The Professional Golfers Association of Thailand (Thailand PGA) has announced a major partnership with All Thailand Golf Tour to organize the prestigious professional golf tournament "Queen's Cup Thailand Championship 2026," elevating Thai golf to international standards. The championship will offer a total prize purse of 15 million baht and take place from July 2-5, 2026 at Riverdale Golf Club.

The tournament will be co-sanctioned with Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points available, marking another significant milestone in elevating professional Thai golf to international standards. This initiative provides Thai golfers with the opportunity to showcase their potential and advance to the international stage.

For player selection, Thailand PGA has established the "Road to Queen's Cup Thailand Championship 2026" program, which will select golfers based on their performance in two major tournaments: the SINGHA-SAT Chachoengsao Championship 2026 and the SINGHA-SAT BG Match Play Championship 2026. Additionally, an Open Qualifier will be held to provide more opportunities for qualified golfers to compete for spots in the championship.

During the championship week, there will also be Golf Clinic sessions conducted by renowned professionals, and the final two days of competition will be broadcast live, allowing golf fans to closely follow the champion.

At 7:00 PM on May 2, 2569 (2026), investigative officer Utit Asanok from Bang Bua Thong Police Station received a report of a death at a condominium on Chanthong Thiam Lane, Bang Rak Pattana Subdistrict, Bang Bua Thong District, Nonthaburi Province. Officers including Station Commander Thassagorn Konthong, Deputy Commander Chanadhip Panthong, and investigator Siroderm Sripunya, along with a forensic pathologist and volunteers, responded to the scene.

At the 8-story condominium, room 1422 on the 4th floor, investigators found the body of Ms. Panidsuada, known as Dream, 25 years old, an online vendor and model, lying face-down beside the bed. She was wearing only underwear, with two pillows placed over her head. The room showed signs of disorder. A diary was also found containing notes written by Nitirund, 33, her boyfriend and fellow online merchant, mentioning threats against him and requesting someone care for his cat and belongings.

Investigations revealed the couple had lived together for over five years. Nitirund suffers from mental illness with paranoid tendencies, constantly fearing someone would kill him. The victim suffered from depression and the couple had engaged in severe arguments, with one previous physical altercation. Nitirund's parents last contacted him on April 30 and have been unable to reach him since.

CCTV footage shows Nitirund left the condominium on April 30 at approximately 4:32 PM in a red sedan and has not been heard from since.

Nitirund's 52-year-old father stated that the victim's mother had been calling for several days without answer. Yesterday they came to the room but found it locked. They heard a cat inside and assumed the couple had gone out to eat. This morning, when the mother returned and had Nitirund open the door, they discovered she had died.

The father added that his son could not be contacted. His son and the victim argued regularly, both suffering from mental illness requiring doctor visits, though his son refused medication. According to his son's account, they frequently quarreled over the boyfriend not allowing his girlfriend to carry her phone while eating out. There was one previous physical altercation, though not severe. They had been together for five years.

Nitirund's 59-year-old mother said they had been dating for five years but only recently moved in together about a year ago. They previously fought about his infidelity, which the girlfriend resented and brought up repeatedly. The boyfriend believed the girlfriend would harm him, poison him, and insisted she eat first before he would eat. He constantly feared someone would poison him, refusing to eat at nearby restaurants and only at distant ones. He had visited psychiatrists frequently but never physically harmed her. She appeals to her son that if he is innocent, he should come forward and prove it, but if he is responsible, he must face the consequences.

The station commander stated the boyfriend disappeared on April 30 at 4:30 PM, approximately when the victim likely died. The couple entered the condominium on April 29 in the afternoon, and on April 30 the boyfriend left alone. The parents were unable to be reached for further comment.

Two wild elephants from Thab Lan National Park attacked and killed a volunteer park ranger during a surveillance mission in the area. Officials believe a barking dog alerted the sleeping elephants, causing them to chase down and fatally attack the ranger before he could escape.

At 9:40 PM on May 2, 2025, Yosawat Thiersawat, director of the Protected Areas Management Office 1 (Prachuap Khiri Khan), received a report from Prawatsart Chanthep, head of Thab Lan National Park, that at approximately 6:00 PM, a rapid response team monitoring and managing wild elephants in the Thung Phi area reported a tragic incident. A volunteer park ranger and elephant management officer was killed by elephants while performing his duties.

Following the report, Somjai Buddhaseana, district officer of Nadi, along with Officer Alongkorn Phukhama from Nadi Police Station and rescue personnel from the Satchala Buddhism Rescue Foundation (Kabinburi District), rushed to inspect the scene at coordinates 47P 816884E 1562201N in the Khlong Din Daeng area, Thung Phi Subdistrict, Nadi District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province.

At the scene, located in a bamboo forest along the edge of a national forest reserve adjacent to a rubber plantation, officials found the body of Tirichai Gamsun, 53 years old, a volunteer national park ranger (VNPK), lying supine with severely deformed arms and legs from blunt force trauma. Numerous elephant footprints surrounded the area, and nearby officials found a shoulder bag, radio, hat, and two water bottles belonging to the victim.

When questioned, Sompon Basala, 43, the victim's wife, tearfully recounted that her husband had left to tap rubber in the morning and had not returned by 3:00 PM. Concerned and noting he hadn't eaten breakfast, she went to search the rubber plantation and discovered around 4:00 PM that her husband had been killed by elephants. She immediately notified neighbors and authorities.

The Thung Phi elephant patrol unit analyzed evidence from the scene, finding sleeping areas of two wild elephants. They determined that before the incident, the victim had been surveying elephant tracks as part of his duties, accompanied by a dog. When they reached the spot where the elephants were resting, the dog barked aggressively at the elephants, startling and enraging them. The wild elephants charged and viciously attacked Tirichai, ultimately killing him.

The head of Thab Lan National Park expressed condolences to the victim's family and announced the park would expedite assistance and compensation according to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation regulations. Officials have instructed rescue personnel to transport the body to Nadi Hospital for autopsy before returning it to the family for religious rites.

Two Yakuza Members Arrested in Sukhumvit Soi 33 for Drug Dealing Immigration Chief Orders Stricter Visa Controls and Immediate Deportation

On May 2, 2025, the Investigation Division of the Immigration Bureau, under the command of Lieutenant General Phanumass Bunyalak, Immigration Bureau Commissioner, and Colonel Phanpol Vorthanachakul, Director of the Investigation Division, ordered Lieutenant Thawatchai Narinthart, Deputy Director of the Investigation Division, and his team to arrest two Japanese nationals: Mr. Yuya, 47 years old, and Mr. Naoto, 51 years old. They were charged with jointly possessing Category 1 controlled drugs (crystal methamphetamine) without authorization. The arrests were made in Sukhumvit Soi 33, Khlong Tan Nua Subdistrict, Watthana District, Bangkok, yesterday evening.

The operation followed intelligence reports that two tattooed Japanese men resembling yakuza gang members were conducting illegal drug sales to foreign clients in central Bangkok's business district, particularly in Sukhumvit Soi 33. Officers conducted surveillance until spotting the suspects arriving on a Honda ADV350 motorcycle and sidecar. Upon vehicle inspection, officers discovered 16.04 grams of crystal methamphetamine in plastic bags hidden in the front left storage compartment. Chemical testing confirmed the substance as methamphetamine.

Although both suspects denied ownership of the drugs during initial detention, authorities had conducted long-term surveillance with sufficient evidence to proceed. The suspects were transferred to Thonglor Police Station for legal proceedings.

The Immigration Commissioner revealed that foreign nationals with problematic behavior are increasingly concealing themselves in Bangkok and tourist destinations' condominiums and apartments while posing as tourists but engaging in illegal activities. The Immigration Bureau has consequently strengthened visa extension screening procedures. Those with criminal histories or socially harmful behavior will be denied continued residence and face immediate deportation. The public can report suspicious activity to the Immigration Bureau hotline 1178, available 24 hours.

Naoya Inoue has retained his undisputed super bantamweight title following a unanimous decision victory over Juntos Nakatani in a world championship fight held on May 2 at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. Inoue, who holds championship belts from the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), World Boxing Organization (WBO), and International Boxing Federation (IBF), faced off against former flyweight and bantamweight world champion Nakatani. The early rounds of the bout lacked excitement, with judges favoring Inoue's performance. However, Nakatani intensified his attack starting from rounds 8-10, putting pressure on Inoue and forcing him to work harder defensively. In the final two rounds, Inoue regained control, executing effective counters while Nakatani struggled to land meaningful strikes. After 12 rounds, Inoue secured victory by unanimous decision with scorecards reading 116-112, 115-113, and 116-112. With this win, Inoue successfully defended all four of his world titles and extended his undefeated record to 33 consecutive victories, including 27 knockouts. Nakatani, a former world champion, suffered his first professional loss, dropping his record to 33 fights with 32 wins (24 by knockout) and 1 defeat.