May 12 — Deputy Superintendent Thawat Kaew Pattana of Na Khao Sub-police Station received a report of a couple stabbing each other with severe injuries at a house in Na Khao Subdistrict, Mueang District, Udon Thani Province. He rushed to the scene with rescue personnel from Na Khao Subdistrict Municipality and Udon Thani Central Hospital.

At the scene, 39-year-old Tawee Sak was found with a stab wound to the right upper chest near the nipple. First aid was provided before he was rushed to the hospital.

The suspect, 28-year-old Rajana, the injured man's girlfriend, hid inside the house after the incident. Police took her into custody along with a pointed kitchen knife approximately one foot long, still stained with blood.

Rajana revealed that she had been dating Tawee Sak for over a year. The argument started the previous night when she took condoms her boyfriend had purchased from his wardrobe and hid them under a pillow. Her boyfriend became upset, suspecting she intended to use them with another man. They argued all night without sleeping.

Before the incident, Rajana asked her boyfriend for money to buy methamphetamine as she had none. He instead bought her white liquor for 20 baht and left for a merit-making ceremony. When he refused to unlock the house door because he was still angry about the condom incident, Rajana screamed at him in rage, grabbed a knife, and stabbed him once in the chest, causing him to collapse. She claimed she didn't intend to stab deeply because she still loved him deeply.

Police have charged Rajana with illegal possession of Category 1 drugs (methamphetamine) and assault causing harm to another person, both physical and psychological. The case will proceed according to law.

On May 12, 2025, civil society representatives in Ubon Ratchathani held a public forum at Ubon Ratchathani University to question the progress of the Phu Ngoy Dam construction on the Mekong River in Laos. The group expressed concerns that water held back by the dam would reverse flow downstream and cause flooding in Ubon Ratchathani during the flood season, prompting them to formally submit a letter of opposition to provincial authorities.

Chomla Techaseyan, Deputy Secretary-General of the NWRO, explained that the Phu Ngoy hydroelectric dam is a Laotian project seeking to enter consultations under the four-nation Mekong River cooperation framework. Under the agreement, any country developing a Mekong River project must submit impact assessments for member consideration. He stated the project has not yet entered the multi-country review process and remains in the preliminary data submission stage.

Sudsai Srangsoek, a leading civil society activist from the Ubon Flood Watch Network, raised concerns about significant discrepancies in impact assessments. While the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) suggests water levels would rise four meters, the NWRO claims only a four-centimeter increase. She argued that the dam would block fish migration and prevent water from the Mun River from flowing into the Mekong, causing recurring floods. The EIA report also warns of impacts on Khong Kaen Lake fish stocks and potential contamination from sediment and toxins flowing from northern Thailand.

The Phu Ngoy Dam is a run-of-river hydroelectric project on the Mekong River in Laos with a full storage level of 98 meters above mean sea level, creating a water retention area stretching approximately 80 kilometers from kilometer 851 to 931 of the Mekong River. The EIA clearly states that dam operations would cause flooding along the Mekong, tributary streams, and sections of the Mun River in Thailand near Kaeng Tana, constituting a significant transboundary impact.

The ubiquitous 'V-sign' or 'victory pose' has been a global photography staple for decades, but security experts are raising alarm bells in an age of high-resolution cameras and artificial intelligence. When you make a peace sign in a selfie, your fingertips can reveal enough detail for biometric analysis—particularly fingerprints—which are crucial for modern security authentication systems.

Chinese security expert Li Chang demonstrated on a reality TV show how clearly fingerprint details can be captured in properly angled photos. His analysis found that photos taken within 1.5 meters with fingers pointed directly at the camera have a high likelihood of capturing complete fingerprint data, while photos taken from up to 3 meters away can still recover partial information.

AI technology makes this threat more serious by being able to enhance low-resolution images and sharpen previously invisible details like fingerprints. Li Chang demonstrated how image processing software combined with AI can transform blurry photos into ones with startlingly clear fingerprint details.

Jing Jiuwa, a cryptography professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, confirmed that technically, high-resolution photos combined with the V-sign pose can enable hand and fingerprint analysis in certain cases.

