Category: The Bangkok Post

The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has dismissed Cambodian allegations that Thai fighter jets left unexploded bombs during recent hostilities, insisting that all missions were carried out successfully and no ordnance remains.

ACM Prapas Sornchaidee, the assistant commander-in-chief of the air force, was responding on Wednesday to claims made by Phnom Penh after it released images of an object resembling an Mk-84 bomb, saying it was evidence of an attack carried out by Thai forces.

Photographs alone cannot be used to confirm the origin of a weapon or identify the party responsible without technical and forensic verification conducted according to international standards, said ACM Prapas, who is also the director of the Joint Information Centre on the Thailand-Cambodia Situation.

Based on the object’s external appearance, it could possibly belong to the Mk 84 family of 2,000-pound bombs, or it may be an older M118 3,000-pound bomb, which was widely used by the United States military during past wars.

However, ACM Prapas said that determining the weapon’s origin cannot be done solely through visual inspection.

‘Displaying an object publicly and claiming it belongs to one side without verifiable technical evidence is merely an allegation, not proof,’ he said.

He added that the RTAF operates a battle damage assessment system that uses imaging and tracking technology to closely monitor the deployment of weapons from its F-16 and Gripen fighter aircraft.

According to assessment results, every weapon used during RTAF operations functioned properly, detonated on target and caused verifiable damage within military areas, and no evidence was found to support claims that a bomb was left unexploded, he said.

ACM Prapas also pointed out that the body and tail fins of the object shown in the images appeared largely intact despite the fact that air-dropped bombs are normally subjected to massive impact forces.

He noted that even in cases involving dud bombs, detailed examinations are still required to confirm the type, origin and chain of possession, reaffirming that conclusions cannot be reached solely through images.

Adm Phairoj Fueangchan, the commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Navy Adm Phairoj Fueangchan, on Wednesday visited naval personnel undergoing training as royal barge rowers and reviewed preparations for the upcoming royal barge procession in November.

The ceremony is being organised to celebrate the auspicious occasion of the fourth-cycle (48th) birthday of Her Majesty the Queen on June 3. The royal ceremony to present kathin robes to monks will take place at Wat Arun on Nov 6.

The inspection took place at the Royal Barge Division under the Small Craft Squadron, Naval Transportation Department, in Bangkok Noi district.

The training of royal barge rowers is a vital component of the navy’s preparations for the historic procession along the Chao Phraya River in the capital.

Specialised training courses have already been held for 58 royal barge captains and 104 helmsmen, equipping them with knowledge of traditional rowing techniques and ceremonial procedures. Upon completion, they will serve as instructors for the rowers assigned to their respective units.

The training phase focuses on land-based rowing drills, known as ‘bench training’, designed to familiarise rowers with the weight of the oars, correct posture and synchronised movements.

This will be followed by on-water training to develop navigation and boat-handling skills before progressing to full-unit exercises aboard the barges. Formation training on the river will then be conducted ahead of rehearsal runs and the full dress rehearsal.

For this year’s procession, a total of 52 ceremonial vessels will participate. The formation will stretch 1,200 metres in length and 90 metres in width, organised into five columns and manned by around 2,200 personnel.

At the centre of the procession will be the royal barge Suphannahong, which will carry the monarch. Supporting vessels include the royal barges Narai Song Suban King Rama IX, Anekkachatphuchong and Anantanakkharat, as well as drum barges, police escort boats and royal guard vessels.

The ?Constitutional ?Court said Wednesday that it ?will ?issue its ruling on the ?legality of the government’s 400-billion-baht emergency borrowing decree on July ?9.

The ?cabinet on May 5 approved the emergency decree to borrow 400 billion baht, with 200 billion going to alleviate cost of living ?pressures arising from the Middle East war, and another 200 billion to be used to support the transition to renewable energy.

The opposition People’s Party had sought a court ruling on the decree under Section 172 of the Constitution. It argued that the prevailing situation did not meet the strict test of an ‘urgent and unavoidable necessity’ required to justify using an emergency decree instead of a standard parliamentary bill.

The party also said details about the energy transition spending were vague, and merited proper scrutiny by lawmakers.

Finance ?Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas has maintained that the borrowing is necessary because higher energy prices impact everyone.

Public debt is currently around 66.4% of Thailand’s gross domestic product (GDP), below the 70% statutory ceiling, and the new borrowing would not breach the limit, Mr Ekniti added.

Bank of Thailand officials and independent economists have cautioned that the borrowing would significantly reduces the government’s capability to handle unexpected future economic shocks.

There is also scepticism over whether direct, short-term cash subsidies for low-income people and welfare recipients will adequately address deep-seated structural flaws in the economy.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has called the borrowing ‘a tool to move the country forward and prevent economic weakening’.

