CKPower Managing Director Thanawat Triwiswvet announced the company's strong first quarter 2025 performance, with core net profit reaching 1.159 billion baht, up 525 million baht or 82.9% year-on-year. The growth stems from robust operations at both of the company's hydroelectric plants, including a 198.6 billion baht share of net profits from Xayaburi Power Company Limited (XPCL), up from 190.7 billion baht the previous year, thanks to increased water flow and higher electricity sales volumes combined with reduced financing costs from long-term debt repayment and declining global interest rates.

Perfirmance at Fak Kham 2 Power Company Limited (NN2) also improved with higher electricity sales compared to the previous year, driven by reservoir water levels at the beginning of 2025 that exceeded the prior year and increased water inflow during the first quarter. This sustained growth occurred despite operating during the dry season.

Thanawat explained that the company's production capacity structure, based primarily on renewable energy, insulates operations from Middle East instability and global energy price volatility. Energy price fluctuations affect only fuel costs for electricity sold to industrial customers through Bangpakong Cogeneration Company Limited (BIC), representing just 3% of total company output.

In preparation for potential El Niño conditions expected in the latter half of 2025, CKPower has developed a Hydrometeorological Monitoring and Forecasting System to enhance efficiency and accuracy in predicting hydroelectric power plant output capacity.

The Luang Prabang hydroelectric project is 72% complete as of March 2025, on schedule. The company's financial position remains solid, with a liquidity ratio of 1.78x and a net interest-bearing debt to equity ratio of just 0.47x, reflecting efficient cash management and debt repayment capabilities.

Management stated that further interest rate reductions in the U.S. and Thailand would reduce financing costs and support continued 2025 performance, with the company continuously monitoring interest rate adjustments and managing long-term debt appropriately.

Under its five-year plan (2025-2029), CKPower aims to expand production capacity through solar power projects, both via private PPAs and participation in government-sponsored renewable energy auctions, while selling renewable energy certificates (RECs). In 2024, the company's renewable energy plants supplied Thailand with over 10 million megawatt-hours.

Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain fans face a headache with accommodation prices in Budapest surging ahead of the UEFA Champions League final on May 30th. The 2025/2026 UEFA Champions League final will be held at Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary at 6:00 PM on May 30th, attracting thousands of supporters for this European showdown. Although travel is generally convenient within Europe, limited flight and train schedules force many fans to stay overnight in Budapest, creating an opportunity for hotels and landlords to dramatically inflate prices—some charging over 10,000 euros per night (approximately 360,000 baht).

Hotel and rental platform prices have skyrocketed. On Booking.com, luxury accommodations for two people exceed 10,000 euros for a night after the final, while even standard apartments and mid-range hotels command premium rates, with the cheapest remaining options around 2,000 euros per night. Airbnb shows similar pricing, though data reveals that just one night after the match, prices plummet back to normal levels of approximately 100 euros per night.

At 2:15 a.m. on May 12, 2025, police received a report of gunfire outside an entertainment venue in Sanam Chan Sub-district, Muang District, Nakhon Pathom Province. Investigators from Muang Nakhon Pathom Police Station, led by Lieutenant Kittipat Wilailaksan, immediately responded along with Captain Achirwatit Thawanreunwattana and representatives from the Suksala Foundation. At the scene, officers discovered a BMW with a fraudulent license plate. Inside the vehicle, they found a man shot in the head with a serious injury. Police later identified him as Udom Phong, 54 years old, a pig farm owner. Officers recovered a .38 caliber handgun from inside the vehicle. The shooter, Komsak (nicknamed "Jiew"), a sub-district chief of Don Yai Hom, remained at the scene and cooperated with police. According to the initial investigation, both men had argued inside the entertainment venue before security asked them to leave and settle their dispute outside, as the venue was closing. They continued arguing, which led to the shooting incident. Preliminary findings suggest the motive may have been jealousy involving a woman, though police will conduct further investigation.

marr team releases their 38th single 'Mixed with Tears,' a healing song for vulnerable moments, featuring 19-year-old artist JIXGO. The track conveys the powerful message that crying is not a sign of weakness but rather another way to heal the heart. With lyrics like 'Let the bad things mix with tears that fall, just let every pain mix with tears that fall, it's okay to let tears bring comfort,' the song explores emotional vulnerability through its catchy hook. Songwriter Vorapat penned the lyrics for this collaboration.

