Category: The Bangkok Post

Their Majesties the King and Queen were formally welcomed in Paris on Monday during an official state visit marking the 170th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between Thailand and France.

Accompanied by Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya, Their Majesties travelled from Le Meurice Paris, the official residence provided by the French government, to the Hôtel des Invalides for the official welcoming ceremony.

French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron received Their Majesties before Mr Macron accompanied His Majesty to inspect the guard of honour. A military band performed the Thai royal anthem and the French national anthem during the ceremony.

Their Majesties were then introduced to senior French officials before travelling to the Palais de l’Élysée.

They then met up again with Mr Macron and the First Lady for formal talks before viewing a display of historical documents highlighting long-standing bilateral ties.

Among the exhibits was a golden letter sent by King Mongkut (King Rama IV) to Emperor Napoleon III in 1861.

Their Majesties returned to the Élysée Palace to attend a state banquet.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is setting up a tourism policy task force to accelerate tourism-led economic stimulus measures in the second half of the year, according to minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul.

The task force would help ensure that the ministry’s tourism policies are aligned with the government’s broader economic strategy, he said on Wednesday.

The minister also said that the next domestic tourism stimulus package would extend beyond subsidies for accommodation and meals. It could also cover travel-related expenses, including support for bus operators, to help spread tourism income more widely throughout the supply chain.

The ministry will also consider the number of benefit entitlements, subsidy levels, incentives for travel to both major and secondary cities, and additional measures to encourage weekday as well as weekend travel.

Mr Surasak also said the ministry would not develop a new application for the domestic tourism stimulus programme. Instead, it plans to use existing digital platforms familiar to the public to avoid confusion.

One option under consideration is the Pao Tang mobile application, allowing users to register for and redeem their tourism benefits more conveniently.

The new task force, meanwhile, will coordinate efforts with the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) chaired by the prime minister, which has already compiled recommendations from the private sector.

The task force will prepare data and policy proposals to submit to the tourism and small and medium-sized enterprise subcommittee of the JSCCIB. The aim is to increase private-sector participation in shaping tourism policy in line with the prime minister’s directives.

The ministry plans to invite major tourism organisations to join the task force, including the Domestic Tourism Business Association, the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), the Tourism Council of Thailand, tour guide associations, hotel associations and passenger transport operators.

Mr Surasak said the task force would meet with government agencies and private sector representatives next week to finalise proposals before submitting them to the tourism and SME subcommittee for consideration and cabinet approval.

Their Majesties the King and Queen laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on June 30, paying tribute to fallen servicemen during their official visit to France.

Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya accompanied the royal couple.

Their Majesties travelled from Le Meurice Hotel, their residence in Paris, to the Arc de Triomphe. Upon arrival, they were received by Catherine Vautrin, France’s Minister for the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs, and Lt Gen Loïc Mizon, military governor of Paris, according to the Public Relations Department.

His Majesty proceeded to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where he laid a wreath and observed a period of silence in remembrance of the fallen.

He then greeted members of France’s Flame Committee, which oversees the ceremonial eternal flame at the tomb, before Their Majesties and the Princess signed the visitors’ book.

Before departing, Their Majesties greeted members of the French honour guard, who were introduced by the minister, and then travelled by royal motorcade to the Hôtel de Ville de Paris.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo welcomed the royal party and gave a briefing on the ‘Sustainable Paris’ initiative.

Their Majesties then boarded an electric boat for a tour of the River Seine, during which they received a presentation on efforts to conserve the river’s ecosystem. The royal vessel also passed the Eiffel Tower.

Their Majesties then visited the exhibition ‘La Mode en Majesté – Royal Thai Dress: From Tradition to Modernity’ at Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris at the invitation of Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya.

Thailand will host the Asean Law Association General Assembly in Bangkok from July 21 to 23.

The event, at the InterContinental Bangkok Hotel, will bring together legal experts to discuss several important and timely issues, said Suriyan Hongvilai, spokesman for the Court of Justice.

Topics on the agenda include arbitration in Southeast Asia, execution of rulings, the rights of female workers, the future of law education in the region, and the application of generative artificial intelligence in the filing of documents at courts.

Mr Suriyan said interesting sideline events would include regional gatherings of intellectual property (IP) and insolvency judges and practitioners.

As well, the Asean Law Association Moot Competition will feature supreme court presidents as judges.

Police and rescue teams resumed search operations on Wednesday after a pontoon sank in the Chao Phraya River in Phra Samut Chedi district, Samut Prakan province, leaving five people injured and one still unaccounted for.

Pol Lt Gen Trairong Piwpan, deputy inspector-general and spokesman for the Royal Thai Police, said that the incident occurred shortly after noon on Tuesday opposite Soi Suksawat 84 on Sukwawat Road in tambon Pak Khong Bang Plakot.

