Category: The Bangkok Post

The Energy Ministry has announced an increase in the subsidy for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to keep domestic cooking gas prices unchanged, though the move adds financial pressure on the state Oil Fuel Fund.

The subsidy provided via the fund rises from 7.22 to 9.86 baht per kilogramme to keep the LPG price at 423 baht per standard 15-kg cylinder.

The increase aims to prevent adverse impacts to the prices of food, goods and services, which are essential to people’s livelihoods.

Officials are imposing a cap on LPG prices for three months, ending Oct 31, according to media reports.

“The Energy Ministry recognises the potential impact of volatility in global energy prices over the past week, and is utilising the Oil Fuel Fund to manage both retail and ex-refinery oil prices, as well as monitor LPG prices to prevent retail price increases,” said Veerapat Kiatfuengfoo, deputy energy permanent secretary and ministry spokesman.

Global energy prices remain volatile due to conflicting information from the US and Iran, resulting in uncertainty over whether the Strait of Hormuz will open or close.

Authorities are monitoring the situation and continue to implement measures to ensure domestic oil security and price stability, aiming to maintain the cost of living, he said.

Following recent interventions to mitigate the impact of energy prices, the ministry is monitoring the Oil Fuel Fund’s increasing burden, said Mr Veerapat. As of Aug 7, the fund had a deficit of 71.8 billion baht.

He said the ministry is working hard to manage the situation and prevent hardships resulting from the energy crisis.

Mr Veerapat requested the public’s cooperation in conserving energy and using it as efficiently as possible.

Entrepreneurs are warning the rapid expansion of data centre investment could deepen water scarcity, even as they acknowledge its potential to drive business growth, according to the latest poll conducted by the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).

Of the 160 FTI executives surveyed, 68.8% cited insufficient water supply as their top concern amid the rapid rise in data centres, said Montri Mahaplerkpong, deputy chairman of the FTI.

Data centres are known as resource-hungry facilities that consume vast amounts of electricity and water.

Servers inside data centres run non-stop to process and store data, leading to massive energy demand and heat generation. Cooling systems are critical because if servers overheat, they fail.

“We fear rising water demand could spark competition between industries and communities for limited supplies in the future,” said Mr Montri.

Some 61.3% of respondents said rising electricity demand was a concern, and an equal tally were anxious about new laws keeping pace with digital technology, he said.

If there are no measures to manage electricity demand and supply, the nation’s energy security will be affected, said Mr Montri.

Thai entrepreneurs’ limited gains from data centres due to heavy dependence on foreign technology and talent emerged as a lesser concern, drawing 51.2% of votes.

Despite these challenges, 48.1% of entrepreneurs believe data centre investment will play a significant role in developing Thai industries.

“Only 5% of respondents said the server farm industry offers little advantage to the economy,” he noted.

Nearly half of respondents (48.8%) believe Thailand has the potential to become a regional hub for data centres, but stress the country must first overcome key limitations to support the industry’s growth.

Thai rocker Nene Royal’s latest performance on ‘America’s Got Talent’ – a rendition of Muse’s ‘Hysteria’ – has surpassed one million views online within just 14 hours of its release.

The full video of the Judges’ Callbacks performance, released on the AGT YouTube channel four days earlier than originally scheduled, came with a note that the 16-year-old singer-guitarist from Phuket had ‘crushed’ the 2003 song by the English rock band from Devon.

Nene Royal, whose real name is Rattikarn ‘Praew’ Umloy, had told her growing legion of fans earlier that her Judges’ Callbacks performance would be released on Tuesday. The early release also took her by surprise as she shared the video on Saturday, and said: ‘OMG. Thank you very much #AGT.’

AGT introduced the Judges’ Callbacks round this year, giving judges the opportunity to select standout contestants from the audition round to return for another performance and compete for a place in the Live Shows.

Nene Royal chose Hysteria and thrilled the audience with a guitar solo featuring percussive techniques, bringing together her strengths in singing, guitar playing and stage presence.

At the end of the performance, judge Howie Mandel asked: ‘Nene, tell me what you’re thinking.’

