On May 21, 2025, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) held its annual media relations event at Lopburi Inn Resort in Muang District, Lopburi Province. NACC Secretary-General Surapong Inthathawaon led discussions with representatives from government agencies in Lopburi and Saraburi provinces on measures to monitor public procurement.

NACC Region 1 Deputy Secretary-General Wirawat Charoenecham reported that the region has received 666 complaints to date, with most alleging civil service misconduct under Section 157 of the Criminal Code. Local government organizations (LGOs) face the most complaints due to their large workforce presence.

Among procurement-related corruption complaints, the top five violation types are: (1) specification-locking, (2) budget-splitting under 500,000 baht, (3) bid-rigging, (4) use of nominees, and (5) false work acceptance. Damages identified include 2.305 billion baht in real estate, 700 million baht in infrastructure, 497 million baht in subsidies, and 450 million baht in equipment and vehicles.

Wirawat noted that while corruption persists and intensifies, complainants often fear retaliation despite witness protection measures. Subordinates remain fearful of superiors, perpetuating fraud.

State Auditor Suthee Suntraanurak discussed procurement inspection findings, revealing patterns such as bid-rigging between officials and contractors, false work inspections (such as incomplete road construction), unauthorized design changes, and underutilization of completed projects. The NACC is implementing real-time audits and using drones to inspect hard-to-reach or dangerous areas.

Suthee emphasized the need for comprehensive anti-corruption efforts supported by clear databases to strengthen preventive measures and ensure procurement processes meet all objectives.

CHAIYAPHUM — 21 May 2026, villagers in northeastern Thailand have begun digging for "mang jeenoon", a seasonal scarab beetle delicacy popular in Isaan cuisine, as the arrival of the rainy season creates opportunities for extra income.

Residents in several communities in Chaiyaphum province said the insects emerge only once a year during the early rainy season, allowing villagers to collect and sell them for up to 1,000-1,500 baht a day.

In Na Yang Klak subdistrict of Thep Sathit district, villagers gathered with hoes, digging sticks and plastic bottles before heading into nearby community forests to search for the beetles, which burrow underground beneath shrubs and small trees to lay eggs.

The insects are commonly found in burrows about 20 centimetres below the soil surface, particularly near loose soil or small openings around tree roots, locals said.

Villagers said each burrow can contain between six and 10 beetles, which are carefully dug out using traditional techniques passed down through generations.

The beetles are sold for about 1 baht each, while larger ones can fetch up to 2 baht.

Locals describe mang jeenoon as a high-protein seasonal delicacy that can only be found during the rainy season.

Before cooking, the insects are usually soaked in water overnight or cleaned to remove waste before being fried, roasted or added to spicy local dishes.

Popular recipes include chilli dips, bamboo shoot curry, herbal soups and fried beetles mixed with eggs, often served with steamed rice.

Villagers said the annual beetle hunt reflects a long-standing local tradition and provides valuable supplementary income during the rainy season.

Summary of the Lao government lottery drawing, officially known as Pattana Lottery, overseen by the Lao Ministry of Finance for the latest drawing on May 21, 2569. Prize categories include 6-digit, 5-digit, 4-digit, 3-digit, and 2-digit numbers with corresponding prize multipliers: 4-digit numbers pay 6,000 times the wager, 3-digit pays 500 times, and 2-digit pays 60 times. The Lao Lottery, officially called Pattana Lottery, is operated by the state enterprise Pattana Lottery Company under Ministry of Finance supervision and is Laos's legally sanctioned government lottery. Drawings occur Monday through Friday, with the 5/45 Pattana drawing held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Live broadcasts begin at 8:00 PM Thailand time on Lao National Radio and Lao National Television Channel 1 (LNTV). The lottery system draws a single 6-digit winning number that can be broken down into multiple prize categories based on regional popularity, with the last 4 digits being the most commonly used. Additional lottery games include Dream Dictionary numbers (4/40) and Animal Name numbers, unique to Laotian lottery traditions.

