The on-screen couple 'Lukmhai' Panypatchr Wangpongstathaporn and 'Sonya' Sranyapat Petersen reunite once again in the series "Hometown Romance."

Today, the two co-stars discuss their collaborative work and invite fans to join the fancon "LMSY BE MY ROMANCE FANCON" scheduled for Saturday, June 6, at ICONSIAM HALL.

How has the response to Hometown Romance been? Lukmhai – "It's been great with nothing but smiles. From the first episode, I was worried whether international fans would understand our Thai jokes and humor. But it turned out everyone laughed throughout the whole show." Sonya – "Maybe it's because the words are translated literally and might seem a bit odd, but they laugh at us more than anything."

Has your momentum been continuously improving? Lukmhai – "It probably happened because we went on promotion tours together, reaching markets we hadn't explored before. For example, we performed with the Likay theater group alongside Phi Bank and Phi An. Each event was huge, and they already had their fan bases. It was like we joined and gained fans too. The viewership increase from there was massive." Sonya – "Fans went back to rewatch our old work—both Thai and international fans. But the clear increase is Thai fans."

Will you use the skills you've learned from Likay theater and Mor Lam performances in this fancon on June 6? Lukmhai – "Definitely." Sonya – "The fun factor. We'll incorporate various music genres and styles. I'll pull from different musical directions so fans can see different sides." Lukmhai – "Recently, we have many international fans, so I discussed with Sonya about bringing elements from different places together to reward the fans who follow us. Initially, we only thought of Lukthung, but this year we'll tackle genres we're not comfortable with either. It's about opening our hearts and trusting that fans won't have seen this before."

How many years have you been working together? Lukmhai – "If we count from the first series, it's been about three years and three projects. Working together has been full of experiences. At first it was tense, but now that we're older, it's become fun. We bickered as kids, then grew up together. It's truly been a period of our lives, during a time of transformation." Sonya – "Nothing but thrilling moments. Three years without repeating a single story—always adding something new each year. There's always something to learn from. And it's not just between us; it's the overall picture."

Do you think you've changed from the first day until now? Sonya – "If you compare our clips side by side, our faces have gotten prettier over time. The older we get, the more beautiful we become." Lukmhai – "I agree. We have more charm." Sonya – "Our personalities evolve constantly, adapting to social influences. We haven't gotten worse, but I feel like my thought process has matured. As a child, I didn't quite understand things and wasn't great at storytelling. Now with Lukmhai, I feel like I speak more and speak better." Lukmhai – "Bear thinks it's learning from everything around us. Sometimes you wake up as an actor and just go to set, but scene one and scene two are already different because we don't know what we'll encounter. That makes us adapt every day. Our thinking grows, our hearts calm, we think more, and we feel more joy and appreciation for things around us. We find happiness in small, simple things more easily."

Do you think there's anything you still need to fine-tune together? Sonya – "Two people will always have differences. It comes down to how much we talk and listen to each other. I used to not speak much about things, but lately I've realized that if we're going to work together for a long time, we need to communicate. It's like having a partner—when we're not satisfied with something, when something doesn't feel right, we need to speak up and not stay silent." Lukmhai – "For me, it's not about adjusting or changing him. Even if we grow and become similar, we'll still have differences in the end. I choose not to change him, but to find the middle ground.

The president of the Thai Rice Miller Association expressed confidence that Commerce Minister Supachee Paibulsudharmapandh will not sign a contract to purchase corn from the United States. Banrong Tangjitravattanakul, president of the association, stated he had not heard clear details about reports that the commerce minister signed such an agreement, but he is confident she possesses the knowledge and capability necessary for the position. He believes it would be unlikely for her to proceed, as she should be aware that Thailand already has substantial animal feed supplies and has imported nearly 18 million tons of substitute feed products over the past two years. Importing additional American corn would further depress prices for agricultural products in the rice system, including byproducts like rice bran and broken rice, which could fall significantly—white rice bran dropped to just 6 baht per kilogram last November. This gives him confidence that the minister would not follow the previous government's path, especially since the US has already decided to eliminate tariff systems and return refunds to businesses in several countries totaling 5 million US dollars. The association president called for waiting for clear facts about the news reports but remained confident in the minister's ability to make sound decisions independent of certain group pressures.

A Singapore collector recently created a buzz at the Southeast Asia Super Collectors Convention in Malaysia after trading his collection of eight One Piece trading cards for a luxury watch and cash worth millions. The collector, known as HK, is a 31-year-old former jeweler who quit his job last year to become a full-time trading card dealer. This transaction marks the largest deal of his career.

In the exchange, HK traded his One Piece card collection for a Patek Philippe luxury watch valued at approximately 160,000 Singapore dollars, or around 4 million baht, plus an additional 20,000 Singapore dollars in cash, or roughly 500,000 baht.

HK revealed that the Malaysian buyer had offered him a choice between the luxury watch or a Ferrari sports car, but he chose the watch for practical reasons. "The sports car is actually worth more, but I couldn't bring it back to Singapore, and dealing with vehicle registration would be too complicated. So I chose the Patek Philippe instead," he explained.

HK noted that the buyer was willing to add extra cash to finalize the deal, while he himself needed working capital for his trading card business, so both sides agreed to close the transaction. He further disclosed that he has invested over 1 million Singapore dollars, or approximately 25 million baht, in the trading card market and regularly travels to card events around the world.

Chompoo Araya and her daughter Gale attended the Alpha Skills Summit & Expo 2026 at IconSiam Hall to discuss the viral moment when Gale reacted to a clip of her father proposing to her mother with a large ring. Chompoo also shared updates about her son Payoo's serious involvement in racing and addressed the situation regarding Ta-Neing Kanyavee, who has changed her relationship status with JJ. Chompoo explained she doesn't ask too many questions and simply allows her to stay with the kids to play with Abigail, believing if there's something to share, the other party will tell their side. She concluded by saying everything is part of growing up in life.

