Category: The Bangkok Post

The Sasin Golf Club emerged victorious at the 12th Big 4 Business Schools Golf Competition, held on October 3, 2025, at The Royal Golf and Country Club.

The annual tournament brings together a network of alumni from four leading business schools, including the Thammasat Business School Alumni Association, the Sasin Alumni Association, the NIDA Business School Alumni Association, and the Kasetsart Executive MBA Alumni Association, fostering friendship and networking among the country’s top business leaders.

The Royal Trophy was graciously bestowed by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. In keeping with the tournament’s tradition of giving back to society, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Phra Dabos Foundation.

The consumer confidence index (CCI) in September rose for the first time in eight months as consumers are optimistic about the government’s economic stimulus measures, according to the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC).

Thanavath Phonvichai, president of UTCC, said the CCI increased from 50.1 in August to 50.7 in September, fuelled by positive reactions to the new cabinet ministers.

“The ‘Khon La Khrueng Plus’ co-payment scheme boosted consumer confidence, despite the Thai economy not having grown significantly. This should encourage consumer spending, reflecting the positive reception for government policies,” he said.

However, the CCI remains below 100 points, indicating that consumers see a slow economic recovery amid high living costs, said Mr Thanavath. Concerns about the trade war could potentially undermine consumer sentiment in the near term, he said.

Mr Thanavath expects improvements in the economy in the fourth quarter when the co-payment scheme becomes effective in November and December.

He said this initiative could inject 50-80 billion baht into the economy, potentially boosting GDP by 0.4-0.5 percentage points this year.

The UTCC upgraded its Thai GDP growth projection to 2% for this year, up from 1.7% previously, while predicting export growth of 6.1%, rising from 2.5%.

Private investment was revised to 1.1% growth from a projected contraction of 1.2%, and private consumption is expected to grow by 2.8%, driven by stimulus measures and increased consumption at the end of the year.

Meanwhile, several negative factors are affecting the economy, including a slowdown in tourism. Foreign tourist arrivals are projected at 33 million, down from 36 million in 2024, while tourism revenue is expected to fall from 1.69 trillion baht to 1.55 trillion.

Other factors include risks related to transshipment tariffs. Mr Thanavath said if the local content requirement is increased to 50-60%, it could lead to a decline in GDP of 0.27-0.5 percentage points within one year.

Uncertainties remain stemming from a minority government, as the anticipated dissolution of parliament within four months may make investors uneasy, he said.

Mr Thanavath said a lack of government stability could lead to a reduction in GDP of 0.75-0.9 percentage points from the baseline scenario.

In addition, fluctuations in foreign tourist numbers could affect growth. If arrivals vary from the baseline by 1 million, GDP would rise or fall by 0.25 percentage points, he said.

“It is important to monitor whether tourism and exports continue to grow, as this will determine whether Thailand’s GDP growth this year can surpass 2-2.5%,” Mr Thanavath said.

He said in addition to short-term economic fixes, the government must enhance long-term competitiveness to lift Thailand’s GDP growth to 4% in the future.

Phuket Provincial Police have launched a cyber awareness initiative aimed at equipping frontline personnel with the skills to combat online threats in response to a dramatic rise in technology-related crimes.

Pol Maj Gen Sinlert Sukhum, commander of the provincial police force, presided over the opening of the “Phuket Cyber Check” training programme on Tuesday, held at the National 191 Emergency Centre in Muang district.

The event brought together police, teachers, hotel and shopping mall managers, public and private organisations to strengthen their cybercrime prevention knowledge.

Experts from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) were invited to share their knowledge with attendees, who will later pass on this information to the public, including the youth.

Pol Lt Col Chanakarn Na Nakhon, deputy superintendent of Phuket Provincial Police’s Investigation Sub-Division, said cybercrime cases in the southern province have surged, with scammers exploiting social media and mobile phones to deceive victims.

The Royal Thai Police (RTP) developed an application that allows users to verify phone numbers, websites, bank accounts, and social media accounts before conducting financial transactions.

Pol Maj Gen Sinlert said the initiative aligns with the national police chief’s policy.

