On May 27, 2025, Education Minister Prasert Chantharueangthong, Deputy Minister Akornnan Kankittinant, and ministry officials announced the 'Work Smart' policy aimed at reducing teacher workload by eliminating redundant and unnecessary programs. The initiative seeks to return teaching time to educators so they can focus on students during the new semester and achieve better work-life balance.

Chantharueangthong noted that despite the new semester opening, field visits revealed that many teachers remain burdened with paperwork, evaluation duties, procurement tasks, and overlapping projects that compromise teaching time. Data shows that 47.7% of teachers believe these burdens affect teaching quality, while over 63% cannot maintain work-life balance.

The minister identified excessive documentation and redundant project evaluations as the primary complaints from teachers, particularly the White School Program which duplicates existing student support systems, and ITA reporting requirements that should only occur at the departmental level under the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

"The Education Ministry must advance the work smart approach to eliminate unnecessary burdens and return teachers to their most important responsibility: caring for students," Chantharueangthong stated, emphasizing that the goal is not to reduce child development objectives but to eliminate redundant work processes. Safety, drug prevention, and character development initiatives will remain priorities, with education area offices now providing oversight rather than requiring schools to produce their own reports.

The ministry also plans to integrate data systems so teachers enter information once but can generate multiple reports, and will gradually transfer procurement, finance, and administrative tasks for small schools to the Office of the Basic Education Commission.

Chantharueangthong stressed that reducing teacher workload represents a fundamental shift in how Thailand's education system operates, ultimately giving teachers more classroom time, schools greater autonomy, and students higher-quality education.

Deputy Minister Akornnan announced that the White School Program will be cancelled immediately in fiscal year 2570, with six additional programs also having their evaluations, reporting, and competitions eliminated: online ITA assessment activities, four-star and five-star virtuous school evaluations, student competency improvement projects aligned with international assessment frameworks, OBEC Channel advancement initiatives, learning innovation research and development projects, and health and physical education promotion programs. Supervising agencies will notify schools of these changes.

The sound of ping-pong balls bouncing on tables echoes through the evenings after school. For some, it's just a fun game, but for youth members of Banpu Table Tennis Club (BTTC), these sounds mark moments of growth, transformation, and the beginning of their own life journeys. Over 18 years, BTTC has served not merely as a competitive club, but as an "opportunity space" that opens doors for young people to develop both their athletic abilities and life skills.

Om Jeerattigul Kesamphongsrueang started playing table tennis out of passion at age 11, joining BTTC at 14. Beyond continuous training and competition opportunities representing the club, he received close mentorship from coaches and learned the skills of knowledge-sharing as a senior mentor to younger players. These experiences gradually led Om to become a national youth team athlete and showed him the possibility of pursuing table tennis as a future career. Today, Om is fully committed to transitioning from competitor to coach.

"Banpu Table Tennis Club gave me the chance to try, to develop, and to learn in many different roles until I became confident that table tennis could become a profession to support my family. Now I want to pass on the opportunities and skills I received to push the younger generation to go further than I did," Om shared.

For Jeffie Chollasit Boonsirivatcharakul, who grew up with BTTC for over 10 years, his progression from national-level competition to earning an athletic scholarship to university wasn't solely driven by competition results. Rather, it was the club's open environment that didn't confine young people to a single life path. After reaching a certain point in his athletic journey, Jeffie expanded his interests into mass media and entertainment. He is currently a first-year student in the Mass Communication program at Thammasat University, admitted through an athletic quota, while also working as an actor with a prominent agency and having a drama series set to air this year. He continues balancing his role as an athlete alongside these pursuits.

"My confidence comes from having people who support me and knowing that regardless of which path I choose, there are teammates who cheer me on from behind," Jeffie said.

Though Cream Surwee Yutitada's path didn't lead to becoming a full-time professional athlete, her time at BTTC became an important space for developing essential life skills. Cream, a first-year pharmacy student at Chulalongkorn University, noted that beyond sports training, the club emphasizes mental and emotional development through special activities held consistently every year.

"Table tennis competitions aren't just about trophies, but are an important tool that strengthens the spirit, fosters growth, and serves as a training ground to learn how to manage emotions and apply those lessons to real life," Cream explained.

Rathapon Sukanthi, Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Banpu Public Company Limited, stated: "Banpu believes in the power of 'people' and sees sports as a means to develop individuals, opening young people's eyes to the world and new experiences while cultivating potential for their future lives."

When asked about Lukkade's livestream comments that included veiled references to her, Cindy laughed it off, saying she hadn't even heard about it yet. She explained that it's natural for people to explore different experiences, comparing it to tasting different flavors—some prefer spicy, others prefer sweet. Cindy emphasized she doesn't see it as a competition to become an icon in place of Lukkade, noting that each mentor brings their own strengths and approaches. She stressed she came to do her job excellently and won't get involved in any drama between Lukkade and Tae Kantana, as they're not her concern. Regarding her decision to join The Face Thailand Season 7 as a full mentor, Cindy explained the timing worked perfectly and her daughter is a big fan of the show. When asked about the teaser featuring grapes and shoes that sparked speculation it was Lukkade, Cindy dismissed the speculation as people using too much imagination, clarifying it was just food styling on the table with no hidden meanings.