On May 21, 2569, a group of BCP minority shareholders filed a formal complaint with DSI Director-General Yutthana Phraedum at DSI headquarters on Chaengwattana Road in Bangkok, requesting an investigation into BCPG's 9-billion-baht purchase of an oil storage facility and land in Phetchaburi province. The complaint alleges the transaction is overpriced, as accounting records show the asset's value at only 6.55 billion baht, potentially causing shareholder losses and suggesting possible collusion to inflate asset values.

According to initial information, in 2553 a seller offered the same facility to BCP for only 3 billion baht, but the company deemed it not worthwhile. However, on December 30, 2565, BCPG purchased the same asset for 9 billion baht. Within three months of the acquisition, media and social media reports indicated the facility's book value had already declined to 6.55 billion baht—a loss of 2.45 billion baht from the purchase price.

Shareholders have expressed suspicion that the transaction may involve collusion to artificially inflate the asset's value for personal gain at the expense of shareholders and the Thai capital market. The complaint requests DSI to investigate whether the transaction involves criminal conspiracy, money laundering, and violations of the Special Cases Investigation Act of 2547, as well as to examine all parties involved in the sale proposal, pricing assessment, approval process, and payment procedures.

The Thai national team is gearing up for warm-up matches during the June FIFA international break against Kuwait and China. Khananam Khamyok, a promising midfielder who plays for Muangthong United, has been recalled to the senior squad and expressed his delight at the opportunity. "I'm really happy to be back with the senior national team," Khananam said. "I'll do my best to learn tactics from Coach Hudson and my teammates to continue developing myself." He noted that playing in the senior squad differs from the U-23 team since there are no age restrictions, meaning he'll face older and more experienced players, which he views as a positive challenge. Khananam praised playing alongside Theerasil Dangda, calling him a Thai football legend, and hopes to gain as much experience as possible. He aims to earn playing time in both matches against Kuwait and China, and called on fans to support the team. Khananam has made 32 appearances for Muangthong United in the 2025-26 season, scoring 4 goals and providing 6 assists. The Thai national team's warm-up matches are scheduled for June 5, 2025 against Kuwait (ranked 134th) at Pathum Thani Stadium, and June 9, 2025 against China at Huanglong Sports Center.

Chaithat Pharasunthorn, a senator and chair of the Senate sports subcommittee, presided over a meeting to assess progress on selecting a new Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) director. The meeting included presentations from SAT executives including Deputy Director Meechai Inwoods, Director of Elite Sports Development Yutthaya Chinhit, Human Resources Director Darin Vikrantonon, and Finance Director Prawit Metta.

Phatasunthorn stated that a recruitment committee nomination is currently under review by the SAT board. Although the process has been delayed by approximately two months due to political circumstances, the subcommittee hopes to complete the selection by September 2569 (2026). If the appointment cannot be finalized by October 1, 2569, an interim director will be appointed to ensure continuity.

Jamlang Anantsuk, vice chair of the Senate sports subcommittee, described the current SAT as an organization in critical condition requiring major surgical intervention. He emphasized that the recruitment committee must establish clear qualifications and include experts from various fields. The new director must excel in sports management.

Anantsuk used a medical metaphor to describe SAT's problems: "The first symptom is arterial blockage," referring to complicated budget disbursement conditions that prevent funding from reaching athletes and staff directly, causing sports associations and athletes to advance their own funds or face budget overages lasting years. This weakens the athlete base.

Other issues include myopia in focus—emphasizing short-term events over long-term athlete development, youth programs, referee and coach training standardization, and new talent recruitment systems. This has caused Thailand to lose a generation in several sports.

Another critical problem is compromised immunity from political interference and power struggles affecting sports management decisions. Leadership changes bring policy shifts unrelated to competence or merit, disrupting long-term development as new administrators implement different strategies.

The subcommittee recommended establishing rigorous, transparent, and internationally-aligned candidate qualifications to reduce political interference, while emphasizing that organizational leaders need vision, strong management and budgeting capabilities alongside sports expertise.