Deputy Police Chief Rushes to Fix Traffic Problems on First Day of School at Bangkok Christian College, Recommends Parents Use Public Electric Trains

On May 14, 2025, Deputy Police Chief Thawat Wongsang, who oversees traffic operations, along with Bangkok Metropolitan Police Division 6 Commander Chaikrit Podhohma, Deputy Commander Nitivat Sansing, Yannawa Station Commander Pansa Amrapittak, Deputy Traffic Commander Kulnun Aphinitianant, and Traffic Unit Supervisor Chavarojn Glahauy, deployed to manage traffic in front of Bangkok Christian College on Pramuan Road, Silom subdistrict, Bang Rak district, Bangkok, to resolve congestion issues. Teachers, school network partners, and traffic police from Yannawa Station coordinated to facilitate smooth traffic flow on the school's first day.

Deputy Police Chief Thawat stated: "I came today to inspect and oversee traffic management in front of Bangkok Christian College, working with the Bangkok Metropolitan Police Division 6 commander and Yannawa Station. With many students and parents dropping off children, the Police Headquarters has established four key measures:

1. Officer Deployment: Traffic police are positioned at strategic points around the school to facilitate traffic flow and prevent congestion in surrounding areas.

2. The "3 Prepare 1 Avoid" Measure for Parents: - Prepare items: Have school supplies and backpacks ready before reaching the drop-off point - Prepare yourself: When the vehicle arrives at the drop-off point, students must be ready to exit immediately - Prepare meeting point: Coordinate evening pickups with "child waits for car, car doesn't wait for child" to maintain continuous traffic flow - Avoid: No double parking, no stopping to drop off children yourself to prevent traffic obstruction

3. Home-School Cooperation: The school plays a crucial role in traffic management with support from parents, student volunteers helping younger students, and teachers facilitating traffic at various points.

Deputy Chief Thawat emphasized promoting public transportation, noting the school's proximity to the BTS Skytrain station. He urged families to use public or mass transit instead of private vehicles to reduce congestion on the already densely trafficked Sathon Road.

Orawan Phokhinwachakon, Bangkok Christian College's school board director, said: "On behalf of the Parent-Teacher Association, we've coordinated with Yannawa Station and nearby areas. Specifically for today's school opening, we coordinated in advance on procedures, traffic routes, and traffic light coordination for smooth vehicle flow. Importantly, we've continuously informed parents about having children prepared before exiting—to hold their bags, with older students helping carry items and escort younger ones out quickly so vehicles don't get stuck."

Deputy Chief Thawat added: "There should be no stopping at all—no idle parking, no double parking. For pickups, if parents need to schedule pickup times with their child, once the parent's car arrives, we won't allow them to wait. The child must be ready to board. If not ready, parents must circle around again."

Orawan further stated: "This is a parent education measure that received excellent response last year and is expected to work well this year. Last year received praise because there were no complaints from surrounding areas."

The Royal Thai Air Force and SAAB are advancing their offset cooperation and developing Thailand's defense industry capabilities to reinforce national security and strengthen the country's defense competence.

On May 14, 2025, the Royal Thai Air Force participated in the first Offset Program Management Review (Offset PMR#1) in Sweden with SAAB and relevant agencies to assess the progress of offset cooperation and establish joint guidelines for future operations. Air Vice Marshal Prapas Sonjaidee, Deputy Commander of the Royal Thai Air Force, chaired the meeting alongside Ms. Lena-Marie Ilestrand, Head of Offset Contract for Gripen Thailand, and Mr. Robert Björklund, Campaign Director for Gripen Thailand, representing SAAB.

This meeting served as an important forum for monitoring ongoing offset activities and discussing avenues for expanding cooperation in personnel development, technology transfer, education, and collaboration with educational institutions. Under the cooperation framework agreed by both parties for the Gripen E/F Phase 1 procurement offset, the delegation visited SAAB's Aeronautics division and Linköping University in Linköping, as well as KTH Royal Institute of Technology and SAAB Headquarters in Stockholm.

The Royal Thai Air Force emphasizes the strong relationship between Thailand and SAAB, and is committed to promoting cooperation that yields mutual benefits in defense capability development, industrial growth, and knowledge advancement in modern technology. Both parties have established action items for future operations, focusing on continuous progress monitoring, information exchange, and close coordination to ensure the offset program delivers sustainable long-term results.

The meeting also demonstrated the solid cooperation between the Royal Thai Air Force and SAAB in developing technological capabilities and innovation, while preparing for future collaboration. Both parties plan to meet again in Thailand in September to continue discussions.

The Royal Thai Air Force is confident that offset cooperation will serve as a crucial mechanism for advancing knowledge, technology, and personnel development to sustainably strengthen national security and defense capabilities.

A 12-year-old boy in China has become a hot topic online after his parent brought him to the office, where he played with fire and caused a major office fire in Ningpo, Zhejiang Province on April 30th. The parent had brought their son to the office to spend quality time together and strengthen family bonds, but left the boy unattended while working. Out of boredom, the boy picked up a lighter and lit tissue paper, not realizing that the sparks would fly onto items near a desk and quickly escalate into a major fire. The boy called his parent for help when he saw the flames spreading, and the parent immediately notified firefighters. Employees attempted to control the situation using dry chemical powder fire extinguishers, but the office suffered severe damage despite their efforts. Fortunately, no one was injured or killed, though damages are estimated at tens of thousands of yuan. Fire officials warned about the dangers of leaving children unattended, noting that children are naturally curious but lack safety awareness, and that parental negligence can lead to catastrophic losses. This is not the first such incident in China—similar cases involving children playing with lighters have occurred previously, including one in Zhejiang Province last year and a 9-year-old who set fire to foam boxes in 2023. Chinese netizens have heavily criticized the incident, with some arguing the 12-year-old was old enough to know better and may be overly indulged, while others joked that companies will likely become hesitant to allow employees to bring their children to work.

