Chiang Mai University has reinforced Thailand's innovative potential on the world stage after the Food Innovation Center (FIN) under the Faculty of Agro-Industry led a team of researchers and entrepreneurs to secure the 'Better Stands Gold Award' at the international exhibition 'Fi Vietnam 2026.' The award reflects international exhibition standards combined with sustainability principles and environmentally responsible booth management practices.

Between May 13-15, 2026, the Food Innovation Center brought faculty, researchers, and entrepreneurs under the project 'Connecting and Strengthen Herbal Capabilities in Mekong-Lancang with Green Technology' to showcase innovations in herbal extracts and high-value products at Food Ingredients Vietnam 2026 (Fi Vietnam 2026) at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yutthana Pimolsiriphol, Dean of the Faculty of Agro-Industry at Chiang Mai University, led the award-winning exhibition team.

The booth featured research outcomes and innovations in herbal extracts developed through collaboration between universities, researchers, and entrepreneurs in the Mekong-Lancang region, attracting continuous interest from investors, experts, and visitors from various countries.

One standout innovation was 'Sero-9,' a research product from the Faculty of Pharmacy at Chiang Mai University by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Waratida Chaiyana. It combines traditional herbal knowledge with green technology, featuring extracts of Rosa damascena petals, Zingiber ottense rhizomes, and cricket protein nano-emulsion to increase the commercial value and potential of Thai herbal extracts. The innovation is being further developed in partnership with Siam Dermapotech Company, demonstrating concrete research-to-industry linkage.

The project received support from the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Fund (LMC Fund) and involved regional partner organizations including Souphanouvong University in Laos, Nong Lam University in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA) in Hanoi.

This success reflects Chiang Mai University's role in advancing food, herbal, and green technology innovations through international cooperation networks, promoting Thai research globally, creating new business opportunities, and advancing sustainable herbal industry development in the Mekong-Lancang region and beyond.

On May 20, 2025, a mother filed a complaint through media outlets stating that her 18-year-old son was hired as a sales representative for massage equipment and CCTV cameras by a well-known company in Buriram municipality. When he failed to meet sales targets, the employer abandoned him at a gas station in Lahan Sai District, Buriram Province. Among the five to six young salespeople in the vehicle, mostly aged 16, fears arose about being abandoned. It was later discovered that girls aged 13 and 14 had also been hired as sales representatives and similarly abandoned midway. After the news went viral online, questions arose about whether hiring children under 15 years old violates labor laws.

Reporter spoke with Katima Tirasetthasema, Buriram Province's Labor and Employee Protection Officer, who explained that while the department hasn't yet gathered clear evidence, they are investigating. Under the Labor Protection Act, Section 44, employers are strictly prohibited from hiring children under 15 years old in any case. For children aged 15-18, employers must submit forms to the labor department beforehand. If children under 15 are hired, it constitutes a violation.

Katima stated the company's lawyer had already visited the labor department and provided evidence. Initial questioning of affected children has been completed, and the department is scheduling the company's representatives for further inquiry. If evidence supports the allegations, legal proceedings will be initiated immediately without exception.

Subinspector Chaonarong Chaisakor of Hin Lek Fai Police Station, who assisted the abandoned children, reported that the children's parents mentioned the company's lawyer visited their homes requesting document signatures, though not pressuringly. However, parents were advised to consult police before signing anything. The police commitment is to proceed with the case to the fullest extent.

Under the Labor Protection Act, Section 44, employers violating the prohibition on hiring children under 15 face imprisonment of up to 2 years or fines ranging from 400,000 to 800,000 baht per employee, or both imprisonment and fine.

At 9:00 AM on May 20, 2025, at the Asok-Din Daeng railway crossing where the train struck the bus, the family of Teekha Teekhaoutamakorn (Tan), 33, gathered with a Buddhist monk from Wat Tri Tet Thep to conduct a soul-inviting ceremony. Relatives brought offerings including bananas, coconut jelly with pandan leaves, water, basil fried rice with egg, dumplings, and orchid flowers. Tan's father lit five incense sticks facing east according to tradition to guide his son's spirit home. The atmosphere was sorrowful as family and friends wept during the ritual.

Tan's aunt, Ms. Vachira, said the family is not yet ready to discuss compensation, still grieving the loss of their beloved nephew. She asked only that people not add more pain to Tan's parents, who have only one other son. Tan had just returned from Australia about five years ago with no intention of coming back while his parents were alive. Ms. Vachira described Tan as someone she raised from childhood, noting his kind nature, his ability to entertain everyone, his care for elderly relatives, and how he would send money to his grandmother despite living abroad.

"Today everyone is trying to heal by sharing good memories of Tan, knowing he was deeply loved by many people," Ms. Vachira said, expressing gratitude to educational institutions and friends who helped with the funeral arrangements.

Ms. Vachira also conveyed that she told Tan's parents she did not want to blame anyone for the accident, as no one intended for it to happen. She hoped it would serve as a lesson for both the bus and train drivers who survived and have the opportunity to change.

