Thai commerce attachés in Xiamen achieved remarkable success in a live-streaming sales event on China's PUPU online supermarket app on May 10, generating 1.33 million baht in sales within just one hour by promoting Thai durian and mangosteen. The campaign is projected to reach a total of 100 million baht, with the DITP continuing to organize promotional activities across seven cities throughout China.

Sunanta Kangvalkulgit, Director-General of the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) under the Ministry of Commerce, revealed that DITP has instructed its overseas trade promotion offices and commercial attachés in major fruit export target markets to accelerate market expansion for Thai fruits in alignment with Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supachee Suthammaphand's policy directives.

The Xiamen trade promotion office reported outstanding success from the promotional campaign on PUPU, with Chinese consumers showing strong and sustained interest in purchasing Thai fruits. Products featured in the promotion include durian, mangosteen, coconut, longan, pomelo, rice, bottled coconut milk, frozen durian, pork belly rice, instant noodles, tapioca flour, seasoned seaweed, and cosmetics. The platform also offered special Mother's Day discount coupons, with preliminary sales reaching over 280,000 yuan (approximately 1.33 million baht) in just one hour.

During the May 10 event, Xiamen's commerce attachés conducted live-streaming sales with key opinion leaders (KOLs), providing information about Thai fruit cultivation sources and quality standards while demonstrating how to peel durian and mangosteen to guarantee quality. They answered viewer questions about Thai fruit seasons and promoted Thailand's frozen and processed durian products. KOLs then rotated live-streaming Thai products throughout the day and continued promoting durian, mangosteen, and other Thai goods throughout the month.

The PUPU platform indicated that Thai products were already popular with consumers before the promotion, and the marketing campaign has further boosted consumer confidence in Thai goods. With this year's high-quality Thai durian harvest and satisfied customers, sales of durian, mangosteen, and other Thai products are expected to reach the campaign target of approximately 100 million baht upon completion.

PUPU is an online supermarket platform selling daily consumer goods, both imported and local products, through a mobile application with home delivery service. It operates across major cities in Guangdong Province and nearby areas including Xiamen, Fuzhou, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, and Sichuan, serving 30 million regular customer accounts, with 4.5 million accounts concentrated in Guangdong Province alone.

All seven Thai trade promotion offices in China are actively conducting promotional campaigns for Thai fruits during the current harvest season, working to reinforce Thailand's image as a producer of tropical fruits and boost consumer awareness and consumption of Thai fruits in the Chinese market.

Japan has unveiled its squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with injured Brighton forward Kaoru Mitoma notably absent from the roster. Japan will compete in Group F this summer alongside the Netherlands, Sweden, and Tunisia. The Samurai Blue recently announced their tournament squad, which excludes Kaoru Mitoma, the Brighton striker who recently sustained an injury in a match against Wolverhampton. The complete squad includes: Goalkeepers: Tomoki Hayakawa, Sion Suzuki, Keisuke Osako; Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Shogo Taniguchi, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Go Itakura, Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Hiroki Ito, Junnosuke Suzuki, Ayumu Seko, Yuganari Sugawara; Midfielders/Forwards: Daichi Kamada, Kaichu Sano, Ao Tanaka, Wataru Endo, Keto Nakamura, Ritsu Doan, Junya Ito, Takefusa Kubo, Yuito Suzuki, Ayase Ueda, Goki Okawa, Daisen Maeda, Kento Shioji, Keisuke Goto

Yam Matira Tantipresuit, who took a break from television screens, updated her life status at a press meet-and-greet event for the drama series 'Payak Rai Song Lai' at Malinont Building. She shared her new path as an online entrepreneur and cosmetics brand owner that she's fully committed to, and opened up about her relationship with Bot Nadol, her long-time boyfriend outside the entertainment industry, whom she's been dating for over six years, along with future plans and marriage discussions.

"I've been away for quite a while," she explained. "Over the past 2-3 years, I've been doing more streaming series work rather than traditional TV. Recently, I've shifted to online content on TikTok and now have my own business."

Asked about her business name and type, she replied: "It's called Sun Dream, a cosmetics brand. We just launched recently."

"We're already selling now, but the actual production process took quite a long time—about a year," she added.

Has she fully transformed into an influencer and entrepreneur? "Yes, I'm a full-time business owner now, and it's really fun," she said. "During COVID, many people shifted to online businesses, and we found a new path that we really enjoy. When I post videos, it's authentic—showing what I do, my makeup, where I eat, where I travel. It's very easy."

How different is this life from being an actress? "It's quite different. I actually miss it—I miss waking up early to go to film sets. But this is a new path as I've matured."

Is she now a freelance actress? "Yes, I've been freelance for about 2-3 years since after COVID."

Would she consider signing with an agency again? "I'm very okay right now because I have the freedom to do whatever I want. If the right opportunity comes along, I'd still like to do drama series."

Is she completely closed off to acting work for sales only? "No, I'm not closing the door on acting entirely. If the script is right, at the right time, I can still take on roles."

Is she currently working on any drama projects? "Not at the moment because I want to focus on one thing at a time. Otherwise, the quality won't be good."

