Thai Airways appoints first female pilot in 66-year history

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2 June 2026, 11:09

BANGKOK — 2 June 2026, Thai Airways International Public Company Limited marked a first in its 66-year history on Monday when a female pilot operated a commercial flight for the national carrier.

Pannathorn Tangrungruangchai, known as “Bam,” served as the airline’s first female First Officer on flight TG564 from Bangkok to Hanoi aboard an Airbus A320-200, registration HS-TXS.

According to Thai Airways, the flight marked the first time a woman has served as a pilot for the airline since it began operations 66 years ago. The occasion was attended by Chuntarica Jotikasthira, Chief Human Resources Officer, and executives from the airline’s flight operations team.

While the appointment is a first for Thai Airways, women have served as captains and first officers at other Thai and international airlines for many years.

Women remain significantly underrepresented in airline cockpits worldwide. Industry data from Women in Aviation International shows women accounted for approximately 5.5% of airline transport pilots in the United States in 2024, while international estimates place the global share of female airline pilots at around 6%.

Thai Airways said the appointment reflects its commitment to diversity and equal opportunity in aviation. The airline did not provide details on whether women had previously applied for pilot positions or why no female pilot had joined its flight crew ranks before 2026.

Pannathorn graduated from the Aeronautical Engineering and Commercial Pilot Programme at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang before completing flight training at Asia Aviation Academy.

She later accumulated more than four years of experience as an Airbus A320 First Officer with another airline.

Thai Airways said it hopes the appointment will encourage more women to pursue careers in commercial aviation.

Storm warning issued for Bangkok and 37 provinces

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2 June 2026, 09:53

Storm warning issued for Bangkok and 37 provinces

BANGKOK — 2 June 2026, Thailand’s Meteorological Department warned of continued heavy rainfall across much of the country on 2 June, with 37 provinces facing storm risks as strong monsoon conditions affect both land and sea areas.

In its 24-hour forecast, the department said a moderately strong south-west monsoon covering the Andaman Sea, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand, combined with a strong low-pressure system near Vietnam’s central coast, would bring widespread rain and isolated heavy to very heavy downpours.

The western side of southern Thailand is expected to face the most severe conditions.

Authorities urged residents in affected areas to prepare for possible flash floods and forest runoff, particularly in low-lying zones and areas near waterways.

Strong winds were also forecast over the upper Andaman Sea, from Phuket northwards, where waves are expected to reach 2-3 metres and exceed 3 metres in storm areas.

In the lower Andaman Sea, from Krabi southwards, and the upper Gulf of Thailand, waves are forecast at around 2 metres, rising above 2 metres during thunderstorms.

The department advised mariners to exercise caution and avoid sailing in areas experiencing thunderstorms. Small boats in the upper Andaman Sea were advised to remain ashore.

The weather agency forecast thunderstorms covering about 40% of northern and northeastern Thailand, with isolated heavy rain expected in provinces including Tak, Kamphaeng Phet, Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Ratchasima and Ubon Ratchathani.

Central Thailand, eastern Thailand, the eastern coast of the south, and Bangkok and surrounding provinces are forecast to see thunderstorms across about 60% of their areas, with isolated heavy rain.

Provinces at risk include Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Suphan Buri, Nakhon Pathom, Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi, Trat, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon and Surat Thani.

The south-western coast is expected to experience the heaviest weather, with thunderstorms forecast across 80% of the region and heavy to very heavy rainfall likely in Ranong, Phangnga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Satun.

Bangkok and neighbouring provinces are forecast to experience thunderstorms across 60% of the metropolitan area, with some districts expected to see heavy rain, the department said.

Heavy rains threaten to delay search for 2 people missing in Laos cave

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31 May 2026, 18:22

Laos Cave Rescue — In this image released by Metta Tham Rescue Kalasin, rescuers try to reach people who have been trapped in a cave in Xaisomboun province, Laos, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (Metta Tham Rescue Kalasin via AP)

BANGKOK (AP) — Heavy rains threatened to delay the search for two people missing in a flooded cave in Laos on Sunday, after the rescue of five other people who were trapped underground for over a week.

Finnish diver Mikko Paasi, one of the first international rescuers to arrive at the site, told The Associated Press that rains had filled the cave up to the second chamber, preventing divers from entering the cave until pumps can lower the water level.

The seven villagers reportedly entered the cave last week to look for valuable minerals before being trapped by a flash flood that blocked their way out. One other villager escaped and alerted the authorities.

