BANGKOK — 28 May 2026, Bangkok’s education authority is rolling out stricter food safety and nutrition standards across schools under its jurisdiction, as part of an effort to tackle child obesity and improve student health.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Office of Education announced the measures on Wednesday, saying all schools must now follow standardised procedures for tracking meal quality under the Bangkok City for Better Health programme.
Schools are required to log ingredient receipts and photograph meals through the Thai School Lunch for BMA and TSL Check systems. Central kitchen schools must also store 300-gram food samples from every meal each day for three days for inspection purposes.
All schools must undergo a food sanitation assessment once per semester. Central kitchen schools are subject to monthly chemical and microbial testing, while other schools must carry out microbial checks monthly. Staff are also being trained to test for common contaminants, including borax in meat, formalin in seafood and bleaching agents in fruits and vegetables.
Office of Education Director Phissamai Rueangsin said child obesity is among the authority’s most pressing concerns, noting that half of Bangkok’s adult population is obese and that the figure among children is estimated to exceed 20 percent.
“We cannot solve this through rules and regulations alone,” she said. “It has to start with building good habits, with teachers serving as role models for healthy behaviour.”
The authority said the goal is to make Bangkok schools safe and sustainable environments for student health in the long term.
CHIANG MAI — 28 May 2026, Surgeons at Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Medicine have performed the world’s first living donor liver surgery using the Hugo robotic-assisted surgery system, a breakthrough that also marks Thailand’s first robot-assisted living donor liver transplant.
The faculty announced the achievement at a press conference on Wednesday, revealing that its team had successfully used the Hugo RAS system to remove the left lobe of the liver from living donors in two separate transplant cases — one involving a child patient and one an adult.
In the first case, a 40-year-old mother donated part of her liver to her nine-year-old daughter, who was born with biliary atresia, a condition that blocks the bile ducts, and had developed severe cirrhosis with complications affecting her lungs and blood pressure. The girl had previously undergone a Kasai procedure as an infant and required supplemental oxygen at home before the transplant.
In the second case, a 27-year-old woman donated part of her liver to her 61-year-old father, who had cirrhosis and liver cancer. This case also marked Thailand’s first robot-assisted adult-to-adult living donor liver transplant.
Both donors recovered well, while both recipients underwent successful transplants under the care of a multidisciplinary team at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sanhawit Chanrangsri, the operating surgeon, said the Hugo system’s precision was critical given the complexity of operating around the liver’s key structures.
“Living donor liver surgery demands the highest priority on donor safety, because these are healthy individuals undergoing surgery solely to save another person’s life,” he said. “The robotic system provides 3D visualisation and instruments that move like a human wrist, allowing surgeons to work with far greater precision in a narrow and deep space.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Worakit Laphisetphan, deputy director of the Centre of Medical Excellence, said Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital is the only institution in Thailand with continuous experience in adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation. He added that removing the left lobe rather than the more commonly used right lobe reduces the impact on the donor’s remaining liver function.
All four patients — both donors and both recipients — are recovering well, according to the surgical team.
The nine-year-old recipient, who attended Wednesday’s press conference with her mother, thanked her doctors and said she hoped to become a doctor herself one day. She added that she had been looking forward to trying iced tea after the surgery — and confirmed it was worth the wait.
The faculty’s dean, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Naren Chotiros Niramit, noted the milestone coincided with the unit completing its 100th robotic-assisted surgery overall, spanning urology, hepatobiliary and colorectal procedures.
A foundation advocating for sex workers submitted a draft bill to parliament on Thursday that would decriminalise sex work and extend labour protections to those in the industry.
The Empower Foundation presented the proposed Sex Service Provider Protection Act to the House of Representatives at 10:30, where it was received by an adviser to House Speaker Sophon Zarum on his behalf.
Representatives from the House Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights, as well as MPs from the People’s Party and Pheu Thai Party, were also present.
A foundation representative said the existing Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act of 1996 is outdated, as it criminalises voluntary sex workers, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and discrimination.
The proposed law would repeal the 1996 act and recognise sex work as legitimate labour, entitling workers to the same basic protections as those in other professions.
“This bill is not an endorsement of sex work,” the representative said. “It is about respecting the decisions of those who do this work and ensuring they receive the same basic rights as anyone else — nothing more, nothing less.”
