhance critical thinking and information evaluation skills. These youth leaders will serve as key communicators of accurate health product information within schools, communities, and society.

Dr. Rungruthai Mueangprasitphon, Deputy Secretary of the FDA, revealed that the Oryornoi Youth program has long been a crucial mechanism for building awareness among youth about safe health product consumption. The agency currently operates over 20,000 Oryornoi Youth schools with approximately 400,000 rotating members annually. This inaugural Youth Ambassador Camp represents a significant step in elevating participants from 'school-level health product communicators' to 'national-level Oryornoi Youth leaders and health product communicators.'

The FDA expects Oryornoi Youth to become 'change agents' capable of communicating and driving society toward correct, appropriate, and safe health product purchasing and usage behaviors, ultimately reducing the burden of chronic non-communicable diseases. The deputy secretary emphasized that strong health product literacy among youth serves as crucial protection, helping Thai society avoid non-communicable diseases.

A major highlight was the selection of Thailand's first Youth Ambassador Oryornoi: Chanya Ming-Manee (nickname Guitar), a Grade 11 student from Triam Udom Suksa Patthanakarn School in Bangkok. Upon receiving the honor, Guitar expressed joy and pride, committing to effectively communicate accurate health product knowledge to society, particularly regarding dietary supplements and cosmetics.

The Thai Meteorological Department issued a weather forecast for the next 24 hours warning of thunderstorms and heavy rainfall in some areas of Thailand's southern west coast, driven by moderate strength southwest monsoons covering the Andaman Sea, Thailand, and the Gulf of Thailand. Citizens are urged to exercise caution regarding dangers from heavy rainfall and accumulated precipitation. Wave conditions in the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand are moderate, with the upper Andaman Sea experiencing waves of approximately 2 meters, while the lower Andaman Sea and upper Gulf of Thailand have waves of 1-2 meters. Thunderstorm areas may see waves exceeding 2 meters, and boat operators are advised to navigate carefully and avoid thunderstorm zones. From May 28-29, the southern region expects increased rainfall with heavy to very heavy precipitation in many areas, primarily along the west coast, as the southwest monsoon intensifies. The upper Andaman Sea will experience waves of 2-3 meters, with thunderstorm areas seeing waves exceeding 3 meters. Detailed 24-hour forecasts include thunderstorms in 30-40% of northern, northeastern, central, and eastern regions with temperatures ranging from 22-27°C low to 36-39°C high and southwest winds at 10-35 km/h. The southern east coast expects 40% thunderstorms in Chumphon, Surat Thani, and Nakhon Si Thammarat with waves of 1-2 meters offshore. The southern west coast faces the most severe conditions with 70% thunderstorms and heavy rainfall in Ranong, Phang Nga, and Phuket, with wave heights of 2 meters and exceeding 2 meters in thunderstorm areas.

Creating a global reputation! Prof. Dr. Sutthawat Benjakul, a researcher at Prince of Songkla University (PSU), has secured the top ranking in Thailand and made it onto the international scientist rankings in both Chemistry and Biology and Biochemistry according to Research.com. Prof. Dr. Sutthawat Benjakul, director of the International Center of Excellence for Science and Innovation in Seafood Technology at the Faculty of Agro-Industry, is a researcher whose outstanding contributions to food science and biotechnology have earned him recognition from Research.com as Thailand's #1 scientist in two major fields: Chemistry for 2026 (ranked 319 globally) and Biology and Biochemistry for 2025-2026 (ranked 457 globally). The rankings are based on data from global bibliographic databases including OpenAlex and CrossRef, along with metrics measuring research output, academic citations, and D-Index values, which reflect the quality and impact of research at the international level. This achievement demonstrates the research potential of Prince of Songkla University scientists in generating knowledge and innovation recognized on the global stage, further reinforcing the university's role in driving research for sustainable national and societal development.