Rescue teams from Laos and neighboring Thailand have been working together in the past week at the site in a rugged area in the central province of Xaisomboun, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of the capital, Vientiane. They were joined by divers from countries including Finland, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, France and Australia.

Several of the rescuers previously took part in the complicated 2018 cave rescue in northern Thailand that saved 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave.

The rescued men are being treated at a local hospital and are doing well, Malaysian diver Lee Kian Lie, who’s taking part in the operation, told the AP on Sunday.

“We interviewed them about how the deeper part of the cave looks like. We will continue to search based on the information we have, and perhaps we will be able to get to the other two,” he said.

According to rescuers, they have navigated more than 200 meters into the cave and discovered five chambers in the system. The five people rescued so far were found in the fifth chamber.

Paasi told the AP that the survivors said there’s a narrow crack in the fifth chamber that could be a passage leading to a deeper part of the cave system.

“This was the only place that we haven’t checked in the mine, where the two lost miners could still be,” he said during a video interview.

“Now there’s a theory that, through that small crack, it still continues, and there’s a sixth chamber, which gives us hope now that, if we could penetrate that small restriction, we might be able to reach the sixth chamber and then see what is there.”

The five people who have been rescued were first found Wednesday. They were identified by their first names as Khamla, Mued, Ee, Ing and Laen.

The first man was safely evacuated on Friday, guided through a narrow flooded passage by an expert diver. The remaining four left the cave on Saturday after the water receded enough for them to walk out on their own, rescuers said.

Videos posted online Saturday by rescuers at the site showed emotional moments as the men emerged one by one from the cave. Some collapsed on the ground at the cave’s entrance, and were hugged by a group of workers who cried in joy. Later moments showed them lying on a stretcher, wrapped in foil blankets and fitted with an oxygen mask before being transported out of the site.

Mum Jokmok quietly left Workpoint nine months ago

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31 May 2026, 16:18

BANGKOK — Veteran comedian Mum Jokmok has revealed he quietly left Workpoint Entertainment nearly a year ago and is now working as a freelancer, saying he felt it was time for a change after decades in the industry.

Speaking to reporters, Mum said his final recording with Workpoint was in October, making it approximately nine months since his departure. He said he had not publicly announced the move and was unsure whether his two former co-hosts had renewed their contracts.

“I have been a freelancer for a while now. We were together for a long time — not just by sentiment but by contract. Do I miss it? Yes,” he said.

The comedian said he had reached a natural point of saturation, admitting he once questioned why fellow entertainer Thep Po-ngam had retired, only to understand the feeling himself. “Sometimes I feel I have talked too much, performed too much my whole life,” he said. “It is not something you can just stop — I have been at it since Ching Roi Ching Lan.”

Mum said his relationship with Workpoint remains warm, with the channel still sending crews to film and interview him.

Looking ahead, he said several channels had expressed interest in working with him, but he would only return if offered something new. “If it is a game show or talk show, it has to be a fresh format. Content has changed and you have to keep up,” he said.

He also revealed a Chinese production company had approached him about making vertical short-form videos of three to five minutes. “Money is not the main issue — it is about how the creator feels. Teenagers watch this format, though people in their 40s and 50s might find the screen too narrow. But if I wanted to do it, I think I could — crying, laughing, all within three minutes,” he said.

Suvarnabhumi’s ‘Depresscalator’: Thailand’s saddest ride

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31 May 2026, 14:24

BANGKOK — Every country has its landmarks. Thailand, according to some travellers on social media, has one that is a little less glamorous than most: the “Depresscalator.”

The nickname refers to the long moving staircase that carries departing passengers from the international check-in area toward security screening at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.

For many travellers, stepping onto the escalator marks the emotional end of a holiday in Thailand. The beaches, street food, island sunsets and late-night adventures are suddenly behind them. Ahead lies a long flight home, work emails and the return to everyday life.

As a result, the escalator has earned a reputation online as perhaps the saddest ride in the country.

Posts about the “Depresscalator” regularly appear on social media, where travellers share photos and videos of the familiar ascent. Some jokingly describe it as the moment their vacation officially ends. Others say it is where reality begins to set in.

“The holiday is over,” one traveller wrote. “Every time I ride this escalator, I immediately start planning my next trip back to Thailand,” another commented.

The phenomenon highlights Thailand’s enduring appeal among international visitors. For millions of tourists, the kingdom is more than just a destination. It is a place associated with relaxation, hospitality, affordability and memorable experiences.