On the day of the accident, Tan had arranged to meet a foreign friend at a shopping mall at 5:00 PM. He was a multilingual person who often helped foreign friends and had planned to bring Thai and herbal medicines as gifts. When Tan didn't show up and his friend couldn't reach him, his mother called his aunt. No one expected Tan to be on bus route 206—his mother had dropped him off at Bang Sue and recommended he take the Airport Link instead. But Tan had texted in the chat: "I'll take the slowest route."

A relative who works in law enforcement checked all 32 accident victims' names but didn't find Tan. Around 11:00 PM, the family learned of his death, devastating them all. Though they try to be strong today, seeing a train still shakes them emotionally.

Ms. Vachira explained that Tan rarely took buses because his mother, a university professor, usually arranged his transportation. However, Tan was a down-to-earth person who lived simply despite earning well, and he could get along with people from all walks of life.

At 9:30 a.m. on May 20, 2025, at parliament, Democrat Party list MP and deputy party leader Priset Wattrasindhu announced that the party would resubmit six bills for parliamentary consideration that were carried over from the previous session. Last week, the cabinet failed to endorse them, causing all six bills to stall. These include the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) Act, the Factory Act, the Labor Protection Act, the Forest Reclamation Amnesty Act, the Military Court Charter, and a constitutional amendment to Article 256 adding Section 15/1 regarding the drafting of a new constitution.

Wattrasindhu explained that the government's justification was unconvincing, prompting the Democrats to reaffirm their intention to resubmit these bills for parliamentary reconsideration. Most bills will be resubmitted unchanged, though some may receive minor content revisions. The six bills cover economic, social, and political areas, with several public-drafted bills having completed the public consultation process. The party hopes that next week's three-day parliamentary session will include a day specifically for considering Democrat bills, not just cabinet bills—a commitment previously made by the parliamentary speaker.

When asked if the Democrats have finalized the constitutional amendment, Wattrasindhu stated that despite disagreements, the party maintains that opening a nominating assembly for constitutional drafters allows public participation in their selection. The party believes the Constitutional Court's ruling contradicts democratic principles and conflicts with the court's own previous decision prohibiting direct parliamentary selection of drafters. The assembly mechanism ensures the new constitution aligns with public needs and can be structured for single-reading parliamentary consideration.

Details will be submitted within the next week. Regarding Senate conditions, Wattrasindhu denied any intent to grant the Senate additional powers, stating the party treats both chambers equally. Previously, only half of parliament's members were required. When asked if the timeline set by the Pheu Thai Party pressures other parties to expedite submissions, Wattrasindhu clarified that submission is merely the first step, with the draft expected to be ready within the next week. Timeline frameworks are parliament's responsibility, requiring scheduled meetings.

Asked about confidence in Senate support in first reading, Wattrasindhu said this depends on parliamentary deliberation. He noted that if senators recall the Democrats' 2024 draft's content, it aligns with stated principles, giving no reason for the Senate to vote differently than before.

A pregnant woman called in to Aunt Net's radio show "Don't Blame Me for Teaching" asking for advice about an unplanned pregnancy. While the woman wasn't opposed to having the child, her male partner said he wasn't ready to become a father, so they agreed together that she would have an abortion despite her personal reservations.

Aunt Net responded by saying she couldn't understand the concept of "not being ready." She argued that if you're truly not prepared to bring a human life into the world, you must practice rigorous contraception. If contraception fails and pregnancy occurs, she said, the question of "readiness" becomes irrelevant—what matters is accepting responsibility. She emphasized that a man refusing to take responsibility shouldn't be allowed to burden the woman with his lack of accountability. She concluded by saying that no matter how poor or difficult one's circumstances, there's always a way forward, and that at minimum, every mother can protect and care for her child.

The Tamaang Foundation, an organization that provides counseling on safe and legal abortion services, responded with a detailed counter-argument. They noted that Thailand reformed its abortion laws in 2021, and abortion is now legal and supported by government funding to ensure women with unplanned pregnancies can access free services quickly. The foundation emphasized their understanding of how difficult unplanned pregnancy can be, especially for people lacking resources.

The foundation cited statistics showing that one in three pregnant women choose to terminate their pregnancy, meaning most people likely know someone who has had an abortion—whether a friend, partner, parent, or relative. They urged people not to damage the trust of those who share their abortion experiences by judging them.

They argued that people who have abortions are not cruel or motivated by a desire to destroy life. Many delay their decision while searching for "other options" that ultimately prove impossible. Some face domestic abuse, job loss, educational obligations, spousal death, fetal abnormalities, or homelessness after becoming pregnant. The foundation noted that research shows abortion not only prevents children from being born into unpreparedness but also helps women escape generational poverty and violent relationships while improving their futures.

The foundation countered the "not ready" argument, stating that most unplanned pregnancies occur despite contraception use, and all contraception methods carry a failure risk. Women with unplanned pregnancies aren't irresponsible or thoughtless—they're making a difficult but responsible decision during their most constrained circumstances. The foundation concluded by noting that every person who has chosen abortion they've encountered has been capable, worthy of love, and with a bright future, with many going on to complete education, find meaningful work, build healthy relationships, and raise their existing children well despite limited resources.