Prime Minister Anuthine Charnvirakul has instructed Deputy Prime Minister Ekniti Nititumphaphat and Finance Minister to chair a committee studying the Southern Economic Bridge project, connecting the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea coastlines, or Land Bridge.

The study will examine all aspects including geopolitics, investment returns, logistics systems, and cargo management procedures.

The PM emphasized the project's importance, noting that global conditions have shifted regarding energy security and geopolitics, necessitating strategies that allow Thailand to stand independently.

The Land Bridge study committee must finalize its report within 90 days.

The Land Bridge is a megaproject worth approximately 1 trillion baht, functioning as an economic bridge connecting Chumphon Province on the Gulf coast with Ranong Province on the Andaman coast.

Construction will include two deep-sea ports on either coast, alongside expressways and dual-track railways to transport goods across the peninsula, reducing time and costs compared to Malacca Strait shipping.

Projections suggest the project will boost economic capacity, establish Thailand as a logistics center, create new manufacturing bases, generate employment and income, and stimulate Southern Thailand's economy.

This project has been discussed since 2019 and the current government is advancing it.

Historically, Thailand has not invested in large-scale infrastructure megaprojects to drive economic growth and national development.

However, given the project's magnitude, significant concerns and impacts exist, including return on investment, economic viability given high operating costs, environmental impacts, and effects on local communities' livelihoods.

Therefore, the government's directive to expedite this study must comprehensively address all dimensions and aspects. Critically, it must be receptive to all stakeholders and enable participation from all sectors.

Currently, opinions are divided—some support the project while others, particularly civil society and local residents, oppose it due to concerns about long-term impacts.

A female teacher was startled when smoke suddenly poured from the air conditioning vent of her electric vehicle as she pulled up in front of a school calling for security assistance. Flames soon erupted from inside the smoke-filled car. Local residents quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher to spray the flames.

At 2:00 PM on May 6, 2025, Lieutenant Khrongsakdi Phonsri Sarawat from Ubon Ratchathani City Police Station received a report of an electric vehicle fire at the entrance to Pattanaudorn Developing Higher Education Preparatory School in Ubon Ratchathani province. Emergency responders and good Samaritans extinguished the fire with water before officers arrived to investigate.

Upon arrival, they found a blue electric car registered in Ubon Ratchathani province with burn marks on the left front section. The teacher owner, visibly shaken, explained she was dropping off a friend at school before heading home when smoke suddenly erupted from the air vent, prompting her to stop and call for help. Moments later, flames shot out from under the front hood. Witnesses brought a chemical fire extinguisher and water to help douse the flames before the fire truck arrived.

"This electric vehicle was purchased about three years ago and has approximately 70,000 kilometers on it. About a week before the fire, I had the battery serviced at an authorized center. Before the incident, the car was having difficulty starting, but I'm not sure what caused the fire to break out."

Preliminary investigation suggests an electrical short circuit inside the vehicle. Authorities plan to conduct a more detailed inspection to determine the definitive cause.

The Thai Go Association held its 2569 annual general meeting to report on the past year's activities and present policies for advancing Thai go in the coming period. The meeting was attended by founder Korsak Chairasmusit, president Vichai Chungvirojanpun, board members, and legal representative Chamorn Chamri from the Thai Sports Authority's Legal Department at the association's Seki Hall.

Founder Korsak Chairasmusit noted that the association began as a Go club on August 25, 1993, and was upgraded to association status in 2003. Over the years, it has continuously conducted go instruction, organized competitions, and promoted athletes to international competitions.

Go is recognized as a sport that develops critical thinking, analysis, planning, and discipline—essential skills for modern youth development. It also offers diverse career paths including teaching, professional playing, and establishing community go schools. Chairasmusit praised Thai go players' competitive abilities while emphasizing strict quality and standards. Thailand currently has over one million go players, reflecting the sport's steady growth.

