Thung Mahakmek Police Recover Funds for Victim Defrauded in Designer Handbag Scam Worth Over 370,000 Baht

On May 15, senior police officers and investigators from Thung Mahakmek Station coordinated a joint investigation into the case.

The investigation began after a victim filed a complaint on September 5, 2568, at Thung Mahakmek Police Station. The victim reported being defrauded by scammers who posed as designer handbag sellers. After showing interest in purchasing branded bags, the victim was tricked into transferring money to multiple bank accounts, totaling 550,488 baht.

The National Police Office's Technology Crime Prevention and Suppression Center coordinated with various banks and telecommunications agencies. Working with Thung Mahakmek Station investigators, they traced the fraudulent transfers and coordinated with Kasikornbank to freeze and recover 375,500 baht, which was returned to Thung Mahakmek Station for restitution to the victim.

Lt. Col. Panom confirmed that the recovered funds have been successfully returned to the victim. The victim expressed gratitude for the swift investigation and cooperation between local police, the National Police Office, and Kasikornbank.

Police urged the public to exercise caution when contacted by criminals, avoid rushing to transfer money, and contact the nearest police station immediately for assistance.

Thung Mahakmek Station continues to investigate the fraudulent transfers by coordinating with relevant agencies to trace the perpetrators and pursue legal action.

On May 15, 2569, Deputy Secretary-General of the Election Commission Pol.Lt.Col. Paskorn Siripokayaporn delivered a briefing at Tree City Five Hotel in Pattaya on the election procedures for Bangkok and Pattaya. He announced that May 21 will be the final working day for Bangkok Metropolitan Council members, the Pattaya Mayor, and Pattaya City Council members. The EC has approved elections for Bangkok and Pattaya on June 28, 2569, which falls on day 38 of the 45-day timeline. This date was selected to avoid potential legal challenges if elections were held on July 5, the final day of the 45-day period. The EC had previously announced the election timeline well in advance.

Candidate registration will run from May 28 to June 1, 2569, scheduled on weekdays to allow time for document preparation from government agencies and ensure readiness. Bangkok has over 6,000 polling units and Pattaya over 100, both considered special format elections with centralized oversight from the EC Secretary-General.

The Deputy Secretary-General emphasized that all prospective candidates must verify their qualifications and check 20 categories of disqualifying factors, including preparing required documents. Specifically, candidates must provide income tax payment records for three consecutive years (2566-2568) leading up to their candidacy, or a certification letter from relevant agencies if not a taxpayer. Medical certificates can be used to verify freedom from mental illness or drug addiction.

Regarding media share holdings, the EC will follow the Constitutional Court's ruling in the Pita Limjaroenrat case, examining whether the media company generated journalism revenue during the candidacy year. Disqualifying factors also include convictions for property-related crimes such as theft, embezzlement, receiving stolen goods, or fraud under the Criminal Code, which permanently bar individuals from politics. Exceptions apply to cannabis cultivation unless specifically intended for commercial purposes. Individuals under 2-year rights restriction due to failure to exercise voting rights can verify their status through the Department of Local Administration website.

Those who knowingly file despite disqualifications face severe penalties: 1-10 years imprisonment, fines of 20,000-200,000 baht, and potential 10-year rights deprivation. The Deputy Secretary-General noted that Bangkok and Pattaya elections differ from parliamentary elections. After registration, Bangkok and Pattaya administrators have 7 days to verify qualifications by consulting various agencies. During this period, candidates cannot withdraw, even if they subsequently become disqualified or pass away.

According to reports, Manchester United has made an initial offer to Michael Carrick for the permanent manager position on a two-year deal through 2028, with an option to extend for an additional season until 2029.

Carrick temporarily took over Manchester United following Ruben Amorim's dismissal in early January and has achieved outstanding results, securing 10 victories in 15 league matches. The club has maintained third place and guaranteed Champions League qualification for next season.

The 44-year-old manager had previously been considered the leading candidate for the permanent role, though no official decision had been made by the board headed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Negotiations have now commenced following approval from Ratcliffe after this week's board meeting. Executive Chairman Omar Berrada and Football Director Jason Wilcox have recommended that Carrick be appointed to the full-time manager position.

