US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that 2026 World Cup tickets are expensive and admits he wouldn't pay the hefty prices himself after being asked by media about tickets costing up to $1,000 for the opening match between the United States and Paraguay on June 12.

The 2026 World Cup has faced criticism for record-high ticket prices, as group stage ticket prices are determined by team popularity rather than fixed rates. Fans also face significant markups on FIFA's official resale platform, which charges a 30% fee (split 15% each from buyers and sellers) on every ticket sold.

When The New York Post asked Donald Trump about the issue, the US President revealed: "I didn't know those numbers before. I would certainly like to go, but to be honest, I wouldn't pay that price either. If people from Queens, from Brooklyn, or people who love Donald Trump can't go see it, I'd be disappointed. But at the same time, it's an incredible success. I want the people who voted for me to be able to attend this event."

Meanwhile, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the ticket prices, saying they align with other sports ticketing systems in the United States. "In the US, ticket resale is something that happens, so if we sell tickets at too low a price, those tickets will just be resold at much higher prices anyway."

Beyond expensive tickets, football fans also face increased travel costs, particularly in New Jersey where railroad prices had previously sparked outrage, though fares have since been reduced. Train rides lasting 30 minutes to Met Life Stadium were initially hiked to $150 from the normal price of $12.90, but have now been cut by 30%, bringing the fare from Penn Station in Manhattan to the New Jersey stadium to $105.

Actress Yogurt Nathatchacha Bunyaprachom recently posted on her personal social media addressing matters concerning her ex-husband, stating: "Regarding past events between myself and Piyavat Chemmpeach, there were some points where we previously misunderstood each other. Both parties have now come to a good understanding and have concluded matters amicably." The post generated significant attention, leaving many wondering what prompted the sudden message.

On May 7th, Yogurt visited Termsuuk Studio to shoot promotional posters for the series "THREE MAN DOWN - Gentlemen of Blood, Color of Youth." During an interview, she addressed the matter:

When asked if the post was meant to clarify something, Yogurt explained: "It's exactly as posted. Previously, there may have been points where we misunderstood or didn't align. Bottom line is, as I posted, we now have a good understanding and have concluded things amicably."

When asked why she decided to post and if there was any agreement: "I thought the timing was right. As you may know, I never previously said whether things were concluded or how they ended. This is the conclusion—it's finished."

Regarding the time span: "About two years since then, I feel very relieved. People used to ask if it was resolved and when, but now I feel the word 'finished' truly means I can start fresh. This moment is the most appropriate."

When pressed on whether this referred to financial matters or relationship matters: "I'd rather not get into details. The point is, it's truly finished now and concluded well."

On whether this involved legal proceedings or court orders: "I'd prefer not to elaborate. It doesn't affect just me alone. Let's focus on the outcome—it's concluded and ended well. Both parties agreed to post so society understands in the same direction."

When asked if they discussed this face-to-face or through intermediaries: "We did talk." She concluded with optimism: "As I said, the word 'finished' and 'starting fresh anew' now feels most appropriate for this moment."

YouTuber Khong Kraphan has removed videos featuring controversial fortune teller Ajarn Kaekam from his official YouTube channel and apologized to victims affected by the scandal. On May 8, 2025, Khong Kraphan's channel, which had previously produced content about the prominent spiritual advisor currently facing major allegations of VIP fortune-telling fraud involving sexual misconduct and predatory behavior toward multiple victims, announced the removal of all related content. In a Facebook post, Khong Kraphan stated: "My official channel is removing videos about Ajarn Kaekam...Following the situation that has emerged in society involving this spiritual advisor, I am removing related videos from my channel pending legal determination of the facts. I also sincerely apologize to all victims affected by this incident." The post received substantial support and encouragement from his fans.

On May 8, 2026, at Centara Life Central World Convention Center in Bangkok, Sawaeng Boonmee, Secretary of the Election Commission (EC), held a press conference following a preparatory meeting for elections of Bangkok Metropolitan Council members, Bangkok governor, Pattaya City Council members, and Pattaya mayor. He reported that the EC has been continuously preparing and conducting drills in coordination between the EC offices in Bangkok and Pattaya to ensure polling committees work in alignment and avoid errors, given the expected high public participation in both elections.

Sawaeng noted that Bangkok has over 6,000 polling units requiring substantial personnel, but he expressed confidence in Bangkok officials' readiness to serve as polling committee members. Regarding ballot design, he explained that local election ballots lack barcodes unlike parliamentary ballots because they are different election types. The EC continuously prints local ballots since municipal and subdistrict elections occur regularly to ensure adequate ballot supply.

