BANGKOK — Thailand will revoke the 60-day visa-free stay scheme for all 93 eligible countries and territories as part of a sweeping overhaul of the country's visa policy, the Department of Consular Affairs announced on 19 May.

Mangkorn Pratoomkaew, director-general of the Department of Consular Affairs, said the Cabinet had approved a review of Thailand's visa exemption and visa privilege measures following a proposal by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Under the new policy, each country or territory will receive only one visa exemption privilege.

The government will also review the 30-day visa-free tourism scheme, reducing the number of eligible countries and territories from 57 to 54. In addition, Thailand plans to introduce a new 15-day visa-free tourism scheme for three countries or territories and drastically reduce the number of countries eligible for Visa on Arrival from 31 to just four.

The changes will take effect 15 days after publication in the Royal Gazette under three announcements issued by the Ministry of Interior.

Mangkorn said the review followed discussions among agencies under the Visa Policy Committee and took into account security, tourism, economic factors and reciprocal treatment between countries. He added that overlapping visa privileges had caused confusion among foreign travellers and complicated the Foreign Ministry's e-Visa system.

Foreign nationals already in Thailand, or those entering before the new measures take effect, will still be allowed to remain in the country under their current permitted stay until it expires. After the new rules come into force, incoming travellers must comply with the updated visa conditions.

Mangkorn also said the prime minister had signed an order appointing a new committee to regularly review Thailand's visa policies, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, to ensure visa measures remain aligned with current conditions in all dimensions.

Portugal has announced its 27-player roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final tournament, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and Vitinha. The Portuguese national team will compete in the World Cup hosted jointly by the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, 2026, grouped with DR Congo, Uzbekistan, and Colombia.

On May 19, Portugal's head coach Roberto Martínez officially unveiled the 27-player squad for the World Cup 2026.

As expected, 41-year-old star Cristiano Ronaldo has made the cut, marking his sixth consecutive World Cup appearance since 2006. Other notable players selected include Bruno Fernandes, Joao Neves, Vitinha, Pedro Neto, and Rafael Leão.

The squad list also includes striker Diogo Costa, who was previously on the roster.

Portugal's 27-player squad for the 2026 World Cup:

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), José Sá (Wolverhampton), Rui Silva (Sporting Lisbon), Ricardo Velozo (Genkelerbilizji)

Defenders: Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Nelson Semedo (Fenerbahçe), João Cancelo (Barcelona), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting Lisbon), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Rúben Dias (Manchester City), Tomás Araújo (Benfica)

Midfielders: Rúben Neves (Al Hilal), Samuel Costa (Mallorca), João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)

Forwards: João Félix (Al Nassar), Francisco Trincão (Sporting Lisbon), Francisco Conceição (Juventus), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Rafael Leão (AC Milan), Gonçalo Guedes (Real Sociedad), Gonçalo Ramos (Paris Saint-Germain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassar)

May 19, 2569 — Following a social media drama that led to a revenge boxing match, Boonmee recently gave an interview about his readiness and emotional state before stepping into the ring. After just completing the weigh-in ceremony and facing off with his opponent, he acknowledged this is a revenge match, reiterating that he couldn't fight on the day of the incident because the other side had greater numbers and he feared weapons.

When asked whether today's fight constitutes revenge for the previous altercation, the man in black admitted frankly with a laugh, "Something like that." He also clarified a point that many people wondered about — he holds a taekwondo degree and possesses skills in that sport, but why didn't he retaliate or fight back on the day of the incident? He explained that the previous incident was entirely outside the realm of sport. "That day was completely outside sport," he stated. "If I had fought, it would have been like this: they had weapons and I didn't, they had more people than us. We came with just three people and drove into their territory, their zone. I didn't know what would have happened if we fought."

During the weigh-in confrontation, he remained cool and chose to save his emotions for the ring. When asked about the atmosphere during the weigh-in, Boonmee revealed he felt very calm and indifferent, experiencing no tension or pressure, and intended to settle everything on the ring alone.

Regarding social media criticism that he acts arrogantly or puts on airs, he denied it and explained: "People don't see me in a good light, think I'm arrogant or something, but I don't even understand where my arrogance is. I got punched, right? Should I come sit and wai him? That wouldn't be right. I'm just being myself. I'm not putting on any act or being arrogant at all."

He expressed confidence in his speed and vowed to take victory home. Regarding his readiness to fight, he stated he has trained sufficiently. Although his opponent has trained intensively for the past three weeks, he has no worries and will not be complacent whatsoever.