President Vichai Chungvirojanpun outlined five strategic pillars: Population (increasing players), Network (expanding connections), Go Star (creating champions), Sponsor (securing funding), and Branding (building the go brand). The immediate focus is developing superstar players, as high-level competitors are limited. The association prioritizes youth players aged 6-15 through intensive training programs to increase skilled players at the amateur level, supported by go schools' crucial roles.

The key initiative is the Young Go Fast Track program, which recruits youth aged 6-15 with 1 Kyu or higher skill level for on-site training under professional go players' direct guidance to prepare for national and international competitions.

Nine-year-old Preem, a 1 Dan level participant, shared that she discovered go at a shopping mall, tried it, and fell in love with the game. After four years of play, she enjoys meeting friends and aims to reach 6 Dan. Nine-year-old Tara, also 1 Dan level, similarly tried the game and became passionate about it.

The release of the trailer for Copy A Bangkok's new series "Cherm Chey" has generated considerable buzz, featuring lead actors Tutor Korabhattarakorn and Yim Prinyakorn from Doormundi in fresh roles. The series promises a romantic comedy that is both entertaining and emotionally resonant. The trailer showcases the journey of Oeng (played by Yim), a bar owner who has been betrayed by her lover and loses everything, prompting her to embark on a healing journey where she unexpectedly meets Inthaa (played by Tutor), a stranger who becomes her travel companion. As they journey together through spiritual practices and tourism, their relationship naturally develops while both learn to move past their pasts and open their hearts to love again. "Cherm Chey" premieres on May 19 at 8:00 PM exclusively on the TrueVisions Now app, with special premiere screenings featuring the cast at the Lido Connect Hall2 for those with event passes. The series is positioned not merely as a typical romantic comedy but as an emotional journey of heartbreak and healing that many viewers may relate to.

The United States has announced a recall of approximately 8 million Thermos brand insulated bottles following incidents where bottle lids have violently exploded into users' faces, resulting in 27 serious injuries including at least 3 cases of permanent blindness. The recall was triggered after bottle caps were found to burst forcefully from the containers when opened, causing severe facial trauma and eye injuries. The primary cause stems from a design flaw in the Stainless King Food Jar and Sportsman Beverage Bottle models, which feature lids without pressure-release valves. When users fill these bottles with perishable food or beverages and leave them for extended periods, enormous pressure builds up inside the container and explodes with high velocity the moment the user opens the bottle, potentially causing serious facial injuries, scarring, and eye damage. Consumer protection agencies are urging relevant Thai authorities to conduct urgent inspections of products in Thailand, including those from Thermos Thailand, and requesting clarification on whether affected products require recall in the country.

Deputy Prime Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn and senior Transport Ministry officials visited the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) on May 6, 2025, to deliver important policy directives. The visit emphasized urgent infrastructure improvements to reduce transportation costs while prioritizing public safety in line with government policy. BTS executives, led by Chairman Montri Dechaskulsompor and Governor Kacharap Udomtharmpakdi, received the delegation and briefed officials on BTS operations.

Phiphat stated that the government under Prime Minister Anusorn Chaiyaweerakul has tasked the Transport Ministry with developing a modern, efficient transport system connecting all transport networks nationwide. The ministry wants BTS to provide contemporary, convenient, safe, standard-compliant, and environmentally friendly services, ensuring equitable public access to transportation.

Key policy directives include:

1. Improving living standards and reducing cost-of-living burden by maintaining the 40-baht all-day BTS flat fare while promoting a zone-based fare (Zone-based fare) system to replace distance-based pricing. This aims to create a fairer, more sustainable fare structure accessible to all. BTS should also accelerate negotiations with private concessionaires for unified single-ownership system management and support the 2025 Integrated Ticketing Management Act, coordinating with the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) to ease commuter burdens.

2. Expediting construction and opening of projects, particularly the Purple Line (Taopoon-Ratburana/Rama IX Ring) and Orange Line (Bangkhunnon-Minburi/Suvinthawongse) extensions. Safety standards during construction and operations must strictly follow engineering and safety protocols, including machinery inspections, adequate lighting, warning signs, traffic management, and international-level monitoring systems to build public confidence.

3. Foundation-laying initiatives [content appears truncated in source]