Tony Rakaen has made a comeback to public appearances after stepping away from the entertainment world to pursue a simpler life with his wife Kaew Charinya Sirimongkol. He shifted his focus to gardening and growing vegetables, becoming largely absent from the entertainment scene. Recently, he attended the Netflix action-romance film premiere 'Blood Love Killer' at Siam Paragon's fifth floor, opening up about finding better life balance. He humorously remarked about his mother Baan Yen's recent cosmetic surgery, saying she looks so much younger it's like having a new older sister. At 74, she rarely leaves the house.

When asked about his current lifestyle, Tony explained: "Things are going fine. Nothing major really. We cook and garden. I don't go out much. It's been a long time since an event like this—probably a year. I do talk to people though. There was a period when we were focused on completing the garden project, which didn't align well with entertainment work since the industry demands skin care. I wasn't taking care of myself during that time, and my skin darkened, which meant I wasn't getting work offers. Do I regret the trade-off? I think it's more of an ongoing feeling. We've found more joy in the peace and quiet than in chasing happiness. There are periods where we have to make choices, times when I was filming while also working on the garden, and my skin would change color, making it hard for cinematographers to light scenes properly. But once we understood the system and got everything automated, it required less work from us, allowing us to do more in entertainment."

When asked if economic concerns drove his decision to stay home, Tony responded: "Since COVID, we've been doing this for a while. It does have an effect—we still drive and buy imports; we can't produce 100% of our food at home. I've been affected like everyone else. If anything, it's more of a social issue than economic. We go out less and stay home more, reducing those expenses. Previously, we cleared all our debts—paid off the house, car, and everything. So we don't need to focus on making money the way we used to, though we still do. We've just become more economical. Kaew taught me that living this way is easier—if we want something, we wait until we can afford it, then buy it outright. That's always been her approach, and I've learned from her."

When asked if he's resisting technology and trends like others in the industry, he laughed and said: "I'm not better than anyone. I just go with the flow. My desires have decreased since I don't want to go out much. I don't need to dress up like before. I focus on what we'll cook and eat today and whether it tastes good. I don't see many people or go out often. My consumer spending isn't excessive—it's normal. Most of my spending goes toward the garden: soil, supplies, things like that. As for collectibles I like, I have some Supreme items for decoration, but I'm not buying more. Most of the spending goes to the garden rather than luxury goods."

FIFA has announced the prize money structure for the new 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup, scheduled for September-October, with the Division 1 champion receiving over 32 million baht—three times the prize money of previous ASEAN championship winners. The tournament will see 14 nations competing across two divisions, with the top eight teams based on FIFA rankings competing in Division 1 in Indonesia, while the remaining six nations compete in Division 2 in Hong Kong. FIFA has also invited non-ASEAN nations Hong Kong, India, and China to participate. All participating nations receive 125,000 dollars (approximately 4 million baht) in appearance fees, while the Division 1 champion will earn 1 million dollars (approximately 32 million baht)—triple the 300,000 dollars earned by previous ASEAN Cup champions. The Division 2 champion will receive 300,000 dollars (approximately 10 million baht), with additional bonuses for match wins and draws. Meanwhile, during July-August, ASEAN nations will compete in the 2026 ASEAN Football Championship (AFF Hyundai Cup), with Thailand in Group B scheduled to face Laos on July 25, Malaysia on August 1, the Philippines on August 4, and Myanmar on August 8.

The Thai government has confirmed that registration for the Nationwide Subsidy Plus program and a new round of State Welfare Cards will open on May 25 under the "Thailand Helping Thailand Plus" initiative, with benefits beginning June 1. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapassorn announced this on May 7, though the total number of eligible participants—potentially 43 million people—is still under consideration.

The program will be divided into two phases (2+2 months) contingent upon necessity assessment and global conditions. In the first phase, all citizens will receive 1,000 baht per month for two months. Existing welfare cardholders, who currently receive 300 baht monthly, will have an additional 700 baht added to bring their total to 1,000 baht.

The second phase involves reviewing the eligibility of current welfare cardholders based on new registration criteria. Those who no longer meet poverty standards will transition to the Nationwide Subsidy Plus program instead, receiving 1,000 baht for two months like other participants.

The Finance Ministry will collaborate with the Interior Ministry to verify eligibility, aiming to complete the review process within two months of registration opening. This will allow authorities to identify and transition those who have risen above poverty levels into the second phase of the program.

On May 7, 2569, Police General Suriya Singhakamol, Secretary-General of the Department of Special Investigation, announced the success of "Cutting Out the Rotten Flesh Operation 6," a coordinated effort to address state officials involved in drug trafficking under the government's national-priority drug control policy. The operation began with a complaint filed through the hotline 1386 alleging that a police officer from Dok Kham Tai Police Station in Phayao Province was involved in drug use and distribution. Investigation revealed the officer had been under suspicion since 2567. On May 6, officials from the Department of Special Investigation's Region 5 office, working with investigators from Dok Kham Tai Police Station, conducted a raid on a rural hut in Ban Tham Subdistrict, Dok Kham Tai District. There they found Police Lieutenant Phakaphum with two other men. Urinalysis of all three tested positive for drugs. During a body search of Police Lieutenant Phakaphum, 15 methamphetamine pills were found hidden on his person, while one of his associates had 8 pills. All three were arrested and prosecuted immediately. The Department of Special Investigation's Secretary-General emphasized that this operation sends a clear warning to all state officials that no protection or leniency will be given to wrongdoers. Officials involved in drug trafficking severely undermine public confidence and the justice system. The department will expand the operation to dismantle all related networks and enforce maximum disciplinary and legal measures to maintain transparency standards and create a sustainable drug-free Thai society in accordance with the Ministry of Justice's objectives.