When asked to assess his opponent's form, Boonmee said, "Looking at it, he might be slower than me. I think I'm faster." He concluded confidently: "I should definitely get the win and go home today." As for whether he'll win by points or knockout, he indicated he has already thought about that possibility.

A tragic accident claimed the life of an 83-year-old man riding his motorcycle to his grandson's Buddhist ordination ceremony when struck by a car. The car driver stated the elderly man suddenly cut in front of him onto the right lane, preventing him from braking in time.

At 5:48 PM on May 19, 2026, Deputy Investigation Officer Soros Chanapon of Muang Phatthalung Police Station received a report of a car-motorcycle collision on Asia Highway northbound in Tambon Tha Khae, Muang District, Phatthalung Province. He rushed to the scene with emergency medical staff from Phatthalung Hospital and rescue units from Tha Khae Subdistrict.

At the scene, responders found an 83-year-old man with severe injuries including a crushed skull and a nearly severed right leg, who was unresponsive and had no pulse. His motorcycle was severely damaged and overturned on the roadside. Emergency responders performed CPR before rushing him to Phatthalung Hospital, but due to the severity of his injuries, he died in the emergency room shortly after arrival.

Initial investigation determined that the victim was leaving home to travel to his grandson's ordination ceremony when the accident occurred.

Car driver Pirsak stated he was driving in the right lane with an 18-wheel truck in the left lane ahead when the motorcycle suddenly cut in front of him into the right lane without warning. He was unable to brake or swerve in time, resulting in a violent collision that threw the victim onto the roadway, while the motorcycle flew off to the side. Officials will conduct further investigation to determine the exact cause and proceed with legal action.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has appointed Thanat Suvarnanont, Director of the National Intelligence Agency, as head of peace talks for the southern border provinces. His primary duties include conducting negotiations with anti-state groups and violent perpetrators based on policies and measures established by the National Security Council, Prime Minister, or Cabinet; assessing and analyzing the stances and attitudes of dissenting groups and insurgents; and providing recommendations to senior leadership for policy decisions on resolving southern border issues. He will coordinate with facilitators in the peace process, including Malaysia and relevant government, private, and international entities.

The Prime Minister previously appointed a special government representative committee to address southern border problems, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sissadej Pungketkhao. The Defense Minister and National Security Council Secretary serve as vice chairs, with relevant permanent secretaries, the Supreme Commander, Army Commander, Police Commissioner, and the National Security Council Secretary as members. Wanmuhammad Normat, President of the Prime Minister's Advisory Board, serves as advisor.

The committee is tasked with driving strategies and operational plans toward concrete problem-solving, coordinating between the Cabinet and central government with local agencies, liaising with ministers assigned to work in the region, providing recommendations for integrated and coordinated efforts, and tracking progress in alignment with national strategy and the national security plan for southern border development.

The southern border unrest has accumulated over many years, beginning with forced disappearances of local religious leaders and a 2004 military base gun theft in retaliation against the state. The root causes stem from governance and administration that fails to align with the region's diverse population, escalating into harsh state crackdowns and human rights and justice violations.

Since taking office, Prime Minister Anutin has demonstrated commitment to resolving the conflict and achieving southern peace, as evidenced by establishing the special representative committee and appointing the peace talks chief. It is hoped the resolution process will prioritize dialogue, center people's interests, enable participation, and couple these with justice while reducing harsh state measures.

The Constitutional Court's acceptance of the petition challenging the 400-billion-baht emergency loan decree is not merely a legal issue but a measure of the legitimacy of executive power use under the emergency conditions outlined in Article 172 of the Constitution. The opposition contends that the borrowing, particularly the 200-billion-baht allocation for energy restructuring, represents long-term policy rather than an emergency crisis warranting a decree that circumvents parliament. The government, meanwhile, insists the country faces critical crises in energy, living costs, and economic stagnation, requiring urgent emergency measures. Analysts have outlined three possible outcomes: First, if the court rejects the decree entirely, it would be the worst-case scenario for the government, signaling executive overreach and unconstitutional action, which would derail projects and damage the government's credibility and stability—ammunition the opposition could use for sustained political pressure. Second, if the court rejects only the energy restructuring portion, many view this as the most balanced solution, allowing the government to continue economic relief measures while redirecting long-term projects through the normal parliamentary process. Third, if the court rules the decree constitutional, the government wins outright and can proceed immediately, while also defending its crisis decision-making—though this raises troubling questions about whether the executive could routinely bypass parliamentary oversight in the future. Based on current political atmosphere and legal debate, the second scenario—partial rejection—appears most likely, as it represents the "middle ground" between upholding constitutional protections and avoiding economic harm during a period when citizens are deeply anxious about public debt and rising living costs.