The National Intelligence Agency chief has acknowledged that Ming Cheng Sun, a 30-year-old Chinese suspect, has connections to a scammer gang at a leadership command level. The case originated when Sun was involved in a car accident in Sattahip District, Chonburi Province. Police discovered firearms in the vehicle and subsequently uncovered a hidden weapons cache at his residence, leading to the arrest of five suspected accomplices. Officers seized M4 assault rifles and large quantities of explosives. Sun was taken into custody by Chonburi police and remanded to Pattaya Provincial Court on serious charges. During custody, he displayed signs of severe stress and depression, refusing to eat and consuming only water, while requesting to smoke 2-3 cigarettes at a time. He was hospitalized after experiencing convulsions. On May 12, 2025, at Government House, National Intelligence Agency Director Thanat Suwannanont addressed reports that Sun had connections to a scammer gang at the command level, stating that while he could not elaborate extensively, such connections did appear to exist. When pressed about whether these connections extended to international scammer networks in neighboring countries, Suwannanont acknowledged there were indeed links, though they did not reach that extensive level.

At 9:30 a.m. on May 12, 2025, at Parliament, Pattarapong Suphakson, known as Lawyer Uan from Buriram, submitted a letter to Priyadh Wachrasindhu, a Pheu Thai party list MP and coordinator of the opposition coalition, to aid in drafting a petition to the Parliament Speaker requesting that the court establish a committee to investigate the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) regarding its dismissal of the complaint against Saksiyam Chidchob, former Transport Minister alleged to be concealing assets.

Pattarapong stated that the NACC's decision in Saksiyam's case contradicts the facts. Key evidence includes testimony from a former prime minister and statements about "Mr. S," whom the Constitutional Court determined was a nominee, as well as financial transaction trails used for transfers. This evidence will facilitate the opposition coalition's petition to the Parliament Speaker.

Regarding public signatures, whether the target of 20,000 names is reached or not, the opposition will submit the collected signatures with their petition this May. Priyadh stated that the new evidence provided by the public would be beneficial for the petition to the Parliament Speaker, which requests the court establish an independent investigation committee to examine NACC officials under the Constitutional court mechanism, Article 236.

Whether or not public signatures reach the target, the opposition parties will proceed regardless. Current party backing includes 119 votes from Pheu Thai, over 20 from Democratic Party, 1 from Thai Loyalty Party, 1 from Free Thai Party, and approximately 10 senators.

The petition draft is expected to be completed by the end of May, while awaiting information from the NACC including relevant documents, Saksiyam's clarifications, and the NACC's position prior to the dismissal vote from last week.

Priyadh outlined three main categories for the petition to the Parliament Speaker:

Category 1: Raising questions about all facts revealed in the Constitutional Court proceedings, including stock transfers and financial trails—why the NACC failed to consider these facts, or if it did, why it did not conclude that Saksiyam intentionally filed false asset declarations or concealed assets as the Constitutional Court ruled when it removed him from office.

Category 2: Raising questions about whether the NACC thoroughly reviewed all accusations from Pakornwut Udompipatthanasukul, a Pheu Thai list MP and former deputy party leader, and other MPs who filed complaints—whether any were overlooked.

Category 3: Raising questions about whether the NACC's process from receiving the complaint to investigation followed its rules and procedures, noting that Pakornwut, as the complainant, never received any communication from the NACC and learned of the dismissal only through public announcement, which is inappropriate.

Priyadh added that in recent days he has posed a new observation as a question for the NACC and the public to consider: Did the NACC actually investigate all relevant parties before dismissing Saksiyam's case? He suspects the NACC may not have.

The student organization at Rajabhat Lampang University mourned the death of Nawit Khueanjaijai, known as Ter, a 21-year-old fourth-year industrial electrical engineering student and former vice president of the student organization during the 2568 academic year, following a lightning strike in a cassava field. The incident occurred around 6:30 PM on May 11 in Mae Kwa Subdistrict, Sop Prap District, Lampang Province. Rescue and emergency personnel responded to a lightning strike at a cassava buying station amid heavy rain and muddy conditions, discovering two critically injured individuals: Nawit and 55-year-old Chantaree, his aunt. Both received emergency treatment before being transported to Sop Prab Hospital, but both succumbed to their injuries.

Preliminary investigation revealed that before the incident, the two victims and another woman were preparing a cassava planting area when a thunderstorm suddenly arose. They ran to seek shelter in a small shed in the field when a severe lightning bolt struck, critically injuring both Nawit and Chantaree, who later died from their injuries. The third woman miraculously survived. Police are conducting a detailed investigation and working with a medical examiner before proceeding with legal procedures.