'Big Joke' Denies Knowing Thon Bangkae and Amulet Collector Group, Claims He Didn't Use Anyone as a Tool to Attack 'Big Turtle' and Asks the Media Not to Connect the Dots

At 2:00 PM on May 7, 2026, at the Central Investigation Police Office, General Surachet Hakphaul, also known as 'Big Joke' and former Deputy Police Commissioner, gave an additional statement to suppression division investigators. This came after his former close aides Pol. Col. Aris Kurasertrat and Pol. Lt. Col. Krisada Periyakaetu filed a complaint accusing him of assault causing bodily or mental harm.

General Surachet revealed that he came today to provide supplementary testimony regarding the complaint filed by his former subordinates, though he asked that details be directed to his lawyer. He confirmed that all actions are being conducted within the framework of the law. Regarding his relationship with 'Thon Bangkae' and the amulet collector group in question, he stated he does not know either Thon or the collector group, and he did not coordinate with them to come to the suppression division.

When asked about reports suggesting that General Surachet may have used Thon Bangkae as a tool to file a complaint, General Surachet requested that the media not connect these issues. He emphasized that he does not know anything about Thon, does not know him personally, and did not use anyone as a tool.

According to Sanyaphach Samart, General Surachet's lawyer, today's supplementary testimony addressed allegations of assault and mental harm. The general brought outside witnesses, including 3-4 medical witnesses whose names he preferred not to disclose, as he came seeking justice and wanted investigators to examine the evidence and consider it in building the case. Initially, General Surachet has provided complete testimony to the investigators, though the investigator's decision on whether to file charges remains at their discretion.

The lawyer clarified that regarding previous reports suggesting General Surachet's testimony contradicted his lawyer's account, the investigators actually summoned General Surachet to provide supplementary information to police. General Surachet's intention that day was to also file a counter-complaint against his former subordinates, but due to other commitments and time constraints, he only acknowledged the facts and did not file the counter-complaint that day. However, he will proceed with filing the counter-complaint afterward.

'General Surachet has not yet discussed the case with the opposing party. He continues to deny assaulting his former subordinate. Whether today's testimony will be favorable to General Surachet remains unclear, but he has provided all facts and information, particularly the medical evidence that cannot be altered.'

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supachee Panitchpakdi announced that her recent visit to Washington, D.C. with the "Team Thailand+" delegation from May 4-5, 2026, was aimed at promoting economic cooperation, trade, and investment between Thailand and the United States, an important economic partner. The delegation participated in significant activities and held comprehensive discussions with both U.S. government and private sector representatives.

The visit reflected the Thai government's commitment to strengthening economic relations with the United States across all dimensions including trade, investment, and public-private cooperation. Thailand is prepared to work closely with all U.S. sectors to drive economic relationships toward concrete and sustainable results.

Supachee stated that she participated in the SelectUSA Investment Summit 2026 alongside Panpriya Pahithanakul, advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, and Poj Aramwattananont, Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, representing "Team Thailand+" as a unified effort between the Commerce Ministry, Foreign Ministry, and Thai Chamber of Commerce, together with leading Thai business representatives. The delegation sought to create opportunities and promote Thai investment in the United States, particularly in sectors where Thailand has competitive advantages such as energy, agricultural processing, and advanced technology industries, reflecting Thai business confidence in the U.S. economy and Thailand's role as an important investment partner.

Supachee reported positive discussions with U.S. Commerce Department representatives, who expressed readiness to facilitate Thai private sector investments in the United States. She also met with private sector representatives from various U.S. states including Texas and Utah, which are potential hubs for energy, technology, and future industry investments, and all expressed willingness to welcome Thai investments.

Supachee noted that leading Thai private sector participants in the SelectUSA Investment Summit 2026—representing energy, petrochemicals, food, and electronics sectors—demonstrated Thailand's plans for continued investment expansion in the United States. Current Thai investments in the U.S. exceed $17 billion with growing momentum. The summit participation also created opportunities for Thai private companies to connect with U.S. business partners and government agencies to expand cooperation in supply chains and target industries.

Additionally, Supachee held discussions with the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council (USABC), where she presented Thailand's vision and invited U.S. private sector companies to invest in Thailand. She emphasized Thailand's economic policies focused on enhancing competitiveness, restructuring the economy for the future, and promoting target industries such as Food Innovation and the Digital Economy—sectors with potential for supply chain linkages between Thailand and the United States.

U.S. private sector representatives expressed interest in expanding cooperation and investment in Thailand in mutually beneficial sectors including food technology and innovation, tourism and hospitality, and as partners supporting economic growth and development.