When asked about the viral moment, Chompoo laughed and said she wasn't sure when Gale saw the wedding video and had never shown it to her deliberately. She assumed someone must have posted it online since it coincided with their anniversary. The interview revealed that Gale doesn't know her parents' marital status and described the moment in detail—her father gave her mother a big ring.

Regarding Gale's media consumption, Chompoo shared that she's selective about what content she allows her daughter to watch, emphasizing horizontal format content over vertical scrolling. She noted that Gale prefers music, MVs, and longer-form content like fairy tales and family trip videos. When asked if Gale knows about her mother's past work as a drama singer, Chompoo revealed Gale has seen some of it but insists her mom has changed and it doesn't feel the same.

On the topic of Payoo's racing, Chompoo mentioned he's been training continuously and seems to have a natural talent for it. Though she couldn't attend his recent race due to work commitments with Gale, Payoo's father attends every practice and competition. Chompoo observed that Payoo has developed greater determination since starting racing, showing changes in his focus and commitment.

Young actress Wannamai Chattaborirak from the Chattaborirak household has recently made her full acting debut in the series "Crash Course in Romance." She admits to feeling both excited and delighted because she's been away from film sets since childhood, but has received complete support from all three of her older brothers, especially Pattarapon "Boy" who coached her performances closely. She also opened up about a heartwarming moment when she broke open her savings to buy a birthday cake for her brother Pattarapon, and revealed dating news about her brother Thana and Thananthorn.

When asked about her excitement seeing her work aired for the first time, Wannamai said: "I'm really excited because I haven't filmed or worked on productions for a long time since I was little. But coming back to do this felt comforting because I had friends my age around me, so we could chat and play together."

Regarding the challenges of this series, she explained: "This role wasn't too challenging for me because it felt very much like myself. I felt like this character was exactly who I am."

"So your character is cheerful and bright?" "Yes, exactly. Being bright and cheerful, it matched well."

About her brothers' support, Wannamai shared: "My brothers supported me fully and helped me throughout. Like during auditions, Brother Boy came to coach me."

When asked about her technique for memorizing lines, she said: "I memorize it as a story. If someone says something to me like this, I think about how I should respond using my own words."

Regarding her brothers' individual roles in supporting her acting career, she detailed: "Starting with Brother Boy, he watches the overall picture, monitors my mood and emotions during scenes, and helps with lines. Brother Thana and Pattarapon are similar, but they may not tutor me as much as Brother Boy does. Instead, they focus on visiting the set frequently."

When asked who visits the set most often, she replied: "Probably Brother Thana because Brother Boy and Pattarapon are busy with work. But sometimes if we're filming early in the morning, Pattarapon stops by before going to his restaurant."

On whether she felt pressured having all three brothers as actors, she said: "No pressure because I already liked this path anyway."

When asked if she's satisfied with her own performance after watching it, Wannamai responded: "Yes, I'm satisfied and I like it. It felt fun getting to be myself and express that."

If offered a role opposite to her character—someone not cheerful and serious—she said she could handle it: "Yes, I think that would be a good challenge. I like roles that aren't myself because it feels like I'm experiencing other characters."

Regarding her dream roles, she expressed: "If I could choose, I'd like cheerful roles or comedic ones. But I also like dramatic roles too."

Her friends haven't been teasing her about being a celebrity: "Not really, my friends are used to seeing this by now."

On balancing school and work as the school term approaches, she explained: "I'm in an international school and the semester hasn't closed yet. Sometimes I have to miss classes, but I keep up with assignments from my friends."

Asked if she gets tired juggling studies and work, she said: "No, it's actually fun doing both at the same time."

Regarding payment and contracts, she admitted: "I don't really know much about that. My brothers handle and keep the money for me first." When asked which brother acts as her personal manager handling finances, her response was cut off.

The Intellectual Property Department has registered a Geographical Indication (GI) for 'Ban Wang Som Sa Phitsanulok,' a renowned local citrus fruit grown in Muang District, Phitsanulok Province. According to Department Director Oramon Saptaweedharm, this distinctive fruit features a round, firm shape with thick dark-green bumpy skin resembling pomelos, aromatic fragrance, and a unique tangy-sweet taste with a lingering citrus note on the tongue. Its distinctive flavor sets it apart from other citrus varieties, making it popular in traditional Thai dishes like mah hor (a savory rice cracker appetizer), as well as in desserts, beverages, and numerous health and beauty products including soaps, face creams, lip gloss, shampoos, herbal inhalants, and air fresheners.

Currently, Ban Wang Som Sa Phitsanulok produces approximately 120,000 kilograms annually, generating over 3.6 million baht in economic value for the community. The fruit's history traces back over a century when Hainanese Chinese migrants planted som sa along the Nan River, eventually establishing the community known as Ban Wang Som Sa. Residents continue to preserve their heritage through the Mae Tab Thim shrine and the annual Loy Krathong festival in May, using som sa fruit as ritual offerings to the sea goddess.

Director Oramon stated that the GI registration will differentiate Thai produce, establish production standards, prevent counterfeit products, and build consumer trust while supporting the community's reputation. Following registration, the department will assist the community through quality control systems, packaging development, marketing education, market channel expansion both online and offline, and agritourism development. These initiatives aim to help producers create added value, attract tourists to experience the authentic community and production processes, and support continuous economic growth. Interested buyers can purchase Ban Wang Som Sa Phitsanulok GI products through the Facebook page 'Ban Wang Som Sa' and TikTok account 'Wang Som Sa.'