He urged the public to remain wary of online purchases and unsolicited calls. Since 2022, Phuket has recorded 15,000 cybercrime cases.

Petrochemical factories want to promote a circular economy by stepping up efforts to recycle plastic waste, says the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).

Aiming to build business sustainability, a circular economy encourages entrepreneurs to reduce waste by upcycling unwanted materials to make value-added products.

The FTI’s Petrochemical Industry Club wants to make use of plastic waste and increase the number of high value-added products, said club chairman Apichai Chareonsuk.

“The club has 28 petrochemical companies as members. They are determined to carry out business sustainability plans under Thailand’s Roadmap on Plastic Waste Management,” he said.

Under the roadmap, implemented from 2018 to 2030, 100% of plastic waste must be reusable by 2027.

Critics have raised doubts over whether this ambitious target will be met. As of 2018, Thailand’s plastic recycling rate was just 17.6%, according to the World Bank.

The influx of imported plastic waste has further complicated matters, with many recycling plants prioritising imported scrap over local plastic waste.

The plastic waste imports caused the Commerce Ministry to enforce a ban on them, which is part of a broader set of measures outlined in the roadmap.

To help reduce plastic waste in the country, Mr Apichai said the club is adopting new technologies to support recycling. It is also cooperating with state agencies and communities to deal with plastic waste pollution.

He stressed a need to further promote more recycling in the petrochemical industry, with value chains and chemical recycling currently standing at 2.4 trillion baht in value, accounting for 13% of Thai GDP.

PTT Global Chemical Plc (GC), Thailand’s largest petrochemical producer by capacity, earlier announced it would expand its recycling business by focusing on opaque plastic containers, especially bottles, under a campaign to promote environmentally friendly lifestyles among young people.

It is the second environmental campaign after the company began operating a business to recycle waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.

Opaque plastic materials include milk and detergent containers. These discarded containers can be sorted for recycling like PET bottles so they do not end up in landfills.

Thailand generates 1.9 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, according to GC.

Some fares on the Green Line will have to increase because the current fare structure of the light-rail mass transit service is unsustainable, according to Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt.

He made the comment on Wednesday after Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) councillors approved a plan to settle the city’s 32-billion-baht debt owed to the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTSC) for the operation and maintenance of the Green Line extensions.

A new fare structure will cap fares across the entire line at 65 baht, but fares for some short trips will be lower than they are now.

The Green Line consists of two sections: the original core route, operated under a government concession with a maximum fare of 45 baht, and extensions 1 and 2, operated by the BMA, said Mr Chadchart.

The BMA spends around 8 billion baht a year running the two extensions but collects only 2 billion baht in fare revenue, with the gap covered by the city budget, he explained.

The new fare structure will reflect actual operating costs. It will feature a 17-baht base fare, plus or minus three baht per unit of distance. This would lower fares for short-distance riders – for example, a trip from Chatuchak to Central Ladprao could drop from 15 baht to just 3 or 4 baht – while longer trips would cost more.

However, total fares for any journey would be capped at 65 baht.

At the council meeting on Wednesday, members approved a supplementary budget for the 2026 fiscal year to allocate up to 32.6 billion baht for debt repayment.

A panel overseeing the issue made two recommendations. First, the BMA should outline a payment plan for operation and maintenance expenses of the extensions from September 2025 to the end of fiscal 2026, to avoid late payments that could incur high interest penalties.

Second, agencies should expedite disbursements to reduce the interest burden. The council unanimously passed the ordinance with 48 votes, authorising the debt repayment.

The debt settlement, worth 32 billion baht, is scheduled for completion by the end of this month, and will be in compliance with an earlier Administrative Court order, said Mr Chadchart.

He said the BMA would use accumulated surplus funds, which are uncommitted and free of financial obligations, for the repayment.

‘The decision to repay the debt is about lifting a long-standing burden. The court has ruled the contract must be honoured, he said.

‘Delaying payment would only increase costs due to high interest rates. We’re now paying several million baht in interest every day.’

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has completed the first 30 days of his one-year sentence at Klongprem Central Prison and remains in good spirits, his family said on Thursday.

