Author: gqSbgCfmna

Thai star edges past Supanida in thriller

Ratchanok Intanon will take on world No.1 An Se-Young in the women’s singles semi-finals of the US$475,000 (approx 15.4 million baht) BWF Australian Open in Sydney.

The Thai fourth seed, who won the Kumamoto Masters Japan last Sunday for her second title of the year, continued her fine form by securing her place in the last four of the Super 500 event.

Ratchanok survived a tough test against Supanida Katethong, taking exactly one hour to come from behind to win 17-21, 21-11, 23-21 yesterday and extending her dominance against her compatriot with an eighth straight victory.

Next up for Ratchanok, who ended her 10-month title drought with the Kumamoto Masters win, is a match-up against top-ranked An, who cruised past Manami Suizu of Japan 21-10, 21-8.

Korean An has had a dominant season and is looking to match her 2023 record of 10 titles in a year, which would keep her on track for Kento Momota’s singles record of 11.

The other semi-final will see second seed Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia square off against seventh seed Michelle Li of Canada.

Two Thai mixed doubles pairs also advanced to the semi-finals on Friday.

Third seeds Ruttanapak Oupthong and Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat defeated compatriots Phanuwat Horbanluekit and Benyapa Aimsaard 21-12, 21-15 and will face second seeds Jafar Hidayatullah and Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu of Indonesia in the last four today.

Unseeded Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Sapsiree Taerattanachai battled past fourth seeds Yang Po-Hsuan and Hu Ling-fang 17-21, 21-15, 21-12 and will be up against top seeds Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei of Malaysia in the other semi.

In the men’s singles quarter-finals, Chou Tien-chen of Taiwan edged Alwi Farhan of Indonesia 13-21, 23-21, 21-16 and will next play Lakshya Sen, who beat fellow Indian Ayush Shetty 23-21, 21-11.

Li Chun-yi of Taiwan will meet Yushi Tanaka of Japan in the other semi-final match.

Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun has sidestepped questions about whether she is being considered as a prime ministerial candidate for the Bhumjaithai Party (BJT), stressing that her priority is running the ministry to the best of her ability.

She said she heard about her name being floated as a potential PM candidate for the BJT at the same time the reports were made public. When Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul made the remark, she was on a business trip in the United States.

“I would need to speak with the prime minister [about this] first,” she said on Friday, adding that her current focus is performing her duties as commerce minister.

She noted that, as of yesterday, she has been in office for 52 days with 68 days remaining.

Earlier on Thursday, Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas also declined to comment on whether he would accept a BJT PM nomination. He said he had not applied for party membership.

Meanwhile, the Pheu Thai Party unveiled eight constituency candidates for Samut Prakan and three party-list candidates on Friday. The list includes Akkarawat Asavahame, deputy chief of the local provincial administrative organisation (PAO) and a member of a politically influential family in the region that was previously aligned with the BJT.

Mr Akkarawat said he joined Pheu Thai because the party has built up the experience to address Samut Prakan’s longstanding issues.

He will contest Constituency 1, along with Pinyo Kitlertphiroj — son of veteran politician Songkhram Kitlertphiroj — and Pracha Prasopdee, with Torsak Asavahame on the party list.

Pheu Thai leader Julapun Amornvivat said all 11 candidates are closely connected to local communities and understand the needs of residents, SMEs, and the province’s workforce.

Mr Julapun said the party’s deputy leader for policy, Paopoom Rojanasakul, will work with the Samut Prakan team to develop policies meeting nationwide expectations.

Mr Anutin acknowledged the Asavahame family’s move to Pheu Thai, expressing his pleasure that they aim to contribute to the country.

Party says PM would be dodging scrutiny

The People’s Party (PP) says that if Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dissolves parliament on Dec 12 — the day the parliamentary session opens — in response to a no-confidence motion, it would be akin to a contractor abandoning a project to evade scrutiny.

Parit Wacharasindhu, list MP and PP spokesman, said on Friday that the prime minister’s remark on dissolving the House, particularly if done to avoid scrutiny or responsibility for any constitutional amendments, is “no different from a contractor abandoning a project to escape scrutiny”.

“While there is still legal debate regarding whether parliament can be dissolved after a debate is filed, I believe the constitution clearly states that the prime minister is prohibited from using his power to dissolve parliament to escape scrutiny,” he said.

Mr Parit said he did not know what message the PM intended to send with the remark, but warned that such a dissolution “will affect the public’s view of him, especially when the upcoming election nears and the PM has announced his prime ministerial candidacy”.

He said the PP would file a no-confidence motion under three circumstances: if parliament is not dissolved by Jan 31 as agreed in the PP–Bhumjaithai Memorandum of Agreement (MoA); if constitutional amendment is not completed by the third reading before year-end; and if any government policy causes significant harm to the public.

Asked whether the PP may need to choose between pushing for constitutional amendment and supporting the government, Mr Parit said in a statement that the MoA clearly states that their partner — whoever it is — would be a minority government so that House mechanisms, including a no-confidence debate, can be used to bind its hands in fulfilling the MoA.