However, other security experts clarified that stealing fingerprints from photos to breach biometric security systems 'is not yet easy' since it requires multiple factors to align—proper lighting, camera angle, image clarity, and often multiple photos to obtain accurate data.

While not an imminent threat, experts recommend users exercise caution, especially selfie enthusiasts. If possible, avoid directly exposing your fingertips, or edit photos by blurring your fingertips before posting on social media to reduce long-term personal data and security risks.

The Cabinet has approved 1,667.68 billion baht from the central reserve fund designated for emergency or necessary expenses to provide state welfare benefits to 13.33 million eligible citizens. Deputy Government Spokesman Ploy Thalee Luksameesangjunthon announced that the Cabinet passed a resolution to allocate 1,667.68 billion baht from the 2569 fiscal year central budget reserve for emergency or necessary expenses (central budget reserve) as expenditure for providing state welfare benefits to those eligible under the state welfare registration program from 2565, continuing into fiscal year 2569 as recommended by the People's State Welfare Committee for Grassroots Economy and Society. The Prime Minister has approved allowing the Office of the Permanent Secretary of Finance, overseeing the People's State Welfare Fund for Grassroots Economy and Society, to disburse 1,667,680,000 baht from the 2569 fiscal year budget to provide welfare benefits to those who qualify under the 2565 state welfare registration program. The fund will allocate welfare benefits to 13.33 million eligible individuals from October 2568 onward.

C, Nunew, Net, JJ, and boy group DEXX delighted fans at the 26th Thai Festival Tokyo, with supporters crowding the stage edges, singing along to every song in a warm and enthusiastic atmosphere.

Domundi label artists including C Pruksa, Nunew Chawarin, Net Siraphop, JJ Ratchapol, and boy group DEXX members Titi Wanpichit, Po Supakarn, James Suphimongkol, Oo Thanapumi, Tutor Korapat, and Yim Prinyaakorn participated in the 26th Thai Festival Tokyo with honor from the Royal Thai Embassy in Tokyo. This was Thailand's largest overseas festival held at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo on May 9-10, 2025.

Both Thai fans in Japan and Japanese fans enjoyed intimate performances from all nine artists. DEXX opened with high-energy performances of 'Clang Clang,' followed by emotional songs 'Beside You' and 'Next Status.' Net and JJ surprised fans by appearing as characters from the trending series 'Pal Your Love Upon A Time Series,' performing the OST tracks 'Pal Your' and 'Still You' with beautiful vocal harmonies.

C and Nunew delivered the most spirited response, with Nunew performing 'First Date at Shibuya,' her Japanese debut song, followed by her sixth single 'New Season.' C then performed 'Breaking Heart Station' before the duo took the stage together with 'True Love,' closing with 'Heartquake' that captivated the audience.

All nine artists expressed their gratitude, stating it was a great honor to perform and meet Japanese and Thai fans in Japan. They described the warm atmosphere and promised to return if given the opportunity.

The Royal Gazette website has published eight alcohol control announcements establishing locations and areas where the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited, effective immediately. These eight announcements update and refine the original 2008 regulations to better align with contemporary needs. The details are as follows:

1. Prohibition on selling alcoholic beverages on roads, on vehicles, or in vehicles on roadways 2. Prohibition on selling alcoholic beverages at railway stations and trains, with exceptions for special events held inside Bangkok's main station air-conditioned hall 3. Prohibition on selling or consuming alcohol in areas of public ports and regular passenger ferries 4. Prohibition on selling or consuming alcohol in all passenger transport stations nationwide 5. Prohibition on selling or consuming alcoholic beverages in factory industrial areas, except for distilleries that may conduct normal business operations or allow tasting during production processes 6. Prohibition on selling or consuming alcoholic beverages in areas controlled and used by government, state enterprises, or other government agencies, except for areas designated as private quarters, clubs, or traditional ceremonial gatherings 7. Prohibition on selling or consuming alcoholic beverages in public parks operated by state enterprises or other government agencies 8. Prohibition on selling or consuming alcoholic beverages in state enterprises or other government agencies