A durian farmer is devastated after wild squirrels invaded and damaged premium-grade Monthong durians prepared for export, with only 10 days left before the scheduled harvest. A reporter visited a durian orchard in Moo 8, Ang Khiri Subdistrict, Makham District, Chachoengsao Province after learning of the attack on the premium export-grade Monthong durians.

Thongkham Singkhon, a 69-year-old durian farm owner, revealed that she has been cultivating Monthong durian trees for over 7 years. This year's crop produced excellent quality fruit ideal for premium export, with nearly the entire harvest meeting export standards. However, the harvest was scheduled to begin in just 10 days when disaster struck.

The farm suffered an unexpected crisis after being attacked by a troop of wild squirrels, resulting in complete damage to the durian crop. The squirrels employed a "drilling" technique to check the flesh before tasting the fully ripened durians, immediately degrading the quality. A single tree was punctured by the squirrels in over 10 places, resulting in approximately 70 kilograms of losses.

The farm owner expressed her frustration, stating that while she successfully protected the durians from recent storms through careful effort, she never anticipated damage from wild squirrels. The loss of tens of thousands of baht may not seem significant to outsiders, but for an elderly farmer, that amount represents substantial loss.

English Premier League football heads into the climactic final weeks of the season with fixtures running from Saturday, May 9 through Thursday, May 14, 2025, delivering non-stop action from the long weekend into midweek matches. The schedule showcases direct clashes between top teams and high-stakes relegation battles where every point is crucial, with complete coverage on Monomax and select matches on MONO29.

The headline match kicks off Saturday, May 9 at 6:30 PM with Monomax broadcasting the heavyweight showdown between Liverpool at home and visiting Chelsea—a title race battle with direct implications for European qualification. Liverpool will look to dominate with attacking pressure while Chelsea need points to maintain their position. At 9:00 PM, three matches take place simultaneously, starting with Brighton vs. Wolverhampton, an attacking duel between two aggressive sides. Fulham face Bournemouth in a mid-table battle where both teams pursue vital points for safety, broadcast on both Monomax and MONO29. Sunderland face the challenge of Manchester United, the Red Devils pushing to secure crucial points in the final stretch.

Manchester City host Brentford at 11:30 PM Saturday night in a critical fixture for the Sky Blues who cannot afford to drop points. On Sunday, May 10 at 8:00 PM, Monomax shows three simultaneous matches: Burnley vs. Aston Villa in a key fight for standings position; Crystal Palace vs. Everton, with both teams needing points to guarantee survival; and Nottingham Forest vs. Newcastle United, with the visitors seeking three points. At 10:30 PM, West Ham host Arsenal in the London derby—an intense battle crucial for both the prestige and points needed to lead the table, broadcast on both Monomax and MONO29.

Tuesday, May 12 at 2:00 AM (early Monday morning), Monomax shows the thrilling late-night clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United, a match critical for both sides. The week concludes Thursday, May 14 at 2:00 AM (early Wednesday morning) with Manchester City playing back-to-back fixtures, hosting Crystal Palace in another destiny-defining match where the Sky Blues must secure victory to keep their championship hopes alive until the season's final day, broadcast on Monomax.

Football fans should not miss complete live coverage of all matches with official licensing on Monomax through the SPORTS STANDARD and SPORTS PREMIUM packages at special Early Bird rates at https://monomax.me/earlybird from today through May 24, 2025 only.

'Top Jhan' Phongsakorn Jongjai Rak, one of Thailand's top cue masters, created a sensation in Thai snooker by unleashing a spectacular and perfect 147-point maximum break for the first time in his life, earning 584,000 baht in prize bonuses. He then comfortably defeated 'Phone Konhuwan' Yanawat Phueak Ghlom 4-1 frames to advance to the semi-finals against Jack Saraburi. Meanwhile, 'F1' Terpchaiyan Unnhoo, the world's 18th-ranked snooker player, smoothly dominated 'Bank Chanyont Sakolnakorn' Porpiya Kaosamphan 4-2 frames to break through the qualifying round of the Thailand Ranking Circuit 2026 snooker competition in Phitsanulok.

The I-EA-T Phitsanulok Cup Thailand Ranking Circuit 2026 finals, the third event, took place at Rattana Grand Convention Center, Phitsanulok, on May 7, 2026. It was the fourth day of competition featuring the final eight players competing in a best-of-seven frames format. The day's highlight was a clash between 'Top Jhan' Phongsakorn Jongjai Rak, one of Thailand's premier cue masters, and 'Phone Konhuwan' Yanawat Phueak Ghlom, a rising star and former Thai youth champion.

In the opening frame, Phone broke with mixed red and white balls, allowing Top to pocket the red in the top right corner and clear the black, then execute a perfect red-black sequence. Top continued through all 15 reds and blacks, followed by yellows through to black, achieving an outstanding perfect break of 147 points—the first of his snooker career. He received prize money totaling 564,000 baht, divided as follows: Niche Cues 200,000 baht, Asia Cues 147,000 baht, 4x4 Pong 147,000 baht, plus 50,000 baht from 'Tong' Sittichoke Thammaraksaa and 20,000 baht for the highest break from the Thai Billiards Association.

In the second frame, Phone Konhuwan fought back with a break of 62 points to level at 1-1 frames. Over the next three frames, Top Jhan remained dominant, closing out the match 4-1 frames with a scoreline of 147-0, 37-61, 67-6, 63-25, 69-29 to advance to the semi-finals against Jack Saraburi.