A 42-year-old man was found dead in a cell at a police station on Wednesday after being arrested the night before for allegedly raping his 14-year-old stepdaughter.

Somjit Kaewjampa, a native of Khon Kaen province, was found dead at 5am on Wednesday in the Chat Trakan police station. A torn blanket was tied around his neck and fastened to a bar of his cell.

Police said Somjit had used a knife to force his 14-year-old stepdaughter to a hut in a forest in tambon Tha Sa Kae on Saturday. After the girl messaged her elder brother for help, police came to rescue her but her attacker had fled the scene.

On Tuesday evening local residents and village security volunteers captured Somjit in a forest in Nakhon Thai district. He was then brought to the Chat Trakan police station.

The investigation into the death is continuing.

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) board has approved the hiring of consultants for two Red Line extension projects, a step expected to improve travel between Bangkok and suburban areas, including Rangsit and Salaya.

SRT acting governor Anan Phonimdaeng said the board meeting on June 18, chaired by Department of Highways director-general Piyapong Jiwatthanakulpaisan, approved Asian Engineering Consultants Corp Ltd to supervise construction of the Dark Red Line extension from Rangsit to Thammasat University’s Rangsit Campus. The contract, worth 166.73 million baht, is due to be signed on July 10.

The firm was selected for achieving the highest technical score and offering a competitive bid below the reference price.

Earlier on May 29 the board approved a 392-million-baht contract to hire a consortium led by TEAM Consulting Engineering and Management Plc (TEAMG), with MHPM Co Ltd and MAA Consultants Co Ltd, to supervise construction of the Light Red Line extension from Siriraj Hospital to Taling Chan and Salaya. The project includes three additional stations — Rama VI Bridge, Bang Kruai-Egat and Ban Chimphli — with the contract also set to be signed on July 10.

The SRT expects to issue a notice to proceed on July 15, with construction scheduled to take 36 months and completion planned for 2029.

Construction contracts for both extensions were signed on May 19. Unique Engineering and Construction Plc (UNIQ) secured the 6.057-billion-baht contract for the 8.84-kilometre Rangsit-Thammasat section, while the UT Joint Venture, comprising UNIQ and Trusty Construction Co Ltd, won the 14.72-billion-baht contract for the 20.5km Siriraj-Taling Chan-Salaya route.

Nine people were arrested on Monday for allegedly stealing the identities of about 9 million individuals with the stolen data found categorised into “doctors”, “the rich”, “retirees” and “teachers”.

Deputy national police chief Pol Maj Gen Suwat Saengnoom said the suspects were arrested in a series of raids spanning 22 locations in 16 provinces, including Bangkok, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Sawan, Khon Kaen, Sa Kaeo, Mae Hong Son, Lampang, Lop Buri, Amnat Charoen, Chanthaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Ayutthaya.

According to police, the arrested suspects included only one woman: Atharee, 21. The eight others were identified as Boonrak, 26, Somkhuan, 53, Saengkaeo, 24, Chakree, 38, Poonsap, 31, Watin, 23, Nantawat, 29, and Weerayut, 31.

Police seized from them five notebook computers, six desktop computers, a phone farm box, 31 mobile phones and tablets, 112 SIM cards, 10 bank books, 775,000 baht in cash, two guns and 42 rounds of ammunition.

The identification theft by the suspects reportedly began in 2022. In total, they came into the possession of the data of 9,616,199 people and the pictures of 477 ID cards.

Pol Col Ekasit Panseethao, chief of Crime Suppression Sub-Division 4, said the stolen IDs matched victims in 13,677 scam complaints with alleged damage worth about 2 billion baht.

Pol Col Pasakorn Napachote, a commander at the Anti-Corruption Division, elaborated they also included those of government officials who were defrauded of about 300 million baht all combined.

According to the commander, the stolen data was stored on the cloud for easy access by buyers who were likely scammers and online gambling hosts. They were kept in more than 10,000 files constituting 13.5 gigabytes of memory.

The data was noted as well organised with categories including “doctors”, “teachers”, “the rich” and “retired government officials”.

Deputy Digital Economy and Society Minister Nan Boonthida Somchai inspected the impounded equipment at the Central Investigation Bureau in Bangkok on Tuesday. She said data theft was a serious crime and the abuse of information from Thai people could cause great damage.

Rock singer Seksan Sookpimay, better known as ‘Sek Loso’, has been released from prison on special parole, with electronic monitoring, after serving 13 months of a 3-year sentence for weapons and drug offences.

His release on Wednesday from the Khao Kling prison camp in Kaeng Krachan district of Phetchaburi province drew a large crowd of fans and media. He was warmly received by family members, including his wife Wiphakorn Sookpimay.

