The Football Association of Thailand has appointed Krisdaa Chinawicharn, a former Deputy Minister of Finance and board member, as Chair of the King's Cup Host Selection Committee. The association is accepting applications to select a province capable of hosting the 52nd King's Cup, a royal trophy football competition scheduled for November 9-17, 2025, in a four-team tournament format.

Four provinces have submitted bids: - Sisaket Province: Sisaket Provincial Sports Stadium (Island Stadium) - Khon Kaen Province: Khon Kaen Provincial Administration Organization Sports Stadium - Ayutthaya Province: Ayutthaya Provincial Sports Stadium - Rayong Province: Rayong Provincial Sports Stadium

To ensure a smooth and effective selection process, the committee has been established with the following members: 1. Krisdaa Chinawicharn as Committee Chair 2. Ms. Ravida Sosotthikul as Committee Member 3. Ms. Kritsya Phoumongkhonsuriya as Committee Member

The committee will oversee studies, supervision, inspections, coordination, and follow-up regarding the host selection process. They will also coordinate with government agencies, private sectors, and related organizations. Host qualification criteria include:

- Match stadium, training facilities, and amenities meeting Thai League or AFC standards (requiring at least 2 training fields and 4 locker rooms) - Standard lighting for match and training fields - International-standard food service - Proximity to international and domestic airports - Four to five-star hotels with sufficient capacity for teams, referees, and tournament staff - Adequate tournament management personnel

These requirements will upgrade public infrastructure and facilities at provincial sports stadiums, contributing to Thailand's development of internationally-standard football venues as recognized by AFC and FIFA. The winner will be announced at the FA Thailand Awards 2025-26, following the conclusion of the 2025-26 professional football league season.

On May 11, 2025, at the Social Security Office headquarters, Labor Minister Julphand Amornvivat held a press conference following a meeting with senior officials from the Social Security Office, including Deputy Permanent Secretary Wannapong Kacharaksa as chairman of the Social Security Board, and Secretary-General Kanjana Pulkaew. The discussion was divided into three main areas: the Social Security Office, the Compensation Fund, and the Social Security Board, focusing on implementing new policies and driving collaborative work efforts.

Amornvivat acknowledged that the Social Security Office currently faces a 'crisis of confidence' stemming from internal conflicts and communication issues that have negatively impacted the organization's image. However, he affirmed that audits by relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Finance, found no problems with fund management and that the funds remain in good condition. He stressed the need for greater transparency going forward, allowing the public to scrutinize all operations without hidden agendas.

A key policy priority is expanding coverage to platform workers and gig economy workers, many of whom currently fall outside the social security system. With over 300,000 riders currently and potentially millions more within 3-5 years, the Labor Ministry is preparing amendments to social security laws. The minister acknowledged ongoing discussions about whether to include platform workers under existing provisions or create new categories, as their employment model differs significantly from traditional workers.

Amornvivat also proposed bringing more migrant workers into the social security system to reduce illegal labor issues and ensure workers receive proper protections. Additional emphasis will be placed on preventive measures including occupational health and safety, and rehabilitation programs to return injured workers to the labor market, ultimately reducing the billions spent annually on medical costs.

Regarding widespread complaints about the SSO Core web application system, Amornvivat admitted the problems persist and discussions are underway to find solutions. The ministry is also pushing 'Quick Win' measures to improve benefits without significant budget increases but with immediate quality-of-life improvements for members.

When pressed on past concerns about fund expenditure management, the minister explained that all spending processes operate within legal frameworks and are reported to the board and oversight agencies such as the Office of the Auditor General.

Pongsapun Amorwiwattana, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Thai Oil Public Company Limited (TOP), announced that the company posted net profit of 19.481 billion baht for the first quarter of 2025. Of this, 85% or 16.746 billion baht came from net gains on oil inventory valuations, with an additional 2.436 billion baht in gains from debt repurchases. "Despite strong operating profits, the company recognized 6.628 billion baht in other expenses and losses," Amorwiwattana stated. "When these are excluded, the group's underlying net operating profit stands at 6.927 billion baht, with refining business net profit of 4.136 baht per liter."

The executive cautioned that these oil stock gains are temporary and could reverse into losses if oil prices decline as geopolitical tensions ease. The company had secured crude oil supplies one to two months in advance during the period of heightened conflict, meaning Q1 accounting costs do not fully reflect the impact of price volatility.

Refining margins including oil stock gains reached 7.6 baht per liter in Q1, but are expected to gradually decline to 2.6 baht per liter in Q2, turn negative at minus 2.3 baht per liter in Q3, and flatten to near zero in Q4. The company forecasts full-year 2025 refining margins of around 2.0 baht per liter.

For Q2 outlook, the company expects continued market volatility and anticipates recognizing oil inventory losses starting from Q2 onwards, as the crude purchased during March-April's crisis period becomes reflected in production costs. However, should geopolitical tensions resolve, crude prices would fall and create downstream losses from high-cost inventory.