On May 14, 2025, Thai Army spokesperson Pol. Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvarī revealed that Cambodian soldiers fired 11 rounds of small arms fire across the border at Ban Or Samet, opposite Chong Jom border checkpoint in Gapcheng District, Surin Province. He noted a pattern where Cambodian senior commanders and government officials speak one way publicly but act differently on the ground.

Since the ceasefire, gunfire and occasional explosions continue regularly along the border, which the spokesperson characterizes as provocative behavior designed to harass rather than cause casualties or property damage. He emphasized this is not a new occurrence but has been happening continuously along the Thai-Cambodian border, with local units reporting incidents constantly.

The main cause is assessed to be lack of discipline among Cambodian troops, though some incidents appear intentionally designed to provoke Thai retaliation that could then be used to claim Thailand fired first. The Army spokesman also noted Cambodia sometimes brings foreign media—particularly to international news outlets—close to restricted areas, and when Thai soldiers fire warning shots as protocol dictates, the footage is used to claim Thailand initiated weapons use. Thai military says it recognizes and counters these tactics.

Overall, Cambodia appears focused on an "information warfare" campaign more than military confrontation. The spokesman noted that whenever incidents occur, Cambodian leaders or military spokespeople quickly deny facts, suggesting communication and command chain problems between policy levels and field units.

When asked how Thailand would respond if shots actually impacted Thai territory despite Cambodian denials, the spokesperson said Thailand is ready to retaliate immediately, with response decisions based on the judgment of responsible units in each area, as contexts and relationships differ locally.

Regarding border residents' concerns from rapid social media reporting, the Army spokesman stressed the gunfire consists of provocative shots that don't threaten civilian lives or safety. He advised following official alerts from village headmen and local administrators—if no warning is issued, people can continue normal life.

"We confirm the military is not complacent and monitors the situation daily and weekly, but there's currently no indication of escalation to heavy weapons use. So far, communication remains Cambodia's primary tool," the spokesman stated.

On fake news and deepfakes, particularly a fabricated audio clip of the Prime Minister circulating in Cambodia about opening border checkpoints, the Army spokesman said all sectors must help educate the public. He urged citizens to follow official government information and exercise critical judgment in consuming news, as many such cases aim to damage Thailand's reputation.

At 10:45 AM on May 14, 2025 at Parliament, Gen. Seripisut Temiywes, list MP and leader of the Free Thai Party, announced he is preparing to submit a petition to the Constitutional Court asking it to rule whether Prime Minister Anuthin Charnvirakul and Interior Minister, and Digital Economy and Social Minister Chaiyachanok Chidchob, lack manifest integrity and engage in serious ethical violations warranting removal from office.

The petition requires at least 50 MP signatures. Since the Free Thai Party has only one MP, Seripisut said he must seek cooperation from opposition parties. He has held preliminary discussions with the Democrat Party and Thai United Power Party, with plans to negotiate with other opposition parties. Evidence has been compiled and is ready for submission.

Gen. Seripisut stated he has gathered evidence on three matters simultaneously: the Khao Krachong land issue, the use of public funds to support a world motorcycle flat-track racing championship since 2561 with an additional 4 billion baht approved, and illegal use of land for seminars. Due to the volume of evidence, the land issue will be submitted to the Constitutional Court first.

When asked about pressure to drop the matter, Seripisut compared it to catching a thief but being told to let him feed his family first, saying that if someone breaks the law, the law must be applied.

Gen. Seripisut revealed key evidence including maps and a Land Department document dated May 27, 1955 identifying the land as belonging to the State Railway of Thailand. Currently, the land hosts homes of influential figures, ministers, and former ministers. The Supreme Court and Court of Appeals have previously ruled it belongs to the State Railway and ordered occupants to vacate.

Additional documents show an agreement from 1970 between Chai Chidchob and the railway's landowner regarding encroachment for a stone mill operation. Chai sought to later formalize a lease, but never followed through after returning to Surin Province.

Gen. Seripisut noted that the Bhumi Jai Thai Party consistently demands three ministries: Tourism and Sports to fund the motorcycle track, Transport to control railway land to prevent lawsuits, and Interior to control the Land Department to prevent revocation of rights despite court rulings. He pointed out that previous Interior Ministers from other parties would have revoked the rights, but Anuthin halted the process.

Regarding Chaiyachanok, Seripisut said he also holds land in the area and should return it, as keeping it violates the law and warrants removal as well.

Gen. Seripisut said it is unclear how long collecting signatures will take as MPs must review the petition first.

On May 14, 2025, Cuba's Minister of Energy and Mines Vicente de la O revealed that the country has completely run out of diesel and fuel reserves, with the national power grid now in critical condition following major blackouts. Multiple power outages have plagued the Havana area recently, leaving numerous locations without electricity for more than 20 hours daily, while the power system relies on domestic crude oil, natural gas, and renewable energy sources. Despite attempting to negotiate fuel imports, Cuba faces complications from the ongoing US blockade and volatile global oil prices amid international conflicts, as the American embargo on fuel shipments to Cuba enters its fourth month and impacts public services nationwide.