The Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Thai Industries have sounded an alarm over a critical labor shortage stemming from systemic issues affecting all business sectors, particularly in the Eastern region. On April 28, 2026, Porn Aramwattananond, chairman of the two organizations, disclosed that business members nationwide are reporting severe labor shortages impacting legal foreign workers from Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia—critical workforce components for manufacturing, agriculture, construction, and service industries. Eastern provinces including Chachoengsao, Rayong, Sa Kaew, Prachuap Khiri Khan, and Trat face acute foreign worker shortages directly affecting production capacity and national competitiveness.

Aramwattananond noted that many MOU-registered foreign workers' permits are expiring, with some already returning home. Without immediate intervention, sectors heavily dependent on this labor force—particularly construction, agriculture including seasonal fruit harvesting, and services—could face sudden disruptions that threaten key pillars of the Thai economy.

To address the crisis, the Chamber has submitted urgent correspondence to Labor Minister Chulphan Amornvivat requesting expedited work permit extensions for all foreign nationalities. The organizations propose collaborative government-private sector coordination to prevent workforce depletion while developing comprehensive long-term foreign labor management policies balancing security, economic, and social considerations. The Chamber warned that failure to act promptly risks undermining economic growth targets and significantly weakening Thailand's long-term competitive capabilities.

The Thailand Volleyball Association, in partnership with Thai Union Group Public Company Limited, is organizing the 2025 'C-Select' Thailand National Volleyball Championship, featuring both indoor and beach volleyball across five categories from youth to open divisions.

Association President Sompon Chaibangyang presided over the press conference held on April 28 at the Sky Room on the 18th floor of Alexander Hotel on Ramkhamhaeng Road in Bangkok. The event was attended by various officials and representatives from partner organizations.

Chaibangyang stated that the 'C-Select' volleyball championship serves as a critical foundation for developing Thailand's volleyball program. He expressed gratitude to Thai Union Group for their sustained support over many years as the world-leading canned seafood producer under the 'C-Select' brand. He emphasized that the competition is essential for nurturing volleyball talent across all age groups, particularly youth players destined for national teams, noting that nearly all Thai national volleyball players have participated in this championship.

Nathawee Wachiratheepatpan, General Manager of Emerging Markets at Thai Union Group, expressed pride in the company's long-standing partnership spanning over 30 years. She highlighted the shared vision between the association and Thai Union to promote youth health and wellness through sports, instilling athletic discipline, sportsmanship, and teamwork values.

Subin Thongnoi, Director of Tembabaal School 1 (Yiemkasetsuwarn), noted the school's gymnasium in Samut Prakan has hosted multiple volleyball championships and is fully prepared to deliver a successful and impressive competition.

Assistant Professor Nat Kaewsakul, Vice President of Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, announced the university's co-hosting role for the men's open division, having prepared all necessary competition facilities.

Government spokesman Ms. Lalida Periswitvatana announced on April 28, 2569 that the Cabinet has approved the Andaman Health Center project under Prince of Songkla University with a total budget of 6,431.74 million baht for a four-year implementation period from fiscal years 2570-2573. The project aims to strengthen healthcare services in Phuket and the Andaman provinces.

The project addresses critical goals including resolving shortages of medical and public health personnel, reducing the burden of referring complex patients to other regions, and enhancing medical services for residents and tourists in the Andaman area, which is identified as a strategic region for the country.

The project comprises five main components: the Andaman Health College, Songkla Nakharin Thai Medicine Hospital in Phuket, the Songkla Nakharin Medical Technology Service Center in Phuket, the Songkla Nakharin Digital Dentistry Center in Phuket, and Songkla Nakharin Hospital in Phuket, which will serve as a tertiary specialized hospital treating complex diseases, precision medicine, telemedicine, and training health science personnel.

The Songkla Nakharin Hospital in Phuket will include construction of hospital buildings with a budget of 4,845.14 million baht, utilizing 2,907.09 million baht in budgeted funds and 1,938.06 million baht in non-budgeted funds, along with medical equipment procurement. The hospital is expected to begin operations in 2573.

