Amid climate variability and the Super El Niño phenomenon causing extreme weather changes, Thailand must prepare to manage water resources adequately for consumption and agriculture. Sri Thoe Subdistrict in Mae Jai District, Phayao Province, faces chronic problems with irregular rainfall and severe dry-season water shortages, while having no storage facilities during flooding seasons. The Royal Irrigation Department is now advancing the "Huai Mae Jai (Huai Hok) Reservoir Project" to ensure sustainable water security and revitalize farming communities, initiated by a public request letter.

Lieutenant Colonel Surachit Duangjanthorn, chairman of the Huai Mae Jai water users group, stated that in July 2013, water users formally submitted a letter to the Royal Irrigation Department requesting construction of the reservoir to store water for both consumption and agriculture, as over 80 percent of the area lies outside irrigation zones. He emphasized that "with the Huai Mae Jai reservoir, residents will have reliable drinking water, farmers can plan their planting schedules, water can be stored during flooding season to mitigate flood damage, and risks of drought from increasingly severe weather changes can be reduced."

Darini Chaiyaphet, environmental impact consultant for the Royal Irrigation Department, stated that the department has collaborated with government agencies, local organizations, and communities to thoroughly study the project and found it viable through reservoir construction. The project is expected to take three years to complete with a budget of 490.31 million baht, including 47.22 million baht for land and property compensation. The project shows strong economic value, with farmer household income projected to increase from 7,874 baht per rai to 20,569 baht per rai.

The Huai Mae Jai (Huai Hok) Reservoir Project will be a medium-sized facility with a storage capacity of 2.825 million cubic meters, covering 2,300 rai of both elevated and lowland areas in Sri Thoe Subdistrict, Mae Jai District, Phayao Province. The dam will be constructed as a compacted earth dam with clay core, reaching approximately 40 meters at its highest point and spanning 208 meters in length, equipped with spillways and water delivery pipes for efficient water management and distribution to agricultural areas.

Sithisong Petchaploy, village headman of Moo 6, Thung Pa Kha Village, Sri Thoe Subdistrict, Mae Jai District, Phayao Province, noted that farmers currently plant only during the rainy season, with many migrating for work during the dry season, leaving fields abandoned. With the reservoir, farmers will have sufficient water to plan additional planting cycles, reduce pumping costs, increase household income, and keep families from having to migrate for seasonal work elsewhere.

Currently, the Huai Mae Jai (Huai Hok) Reservoir Project is undergoing feasibility studies and environmental impact assessments with full public participation, from gathering public opinions to implementing environmental mitigation measures and monitoring implementation progress.

The Department of Agriculture is coordinating intensive quality control measures for durians from Eastern Thailand, actively eliminating underripe and substandard fruit from markets to build consumer confidence and protect Thailand's durian reputation. On May 10, 2025, Agriculture Department director Anchalee Suwajittanon announced that the agency is implementing comprehensive quality management across all sectors in the region's three major producing provinces: Chachoengsao, Rayong, and Trat.

Currently, the Department of Agriculture is working with relevant agencies to continuously enforce quality controls, including establishing inspection checkpoints, conducting random dry matter percentage testing, pre-harvest inspections, and organizing orchards and packing houses across the three provinces.

From March 1 to May 7, 2025, a total of 53 pre-harvest inspection service points operated across the three provinces, processing 15,136 samples from 11,938 farmers. Chachoengsao recorded 6,534 samples, Trat 5,024 samples, and Rayong 3,578 samples.

Rayong province coordinated with local administration, community leaders, police, farmer representatives, and agricultural agencies to establish 4 checkpoint stations. These inspected 645 trucks of durians with random dry matter testing on each vehicle, finding only 2 non-compliant samples. Officials educated distributors and traders on the principle of not harvesting or selling underripe durians to maintain Thailand's durian standards.

Chachoengsao province checked 633 trucks through stations in Klung, Nai Ai, and Makham districts, conducting random dry matter testing on 57 samples with 51 passing standards and only 6 failing. For trucks at risk, officials coordinated with destination packing houses to implement strict sorting, with further inspections by the Agricultural Research and Development Office Region 6 according to Thai standard 9070-2566.

Chachoengsao Agricultural Office and district offices also coordinated to monitor packing houses, preventing substandard fruit from reaching markets. They discovered 43 non-standard durians (119 kilograms) in Nai Ai district and 208 durians (496 kilograms) in Chachoengsao city, which were marked and kept from market distribution according to provincial fruit quality control measures.

Trat province's special task force for preventing low-quality durians established 4 checkpoint stations covering Khao Saming, Bo Rai, and Muang Trat districts, checking 1,687 trucks. The Ban Tha Chot checkpoint in Khao Saming, a critical inspection point, found 1,473 trucks with complete dry matter percentage test certificates, while those lacking documentation underwent external inspection and random testing by officials.

On May 10, 2025, police from the Central Investigation Bureau arrested 29-year-old Sompon (surname withheld) pursuant to an arrest warrant from Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Court dated October 26, 2566, on charges of taking a minor under 15 years old for indecent purposes and sexual assault with threats and violence. The arrest was made in the Sai Noi district of Nonthaburi province.

The case emerged in June 2566 when the victim's parents brought their 17-year-old daughter for a medical examination. A hospital doctor identified signs of sexual abuse, prompting questioning that revealed the girl had been assaulted twice by her paternal uncle, Sompon.

