RATCHABURI — On May 14, 2026, thieves stole brass religious artefacts and temple property from a Buddhist temple, including brass finials from Buddha statues and a large replica Buddha footprint kept inside a cave used for meditation, monks said.

The thefts were reported at Wat Tham Kunchon Rat Rangsan in Pak Tho district, where monks discovered that brass decorations and valuable temple items had gradually disappeared from several buildings across the hilltop temple complex.

Phra Athikan Phanuphong Puriyano, abbot of the temple, said brass finials from more than 10 Buddha statues had been removed or cut away. Older Buddha statues inside the temple had also been damaged, while smaller brass Buddha figures placed at the base of a shrine had disappeared entirely.

The thieves also stole electrical wiring, circuit boards, power sockets, two air-conditioning units, ceiling fan blades and CCTV cameras from the temple grounds, the abbot said.

Among the missing items was a large brass replica Buddha footprint installed more than 10 years ago inside a cave used by Buddhist worshippers for meditation and prayer. Water naturally dripped onto the footprint from stalactites and stalagmites inside the cave, making it one of the temple's most revered sites.

The abbot said the loss of the footprint was particularly painful because it had been created through donations and religious devotion from local worshippers.

He said he believed the thieves had gradually cut the brass artefacts into smaller pieces for resale because some items were too large to remove intact.

The temple houses only three monks, and the abbot said one section of the grounds had been left under the care of two monks, one of whom had fallen ill before the thefts were discovered.

Police were notified two days earlier and are investigating possible involvement by a temple assistant after pieces of cut brass allegedly linked to the stolen footprint were found in the person's possession.

The suspect reportedly claimed the abbot had authorised the removal, but the abbot denied this and said he believed the individual may also have been connected to the disappearance of other temple property.

The abbot said the temple would continue restoration efforts while authorities pursued legal action.

May 13, 2025 – Therdkiat Prommoola, President and Chief Executive Officer of IRPC Public Company Limited, revealed that the company is carefully managing operations amid global energy market uncertainty. The company prioritizes maintaining operational stability, strengthening supply security, active risk management, and financial discipline to address impacts from Middle East geopolitical tensions and energy supply chain volatility.

IRPC maintains efficient business continuity and product delivery despite Middle East tensions and Strait of Hormuz transportation constraints affecting crude oil and shipping costs. The company has established a Crisis Management Center (CMC) for integrated risk management covering situation monitoring, business continuity, raw material procurement, inventory management, and production and delivery stability.

The company is strengthening supply security through diversified raw material sourcing and efficient supply chain management to handle global market fluctuations and support the nation's energy security. Meanwhile, IRPC operates under a "4R" strategic framework comprising Recapitalize (financial strengthening), Revitalize (core business efficiency improvement), Reinvent (new business and revenue creation), and Reframe (organizational restructuring and ESG integration with digital transformation) to enhance competitive capability and support long-term growth.

In Q1 2025, the company generated net sales revenue of 67,779 million baht, a 22% increase compared to Q4 2024, primarily due to increased average selling prices following rising crude oil prices. Market GIM stood at 7,902 million baht or $13.21 per barrel, up 14% from Q4 2024.

Crude oil prices in Q1 2025 were supported by Middle East instability, particularly Strait of Hormuz closures, creating significant supply tightness in global oil markets and driving rapid crude price increases. This generated stock gains of 9,843 million baht or $16.46 per barrel, resulting in EBITDA of 14,750 million baht, up 13,394 million baht from Q4 2024. In Q1 2025, the company recorded an unrealized loss of 1,981 million baht from oil risk management, compared to a 258 million baht gain in Q4 2024, while investment gains reached 299 million baht, up 64% from the previous quarter, primarily from proceeds from joint venture investment sales. These factors resulted in Q1 2025 net profit of 7,889 million baht, compared to Q4 2024's net loss of 574 million baht.

Therdkiat stated that although Q1 2025 performance improved with main support from stock gains following upward crude oil price movements due to Middle East tensions, the rapid increase in Dubai crude prices from an average of approximately $68 per barrel demonstrates market volatility.

On May 15, the King Prajadhipok Institute (KPI Poll) released survey findings on Bangkok residents' priorities for the city and desired qualifications for a new Bangkok governor. The survey was conducted between May 8-11 among 1,600 residents aged 18 and above across all districts of Bangkok. Key findings include: 1) When asked what qualities matter most in selecting a new governor, 28.2% prioritized honesty, transparency, and accountability, while 28.0% wanted someone with clear policies and proven implementation ability—nearly tied for first. Other priorities included understanding Bangkok residents' problems (16.7%), tangible track record (8.9%), management experience (4.0%), modern innovative thinking (3.6%), cross-sector collaboration skills (3.0%), affiliation with trustworthy political parties (1.7%), with 5.9% citing other factors. The data shows residents don't just want good image or communication skills—more than half demand a new governor combining both trustworthiness and real capability. 2) Residents identified three major persistent city problems: flooding (74.3%), public safety concerns (73.3%), and PM 2.5 air pollution (73.2%), followed by traffic and public transport (66.1%) and waste management (65.8%). Bangkok residents view these as fundamental quality-of-life issues that remain unresolved. They don't want just grand projects but cities with solid basic infrastructure, as flooding, dust, safety, traffic, and garbage reflect overall municipal management. 3) Urban problems affect Bangkok's zones unequally, with outer districts bearing the heaviest burden. Outer districts report nearly universal concern with urban problems: 89.6% cite flooding issues, 87.8% traffic problems, 85.9% air pollution, 82.0% safety concerns, and 74.2% waste management issues. Middle districts also show high concern levels (86.3% flooding, 75.3% pollution, 73.4% safety, 72.7% traffic), while inner districts show lower percentages, particularly for traffic (47.2%) and flooding (54.4%). Bangkok's challenge isn't just solving citywide problems but addressing inequality in urban experience, as different districts face different severity levels. Solutions shouldn't apply uniformly across the entire city but require area-specific policy design.