‘I think … I play perfect, right guys?’ Nene replied with a laugh, prompting cheers from the judges and audience.

Guest judge Nikki Glaser described Nene’s performance as something she wanted more of.

‘I feel so happy,’ Nene said backstage after the performance. ‘It’s so amazing.’

Nene Royal passed the audition round with a unanimous four ‘Yes’ votes after performing a live rendition of The Cranberries’ Zombie on the NBC talent show.

Hysteria was one of the songs Nene had performed with her band OZONE while busking at the Naka Weekend Market in Phuket before her international breakthrough last month. Many fans had said it was a fitting song choice for this latest round.

The latest performance garnered more than 1 million views within 14 hours of its release, while her first performance had surpassed 14 million views after one month.

Police in Bangkok have charged a group of students from Saint Gabriel’s College, one of the country’s most prestigious private schools, after they were seen threatening and hitting another boy with an airsoft gun.

Reports on Saturday said the students, aged around 17, were facing a charge of assaulting a 14-year-old boy. They will be processed under juvenile justice procedures, according to Samsen police.

The video of the incident was circulated online as the country was reeling from a fatal school shooting in Nonthaburi province on Friday, raising concerns over violence among minors and the use of weapons.

Police investigators subsequently reported that the incident at St Gabriel’s occurred on July 21 and said that the gun seen in the video was an airsoft gun.

The video showed three boys wearing uniforms of the all-boys Catholic school in Dusit district. Two of them were standing over another boy, who was made to sit on the floor.

The older students, one of them holding the gun, were seen kicking the younger boy.

Hours after the video was circulated online, Saint Gabriel’s College issued a statement saying it had immediately launched a thorough fact-finding investigation by speaking with the students, their parents and other relevant parties.

The school said it had taken disciplinary action against the students involved and introduced safety and psychological support measures, with teachers and specialists assisting the affected student.

Brother Dr Surakit Srisarankulwong, the school director, said it does not condone or support any form of violence.

‘Such behaviour contradicts the values of respect for human dignity, peaceful coexistence and the identity of being ‘the gentlemen of Saint Gabriel’s’, which the school seeks to instil in all its students,’ he said.

Police on Saturday summoned the students involved and their parents for questioning as part of the legal process for juvenile cases.

Thai media reported that one of the older students is the son of an official at a Provincial Administrative Organisation in the Northeast.

St Gabriel’s, established in 1920, counts dozens of the country’s most illustrious business, political and military figures among its alumni. Tuition fees range from around 45,000 to 60,000 baht per term.

Microsoft is accelerating efforts to make Windows 11 use memory more efficiently, targeting personal computers with 8 gigabytes (GB) of RAM or more to deliver faster system responsiveness, reduce lag and enhance multitasking capabilities.

The performance boost is part of a broader push to elevate the quality of Windows, announced by Microsoft in March 2026, following sustained criticism about sluggishness, instability and resource-heavy features that bogged down the operating system.

Pavan Davuluri, executive vice-president of Windows+Devices at Microsoft, said that over recent months, the tech giant has overhauled memory efficiency and reduced latency across multiple areas of Windows 11 by lowering the RAM footprint of both applications and system components.

Key improvements have been directed at WinUI 3, the framework used to build applications and various system elements in Windows 11. Microsoft has worked to trim memory usage from the ground up, allowing WinUI 3-based applications to launch faster while consuming significantly less RAM.

Additionally, the company has refined components built on Chromium and WebView2, which power numerous applications and built-in features across Windows 11. Even though users might not actively open a web browser, these background processes often run continuously and consume persistent memory.

File Explorer, one of the most heavily criticised aspects of Windows 11 due to frequent freezing and slow loading times, has undergone a major internal restructuring. The update aims to ensure folder opening, file searching and scrolling are far more responsive while mitigating unexpected crashes.

The overhaul also resolves secondary annoyances, including blurry file thumbnails on the Home page, jittery display switching and clunky keyboard navigation, alongside improving file renaming and size rendering.