‘His mental health is strong. It has been about a month now. My father did mention about numbness in his fingers,’ his daughter Pintongta Shinawatra Kunakornwong said after a visit.

Ms Pintongta, her husband Nuttaphong Kunakornwong, and Pidok Sooksawas, husband of former prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, visited Thaksin at the prison on Ngam Wong Wan Road in Chatuchak district of Bangkok for more than an hour.

Mr Nuttaphong said his father-in-law’s morale remained high. He added that Thaksin had been informed of a visit by his former classmates from Montfort College in Chiang Mai, and had expressed his gratitude.

Reporters said they had heard some people gathered outside the prison teasingly refer to Mr Nuttaphong as ‘the next prime minister’. They asked his wife if she had heard the comments but the couple just smiled bashfully and declined to respond.

Earlier, the Pheu Thai Party hinted at its intention to approach Mr Nuttaphong about being a party prime ministerial candidate in the next general election.

Red-shirt supporters also continued to gather outside the prison to offer their encouragement to the billionaire.

‘We came from Si Sa Ket to show our support. We will fight in the next general election and wait for you. Stay strong, our prime minister,’ one supporter said, smiling and glancing at Mr Nutthaphong.

The family responded with respectful gestures and posed for photos with the crowd. Mr Pidok also received a warm response from the red-shirt supporters.

Reporters also asked Ms Pintongta for her views on the opinion given by Justice Minister Rutthaphon Naowarat about Thaksin’s second petition for a royal pardon, but she declined to answer and quickly left the prison grounds.

Pol Lt Gen Rutthaphon said on Wednesday that he had reviewed the pardon request submitted on Thaksin’s behalf and concluded it did not meet the legal criteria, citing multiple reasons. He declined to disclose further details.

The Supreme Court on Sept 9 sentenced Thaksin, 76, to prison, ordering him to actually serve the one-year imprisonment sentence handed down two years ago for abuse of power and conflict of interest while serving as prime minister from 2001-06.

The court rejected Thaksin’s previous claims of illness that had allowed him to stay in a VIP room at Police General Hospital from his return to Thailand in August 2023 until his parole in early 2024.

14th floor update

In a related development, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) said it would expand its investigation into the ’14th floor case’, as Thaksin’s hospital stay has come to be known.

Surapong Intharathorn, the acting NACC secretary-general, said the panel has already questioned 12 civil servants linked to the case. However, two new people have since been implicated, with the investigation divided into two periods: Thaksin’s 180-day medical stay and the period following his parole.

Asked whether Thaksin himself would be named as a new suspect, Mr Surapong said the former premier was already serving a sentence in the original case.

‘The issue is whether the consequences of the earlier case extend to this new one,’ he said. ‘The inquiry panel must determine if he bears responsibility under the law, as he was not previously investigated in this matter.

‘While he did not directly commit an offence in this case, it will be up to the inquiry panel to decide.’

The Thaksin ruling was considered by many to be historic because it is rare for the Supreme Court to initiate its own inquiry. But Mr Surapong said such proceedings were not abnormal and were consistent with established judicial practice.

‘The court has authority to investigate facts, and while it may seem unusual to outsiders, it is within the bounds of legal procedure,’ he said.

Prime Minister and Bhumjaithai (BJT) Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul topped the list of candidates for premiership, according to the latest survey by Khon Kaen University.

The survey, also known as the E-Saan Poll, was carried out to gauge the northeastern region’s household economic conditions and political preferences. The poll, conducted between Oct 3 and 5, 2025, sampled 1,074 respondents aged 18 and above from 20 provinces across the Northeast, according to Suthin Wianwiwat, director of the E-Saan Poll.

When asked, ‘If a general election were held today, who would you want to be prime minister?’ about 24.3% of respondents picked Mr Anutin, followed by opposition People’s Party (PP) leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut (22.8%), Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt (19.1%), businessman Natthaphong Khunakornwong who is close to the Pheu Thai Party (7%), Yoschanan Wongsawat, from Pheu Thai (6.6%), and Thai Sang Thai Party leader Sudarat Keyuraphan (6.3%).