The FDA has advised against using gold leaf or gold powder in food products, warning that it provides no nutritional benefit and may pose risks from heavy metal contamination that could impact health if accumulated over time. On May 27, 2026, Supattra Bunserm, Secretary of the Food and Drug Commission, revealed that gold leaf and gold powder have been found decorating or added to food products such as bakery items and confectioneries to enhance luxury appeal and increase product value. The FDA is concerned about using food decorative substances for aesthetics alone, and business operators should prioritize consumer safety. For packaged processed foods requiring FDA pre-approval before sale, the FDA has explicitly banned the use of gold leaf or gold powder as a food ingredient. For foods prepared and sold directly to consumers, although they are exempt from requiring FDA approval, the agency does not recommend using gold leaf or gold powder for decoration, as they provide no nutritional value and may pose safety risks if the gold is non-standard. If accumulated over extended periods, such exposure could harm health. Therefore, consumers should avoid consuming gold leaf from unknown or uncertain sources. Anyone discovering food products suspected of being substandard or unsafe can report them to the FDA hotline 1556, Line @FDAThai, email 1556@fda.moph.go.th, or provincial health offices throughout the country.

When actors Kao Jiraiyu and Vee Violet attended the premiere of the film 'Term 4' at Paragon Cineplex Level 5 in Siam Paragon, the pair gave interviews to the media about reuniting on screen after 8 years. This marks their first film together in the Term 4 series at the White Bridge location. During the interview, they also addressed their friends Goy Arutsophon and Natti Nantanat, who were recently targeted by a woman claiming to be from their graduating class (Journalism, Chulalongkorn University, Class of 48) who posted repeatedly on social media accusing them of backstabbing.

Vee explained: "During the White Bridge period in Term 4, we ended things sweetly, though I'm not entirely sure of the details, but we had to watch it since there were definitely ghosts involved."

Kao added: "It might be a certain kind of sweetness, right? Our last time playing together was probably in the Club Friday short series."

When asked if this was their first film together, Kao confirmed: "Yes, this is our first film together."

Regarding whether Kao decided to accept the role after learning Vee was involved, he explained: "When they contacted me, I didn't know initially. They said they contacted Vee, but I thought she might be too busy since I remember she had a lot of work at that time, especially during January when we were filming."

Vee interjected: "I was in a voice recovery period then, so there were many things going on."

Kao continued: "We thought she might not accept, so I accepted my role first without knowing who my co-star would be since we have different managers and didn't communicate. But when it turned out to be her, I was happy. It made things easier. It felt like we already knew each other and understood how the other person works. Even though we weren't dating when we filmed together, it felt like she was someone I'd already worked with well. I felt good about it, and when we got together to film, it didn't seem worrisome at all."

When asked if they worried about laughing at each other due to the long time apart, Vee said: "Looking at each other does make it a bit hard. Like if she turns and makes a serious face at me, I'm supposed to be acting."

Kao admitted: "Sometimes in our personal moments we joke around while acting, so we were worried we might laugh when it got serious in the series. But when we got to the film, it was okay."

Asked whether they drew from their real-life personalities for their characters, Kao said: "I think there's some of it, unconsciously."

Vee clarified: "But character-wise, I don't feel like that's the case because of the script and other factors. We're not really playing ourselves. We look like ourselves but we're not. But if you ask, there's definitely some chemistry there. We drew from real life, from the love we have."

When asked about future collaborations, Vee said: "Not yet, but they could contact us."

Kao joked: "We could separate for a bit. But please contact me during this period. My dog has been eating well lately, so I'd like to keep feeding him well consistently."

Regarding Vee's voice health, she reported: "It's been improving gradually."

Asked about precautions, Vee explained: "I'm being careful because I don't feel like rushing. This year I'm taking it slowly but gradually accepting work."

On her work limit, she said: "I'm starting to accept some projects but not too many. Maybe 10 jobs a month would require a break. I might gradually increase the pace."

She continued: "I try to space out each job a bit so my voice always has time to rest. I'm carefully considering each offer."

Kao noted: "But this period has been quite busy. The Friendsfly group we're part of is also doing a stage play."

Vee confirmed: "Yes, Goy, Natti, and Dream are doing a stage play."

Villagers in Ban Hat Song Kaeo, Thakham Subdistrict, Tron District, Uthai Thani Province, gathered on May 27 to conduct a ceremonial offering to Pho Khampong shrine, a sacred site revered by two communities that serves as a spiritual center. Locals believe the shrine watches over Pad Marsh and a large reservoir crucial for agriculture, and that Pho Khampong protects villagers from danger while promoting agricultural prosperity and business success.

During the ceremony, villagers prepared traditional offerings including boiled pork head, boiled eggs, nine types of fruit, Thai desserts, betel nuts, cigarettes, and alcohol. As the ritual procession circled the shrine, one participant spotted an object protruding from the ground near the temple entrance. Upon investigation, they uncovered a 25-centimeter Chuchok statue, seemingly buried for a long time due to accumulated soil.

Villagers believe discovering the Chuchok statue is auspicious, as Chuchok is traditionally considered a "great grantor" believed to fulfill wishes. The community performed incense divination and obtained the lucky numbers 690, which they plan to use for lottery tickets in the upcoming draw. Villagers have vowed that if they win the grand prize, they will commission new clothes for the Chuchok statue and construct a proper shrine in gratitude.