The foundation said the legislation would also address safety concerns for clients and business operators, arguing that a legal framework is needed to protect all parties involved.
BANGKOK — 28 May 2026, Chile opened the Chile-ASEAN Business Summit 2026 in Bangkok this week, bringing together Chilean exporters, importers, retailers, distributors and food industry executives in one of its largest trade engagement initiatives in Thailand and Southeast Asia to date.
Chile Expands ASEAN Trade Push
Organised by ProChile, the trade promotion agency under Chile’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the five-day programme includes business meetings, trade networking events, retail market visits and participation in THAIFEX-Anuga Asia, one of Asia’s largest food and beverage exhibitions.
The summit, which runs from 26 to 30 May, is part of Chile’s broader strategy to strengthen commercial partnerships with Thailand and Southeast Asia, where demand for imported premium food products continues to grow.
Speaking at a press briefing at IMPACT Challenger, Ignacio Fernández, director general of ProChile, said Chile viewed ASEAN as a region of growing opportunity.
Fernández said business and trust were built face to face, which was why Chile had returned to ASEAN for a second consecutive year. He described the region as a major opportunity for Chilean products and services and said Chile wanted to build long-term relationships based on trust. He also described Thailand as Chile’s principal trading partner within ASEAN and said the wider region offered long-term opportunities for growth and collaboration.
The briefing was attended by David Hansen Salas, chargé d’affaires a.i. of Chile to Thailand, and Oscar Arriagada, trade commissioner of ProChile in Thailand.
Chilean delegates speak with Thai media, including a Khaosod English reporter, during a press briefing at the Chile-ASEAN Business Summit 2026 in Bangkok
Hundreds of Business Meetings Planned
This year’s summit drew buyers and business representatives from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. More than 300 business-to-business meetings are expected between Chilean exporters and ASEAN importers.
The Chilean delegation includes 28 companies from sectors including salmon and seafood, fresh fruit, meat, nuts, wine and beverages, forestry products, agribusiness, aquaculture services and food innovation.
Three major Chilean industry associations — Fruits from Chile, Faenacar and ChileNuts — are also participating, alongside representatives from Chile’s salmon and mussel export sectors.
Key delegates attending the briefing included Iván Marambio, president of Fruits of Chile; Rafael Lecaros, general manager of Faenacar; Eduardo Piccolo, representative of AmiChile, which represents Chilean mussel producers; Martín Correa, representative of ChileNuts; and Rodrigo Bustos, representative of SalmonChile.
Thailand’s Role in Chile’s ASEAN Strategy
The summit builds on the inaugural Chile-ASEAN Business Meeting in 2025, which brought together 76 importers from six countries and generated immediate business projections worth US$6.4 million.
Thailand was selected as host due to its position as Chile’s largest trading partner in ASEAN and its role as a regional distribution, logistics and food trade hub. In 2025, Thailand ranked as the 20th-largest destination for Chilean exports globally, with exports valued at approximately US$596 million.
Trade between Chile and ASEAN reached approximately US$5.17 billion in 2025, while Chilean non-mining exports to the bloc rose to nearly US$986 million. Food exports alone totalled US$571 million, more than double the level recorded a decade earlier.
ProChile officials said the summit reflected Chile’s growing focus on Thailand and ASEAN not only as export markets but also as strategic partners for food security, supply chain reliability and sustainable trade cooperation.
Food Exports as Chile’s ‘Soft Power’
Fernández said Chile increasingly viewed food and consumer exports as part of a broader “soft power” strategy aimed at strengthening international recognition of Chilean products and brands. He said Chilean food and consumer products helped bring the country into households around the world, with wine already serving as one of Chile’s most recognisable global brands.
Ignacio Fernández (centre), director general of ProChile, and David Hansen Salas (right), chargé d’affaires a.i. of Chile to Thailand
Marambio said Chile’s strongest competitive advantage in global food exports remained its emphasis on quality and food safety. For Chile, he said, delivering high-quality food with strong safety standards was fundamental because producers wanted consumers to trust what they eat.
He also explained that Chile’s fresh fruit exports to Southeast Asia had doubled over the past two years, rising from around 7,000 tonnes to more than 15,000 tonnes annually, led by cherries and grapes. However, market access restrictions and shipping logistics remained major challenges for Chilean exporters, with shipments to Southeast Asia taking more than 50 days, compared with around 25 days to China.