After being alerted, Pol Col Photchanakon Kanchina, chief of Phra Samut Chedi police station, and Pol Lt Col Thanan Manuchantharat, inspector at Marine Police Station 3, led rescue and diving teams to search for the missing worker.

According to Pol Lt Gen Trairong, police were notified that a barge pontoon had sunk after being struck by the force of an excavator operating on board.

Investigations found that six workers were on the vessel at the time of the accident.

Rescuers were able to save five, who were subsequently taken to hospital with injuries. One worker remains missing.

Search efforts continued throughout Tuesday evening but were unsuccessful. Due to high waves and conditions on the Chao Phraya River, authorities suspended the operation at 7.52pm and resumed the search on Wednesday morning.

Of the five injured workers, two remain hospitalised, while three have since been discharged and returned home.

Thailand is one of Southeast Asia’s most enthusiastic smartphone markets, yet Google’s Pixel phones remain absent from official shelves, leaving expats and Thai tech fans to wonder why Android’s own flagship is still treated like a suitcase souvenir.

Pixel handsets have won praise overseas for their cameras, clean software and clever artificial intelligence (AI) tools. In Thailand, however, they remain oddly hard to buy through official channels.

For many locals the question is simple: if Google can sell Pixels in Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and Taiwan, why not Bangkok?

Thailand is still not listed among official Google Store markets for the Pixel 9, Pixel 9a or Pixel 10. That means no easy local checkout, no official launch fanfare and no comforting sense that help is a service centre away.

The omission looks stranger after the Pixel 10 series expanded to 33 countries, Google’s broadest rollout yet. Mexico joined the list and several Asian markets were included.

Thailand, despite its size and appetite for new phones, was left watching from the pavement.The result is a familiar Bangkok routine. Some buyers order from abroad. Others ask a friend flying in from Singapore. A few head to grey-market shops and hope the warranty gods are generous. It is part shopping, part logistics, part ‘my friend knows a guy at MBK.’

Lack of demand is unlikely the reason. Thailand’s smartphone market is crowded and fiercely competitive, with Samsung, Oppo, Xiaomi, Apple and Vivo all fighting for buyers. For Google, entering Thailand would mean joining a boxing ring where everyone already knows the referee.

Price may also be a factor. Pixels usually sit in the premium or upper-midrange category, while many Thai buyers remain highly price-conscious. Even shoppers keen on flagship features often compare Shopee and Lazada promotions, trade-in deals and monthly plans before deciding.

Then there is the less glamorous matter of support. Phones must be repaired, updated, distributed and marketed. A proper launch requires local retail partners, after-sales care and clear warranty coverage. Without that, the Pixel risks being a clever phone with nowhere to go when its screen meets a Bangkok pavement.

There is a twist. Pixel is growing globally, which suggests Google has not lost interest in phones – it’s choosing markets carefully. Thailand has not been abandoned by Android, only overlooked by Android’s parent.

For expats in Thailand who still want one, the advice is simple: check network compatibility, warranty terms and repair options before buying unofficially. The Pixel may be smart, but it will not calmly explain in Thai why a screen repair costs more than a weekend in Hua Hin.

The bigger question is whether Thailand is becoming too important for Google to ignore. With Pixel expanding across Asia and Bangkok remaining one of the region’s most mobile-obsessed cities, an official launch may start to look less risky and more overdue.

Until then, Google’s smartest phone remains a device many in Thailand want, but Google curiously does not officially sell.

The Finance Ministry has proposed a package of 10 tax reforms that are expected to generate more than 435 billion baht in additional annual revenue, with the objective of ensuring that government revenue remains sufficient to accommodate increasing public expenditure in the future.

According to the ministry’s latest fiscal risk report, if no action is taken to increase government revenue, the ratio of government revenue to GDP could fall below the current level of 15% of GDP, said a ministry source who requested anonymity.

To improve the government’s revenue collection capacity over the medium term, the ministry developed a tax structure reform and revenue collection efficiency enhancement plan.

Among the 10 measures, those already implemented in 2026 include the removal of the import duty exemption for low-value goods (the de minimis threshold of 1,500 baht), which is expected to generate an additional 3 billion baht in revenue, and the revision of the automobile excise tax structure based on CO2 emissions, which is also expected to generate 3 billion baht.

Measures scheduled for implementation in 2027 include the introduction of the top-up tax, which is expected to generate 8.4 billion baht, and the imposition of a 1,000-baht outbound travel tax on Thai nationals travelling abroad, which is expected to generate 12 billion baht.

Other measures include a revision of the personal income tax structure and a review of selected tax deductions and allowances, expected to generate 50 billion baht; a change of the excise tax structure and an increase in excise tax rates on “sin products” (alcoholic beverages and tobacco), expected to generate 5 billion baht; and a gradual revision of the tax structure applicable to environmentally polluting products, including the introduction of carbon taxes, expected to generate 6-34 billion baht.

