On April 28, 2025, a criminal court delivered its verdict on April 24 in cases against Siradanai 'Golf' Plaiyduang and nine co-defendants accused of leading a gang assault on polling officers at Phang Nga municipal polling station. The assault occurred when officers prevented photography inside the voting booth. The defendants faced multiple charges including conspiracy, assaulting officers in the performance of duty, obstructing election commission officials, and gang activity. The court found the primary defendant guilty under the Election Commission Act and Criminal Code provisions related to conspiracy, assault with weapons, and obstruction of official duties. The court sentenced the primary defendant to one year imprisonment for gang conspiracy and nine days for disobedience, with a two-year sentence for inciting others to assault officers using weapons. Co-defendants were each sentenced to one year for gang activity and two years for armed assault on officers. Three co-defendants received sentence reductions of one-third under Criminal Code provisions.

Travel enthusiasts should not miss this! Vietjet Thailand partners with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to roll out the "Green Travel, Full Satisfaction" campaign, offering 30% discounts on airfares for Bangkok to secondary city routes. The promotion aims to encourage Thai travelers to visit during the low season and revitalize the tourism economy across the country.

On April 28, 2025, Pinyon Phibulsongkram, Vice President of Commerce and Customer Relations at Vietjet Thailand, revealed that while the tourism industry is crucial to Thailand's economy, current geopolitical conditions have impacted consumer spending power, causing tourism to slow as travelers become more budget-conscious.

Vietjet Thailand, committed to providing affordable and accessible travel for all passengers, is launching the "Green Travel, Full Satisfaction with Vietjet" campaign to promote travel to secondary cities during the low season. This supports the Tourism Authority of Thailand's initiatives to promote secondary tourism destinations while spreading income to local communities and supporting sustainable growth throughout the year.

Under this campaign, Vietjet Thailand is offering 3,000 discounted one-way or round-trip tickets on four secondary city routes: Bangkok-Nakhon Si Thammarat, Bangkok-Khon Kaen, Bangkok-Chiang Rai, and Bangkok-Hat Yai.

Passengers can enter the code "TAT30" to receive a 30% discount (excluding taxes, fees, and add-ons) when booking on th.vietjetair.com or the Vietjet Thailand app from today until May 31, 2025. Travel dates must fall between May 6 and September 30, 2025 (excluding public holidays and long weekends).

Secondary city tourism has emerged as a high-potential growth trend, driven by travelers prioritizing budget management, avoiding crowded peak-season destinations, and seeking new travel experiences, particularly nature-based and religious tourism sites. Vietjet Thailand continues to expand its route network connecting major and secondary cities while partnering with government agencies, private sector, and local communities to promote "Unseen Thailand," reinforcing the airline's role in advancing Thailand's tourism industry sustainably.

On April 28, 2026, Deputy Education Minister Akkhranon Kanngittinun joined an online opening ceremony to encourage participants in the training program "Enhancing Knowledge and Understanding of Cybersecurity Learning Activity Curriculum." He emphasized the critical importance of developing cybersecurity skills and expressed confidence that participants would apply their knowledge practically, while indicating plans for future in-person regional visits.

The Department of Learning Promotion (DLP) Director Dr. Kestitip Supbwanit presided over the training in collaboration with the National Cybersecurity Committee (NCC). The event included NCC Secretary-General Gen. Omorn Chomchoy and attracted over 16,000 educators and administrators nationwide.

Operating under the 2023 Learning Promotion Act, the DLP aims to provide citizens with "access to accurate knowledge" anytime and anywhere. As the digital world becomes integral to daily life, cybersecurity awareness has become a national priority. The collaboration between DLP and NCC represents a unified effort to build "digital immunity" among education personnel, who will serve as key disseminators of knowledge throughout communities.

The training curriculum covers both theory and practical applications, including digital technology fundamentals and cybersecurity, daily cyber threat prevention, safe AI usage, and digital fraud awareness. The Deputy Education Minister emphasized that DLP personnel must evolve from "technology users" to "knowledge practitioners" and "cybersecurity community builders" through enhanced digital skills and lifelong learning. This collaborative initiative with the NCC's experts marks an important foundation for creating a Thai society that is "digitally aware, secure, and uses technology creatively" while adapting sustainably to the digital era.

Deputy PM Supachai Puts Brakes on 1,000 Baht International Travel Fee Proposal, Emphasizes Careful Review

At 1:00 PM on April 28, 2025 at Government House, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supachai Suthammaphand, overseeing the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, commented after a cabinet meeting on Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Pantcharoenworrakul's proposal to collect a 1,000 baht fee from Thai citizens traveling abroad. Surasak must first present the proposal to her before it can be brought to cabinet discussion.

