The Government Savings Bank has launched a back-to-school loan program offering a low fixed rate of just 0.60% monthly interest with no collateral required, designed to help parents manage the financial strain of new school expenses and enable convenient applications through the MyMo app.

Announced on May 8 by Songphol Chiwapanjarojen, the bank's director, the program addresses the heavy financial burden families face during school openings amid economic volatility and tight household cash flow. The initiative features a 1 billion baht allocation to assist with uniforms, textbooks, school supplies, and other education-related expenses while reducing reliance on unofficial debt sources.

The loan program reflects the bank's commitment as a "bank for society, for all lives," particularly supporting students during this critical foundation-building period of life. Designed with relaxed qualification criteria compared to standard bank requirements, the program allows any parent with employment and income to apply.

Loan terms include a maximum of 10,000 baht per person at a fixed 0.60% monthly rate, repayable over 12 months at approximately 894 baht monthly (including principal and interest). No collateral is needed. Parents can apply through the MyMo application or visit any Government Savings Bank branch for assistance. The application period runs from May 8 to July 31, 2026.

Countdown to the Cannes red carpet! Hot actress Becky G Rebecca Patricia Armstrong is preparing to jet off to the 2026 Cannes Film Festival this year. Even though she'll only be there for two days, her schedule is packed with work and stunning fashion moments.

Becky recently spoke about her preparations after attending the ECLIPSE 'Get Fresh After Meal' candy launch today (May 7, 2025) at TCDC Bangkok's central post office building in Bang Rak. She admitted to feeling slightly pressured by fan expectations, but this time she wants to enjoy the moment and cherish every memory. She revealed she's pushing forward with full international work—music, fashion, and acting projects with foreign teams—and hopes to try English-language films in the future. She's also preparing a new series called "Sane Hah Waai Yo" and will release her first single from her EP for fans to follow.

Cannes 2026 is almost here! How are you preparing? "I'm thinking about what kind of look I want to bring, but I'm not telling yet—keeping it a secret! Honestly, this Cannes trip is super short, just two days, so everything's packed. I'm so excited. I've done a lot of prep work, but I'm trying to keep it natural. From going before, what I've learned is: whatever happens, let it happen. I'll learn in the moment and just enjoy it."

Do you have a red carpet look in mind? "Yes! The red carpet look takes a lot of thinking about the direction I want to go. I want everyone to watch and hopefully everyone will be amazed, right? (laughs) Like I said, it's just two days, so I'll be changing outfits quite a bit. But the day fans will probably see the most is when I walk the red carpet."

Does it feel pressuring because people are expecting a certain look? "A little bit, honestly. But I don't want to pressure myself. In the early years, I'd worry about not stumbling or whatever, and then I'd stumble (laughs). Now I'm just letting it be natural and enjoying it. Time goes by so fast, but these become memories that stay with us forever."

Are you secretly thinking about how to make the camera catch you in the most stunning way? "I'll just flash my big smile! (laughs) Not sure if the camera will catch it. Honestly, it's such an exciting moment. I spend all day preparing, but the actual walk happens in a flash, and that moment stays with me forever. So I have to be really present. Am I still worried about stumbling? No, not anymore. That was early on. Now it's just fun!"

This round it's all work with no time to travel? "Right! It's all work with no breathing room (smiles). But I was thinking maybe I'll feel inspired to go for a morning run. The weather is nice so I want to run. It's the plan but whether I can actually do it, I'll tell you later (smiles)."

What's happening with your projects? "Soon there's the series "Sane Hah Waai Yo" on Channel 7 premiering on May 16th. I'm so excited to finally watch it! The shoot took quite a while, so I'm curious how it looks after post-production. And most recently, I released my song "Skin" as the first single from my EP. There will be more releases after that, and hopefully a tour will follow. I want to try being a singer because when the opportunity comes, I want to give it my all."

You're working with international teams on both music and acting? "Yes, I'm working with so many people right now, which means a lot of late-night meetings. With different time zones, besides Wild Group who handles my music work, I also work with CAA on the acting side.

The Ministry of Commerce's Department of Intellectual Property, in coordination with economic crime police and private rights holders, continues its aggressive campaign against counterfeit goods. In April 2025, authorities in Bangkok, surrounding areas, and other provinces made significant seizures of counterfeit products, particularly fake cosmetics.

Department Director Ormon Saoptavirattham emphasized that intellectual property infringement threatens economic security and directly harms manufacturers, business operators, and consumers while eroding the nation's competitiveness. The government and Commerce Ministry are committed to addressing this issue seriously through stricter inspections, rigorous law enforcement, and integrated cooperation among all sectors to prevent counterfeit goods from entering the market and to apprehend major offenders.

The department is also working to strengthen intellectual property protection standards to enhance Thailand's credibility in global trade and improve the nation's intellectual property protection status internationally.

During April 2025, enforcement teams conducted coordinated raids in major commercial and tourism areas across four southern provinces: Prachuap Khiri Khan, Surat Thani, Krabi, and Phuket. Officers seized counterfeit trademark products including bags, pants, shirts, eyeglasses, belts, bracelets, shoes, and hats.

