Sukhumvit Asset Management Company Limited (SAM) has unveiled a Smart Self Service system on LINE @samsocialamc to help low-income debtors resolve their debts independently through the "Clear Debt and Move Forward" program. On May 11, 2025, Ms. Naratnarida Rattapat, Managing Director of SAM, announced that the new platform allows borrowers to manage their entire debt resolution process from start to finish—including eligibility verification, registration, identity confirmation, selecting repayment measures, and finalizing contracts and payments—all through LINE.

The Smart Self Service platform aims to make debt resolution accessible, convenient, and dignified. SAM believes that when individuals break free from debt, their families gain improved quality of life, stability, and economic security. The system offers two flexible repayment options: the "Pay, Close, Done" measure with up to 50% principal reduction and immediate account closure, and the "Installment Repayment" measure with 30% principal reduction, no interest, and repayment periods up to 3 years.

The self-service process involves six steps: adding the LINE friend, verifying eligibility and registering, confirming identity via ID scan and facial recognition, setting access codes and OTP verification, selecting an appropriate repayment plan, reviewing and signing the contract, and making payments via QR code scanning. Eligible participants must be individual debtors with non-performing loan (NPL) status from credit cards, personal loans, or secured debt exceeding 90 days as of September 30, 2024, with combined debt not exceeding 100,000 baht per person, and must not be bankrupt or sanctioned. SAM assures that all transactions through the LINE platform are secure and comply with anti-money laundering standards set by the Office of the Anti-Money Laundering Commission.

A woman who adopted a puppy took the young dog for a walk that passed by her workplace just once. Remarkably, the puppy remembered the route and now attempts to sneak away from home nearly every day to visit her, becoming an adorable viral moment that has delighted internet users.

The heartwarming incident took place in Guizhou Province, China. A young woman adopted a four-month-old puppy from an animal shelter, with her home located only about a five-minute walk from her workplace. She recounted that on one outing, she took the puppy past her office building, just that single time. Yet the clever pup memorized the entire route and now persistently tries to escape home to find her almost every day, regardless of family members' attempts to prevent it. Some days, the determined puppy even makes multiple round trips, and occasionally brings other dogs along.

Footage shot by her coworkers shows that each time the puppy arrives, it rushes straight to its owner, wagging its tail and wiggling its body with unmistakable joy, bringing smiles to all who witness it.

After the video was shared online, netizens offered affectionate comments such as "The pup must be checking if mom is really working" and "Maybe it's too hot and wants to enjoy the air conditioning at the shop."

However, some users issued cautions: while the dog's ability to remember the route is impressive, letting it roam alone still carries risks including traffic accidents, encounters with strangers, and unforeseen dangers. Pet owners should use a leash or provide supervision to ensure their pet's safety.

CHANTHABURI — The Thai military is constructing a new border fence along part of the Thai-Cambodian frontier in Chanthaburi province, aiming to strengthen border security and improve safety for local residents, according to a security source. The construction is taking place between border markers 52 and 54 in Pong Nam Ron district, covering a distance of about 1,310 metres near a permanent border crossing.

The source said the area is mostly flat terrain with a clearly demarcated boundary. Both Thailand and Cambodia already maintain patrol roads running along the border. The new fence is being built with reinforced concrete foundations and steel mesh, with a total height of about 170 centimetres. Concrete panels measuring around 150 centimetres high are topped with an additional 20 centimetres of steel fencing to improve surveillance and security along the border.

Authorities said around 900 to 1,000 fence posts are being installed at intervals of roughly three metres. The source added that some Cambodian soldiers had monitored and photographed the construction work, but Thai authorities insisted the project is being carried out entirely within Thai territory and falls under Thailand's sovereign right to manage its own border areas. Construction on the first phase began in late April and is expected to be completed within 45 days.

Photos of the fence construction, reportedly taken by Cambodian soldiers, have also been widely shared on Cambodian social media platforms.

Another proud achievement! Thai artists C, Nunew, Thomas, and Kong from Domundi Entertainment have won awards at the Weibo International Entertainment Awards, representing another milestone for Thai talent on the Asian stage. The four artists—C Pruksa, Nunew Chawarin, Thomas Theerathat, and Kong Kongphop—received the honor of participating and winning awards at the Weibo International Entertainment Awards, a prestigious event organized by China's most influential social media platform, Weibo, held at Galaxy Arena in Macau. The event drew numerous Asian-level artists from across the region.

The four artists took the stage to receive four awards across different categories:

C Pruksa won the 2026 WIEA Anticipated International Artist award Nunew Chawarin won the 2026 WIEA Notable International Artist award Thomas Theerathat won the 2026 WIEA Promising International Artist award Kong Kongphop won the 2026 WIEA Emerging International Artist award

All four artists expressed their feelings about the awards, stating: "It is a great honor for us to receive this award from the Weibo International Entertainment Awards. This is our utmost pride and serves as another motivation for us to continue producing quality work in the future. We would like to thank our partners who have worked with us, Domundi Entertainment, and our fans who have continuously supported us."

