On May 24, 2026, Phra Kru Yuttidhammanuyut (Luang Pho Pae), abbot of Wat Sawang Arom temple in Khun Kaew subdistrict, Nakhon Chai Si district, Nakhon Pathom province, presided over the fourth consecration ceremony for Kampaeng Sawk Buddha images. Distinguished monks were invited including Phra Ratchapatanasophan (Luang Pho Chao Khun Noe) from Wat Thung Setthee along Rama II Road, Phra Kru Wathee Phatrosopon, Phra Kru Somulvira Kitchacharo (abbot of Wat Tuk Tuk), and the renowned hermit Ruesi Nai Thatuputtakun from Ayutthaya province. Together with Luang Pho Pae, they conducted the blessing ritual to strengthen the power of the images.

Luang Pho Pae explained that Kampaeng Sawk Buddha images are ancient pieces from the Sukhothai period, traditionally crafted from molded clay and also known as protective Buddha amulets. According to local legend, these amulets have miraculous protective qualities—one tale tells of a thatched house that burned down completely, yet a Kampaeng Sawk image survived unburned, leading villagers to revere them.

The abbot noted that such ancient Buddha images have become rare, prompting him to create new versions to preserve this cultural heritage. The images are made in three types: Kampaeng Sawk, Kampaeng Khueap, and Kampaeng Nui. They are crafted in clay, bronze, and metal alloys. Devotees can place the larger versions at home for protection, while the smallest type can be worn as an amulet.

The ceremony was held in May because the month aligns numerologically with the number five, and May 2026 contains five Saturdays. The final consecration will take place on May 30th, coinciding with the fifth Saturday. A total of 29 distinguished monks participated in the blessing ritual, along with the hermit Ruesi Nai Thatuputtakun. Production is limited, and the amulets are only available for rent-to-own through the temple.

Lottery enthusiasts were notably present, closely observing the blessed water vessels used by both Luang Pho Pae and Ruesi Nai Thatuputtakun, as both are believed to bring fortune and luck to their devotees. After the ceremony concluded and the blessed water was distributed to attendees, many quickly photographed the vessels to interpret them as lucky lottery numbers. The numbers derived from Luang Pho Pae's blessed water were interpreted as 801, while those from Ruesi Nai's water were 832.

SAMUT PRAKAN — 24 May 2026, A drunk driver crashed his car into a roadside fish pond after allegedly rear-ending a motorcycle and attempting to flee, police said.

The incident occurred at about 00:40 on 24 May along the Sri Waree Noi road near Khlong Don bridge in Si Sa Chorakhe Noi subdistrict, Bang Sao Thong district, Samut Prakan province.

Witnesses said two young men jumped into the pond to rescue the driver after his grey Honda car lost control and plunged into the water, leaving more than half the vehicle submerged.

Volunteers from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation and officers from Bang Sao Thong Police Station arrived shortly afterwards and found one injured person, identified as Tawee, 48, the motorcycle rider allegedly struck by the car.

The motorcyclist sustained minor injuries and told police he had been riding home towards Bangkok's Lat Krabang area when the car began swerving behind him before crashing into the rear of his motorcycle, causing him to fall.

He said the driver then sped away before later losing control and crashing into the pond, nearly one kilometre from the original collision site.

A witness said he heard a loud crashing sound and went outside to investigate. He saw the car swerving before veering off the road and plunging into the pond.

He shouted for his son and friends to help rescue the driver from the submerged vehicle. The man appeared heavily intoxicated, the witness said.

Police searching the driver's bag found a small bottle of liquor containing a small amount of alcohol.

Authorities later administered a breathalyser test to the driver, identified as Narong, 34, which showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.184%, more than three times Thailand's legal limit.

Narong admitted he had been drinking before the crash and said he had been returning to his company accommodation when the accident occurred. He claimed the vehicle, which belonged to his employer, had suffered a wheel bearing problem that caused him to lose control.

Police charged him with drunk driving causing physical and mental harm to others and handed him over to investigators for legal proceedings.

Get ready! China is accelerating development of AI humanoid robots capable of complete household tasks—laundry, cooking, and caring for children and elderly people—with real-world trials expected in 2027 at affordable prices.

Chinese robotics companies are transitioning from industrial factory environments to a more complex new mission: "housework," an unpredictable domain filled with constantly changing, chaotic conditions.

