Deputy Transport Minister Panya Chuphanik presided over the third supervisory meeting of 2025 on the State Railway of Thailand's (SRT) rehabilitation plan on April 24 at the Transport Ministry. SRT Governor Anant Phodnimdaeng and representatives from various transport and budget agencies participated as secretaries.

Panya disclosed that the task force monitored SRT's progress on directives from the February 26 meeting, urging acceleration of projects under the 2025 fiscal action plan within set timelines while emphasizing strategic infrastructure development priorities.

Key actions include reviewing a request for 2,850 additional positions aligned with rail transport policy, considering organizational strategy, revenue, expenses, and workforce gaps. A financial advisor will assess the proposal's viability for sustainable operations.

The ministry also pushed SRT to expedite procurement of 216 diesel rail units with spare parts, and directed accelerated review of appropriate sourcing methods for locomotives and wheels, prioritizing cost-effectiveness and returns.

For the Nakhon Ratchasima-Nong Khai high-speed rail phase 2 project, SRT must revise the Terms of Reference draft to align with ministry policy on safety and Thai national interests.

Regarding the suburban rail Missing Link extensions (Bang Sue-Phraya Thai, Makkasan-Huai Lumphong, and Bang Sue-Hua Lamphong), SRT established a committee to review design completion and cost assessments. Contract signing is targeted for October 2025.

For the diesel-electric locomotive rehabilitation project (21 units), procurement processes completed the draft TOR review stage. SRT aims to sign the contract by July 2025.

On freight transport efficiency for the Ladkrabang-Laem Chabang ICD route, with current 2024 volumes at 497,805 TEUs annually, SRT was directed to adjust plans for increased rail freight capacity, targeting 700,000 TEUs for 2026.

At 8:00 AM on April 25, 2569, at Narathiwat City Police Station, Pol. Col. Prayong Kotorsaekha, commander of Narathiwat Provincial Police, transferred Senior Sergeant Virojn Ketumani—one of five suspects in the alleged murder of Narathiwat MP Komlaksak Leewamaew—for additional questioning. Officers then petitioned Narathiwat Provincial Court for a remand order, with investigators conducting over an hour of additional questioning before the suspect was transported to court. When reporters asked Virojn about the charges, he briefly responded that he believes he is merely a small pawn in a local political conflict and that state agencies are uninvolved.

Virojn was escorted from the police station to the provincial court under heavy security by the Narathiwat Special Operations Unit. All five suspects in the case have been remanded in custody at Narathiwat Prison, including: Sompon Langdech (organizer), Alawi Awe (driver), Thanapat Wattanaphinyo (shooter), Sunthorn Phromphakdi (workshop owner), and Senior Sergeant Virojn Ketumani (shooter).

Narathiwat Prison officials report that the four detainees have adjusted well to prison life, though some anxiety remains, and staff maintain close supervision to prevent any self-harm. Investigators indicate that further examination is underway on multiple points, including financial transactions, meetings with other individuals, suspect travel patterns, and mobile phone communications. The victim's lawyer has submitted requests for thorough investigation into these details to potentially identify the person ordering the attack.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supachai Panitchpakdi revealed on April 25, 2025, following discussions with US Ambassador to Thailand Sean Oniell on Friday, April 24, that the talks were constructive and reflected mutual confidence in elevating economic and trade relations between Thailand and the US, a partnership spanning over 190 years.

Supachai announced that the Thai government prioritizes negotiations on the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) with the US and is prepared to work closely with American counterparts. Thailand is committed to advancing the negotiations toward a quick conclusion to build confidence in both countries' business and market sectors.

Regarding US Section 301 investigations, Supachai emphasized that Thailand has provided comprehensive information on excess capacity and forced labor import ban issues, noting that many Thai exports are supply chain products supporting US manufacturing.

Thailand also affirmed its labor standards align with international norms and is ready to collaborate closely with the US for mutually beneficial outcomes.

Thailand has proposed that the US consider tariff exemptions for products it cannot produce domestically, particularly key agricultural exports, to minimize consumer impact in the US and promote more mutually beneficial trade.

Supachai also announced plans to visit the US in early May to attend the SelectUSA Investment Summit 2026, leading a delegation of Thai business leaders focused on expanding investment in key US sectors. He will also meet with USABC and USCC investors to promote bilateral investment and witness business cooperation agreements (MOUs), reflecting private sector confidence in the US economy and strategic partnership between both nations.

Thailand plans to balance trade by importing essential goods and raw materials from the US, such as agricultural and energy products, demonstrating Thailand's commitment as a responsible and reliable economic partner.

Supachai concluded that Thailand views the US as a strategically important trade partner, and these discussions reflect shared intent to elevate economic relations. Thailand stands ready to work closely with the US to achieve sustainable long-term mutual benefits.

In 2024, the US was Thailand's second-largest trading partner with total trade value exceeding $93.65 billion, with Thai exports to the US valued at $72.51 billion, covering major products including computers, rubber products, gems, automobiles, and air conditioning units. Thai imports from the US reached $21.14 billion.

CK Cheong, CEO of Fastwork (a Thai online freelance platform), recently posted a video sharing his thoughts on young people giving money to their parents amid the current economic squeeze. He argues that recent graduates earning 18,000 baht a month in Bangkok shouldn't send money home if they can't support themselves, challenging the common expectation that young workers contribute to family expenses.