The Thai Meteorological Department officially declared the start of the 2025 monsoon season on May 15, 2025, after confirming that meteorological conditions met Thailand's monsoon criteria: northern Thailand experiencing rain coverage exceeding 60% of the area, lower-level winds shifting to southwestern direction, and upper-level winds changing to easterly winds. The northern monsoon season will continue until approximately mid-October, while the eastern Gulf coast will maintain continuous rainfall through December.

Overall, this year's total rainfall nationwide is expected to be lower than 2024 and approximately 10% below normal. From mid-May to mid-June, rainfall will increase and become more consistent, particularly in the eastern and southwestern coastal regions where heavy rain is possible. Late June through early July will see reduced rainfall and distribution, creating dry spell risks in many areas, especially outside irrigation zones. Rain will return with intensity in August through September, a period requiring vigilance against heavy downpours, flash floods, flash flooding, and riverbank overflows in multiple areas.

**2025 Monsoon Timeline:**

**1. Mid-May to Mid-June** - Increasing and continuous rainfall - Rain covering 40-60% of areas - Eastern and southwestern coastal regions: 60-80% coverage with heavy to very heavy rain in some places

**2. Late June to Early July** - Reduced rainfall volume and distribution - Potential water shortage in some areas, particularly outside irrigation zones

**3. August to September** - Rain covering 60-80% of areas - Heavy rainfall in multiple locations - Very heavy rain in some areas - Risk of flash floods, flash flooding, and riverbank overflows

**4. October** - Northern and northeastern regions: declining rainfall - Cool mornings starting, especially in upper regions - Central, eastern, and southern areas: continued rainfall with heavy to very heavy rain in some areas

The latter half of the year shows a trend toward El Niño conditions. The Meteorological Department is closely monitoring ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) phenomena, currently in neutral status but with indications of shifting toward El Niño in the second half, potentially resulting in below-normal rainfall and slightly above-normal temperatures for Thailand.

Despite overall lower annual rainfall, vigilance is necessary against periodic heavy rains from monsoon and low-pressure systems, which may cause flash floods, flooding, and agricultural impacts across multiple regions. Tropical cyclone activity is expected to bring one to two systems impacting or affecting Thailand, likely occurring between August and September, primarily affecting northern and northeastern regions.

The Meteorological Department will continuously monitor conditions and issue weather warnings, urging the public to follow forecasts and alerts closely throughout the monsoon season.

Chinese man blacklisted for aggressive behaviour at Bangkok airportLegacyThe Thai Immigration Bureau blacklisted a Chinese man after he damaged an automated immigration gate and verbally abused officers at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. Police from Suvarnabhumi Airport Police Station responded to the incident at around 2.35pm on Wednesday, May 13, at an immigration checkpoint in departure zone two. Officers at the scene reported that a foreign passenger damaged property and behaved aggressively towards immigration personnel. The suspect was later identified as Liwei Zheng, a Chinese national around 30 years of age. According to police, he was scheduled to board Spring Airlines flight 9C7282 from Bangkok to Shanghai. Witness statements and CCTV footage reportedly showed Liwei approaching automated border control gate DAE01 and placing his boarding pass on the scanner instead of his passport. Because of the incorrect document, the gate did not open. Photo via Matichon The  Chinese man then became frustrated and kicked the gate before moving to another gate, DAE06. At the second gate, Liwei reportedly scanned his passport incorrectly, causing the system to reject the document again. Liwei then kicked the gate open and entered the checkpoint area without completing immigration procedures. Airport security officers intervened and detained him shortly afterwards. Liwei reportedly became increasingly aggressive during the detainment and insulted officers in both English and Chinese. He also attempted to physically confront officers before his wife stepped in to calm the situation. KhaoSod reported that authorities charged the suspect under Section 358 of Thailand’s Criminal Law for damaging property belonging to another person. The offence carries penalties of up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to 60,000 baht, or both. Photo via Facebook/ NBT Connext In addition to criminal penalties, the suspect is required to compensate authorities for damage to the automated gate system, estimated at around 450,000 baht. Police also stated that Liwei may face additional penalties for insulting government officers while they were performing official duties. The offence carries a possible prison sentence of up to one year, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both. The case is scheduled to be submitted to Samut Prakan Provincial Court today, May 15. Immigration authorities have also placed Liwei on Thailand’s immigration blacklist, permanently banning him from re-entering the country. Officials confirmed he must remain in Thailand until legal proceedings are completed, although authorities have not clarified whether he remains in custody.

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