The victim disclosed that the first incident occurred in May 2563 when she was only 14 years old and in eighth grade. While she was using her phone at home, Sompon approached from behind, grabbed her, and forcibly dragged her to his nearby residence just five meters away. He then raped her while threatening to kill her if she made noise or told anyone.

The second assault occurred in June 2566 when the victim was 17. Sompon again attacked her with similar methods—hugging, dragging her to his bed, covering her mouth, and threatening to harm her if she resisted. Terrified, the victim complied.

After learning of the abuse, the mother immediately filed a report at Wang Nam Khiao Police Station. While investigators were gathering evidence to obtain an arrest warrant, Sompon fled the area. Police eventually tracked him down in Sai Noi district, Nonthaburi province, where he was arrested. The suspect initially denied the allegations and was transferred to Wang Nam Khiao Police Station for further legal proceedings.

The Commerce Ministry reported strong sales figures for the Thai Helping Thai product initiative at district offices nationwide during the first two Fridays of May. Following the launch by Prime Minister Anution Charnvirakul and Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supachai Suthammaphanth, the program aimed to provide residents across provinces convenient access to affordable goods.

This marked the first time district offices were utilized as distribution points nationwide. Results from 878 district offices on May 1st and 8th, 2025 showed total consumer spending of 60,854,290.45 baht—33,738,292.45 baht on May 1st and 27,115,998 baht on May 8th.

On May 1st, 283,894 consumers participated with 12,491 participating vendors including 1,245 modern retailers, 5,749 OTOP shops, and 5,497 community stores. Top-performing provinces were Surin (1.19 million baht), Nakhon Ratchasima (1.17 million), Chiang Mai (1.06 million), Khon Kaen (1.06 million), and Yala (837,000 baht). Best-performing districts included Kabang in Yala (469,000 baht) and Bang Yai in Nonthaburi (277,000 baht).

Top-selling products from modern retailers included cooking oil, chicken and duck eggs, laundry detergent, fabric softener, and rice. OTOP products dominated in food, textiles and clothing, household items, beverages, and herbal products.

On May 8th, 217,619 consumers participated through 9,721 vendors. Surin remained the top province (1.05 million baht), followed by Nakhon Ratchasima (937,000 baht), Chiang Mai (880,000), Chachoengsao (834,000), and Ratchaburi (742,000 baht). Top districts included Mueang Saraburi (348,000 baht) and Mueang Ratchaburi (280,000 baht).

Consumers across all regions can continue purchasing Thai Helping Thai products at district offices nationwide.

Police have arrested another gun supplier to a Chinese national, identified as "Sergeant Haeb." The suspect has a prior history of involvement in an armed robbery of an armored truck belonging to a major company, a high-profile case from several years ago.

The case began when police arrested Ming Chen Sun, 31, a Chinese national, and A. Yu-Hsin, 33, a Taiwanese national, following a car accident in Nong Chom Thian District. During the vehicle search, officers discovered a firearm and magazine. This led to a raid on a residence in Huay Yai Soi, where authorities seized a military-grade assault rifle, 10 high-explosive rounds, anti-personnel grenades, and fragmentation grenades, along with explosive assembly materials and large quantities of fuel.

Police subsequently brought in Chan, a shooting range instructor at Pattaya affiliated with the Royal Thai Navy, and Jamlom, 51, a bank account holder who delivered the firearms to the Chinese nationals for questioning. During the morning operation, authorities tracked down and arrested "Sergeant Boy," another gun procurer, and brought him in for questioning at Nong Chom Thian Station.

Most recently, police arrested Pratompol, known as "Sergeant Haeb," 37, a former navy sailor from Sattahip who served as the primary contact for purchasing firearms for the Chinese nationals. Haeb's criminal record includes involvement in an armed robbery alongside seven others targeting a Samko company armored truck at a PTT gas station opposite Lotus mall in South Pattaya, Chonburi Province. Though arrested later at Mochit bus station, he denied all charges during custody.

On May 10, 2026, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin chaired a ceremony distributing identification documents to 59 households covering 646 rai 69 square wah of mangrove forest land in Chanthaburi province. The initiative, approved by Cabinet resolution on November 26, 2018, addresses housing and livelihood issues while balancing resource conservation through an integrated zone management approach known as "Train No. 5," the government's policy initiative to ensure housing and employment security while protecting natural resources.

The event included issuance of residence and livelihood certificates under National Park and Wildlife Protection Acts, as well as forest usage permits from the Royal-Initiated Kung Krabaen Bay Study and Development Center project. Officials, including Chanthaburi Governor Montsit Paisalthanavatana and district chiefs, acknowledged this mangrove area as a crucial model for land management, particularly given Chanthaburi's importance as an aquaculture center in Eastern Thailand, especially for pearl oyster farming, demonstrating balanced resource utilization that can be replicated elsewhere.

Minister Suchart stressed that today's identification documents represent a significant step in concrete problem resolution, enabling residents to legally reside and work while properly utilizing land without harming natural resources. He emphasized the documents symbolize cooperation between government and communities to collectively protect mangrove forests for future generations. Mangrove ecosystems hold critical importance for economy, society, and environment—serving as aquatic nurseries, preventing coastal erosion, and absorbing greenhouse gases as "blue carbon," contributing to Thailand's Net Zero emissions target. Community participation in balanced mangrove management, restoration, and utilization will ensure sustainability for both natural resources and residents' quality of life.