When asked which party they would vote for in the constituency MP race if an election were held today, PP led with 30.6%, followed by Pheu Thai with 27.4% and BJT with 12.3%. About 20.1% of respondents were undecided or had other opinions.

For the party-list vote, results were similar: PP with 41.7%, Pheu Thai (20.6%), BJT (12.6%) and undecided (8.5%).

The E-Saan Poll noted that Mr Anutin’s personal popularity currently exceeds that of BJT, largely because both PP and Pheu Thai lack a clearly defined or high-profile prime ministerial candidate at this time.

Meanwhile, the poll noted Chadchart Sittipunt remains one of the most popular figures nationally. Analysts working believe the party which nominates him as its prime ministerial candidate could gain a significant advantage in the next election.

Italy are struggling to qualify automatically for next year’s World Cup finals and the pressure on the team is exacerbated by the tension surrounding next Tuesday’s qualifier with Israel in Udine.

Italy was the scene of some of Europe’s biggest pro-Palestinian protests last weekend, as Israeli forces continue their offensive in Gaza.

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered across Italy in anger at Israel’s actions, and calls for the country to be barred from international sport have grown louder.

The protests were in response to Israel’s military operation in Gaza, which was sparked by the attack by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, on Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip.

During Friday’s massive strike action in support of the Palestinians, demonstrators went to the Italian national team’s training centre in Florence to demand the match against Israel be called off.

As of Tuesday only around 4,000 tickets had been sold for the game in Udine, a small city in Italy’s far north-east, which was picked specifically to help limit the potential for disorder.

Udine was the venue when Italy – who face Estonia in Tallinn on Saturday – last hosted Israel, in the Nations League in September 2024. That match passed off largely without incident, albeit surrounded by a massive security operation which included soldiers on the roof of the stadium.

But the threat of much bigger and more disruptive protests led Udine’s mayor Alberto Felice De Toni to ask for the match to be postponed.

‘Very sad’

This week Italy’s coach Gennaro Gattuso said the situation in Gaza was ‘very sad’ and lamented a difficult atmosphere for a match which will be key to Italy’s hopes of avoiding missing out on a third straight World Cup.

‘There will be 10,000 people outside the stadium and 5-6,000 inside it. I would have preferred to play a home match in front of an enthusiastic crowd like we did in Bergamo (where Italy beat Estonia 5-0) a month ago,’ Gattuso said.

His task was already complicated enough without the external political pressure of playing Israel, as direct qualification for the World Cup is seriously in doubt.

Only the winner of the five-team group is guaranteed an automatic spot and Italy sit second, level on nine points with Israel and six behind leaders Norway, but with a game in hand on both.

However Norway’s far superior goal difference – they have a 16-goal advantage over Italy – means Gattuso’s side can only top the group if they win all four of their remaining matches and Erling Haaland and company slip up before they travel to the San Siro next month.

That leaves second place and a spot in the play-offs as the likely route to the World Cup, a tournament in which Italy haven’t played a knockout fixture since winning it in 2006.

Italy exited at the qualification play-off stage for the last two World Cups, failing to reach the 2022 edition in Qatar despite being reigning European champions.

Same-day delivery has become the latest battleground for both competitive e-commerce and express delivery sectors.

KEX Express (Thailand) Plc, an express parcel delivery firm, recently introduced a same-day delivery service.

Meanwhile, the Logistech Association Thailand is urging regulators to tell e-commerce platforms to allow sellers to have their own options for delivery providers.

A need for speed

KEX’s same-day service covers Bangkok and surrounding provinces, including Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Sakhon and Samut Prakan.

The service includes the urgent delivery of snacks, fruit and important documents.

The service also meets the needs of e-commerce businesses, such as sellers of gadgets or electronic devices whose customers often require immediate use of the products, as well as small businesses looking to differentiate themselves and better cater to the demands of modern consumers.

Stephen Bao, chief operating officer of KEX Express (Thailand), told the Bangkok Post the same-day service is not meant to compete with any specific player.

“Our focus has always been on delivering the highest service quality and value to our customers,” he said.