Ms. Lalida stated that this project will elevate Phuket and the Andaman provinces into a regional health center, improving public access to quality medical services nearby, reducing healthcare disparities, and building confidence among residents, investors, and tourists. She emphasized that this is not merely hospital construction but rather establishing a comprehensive Andaman regional health system with personnel, technology, research, and internationally standardized medical services.

On April 28, 2025, a 42-year-old woman filed a complaint reporting that her 8-year-old daughter was lured and sexually abused by the son of her husband's friend, a 14-year-old boy recently released from juvenile detention. The incident occurred on April 26 in Pathum Thani province when the girl's bicycle went missing while she was buying snacks at a convenience store. Around 8 p.m., the teenage boy invited the girl to help search for the bicycle, and the mother, believing he had just been released from detention and would not cause harm, allowed them to go. After some time, her other son ran home in panic to report that the teenager had pushed the girl into the woods and sexually assaulted her. The mother found her daughter hiding at a friend's house in fear.

A community leader advised the family to file a police report and arranged for the girl to undergo preliminary medical examination, which revealed bruising in the genital area. Detailed examination results from Pathum Thani Hospital are pending. The mother stated that her daughter is now suffering from depression and is determined to pursue charges to the fullest extent. She revealed this is the second incident with the same perpetrator; the first occurred when her daughter was 6 years old near her aunt's house but was prevented from escalating when someone intervened.

Police brought the girl to the scene for investigation amid considerable public attention. A confrontation erupted when the girl's uncle assaulted the girl's biological father—her uncle—out of anger and grief because the biological father sided with the perpetrator and showed reluctance to pursue the case. The community leader disclosed that the perpetrator has a history of inappropriate behavior and multiple incidents, having been released from detention just 3-4 days before committing this new offense. The perpetrator's parents also have a history of drug involvement, prompting the community leader to regularly warn residents to be cautious.

Police stated that because both the victim and perpetrator are minors, the investigation will involve a multidisciplinary team for thorough questioning. Charges will be filed once the investigation is complete and the legal procedures can proceed accordingly.

SCG Decor reported strong first quarter 2025 results with robust performance despite facing volatile global market conditions. The company achieved 247 million baht in net profit attributable to shareholders, representing a 14% increase from the same period last year, while EBITDA reached 780 million baht.

Although sales revenue declined 7% year-over-year to 5.552 billion baht—or just 4% excluding currency exchange impacts—the company's profitability continued to grow due to effective energy cost management and limited exposure to the Middle East, which accounts for less than 1% of total exports. The company maintains a disciplined approach to cost control while investing in future growth.

SCG Decor is maintaining its 2.5 billion baht capital expenditure plan for 2025, with prioritization adjustments focused on improving efficiency in northern Vietnam while delaying greenfield projects in southern Vietnam. CEO Nampol stated, "We expect investment projects in Vietnam and Indonesia to continue growing, while operations in Thailand and the Philippines face pressure from high inflation. However, our superior energy cost management compared to competitors will be the decisive factor in maintaining profits and market share."

The company maintains a strong financial position with over 9 billion baht in cash reserves and a net debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 1.1 times, reflecting disciplined financial management alongside strategic investments in production capacity and product innovation for long-term growth.

Under its Regional Optimization business approach, the company is pursuing four core strategies to enhance competitiveness in both cost and innovation:

1. PRIME Platform Enhancement: Positioning Vietnam as a manufacturing hub for both domestic and export markets by adding 6.6 million square meters of glazed porcelain production capacity (660 million baht investment) at the PRIME Pho Yen facility. The project targets completion in 2026 with a goal of reaching 33.4 million square meters total capacity, representing 40% of overall production. In Q1, tile sales reached 11.8 million square meters with glazed porcelain sales at 3.9 million square meters, up 44%.

2. Thai Production Restructuring: Consolidating four production facilities in Thailand into two locations in Saraburi through major structural reorganization, with anticipated charges of approximately 679 million baht (mostly non-cash). This will improve production efficiency and reduce unit costs while enabling investment in new production lines for large-format tiles and high-value-added (HVA) products, with completion expected in Q3 2026 and a target production capacity of 44.5 million square meters annually.

3. HVA-Smart Value Product Development: Advancing high-value-added and smart value products across all segments to serve consumers at every level, with HVA products representing 36% of revenue and Smart Value products accounting for 18%.