Concerning campaign monitoring, Sawaeng stated that national and local election laws apply the same standards. The EC is currently tracking candidate movements both on the ground and through social media, with no irregularities detected. Despite competitive races in Pattaya, he believed the easily monitored nature of the area—with oversight from media, public, and relevant agencies—would encourage candidates to follow the law.

The EC Secretary emphasized that the primary goal is ensuring elections are conducted honestly and fairly, regardless of who wins. He noted that the election system is designed to allow public participation in monitoring official conduct, with full retroactive verification capability down to individual ballots.

When asked if polling committee training would be stricter this time, given previous problems stemmed from committee errors, Sawaeng acknowledged that past elections and current ones serve as lessons. Most problems resulted from polling committees' misunderstanding of their duties. Training will begin over a month in advance, with particular emphasis on polling unit heads understanding regulations in detail to make proper judgments and listen to public complaints, as citizens also participate in election verification.

Asked if polling committees need reminders about properly maintaining equipment to prevent political misuse, Sawaeng countered by asking what "misuse" meant. He noted that equipment management is clearly regulated with continuous staff instructions. While unable to guarantee zero errors, all irregularities can be retroactively verified to individual ballot level, and he requested public cooperation to ensure transparent and credible elections.

An emotional moment unfolded at a wedding in the United States when the bride's daughter called her stepfather 'Dad' for the first time during the ceremony, revealing she had felt a genuine father-daughter connection all along but was too shy to say it.

The touching scene happened as groom Marcos Padilla waited for bride Jessica to walk down the aisle when a voice message suddenly played—a recording from Zoey Aviles, Jessica's daughter, addressed to Marcos.

In the message, Zoey shared that since age two, she had always felt Marcos was like a real father to her. As she grew older, however, she became embarrassed and afraid to call him 'Dad' until that special day when she decided to overcome her hesitation and speak from the heart: "Hello Dad. When I was little, I saw you as part of our family. As I grew up, I was scared to call you Dad, but now I'm not afraid anymore, because you truly are my dad."

Her simple yet heartfelt words brought many guests to tears. Zoey also thanked Marcos for always caring for and loving her and her mother, and when he heard her message, Marcos couldn't hold back his own tears, crying openly during the ceremony as Zoey also wept.

Jessica later revealed that the voice message was a special surprise she and her daughter had prepared specifically for her new husband, as Zoey had wanted to call Marcos 'Dad' for a long time but hadn't dared to say it directly.

Marcos has cared for Zoey since 2017 and has been present for every important moment in her life, and their bond gradually grew to be truly like father and daughter.

Zoey's first time calling him 'Dad' during the wedding ceremony left a lasting impression on all the guests, with many admitting they couldn't hold back their tears. After the story spread online, numerous netizens were moved by the love and closeness of this family and sent warm congratulations to the couple and their daughter.

The Board of Investment (BOI), the Thai Subcontracting Promotion Association, and Informa Markets will host the annual SUBCON Thailand 2026 exhibition from May 13-16, 2026 at BITEC Bangkok. Nurutham Toedstheersakdi, Secretary-General of the BOI, announced that this 20th edition is the largest industrial components exhibition in Asia, organized under the theme "Sourcing Innovation Shaping Tomorrow." This year's event will feature 239 exhibiting companies—154 of them Thai manufacturers—showcasing components across modern automotive, smart electronics, machinery, automation, robotics, medical devices, and aerospace industries. The exhibition aims to strengthen Thailand's supply chain capabilities and connect Thai manufacturers with global supply chains, positioning Thailand as a regional procurement and subcontracting hub for ASEAN. More than 90 international buyers from 14 countries including France, the UK, Japan, South Korea, India, and Vietnam will participate in networking and business matching activities. The event targets over 9,000 business-to-business connections with an estimated future transaction value exceeding 20 billion baht. The exhibition will feature an Innovation Showcase highlighting Thailand's manufacturing capabilities in smart and green technology, including PTT Digital's Smart Energy Management Platform utilizing IoT and AI, and sensing devices from research institutions under Thailand's National Science and Technology Development Agency. The event runs May 13-16, 2026 at BITEC Bangkok. Seventeen seminars will cover topics ranging from new targeted industries and entrepreneurship development to foreign investment expansion and digital-era financing options. A highlight will be the BOI Symposium 2026, themed "Thailand Driving Toward Smart and Green Mobility," featuring Secretary-General Nurutham's keynote on "Policies to Accelerate Smart and Green Mobility," remarks from Zhang Yongwei, president of China EV100 (China's leading electric vehicle think tank), and panels with leading organizations including the Thai Electric Vehicle Association and BYD. For more information, visit www.subconthailand.com.