Elsewhere, the Widgets panel has been updated to use less baseline memory and release unused RAM more rapidly, while reducing background data preloading on low-memory devices. Both the Start Menu and Search are also receiving speed and responsiveness enhancements.

For the second half of 2026, Microsoft explicitly outlined a roadmap focused on ‘memory optimisation for 8GB and above’. The goal is to lower system-level memory consumption, ensuring entry-level devices run Windows 11 far more smoothly than before.

Thailand’s stock market is regaining momentum as foreign investors return, supported by stronger capital inflows, improving economic fundamentals and new investment themes, according to the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET).

SET president Asadej Kongsiri said positive signals have emerged as global brokerages recommend higher exposure to Thai equities, while some emerging market funds have increased their allocation to Thai stocks from around 1% to 5%.

Foreign investor confidence in Thai equities remains stable, with international investors accounting for around 50% of total market trading value, similar to last year, he said.

Foreign investors recorded net purchases of 48.9 billion baht in July, marking the third consecutive month of net buying, noted the bourse. Total foreign net inflows for the first seven months tallied 75.9 billion baht, highlighting Thailand’s stronger performance compared with several regional markets.

Trading activity also ramped up, with average daily turnover on the SET and the Market for Alternative Investment reaching 87.4 billion baht in July, up 105% year-on-year and the highest level since March 2022.

Average daily trading value during the first seven months of 2026 was 69.2 billion baht, rising 64.8% year-on-year.

RISKS REMAIN

Mr Asadej said Thailand’s ability to attract long-term investment will depend on delivering its growth story through real investment, economic expansion and stronger competitiveness.

Supporting factors include the Finance Ministry’s upgrade of its 2026 GDP growth forecast from 1.6% to 2.5%, continued double-digit export growth and strong investment momentum, with Board of Investment (BoI) applications reaching 1.5 trillion baht in the first half of 2026.

Chatchai Thisadoldilok, executive vice-president and head of research at the SET, said the Thai market remained resilient despite global volatility, including corrections in technology stocks, supported by its diversified sector structure and improving corporate fundamentals.

However, external risks remain, particularly geopolitical tensions that could push oil prices above US$100 per barrel, increasing inflationary pressure and prompting investors to seek safe-haven assets. The market is also monitoring risks from a potential artificial intelligence investment bubble, as global technology stocks face corrections after valuations reflected high growth expectations.

Domestically, investors are watching whether projects endorsed by the BoI will translate into actual investment, as any gap between investment applications and real capital spending could weaken confidence in Thailand’s economic recovery, noted Mr Chatchai.

BUILDING CONFIDENCE

Despite those challenges, the SET remains confident that Thailand Focus 2026, its flagship annual international investment conference, will reinforce Thailand’s position as an attractive long-term investment destination.

The conference is scheduled for Aug 26-28 and features 78 listed companies with a combined market capitalisation of around 15 trillion baht, representing 74% of the total market value of the Thai bourse.

The event aims to showcase Thailand’s “growth story” and highlight companies with long-term growth potential under the SET’s Jump Plus programme, providing global investors with greater visibility into future investment opportunities.

The conference is focused on emerging industries, including technology-based businesses, companies benefiting from foreign direct investment and businesses linked to the expansion of data centres.

The SET expects strong investor interest in the data centre supply chain, particularly clean energy, electricity infrastructure and water resources. Healthcare companies aligned with government-supported strategic industries are another highlight.

The event also features mid-sized and newer listed companies across various sectors, including finance and property, reflecting broader opportunities beyond large-cap stocks.

The Finance Ministry plans to introduce tax incentives by September to encourage foreign carmakers to establish production facilities in Thailand and increase the use of locally made components.

Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said the scheme would offer lower excise tax rates to vehicle manufacturers that set up production bases and source components locally.

The cabinet is expected to approve the proposal next month.

“The key to the measure is to provide a tax advantage,” Mr Ekniti said.

“Investors that build factories and use parts made by Thai suppliers will pay a lower excise tax rate. Those importing completely built-up vehicles without production bases in Thailand may face higher tax rates.”