When asked whether she found the proposal appropriate, Supachai said she has not yet reviewed the details and needs to first discuss the specifics with Surasak, emphasizing the need for thorough and careful consideration.

What a great older brother! Fort Nuttawut treated his younger sister to a birthday gift and showed unwavering support. He revealed his packed schedule this year and expressed excitement about his upcoming first solo concert.

Fort recently released a new single called "Stay With Me," and his first-ever solo concert is coming this year. Fans can look forward to seeing Fort in various capacities—through his acting performances, music, solo concerts, and theater productions. On April 27th, Fort appeared at an Oxe'Cure event as the new brand representative for acne care, updating fans on his busy year ahead.

Fort shared that his 2024 schedule is packed with music releases, series, a solo concert, and theater work. The newly released "Stay With Me" is a sweet, easy-to-listen-to track, and for his first solo concert, he admitted feeling quite nervous since it's a new challenge for him. He's committed to delivering his best performance and giving fans a complete show experience.

He also revealed a touching moment about his relationship with his younger sister—he gave her gold as a birthday present. He described himself as both protective and caring, but doesn't pressure or restrict her choices. Whatever she needs, her older brother is ready to support her.

Regarding the new song release, Fort shared that he hadn't memorized the lyrics yet since he'd been focused on filming series. The music video features actress Prim, and he was delighted she participated. The song has a sweet, affectionate vibe with lyrics like "stay with me, can you stay with me until morning?" He joked that the song captures his true personality as someone who's a bit clingy, especially with his mother.

On his first solo concert, Fort expressed nervousness mixed with excitement. This is his first time headlining alone, which he sees as stepping out of his comfort zone. He's uncertain how fans will respond to seeing him as a solo artist rather than in group performances. He wants fans to enjoy a fulfilling show experience.

He acknowledged that his year is demanding with theater, series, and concerts, but he's determined to do his best and show fans different sides of himself. His packed schedule includes a romance series called "Scarlet Heart" and theater productions later in the year, so fans won't have time to miss him. Though he does grab rest when filming breaks allow, like the two-day break he recently had.

The Thai Chamber of Commerce's forecasting center points to weakening purchasing power following Songkran, with overall Labor Day spending this year reaching approximately 2.1 billion baht—a 3% decrease marking the first decline in five years. Worker incomes remain flat, overtime is shrinking, and household debt has surged to nearly 500,000 baht per household, leading authorities to urge accelerated grassroots economic stimulus measures.

Thanaworth Polvichaya, rector of the Thai Chamber of Commerce University and chair of the university's economic and business forecasting center, revealed that this year's Labor Day spending patterns clearly reflect a slowing Thai economy, particularly in consumer spending that has continued declining since Songkran. When counting only Labor Day period spending and excluding the extended holiday period, the sample group showed a clear trend toward less travel, resulting in total spending of approximately 2.1 billion baht—down 3%, representing the first negative growth in five years and the lowest expansion rate in five years.

However, the spending decline isn't dramatic, but rather signals that people are becoming more cautious with money due to concerns about economic conditions, energy prices, and international developments. A key positive factor preventing economic collapse is that the conflict situation hasn't intensified beyond forecasted parameters. If oil prices don't exceed $100-110 per barrel and conflicts resolve within three months, Thailand's economy still has room to move within projected frameworks.

Regarding U.S.-Iran tensions, despite failed negotiations in Pakistan's second round, there are no signs of escalation and diplomatic channels remain open, keeping oil price and global economic risks within original estimates. The forecast for Thailand's 2024 economic growth remains at 1.1-1.5%, down from the previously projected 2%, aligning with the government's estimate of 1.4% growth.

Currently, no signs of severe business liquidity crises, widespread closures, or mass layoffs are visible. However, the labor sector is beginning to feel impacts through stagnant wages, reduced overtime opportunities, and potentially shortened working hours to align with slowing business sales.

"We haven't seen signals of mass layoffs or widespread salary cuts, but what's beginning to emerge is reduced opportunities for overtime work, with potentially fewer working hours and overtime—reflecting economic slowdown but not yet severe crisis," the center stated.

Surveys also reveal worker anxiety about future income, particularly the possibility of earnings declining and employment concerns. While no clear signs of unemployment or layoffs are evident yet, a key survey finding is the changing spending behavior of workers. Most respondents reported spending equal to or less than their earned income, reflecting increased caution with expenditures.

High oil prices and war uncertainty carry dual implications: first, people's new income isn't increasing because business sales are down, reducing overtime and supplementary work opportunities; second, some entrepreneurs are adjusting operational costs for utilities, transportation, and certain goods, which dampens consumer confidence. However, surveys don't yet show living costs dramatically exceeding income, but rather indicate people and workers are choosing to save more.