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.

Bangkok, May 9, 2026 — Senior Chairman Thonin Jearwanon is advancing the 'Charoen Pokphand Group Scholarship Program' under the concept 'Building People, Building the Future,' aiming to identify Thailand's top-tier young talent—Next-Gen Talent—with exceptional abilities, leadership qualities, creativity, and potential to drive the nation forward. The program develops these individuals into 'future leaders' for organizations, society, and Thailand amid an AI-driven, digitally innovative world with global competition. Scholarship recipients will learn, intern, and advance into real work within the Charoen Pokphand Group and affiliated companies spanning food, agriculture, retail, telecommunications, digital technology, and future-oriented businesses.

The 2026 scholarship program features the 'CP Scholarship Talent Screening Day 2026' across five nationwide regions, selecting 500 high-potential students and graduates from over 2,000 applicants for in-depth evaluation through one-on-one interviews and group activities assessing leadership, creativity, teamwork, communication skills, and problem-solving abilities. The fifth screening event at True Digital Park in Bangkok welcomed over 100 students from Bangkok and Central Thailand. The event was graced by Kasama Varavarn Na Ayudhya, former Permanent Secretary of Education, and program administrators; Dr. Theerapol Thanomsaktyut, Executive Chairman for Organizational Sustainability and Strategic Development, Charoen Pokphand Group; Ms. Siriporn Detchasing, Executive Director of Sustainability and Corporate Communications, CP Extra; Ms. Benjawan Ongsri, Executive Director of Shopping Center Business, CP Extra; Dr. Adipat Chaichanasukul; and Associate Professor Dr. Rueungsak Kaewthammachay, along with senior executives from various business groups.

Kasama Varavarn Na Ayudhya, program administrator, encouraged applicants by emphasizing that merely reaching the final screening round represents a rare 'significant opportunity,' as all youth become part of the 'CP Family'—an organization of ethical learning that connects young people with leading national executives, their philosophies, work methods, questioning approaches, and genuine leadership perspectives. She noted that today's nationwide applicants form a 'learning network' for mutual future growth; today's competitors may become tomorrow's partners and allies in creating positive change for society and Thailand.

Police are accelerating their investigation into a major cache of war weapons and explosives, expanding efforts to identify the source and trace the supply network involved in illegal arms trafficking. The case stems from the arrest of a Chinese man whose sedan flipped in Na Jomtien police station area. When officers inspected the vehicle, they discovered firearms and ammunition, leading to a follow-up search of a residential property in Huai Yai subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri province, where authorities uncovered an extensive weapons arsenal and numerous explosive devices.

On May 11, 2026, police officers from Na Jomtien police station transferred all seized items to the Forensic Science Center 2 for examination, particularly C4 explosives and various other explosive materials, to determine their origin and investigate smuggling routes from foreign countries. Officers are simultaneously pursuing leads to connect the weapons cache to broader illegal arms trafficking networks.

The seized items total 18 entries, including: a GLOCK 26 handgun with 9mm ammunition, M16 rifle ammunition cases with 5.56mm rounds, two M16 rifles, extensive firearm ammunition, C4 explosives in both block and stick form weighing several kilograms, Russian-made POMZ2 anti-personnel mines, explosives from Korea and Myanmar, electrical detonators, remote control units, body armor, gas masks, and various other tactical equipment.

Initially, authorities are investigating the origin of all weapons and explosives, including which countries manufactured and distributed them, whether they were smuggled into Thailand, financial transaction trails, involved individuals, and the weapons supply network. This case is considered one of the largest illegal weapons and explosives possession cases in Chon Buri province.