The incentive programme covers almost all vehicle categories, aiming to promote technology transfer to Thai workers and engineers while supporting long-term income growth.

The tax measures form part of the government’s “Thailand’s New Horizon” strategy, which aims to attract investment from companies relocating production bases amid geopolitical tensions.

The strategy is intended to ensure Thais at all levels benefit from foreign investment and gain access to new economic opportunities, he said.

Thailand’s economic growth potential was about 5% before the 1997 Asian financial crisis but has fallen to around 2% as public and private investment declined from 40% of GDP to 23%, Mr Ekniti said.

The government aims to raise total investment to 30% of GDP and boost annual economic growth to more than 3% within four years, he said.

Foreign investors are increasingly choosing Thailand because of its safety, extensive trade links and infrastructure, with recent projects focusing on technology-intensive sectors including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, electric vehicles and the robotics industry, he added.

Another foreign-run electronic waste plant has been shut down, reportedly after operating illegally for more than a year in a national reserved forest area in this eastern province.

The action has again prompted questions over why it took so long, as residents had complained repeatedly about the plant’s environmental impact for at least a month before the provincial office of the Ministry of Industry reported the raid on Friday.

The inspection took place on Thursday at a factory in Village 7 of tambon Krok Sombun in Si Maha Phot district. It followed a report from Forest Resource Management Office 9 confirming that the plant was located within the Khwae Rabom and Si Yat national reserved forests, according to the industry office.

The inspection, led by provincial governor Veerapan Dee-on, found that the factory was sorting, crushing and compacting scrap metal, electrical wires and electronic parts without the required permission, authorities said.

The factory was subsequently ordered to suspend operations, while materials, equipment and other items on the premises were seized and impounded as evidence for legal proceedings.

Mr Veerapan also ordered an investigation to verify the validity of the land title documents.

For local residents and activists, however, the action was a case of too little, too late – again.

Residents say the latest shutdown followed a familiar pattern, in which action was taken only after complaints became impossible to ignore.

Given that similar factories have previously been ordered to suspend operations, they questioned whether the plant would soon resume business and called for more details on how the seized materials and equipment would be handled.

Sumet Rianphongnam, leader of the Prachinburi Strong Network, locally known as ‘Prachinburi Khem Khaeng’, also questioned why an order from the governor was needed for the inspection and whether the industry office has direct responsibility for overseeing the factory.

Mr Sumet, who had previously called for investigations into the alleged encroachment and other sites, also raised concerns over possible conflicts of interest or vested interests involving Chinese investors.

At a press conference in Bangkok on Thursday, the Prachinburi Strong Network and other civil society groups alleged that a 2-million-baht bounty had been placed on Mr Sumet and fellow environmental campaigner Sunthorn Komkai.

The two have been investigating illegal industrial waste dumping in eastern Thailand, with a focus on the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).

The conference participants urged police to investigate the alleged murder-for-hire plot and provide immediate protection for the two activists.

Waterway contamination risk

The illegal establishment of an electronic waste plant and the possible dumping of hazardous chemical waste pose a risk of contaminating groundwater and natural waterways, potentially causing serious impacts on the ecosystem, wildlife and public health across a wide area.

The Khwae Rabom and Si Yat national reserved forests are considered nationally important natural forest areas. They were designated under Ministerial Regulation No. 409 (1969).

They cover large areas of Sanam Chai Khet and Tha Takiap districts in Chachoengsao province, extending into Si Maha Phot in Prachin Buri.

The reserved forest currently covers around 700,000 to 850,000 rai (280,000 to 340,000 acres) and forms part of the Eastern Forest Complex, which spans five provinces: Chachoengsao, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, Rayong and Chon Buri.

The area concerned in this case is also the source of the Khwae Rabom and Khwae Si Yat rivers, which converge to form Khlong Tha Lat before flowing into the Bang Pakong River.

It is also home to the Khlong Si Yat reservoir, which has a capacity of 420 million cubic metres.

Thailand’s regional ranking for airline seats fell to No.3 for the second consecutive month due to massive flight cuts, with Vietnam claiming No.2 as demand grows.