JIXGO, whose real name is Cream, began her career at age 12 on The Voice Kids and later gained recognition through TikTok performances. Her stage name comes from her quirky, bold personality—'jiggo.' She's passionate about singing and playing guitar, viewing music as a form of meditation and storytelling. Her interest in guitar was inspired by Taylor Swift and the film Suckseed, leading her to develop a lasting passion for the instrument.

Fans can follow the release of 'Mixed with Tears' on YouTube (marr team official), Instagram (marrteam.official), and TikTok (marr_team).

The Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) under the Ministry of Commerce has surveyed a durian transport route via the China-Laos railway that takes 26 hours from Thailand to Kunming, ensuring freshness while boosting export volumes. DITP Director Sunanta Kangwalkulgkij revealed that the department has tasked its trade attaches abroad with exploring trade corridors and export opportunities, following policy directives from Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphatcharee Sutthirphanphet.

The most recent report from Chaiyawit Rueungchaiyatheewisuk, director of the Thai trade promotion office in Kunming, confirms that fruit transport via the China-Laos railway is proceeding smoothly and serves as a key channel for Thai durians to reach the Chinese market consistently. China Railways (Kunming branch) has implemented efficiency improvements, including digital document processing systems that reduced per-shipment paperwork time from 40 minutes to just 10 minutes—an 80% efficiency gain—and launched cross-border digital innovation initiatives starting April 1, 2025.

To accommodate peak fruit season exports, especially durians, railway services have increased from 2 to 6 trains daily on the cold-chain express "Million Elephants-Mekong" route, with over 4,000 refrigerated containers prepared. Special teams coordinated with customs and operators ensure fresh produce reaches Chinese consumers in pristine condition using a "three-befores" protocol: inspection before entry, examination before processing, and lab testing before clearance, with 90-minute container transfer guarantees at border gates.

Currently, shipments from Thailand reach Kunming in 26 hours and can be distributed to over 30 Chinese cities within 48 hours via land or rail transport. This year's fruit transport volume through the China-Laos railway route is projected to exceed 200,000 tons—a 20% increase from last year. DITP Director Sunanta emphasized that maximizing fresh produce volume and quality through this railway corridor unlocks full logistics potential, stimulates agricultural trade between China and ASEAN nations including Thailand, and strengthens economic and trade relationships between both parties.

Dr. Raveewan Phuridetcha, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, led the Thai delegation at the 21st United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF21), engaging 193 member countries in discussions to establish three key targets for sustainable forest management.

Reported on May 12, the UNFF21 meeting took place at United Nations headquarters in New York, with Dr. Raveewan Phuridetcha heading Thailand's delegation from May 11-15, 2025, alongside Nikon Sirrojananont, Director-General of the Royal Forest Department, and other forestry officials.

The meeting aimed to enable UNFF member countries to collectively formulate policies and guidelines for sustainable forest management, particularly to accelerate implementation of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030 through three Global Forest Goals (GFGs): halting forest loss and restoring ecosystems (GFG 1), increasing the proportion of sustainably managed forests (GFG 3), and improving forest governance and technology to support forest management (GFG 5). These efforts target the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other environmental agreements through global partnership collaboration.

Dr. Raveewan expressed Thailand's commitment to implementing the UN Strategic Plan for Forests, emphasizing the country's focus on sustainable forest management through cooperation mechanisms between government and local communities. Thailand promotes community roles through the Forest Act of 1941 and amendments, as well as the Community Forests Act of 2019. Currently, there are nearly 12,000 community forests covering approximately 6.2 million rai, which help conserve biodiversity, increase carbon sequestration, and improve quality of life based on bio-based economy principles.

"Furthermore, Thailand applies technology and innovation in wildfire prevention, forest resource protection, and promotes legal timber and timber product trade through a reliable traceability system to support continued achievement of global sustainable development goals," the Permanent Secretary stated.