SURIN — May 8, 2026 — Explosive ordnance disposal teams in Surin province are racing against time to find and destroy the last remaining unexploded BM-21 rockets from border clashes before farmers can return to their fields. Pol. Lt. Col. Watcharin Chanthom, head of the EOD special operations unit in Surin provincial police, led officers and humanitarian demining teams to sugarcane fields and rice paddies west of Ban Chorok village in Dan subdistrict, Kap Choeng district on Thursday to clear six remaining impact sites from a barrage of BM-21 rockets fired on July 24, 2025—the same attack that killed an 8-year-old boy known as "Nong Namkhong" and 32-year-old Bandit Unjit.

Authorities used scanning equipment to search for explosives before excavating two sites. The first location showed the rocket had detonated on impact with fragments still buried underground. At a second sugarcane field, crews dug nearly 10 meters deep but could not locate the rocket after groundwater flooded the excavation. Officials explained that the rocket likely sank deeper than 10 meters into the rain-soaked soil during the monsoon season and no longer posed a threat, noting that BM-21 rockets can penetrate more than 20 meters underground in saturated conditions.

The sugarcane field owner expressed reassurance and planned to place a concrete pipe over the location as a marker while using the groundwater for irrigation. Authorities said the remaining four sites would be excavated within two days. The operation was conducted under observation by senators, provincial officials, and local administrators as part of broader visits to border communities affected by the fighting and compensation efforts for residents impacted.

Lt. Gen. Boonchan Nuansai, a senator from Surin province, thanked EOD officers for helping ensure villager safety. In Kap Choeng district alone, including Dan and Ta Tien subdistricts, 189 BM-21 rockets have been identified, with eight additional suspected impact points still under investigation. In neighboring Phanom Dong Rak district, authorities estimate between 400 and 500 BM-21 rockets landed during the first round of fighting, with later clashes involving heavier RPG use.

The clearance operation began after residents requested assistance from district authorities to ensure fields were safe before planting crops. Suphon Kanphai, 47, owner of one of the sugarcane fields, said he discovered impact marks and metal fragments after inspecting his land following the clashes. "Nearly 10 rockets fell in this area alone," he said. "Some craters were very small and could disappear after heavy rain washed soil over them." Although the rocket at his site was not recovered, he expressed confidence in the authorities' assessment and no longer feared returning to work his land.

On his 30th birthday, Naphatt Seungsomboon made a clear statement regarding his stepmother, saying he would address this matter one final time. On May 8th, Naphatt appeared at the SHOKZ Brand Ambassador Launch Event at Eastin Grand Hotel Phayathai as Thailand's first official brand ambassador for the company, where he opened up about his relationship with stepmother Pimpha.

"I'm going to answer this question today one last time, and this will be the final time I speak about this matter," he stated firmly. "I am a straightforward person, clear-minded, and I don't like dishonesty. Therefore, I will speak plainly about everything. If I don't address this directly, this issue will haunt me endlessly. So if I clarify things today, whatever happens in the future, I can say I've been clear about it."

He confirmed that he has chosen to live separately from his mother, saying, "We each live our own lives. I've been through the last major press conference without any contact since then. I have my own life, different people live different lives, and I hope everyone can respect that. I'm 30 now, I'm grown up, I want to be happy. I'm choosing my own life path and choosing what's best for me."

When asked if he has completely cut ties, he replied, "You could say that. I have my own life. Everyone around me has suffered from this situation—not just me, but everyone. We've all lost enough emotional energy to this issue. It's enough. I don't want this anymore. I'm doing the best I can possibly do."

Regarding people continuing to ask about it, he said, "It doesn't really bother my life, but it does weigh on my heart. I'm empathetic to some comments, but I feel they don't understand. It's their right to have opinions, and everyone is entitled to their views. But I want to ask for everyone's cooperation on this. This affects my mental health, and I've worked through it to get here. I've made this decision firmly, and I'd like everyone to help by respecting it. This decision came from me alone—no one else was involved in making it."

When asked if it was difficult because she is his mother, he deflected slightly, saying, "I'd rather not go into that, because that's in the past. Today I'm happy, and I've chosen what's best for my life."

On how he healed himself, he shared, "Just by eating. It's a normal part of life. When difficult things happen, no matter how heavy they are, I want to encourage everyone going through something now that everyone can get through it. You have to be patient. I mentioned in a Buddhist talk that I experienced personal breakdown, but I can tell you now that if I break down again tomorrow, the day after I'll be able to stand back up. I believe everyone can be the same way. The key is getting through that difficult period on your own."

He concluded, "Today I'm healthy, so I feel ready. Thank you for asking about this. As I mentioned, this is the last time I'm speaking about this. If anything happens in the future, I ask for your understanding that I won't comment further, and that's the end of it."