However, other parties, including Pheu Thai, can file a no-confidence motion as is their right, he said, adding that all parties want to see the constitutional amendment completed as soon as possible.

Dr Cholnan Srikaew, a Pheu Thai MP for Nan and a member of the House committee reviewing the constitutional amendment, said the PM’s remark on dissolving the House amounted to “a threat to the opposition, which is prepared to seek a no-confidence debate”.

He said it was also akin to “holding the constitution hostage”.

Mr Anutin made his remark on Thursday.

He said that he was ready to dissolve parliament on Dec 12 because the political situation had become untenable for a minority government like his, and it would inevitably fail in a no-confidence debate.

Prime Minister’s Office Minister Paradorn Prissanananthakul said the parliamentary timeline would not allow completion of the constitutional draft’s third reading — which requires a 15-day interval.

It also said that dissolution would nullify the entire amendment bill, forcing the process to restart.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has vowed tough action against all officials involved in awarding special privileges to Chinese inmates, after a raid at Bangkok Remand Prison uncovered prohibited items and allegations that women were being smuggled into restricted areas.

Mr Anutin, who also serves as interior minister, said such incidents should never have happened and involved a deliberate attempt to bypass prison rules. He insisted punishment would be meted out in proportion to the wrongdoing.

Justice Minister Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon Naowarat, who oversees the Department of Corrections (DoC), will ensure regulations are strictly enforced and any officials found guilty are punished accordingly, Mr Anutin said.

The prime minister’s tough stance follows the DoC’s fact‑finding probe into the former chief of Bangkok Remand Prison and 14 warders, who were suddenly transferred for allegedly giving preferential treatment to a group of so‑called “grey Chinese” inmates.

An internal alert sent by Thai inmates alleged that Chinese detainees in three designated zones of the prison had long received special privileges.

This led to a surprise raid on Sunday that uncovered a range of prohibited electrical appliances, including mobile phones, lighters, portable air‑conditioning units, a refrigerator, a microwave and an empty box of condoms.

The team also found a secret room beneath the stairs and evidence showing that the Chinese inmate group had allegedly hired a top‑tier “model from China” at a cost of several million baht to have sex with certain inmates.

Prison officials reportedly facilitated this via a special access route from the warden’s office on the second floor, bypassing the main security checkpoints to the secret room. On the day of the raid, authorities found crucial evidence from the inmates, the model, and traces of semen on discarded tissues in the area.

Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon said on Friday the incident was “unacceptable” and threatened to undermine the justice system. He vowed a thorough investigation and that criminal and disciplinary actions taken against all officials involved. He said the case would be used “as an opportunity to overhaul the entire prison system so that incidents like this never happen again”. He added that he and senior corrections officials would inspect the prison today.

A team of corrections officials led by DoC deputy chief Yutthana Nakrueangsri on Friday searched Zone 8 of Bangkok Remand Prison, which houses more than 900 inmates, following the transfer of the prison chief.

Mr Yutthana, the acting prison chief, said officials found that a carpentry workshop had been turned into a living space for Chinese inmates and could be used to hide prohibited items.

MTS Gold Group expects global gold prices to continue their upward trajectory next year, potentially trading between US$4,400 and $4,500 an ounce, driven by persistent geopolitical and economic uncertainties as well as strong central bank buying.

The gold trader anticipates bullion to reach $4,380 an ounce by the end of 2025 after the price eased from an all-time high of $4,379.13 in mid-October. Local prices are estimated at 67,000-68,000 baht per baht-weight, said chief operating officer Keeradit Hirunyasiri.

For the year-to-date, gold prices have risen by 52%.

The outlook remains firmly bullish as international tensions keep safe haven demand strong. The key catalyst is ongoing trade negotiations between the US and China, he said.

“If there is no meaningful progress, gold prices will have room to rise further,” said Mr Keeradit.

A range of factors are underpinning the anticipated price momentum, with the trend of de-dollarisation seeing several countries reduce reliance on the dollar in international reserves and transactions. This long-term structural shift continues to lend support to gold as an alternative store of value, he said.

Another driver is the likelihood the US Federal Reserve will delay interest rate cuts.

“With rates expected to stay higher for longer, global investors are increasingly turning to gold as a hedge against prolonged monetary tightening and economic volatility,” said Mr Keeradit.

Central bank buying is one of the strongest supporting factors, as reserve managers across emerging and developed economies continue to add gold to their portfolios.

Concerns over a renewed trade conflict are fuelling risk aversion, prompting flows into safe haven assets, according to MTS.

Global economic uncertainty also plays a role, with uneven growth prospects, fragile supply chains and heightened geopolitical tensions reinforcing investor appetite for gold over the next year, he said.

For local investors who purchased gold at high levels and are currently stuck with losses, Mr Keeradit offered a cautiously optimistic view, noting prices may climb further within the next month or two, allowing investors the opportunity to exit profitably if they choose.