Following its policy to transform Siam Square into a space of opportunity for all Thais and serve as a bridge between Chulalongkorn's knowledge and the public, the university is advancing its second consecutive worker-focused event. Thai workers are invited to Siam Square on May 1, 2026 for free health screenings and services from students, faculty, nurses, and doctors representing over 20 faculties and departments, organized by PMCU (Chulalongkorn University Property Management Office) under the initiative "Chulalongkorn Cares, Strong Thai Workers."

Last year's event welcomed over 2,000 workers and provided health services valued at more than 2.5 million baht, reinforcing Chulalongkorn's role in sustaining worker welfare. This year, the event will be expanded significantly, transforming Siam Square into a worker-friendly walking street offering comprehensive care across physical health, mental wellbeing, job skills, and financial burden reduction.

Physical Health Services: • Diabetes and blood lipid screening (300 slots) by the Allied Health Professions Faculty • Blood draw and health check-ups (150 slots) by the Medical Faculty and Chulalongkorn Health Center with Innotech • Health consultations and education by the College of Public Health Sciences • Oral health screening, cavity risk assessment, and free dental care kits by the Faculty of Dentistry • Eye exams and free glasses (200 sets) by Top Chang Optical • Workshops on breast self-examination, first aid, and quality sleep by the Faculty of Nursing • Physical fitness testing by the Faculty of Sports Science • Drug and health product consultation, aromatherapy oil making by the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences • Blood tests for lipids, liver, and kidney function (500 slots), muscle mass and body fat assessment, and dementia screening by Srisawat Hospital • Bone density screening (200 slots) by Phyathai Hospital

Worker Health and Quality of Life Services: • Legal consultations for workers by the Faculty of Law • Gold Card and social security benefit guidance by the Asia Studies Institute with the Thai Health Security Office • Information on worker healthcare rights by the College of Population Studies • Heat stress prevention and heat stroke awareness for outdoor workers by the Social Research Institute and the Metal and Materials Research Institute • ID photo services by the Faculty of Fine Arts • Lotus folding activities by the Thai Studies Institute • Free online courses and healthy eating workshops by Chula XL • AI training for daily life by the Faculty of Engineering • Financial planning and insurance education by the Faculty of Commerce and Accounting with the Thai Life Insurance Association

Mental Health Activities: • Concerts featuring renowned artists from 7HD, GMMGrammy, Bank, Sene Lek, TMG Record, Tao Tatsanai, and J JAZZSPER • Performances by Chulalongkorn students • Games and prize giveaways

These activities reflect Chulalongkorn University and PMCU's commitment to transforming Siam Square from a shopping destination into an inclusive space where all people can access healthcare and improve their quality of life. The event takes place on May 1, 2026, starting at 8 a.m.

Thailand's under-17 women's football team conducted their first training session at Suzhou Sports Center Stadium (Field 8) on April 28 after arriving in Suzhou, China. The team is preparing for the 2026 AFC U-17 Women's Asian Championship, which runs from May 1-17. Thailand is placed in Group A with China (hosts), Vietnam, and Myanmar. The tournament format will see the champion, runner-up, and two best third-place finishers from each group advance to the knockout stage, with four nations ultimately representing Asia at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco.

Head coach Mim Thidarat Vivasuku led an intensive training session focused on acclimatizing to Suzhou's cooler temperatures around 14 degrees Celsius and rainy conditions, while strengthening both offensive and defensive team dynamics in a 90-minute session. Midfielder Gavinthida Kikhunthad expressed the team's readiness, noting that while the World Cup spot adds pressure, the entire squad and coaching staff have studied their group opponents and are prepared to compete. She called for Thai football fans to support the team.

Thailand's U-17 women will face Vietnam on May 1 at 2:30 PM, Myanmar on May 4 at 2:30 PM, and China on May 7 at 6:30 PM, all at Suzhou Sports Center Stadium (Field 1).

On April 28, 2025, Krungthai COMPASS, the economic and business research center of Krung Thai Bank, revealed that escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, culminating in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz since March 2, 2025, have severely disrupted Thailand's chemical fertilizer supply chain. Thailand imports 95 percent of its chemical fertilizers, with 34 percent sourcing from the Middle East—particularly urea, 71 percent of which comes from that region.

Krungthai COMPASS researcher Sukunthip Chaisayan warned that if the Strait of Hormuz closure extends three months (March-May 2025) and Thailand cannot secure alternative import sources, the country will face critical chemical fertilizer shortages in May. This directly threatens rice cultivation season, along with cassava, rubber, and palm oil production.