The escalator itself is unremarkable. It simply carries passengers from one level of the terminal to another. Yet for frequent visitors, it has become a symbol.

Unlike arrival halls, which are filled with anticipation and excitement, departure areas often carry a different mood. Families say goodbye. Friends part ways. Holidaymakers take their final photographs before boarding.

At Suvarnabhumi, all those emotions seem to converge on one moving staircase.

Whether it is truly the world’s saddest escalator is impossible to verify. But among Thailand’s many unofficial attractions, the “Depresscalator” may be one of the most relatable.

For many travellers, it is the moment a Thai holiday officially comes to an end.

Paris police detain dozens after violence erupts during celebrations of PSG’s Champions League title

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Associated Press

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31 May 2026, 13:51

Hungary Champions League Final Soccer — A car burns and fireworks explode as police watch PSG supporters celebrate in Paris, Saturday, May 30, 2026 after the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal that's being played in Budapest., PSG won the game. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)

PARIS (AP) — Paris police detained dozens of people after violence disrupted celebrations late Saturday of Paris Saint-Germain’s second Champions League title win and a group tried to storm a police station in the French capital.

Fans began celebrating in Paris after the final whistle earlier in the evening in Budapest, Hungary, where PSG won by beating Arsenal on penalties in a dramatic final.

AP26150703817330 — PSG’s head coach Luis Enrique lifts the trophy celebrating after winning the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, May 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr Josek)

Fans marched along the avenues near the Arc de Triomphe, with some setting off flares and blaring car horns. Around 20,000 people gathered on the Champs-Elysees, with police working to contain the crowd.

The Paris police prefecture said smaller groups caused disturbances in various locations, with some vandalizing shops and setting fires. Cars were also set ablaze. One police officer was injured. Those who attempted to storm a police station in the posh 8th Arrondissement neighborhood were dispersed, police said.

AP26150734694177 — A car burns and fireworks explode as police watch PSG supporters celebrate in Paris, Saturday, May 30, 2026 after the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal that’s being played in Budapest, PSG won the game. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)

It said that by 10 p.m., 45 people were taken into custody.

The main ring road surrounding Paris was briefly blockaded by a crowd before police dispersed it. Police also said one bakery and a restaurant were damaged.

Officers also contained about 1,000 people gathered near the PSG stadium in the 16th Arrondissement and cleared barricades made from bicycles.

AP26150811612675 — Police try to disperses PSG supporters who left off fireworks as they celebrate in Paris, Saturday, May 30, 2026 after the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal that was played in Budapest, PSG won the game. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)

In May last year following PSG’s first title, when 201 people were injured in the French capital and police made more than 500 arrests across France, Paris was on high alert, with 8,000 police officers deployed across the city.

Fire guts plastic packaging factory in Samut Sakhon

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Khaosod English

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31 May 2026, 13:01

SAMUT SAKHON — A fire broke out at a packaging factory in Ban Phaeo district early on 31 May 2026, gutting one production building and causing extensive damage to machinery and equipment.

The blaze started at around 05:50 at Xinbang Group Co., Ltd. on Moo 2, Rong Khaeo subdistrict, a manufacturer and exporter of corrugated cardboard and plastic packaging products. The factory sits on a plot of more than 10 rai.

The fire broke out in the section of the factory used to produce plastic boxes, where large quantities of plastic pellets, chemical compounds, and finished products were stored alongside machinery. Nearly 20 firetrucks from Lak Ha subdistrict municipality and nearby areas responded to the scene. As no natural water source was available nearby, crews pumped water from Irrigation Canal Dee 4 and relayed it to trucks inside the compound.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control in about an hour, though smoke continued to rise intermittently from smouldering plastic debris. Crews maintained a continuous water spray to prevent the fire from reigniting.

One production building collapsed as a result of the fire. All equipment and materials inside were destroyed.

Residents told police they spotted flames coming from one of the buildings and immediately alerted authorities. Workers at the scene at the time of the fire could not be located afterwards, leaving the cause unclear.

Pol. Capt. Thananchai Thao Sombun, deputy investigation inspector at Ban Phaeo Police Station, said forensic officers would be called in to determine the cause, and workers present at the time would be summoned for questioning.

Century of faith: Bangkok’s new Tai Hong Kong White Jade Shrine opens to public

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31 May 2026, 12:20

BANGKOK — A new Chinese shrine has opened in the heart of the capital, blending Teochew architectural heritage with a royal tribute and over a century of charitable tradition.