High-profile political figure and commentator Nattawut Saikuar was also seen embracing the singer and offering a kiss on the cheek in a gesture of support.

Seksan, 51, had been serving a prison sentence stemming from convictions on charges of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, resisting officers in the course of duty, and drug use.

According to the Department of Corrections, Seksan was originally sentenced to a total of two years, 12 months and 20 days in prison, with his term beginning on May 20, 2025. His initial release date was May 31, 2028.

During his incarceration, the rock star participated in a special rehabilitation programme under the ‘Inspiration Project’ initiated under the royal patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha.

The programme is held at the Khao Kling prison camp, a rehabilitation and vocational training facility for first-time, near-release inmates. It focused on applying the sufficiency economy philosophy to inmates’ lives. The singer took part in the training for five months, during which he maintained good conduct and successfully met all evaluation criteria.

On June 3, a royal pardon decree resulted in Seksan’s sentence being reduced by five months and 20 days, to two years, six months and 30 days, with the full sentence due to end on Dec 13, 2027.

A corrections department panel had earlier recommended special parole for Seksan on May 27, and the justice minister signed off on the approval on June 19.

The Phetchaburi Central Prison, which oversees the Khao Kling camp, proceeded with Seksan’s release on Wednesday. He has been fitted with an electronic monitoring device and will remain under probation supervision.

During the probation period, the singer must comply with all conditions imposed by probation officers until the completion of his sentence.

The case dates back to late December 2017, when Seksan was accused of firing shots into the air at a temple in Nakhon Si Thammarat, an incident that led police to seek an arrest warrant.

He was later arrested at his Bangkok home, where authorities said he resisted officers and was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, while also admitting to drug use.

After a series of appeals, the Supreme Court on May 20, 2025 delivered the final ruling, upholding his convictions and sentencing him to two years, 12 months and 20 days without suspension. He was taken into custody and transferred to Min Buri Remand Prison.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has declared Thailand the most investment-ready country in the region following the launch of the Thailand Fast Pass programme on Tuesday, which is set to accelerate approvals and permits for investors.

Speaking at the launch, Mr Anutin said Thailand enjoys advantages in geopolitics, location, logistics, political stability, and trade connectivity, positioning it as a regional hub.

“When all factors are considered, Thailand is more prepared than any other country in the region,” he said.

The first group of 23 companies receiving Thailand Fast Pass privileges and Board of Investment (BOI) promotion certificates are engaged in high-technology industries rather than labour-intensive manufacturing.

These include the production of Airbus aircraft engine components, rockets, satellites, and LiDAR systems used in the automotive sector.

Mr Anutin said speed has become a crucial factor in the global competition for investment. He stressed that government agencies must shift from acting solely as regulators to transforming into facilitators.

During the pilot phase, eight government agencies are participating: the Department of Industrial Works, Customs Department, Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT), Energy Regulatory Commission, Metropolitan Electricity Authority, Provincial Electricity Authority, and the BOI.

Thailand Fast Pass is only the first step in a broader effort to facilitate investment, Mr Anutin said, envisaging a system in which applications can be submitted online and automatically approved once all the requirements are met.

Faster approvals, Mr Anutin said, will help accelerate investment, create jobs, increase tax revenues, and support economic growth. The government has set the goal of elevating Thailand from an upper-middle-income economy to a high-income country in 12 years.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said on Tuesday the government aims to channel nearly 700 billion baht in actual investment into Thailand’s economy this year through accelerated programs such as BOI Fast Pass and Thailand Fast Pass.

“The initiative is designed to transform investor confidence from mere applications for investment promotion into tangible economic activity on the ground, driving sustainable growth through close cooperation among all relevant state agencies,” Mr Ekniti said.

He said the success of these measures will directly boost employment and revive production across all regions, in line with the government’s policy of using investment as the primary engine to strengthen Thailand’s global competitiveness. “This policy will fast-track projects, cut red tape, and reassure international investors that Thailand is ready to host expanded production bases,” he said.

According to official data, investment promotion applications in 2025 reached a record 1.8 trillion baht, he said, reflecting strong foreign investor confidence. In the first quarter of 2026, applications surged to 1 trillion baht, a 142% increase year-on-year.

The IMD World Competitiveness Center recently raised the country from 30th to 26th place overall, and from 30th to 24th in international investment.

Global rating agencies Moody’s and S and P have likewise upgraded Thailand’s outlook to stable, reinforcing investor trust. The investment drive has already begun to impact the economy.