In another match, 'F1' Terpchaiyan Unnhoo, the world's 18th-ranked snooker player and reigning champion of the second venue, dominated 'Bank Chanyont Sakolnakorn' Porpiya Kaosamphan, scoring a century break of 128 points to win 4-2 frames with scores of 61-50, 128-7, 4-66, 28-75, 75-73, 71-36. F1 advanced to the semi-finals to face 'Tim Kan' Chatchapong Nasa, who narrowly edged out 'Gig Phitsanulok' Santiphap Im Bunsue 4-3 frames with a scoreline of 63-45, 70-40, 0-86, 97-32, 7-85, 25-73, 63-45.

On May 7, Nakhon Ratchasima Public Health Office detected microbial contamination exceeding legal standards in drinking water from one brand in Kham Sak Saeng District following routine quality checks. The problematic product is Apo-brand drinking water with Food Registry No. 30-2-03760-2-0001, produced March 26, 2025, in 18.9-liter containers. Laboratory analysis at Medical Science Center 9 in Nakhon Ratchasima confirmed Salmonella spp. contamination per 100 milliliters—a disease-causing microorganism with clear adverse health effects. The product is classified as substandard food, violating Section 25(3) of the Food Act, B.E. 2522, with penalties under Section 60 not exceeding 50,000 baht. The health office warned the public to avoid purchasing or consuming the product. Upon inspection of the production facility, officials found the manufacturer had been using stored tank water filtered through an old RO machine approximately 2-3 months prior due to financial difficulties, without proper production procedures, equipment cleaning, or thorough container sanitation. The manufacturer has agreed to submit a request to cease drinking water production operations, and the health office has ordered temporary suspension of production and will proceed with legal enforcement penalties.

The Ministry of Commerce's Department of Internal Trade, partnering with Central Pattana Public Company Limited (CPN), is hosting the Fruits Festival 2026 under the concept "Thailand: The Land of Tropical Fruits" to promote Thai fruit consumption and create a direct link between farmers and consumers. The first day saw bustling activity with strong public interest in purchasing Thai fruits.

According to Witthayakorn Maninettr, Director-General of the Department of Internal Trade, the event brings together approximately 32 vendors and farmers, particularly featuring prominent fruits from the Eastern and Northern regions including durian, mangosteen, rambutan, longan, and specialty mangoes, as well as melon and avocado. A major highlight is the collection of rare durian varieties from Chanthaburi such as Puangmonee, Gabthongkham, and Longchanbnuri, alongside renowned specialty mangoes including Nang Chang Daeng, Daeng Chakkraphan, R2E2, and Khiao Sam Ros.

The department is also bringing mangoes from Ban Hoeng District in Lamphun at a special price of just 15 baht per kilogram to support farmers directly. Due to an oversupply of mangoes this season, the Department of Internal Trade's efforts to connect retailers and wholesalers have helped stabilize prices in farming areas and improved market distribution opportunities.

Witthayakorn stated that the department is advancing forward connections to pre-market outlets to handle the steady flow of Thai fruits reaching the market, while promoting sales through online and live commerce channels. The department brings durian and Thai fruit vendors to department store events, making it easier for consumers to select and sample quality fruits while helping farmers expand market awareness and channels.

Current export-grade durian prices range from 140-150 baht per kilogram, considered a good level. However, maintaining Thai durian quality standards is paramount, with the government taking strict measures to prevent fraudulent or adulterated foreign durian. The authorities are requesting cooperation from farmers, dealers, and local buyers to prevent counterfeiting, as quality is the cornerstone of Thai fruits.

The Department of Internal Trade is connecting buyers to assist farmers, while damaged and non-processable produce will be handled by relevant agencies to prevent substandard durian from being mixed with quality fruits, following directives from the Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister to provide urgent relief to farmers.

The event also features special pricing promotions and workshops on fruit processing to add value to Thai agricultural products and foster participation between consumers and farmers.

The Fruits Festival 2026 runs from May 6-11, 2026 at Central Westgate's Level 1 promotion area, and from June 6-12, 2026 at Central Pinklao, daily from 10:00-21:00. The event is projected to sell no less than 150 tons of fruit and generate significant income for farmers.

Demonstrating remarkable generosity toward public health, the Ubon Ratchathani Governor, representing the residents of Ubon Ratchathani Province, visited the Smitaman family on May 7, 2025, at 3:00 PM to thank them for their donation of 66 rai of land valued at over 1 billion baht to Warinchamrab Hospital for constructing a future medical center.

Governor Narong Tepsena, accompanied by Dr. Piyavat Angkwanitcha, director of Warinchamrab Hospital, Thanaratch Suphaphan, provincial office chief, and Somthida Jakrung, provincial public relations officer, led the delegation to offer encouragement and gratitude to the Smitaman family for donating the land to support the expansion of public health services.

The four donors—Ms. Praphet Smitaman, Ms. Nueamol Smitaman, Ms. Lattdawun Smitaman, and Ms. Kannika Smitaman—are the heirs of Khun Phin and Khun Michiang Smitaman, whose family has a long history of contributing to the province's public health sector.

The Smitaman family previously donated 33 rai of land in 1984 for the original construction of Warinchamrab Hospital. This additional donation of 66 rai represents a continued commitment to public welfare. The land is valued at approximately 1 billion baht based on current market assessments and will be developed into a modern medical center to accommodate increasing patient numbers and improve healthcare services for residents of Warinchamrab District and surrounding areas.

Governor Narong praised the family's compassionate and noble intentions, noting that this donation will serve as a foundation for developing a state-of-the-art medical center that reduces hospital overcrowding, enhances treatment capabilities, and ensures that the public has better access to quality healthcare services. This donation exemplifies sacrifice for society and demonstrates the power of sharing resources for sustainable public benefit, with plans for the land to become a specialized medical center serving the broader region.