Regarding government fuel price reductions of 2-5 baht per liter between April 9 and May 19, the company views this as a short-term measure. Any further price reductions would require careful consideration, and negotiations over recovering previously reduced refining margins remain ongoing.

On May 11, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) opened a public hearing on proposed enhancements to takeover acquisition guidelines to improve clarity and alignment with current market conditions. The revisions are designed to give shareholders and investors more adequate information for decision-making while reducing regulatory burdens and obstacles for private enterprises.

The SEC is currently refining guidelines on mandatory takeover bids when acquiring company shares directly or controlling entities under Section 258, exemptions from general takeover obligations, bid pricing determinations, bidder obligations and conditions, and partial tender offers. The SEC has already solicited public comments on these core principles.

During the refinement process, the SEC identified areas that lacked clarity and could affect practical application. The Capital Market Supervisory Board has approved these additional improvements, and the SEC now invites further public input to ensure the guidelines are comprehensive, current, and support better investor decision-making while easing private sector compliance.

Key improvements include: (1) Requiring Form 247-3 disclosures for conditional public announcements of takeover intentions, with updates to provide companies, shareholders, and investors formal reports on binding conditions before tender offers, while exempting Form 247-3 for delisting tender offers to reduce private sector burden; (2) Clarifying conditions for partial tender offer exemptions regarding share calculations for convertible securities and shareholder vote counting; and (3) Setting 7-business-day deadlines to reduce shareholding proportions and 3-business-day reporting deadlines for Form 246-2 in takeover exemption cases.

Documentation for public comment is available on the SEC website at https://www.sec.or.th/TH/Pages/PB_Detail.aspx?SECID=1160 and the central legal system at https://law.go.th/listening.

Former Police Officer Shot Dead in Mango Orchard; Dispute Over Garden Access Suspected as Motive. At 10:30 AM on May 11, Col. Pin Inmak, Lan Saka Police Station commander, received a report of a body in a mango orchard in Moo 12, Tambon Kamloan, Lan Saka District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. He rushed to the scene with Deputy Commander Pol. Capt. Athip Nakamani, hospital medical personnel, and rescue workers from Sawang Tham Kiri. The incident occurred on a mountainous terrain requiring a six-kilometer hike, and heavy rain throughout the day made the journey extremely difficult. Upon arrival, authorities found the deceased lying beneath a mango tree. The victim was identified as former Sergeant Major Surachet, 38 years old, with three to four gunshot wounds to the torso from a 9mm weapon. An M16 rifle was found next to the body, presumed to be his. Subsequently, Deputy Regional Commander Pol. Col. Natsavut Thongtip and provincial investigation teams arrived at the scene. Initial findings indicate the deceased was a former police officer who had worked in Thailand's southern border region but had retired and established an orchard at his residence in Lan Saka. He was the grandson of the subdistrict headman of Kamloan. Following his retirement, the victim remained isolated on the mountain, rarely descending to the village. Preliminary investigation suggests the motive stems from an agricultural dispute involving conflicting access routes to the orchard. Investigators are currently tracking down persons of interest who had conflicts with the victim for further questioning.

Thailand is rallying ASEAN nations to tackle the Middle East crisis, emphasizing cooperation in energy, food security, and supply chains to strengthen regional trade and establish ASEAN as a stable region in a volatile world. Thailand's Commerce Ministry joined a special meeting with ASEAN economic ministers to address economic impacts from the Strait of Hormuz situation, agreeing on joint energy cooperation, cross-border electricity linkages, and joint oil reserves. The group also committed to leveraging emergency rice reserves and maintaining open markets while pushing for ASEAN to become a secure haven amid global instability.

Deputy Commerce Minister Kireeya Phaophichit revealed that she attended a special ASEAN Economic Ministers Council meeting on April 30, 2025, alongside representatives from all 10 ASEAN member states. The meeting issued a joint statement addressing regional economic impacts from the Strait of Hormuz crisis, emphasizing cooperation on food and energy security to counteract rising energy costs affecting agriculture, particularly fertilizer prices and production risks.

The group will leverage regional mechanisms including APTERR (ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve) and AFSIS (ASEAN Food Security Information System) to strengthen reserves and monitoring systems, while promoting sustainable agriculture for long-term resilience. ASEAN will also explore joint regional energy reserves, accelerate energy source diversification, and strengthen energy infrastructure connectivity through projects like the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) and the ASEAN Gas Pipeline Network (TAGP), aligned with frameworks including APSA (ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement) and APAEC (ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy) 2025-2029.

Thailand proposed elevating ASEAN's role to become a "region with a stable and reliable economy" globally, maintaining open trade systems, adhering to international rules, and avoiding unnecessary trade barriers. Member states will deepen intra-regional economic connectivity by expediting enforcement of pending economic agreements, reducing trade barriers, and ensuring continuous flow of essential goods. Efforts will also focus on diversifying trading partners and completing negotiations on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) this year to unlock new trade opportunities, with recommendations to be presented at the ASEAN leaders' summit in May.