On May 19, 2025, Kanjana Poolaew, Secretary-General of the Social Security Office (SSO), announced that the Medical Board under the Social Security Act has issued a resolution on medical service standards and rates using telemedicine systems during the Middle East conflict situation. The resolution is effective from May 1 to July 31, 2025, to mitigate the impact of rising fuel prices and reduce travel costs for insured members.

The resolution authorizes the SSO to pay for medical services provided by accredited healthcare facilities offering telemedicine services to Section 33 and Section 39 insured persons suffering from 26 chronic conditions. For outpatient cases, the rate is 65 baht per visit for a three-month period.

The Medical Board has approved increased medical service fees for managing insured members with chronic conditions through telemedicine, particularly for patients with stable conditions suitable for remote treatment, mainly for symptom monitoring and continuous medication delivery. Currently, 118 healthcare facilities nationwide participate in the SSO's telemedicine program to ensure convenient and rapid access to services while reducing congestion at hospitals.

Kanjana stated that the 26 chronic conditions covered include diabetes, hypertension, chronic inflammatory diseases and cirrhosis, heart failure, stroke, cancer, immunodeficiency, emphysema, chronic kidney disease, Parkinson's disease, myasthenia gravis, dyslexia, multiple sclerosis, high cholesterol, rheumatoid arthritis, glaucoma, nephrotic syndrome, lupus, aplastic anemia, thalassemia, hemophilia, leprosy, chronic dermatitis, ITP, hyperthyroidism, and mental illness.

The SSO secretary-general noted that this measure enables Section 33 and Section 39 insured members to access continuous medical care and eliminates the need to travel for medication pickup. Members can use medicine delivery systems alongside telemedicine services, with healthcare facilities billing the SSO directly—no out-of-pocket payments required.

Additionally, participating healthcare facilities must have Ministry of Public Health-certified telemedicine systems operated by licensed professionals such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, and practitioners from various medical fields who provide consultation, diagnosis, and treatment through digital platforms. The systems must feature reliable identity verification, adequate technological infrastructure for efficient provider-patient communication, electronic transaction records, secure data storage and management, complete treatment reporting, and patient rights notification. Participating facilities must also have oversight and monitoring systems to ensure compliance with standards, equitable service delivery, and accessible care.

On May 19, 2025, police commanders coordinated with Thailand's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to execute a court-authorized search of a warehouse in Khlong Luang district, Pathumthani province, following leads of illegal hair dye distribution through online platforms. Officers seized 2,000 unregistered FAJAZZ cosmetic products from the facility.

The investigation was triggered after consumers purchased FAJAZZ hair dye advertised as "100% natural extract with zero chemicals" through online channels, only to experience severe allergic reactions including scalp inflammation, swelling, redness, and pus discharge. Through questioning warehouse staff, authorities learned that a Chinese woman had hired Thai workers several months prior to pack and ship products to customers via a TikTok shop called "Fajazz-TH." When news of the severe allergic reactions emerged, the employee attempted to contact the Chinese owner but could not reach her; the online shop has since been shut down.

Investigators noted that illegal cosmetic importers increasingly use a "risk distribution" strategy, storing products across multiple warehouses and employing Thai nationals to handle packing and shipping to evade direct detection and arrest. Authorities are now intensifying their investigation to trace the capital owners and file charges under the Cosmetics Act for selling unsafe cosmetic products.

At 12:50 p.m. on May 19, 2025, at Government House, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Yotchanan Wongswat stated that he discussed the Fraser Skill project—an online learning platform for skill development—with the Prime Minister. This initiative, deemed crucial for Thailand, has already received cabinet approval. After more than two years of study by multiple committees, officials found that technological diversity has increased significantly, requiring adjustments to the model based on budgetary and economic considerations before resubmitting to the cabinet.

Yotchanan emphasized there are no problems with the adjustments, which reflect changing circumstances and will employ a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model involving both private and government sectors. Competitive bidding procedures and committee oversight will guide the process.

Regarding his upcoming France trip with the Prime Minister, Yotchanan noted they will examine technology initiatives following the signing of 20 memorandums of understanding with France covering human capital development across multiple universities. France excels in green energy transition and operates Station F, an innovative startup incubator housed in a repurposed railway station that attracts diverse companies. This collaboration will strengthen Thai-French relations.

Additionally, the two countries will cooperate on heritage science—applying scientific and technological methods to preserve and research cultural sites such as Sukhothai and Ayutthaya, enabling deeper research and maximizing the use of existing assets for future development.

