When people think of "opera," many envision a timeless art form that resonates across generations—because everyone is born from love and sustained by love. Opera is the birthplace of stories about love, dreams, and powerful songs that continue to influence contemporary culture today, whether in film, theater, or familiar music.

This year, the Bangkok International Festival of Music and Dance invites audiences to experience the world of opera in more dimensions than ever before, with subtitles to help audiences understand the storylines and music throughout entire performances. Master-level works brimming with emotion, narratives, and beauty accessible to every generation are on the program.

Opera stands as one of the most influential performing art forms in the Western world and marks the beginning of using music as a primary element for storytelling and conveying emotion. One example of opera's influence extending into contemporary culture is through iconic Hollywood film soundtracks. This year's festival presents "Opera Goes to Hollywood," bringing together leading artists from New York City Opera under the musical direction of Constantine Orbelian, a four-time Grammy Award nominee. The program features beloved opera arias such as La Boheme, Turandot, and Carmen, along with opera songs featured in Hollywood films including The Godfather, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Mission: Impossible, performed in their original forms with six leading singers accompanied by violinists and cellists from New York City Opera, alongside a full orchestra.

La Traviata, Giuseppe Verdi's immortal opera, is recognized as one of the most beloved works worldwide. It tells the story of Violetta, a beautiful and famous courtesan of Paris who finds true love with Alfredo, a young man ready to give her a new life. However, their love faces pressure from family honor and social constraints. Violetta chooses to sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of the man she loves, leading to one of the most emotionally devastating tragedies in opera history spanning over 150 years. Through beautiful arias and contemporary themes about how people judge others based on the past, appearance, and social status, the Helikon Opera production, directed by Dmitri Bertman, brings over 150 artists and orchestra members from Russia to create a profoundly moving experience.

Madama Butterfly, another masterpiece by Giacomo Puccini that inspired Miss Saigon and other works, receives a bold new interpretation from Russia's Helikon Opera. The story follows Cio-Cio-San, or Butterfly, a young geisha from Nagasaki who gives her love, loyalty, and entire future to Pinkerton, an American naval officer. She raises their son and waits for his return with only one hope. However, when the promise she has held dear brings cruel truth, the beautiful love transforms into one of the most heart-wrenching tragedies in opera history, reflecting the meeting of East and West during a time of global transformation.

From immortal songs on the big screen to tragic love stories that have moved audiences worldwide, these performances bring together the voices of world-class opera singers and orchestras at the 28th Bangkok International Festival of Music and Dance at the Grand Convention Hall.

It's been a while since fans have caught up with young actor Smith Phaswichaya Boonnathi. He recently appeared at the country's premier health fair "Thailand Healthcare 2026: Longevity Living Well, Happy Longer" at Samyan Mitrtown Hall's fifth floor, where he shared updates on his current work and health care practices.

When asked about his upcoming projects, Smith said: "There's a drama coming in August called 'Two Hearts.' I just saw the teaser and it looks great. I'm enjoying playing my character—there's lots of action, plus a complex love story. If I were in that situation, I'd wonder why love is so complicated. It's a love triangle involving characters played by Nadech, James Ma'ar, and Amanda. Everyone on set is fitness-focused and intense—Top, Gap, James Ma'ar, and Nadech all came prepared to fight each other and show off their muscles on set," he laughed. "When I first started, I was my normal weight, but once I saw the other actors, I had to go back and build more muscle because there are fight scenes."

Asked if fans will see body showcases in the drama, Smith replied: "Wait and see. I'll be wearing fitted t-shirts with rolled sleeves, so you might see some physique. All the actors have been serious about getting in shape—it's definitely worth the wait."

Smith also revealed he's working on two other projects. "There's 'Translator,' an investigation drama where I play a police officer trying to figure out which of three suspects is the murderer. Each actor is great—Kimberley, Pair Pichaya, and Yogurt. It's fun because the director wouldn't tell me who the killer was, so I got to speculate along with viewers. I even guessed wrong at first. When I found out the truth, I was shocked. I believe viewers will be just as shocked.

"The other project is 'Pls.Love' with Leena and Mew. I'm happy to work with them. I haven't worked with Mew before, but I have with Leena—she was actually my co-star in my first drama. It's great to reunite with an old friend. This character is completely different from the other two—in 'Two Hearts' I'm a mafia member, in 'Translator' I'm a police officer, and in 'Pls.Love' I'm a billionaire businessman," he laughed. "Filming is quite demanding because I'm shooting both 'Translator' and 'Pls.Love' simultaneously. I have to switch from wearing a police uniform investigating a crime to putting on a suit discussing million-baht real estate deals. It requires a lot of adjustment, but it's fun."

When asked if he's busy, Smith said: "I'm very grateful and always ready to work because I enjoy it. The roles seem to fit me well. During slower periods there's nothing, but when work comes, I want to make sure every project is the best it can be."

Smith also noted he's bucking the trend of other actors who may be experiencing slower periods. "It might be about timing. Plus I'm working on music too, which keeps me busy. I want to complete a song this year, and my team is pushing forward as well. But the whole process depends on me and the producer getting the music ready to pitch. My first song is in a Molam style, which I made as a joke related to the drama I'm in. Making the second song is tougher because I'm trying to find the right style that suits me best. I'm working on it now."