Seafood, Sustainability and Regional Growth
Bustos said Chile accounts for around 30% of global salmon production, making salmon the country’s second-largest export industry after mining. Thailand has become an increasingly important market, driven by tourism demand and the seafood processing industry.
Rodrigo Bustos, representative of SalmonChile
Piccolo, representing Chile’s mussel industry, also highlighted Thailand as a growing market, saying Chilean mussels had been adapted into Thai cuisine and street food dishes, helping expand year-round consumption. He described Thailand as an important regional trendsetter in retail, hospitality and food consumption, with neighbouring ASEAN countries often looking to Thailand as a model market for consumer trends and food innovation.
Another major theme of this year’s summit is food innovation and sustainability, with Chilean companies showcasing seafood, healthy snacks, natural ingredients, traceable agricultural products and sustainable food production capabilities.
Fernández said Chile came to the event this year to present itself through three key pillars: a reliable partner, a growing economy offering world-class products and services, and a country of talent and knowledge. He added that Chile aimed to position itself as a gateway for Thai and ASEAN businesses seeking access to Latin American markets through its regional free trade network.
With this year’s programme expanded and timed alongside THAIFEX-Anuga Asia, Chile is seeking to strengthen its commercial footprint across Thailand and Southeast Asia and pursue new opportunities in the region’s food and agribusiness sectors.
CHONBURI — 27 May 2026, Nearly an entire police station was deployed to what was initially reported as a gold shop robbery, only to find an injured local man inside the store after he gave staff a playful military salute and walked face-first into a glass panel he mistook for an exit door.
The incident occurred at about 11:55 on Wednesday at a gold shop in Moo 6, Sattahip Sub-district, Sattahip District. Sattahip Police Station’s radio centre received a report that a suspect had smashed the shop’s glass during an attempted robbery.
Pol. Lt. Col. Kriangkrai Meesaeng, deputy superintendent, Pol. Lt. Col. Aphichat Namchanto, investigation inspector, and Pol. Maj. Kosol Sila led a rapid-response team of police and local administrative officials to the scene for an immediate investigation.
At the scene, officers found a 49-year-old local man known as “Ped” injured inside the shop after suffering a deep cut to his right wrist from shattered glass. Rescue workers rushed him to Sattahip Hospital for treatment, while shop employees remained shaken by the incident.
Pol. Maj. Kosol said a combined force of investigators, patrol officers, traffic police, and local administrative officials reached the scene in less than three minutes because they believed an armed robbery was underway.
However, upon arrival, officers instead found Ped on the floor and calling for help. CCTV footage later showed him entering the shop and giving staff a playful salute before walking directly into a side glass panel, apparently mistaking it for an open exit door. The impact shattered the glass and caused his injuries.
Police recorded the incident and said the shop owner would be asked to discuss compensation for the damage. Authorities also said the man may undergo further checks, with legal action possible only if any offences are found.
Vietnamese President and Communist Party General Secretary To Lam arrived at Udon Thani International Airport at 12:50 on Wednesday, accompanied by his wife Ngo Phuong Ly and a delegation, on a Vietnam Airlines flight for an official three-day visit to Thailand.
The visit marks the 50th anniversary of Thai-Vietnamese diplomatic relations and runs from 27 to 29 May. Deputy Agriculture Minister Watcharaphon Khaokhum received the delegation on behalf of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
This is To Lam’s first official visit to Thailand since taking office as president in April 2026.
The delegation first visited the Ho Chi Minh Historical Study and Tourism Site, known as Ban Lung Ho, in Udon Thani’s Mueang district — a symbol of long-standing friendship between the two countries. To Lam and his wife planted a mango tree at the memorial to mark the visit.
The president then met with Thai-Vietnamese business leaders at VT Naem Nueng, a well-known Vietnamese restaurant in Udon Thani. Key discussions included establishing direct flight routes connecting Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang to Udon Thani, as well as expanding trade links between the two countries. Udon Thani was chosen as the first stop due to its large Thai-Vietnamese community — the largest in the country — and its potential as a regional travel and trade hub.
