On May 13, 2025, Julphand Amrivivat discussed the challenges facing Thai migrant workers abroad, particularly those in South Korea under the E-8 visa program. The issue centers on workers fleeing the system—known as "ghost workers"—causing some provinces to exceed the rates specified in the Thailand-South Korea Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This has resulted in entire provinces being blacklisted. The MOU clearly stipulates that if worker absconding from any province exceeds 20%, recruitment from that province will be suspended. Amrivivat acknowledged that the initial batch of workers sent exceeded expected ratios, causing subsequent problems. He emphasized that this matter requires discussion with South Korea, as the wrongdoing of a minority should not penalize the over 80% of workers who intended to work legally.

"We don't want to implement measures that become a burden on Thai workers, because ultimately every measure becomes a cost or additional expense for workers themselves," Amrivivat stated.

Amrivivat noted that Thailand must accept the fact that the MOU is a mutual agreement signed and accepted by both parties, not a unilateral South Korean proposal, resulting from bilateral negotiations between the two countries.

Amrivivat indicated that direct discussions with the South Korean embassy have not yet occurred, but Thailand is preparing to negotiate for flexibility rather than seeking a complete MOU revision, as Thailand has limited bargaining power and must acknowledge that part of the problem stems from Thai workers themselves absconding.

When asked about imposing stricter penalties on absconding Thai workers, Amrivivat said it's possible but every measure would ultimately burden workers. For example, requiring security deposits before departure could reduce absconding but would force many workers to take additional loans. The government therefore prefers not to pursue such approaches.

"Fines are pointless because once they flee, who do we fine? Thailand has already suffered losses, and it's not easy to export workers in replacement numbers," Amrivivat said.

Regarding the approximately 100,000-130,000 undocumented Thai workers in South Korea, Amrivivat emphasized that the government doesn't want all workers to return home but rather wants to bring them into the legal system.

The core problem is South Korea's complex labor system: workers whose contracts expire must return home first before reapplying, with no guarantee of returning to the same employer. This causes many workers to remain illegally because they are satisfied with their current jobs and employers.

"Workers fear that if they return, they won't get back to their original positions. This is an issue we've grappled with for years," Amrivivat said.

When asked about compelling workers to return as leverage against South Korea, Amrivivat said it's difficult because the Thai government cannot force Thai workers to return home. The labor market is competitive; if Thailand doesn't send workers, other countries are ready to fill the gap.

"In the labor market, if we don't send workers, others will step in. Like in the Middle East, if we don't go, other countries immediately take our place," Amrivivat concluded.

On May 13, 2025, a 24-year-old woman from Si Chomphu District, Khon Kaen Province, came forward with evidence of conversations and financial transactions totaling over 3 million baht with a lawyer she hired to assist her family members who were imprisoned in Chaiyaphum Province. The lawyer had charged fees for bail applications and appellate proceedings, but ultimately failed to deliver any results and became unavailable.

The woman stated she filed a complaint with Si Chomphu Police Station accusing the lawyer of computer fraud and deception. Investigators plan to conduct interrogations next week based on comprehensive evidence including LINE message exchanges, bank transfer documents totaling over 3 million baht, bail petition forms, and official court documents bearing the signature and seal of the Supreme Court president.

Particularly notable are documents claiming to represent official orders to release her family members, complete with case numbers and defendant names, addressed to the King of Thailand, the Supreme Court president, and relevant agencies.

According to the complainant, her older siblings were imprisoned in Chaiyaphum while their case was in appellate proceedings. In late 2024, she was introduced to a lawyer who claimed expertise in Supreme Court matters and connections with senior judges and officials overseeing bail considerations. The lawyer initially charged 250,000 baht for appellate proceedings.

After a few days, the lawyer called claiming he could expedite the case due to his connections with the Supreme Court president and high-ranking officials, but required 2 million baht in additional fees, which must be kept confidential. He continuously sent legal documents, court papers, and encouraging messages. Since her family members in prison were anxious for release, the woman began transferring 2 million baht to the lawyer in January 2025 across 16 separate transactions.

Throughout January, she continued making payments totaling 2 million baht as her family scraped together funds and borrowed money, hoping to secure bail and legal freedom. In early February, the lawyer claimed he could dismiss the case and issue a white warrant if he received an additional 1 million baht. At this point, the woman grew suspicious, noting no court documents were being processed and no court orders were issued.

The lawyer then sent documents purportedly from the Supreme Court with international law references and official court seals, indicating release would occur in February and notably addressed to "the King of Thailand," which further convinced her. She transferred an additional 500,000 baht. By mid-February, all communication ceased.

At 11:00 AM on May 13, 2025, at Don Mueang Air Force Base 2, Wing 6 in Bangkok, Prime Minister Anuchin Charnvirakul, along with the Interior Minister and a delegation including the Natural Resources and Environment Minister, Transport Deputy Minister, and Interior Deputy Ministers, will visit Koh Phangan in Surat Thani to address problems related to foreign nationals conducting business through nominees.

The Prime Minister will first travel to Koh Phangan School to receive a situation report from the Koh Phangan District Officer and listen to proposals from the Surat Thani Governor and local residents regarding challenges requiring government support. He will then meet with the community and announce government policies for the area.

