Toyota held its third open house event to build customer confidence, showcasing its world-class manufacturing process at the Ban Pho plant under the 'Toyota Trusted Services Open House III' program. The initiative has reached its third edition, allowing media personnel to experience the operations of various departments and reinforce assurance that every Toyota vehicle is manufactured under strict standards for maximum quality before delivery to customers worldwide.

According to Somkhit Praditsgarnchai, Senior Managing Director of Toyota Motor Thailand Limited, Toyota Trusted Services represents a service experience designed to build customer confidence and peace of mind from the moment someone becomes a Toyota owner—from standard quality from the beginning, through delivery to customers, and throughout vehicle use.

The Ban Pho plant is a world-class manufacturing facility where Toyota actually produces vehicles, not merely assembles them. It is Toyota's only facility worldwide capable of manufacturing vehicles for export back to Japan. The plant produces Toyota Hilux legendary pickup trucks, which began exporting to Japan in 2017, and this year added the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ model—a quality guarantee reflecting high manufacturing standards. Previously, Toyota manufactured Land Cruiser exclusively in Japan.

The Ban Pho factory operates on 1,500 acres and began production in 2007, with a maximum capacity of 230,000 vehicles annually. It produces pickup trucks and multipurpose vehicles across six main production lines, utilizing advanced digital technology including the E-KANBAN system for inventory management and real-time transport systems to ensure continuous production, reduce costs, increase efficiency, and maximize resource value.

The facility implements the Toyota Production System (TPS), a globally recognized manufacturing system emphasizing high quality, reasonable costs, and short lead times. It operates on two pillars: Just in Time—producing vehicles exactly when and in the quantities customers need—and Jidoka, which guarantees quality through strict adherence to standards by both Toyota and component suppliers without exception. Toyota monitors every production step using the POKAYOKE system, an automated mechanism that detects anomalies and errors.

The manufacturing process includes: the stamping shop, which produces body components in various sizes using advanced technology at a capacity of 2,380 pieces per hour with excellent quality control; the welding shop, which joins body structures using robot systems controlled by computer for maximum accuracy and energy efficiency; the painting shop, where Toyota was Thailand's first manufacturer to use advanced water-based painting technology that is environmentally friendly by reducing volatile organic compounds harmful to respiratory systems; and the molding shop.

CHIANGMAI — On Saturday, April 25, 2026, a drunken woman sat in the middle of a road in San Kamphaeng district, forcing several vehicles to swerve abruptly and narrowly avoid hitting her, according to authorities.

A patrol unit from a local rescue team responded to reports that a woman was attempting to get herself struck by traffic on the San Pa Kha–Bo Sang road.

At the scene, the woman was found intoxicated and sitting in the roadway, creating a dangerous situation for passing motorists. Several vehicles were seen taking sudden evasive action to avoid a collision.

Rescue workers and police officers worked together to calm the woman before safely escorting her off the road to a secure area to prevent potential harm.

At 7:30 a.m. on April 25, 2026, Lt. Weerawut Siri of Phra Samut Chedi Police Station in Samut Prakan received a report of a female body discovered in an overgrown field near a futsal court at an abandoned transportation office compound in Ban Pla Kod Subdistrict, Phra Samut Chedi District, Samut Prakan. Officers including Deputy Commander Prabhat Mangkang, Police Major Patchnkorn Kanjina, and other personnel rushed to investigate.

The scene was a vacant 10-rai field covered almost entirely with grass. The former transportation office branch had relocated years earlier. The body, found lying face-down in the grass, was that of a woman wearing a black hooded jacket over a pink and red silk scarf, black sweatpants, and white-and-black sneakers. Blood was visible on her face and the ground. Officers cordoned off the area before forensic teams conducted a detailed examination.

Initial investigation identified the deceased as Miss Phim (alias), 26, from Koh Kaew Subdistrict, Muang Phuket, Phuket Province. When the body was moved, a 9mm GLOCK pistol was found beneath her. She had a gunshot wound to the right temple with the bullet passing through the left side of her head. Medical estimates indicated death occurred 6-8 hours prior.

Motorcycle taxi driver Theerasak, 64, stated that around 6:30 a.m., he had dropped off passengers before parking his bike and stepping out to urinate near the field. He noticed what appeared to be someone lying in the grass, approached to investigate, and discovered the body. Shocked, he ran to alert police and rescue teams.

Family members revealed the victim had recently moved from Phuket Province to stay with relatives in an adjacent village since October. They noted she had mild mental health issues, never sought medical treatment, sometimes spoke to herself, and occasionally seemed distant. She was unemployed and left home around 3:00 p.m. the previous day dressed entirely in black with a black mask. Relatives believed she was job hunting, as she had mentioned to neighbors seeking employment assistance. The motive behind the incident remains unknown.

According to BBC reporting on April 25, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Wittkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are traveling to Pakistan on Saturday morning local time for peace negotiations with Iran. White House spokesperson Karolina Levitta stated that "Iran wants to negotiate" and added that U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance is prepared to travel if the negotiations succeed. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Bagaei said that he and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan's capital, on Friday evening, April 24, where Araghchi will meet with senior Pakistani officials. Bagaei emphasized that "there are no planned meetings between Iran and the United States." Levitta told reporters that President Trump decided to send Wittkoff and Kushner to Pakistan to hear Iran's views, adding that the American leader is always willing to offer diplomatic opportunities. "We have seen progress from the Iranian side over the past 2-3 days," she said. Meanwhile, the Iranian embassy in Islamabad stated that Araghchi plans to review bilateral issues and discuss the regional situation. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously said Iran has the opportunity to reach a good agreement, emphasizing that "what they need to do is abandon nuclear weapons in a manner that is concrete and verifiable." Hegseth also warned that the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is expanding globally. Both Trump and Hegseth have stated that the United States does not feel pressured to end the conflict with Iran.

Production has begun on 'Peach and Me' (Peach and Me), a special spinoff project from the series 'Me and Thee Series,' with the latest update coming on April 23rd when Pond Naravich and Pim Phuean attended the launch of the flagship OPPO Find X9 Ultra smartphone at SPHERE HALL, 5th floor of EMSPHERE.

Pond revealed that three scenes have already been filmed, and the on-set atmosphere remains warm and cheerful as always. He guarantees that the humor and memorable one-liners will be complete, with the project expected to release sometime this year. He acknowledged, however, that he needs to revisit his character work to rebalance his portrayal of Theer after being away from filming for nearly five months.

Regarding his dog Parker, who had recently been unwell, Pond expressed his concern but noted that the dog is now close to being fully recovered. He also shared that caring for Parker during the recovery period has been therapeutic and helped him forget his fatigue temporarily.

When asked about production progress, Pond stated: "We've already shot three segments. The atmosphere has been great, and I can guarantee everyone will laugh. We want it to air soon too." He described the experience as bringing back the old energy from the original series, with nearly five months having passed since they last filmed.

On character preparation, Pond explained the challenge of balancing Theer's character after such a long break, noting that his portrayal at work differs from his series performance. He emphasized the importance of reviewing the script to fully reconnect with the character.

Pim offered Pond encouragement, saying he already does excellent work and should get more rest. When jokingly asked if Pim would appear in the special, Pim humorously replied he could "stand as a statue" if needed, expressing his willingness to support whatever is decided by the producers.