Young actor S Supap Sangsuwan has become the subject of considerable discussion following an overwhelming encounter with a large group of fans at the airport while traveling abroad. Concerned onlookers who saw videos of the chaotic scene prompted the actor to later appear live to reassure fans of his wellbeing. Most recently, S Supap participated in an exclusive "Matcha Sensory Experience" workshop at the OREO MATCHA HOUSE in Central Park shopping mall, where he reflected on the airport incident.

After the event concluded, S Supap expressed that the situation was more intense than he anticipated. He thanked his security team and management for their comprehensive protection, but stressed he was more worried about other passengers affected by the commotion than about himself. He called on fans to meet him in appropriate and safe locations instead.

When asked about the chaotic airport scene and being surrounded by fans, S Supap recalled: "At first I found it quite funny, the images made it look like I was being arrested at the airport. But I have to thank my security team and Khun Go for protecting me. I listened to Phuwinton's interview—nobody wanted this to happen. I realized concerned fans were worried, so I went live that night to say I was fine because the team took full care of me."

He noted that while some people might criticize the incident, those responsible wouldn't listen anyway. However, he wanted broader awareness because the situation was genuinely dangerous. Other airport passengers were pushed aside, and there was an escalator nearby—if security hadn't held firm, someone could have been seriously injured.

Regarding preparation for departure, S Supap admitted he had never expected such intensity before and hadn't been fully prepared. After seeing a previous incident with another actor, he wore running shoes as a precaution. The situation escalated once they passed the barricade point.

When security moved in, his primary concern was other travelers using the airport. He noticed some people with luggage being jostled and felt somewhat guilty about the situation. He emphasized he sustained no injuries and wanted to reassure fans. The real victims, he said, were those taking the photos and videos themselves—some hit poles or dropped phones—and the overall incident didn't create a flattering image for anyone involved.

S Supap advocated for meeting fans in official settings and formal venues where both parties could feel safe and comfortable, rather than in spontaneous airport encounters.

Muslim senator and former human rights commissioner Angkhana Neelaphaijit has raised concerns over what she described as "mob rule" after more than 1,000 Muslims reportedly gathered in Bangkok's Ramkhamhaeng 53 area to pressure an LGBT Muslim individual accused of insulting Islam.

The incident, which sparked widespread debate on social media, reportedly involved the individual being pressured to apologize, shave their head and slap themselves as an act of repentance. Critics questioned whether the actions were voluntary or carried out under coercion.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Angkhana called on the Culture Ministry, the Office of the Chularatchamontri and the National Human Rights Commission to clarify their positions regarding groups identifying themselves as "defenders of religion" taking action against people accused of insulting religious beliefs.

She said the incident challenged Islam's principles of peaceful coexistence, justice and compassion, adding that repeated claims during livestreams that the punishment was "voluntary" had raised doubts among viewers.

"If such incidents are allowed to pass without preventive measures, it could create a new norm in which mob rule overrides the law and even the true principles of religion," she wrote.

Angkhana also warned that religious tensions could escalate into hate crimes or Islamophobia, describing religious conflict as one of the most sensitive and fragile issues in society.

BANGKOK — May 12, 2026 — Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun announced that Thailand is fast-tracking negotiations on the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) with the United States to minimize tariff exposure ahead of a Section 301 review.

Following her recent trip to the United States, Ms. Suphajee said technical discussions were held on May 4 with Jamieson Greer and Rick Switzer to advance the stalled ART negotiations. Thai officials remain in the United States for expert-level talks focusing on asset capacity and forced labor concerns.

Ms. Suphajee said her discussions aimed to clarify Thailand's position following the country's formal submission on April 15. She emphasized that all key issues have been thoroughly explained with no major stumbling blocks identified. Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to maximizing mutual trade benefits.

Thailand hopes to finalize the ART agreement before any Section 301 investigation—which examines unfair trade practices—moves forward. The discussions also touched on Thailand's trade surplus with the United States, which grew significantly last year. Ms. Suphajee clarified that at least 30 percent of the additional surplus stems from products manufactured by US-invested companies operating in Thailand, while over 20 percent comes from Thai companies.

Regarding concerns about transshipment and potential misuse of trade privileges, Ms. Suphajee stated that Thailand has prepared comprehensive documentation and data to address all relevant matters.