According to the August report conducted by OAG, an aviation intelligence and analytics company, Vietnam secured the fastest growth rate in Southeast Asia for flight capacity.

With a 10% rise year-on-year to 7.27 million seats, Vietnam was second for another month after surpassing Thailand in July.

In terms of total seats, Vietnam’s domestic flight capacity surged by 13.8% year-on-year to more than 4.7 million.

Thailand’s total capacity dipped by 1.7% to 7.19 million seats, while Indonesia remained No.1 with 11 million seats, increasing 4.3% year-on-year.

In terms of airport capacity, Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi remains the third-busiest airport in the region with 3.22 million seats, up by 1%, following Singapore and Jakarta, with 3.64 million seats and 3.32 million seats respectively, according to OAG.

However, Don Mueang airport reported a sharp decline of 7.5% to 1.52 million seats in August, as low-cost carriers based there such as Thai AirAsia slashed capacity by 23.4% year-on-year to 1.44 million seats this month.

Patsee Permvongsenee, executive director for Asean, South Asia and South Pacific at the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said the ranking could reflect growing travel demand in Vietnam, which has large airports to serve passengers across the country.

Vietnam tourism operators usually book seats with airlines in bulk, as well as offering joint promotions together, which help quickly fill up capacity.

She said newly promoted destinations such as Da Nang and Phu Quoc Island can attract more direct flights, allowing tourists to visit them without relying on transit hubs at major airports, unlike Thailand, which is dependent on two major airports in Bangkok.

To travel to other provinces, most tourists still have to connect via those two hubs in Bangkok.

However, Mrs Patsee said Thailand still has an advantage in accommodating more airlines globally.

The Thai government is also developing new airports such as U-tapao and Hua Hin to facilitate travel, she said.

Vichai Sahassapol, vice-president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, said Vietnam is quickly developing new attractions and infrastructure to compete with Thailand, which remains at a slower pace. The country is perceived as a fresh destination among foreigners, compared with Thailand, which still relies on existing resources.

Vietnam’s strong GDP growth and investment boom also draw foreigners and investors to the country, benefiting the aviation and tourism industries, said Mr Vichai.

According to OAG, Southeast Asia accumulated a total seat capacity of 51 million in August, rising by 0.8% year-on-year, 56% of which were international capacity or around 28.5 million seats.

Mainline carriers still hold the largest capacity in the region at 56%, growing 5.9% year-on-year.

Meanwhile, low-cost capacity contracted by 4.9% year-on-year to 22.5 million seats, led by Thai AirAsia (-23.4%) and AirAsia (-17%), reducing its share to 44% from 47%.

Thai AirAsia announced it was cutting 30% of flight capacity in May and June to mitigate the impact of surging fuel prices due to the prolonged Middle East conflicts.

Political activist Tul Sittisomwong has criticised the appointment of a former close aide to former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra as director of the Strategic Transformation Office (STO).

The cabinet on Wednesday approved the appointment of Pol Col Watanyu Witthayapalotha, prompting criticism over ethical standards.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Dr Tul said recent appointments and transfers of senior state officials raised serious ethical concerns and appeared to open key positions to close associates or people with political backing.

He cited Pol Col Watanyu’s appointment as an example of this, saying his background raised questions about his suitability and the ethics of those making such appointments.

Pol Col Watanyu served on security teams for former prime ministers Thaksin Shinawatra, Yingluck, Srettha Thavisin and Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

In 2018, he faced a disciplinary investigation after being seen with Thaksin and Yingluck at the World Cup in Russia. At that time, he was attached to the research and development unit of the Special Branch Police.

After Ms Paetongtarn left office, he was transferred from the Royal Thai Police to the civil service under the Prime Minister’s Office and appointed STO deputy director.

Meanwhile, former senator Kamnoon Sidhisamarn questioned why the STO still exists, rather than who was appointed to lead it.

In a Facebook post, Mr Kamnoon said the reform process under the 2017 Constitution effectively ended in 2022, when the 13 national reform committees expired on Aug 14 that year.

He said the STO was established as a temporary body and its tenure was due to expire at the end of 2023.