The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has joined forces with leading partners including NEXTOPIA Siam Paragon, Megatix Thailand, Bolt, and Sanook.com to invite modern workers to travel and explore remote work locations across 17 central provinces under the 'Work Wonder Belong' campaign.

The campaign transforms ordinary workdays into special moments by discovering new workspaces amidst relaxing and inspiring atmospheres that foster creativity and boost work efficiency. It curates products and services matching modern lifestyles, from accommodations and attractions to co-working spaces ideal for remote work, plus services enabling seamless work-from-anywhere setups. This supports the emerging trend blending work and travel, offering a fresh perspective on central Thailand's tourism appeal from May 1 to July 25, 2025.

Wannapha Keartpong, TAT Central Region Director, noted that many Thai organizations now adopt hybrid and remote work models to meet employee quality-of-life expectations and modern workers' aspirations. This enables weekday travel and has created growing demand for 'workation'—combining work with tourism. The trend includes 'weekend extenders,' stretching weekends without using vacation days, boosting travel opportunities while stimulating tourism in provinces near Bangkok, particularly the central region with convenient access and strong infrastructure for remote work.

TAT and partners have curated tourist attractions, hotels, activities, and co-working spaces suited for combined work and travel, offering discounts and special privileges to encourage weekday travel across major cities and attractions in central Thailand. The campaign aims to enhance work-tourism integration and create innovative travel experiences for today's workforce.

Chanisa Kaewruean, Creative and Innovation Executive at Siam Piwat Company, stated that NEXTOPIA is pleased to support this campaign promoting modern workers' lifestyles blending work and travel. NEXTOPIA opens its spaces as destinations for work, relaxation, and socializing in an inspiring atmosphere in central Bangkok, encouraging travel and lifestyle outside traditional offices.

The campaign offers multiple promotions: shopping at Siam Paragon mall to earn rewards with credit card cashback up to 22%, plus NEXTOPIA provides shopping, dining, and drinking coupons with discounts up to 200 baht in the NEXTOPIA Zone. Thai tourists can present the campaign banner or mention news of the 'Work Wonder Belong' campaign along with an ID card at Information Counters (G Floor North side, 1st Floor Star Dome, and 5th Floor NEXTOPIA).

Pun Pun Sutatta has become an icon of the spiritual devotion trend after sharing tips on worshipping the Trimurti statue for love, which led to her meeting an attractive, successful boyfriend—and now countless people are following her lead. Recently, she opened up about the truth: she's not actually a hardcore spiritual person or into occult practices, but simply believes in peace of mind. She revealed how she went to great lengths to find a fortune teller's phone number to get additional tips, which she then shared on social media, causing the trend to go viral.

She also disclosed that her current love life is happy without expecting a fairy-tale prince. Her boyfriend is a private person who dislikes media attention. When asked if she's become the symbol of spiritual devotion, she laughed it off: "In reality, I'm not that spiritual. But because of what happened that day, I tracked down the fortune teller's number—I had nothing, no contacts, nothing. When I called, he didn't remember me at first because we met at a birthday party. I sent him a video clip to refresh his memory, and he remembered. I asked if he had any additional tips or tricks to share. Since I'd only shared what the fortune teller told me initially, he gave me more tips, and I made another video to share."

When asked if lots of people are following her lead, she noted: "Probably a lot. The flowers are selling really well—supporting local Thai businesses. Initially, 100 flowers were ordered, and now it's 128. We're adding meaningful items like compasses, globes, and watches. The idea is that no matter where he is in the world, he'll find us. The clock spins with time as we pray, and the compass ensures we won't get lost. Each item has its own meaning."

She emphasized that this is her first time doing something like this and that she's not naturally superstitious. "When I pray, I pray as a whole for my entire life. I'm happier that way. I'm not a secretive person—I'll go pray at any temple anyone invites me to, but I've never consulted fortune tellers before. The fortune teller said if you do it, it has to work, so I distributed the blessings hoping no one would feel lonely."