Later in the evening, the Prime Minister will travel to Freedom Beach in Patong Subdistrict, Kathu District, Phuket to inspect enforcement efforts against encroachment on public beaches. The Phuket Governor, Forest Preserve Director, and provincial officials will brief him on the situation and case progress before he meets with residents and announces policies. Following both provincial visits, the Prime Minister will return to Bangkok the same evening.

BANGKOK — 13 May 2026, Thailand's Civil Aviation Authority (CAAT) has issued new regulations tightening controls on drone operations, including mandatory training, aircraft registration and online flight permission requests, as the government seeks to improve aviation safety standards and support expanding commercial drone use.

Deputy government spokeswoman Lalida Pherdvivatana said the new rules will take effect on 17 May and apply to drones weighing no more than 25 kilogrammes.

Under the new regulations, drone operations that differ from conditions set out in the 2015 Transport Ministry announcement will now fall under a "Specific Category", covering medium-risk operations that require risk assessments and prior approval from CAAT before flights can take place.

The category includes commercial drone activities such as filming, aerial surveys, flights in restricted areas and other operations outside standard conditions.

Drone operators will now be required to complete CAAT-approved training courses covering aviation law, air traffic regulations, flight safety and risk management. Operators must also obtain authorisation corresponding to the type of aircraft they intend to use.

The regulations additionally introduce mandatory electronic aircraft registration. All drones must display visible registration numbers in the standard format XX-NN-NN-NNNN, with letters and numbers printed in contrasting colours and measuring more than 0.3 centimetres in height to improve monitoring and enforcement.

Applicants seeking flight approval must submit flight plans online for each operation, including the purpose of the flight, date, time, flight area or coordinates, names of operators and insurance documents. CAAT may also require additional safety measures such as flight manuals, risk management plans or demonstration flights before approval is granted.

The new 2026 regulations replace several provisions under the 2015 rules. Previously, operator training was not mandatory, drones were not required to carry registration numbers and flight approval was not needed for every operation.

Under the updated system, licences will remain valid for five years instead of two, with renewals required at least 30 days before expiry. Paper-based submissions will also be replaced entirely by online procedures.

Third-party insurance requirements remain unchanged, with operators still required to maintain minimum coverage of one million baht per incident.

Authorities said operators already licensed under the 2015 rules may continue operating until their permits expire. However, any flights classified under the new Specific Category rules will require compliance with the updated regulations.

The government supports the use of drones in the digital economy, agriculture, creative industries and modern business sectors, but stressed that operations must comply with safety standards and social responsibility requirements.

Bangkok Governor Chatchatchai Sittipanthung has reaffirmed the city's commitment to settling its debt obligations, stating that "if there is debt, it must be paid." He confirmed that while Bangkok has sufficient budget to cover the 1.3 billion baht owed to the State Railway of Thailand for unpaid Chatuchak Market rental fees, the city is currently pursuing an appeal to clarify the exact figures and request an exemption on interest charges accrued during the COVID-19 crisis period.

The debt consists of 605.7 million baht in principal rental costs spanning 3 years, 6 months, and 27 days, along with accumulated interest and monthly loss-of-use charges totaling 564.7 million baht through October 2025. Bangkok plans to return management of the Chatuchak Market to the State Railway, acknowledging the city lacks market management expertise. The administration aims for the railway or government to develop the area into a "Soft Power Gateway" to boost future tourism benefits.

Early this year, Bangkok's management team conducted field inspections to accelerate debt collection from vendors and improve financial efficiency within the market, preparing the groundwork for legal resolution and determining whether to return management or establish new contractual arrangements with the State Railway.

Twenty victims of contractor 'Chang Neung Wan Jeep' filed complaints at the Central Investigation Bureau on May 13, 2026, after the contractor breached their construction contracts and caused losses totaling millions of baht. One victim, Mr. Moltian, explained that he contacted the contractor online to discuss and sign a contract for a single-story townhouse-style home with a 10-month construction timeline. However, after work began, the contractor only completed partial tasks like structural framing and roof installation, failing to finish according to the agreed plan. When victims tried to follow up, they were given excuses and repeatedly asked for additional payments before disappearing entirely.

Another victim, Ms. Naya, revealed that the contractor used a system of incremental payments disguised as material costs, labor fees, or equipment charges, claiming urgent necessity to convince victims to transfer additional funds continuously. Some victims lost between hundreds of thousands to millions of baht, while their homes showed minimal progress. Ms. Naya disclosed that she sold her land to build a home for her disabled father, transferring approximately 950,000 baht to the contractor only to receive an unfinished structure. She now lives in a garage with her father.

"I lost over 950,000 baht on construction but received only concrete footing and steel frames already rusting," Ms. Naya stated. "The abandoned structure flooded and caused additional damage to the family's original property."

Ms. Nalin mentioned that when they previously reported the case at Non Sung Police Station in Nakhon Ratchasima, the investigating officer classified it as a civil matter rather than a criminal case. They are now requesting the Anti-Corruption Bureau to handle it as a criminal offense. Notably, the contractor previously offered to complete one victim's house in Nakhon Ratchasima, but the victim refused due to lost trust.

Tragically, one victim named Uncle Lek, 59, took his own life after being deceived by the contractor. He left a final letter stating "I was foolish to be tricked," specifically naming the contractor.

Ms. Nalin also warned that the contractor continues operating the construction business through his Facebook page, potentially creating more victims. She urged relevant authorities to accelerate investigation to prevent further widespread damage.