The Stock Exchange of Thailand is opening public consultation from May 13-29 on major trading measure revisions, including reducing tick sizes, controlling short selling and high-frequency trading, and imposing extra charges. The exchange aims to boost liquidity, strengthen investor confidence, and prevent Thailand's stock market from being downgraded by MSCI from Emerging Market to Frontier Market status amid competition with other Asian markets.

Assadej Kongsiri, chairman and chief executive of the Stock Exchange of Thailand, revealed that the exchange is soliciting feedback from investors and stakeholders on "confidence-enhancing measures" between May 13-29, 2025. The review aims to improve trading supervision efficiency in line with strategic plans to create opportunities, enhance liquidity, and boost confidence, while following recommendations from OECD and MSCI to maintain the Thai stock market's appeal to foreign investors and prevent investment downgrades.

The core measures are divided into three main groups covering market efficiency improvements, abnormal volatility reduction, and inappropriate trading behavior control. The first group focuses on market quality and fairness by reducing tick sizes for stocks priced between 5-50 baht to narrow bid-ask spreads, improve order matching opportunities, and reduce investor costs while increasing market liquidity.

Simultaneously, the exchange will impose extra charges on accounts with high order volumes but low execution rates, or High Order-to-Trade Ratio (OTR). Accounts with OTR exceeding 100 times and sending more than 50 orders per minute will face a 0.15-baht fee per transaction for volumes exceeding 30,000 trades daily, reflecting true costs and reducing trading system burden.

The second measure group addresses stock price volatility by improving the Uptick Rule for short selling. If a stock's price drops 10% or more from the previous close, the Uptick Rule will apply the next trading day to slow selling pressure and maintain market balance, while normal conditions will use the Zero-Plus Tick rule.

Additionally, short selling will be restricted to high-liquidity securities including SET100 stocks, ETFs, DRs, and Single Stock Futures underlying stocks, while banning short selling on ETF and DW underlying securities. The exchange also proposes eliminating the individual Dynamic Price Band (DPB) to reduce trading obstacles, especially for low-liquidity stocks.

For controlling inappropriate trading behavior, the exchange will register High Frequency Trading (HFT) participants by shifting evaluation criteria from post-trade actual behavior, such as order frequency, daily trading volume, and Dedicated API usage, for more accurate monitoring.

The exchange also proposes removing restrictions on securities that HFT can trade, as short-selling criteria will now cover only high-liquidity stocks. Additionally, the Minimum Resting Time (MRT) requirement will be eliminated after finding few qualifying transactions and ineffective behavior control. Instead, the exchange will use AI systems and extra charge measures to detect abnormal behavior.

Assadej stated that this trading supervision review and improvement will align with market conditions and investment behavior patterns.

A 35-year-old Buriram City Council member named Phasuphong Sawatdiput, son of a former mayor of Isaan Municipality, filed a complaint on May 13, 2025, claiming he was treated unfairly by a well-known bar owner. Phasuphong recounted that on the evening of May 12 around 8 p.m., he was enjoying drinks alone at the bar while a live band performed. He requested a song through a server and tipped 100 baht for the musician. During the first break, the musician played his request, but during the second break, when he made another request and tipped another 100 baht, the musician refused. When Phasuphong asked the server to inquire why, the singer responded mockingly through the microphone: "This customer is strange, if we can't play the song, he just keeps asking." Angered by the public criticism, Phasuphong confronted the singer, demanding his tip back. A man identified as Mek (pseudonym), the bar owner, then emerged and choked Phasuphong by the neck, pushing him against a wall. After struggling free, Phasuphong ran outside. Police soon arrived at the scene and escorted him away. He has since filed a report at the local police station.

Mek, the bar owner, declined to comment directly but posted a statement on the bar's Facebook page apologizing to all customers for the disturbance caused by "one individual" on May 12. The post claimed the person created chaos and disrupted other customers' dining experience. The bar owner alleged that the individual continued posting damaging messages on social media and stated the bar had contacted his family to resolve the matter. The post concluded with a warning that if the harassment continued, the bar would pursue legal action to protect its reputation and rights.

Personal and zodiac fortunes are undergoing significant changes during this period, with shifts occurring both positively and requiring caution. Astrologer Moe Cake Dol Bandal reveals that Mars entering Aries on May 12, 2569 creates exceptional fortune for three zodiac signs.