Recently, GigaAI launched its first home-use humanoid robot, the "SeeLight S1," developed in collaboration with Hubei Province's Human Robot Innovation Center and Robot Industry Association. The company plans to deploy these robots to families in Wuhan for free trial use during the first half of 2027, testing real-world performance in diverse household environments with children, elderly people, and pets.

Based on demonstration videos, the two-armed, wheeled SeeLight S1 can perform various household tasks including chopping vegetables, frying eggs, doing laundry, hanging clothes, making beds, and opening curtains—a significant milestone in robots genuinely beginning to "do housework for humans."

The company aims to reduce hardware costs to below 100,000 yuan (approximately 420,000 baht) by 2027, potentially enabling broader consumer market penetration. GigaAI's CEO predicts that by 2028, home robots will experience rapid advancement in both commercial viability and Embodied AI capabilities, allowing robots to understand the real world and plan tasks independently.

This technology differs fundamentally from factory robots, which follow pre-programmed instructions. Home robots must navigate daily environmental changes and independently "think-decide-act."

Market research from LeadLeo indicates the home robotics industry is worth approximately $41 billion, with expected 20% annual growth through 2027. Currently dominated by vacuum-cleaning robots, humanoid robots remain in experimental phases.

Experts from companies like Unitree Robotics and Zeroth agree that despite high potential, home robots face significant challenges: environmental complexity, size limitations, and insufficient AI training data compared to industrial factories.

However, newcomer OneRobotics is addressing data scarcity by collecting real-world information from homes and various locations to train AI for household tasks, elderly care, and daily service work—potentially the key to making "maid robots" a near-future reality.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta stated that he can visualize the Gunners winning the Premier League title this season starting from March. Arteta successfully led Arsenal to clinch the 2025-26 Premier League championship, the club's first title in 22 years. Recently, Arteta opened up to Sky Sports about his vision of Arsenal achieving Premier League success starting from March after falling short in multiple previous seasons. "I have imagined winning the championship many times, especially because we came close to it in several seasons," Arteta said. "But this time, especially, there's something about it. I've been practicing visualization intensely over the past few months. I can close my eyes and see that image immediately, and that's different from other seasons." "It wasn't from the start of the season, but around March or April when I started thinking that way. I knew that would be the period that would define this season." "It's the image of me holding the trophy. That's it. I think I need to believe in myself in order to transmit that confidence and energy to the team."

On May 24, 2026, a 20-year-old Swiss woman named Jolina Gisel attracted attention in the collector community after revealing her ownership of more than 60,000 Pokémon cards valued at over 50 million pounds, or approximately 2.1 billion baht, potentially breaking a future Guinness World Record.

Jolina Gisel explained that she began collecting cards at age 7 as a hobby, before the Pokémon card market boomed significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, causing card values to skyrocket rapidly.

However, the rising popularity came with increased risk, as high-value Pokémon card thefts have occurred multiple times in Europe and the United States in recent times.

The highlights of this collection include rare legendary cards such as "Pikachu Illustrator," of which she owns 2 copies—among the most sought-after Pokémon cards worldwide.

Previously, a card from the same series was auctioned in the United States for as high as 1.4 million dollars, or approximately 45 million baht. A perfect-grade PSA 10 version was reportedly sold for over 16.5 million dollars, or around 530 million baht.

Because of this, her family decided to move the entire collection out of their home and store it in a professional safe deposit facility.

She revealed that she is considering selling the collection as a whole to collectors or museums so these historic cards can be publicly displayed.

However, she confirmed that her first childhood album will never be sold, as it holds invaluable family memories that cannot be assessed with monetary value.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) announced that three Red Cross volunteers have died from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They are believed to have contracted the virus starting March 27 while working on an unrelated project in Ituri Province in eastern DRC before the outbreak was identified, and are suspected to have been infected while handling bodies of deceased patients. The three volunteers are among the first victims of the current outbreak, which has claimed over 170 lives with approximately 750 suspected cases. The IFRC identified the deceased volunteers as Alikana Udumuzi Augustin, Sezabo Katanabo, and Achiko Chandiru Vivienne. All three worked courageously and humanely in Mongwalu, currently the outbreak's epicenter, and died between May 5-16. Health experts warn that bodies of Ebola patients remain highly contagious due to viral-laden bodily fluids even after death. The current outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola for which no vaccine yet exists. Previously, the World Health Organization (WHO) elevated the public health risk in DRC from high to very high, while noting that regional risk across Africa is high but global risk remains low. Uganda, a neighboring country, confirmed three new infections, bringing its total to five cases. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that ten countries in the region face outbreak risk: Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia.