At 5:30 p.m. on May 5, 2569, Deputy Inspector Theerawat Saradie of Chang Yai Police Station in Bang Thai District, Ayutthaya Province, received a report of a body found in a rural area near Highway 9 between Bang Pa-in and Bang Bua Thong. Officers and hospital staff rushed to the scene about 1 kilometer from the main road in an abandoned forest area that was once a liquor distillery waste dump.

The victim, identified as 65-year-old Prasayat from Bang Kha-Yaeng Subdistrict, Pathum Thani Province, was found lying face-down in a pool of blood wearing a blue shirt and joggers. He had a severe head wound across his forehead approximately 5 centimeters wide. A green and yellow Toyota taxi with Bangkok registration was parked nearby with both front doors open. Blood was found on the driver and passenger seats and door, with one sandal near the accelerator pedal and another on the ground nearby. A lighter and baseball cap were also discovered at the scene.

Initial investigation revealed the body was discovered by a local resident fishing in the desolate area. The taxi, though maintaining taxi-style markings and vacant indicators, was no longer registered as public transportation. Police suspect the driver lured the victim to this remote location before committing the violent robbery and murder.

Police transported the body for autopsy and launched a full investigation to gather evidence and identify the suspect for prosecution.

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On May 5, 2569, Sirikanya Tansukul, deputy leader of the Pheu Thai Party, criticized the Cabinet's decision to issue a 400 billion baht emergency borrowing decree, expressing concern that the borrowing amount raises questions about whether the government will need to expand the debt ceiling. While the expansion may not be necessary by the end of fiscal year 2569, it will become inevitable when fiscal year 2570 begins, meaning the government will still need to expand the public debt ceiling during the 2570 budget process.

She noted that Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ek Niti has raised similar concerns, pointing out that the government's projections assume GDP growth will help reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio even if inflation increases. However, this raises further questions about why such a massive borrowing amount is necessary.

Sirikanya stated she supports the 200 billion baht emergency relief for citizens facing urgent hardship, but the remaining 200 billion baht for long-term economic restructuring should not require an emergency decree. The government should instead develop detailed projects and submit a regular bill to Parliament for consideration, as only the first 200 billion baht meets the constitutional emergency criteria under Article 172.

Emergency decrees should be used sparingly and only when truly necessary, as they represent executive power that bypasses parliamentary oversight and scrutiny. Such extraordinary measures should only occur during genuine crises or urgent emergencies.

Regarding the government's argument to combine the borrowing with economic restructuring using the COVID model, Sirikanya cautioned that different crises require different responses. The COVID pandemic relief, distributed through cash handouts, was appropriate for economic stimulus during that specific downturn. However, the current energy crisis is fundamentally different from the pandemic crisis.

She raised additional concerns about the government's "half a million per person" cash transfer program, noting it has limitations and unclear modifications. While cash assistance appears helpful for reducing living costs, it remains restrictive and may not be the most suitable tool for addressing the current crisis. The government hasn't specified whether it will expand the program to 60 percent government subsidy.

The half-a-million program has conditions and restrictions that make it difficult to access and unsuitable for addressing the current emergency. Given that Thailand is facing an energy crisis with rising costs of living across all sectors, not just daily expenses, conditions should be broadened significantly. Direct cash payments without additional restrictions would be more appropriate, since existing conditions were designed to stimulate the economy during growth periods, not during the current economic downturn and high inflation.

The Narathiwat Provincial Court approved temporary bail for two naval officers charged in the shooting of MP Kamlasak Leewamoh from Pheu Thai Party's 5th District of Narathiwat. After Lieutenant Montri Toh-prasert and Petty Officer Detcho Rattanaphun underwent intensive questioning lasting over five hours, authorities submitted a detention request to the provincial court with a recommendation against bail, citing flight risk and potential witness tampering. The court ultimately granted temporary release on 200,000 baht bail, determining that both suspects had voluntarily appeared as summoned and showed no initial flight risk. They were ordered to report to the court as scheduled and comply strictly with all conditions.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanpraphasat revealed that the Fiscal Policy Office has modeled a royal decree authorizing the Finance Ministry to borrow up to 400 billion baht to address impacts from the energy crisis and facilitate the country's energy transition. All funds are projected to stimulate an additional 0.8% growth in Thai GDP, while inflation in 2027 is expected to remain at 1.5%. However, he emphasized that the primary objective is not economic stimulus but providing relief and alleviating burdens on citizens, SMEs, and business operators facing the current energy crisis.

The next steps include submitting the royal decree draft to the King for announcement in the Royal Gazette, then including it in the fiscal year 2569 borrowing plan for consideration by the Public Debt Management Committee before presenting to the Cabinet for review by May 12, 2569, with submission to Parliament on May 14 and Senate on May 18.

"The government must act immediately," Ekniti stated. "We've exhausted all budget options. The 2569 budget and budget transfers will yield less than 50 billion baht, while the central budget has only 20 billion baht remaining. The 2570 budget requires another five months. If we wait that long, people, farmers, and business operators will suffer severely, leading to reduced purchasing power, business closures, and unemployment. The government cannot allow this."

Ekniti confirmed that this borrowing will not require raising the public debt ceiling from its current 70% of GDP, as projections show Thailand's public debt will peak at 69% of GDP in fiscal year 2571 before gradually declining.

Ekniti expects the May 19 Cabinet meeting will approve the "Thailand Helps Thailand Plus" program, encompassing the "Half for All Plus" scheme and welfare card top-ups, funded through borrowing, central budget allocations, and budget transfers—all subject to a screening committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary of Finance.

He confirmed that citizens will definitively be able to access benefits under the Half for All Plus program on June 1 as the Prime Minister announced.

Finance Ministry Permanent Secretary Laweron Saengsonit expects government agencies to begin submitting funding requests under the royal decree next week, with Cabinet consideration possible from May 19 onwards. He confirmed that despite the 400 billion baht borrowing, the public debt ceiling will not exceed 70% of GDP during fiscal years 2570-2573.