GDP grew 2.8% in Q1, while private investment expanded by 10.1%, marking the first double-digit growth in a decade. More than 200 billion baht in real spending has already entered the economy through the Fast Pass mechanisms. Mr Ekniti said that the government is confident of achieving its 700-billion-baht investment target, positioning 2026 as “the year of true investment” and ensuring long-term stability for the nation’s fiscal and economic foundations.

HP is capitalising the rise of edge artificial intelligence (AI) to redefine the enterprise PC as a local hub for automation, security and IT management.

The technology giant has dubbed Thailand a high-potential AI market as well as an important global manufacturing base.

Edge AI refers to running AI models directly on hardware devices rather than on cloud servers.

“HP’s strategy is focused on enabling AI at the edge of local devices rather than relying entirely on the cloud. This shift is driven by the high costs, latency and security concerns associated with cloud computing,” Mike Boyle, senior vice-president and managing director for HP Greater Asia, told the Bangkok Post.

The economics of AI are changing as businesses scale up usage, he noted. With rising power consumption, token usage and latency concerns, it would be impractical for every AI task to be processed in the cloud, making edge AI increasingly important, particularly for enterprises that need faster response times, tighter data control and lower operating costs, said Mr Boyle.

The shift comes as HP sees rapid growth in AI PC adoption. AI-enabled models accounted for 44% of HP’s global PC shipments in the second quarter, up from more than 35% in the previous quarter.

The company is also embedding AI more deeply into its workplace device systems. One example is HP IQ, an upcoming on-device personal assistant for notebooks.

Designed to run locally, including in some cases without cloud access, HP IQ is intended to help users manage tasks, protect data, and connect automatically with nearby devices such as printers and meeting-room systems.

The company also highlighted HP Workforce Experience Platform, an AI-driven platform for IT teams. The device-agnostic console analyses employee usage and device performance data to help companies match workers with suitable hardware, avoid overspending, improve productivity, and manage device refresh cycles more efficiently.

Security is another key part of HP’s edge AI strategy. Mr Boyle said HP’s PCs, printers and conferencing devices include hardware-enforced protection designed to detect attacks, isolate compromised devices, and support recovery from a trusted firmware.

HP has introduced NearSense, a spatial-connectivity technology that allows nearby HP, Android and meeting-room devices to discover and connect without relying on cloud access or manual pairing.

“HP is focusing on integrating all of its devices and experiences seamlessly under one unified ecosystem to better serve the end-user,” Mr Boyle said.

AI agent leadership

Mr Boyle said Thailand is an important market for HP because the digital economy is growing 7.5% annually, outpacing GDP. The country has seen rapid adoption of AI tools in the workplace.

Thailand is leading the world in agentic AI adoption. The 2025 Microsoft Work Trend Index revealed that 68% of Thai organisations have already begun implementing AI agents, the highest adoption rate among all 31 countries surveyed.

In addition, 90% of Thai business leaders are confident they will use AI agents as “digital team members” alongside employees within 12-18 months, according to the survey.

Made In Thailand

Mr Boyle emphasised Thailand’s role as a critical global supply hub.

“HP has a very long and successful manufacturing footprint in Thailand. We’ve been manufacturing here since 1998, nearly 300 million HP printers have been produced in Thailand and shipped globally,” he said.

Thailand is a strategic supply hub for not only Asia, but also the world, said Mr Boyle. HP products contain components of which 65% are produced locally.

Varanit Athijaratroj, managing director of HP Thailand, said the firm’s recent expansion in Thailand includes adding laser printer manufacturing to its inkjet operations.

She said local production gives HP an advantage in serving Thai customers while supporting the broader economy.

A marine conscript has filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB), seeking legal action after videos and images allegedly showing brutal hazing by senior soldiers were shared in a Line chat group.

The victim was accompanied to the CCIB by social media activist Gun Jompalang, whose real name is Kanthas Phongphaiboonwet. The conscript is attached to the Marine Division in Sattahip district, Chon Buri province.

The victim, whose name was not disclosed, claims he was subjected to severe abuse and violent initiation practices by senior personnel. The complaint followed the discovery that videos of the incidents had been circulated among military personnel in a Line group, where members reportedly exchanged comments in a joking manner, showing little remorse over the alleged mistreatment.

According to reports, the conscript had previously raised the issue with local authorities responsible for handling the matter. However, he said no concrete action had been taken and that he had only received verbal assurances that the problem would be addressed. Frustrated by the lack of progress, he eventually sought assistance from Mr Kanthas.

Pol Maj Gen Surapong Thaiprasert, commander of the Administration Division of the CCIB, said senior officers had expressed concern over the case and had already received evidence directly from Mr Kanthas. Investigators have been instructed to gather and review preliminary information to determine whether the case falls under the cyber police’s jurisdiction.