The Commerce Ministry has advised exporters to leverage cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) platforms to penetrate the lucrative Chinese cosmetics market. According to Sunantha Kangwalkulgij, Director-General of the International Trade Promotion Department under the Ministry of Commerce, the ministry has tasked commercial attachés stationed abroad with surveying trade routes and export opportunities for Thai products in their respective countries. Recently, the ministry received a comprehensive report from Sakorn Sansopha, Director of the Thai Trade Promotion Office in Shanghai, detailing the Chinese cosmetics industry's consumer behavior, market conditions, and export opportunities for Thai cosmetic products.

Commercial attachés report that China has become one of the world's leading cosmetics consumption markets, demonstrating strong domestic purchasing power and significant growth potential. The Chinese cosmetics market is projected to reach 579.1 billion yuan (approximately 2.895 trillion baht) in 2025, a substantial increase from 445.9 billion yuan (approximately 2.229 trillion baht) in 2024.

When purchasing cosmetics, Chinese consumers prioritize product efficacy, ingredients, and brand reputation. Their preferred shopping channels are e-commerce platforms such as Taobao and JD.com, which dominate the cosmetics purchasing landscape. Physical retail options include official brand stores and retail chains like Watsons and The Colorist.

Chinese consumers favor eco-friendly, minimalist, and modern packaging designs, as well as luxury and retro-styled packaging. The most frequently used cosmetic products include face and neck care products, followed by lip products, eye products, foundations, lip care products, and eye cosmetics. Consumers seek products that provide hydration, skin tightening, brightening effects, and blemish reduction, while desiring long-lasting results and improved after-sales service.

The Chinese cosmetics market is substantial with high demand and strong growth potential. However, Thai entrepreneurs face intense competition from well-established and recognized brands. To successfully enter the Chinese market, Thai cosmetic manufacturers should prepare competitive products with proven hydration and skin-tightening benefits, lasting results, eco-friendly and modern packaging, and clear label descriptions. The cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) channel is particularly favorable, offering relaxed regulations, simplified labeling requirements, and customs tax exemptions that reduce costs. Thai entrepreneurs seeking to export cosmetics to China should seriously consider starting with CBEC platforms.

The official visit of Their Majesties the King and Queen of Thailand to Sweden has drawn attention as a moment underscoring more than a century of close ties between the two kingdoms, blending royal tradition with modern diplomacy.

The visit was made at the invitation of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden to attend celebrations marking the Swedish monarch's 80th birthday. Beyond its ceremonial significance, the occasion highlighted longstanding relations between the Thai and Swedish royal families, widely regarded as a cornerstone of bilateral ties.

Sole Asian royal presence

The Thai monarchy stood out as the only royal household from Asia attending the high-profile celebrations, which brought together European royals and heads of state. The presence reflected the depth of relations between the two countries, forged through decades of exchanges at the highest level.

Upon arrival in Stockholm, Their Majesties were received by Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden at the aircraft stairs, a gesture seen as one of the highest forms of royal courtesy under protocol.

During official ceremonies, including a thanksgiving service and the changing of the royal guards, the Thai King and Queen were accorded prominent positions alongside the Swedish monarch and queen. They also joined a group photograph with members of royal families and dignitaries attending the celebrations.

Royal message of goodwill

On the occasion, the King of Thailand extended a message of congratulations to King Carl XVI Gustaf, expressing best wishes for the Swedish monarch's health and happiness, as well as for the continued peace and prosperity of Sweden.

The message also reaffirmed Thailand's pride in the long-standing friendship between the two kingdoms and confidence that bilateral relations would continue to deepen, both directly and within broader frameworks such as ASEAN–EU cooperation.

A friendship spanning more than a century

Formal relations between Thailand and Sweden date back to 1868. King Chulalongkorn later visited Sweden in 1897, marking a milestone in bilateral ties.

One enduring symbol of that relationship is the Thai pavilion in Ragunda, northern Sweden, built to commemorate the visit and still maintained today as a cultural landmark.

Over the past 150 years, the Chakri and Bernadotte dynasties have continued to exchange royal visits, reinforcing mutual respect and cooperation.

The latest visit is seen as a continuation of that legacy, linking a shared historical foundation with contemporary engagement, as both countries seek to advance cooperation for the benefit of their peoples.

At 11:00 AM on May 4, 2025, Lieutenant Chantiti Wannupatham from Muang Buriram Police Station received a report from a village assistant in Glanta Subdistrict that a deceased person had been found at a school. Officers and rescue personnel quickly responded to the scene at a primary school bathroom in Muang District, Buriram Province, where they discovered the body of a 40-45-year-old man lying beside the bathroom. The body showed advanced decomposition with a strong odor throughout the area. Preliminary estimates suggest he had been dead for at least seven days. No identification documents were found on the body.

Inside the bathroom area near the body, investigators discovered boxer shorts, a shirt, and traces of blood. Physical examination of the remains revealed drag marks on both legs and the chest, as if the body had been pulled across the floor. The chest bore a tattoo.

When questioned, Supajit (surname withheld), 33, a village assistant and the first person to discover the body, explained that he was plowing a field adjacent to the school and preparing to plant rice when he felt stomach pain. He decided to use the school bathroom, but as he approached, he detected a putrid smell resembling a decomposed corpse. He then found the actual body and immediately reported it to authorities.