In the fatal shooting case of Purivatthana, age 40, nicknamed "Nam Plakpla" and a local gang leader in Tha Sala District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, who had a history involving multiple drug-related cases and was killed in the middle of Plakpla Village Road, Moo 1, Talingchan Subdistrict, Tha Sala District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, as previously reported—On May 8, 2569 at Tha Sala Police Station, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, the suspect Atthapong, nicknamed "Ath Talingchan," voluntarily surrendered to police. Officers presented a provincial court arrest warrant No. 254/2569 dated May 7, 2569, charging him with intentional murder and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. Atthapong initially confessed to shooting Purivatthana with a shotgun. The weapon used in the shooting was later discovered discarded near a banana tree. Police subsequently retrieved it.

Regarding the motive, Atthapong stated he had a quarrel with the victim, with both parties posting insulting and challenging messages online. The victim had threatened to shoot him at his home, so he took his gun and waited. When the victim drove up in front of his house, he opened fire first and fled. He later decided to surrender to police.

Local residents reported that the two men—"Nam Plakpla" and "Ath Talingchan"—were once very close friends before their recent conflict and falling out.

The Physical Education Department organized its 2026 'Summer Sports and Recreation for Youth' event on May 8 at the Institute of Physical Science in Pathum Thani province. The initiative operates under two programs: the Regional Recreation Center Project and the Basic Sports Promotion Project, designed to help young people use their school holidays productively by training in recreational and sports skills of their choice. The event also provides a learning platform for youth to develop their talents, express creativity, use free time meaningfully, and avoid risky behaviors.

The ceremony featured three youth performances: traditional Thai music and dance, guitar and singing, and street dance, which impressed attendees. Deputy Director Dr. Suthorn Vicharatana offered encouragement to the youth and distributed certificates to 495 instructors and participants across various disciplines including traditional and modern music, guitar, singing, dance, visual arts, smart kids programs, football, futsal, tennis, soft tennis, boxing, and stack sports.

The Physical Education Department hopes this program will serve as a foundation for promoting wellness, instilling discipline and unity among Thai youth, and encouraging wise use of free time. The initiative also aims to improve quality of life for young people in Pathum Thani and surrounding areas through accessible and continuous sports and recreation activities.

Thailand's Securities and Exchange Commission is reviewing margin requirements for retail forex and CFD products for the first time in seven years, while the Bank of Thailand has tightened documentation rules for incoming foreign currency funds. Retail forex traders in Thailand will be affected by both of these changes within the next 12 months.

Has retail forex in Thailand ever changed this rapidly before?

Between November 2019 and the end of 2024, everything remained relatively stable, with minimal movement at best. The SEC oversees securities and derivatives, the Bank of Thailand manages foreign currency flows, and the remainder is filled by foreign brokers holding overseas licenses. Thai traders using ASIC or CySEC regulated forex brokers could transfer up to $15,000 per day into trading accounts. Everything was straightforward—currency pairs could be traded freely, though Thai baht remained restricted.

But now everything has changed, and here's what every trader needs to know going forward.

What the SEC is Actually Reviewing

A 1:20 leverage ratio is the level set by Singapore's Monetary Authority as the forex margin ceiling since 2019, while ASIC chose 1:30 for major currency pairs two years later. Thailand has not yet officially set a figure. The SEC's review of margin restrictions and customer suitability assessment measures, announced in early 2026, is still underway with no comprehensive ceiling announced yet. Everything will depend on how other ASEAN regulators proceed and domestic political factors.

Anyone using 1:500 leverage on offshore platforms should already see the direction. Licensed domestic brokers and foreign brokers will increasingly diverge on margin requirements.

Separately, regulators are also focusing on how brokers advertise projected returns and categorize customers by risk level. Income verification, trading knowledge questionnaires, and risk acknowledgment forms are becoming standard. Anyone who opened an account with a Financial Conduct Authority-regulated broker will be familiar with these processes.

But for newcomers in 2026, that's no longer familiar territory. The five-minute account opening process through foreign brokers is disappearing, or at least rapidly disappearing.

Bank of Thailand's Documentation Tightening

Banks must now verify documents such as sales contracts, invoices, and transaction purposes for spot foreign exchange transactions valued at $200,000 or more. Rules for incoming and outgoing funds have thus been harmonized at this level, which was not previously the case.

Retail traders transferring small amounts of thousands of baht are not directly affected. The $200,000 figure targets large capital flows.

What has changed in practice is banking behavior. Know Your Business checks have expanded significantly since January. Based on discussions in Thai trading forums, posts about transfers being rejected by banks have increased noticeably. It remains to be seen whether this results from new internal directives or is simply the banks' own caution.

Repeat transfers to foreign brokers, even if

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