Urea import prices are forecast to average $605 per ton (approximately 19,360 baht) in 2025—a 40 percent increase year-over-year. However, domestic fertilizer prices are government-controlled, preventing producers from passing costs to buyers. Under the baseline scenario, if producers only recover 40 percent of cost increases, they face a negative profit margin of 619 baht per ton, compared to average spreads of around 3,000 baht during 2022-2023.

Higher fertilizer costs may push farmers to reduce chemical fertilizer use, ultimately lowering crop yields. Rice production is expected to decline by approximately 700,000 tons—2 percent of total annual output—representing damage valued at 5.9 billion baht.

Policy Recommendations:

For farmers: Short-term strategy should adopt precision fertilizer application tailored to crop and soil types, combined with organic fertilizer use. Long-term, the government should promote agricultural technology (AgriTech) to reduce costs and increase yields.

For chemical fertilizer producers: Implement risk management through forward contracts, secure long-term raw material sources, diversify import origins to mitigate supply chain disruptions, and increase specialized and organic-chemical blend products to reduce price competition.

For agricultural processors: Diversify raw material sourcing domestically and internationally, use forward purchase agreements, implement automation and artificial intelligence to minimize waste, and develop higher-value products to boost competitiveness.

Krungthai COMPASS noted that actual crop yield declines depend on additional factors including soil conditions, climate, rainfall, and disease outbreaks.

The King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) highlighted the success of 'KMITL Open House 2026: From Lab to Life,' emphasizing practical learning that addresses global changes and cultivates quality human resources for the nation. The event was held as part of Dek-D's TCAS Fair 2026 on April 25-26, 2026 at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre, drawing substantial interest from students, undergraduate and graduate students, and parents nationwide, with a total attendance of 61,752 visitors.

Throughout the two-day event, KMITL brought together faculty and students from all faculties, colleges, and campuses along with partners to provide curriculum information, academic guidance, and share real-world learning experiences to prepare students for university-level studies. The event featured hands-on learning activities, with a major highlight being the KMITL Mini Workshop, which gave participants the opportunity to experience learning through workshops from various faculties including Architecture, Fine Arts and Design, Nursing, Food Industry, and Liberal Arts—essentially bringing classrooms and laboratories to the event site so students could discover their interests and clarify their educational paths. With 505 registered participants and over 3,000 workshop attendees, the event demonstrated strong youth interest in deep learning and preparation for the future.

Associate Professor Dr. Komsun Maleesee, Rector of KMITL, stated that the success of 'KMITL Open House 2026: From Lab to Life' reflects KMITL's commitment to opening learning spaces that bridge theory and practical experience. He emphasized that the institute aims for students to discover their potential through direct experience with faculty and senior students across various fields, preparing them confidently for the future world. KMITL will continue developing curricula and activities that address global changes to produce quality personnel for the nation.

KMITL is preparing major annual events including 'Ladkrabang Expo 2026' and 'KMITL Expo 2026' scheduled for September 1-6, 2026 at the King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang. These events will provide space for the public, students, entrepreneurs, investors, and various organizations to learn, test new technologies, and build innovation networks while advancing the country's sustainable development, alongside exhibitions of research and innovation from faculty and students across multiple disciplines. The events will also feature an Open House component, a key academic guidance activity allowing students, parents, and interested parties to learn closely about KMITL's faculties and curricula and explore research and innovation outputs. Interested participants can register at https://expo.kmitl.ac.th/th, and follow KMITL updates via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kmitlofficial and the website https://www.kmitl.ac.th or call 02-329-8000 for more information.

The Democrat Party held a parliamentary caucus meeting on April 28, 2025, chaired by party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, where party lawyers presented new evidence and concerns regarding the NACC's ruling in the case of Saksiam Chidchob, former Transport Minister. The party voted on two key resolutions: first, to jointly petition with the Citizens Party under Article 236 of the Constitution to refer the case to the Supreme Court for independent investigation, citing suspicious elements and newly discovered evidence that contradicts the Constitutional Court's previous findings. Second, the party identified two overlooked issues: new evidence in the form of a ministerial directive requiring notification before procurement decisions, and the NACC's failure to clearly address conflicts of interest involving a company with hidden ownership by Saksiam that received contracts under his ministry's purview. Deputy party leader Satit Wongnung announced that the Democrat Party would submit these two matters to the NACC for reconsideration and, working with the Citizens Party, would draft a petition under Article 236 to address concerns that the parliamentary speaker's discretionary authority may not be exercised impartially.