Aries (April 13 - May 14): With Mars returning to its strongest position, Aries natives overflow with power and magnetic luck. Stalled projects suddenly accelerate dramatically, and decision-making confidence soars. Financial success comes easily to those born under this sign.

Libra (October 17 - November 15): As Mars influences partnership and collaboration houses, Libras experience excellent fortune from others and financial support. Those awaiting contract negotiations will receive positive news.

Sagittarius (December 16 - January 14): With Mars entering the house of new projects and ventures, Sagittarius natives stand out for creativity and investment acumen. Content creators and sales professionals will see impressive results.

A 30-year-old rubber tapper died from an electrical short circuit after falling asleep while charging his phone using a direct power connection. Around 10:00 a.m. on May 13, 2025, police received a report from a village elder in Rayong's Kaeng district about a rubber worker who had been electrocuted in a rubber plantation worker's quarters. Officers found the body of Wanchai, age 30, lying dead with severe burn marks on the left side of his neck and upper chest. A cracked mobile phone with the charging cable still inserted was found on his chest. Investigators discovered a modified adapter connected directly to 220-volt power at the outlet. He was estimated to have been dead for at least 6-8 hours.

When questioned, Wanchai's younger brother Banchaa explained that his brother regularly drank alcohol and frequently chatted on Line before bed. He habitually charged his phone using the direct method without a standard adapter, despite repeated warnings. Before the incident, Wanchai had messaged his brother about the charger short-circuiting, but the conversation was cut short due to a malfunctioning device. When Banchaa couldn't reach him the next morning and visited the quarters, he discovered his brother had died from the electrical short.

Police officers and investigators collected 3,000 baht from personal funds to assist Banchaa with initial funeral expenses. Relatives have invited monks from Khao Samrong Temple to conduct religious merit-making rituals, with chanting scheduled for one night and the funeral ceremony planned for the following day.

A young man was heartbroken when his pet carp, which he had raised for years, died suddenly. Unable to let go emotionally, his friend suggested cooking it instead. On May 8, Chinese social media erupted over an incident from Dengzhou, Shandong Province, after a man cooked his friend's recently deceased pet carp, which went viral and sparked widespread discussion.

Reports indicate the carp had been raised for over 2-3 years before dying from oxygen deprivation, weighing more than 20 kilograms. The owner was deeply grieved and regretful. He had originally intended to dispose of the fish, but his friend suggested: "Why throw it away? What a waste. Let's make soup instead."

After that, the friend prepared the carp by making fish soup from the meat and thoroughly stir-frying the roe. Meanwhile, the actual owner couldn't bring himself to eat a single bite—he just stood watching his friends and sadly said, "I've raised it this long. I just can't bring myself to eat it myself."

The friend who cooked the carp revealed that the taste was "delicious and very rich," with firm meat and plenty of fat. The roe yielded an entire wok when stir-fried. Those who ate it said the taste was much better than expected.

Once the story spread online, netizens flooded social media with comments. Many argued this couldn't be done because carp are emotional pets with psychological bonds to their owners. Others countered that since the fish had died, it should be used to full value rather than wasted.

However, after the incident gained widespread attention, experts and many netizens warned about food safety. Since ornamental carp are not bred for consumption but for display, medications, special feeds, or chemicals may have been used during their care and could remain in the fish, making them potentially unsafe to eat.

Many also pointed out that the real issue wasn't whether it was edible, but the pet owner's feelings. For some people, pets are like family members, and losing one is emotionally devastating and deserves understanding and respect.

On May 13, 2025, Col. Sirichai Srichaipanya, commander of Muang Nakhon Ratchasima Police Station, ordered traffic police to conduct a crackdown on street racing and related traffic violations in the Korat city area. Meanwhile, Sgt. Maj. Viccha Thaenprayut and his team set up a traffic enforcement checkpoint near Phra Hua Talay Market on Highway 224 (Nakhon Ratchasima-Chok Chai Road), an exit route from the city center. They spotted 41-year-old Sakrin riding a blue and black Honda Wave motorcycle with his 24-year-old girlfriend Suthida sitting behind him. Both appeared suspicious, so officers signaled them to stop for inspection. Police discovered 119 methamphetamine pills hidden in a shoulder bag. When questioned, both suspects confessed to using crystal meth until they felt extremely wired and unable to sleep, which is why they decided to go for a ride. Both tested positive for amphetamines in urine samples. Authorities charged them with illegal possession of Category 1 drugs (methamphetamine) and illegal use of Category 1 controlled substances. They were taken into custody for further investigation and prosecution.