When asked if he has a rough concept for the new song, Smith said: "I enjoy making fun, upbeat music more, but I'm still not sure what it will sound like in the end. When I perform at events though, people always request upbeat fun songs, which I can't refuse. The new song will be different."

At 11:30 a.m. on July 8, 2569 at Parliament, Rakchonok Sri-nok, a People's Party list MP, held a press conference calling on the Social Security Office and large employers to cooperate in the Social Security Board election registration. She noted that only one week remains for registration. As of today, 750,000 insured persons have registered out of approximately 10 million total, while only 6,000 employers have registered out of 500,000. She criticized the Social Security Office's data presentation methods, stating that cumulative graphs from day one are statistically ineffective and should instead show weekly or daily breakdowns to reveal meaningful proportions.

Rakchonok also complained that provincial data displays only ten provinces at a time, requiring users to manually scroll to view other regions. She urged the Social Security Office to improve data accessibility and provide clearer information about employee and employer registration numbers without requiring users to check province by province. She noted that employer registration has been made unnecessarily complicated, requiring photocopies of ID cards and business development documents. She referenced Deputy Prime Minister Suphajee Sutharmanphand's commitment to streamline inter-agency data sharing and called on the Social Security Office to coordinate with the Interior Department and Business Development Department to simplify the registration process.

Rakchonok emphasized that the Social Security Office should have learned from previous elections and addressed employer complaints about registration obstacles. She demanded that the office promptly notify applicants if documents are incomplete and specify what additional steps are needed. She concluded by noting that staff at the Social Security Office should implement these improvements rather than allowing rigid bureaucratic systems to continue producing substandard results.

At 11:00 AM on July 8, 2569, in parliament, Ekkarat Udomamnouy, an MP from Bangkok representing the People's Party, made a statement about information slides being censored during the fiscal year 2570 budget debate discussion. First Deputy Speaker Mallika Jiraphunvanit attended the statement.

Ekkarat explained that during the defense ministry budget debate, his team prepared dozens of slides. However, when it came time to present, parliamentary chair Mallika censored multiple pieces of information, preventing their presentation to the assembly. This raised his concerns about why such information could not be shared.

Ekkarat clarified that his statement was not intended to quarrel with anyone, but to call on parliament—a place where members should be able to present information fully—to establish clear measures and guidelines for information presentation. These included images of abandoned factories on military property, military research unit outputs published on websites, warships listed in military published reports, and terms like "minister" and "phantom soldiers," none of which should have been censored.

Ekkarat proposed establishing when members must submit slides and questioned who could guarantee information wouldn't leak to ministers before the debate. He emphasized that presenters work to prevent leaks while noting the need for standard operating procedures.

Mallika responded immediately, saying members bear personal responsibility for preventing leaks and don't need the chair's approval. She acknowledged that the incident highlighted the need for rules on slide submission timing. She noted that differing opinions existed between her office and technical staff on what could be shown, and suggested establishing clear guidelines through consultation with all relevant staff about potential issues.

Theerathon Bunmathan, the seasoned Thai national team midfielder from Buriram United, posted a message on social media following his win of the Men's Player of the Year award at the FA Thailand Awards 2025/26. The 36-year-old appeared in 47 matches across all competitions during the past season, scoring 2 goals and providing 15 assists, and helped Buriram United capture the Thai League championship, FA Cup, and AFC Club Championship. For the Thai national team, he played 3 matches and contributed 1 goal and 2 assists, helping secure Thailand's qualification for the Asian Cup finals.

Following the award win, Theerathon expressed gratitude through social media, saying: "I must first thank Buriram United, my parents, and grandparents for giving me the opportunity and constantly supporting me. I also want to thank the Football Association of Thailand, Pang Nualaphon Lamsam (the FA president), and all the committee members for recognizing the hard work I've consistently put in.

I'm honored to receive this award again, but I couldn't have done it alone. I give credit to the coaching staff and my teammates who worked together, and our team's success is because everyone contributed. Going forward, I will maintain the standards and continue what I'm doing not just for myself, but for the club, the fans, and the younger generation who are watching."

A woman known as Bam became the center of a viral scandal after posting video of her husband in bed with another woman. When she entered the bedroom and discovered them still embracing, she recorded the incident and then struck her husband with a green thermos flask. The video quickly spread across social media, accumulating over 77 million views before eventually being deleted. Details about items in the room, including a Doraemon pillow and the green thermos, became subjects of intense online discussion.

Bam recently appeared on a news program to share what happened after the video ended. She explained that she had entered the room, spotted another woman's shoes, and immediately understood the situation. "I picked up my phone to record and wondered how he could dare do this when we're still legally married," she said. "Then I grabbed the thermos and hit him."

After the video was cut short, Bam described a chaotic aftermath. "My husband jumped at me, and his friend came running to try to grab my phone and attack me. He ran around the car with a stick, hitting and throwing it at me until it broke. I was heartbroken that he defended the other woman instead. He never protected me like that," she stated emotionally.

Bam declared that she will not return to her husband this time, despite giving him multiple chances in the past. "I went back before because I loved him and for our child's sake, and I'm still with his friend. But not this time. I only want our child to be with me," she concluded.