On Thursday, To Lam is scheduled to have an audience with Thailand’s king and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Anutin at Government House. The two leaders are expected to advance a comprehensive strategic partnership covering security, economic, and trade cooperation through a three-pillar connectivity strategy, as well as collaboration on science, technology, and innovation, and people-to-people ties.
To Lam will also meet with the presidents of the National Assembly and the House of Representatives, and will preside over the opening of a Thai-Vietnamese business seminar aimed at driving sustainable economic growth in both countries.
SUKHOTHAI — 26 May 2026, An 81-year-old retired court official in Sukhothai has spent 1 million baht buying a house — not for herself, but for four stray cats who had made it their home.
Kanokvann Panwichian, a former director of the Phitsanulok Provincial Court office, said the cats had originally wandered into her home years ago. The stray mother cat eventually gave birth, growing the group to 12. She took them all in, feeding, vaccinating, and spaying each one.
Four of the cats — Namtan and her three kittens, Nong Klang, Nong Lek, and Nong Namtansai — had a habit of sneaking into an old vacant wooden house at the end of her alley. Kanokvann found herself visiting daily to feed them, and eventually felt guilty about her cats using someone else’s property.
So she bought it.
The house cost 1 million baht. She put down 500,000 baht and paid the rest in monthly instalments of 25,000 baht over 20 months — nearly her entire pension, leaving her just 4,000 baht a month to live on.
“It was a difficult 20 months,” she said. “But once it was paid off, I felt at peace.”
The house now belongs to the cats. Kanokvann visits regularly to sleep and spend time with them. Her other home remains with her children.
XAISOMBOUN, Laos — 27 May 2026, Five of seven people trapped inside a cave in Xaisomboun province, Laos, have been found, Thai rescue teams reported. All five are in good condition. The search for the remaining two continues.
The group entered the cave on 20 May and became trapped after heavy rain triggered a flash flood, sending rocks and debris to block the entrance.
Lao authorities requested assistance from Thai rescue teams, who deployed to the site and reported contact with the survivors at 16:30.
NAKHON RATCHASIMA — 27 May 2026, The Phimai National Museum has reopened today following its largest renovation since the museum first opened in 1993, with upgraded galleries, new technology, and expanded public spaces.
The overhaul covers both floors of the main exhibition building, which now features nine galleries tracing the history of Phimai from prehistoric times through the height of ancient Khmer civilisation. The upper floor focuses on human development in the Khorat Basin from prehistory to the Khmer era, while the lower floor reflects the rise and glory of Phimai through the ages.
The renovation brings the museum up to international standards, incorporating interactive technology and learning activities designed for visitors of all ages. Several artefacts on display have never been exhibited publicly before, selected by the museum’s academic team for their significance to the Khorat Basin and Phimai.
The museum’s two buildings — the main exhibition hall and the stone carving repository, which houses architectural fragments excavated from across lower Northeastern Thailand — have both been updated.
New public spaces have also been added, including a co-working space and a rotating exhibition area open to the public and outside organisations, positioning the museum as a lifelong learning centre beyond its traditional role of preservation and display.
The Phimai National Museum, located on Tha Songkhran Road in Phimai district, is the principal museum of lower Northeastern Thailand. It was officially opened by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn in August 1993.
ROI ET — Police have raided a warehouse in Roi Et province, seizing 104 counterfeit ready-to-drink Starbucks coffee products and 20 fake Starbucks cold cups — part of a haul of over 400 counterfeit goods worth more than 1 million baht.
Officers from the Economic Crime Suppression Division, together with officials from the Department of Intellectual Property, searched the warehouse in Mueang Roi Et district following a tip-off about suspected intellectual property violations.
A 25-year-old woman identified herself as the owner of all the goods. She later confessed during questioning and was charged with possessing counterfeit trademarked goods for sale.
The remaining seized items included 75 fake Chanel bags, 125 Longchamp bags, 80 Louis Vuitton bags, and four RIMOWA bags, bringing the total to 408 items.
The suspect and all seized goods were handed over to Mueang Roi Et police for further legal proceedings.
Authorities warned the public to be cautious when buying goods at unusually low prices. Fake food-contact items such as cups and ready-to-drink products pose particular health risks, as most counterfeits are made from low-quality materials, officials said.