Regarding whether she went to pray to find another partner, she joked: "Oh please, stop. You alone are already exhausted."

When asked about her current relationship, she said: "It's excellent. We live life well without any problems."

Giving it a grade, she answered: "A++? We have to say it's good. If we say it's not good, it won't be good. We have to think that everything is good."

Her advice for others: "Don't go looking for a perfect person or checking off a checklist. Make the person you're with happy. Don't have too many expectations. I'm not a princess, so I don't expect a prince. No one is perfect. Nobody is perfect."

Beyond her work in the entertainment industry, the talented actress Fon Sananttachat is currently pursuing multiple ventures as a skincare business owner, law student, and content creator, constantly adapting to social media trends. She's also revealed an unexpected side—competing in international poker competitions, recognized for her analytical thinking and psychological skills. She's truly a woman who never stops developing herself.

Recently while rehearsing for the GDH concert "Growing Together," she shared updates about her business, studies, and new life challenges. "I started my skincare business online last year and recently expanded into physical beauty stores. We now have 10 team members, and the business is doing really well. The flagship product is cleansing remover, and our office has grown significantly," she explained. As the oldest person in the office, she described her management style: "I have to do my makeup because my face doesn't look authoritative, so I use clothing as a weapon. Working with Gen Z requires me to be both serious and understanding, with earned respect."

Contrary to expectations of being stern, she noted: "I'm not fierce—I speak sweetly but everything must be on time and precise. We must accept the age gap exists, and I want to hear new ideas. One person isn't as good as a team."

Beyond business, she's also a third-year law student at Ramkhamhaeng University. "I started another degree program after a legal dispute made me realize how important it is to truly understand the law. Now friends send me contracts to review, and even though I haven't finished, I can advise them. In entertainment we work on emotion, but law requires seriousness."

She's also content creating. "The entertainment industry faces funding challenges, and my fans miss me. Now they can see me on social media every day, not just in films and dramas."

Regarding the competitive poker scene, she explained: "I got inspired by Top Taap, who saw potential in my analytical and calculation skills. Poker is a mind sport requiring both math and psychology to read opponents. He sent me a book, and I started competing internationally. Last year I was in the top five Thai women players, and this year I'm traveling to different places, possibly heading to America."

For those unfamiliar with poker, she clarified: "Thailand now has an official Poker Sports Association, though competitions haven't started yet. It's about education—it's a legal sport."

Ms. Yupaphin Wangwiwatthanakul, Chief Financial Officer of Gulf Development Public Company Limited, announced that the company's Q1/2025 operating results showed total revenue of 39,041 million baht, up 21% from 32,344 million baht in Q1/2024, and core profit of 9,326 million baht, up 43% from 6,506 million baht.

In Q1/2025, the company recorded EBITDA of 16,134 million baht, an increase of 27% from 12,699 million baht in Q1/2024, and net profit attributable to the parent company (including foreign exchange impacts) of 9,117 million baht, up 39% from 6,564 million baht. The baht weakened from 31.74 to the US dollar on December 31, 2024, to 32.99 at the end of Q1/2025.

As of March 31, 2025, the company had total assets of 820,652 million baht, total liabilities of 442,532 million baht, and shareholders' equity of 378,120 million baht, with a net interest-bearing debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91x, up from 0.85x at year-end 2024, resulting from long-term debt increase from issuing 35,000 million baht in bonds in March.

"The company maintains its full-year 2025 revenue growth forecast of approximately 10-15% from gradually recognizing revenue from increased generation capacity from new projects. This year, approximately 700 megawatts of new power plant capacity will begin commercial operations," including six solar farm and solar battery energy storage projects domestically with a combined capacity of 623 megawatts, the Chiang Mai waste-to-energy project (CM WTE) with 10 megawatts, and GULF1 solar rooftop projects expected to add 60-70 megawatts to customer deliveries.