Searches were also conducted at storage facilities in Samut Prakan following reports of online sales of counterfeit cosmetics. The raids uncovered large quantities of counterfeit cosmetics bearing fake brand trademarks.

April 2025 statistics show 709,786 items seized across 29 cases with an estimated economic loss of over 50 million baht. Officers arrested suspects and forwarded cases to investigators for prosecution.

Director Ormon noted that the enforcement operation successfully prevented illegal products from reaching consumers, protecting them from substandard counterfeit goods that may pose health risks—especially cosmetics. She warned that counterfeit cosmetics now feature increasingly sophisticated fake packaging nearly identical to genuine products, including counterfeit Thai labels and product registration numbers, which can easily mislead consumers.

The department urges the public to exercise caution when purchasing goods, especially online. Consumers should buy from authorized retailers or trusted sources, verify packaging for proper standards and integrity, and ensure prices are reasonable. Those with information about counterfeit goods sales can report through the IP Thailand website (www.ipthailand.go.th) under "Report Intellectual Property Infringement" or call the hotline 1368.

Similan Islands has reclaimed the spotlight with Donald Duck Bay securing the 10th position on the 2026 World's Most Beautiful Beaches ranking. The island features stunning powder-fine white sand that feels like walking on cotton candy, water so transparent it seems unreal, and the famous giant granite rock formation shaped like Donald Duck—a must-visit photo spot offering unforgettable views of Similan blue. Three beaches from the archipelago made the top 30 list, including Paradise Beach and Freedom Beach, thanks largely to Thailand's annual limited-access conservation policy that has preserved the area's pristine ecosystem. The combination of natural beauty and environmental stewardship makes Similan an ideal destination for 2026 island getaways.

This week, "Hit Tai Krua" visits the cheerful household of Mom Jakamok to celebrate her youngest son Mix's recent proposal to his girlfriend Aie. However, before reaching this joyful milestone, the family had erected an emotional wall between father and son. For the first time, they openly address the real issue: Mix chose to pursue music, which his father disapproved of, offering no explanation for his objection. This lack of understanding led to four years of silence—the father wouldn't speak, and the son wouldn't either. The stubborn silence of the family members became a quiet heartache.

Mom reveals her parenting philosophy, never openly praising her son because she believed in letting him think and grow on his own, while always watching from afar. She opens up the "private zones" of the M household for the first time, sharing personal corners never shown before. This includes Mix's bold escapades, like climbing out a window to go out with friends, and his defiant act of forming the BKL band to prove himself as more than just "Mom's son."

One touching moment comes when Mix admits that during the COVID period when he had no income, he told his girlfriend Aie to find someone better, but she simply replied, "It's okay, I'll take care of things." The bride-to-be explains why this man is "the one."

Special guest M, the eldest sister, shares insights about the father-son relationship. The family concludes that what matters most is that parents and children now understand: everything the father did was out of love. Watch all the funny, touching, and warm moments of the "Mom-Mud-M-Mix" family on "Hit Tai Krua" this Sunday at 14:15 on Channel 3, Digit 33.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Cambodia has acknowledged Thailand's cancellation of the 2001 memorandum of understanding, with both sides agreeing to use the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the key framework for future discussions. Speaking after a trilateral meeting between Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Cebu on Thursday evening, Anutin said both countries shared a commitment to peace, stability and constructive dialogue while protecting their national interests. The talks were held at the invitation of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who sought to promote cooperation and mutual understanding within ASEAN, Anutin said. Thailand brought representatives from its foreign affairs and security agencies to reaffirm its position of pursuing peaceful approaches alongside safeguarding sovereignty and the interests of the Thai people, he added. Anutin said the meeting reviewed progress on security measures and military coordination between Thailand and Cambodia, noting that no violent incidents had occurred along the border during the past five months. Thailand also explained its reasons for terminating the 2001 MOU, formally known in Thailand as MOU 2544, with Cambodia acknowledging and understanding Bangkok's position, he said. "Both countries agreed to adhere to the principles under UNCLOS as an important framework for future operations," Anutin said, adding that further discussions would still be needed on practical details. The two sides also agreed to gradually resume discussions at all levels, including through the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), General Border Committee (GBC), and talks between foreign ministers, with the aim of generating mutual benefits for both peoples. Anutin stressed that all negotiations must remain based on the existing ceasefire agreement and previously agreed mechanisms in order to build trust and maintain a peaceful atmosphere. He described the discussions as a positive signal for strengthening peace and stability between Thailand and Cambodia, while insisting that the dispute was between governments and not between the peoples of the two countries. The prime minister also urged both countries to ensure the safety of Thai nationals in Cambodia and Cambodians in Thailand, and to prevent discrimination or inappropriate actions. Anutin said Thailand and Cambodia should continue bilateral discussions through constructive negotiations without pressure from third countries, warning against any escalation of tensions. He clarified that the talks did not involve negotiations on border demarcation or border reopening, but focused only on agreeing to begin operational-level discussions, with Thailand's foreign minister and deputy chief of defence forces expected to continue detailed talks. Thailand would fully protect its dignity, sovereignty and national interests throughout the process, he said.