Chelmsai Seubsing, 56, a former member of the Glanta Subdistrict Administration Organization, stated that preliminary investigations in the surrounding subdistricts have not identified any missing person reports. The identity of the deceased and how the body came to be at the school location remains a mystery. Speculation exists about whether the body was discarded there after a violent incident or if it belonged to a vagrant. Officials are urging faster investigation into the case, as the school is scheduled to reopen for the new term in the coming week.

Self-love comes first! A popular OnlyFans creator decided to marry herself after repeated romantic letdowns. Bonnie Locket, a 38-year-old content creator, organized an elaborate wedding ceremony on the Spanish island of Ibiza, with herself as the bride after being hurt by love multiple times.

Locket explained that this decision stemmed from painful romantic experiences. She was in a relationship with her ex-husband for 11 years and married him, but discovered his infidelity just 9 months after the wedding. This ended her marriage.

After the divorce, she relocated to Ibiza and began a new relationship, but ultimately faced betrayal again, losing her faith in love. To "redefine her life," Locket organized a grand wedding ceremony, featuring a 3-carat yellow diamond ring valued at $25,000 (approximately 810,000 baht) and a custom luxury wedding dress costing over $20,000 (approximately 640,000 baht).

She explained that wearing the wedding dress of her dreams was something she had longed for since childhood, and this dress symbolizes a commitment she is making to herself. The ceremony will be celebrated surrounded by family and friends. For her, marrying herself is an affirmation that she can define her own life and won't have to endure the pain of betrayal again.

She has been single for 7 months, the longest period since her teenage years. She acknowledged that she used to cling to relationships, but has now learned to be comfortable with herself and views this as a change worthy of celebration. She hopes this unconventional wedding will inspire other women who have been disappointed in love or felt pressured about marriage to reconsider and take control of their own life paths.

"If I'm going to live alone, I want to make it meaningful and grand," she said.

On May 4 at 7:00 AM, Ratchanathhibet Police Station received a report of a stabbing with serious injuries in Pracharuen-Nonthaburi 8 Lane 6, Thaotrai Subdistrict, Muang District, Nonthaburi Province. Officers found 54-year-old Pinit, a beverage vendor, stabbed once in the left chest. Emergency responders rushed him to Mongkut Wattana Hospital.

The suspect was 31-year-old Withayathon, who was sitting in front of a nearby food stall. A 29-year-old relative of the victim, Kittipong, was arguing with the suspect when a fight broke out. Withayathon drew a knife and stabbed Kittipong in the right rib cage once before police arrested him. Kittipong was taken to Phra Nangklao Hospital.

Withayathon stated that he had been selling Isaan sausages in this alley for four years. That morning, he asked the victim if he would collect 1,500 baht monthly rent. When the victim grabbed a metal pole from the shop, Withayathon felt threatened and drew his knife to stab defensively once.

After the stabbing, Withayathon sat at a shop where he had been drinking alcohol the previous night, near the incident site. Kittipong then approached and asked, "Why did you pick a fight with him?" before punching him. Withayathon countered by stabbing with his knife.

Withayathon explained that he had been selling sausages first, and the victim came to sell beverages about a year later after the previous vendor left. The victim wanted to prevent him from selling in front of the shop, though Withayathon's vending area was on public street, not the victim's property. The victim had previously placed 2-3 tables to block his sales. Since both were trying to make a living, and Withayathon had been selling there first, the victim demanded 1,500 baht monthly rent, which Withayathon refused, leading to ongoing conflicts.

At 9:30 AM, Mongkut Wattana Hospital reported that Pinit, the beverage vendor, had died.

According to foreign media reports, an American man has disclosed that he received an autism diagnosis at age 42 after spending decades being "misdiagnosed and taking the wrong medications."

Tyler Barnett went viral on TikTok after posting an emotional video celebrating finally finding answers he'd been searching for. In the clip, he became tearful while telling his 28,700 followers how "relieved" he felt after being officially diagnosed with autism and ADHD. He captioned the post: "Feeling so much relief…but so much grief for little me who deserved to know this long ago," which garnered hundreds of thousands of views.

In the comments, Tyler explained that he waited two months for intensive psychological testing to receive an official diagnosis. He revealed that he had consulted ChatGPT and began "self-diagnosing" before health experts later confirmed the diagnosis.

Tyler shared that he had previously lived feeling like a "fake person." He believes signs of both autism and ADHD were present throughout his life, but no one ever saw the full picture of his struggles.

Recalling his childhood, Tyler described feeling like an "outsider looking from a distance" and not knowing how to fit in with others. He gave an example of seeing a group of children linking arms, jumping and laughing together, but not understanding why it was fun or how to join in.

This PR professional also noted that adults around him never realized he was struggling, forcing him to constantly try to "make others comfortable in his presence."

"I was told I should adapt to others, and if I couldn't, it meant I had a problem. That might be where the masking started," he said.

To avoid being the center of attention, he began mimicking his friends' behavior. He also had learning difficulties but managed to pass tests by "guessing," which he believes was due to pattern recognition abilities associated with autism.

"I got through life, seemed no different from anyone else and survived, but on the outside it's like I disappeared from people's sight," he said, adding that internally he was filled with pain, exhaustion, confusion, and fear that he constantly had to hide.

As an adult, Tyler sought mental health help and was treated for anxiety and depression throughout his 20s. However, the medications caused more harm than good and led to addiction problems, while his mental health continued to deteriorate.

At 30, a doctor diagnosed him with bipolar disorder and prescribed stronger medications that made him feel like a "zombie." Despite seeing multiple specialists, he felt his core issue was never discovered, leading to repeated misdiagnoses.