The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has approved 42 water system development and agricultural land consolidation projects covering over 500,000 rai nationwide, established to create sustainable water security for agriculture. Deputy Permanent Secretary Kritsana Uttamawethin presided over the first 2025 meeting of the subcommittee for water system and land consolidation planning at the Ministry of Agriculture headquarters and via Zoom, with participation from Kittiporn Chueasuk, director of the Central Land Consolidation Office under the Royal Irrigation Department, and representatives from relevant agencies. The meeting reviewed project development approaches for water management and land consolidation in the agricultural sector and tracked previous implementation progress.

Kritsana revealed that the meeting reviewed performance under the Agricultural Land Consolidation Act of 2015. Between 2017 and 2024, 306 projects were implemented, covering over 1.9 million rai of beneficiary area. These comprised 279 water system development projects covering approximately 1.7 million rai and 27 land consolidation projects covering 178,312 rai.

The meeting approved 42 projects for 2025, covering a total development area of 504,216 rai. These include 41 water system development projects under Section 18, covering 456,728 rai, and one land consolidation project under Section 31, covering 47,488 rai, distributed across all regions of the country. The projects aim to improve water management efficiency, support agricultural cultivation, and enhance farmers' quality of life, with findings to be presented to the Central Land Consolidation Committee.

The Ministry of Agriculture, through the Central Land Consolidation Office and Royal Irrigation Department, has comprehensively gathered and analyzed project data, including area boundaries, locations, water source connectivity, and assessments of engineering feasibility, social impact, and project viability to maximize benefits for farmers and communities while ensuring sustainable agricultural water security.

Kritsana emphasized in the meeting that water system and land consolidation project development must align with the country's economic development goals and national economic and social development plans, ensuring water infrastructure investments maximize benefits to the agricultural sector. He requested that the subcommittee comprehensively review plans while considering area potential and appropriate land use for each region's context, and instructed relevant agencies to implement plans targeting 500,000 rai of development area concretely, with close monitoring of progress.

Never Give Up! A Chinese man who lost his arm and leg in a road accident refused to surrender to fate, taking up bodybuilding and becoming an inspiration that has won online acclaim.

A Chinese man with only one arm and one leg impressed audiences both at the competition venue and across social media after taking the bodybuilding stage and receiving thunderous applause from spectators.

Liu Xinzhu, 32, participated in the 20th bodybuilding competition held in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province in eastern China on May 10. He competed in the weight category not exceeding 65 kilograms.

His performance video was quickly shared and went viral on Chinese social media. Many people were moved and admired his determination, earning him the nickname "Encouraging Brother," according to local media reports.

Ten years ago, Liu suffered a severe road accident that cost him his right arm and right leg. He subsequently fell into despair, spending most of his time in bed playing on his phone, which severely damaged his eyesight.

However, his family tried to motivate him to fight back through life with tough love, using the phrase "you're useless like that," which, though harsh, was intended to get him back on his feet. This became a turning point in his life.

Liu decided to make a fresh start by dedicating himself seriously to fitness. As a former athlete, he already had a foundation of discipline and strength, which he developed until he could eventually take the bodybuilding stage.

When asked by skeptics, he responded: "I just fell down, I didn't die. Why do you think I can't get back up?" He emphasized that even though his body is disabled, as long as his mind remains strong, he can still live a happy life.

On competition day, Liu humbly said that standing on the same stage as provincial champion-level athletes was an enormous honor for him. Spectators stood and applauded him with admiration, calling him a symbol of hope and perseverance.

Although official competition results haven't been released, Liu's story has generated widespread acclaim online, with many holding him up as an inspiration for fighting through life.

He also revealed that he receives government assistance of approximately 1,100 yuan, or about 5,300 baht per month, and intends to repay the gym that allowed him to train without charge.

Ultimately, people online have expressed overwhelming admiration. Some even called him a "real-life Superman," while others said his story made their own life problems seem smaller and filled them with inspiration to move forward.

Source: South China Morning Post (SCMP)

SAMUT SAKHON — A massive fire ripped through an aluminium manufacturing plant in Samut Sakhon province on Wednesday, destroying the life savings of a Myanmar worker who kept gold and cash at his workstation.

At about 10:00 on Wednesday, the radio centre at Krathum Baen Police Station received reports of a fire at an aluminium manufacturing company in Moo 1, Tha Sao subdistrict, Krathum Baen district, Samut Sakhon. More than 10 fire engines from the Tha Sao Subdistrict Administrative Organisation and nearby municipalities responded to the blaze.

Krathum Baen District Chief Phirunrot Nakdontree directed the emergency response as incident commander alongside Krathum Baen police superintendent Pol. Col. Phasapong Monta, Tha Sao SAO president Wallop Thongphat and Deputy Investigating Officer Sub-Lt. Natthiphat Naksang.

The factory, which manufactures steel rebar, aluminium sheets and custom aluminium castings, covers more than 10 rai (16,000 square metres). The industrial complex comprises four warehouse buildings.

The fire broke out in the fourth warehouse at the rear of the compound, an area covering slightly more than one rai used for processing and moulding aluminium sheets. The intense heat caused parts of the roof and structural framework to collapse, damaging machinery and manufacturing equipment. No injuries or deaths were reported.

A Myanmar supervisor at the factory pleaded with firefighters to let him enter the damaged warehouse to search for 10 baht-weight of gold bullion, approximately 152 grammes, and 200,000 baht in cash kept in a bag inside his desk drawer. However, neither the cash nor the gold could be recovered.