The four artists also performed several songs for the audience, leaving a lasting impression. C performed "Super Secret" and "Breaking Heart Station," while Nunew performed "NEW SEASON" and "True Love." Thomas sang "Pretend" and "Send a Star," and Kong delivered an energetic set with "Witchcraft," "SERIOUS BACON," and "How Many Stars." It was a special moment for attendees to enjoy Thai music through these Thai artists on an Asian-level stage.

The achievement of Domundi Entertainment's artists—C, Nunew, Thomas, and Kong—winning Asian-level awards demonstrates the potential of Thai artists who shine and gain popularity across Asia through their diverse works, while continuously developing their abilities and creating quality content.

Patty Tavatanakit, Thailand's second-ranked female professional golfer, said she was beyond thrilled after defending her LPGA Tour title at the Mizuho Americas Open in New Jersey and securing her ninth career championship, while pledging to continue improving herself.

The 23-year-old golfer shot a combined 13-under par 275 to win the championship and receive $487,500 in prize money, successfully defending her Mizuho Americas Open title, which also marked her ninth LPGA Tour victory.

Following the tournament, Tavatanakit expressed that she was delighted and relieved with how her game played out. She mentioned learning a great deal before the tournament began and never expected to win at this level. She noted that sometimes unexpected things happen when we don't try to control them too much. She considers this ninth tour championship to be beyond her expectations and bigger than her dreams, motivating her to continuously improve. "I don't want to stay still. I want to move forward," she said. "Today's championship is now history. Tomorrow I have to wake up and start working again."

Tavatanakit also acknowledged her caddie Khong Banpat Bunpaisalsri, who has worked with her for ten years since before she turned professional. After missing the cut at The Chevron Championship major, Khong suggested they play golf together, telling her that her performance in subsequent tournaments would improve. They competed together twice, and her performance in this tournament was excellent. She expressed deep gratitude for everything her caddie has done throughout their ten-year partnership.

"Being a professional golfer is not easy at all because you have to evaluate everything every week and expect good competition results all the time," Tavatanakit explained. "For me, the world ranking doesn't define what I've accomplished. I just want to do everything as consistently well as possible. In every tournament, there's only one winner, so I want to make myself a better golfer all the time. Right now, everyone has the chance to become a champion, whether they're rookies or already competing. The standard of the LPGA Tour has risen, so I need to improve myself. Everyone works hard during both the off-season and competition to produce the best results."

The world's second-ranked professional also noted that golf is not her entire life. Missing the cut and not yet winning her first major championship is disappointing, but she must move past it. "The beauty of golf is that there are many tournaments throughout the year with many opportunities to try again," she said. "It's not certain that just because we couldn't do something in the past, we won't be able to do it in the future. I'm continuing to put myself in a positive position and doing my part as perfectly as I can this week."

At 12:45 p.m. on December 11, 2025, at Government House, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ek Niti Nitithanprasad addressed questions regarding the Thai Phak Prachaachon party's petition to the Constitutional Court challenging whether the 200 billion baht energy transition portion of the 400 billion baht emergency borrowing decree qualifies as urgent or crisis-necessary. He stated that Thailand's current economic situation faces a complex crisis with an unpredictable endpoint, primarily triggered by rising energy costs, as Thailand heavily relies on imported oil and natural gas. He noted that this energy dependency was discussed at ASEAN meetings, with Thailand among the energy-importing nations with high external energy dependence.

Ek Niti explained that Thailand's high energy reliance has driven inflation upward, with recent inflation at 2.9 percent and expected to rise to a peak of 4-5 percent due to increased commodity costs affecting cost of living and consumer prices, particularly food prices which have risen nearly 10 percent.

When asked whether the higher inflation had been coordinated with the Bank of Thailand to implement monetary measures, given that 4-5 percent exceeds the monetary policy target of 1-3 percent, Ek Niti responded that average inflation for the full year remains close to the established 3 percent ceiling, and this matter has already been discussed with the Bank of Thailand in a joint meeting of four economic agencies.

"The root of this crisis comes from energy, doesn't it? The crisis began with the war crisis and energy crisis. Today it's a cost crisis. We see the latest inflation figure at 2.9 percent. Thailand relies heavily on oil and natural gas, which we must import from abroad. Since we cannot produce oil ourselves, we must resolve this crisis," Ek Niti stated.

He further explained that the emergency decree to borrow funds is necessary to prepare for an escalating crisis, differing from the 1997 financial crisis or the Thaksin era which faced external crises. This time, he emphasized, the crisis directly affects people's livelihood and cost of living, requiring government preparation to prevent widespread impact.

Regarding questions about the Democrat Party's statement that credit rating agency Moody's praised Thailand's economy despite the government's borrowing plans, Ek Niti clarified that Moody's commendation stems from Thailand's strong international reserves position, but this is separate from internal domestic hardship issues the government must urgently address, necessitating the emergency borrowing decree.

Ek Niti stated that the government has established a "5T" strategic framework for loan expenditure screening to maximize efficiency: Targeted—addressing directly affected groups; Transition—easing people's burden while transitioning energy structure to reduce long-term import dependence; and Transform—reforming economic structure to strengthen people's resilience.