Measures to be introduced in 2028 include a value-added tax (VAT) hike from 7% to 8.5%, which is expected to generate 115 billion baht, and a revision of the tax structure for luxury goods, which is expected to generate 3 billion baht.

A further 1.5-percentage-point hike in the VAT rate to 10% is slated for 2030, which is the maximum rate permitted by law. This measure is expected to generate an additional 230 billion baht in revenue.

The 10 combined measures are projected to increase government revenue by 435 billion baht per year, the source said.

The revenue projections under the medium-term fiscal framework 2027-30 included the expected effects of these tax measures, resulting in the government revenue to GDP ratio rising modestly to 15.2% from 15.0% in fiscal 2025.

Over the longer term, the government will still need to consider additional measures to strengthen its revenue collection capacity so that it reaches a level comparable with international standards, noted the source.

A fire at a pub early Wednesday morning in the South Pattaya area resulted in the death of one employee.

Pattaya police were informed of the blaze at Catwalk Club on Soi Chaloem Phrakiat 29 Road at 12.30am. Three fire engines were dispatched to the scene.

Authorities arrived to find the one-storey concrete building engulfed in flames. Firefighters were quickly able to put out the fire.

In the debris however, they found the charred body of a man. The victim was identified as an employee of the pub, 29-year-old Thanapol Banchan. His corpse was found in a bathroom.

The victim’s colleagues said the fire erupted while about five staff members were at work. They saw smoke coming through the ceiling shortly before the flames began spreading rapidly. They fled the building to safety but were unable to aid Thanapol due to his location.

Police were investigating the cause of the fire.

Weeks of volatility in gold prices because of the conflict in the Middle East have taken a toll on activity at gold shops in this northeastern province, says a local proprietor.

Global and local gold prices have fallen by more than 12% since May 1, and are down nearly 25% from the all-time highs reached in late January, a month before the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Gold was trading on Wednesday at 62,950 baht per baht-weight (15.2 grammes), compared with 72,000 on May 1 and the all-time high of 81,600 reached on Jan 29.

In addition to the conflict, concerns over inflation and a strengthening US dollar have also weighed on the gold market, said Ekkalak Chanawirat, 47, the owner of Uthen Gold Shop.

Whenever buying interest emerges, it is met with continued selling pressure, preventing prices from returning to their previous peak, even for short periods, he said.

When prices fall, customers rush to buy, building up stocks in anticipation of profit. But once prices drop by 1,000 or 2,000 baht a day, buyers grow uncertain about whether prices would keep falling or start rising again.

‘Looking at the long term, most analysts believe there’s a chance prices will climb back to their peak, but every time they rise, there’s been consistent sell-off pressure,’ Mr Ekkalak said.

‘There’s no factor strong enough yet to drive prices up that much, and now there are concerns over US inflation weighing on investors too.’

Mr Ekkalak said people in Khon Kaen are still keen on buying and stockpiling gold bars, with demand growing.

He said the price decline between May 1 and July 1 had been considerable compared with movements over the past five to six years.

Before the Middle East war began in late February, daily fluctuations of 100 to 200 baht were normal, he added.

New partnership and company registrations are now fully digitalised, improving convenience and speeding up the registration process while reducing costs for both businesses and individuals, says the Department of Business Development (DBD).

Effective Wednesday, all new business registrations, including the establishment of partnerships and limited companies, must be completed online through the Digital Business Registration System (DBD Biz Regist), though amendments to existing registration information are excluded.

Between Oct 1, 2025, and June 29, 2026, the department developed the system, ensuring online registration processing times match or exceed those of on-site paper submissions.

Entrepreneurs have embraced the new system, as last month 7,146 new business registrations, or 95% of the total, were completed online, compared with 373 applications (4.96%) submitted on-site.

In 28 provinces, including Krabi, Kamphaeng Phet, Pattani, Loei and Nong Khai, all new business registrations were completed online through the DBD Biz Regist system.

Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, director-general of the DBD, said the online system helps businesses save time and travel costs, reducing face-to-face interactions between officials and service users, and thereby minimising opportunities for corruption in the public sector.

From Wednesday, the DBD has also stopped providing legal entity information in paper form to government agencies, fully transitioning to electronic services through two platforms.

The Business Data Exchange provides direct and real-time access to legal entity information from the DBD.

The DBD e-Service for Government system allows government agencies to obtain certificates, business registration records, financial statements and shareholder lists in digital formats.

Mr Poonpong said the changes enhance transparency, accountability and efficiency while reducing redundant document requests and improving public services.

“The use of electronic identity verification and seamless data integration among government agencies reduces the risk of document forgery and identity theft, ensuring every process is standardised, transparent and fully auditable,” he said.