During an urgent parliamentary session on May 15, 2026, Chetwan Tueaprakon, a Pathum Thani MP from the Pheu Thai Party, voiced serious disappointment with the government's failure to advance several critical draft bills, particularly the Military Court Organic Act.

The law's core principle would transfer criminal and corruption cases involving military personnel to the anti-corruption and misconduct courts—civilian tribunals—rather than keeping them within military jurisdiction. For cases involving cruel treatment of subordinates or inhumane punishment, the bill would similarly mandate transfer to civilian courts under the Concealment Act, ensuring equal treatment and reducing military privilege.

Chetwan argued that without this reform, military officials can simply demand that cases go to military courts, leading to prolonged disputes before the Committee for Determining Court Jurisdiction. He questioned whether military prosecutors, judges, and court personnel—all under the Defense Ministry command—can truly maintain independence from government interference.

"To eliminate public doubt, the Military Court Organic Act should clearly specify which offenses must go to civilian anti-corruption courts," Chetwan stated. "This would prevent endless jurisdiction disputes, reduce the committee's burden, and accelerate justice for victims."

Chetwan cited the death of Private Kittithod Wiengbanbat at Mengrai Maharaj Camp in Chiang Rai as a prime example. The case initially belonged to the civilian anti-corruption court but military defendants mysteriously challenged jurisdiction, causing the inter-court committee to postpone hearings three times over four months before reaching a decision.

"Without clear statutory guidelines, we waste time on jurisdiction battles instead of delivering justice," Chetwan concluded, noting that delayed justice is injustice.

Bangkok Mass Transit System (BEM) has reported first quarter 2026 net profits of 875 million baht, with toll and fare revenues continuing to grow as travel volume and economic activity remain robust, resulting in sustained increases in expressway and BTS Skytrain ridership. Dr. Somsak Kijcharalaksana, Managing Director of Bangkok Expressway and Metro Public Company Limited (BEM), explained that despite slowdowns in tourist arrivals due to global economic conditions, Bangkok and its surrounding areas continue to see strong business activity and travel demand, enabling the company to achieve net profits of 875 million baht in the first quarter, a modest increase compared to the same period last year. Combined revenue from three business segments reached 4,283 million baht, up 24 million baht, with the expressway business generating 2,275 million baht (up 30 million baht) with average daily traffic of 1.13 million trips; the rail system business earning 1,784 million baht (up 35 million baht) with average ridership of 447,000 trips daily and 506,000 trips on weekdays; and commercial development generating 224 million baht (down due to reduced advertising revenue). Construction on the Orange Line extension (Cultural Centre to Ram Indra stations) has completed civil works with 49% progress on system installation, while the western section (Bang Khun Non to Cultural Centre) shows 29% progress on civil works and 8% on system installation. BEM expects to receive additional Blue Line trains and commence service by 2027 to accommodate increased ridership from the Orange Line opening and enhance capacity during peak hours. The company continues upgrading transportation infrastructure for convenience, speed, and safety while maintaining corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability.

A bride is frustrated after her groom's friend repeatedly posts intimate photos with the groom and appears to be stealing the spotlight on her wedding day. Bride Thuy Linh explained that her family invested tremendous effort to make her wedding day beautiful and meaningful, but an unexpected situation arose when the groom's female friend constantly posted close-up photos with him on social media.

When the groom asked her to delete the photos to prevent misunderstandings, the woman responded with sarcastic posts suggesting "the bride is jealous because she looks better," and even boasted about being more prominent than the bride at the wedding.

After the story spread online, many netizens criticized the groom's friend's behavior, viewing it as disrespectful to the bride and her family. Comments included "The groom's friend is acting like she's the main character of the event" and "She might try to steal someone else's husband in the future."

Following the drama, the groom reportedly cut ties with his female friend to show his stance and respect for his wife.

The friend later posted an apology, admitting she acted emotionally and lacked restraint, causing the situation to escalate and impact her friend's special day. She apologized to the bride privately and expressed regret, apologizing to both families and everyone affected by her behavior. She acknowledged that her apology may not completely erase the negative feelings but hoped for a chance to improve herself.

Meanwhile, the bride responded under the apology post, asking netizens to stop attacking the other party and not let the situation escalate further. She confirmed that her husband stands by her and that the family does not want the problem to worsen.