Phirunrot ordered the Tha Sao SAO to close the damaged warehouse and designate it a hazardous area off-limits to the public until further notice. He also instructed local authorities to work with forensic experts from the Forensic Science Division and other agencies to investigate the cause of the fire.

The Thai Meteorological Department issued a weather forecast on May 20, 2569, for the next 24 hours, predicting continued rainfall nationwide with heavy downpours in certain areas. Heavy to very heavy rain is expected in parts of the Northern Region, upper Northeastern Region, and the western coast of the Southern Region.

Weather forecast from 6:00 PM today through 6:00 PM tomorrow:

Northern Region: Thunderstorms covering 60% of the area with heavy rain in Nan, Sukhothai, Uttaradit, Tak, Kamphaeng Phet, and Phichit provinces. Very heavy rain expected in some areas of Phitsanulok and Phetchabun. Low 23-26°C, high 31-38°C. Southwest winds 10-20 km/h.

Northeastern Region: Thunderstorms covering 80% of the area with heavy rain in Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Khon Kaen, Kalasin, Maha Sarakham, and Nakhon Ratchasima. Very heavy rain in parts of Loei, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Nong Bua Lam Phu, Udon Thani, and Chaiyaphum. Low 23-25°C, high 30-34°C. Southwest winds 10-20 km/h.

Central Region: Thunderstorms covering 60% of the area with heavy rain in Nakhon Sawan, Chai Nat, Lopburi, Saraburi, and Singburi. Low 24-27°C, high 31-35°C. Southwest winds 10-20 km/h.

Eastern Region: Thunderstorms covering 60% of the area with heavy rain in Nakhon Nayok, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chanthaburi, and Trat. Low 24-29°C, high 32-34°C. Southwest winds 20-35 km/h. Seas around 2 meters high, higher in thunderstorm areas.

Southern Region (East Coast): Thunderstorms covering 60% of the area with heavy rain in Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, and Songkhla. Low 24-26°C, high 30-35°C. Southwest winds 20-35 km/h (from Surat Thani northward) and 15-35 km/h (from Nakhon Si Thammarat southward). Seas 1-2 meters, higher in thunderstorm areas.

Southern Region (West Coast): Thunderstorms covering 80% of the area with heavy rain in many areas of Krabi, Trang, and Satun, and very heavy rain in parts of Ranong, Phang Nga, and Phuket. Low 23-26°C, high 26-30°C. Southwest winds 20-40 km/h (from Phuket northward) and 20-35 km/h (from Krabi southward). Seas 2-3 meters from Phuket northward, higher in thunderstorm areas.

Bangkok and Vicinity: Thunderstorms covering 40% of the area. Low 26-28°C, high 33-36°C. Southwest winds 10-20 km/h.

Warning Alert No. 16 issued at 5:00 PM regarding very heavy rain across Thailand and strong winds in the Andaman Sea (Alert 76/2569).

May 20, 2026 – Sirikanya Tansukul, a Pheu Thai party list MP and deputy party leader, posted a message with images on Facebook regarding the Cabinet's approval of the 'Thailand Helps Thailand Plus' project. The attached documents showed that under a 400 billion baht borrowing decree, approximately 18.8 billion baht was allocated to a program supporting low-income earners holding state welfare cards—roughly 13 million people—to continue receiving state welfare benefits through the end of fiscal year 2569.

Sirikanya accused the government of improperly redirecting emergency relief funds into regular operating expenses. She alleged that the 18.8 billion baht, which should have come from standard annual budgets, was secretly diverted from the People's Fund. According to Cabinet resolutions, these welfare benefits—such as 300 baht assistance payments, utility costs, and transportation allowances—should normally be funded from regular annual budgets and have nothing to do with energy crisis relief.

She noted that because the government budgeted only 30 billion baht when 50 billion baht was actually needed, there wasn't enough money for welfare payments in fiscal 2569. "It's bold of the government to use 200 billion baht in emergency energy crisis relief loans to cover regular government expenses, which should normally come from annual operating budgets," Sirikanya stated. "This clearly deviates from the original purpose. So the question is: was this loan meant to help suffering citizens, or to solve the government's budget problem?"

An unusual incident occurred in Liuyang, Zhejiang Province, China, when a young child tore up household banknotes without understanding the consequences, reducing a large sum of cash into paper scraps. Some pieces were so small it was nearly impossible to identify which part of the bill they belonged to. Seeing the state of their money, the distressed parents decided to bring all the shredded fragments to their bank for help.

Multiple bank employees worked together to restore the bills, starting by sorting the fragments by denomination, color, and design pattern, then carefully comparing and piecing together each scrap of paper. Bank staff revealed that the difficulty lay in the sheer quantity of fragments and the fact that many were torn into long strips. Even a slight assembly error could render the bills unusable, requiring everyone to exercise considerable patience and concentration. The entire process took nearly five hours.

Ultimately, the employees successfully reconstructed all 4,100 yuan (approximately 19,000 baht) in banknotes and exchanged them for new bills in full. After the story circulated online, many netizens joked that "you can just look at their faces and tell how stressed the parents are," while others praised the dedication and professionalism of the bank staff.

The bank has issued a reminder to the public that damaged banknotes should not be discarded. If more than half of the bill remains intact and is verified as genuine currency, citizens can exchange it for new banknotes at their bank free of charge.