The Tai Hong Kong White Jade Shrine, built to mark His Majesty the King’s 72nd birthday, officially opened to the public on 25 May 2026 on Charoen Rat Road in the Sathon area. On 20 May, His Majesty the King, accompanied by Her Majesty the Queen, presided over the opening ceremony and granted the building its name.

The shrine is managed by the Por Teck Tung Foundation, one of Thailand’s oldest Chinese charitable organisations, whose roots trace back to 1899 when 710 Chinese residents pooled funds to establish a public cemetery open to all, regardless of class, ethnicity, or religion.

At the heart of the shrine stands a white jade statue of Luang Pu Tai Hong, a Chinese monk from the Song Dynasty revered for his compassion — collecting the dead for burial, treating the sick, and providing food to the poor. The statue, carved from three pieces of white jade, stands 5.10 metres tall and weighs 51.50 tonnes, among the largest of its kind in Thailand. Flanking the central figure are white jade statues of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha and Guanyin, each standing 3.365 metres tall and weighing 16.50 tonnes.

The shrine was designed in the southern Chinese Teochew architectural style, a collaboration between Thai and Chinese architects from Kasem Design and Construction and the Tianyi Ancient Architecture Design Office in China. The structure features red-painted granite columns carved with dragons, ceramic roof tiles decorated with traditional Teochew cut-porcelain patterns, and walls adorned with 35 carved and painted white jade panels depicting Buddhist figures and moral teachings. Eleven granite relief carvings along the outer walls tell the life story of Luang Pu Tai Hong.

Construction began with a foundation-laying ceremony on 14 June 2021, presided over by Privy Council President Gen. Surayud Chulanont.

The shrine sits on a 4-rai plot adjacent to the foundation’s 80th Birthday Commemorative Garden, with a total usable area of over 11,000 square metres, including an underground car park, multipurpose hall, and garden.

It is open daily from 07:00 to 18:00. Incense, ceremonial paper, and sacred amulets are available free of charge.

Son shoots father three times after years of alleged abuse

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31 May 2026, 12:00

PHETCHABURI — A 21-year-old man shot his father three times at their home in Mueang district on 31 May 2026 after years of alleged abuse, police said.

Officers from Mueang Phetchaburi Police Station were notified of the shooting at 07:00 and found three 9mm shell casings at the scene — one near the front door and two on a bed inside the house. The victim, identified as Atthsit, was taken to Phra Chomklao Hospital with gunshot wounds to the buttocks, left thigh, and a graze wound to the chest.

The suspect, Siradanai Thanang-sit, fled the scene but was arrested at a relative’s home nearby at 09:30 the same morning.

During questioning, Siradanai told police he had endured years of abuse from his father, including threats at gunpoint, kicking, and beatings. He said a heated argument earlier that morning, combined with long-suppressed anger, led him to open fire.

Relatives confirmed the two had frequent arguments, and that a serious quarrel preceded the shooting.

Siradanai was charged with attempted murder, illegal possession of a firearm, and carrying a weapon in a public place without a permit.

3,000 runners take on Central Samui’s Neon Run 2026

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31 May 2026, 11:45

SURAT THANI — More than 3,000 runners and participants from around the world took part in the Central Samui Neon Run 2026 on 30 May 2026, the fifth consecutive edition of the night running event on Koh Samui.

The event, organised by Central Pattana Plc in partnership with Koh Samui Municipality, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Koh Samui office, the Surat Thani Tourism Industry Council, the Koh Samui Tourism Association, and local hotel operators, featured two race categories — a 10-kilometre mini marathon and a 5-kilometre fun run.

Participants ran from Central Samui shopping centre along Chaweng Road and South Chaweng Beach before looping back to the starting point, taking in one of Thailand’s most recognised beachfront stretches under neon lights.

Organisers said participation grew by more than 30 per cent compared to last year.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Jakkrits Fangcholchit, Deputy Governor of Surat Thani, and Dr. Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana, Group Chief Marketing Officer of Central Pattana Plc. Also in attendance were Suphinya Srithongkul, Deputy Mayor of Koh Samui, TAT Koh Samui Director Nichtharat Wanichcharoen, and Central Samui mall director Kawin Sinserikul.

The event also featured an after-party headlined by Earth, winner of The Voice Thailand 2019, alongside beach lifestyle and entertainment activities throughout the day.

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