“We recognise the growing demand from both individual and corporate clients for greater speed, reliability and flexibility, and our same-day service is designed to meet that evolving need.”

This service is part of KEX’s broader direction to elevate its service portfolio — moving beyond standard delivery towards premium, time-definite and customised logistics solutions, said Mr Bao.

J and T Express offers J and T Super as a premium delivery service for fast and secure parcel shipments within a guaranteed time frame, with same-day delivery available in Bangkok.

If a parcel arrives later than promised, customers can immediately request a refund for the shipping fee upon receiving it.

Lazada offers a priority delivery service within 24 hours for sellers, covering major provinces, but the merchants need to use its delivery fleet.

Shopee has same-day delivery in Bangkok and suburban areas, and the sellers can use their preferred fleet.

According to TikTok’s new rules effective as of Oct 1, sellers are required to send products to customers on a same-day basis for orders placed before noon.

If they fail to do so, points will be deducted. TikTok is giving sellers a one-month grace period to adjust to the new rule.

Kongkrit Lawlertratana, head of marketing commercial at Shopee Thailand, said it is focusing on increasing the speed of delivery times.

The company offers instant delivery within four hours on the same day by leveraging its ShopeeFood riders.

FAIR COMPETITION

Sutthikead Chantarachairoj, president of the Logistech Association Thailand, told the Bangkok Post that same-day delivery service benefits consumers, though it puts pressure on merchants. If they fail to deliver on the same day as promised, the platforms might deduct points. This approach could coerce sellers to use the platforms’ fleets or those of their partners.

He said e-commerce platforms have a large volume of parcels and prefer to use their own fleets to gain a better profit margin for fullfilment and delivery service.

“You may notice how many delivery providers are still operating compared with 3-4 years ago,” he said.

Mr Sutthikead said the association has been working with the House of Representatives’ Committee on Economic Development to coordinate with the Electronic Transactions Development Agency and the Trade Competition Commission to address unfair issues in the digital platform industry.

Sellers should be free to choose their preferred delivery providers, while minimum and maximum pricing for shipping fees and platform service charges should be set, he said.

When major sellers pay for advertising on e-commerce platforms, the payment goes overseas, not to a Thai location, resulting in a loss of opportunity to gain additional tax revenue, said Mr Sutthikead.

The Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) have jointly initiated the ‘Internet Khon La Khrueng’ co-payment scheme for mobile internet usage.

The scheme is primarily aimed at helping low-income elderly and disabled people to access the internet to upgrade their digital skills, according to Trairat Viriyasirikul, NBTC’s acting secretary-general.

In addition, the NBTC has asked mobile phone service operators to help subsidise the cost of replacing mobile phones for these groups of people to support the scheme, which also aligns with its plan to shut down the Third Generation (3G) networks soon.

DES Minister Chaichanok Chidchob and his team recently held discussions with NBTC chairman Dr Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck and Mr Trairat on their organisations’ collaboration to drive the economic recovery.

Mr Trairat said the planned co-payment scheme for mobile internet usage would complement the government’s ‘Khon La Khrueng Plus’ co-payment scheme.

The government’s scheme will provide tools for micro-businesses, households and individuals to upskill digital learning to foster sales.

Mr Trairat said the Internet Khon La Khrueng project will be funded by the NBTC. Final details of the project have yet to be finished.

‘There may be several million people targeted by the Internet Khon La Khrueng project. We’re waiting for several targeted people from the Social Development and Human Security Ministry,’ Mr Trairat said.

Anyone can take part in digital skill training at NBTC’s USO net centres nationwide for free.

Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said the government’s ‘Khon La Khrueng Plus’ scheme was allocated 44 billion baht and is expected to bolster gross domestic product (GDP) in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Mr Ekniti said the ministry plans to allocate 10 billion baht from the Board of Investment to provide upskilling and reskilling training for people.

In principle, each of the courses would take around four months to complete.

The skills training courses cover several sectors, such as agriculture teaching, smart farming, automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics.

‘The skills training programme is partly to help attract investment, as well as bridging the gap of the skills shortage when it comes to labour,’ Mr Ekniti said.

He said the programmes will directly serve the demand side rather than the supply side.