Is the business focused only on online sales? "Yes, primarily on TikTok and Shopee."

Does she do TikTok live streams often? "Not very often. Occasionally, depending on my schedule, but I have a talented team member who helps with the live streams."

Are the products available on TikTok Shop? "Yes, they're on TikTok Shop with clips tagged to the cart, and also on regular Shopee."

How does she feel about the current trend of celebrities selling products, and does this brand come from her own passion? "It comes from very high personal passion," she said. "If you watch my TikTok, you'll see I'm constantly posting makeup content. I've always loved makeup, though I'm not the best at it. So I created products that suit me—colors and products that are easy to use. That's how this business came about."

Does she think this era is suitable for pursuing careers beyond acting? "It's an opportunity to try new things," she reflected. "I've always wanted to have my own business. When I thought about what my passion was and considering the timing, everything aligned perfectly, and this is what emerged."

How's the market response? "It's okay, but cosmetics have intense competition. It's something that requires time and perseverance. I don't want instant fame that disappears. I want this to be sustainable for the long term."

Does she feel discouraged given how challenging business is in this era? "It is challenging, but I'm not discouraged yet since we just started. I have dreams of taking this brand far and keeping it going for a long time."

For those missing her acting work, there's the drama series 'Payak Rai Song Lai'...

SURIN — Cambodian authorities have released a Thai man known as "Uncle Yot" and returned him to Thailand following coordination between Thai and Cambodian regional border committees, officials said on Friday.

Maj. Gen. Nid Narong, deputy chief of staff of Cambodia's Border Protection Force 4 and head of the Cambodian Regional Border Committee (RBC), contacted Thailand's 2nd Army Region on Thursday regarding the repatriation of Yot Sainoi, known as "Uncle Yot."

The handover occurred at Chong Sa-ngam border checkpoint in Phu Sing district of Sisaket province around 11:00 on May 15. Maj. Gen. Kampanat Waphansu, chief of staff of the 2nd Army Region and head of the Thai RBC delegation, received the 58-year-old Thai national from Cambodian officials.

Officals confirmed that Yot was in good health with no visible signs of injury.

The 2nd Army Region stated the return was achieved through close coordination between Thailand's 2nd Army Region and Cambodia's Border Protection Force 4 under the RBC mechanism, which both sides praised as a positive demonstration of ongoing bilateral cooperation aimed at reducing tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border.

Yot, a resident of Prasat district in Surin province, had been reported missing by his family after entering a forest area near the Thai-Cambodian border in Kab Choeng district on April 25. Thai authorities discovered his abandoned motorcycle near the forest edge and initiated a joint search operation with security agencies.

Following discussions with Cambodian officials, Thai authorities learned that Yot had illegally crossed into Cambodia and was arrested by Cambodian forces. He was prosecuted in Oddar Meanchey province for illegal entry and trespassing in a military area, and was held in a provincial prison before his release.

BANGKOK — 15 May 2026, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt is expected to submit his resignation ahead of launching a bid for a second term, local media reported. The resignation letter is expected to be filed with Thailand's Interior Ministry before Chadchart formally re-enters the Bangkok gubernatorial race. Officials at Bangkok Metropolitan Administration headquarters said Chadchart was absent from a scheduled briefing on revisions to the city's comprehensive urban development plan, with Deputy Governor Wisanu Subsompon appearing in his place. When asked whether the governor's absence was linked to plans to resign before the end of his term, Wisanu said Chadchart had multiple engagements. Wisanu declined to confirm whether he would remain part of Chadchart's administration if the governor wins another term, saying Chadchart had yet to formally announce his candidacy. According to reports, Chadchart plans to travel to the United States after resigning to visit his son and attend celebrations marking his graduation. One of Chadchart's campaign slogans is "Invite you to work, to make the city work". He is expected to officially register his candidacy and unveil his deputy governors and campaign team on 28 May 2026. Officials said Chadchart's resignation would automatically dissolve the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's political executive team, including deputy governors, advisers and secretaries. During the transition period until a new governor is elected, the Bangkok permanent secretary, as the city's highest-ranking civil servant, will oversee the administration. City officials are also expected to finalise Bangkok's 2027 fiscal budget proposal worth 93 billion baht before the new governor takes office and submits it to the Bangkok Metropolitan Council for approval.

A man named Winai fatally beat his girlfriend Joy after discovering she had secretly checked into a hotel with another man. Enraged, he repeatedly kicked and struck her before discovering her lifeless body the next morning. He then transported her body to a police station in Bang Bua Thong to turn himself in. On May 15, 2569, the family held a Buddhist spirit summoning ceremony at her lodging before preparing for religious rites at Pai Luang Temple in Nonthaburi Province. Joy's 49-year-old aunt, Kanchana, recounted that on the night of the incident, she had advised them to settle their dispute peacefully, but later lost contact with her niece after midnight. In a dream the following night, she saw Joy sitting at a restaurant without a head. Meanwhile, a 65-year-old friend of the deceased reported hearing her call out at around 3 a.m., keeping him awake. After the spirit summoning ceremony, the family retrieved Joy's body from the forensic institute to proceed with religious funeral rites at the temple.