"The first thing I always tell young people is: if you can't support yourself, don't send money to your parents," CK stated. "A fresh graduate makes 18,000 baht, but as soon as they earn that, their parents say, 'Now that you have income, send us 5,000 every month.' But with 18,000 baht in Bangkok and no savings, that's unrealistic."

He questioned the logic of expecting young people to financially support their parents while struggling themselves. "Ask this directly: who is the future—the parents or the children? You're draining resources from your children when they're actually the ones with a future," he said. "On 18,000 baht in Bangkok, do they even have anything saved? Yet we're asking for 5,000 of it."

CK acknowledged that some families face genuine hardship, but pointed out that sometimes money goes to lottery tickets. He noted that parents already face reduced burden since their children are now earning and supporting themselves through education. "Yet we still try to take money from them. That's the problem," he explained.

CK emphasized a key principle: secure yourself first. He compared it to airplane safety instructions—help yourself before helping others. "If you can't support yourself, don't worry about your parents. You have to secure yourself first. That's the crucial rule," he stressed, as social media debated the topic from various angles, with some agreeing and others emphasizing filial gratitude.

European football leagues offer an exciting slate of matches today across the Premier League, where Arsenal looks to reclaim the top position in their showdown against Newcastle United, Liverpool takes on Crystal Palace, and the FA Cup semifinal features Manchester City versus Southampton.

Football schedule and live broadcast channels for European football on April 25:

English Premier League 6:30 PM Fulham vs Aston Villa 9:00 PM Liverpool vs Crystal Palace 9:00 PM West Ham vs Everton 9:00 PM Wolverhampton vs Tottenham 11:30 PM Arsenal vs Newcastle United (All matches broadcast on Mono Max)

English FA Cup Semifinal 11:15 PM Manchester City vs Southampton (Mono Max)

German Bundesliga 8:30 PM Mainz vs Bayern Munich 11:30 PM Hamburg vs Hoffenheim (All matches on PPTV, BeIN Sports 3)

Italian Serie A 11:00 PM Bologna vs Roma 1:45 AM Verona vs Lecce (All matches on True Premier Football 3)

Spanish La Liga 9:15 PM Getafe vs Barcelona 2:00 AM Atletico Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao (All matches on BeIN Sports 1)

After a lengthy hiatus from acting to focus on influencer work, actress Pichit Charada Imraporn is making her comeback with a significant role in an intense drama-driven BL series at NORTHSTAR. At the NORTHSTAR FIRST LIGHT LINE UP 2026 press conference held at CentralPoint Studio, the actress updated the media on her acting projects requiring serious warm-up and a challenging new role, along with sharing happy moments from her personal life as an aunt who's deeply involved in caring for her young niece. She also revealed her current relationship status is completely single.

When asked about her return to acting after being away, Pichit explained: "I've been away from acting for quite a while. I've done some projects, but it's been about a year since I've played a yuri-style character. I felt I needed to really shake the rust off because I've been taking on a lot of influencer work lately. Now that I'm back to acting, I'm getting into it, but I definitely need to warm up since this role is quite heavy."

On her decision to join this project: "The script is really interesting, and it's a character type I've never played before. It's challenging and demanding. The team at Northstar and P'Tik are so lovely. I felt it would make me really happy to work with this family."

When asked about her character, she revealed: "The series is called 'Thaoi Rak Kham Luang' or 'Third Person' in English. I play Nadia, and it's a love story involving three people."

Regarding her character's nature, she said: "I don't want to spoil too much—you'll find out soon! But I can tell you I'm a good person. The storyline is very intense with no light moments. Every scene I'm in is intense. We've finished about 50% of filming."

On her workshop preparation with co-stars Kaan and Mee, Pichit shared: "We had workshops together and got to know each other. This story requires heavy script reading because it's very complex—not easy for me at all."

About the difficulty of the role: "Every scene I'm in doesn't have a moment of relaxation. It's constantly tense and emotional. My makeup artist knows my makeup gets smudged constantly because I'm crying so much. It's very dramatic. Usually I play happy, comedic roles, but this one is serious—no comedy here."

On the working atmosphere: "Everyone is new to this genre, but it's fun. There are only beautiful, gracious women. Costumes, hair, everything is beautiful. I'm really happy."

When asked if she's become attached to this genre: "I like it, but I haven't seen the pilot yet to see how it turns out. During filming it felt fun and the timing of each scene was great, maybe because of Nadia's character."

On when viewers can expect to see it: "I have no idea yet! But I heard people whispering that the pilot that's been edited is amazing."

Regarding whether this is a full commitment back to acting: "Yes, I'm intentional about this. I want to come back to acting fully because my influencer work has decreased. I want to return to what I used to do and what I've come to love."

On whether she deliberately reduced influencer work for acting: "Actually, I used to take every opportunity that came my way. There might have been some selectivity, but back then I was trying to make money to build a house—I was really focused on that. Now that the house is finished, I want to focus on what I truly want to do. This year I'm dedicated solely to acting."

Updating on her niece: "My niece is so cute. She's only 3 months old but growing so fast. I don't want her to grow up. Now that we're living in the same house, I sleep next to her. When she cries, I can tell if she's hungry."