For Q2/2025 outlook, the company expects continued operational growth, supported primarily by the energy business segment, including increased electricity sales to Thailand's Electricity Generating Authority (EGAT) due to higher demand during the summer season, particularly in April, and strong performance from the Jackson Generation natural gas power plant in the United States, with capacity payments increasing from $270 to $329 per megawatt per day in June due to rising electricity demand from data centers in the PJM market.

Additionally, in Q2/2025, the company will recognize a gain of approximately 1,900 million baht from selling a 51% stake in the Pak Lay hydropower project to J-Power, and dividend income from KBANK of approximately 2,800 million baht, supporting cash flow and overall operational performance targets.

The company remains committed to sustainable and stable long-term growth in the energy business, planning to participate in developing various projects aligned with government policy, including renewable energy power plants to support net-zero greenhouse gas emission targets.

On May 7, 2025, Pol. Lt. Amornthep Nimmamhai from Pattaya City Traffic Division, along with Pattaya City Police investigation unit, launched a pursuit of the songthaew driver following the circulation of a social media video showing foreign tourists performing parkour-style stunts and jumping on the moving vehicle, resulting in one passenger falling and being injured. The incident took place on Pattaya Beach Road near the Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya.

The investigation revealed that the incident occurred around 2:00 AM on May 5, 2025, when Somsak, a 43-year-old songthaew driver, picked up approximately five foreign tourists from Soi 6 on Pattaya Beach Road heading toward Walking Street. As the vehicle approached the Hard Rock Hotel, the driver heard a sound resembling someone falling from the car and immediately stopped to check. He found a foreign man lying in the middle of the road. When asked by the man's companions what had happened, they replied nothing was wrong and requested the driver continue to drop off two more passengers at the Walking Street entrance. The remaining companions assisted the injured man, and the group dispersed.

The driver later learned from online video clips that the injured tourist had jumped and performed parkour stunts while aboard the moving vehicle, losing control and falling out on his own.

Police have cautioned the driver to strengthen safety measures and closely monitor passenger behavior. Charges have been filed against the driver under the Land Transport Act B.E. 2522, Article 107, for allowing passengers to cling to the exterior of the vehicle. The foreign tourists involved remain under investigation with authorities pursuing further questioning.

Back-to-school spending for 2025 has reached a historic high of 66.376 billion baht, but this is not a sign of economic recovery—it reflects the burden crushing Thai families. A survey by the Thai Chamber of Commerce's Economic and Business Forecasting Center makes clear that this spending growth doesn't stem from stronger purchasing power, but from unavoidable necessity.

A striking fact is that nearly half of parents blame increased expenses on rising commodity and fuel prices, which directly affect living costs across all fronts—from school transportation to basic school supplies. Although the Ministry of Education doesn't mandate buying new uniforms, many parents feel compelled to do so anyway, so their children don't miss out or feel inferior to their peers.

A troubling statistic: 27.1% of parents lack sufficient funds for back-to-school expenses and resort to various borrowing methods—from formal loans to selling assets, borrowing from relatives, and taking informal loans. Yet despite these growing burdens, parents refuse to cut back on education spending, believing it's the path for their children to transcend economic limitations, even if it means sacrificing other quality-of-life aspects like travel, consumption, or even food.

However, families depleting savings or cutting basic expenses to maintain their children's education is not a sign of a sustainable system—it indicates education costs have exceeded what households can bear alone. Parents are calling for government intervention through tax relief, direct subsidies, transportation assistance, and price controls on education-related goods. These are essential for ensuring Thai children have equal access to education. Back-to-school costs represent more than just economics; they're an indicator of household vulnerability and persistent inequality in Thailand's education system.

If the government leaves this burden solely on parents' shoulders, it allows education opportunity to become a private burden rather than a shared social responsibility. The time has come to seriously link education policy with economic policy to ease this burden and ensure that education—the foundation of national development—doesn't become an unbearable burden for Thai families long-term.