Renowned columnist and football commentator Boonritchit Ruttanawichian (Bo Boo) posted a response after criticism that his commentary falls behind the game and contains numerous errors, concluding by saying he'll reconsider his position. The criticism came from the Facebook page "My Favorite Movies," which posted comments questioning Bo Boo's commentary timing and the quality of his work. Bo Boo acknowledged his tendency to slip up: "My weakness when commentating football is that I'm prone to speaking too quickly without realizing it. Sometimes I accidentally call one player by another's name. In the most recent match I commentated (Manchester United vs. Nottingham Forest, 3-2), when Elliott Anderson passed to Morgan Gibbs-White for Forest's goal to make it 3-2, I mistakenly said Elliott Anderson scored. When I reviewed it myself, I was embarrassed. I admit I made a mistake in that moment with no excuses. I apologize and will improve." He added: "When criticized about commentary, if it's constructive feedback—not just baseless insults—I respectfully accept it. The 'My Favorite Movies' page is one I follow constantly because I love watching films. It's my top favorite movie page." Regarding claims that he "never keeps up with the game" and makes "many errors," Bo Boo pushed back, asking for specific examples. He expressed confidence in his broadcasting quality and noted that his team includes former journalists and veteran commentators from the UBC era with extensive football knowledge and experience. He concluded: "If my mistake of speaking too quickly—saying 'pass' instead of 'shot'—causes people to dismiss my entire team's quality, that wouldn't be fair to them. I don't commentate every match. If I'm not needed or not interested, I simply don't do it. Sometimes my brain lags and I can't keep up with the play—I sincerely apologize for that. So I'm reconsidering my position. If I really can't keep up with the game or make many errors like 'My Favorite Movies' criticizes, then perhaps I should just step back and watch instead of wasting everyone's time."

TAK — 19 May 2026, flash floods triggered by days of heavy rain swept through a school and nearby village in Thailand's border province of Tak, forcing teachers, students and residents to scramble to move belongings to higher ground, officials said.

Authorities said continuous rainfall over the past five days affected several districts along the border, particularly Phop Phra district, a mountainous area where red floodwaters rushed down from surrounding hills on the evening of 18 May.

The floods inundated Rom Thai Phatthana 4 School in Ruam Thai Phatthana subdistrict, with water and mud surging into ground-floor classrooms used by young children.

The school temporarily suspended classes for younger pupils while teachers cleaned the affected buildings on 19 May. The incident caused panic among teachers, students and villagers as floodwaters rapidly entered the school grounds. Teachers and pupils helped move valuables to higher areas while trying to drain water from the buildings.

Floodwaters later swept into Ban Ruam Thai Phatthana 14, a veterans' village nearby, damaging homes, village roads and some agricultural land.

Residents rushed to move electrical appliances and belongings to safety as the fast-moving currents rose rapidly, leaving little time to prepare.

Thongdaeng Jantasen, village headman of Ban Ruam Thai Phatthana 14, said prolonged heavy rain caused runoff from nearby mountains to surge through the school area before quickly flooding the village. He said residents were alarmed by the speed and strength of the floodwaters, with some households fearing for their safety and property.

No injuries were reported, officials said.

On May 19, 2025, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchati Chomklin assigned Dr. Surintr Worakhitdhummrung, Director-General of the Pollution Control Department, to chair the opening ceremony and participate in the meeting "Advancing Measures to Address Thailand-Myanmar Transboundary Haze Problems Under the Clear Sky Strategy (2024-2030)." Dr. San Oo, Director of Myanmar's Environmental Conservation Department, along with representatives from Myanmar's Ministry of Agriculture and Trade and Thai agencies, attended the meeting at Amorat Hotel in Chiang Mai to develop approaches for managing the annual transboundary haze crisis.

Dr. Surintr revealed that according to Myanmar's latest reports, the country reduced hotspots by 12 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year, reflecting Myanmar's government efforts to enforce environmental conservation laws and conduct awareness campaigns in vulnerable areas. However, despite the reduction in hotspots, addressing the overall problem faces significant challenges, particularly limitations in infrastructure for air quality monitoring and incomplete database systems.

Dr. Surintr stated that the key outcome of today's discussion is that the Pollution Control Department stands ready to support Myanmar as a neighboring country to make trilateral cooperation concrete and sustainable. The proposed technical assistance includes:

- Developing platforms and websites for reporting transboundary haze situations and Myanmar's air quality status - Providing technical expertise and knowledge transfer on establishing air quality standards and Air Quality Index (AQI), as well as developing national air quality management action plans for Myanmar - Sharing knowledge on developing fire risk maps using hotspot-tracking technology to improve Myanmar's emergency response capabilities

Dr. Surintr emphasized that sharing technology and knowledge is crucial to linking air pollution big data, enabling accurate and safe solutions to transboundary haze that will restore clean air to the Mekong region sustainably.