Category: The Bangkok Post

Australia is seeking a broader and more resilient partnership with Thailand, with new ambassador Pablo Kang identifying trade and supply chains, artificial intelligence, transnational crime, clean energy and Thailand’s OECD ambitions as key areas for deeper cooperation.

Speaking to the media recently, Mr Kang said the relationship already has strong foundations in defence and security, but there is growing scope to deepen cooperation in economic resilience, technology and other emerging areas.

Mr Kang, who took up his duties this month after being named to the post on July 5, previously served as ambassador to Cambodia from 2020 to 2023, where his work included transnational crime, online scam centres and narcotics trafficking.

He said Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s recent visit to Australia, including a business delegation, had opened further opportunities for economic engagement.

Strengthening supply chains could help expand two-way trade and investment, while AI is emerging as another area for cooperation.

“Both Thailand and Australia are working on legislation governing AI and measures to mitigate online harms,” he said, adding the countries could exchange expertise and coordinate their approaches.

Security cooperation is also expected to expand during his tenure.

Mr Kang said Thailand’s strategic location brings significant trade and investment opportunities but also exposes it to transnational crime, including drug trafficking, illicit tobacco and online scams.

“Tobacco is a more recent development. Certainly methamphetamine has long been an issue, and some of the harder drugs like heroin, very much so,” he said.

“Online scam centres are also a relatively recent development, and of course they end up flourishing in what we call ungoverned spaces on the borders between countries.”

Under the Joint Plan of Action on transnational crime, Australia will support Thailand through police and criminal intelligence cooperation, including work with the Interior Ministry, Customs and other law enforcement agencies.

“Australia has had decades of close defence and military-to-military collaboration with Thailand, including His Majesty, who went to Australia to study at our Defence College at Duntroon,” Mr Kang said.

Another priority is Australia’s support for Thailand’s bid to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the ambassador said.

A meeting planned for early next month will bring together the government and more than 50 private-sector representatives who have visited Australia in recent years to discuss competition policy, competitive neutrality involving state-owned enterprises, political integrity and other reforms required for accession.

The discussions will also help prepare Thailand for a World Bank event in October and a meeting with the OECD secretary-general in November.

Mr Kang also sees clean energy as an area with strong potential for cooperation, saying Australian green-technology expertise could support Thailand’s transition towards cleaner energy and its target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

Culture, meanwhile, offers another avenue for strengthening ties.

During Mr Anutin’s visit, Australia’s prime minister presented him with a collection of vinyl records by Midnight Oil, one of Australia’s best-known rock bands of the 1980s and 1990s.

“Australian love of arts and culture is also aligned with Thailand’s culture,” Mr Kang said, pointing to opportunities in the creative economy.

These include a proposed cultural project with Asset World Corporation on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, expected to draw on the curatorial, design and artistic expertise of Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art over the next three years.

For Mr Kang, the relationship is also underpinned by strong people-to-people links and cultural familiarity. Among his favourite Thai dishes are khao soi, tom kha gai and tom yum goong.

He said Thailand’s strategic position, economic potential and cultural ties make it an important partner for Australia.

In an uncertain global environment, Mr Kang said the breadth of cooperation — from security and trade to technology, energy and culture — gives both countries a stronger base for a more resilient partnership.

Thalang district has enforced a Supreme Court ruling over more than five rai of disputed land at Bang Tao beach, where 16 restaurants were built.

The operation on Friday was carried out by a team of Thalang district officials, members of the Tambon Administrative Organisation of Cheng Thalay, police and forest protection officers.

The land had been blocked by a private investor who charged fees and sublet areas to business operators to build the restaurants, according to the complaint.

Officials posted notices, ordering the defendants in the case, workers, contractors and associates to leave the disputed area.

Thalang District Chief Wilailak Rueangphon said she had assigned a district team to ensure the ruling is enforced.

She said strict enforcement was needed to protect public land and state resources, adding that those involved would face legal action without exception.

Sangkhlaburi district is planning a major repair of the Mon Bridge after heavy rain damaged parts of the structure. The work is expected to cost 40-50 million baht.

Officials inspected Uttamanusorn Bridge, also known as the Mon Bridge, on Friday after days of heavy rain raised water levels and pushed tree branches and other debris against the bridge.

Sanharat Sombatthong, a civil engineer at the Kanchanaburi Public Works and Town and Country Planning Office, found three areas needing urgent repairs.

These sections cross deep water and have long gaps between supports, which could make the bridge move or sway, he said.

He said the bridge was still safe for visitors but recommended limiting the number of people on it and avoiding five areas marked with cones.

Urgent repairs will address the dangerous sections, while a full repair is planned, he said.

Thailand’s men’s team sprint squad claimed gold at the Track Asia Cup 2026 yesterday, posting the fastest qualifying time before a violent downpour forced officials to abandon the final and decide medals on qualification times alone.

The trio of Jai Angsuthasawit, Norasetthada Bunma and Yuenyong Phetcharat clocked 1min 01.753sec in qualifying at the Huamark Velodrome, comfortably the quickest of the field and enough to send them through to face Hong Kong, who had qualified second in 1:02.930.

However, with rain lashing the outdoor track, Australian chief commissaire Matthew Wright ruled conditions unsafe and cancelled the head-to-head final, awarding gold to Thailand on the strength of their qualifying run. Hong Kong took silver, with India claiming bronze in 1:04.078.

The win adds 300 UCI world ranking points to Thailand’s tally, lifting the national team from 1,755 to 2,055 points and up one place to 14th in the world, overtaking Colombia.

In the women’s team sprint, Thailand’s Aphitsara Srimongkhon, Natthaporn Aphimote and Kawinnad Kherthong took bronze in 1:13.800, behind South Korea’s Sangju Cycling team, who won gold in 1:11.102, and Hong Kong, who claimed silver.

Elsewhere, Jutatip Maneephan added a silver in the women’s omnium after the four-discipline event — scratch race, tempo race, elimination race and points race — was curtailed after three rounds because of the weather. Singapore’s Valencia Tan topped the standings on 112 points to take gold, with Jutatip second on 108 points and Malaysia’s Nur Aishah Mohd Zubir third, also on 108.

Gen Decha Hemkrasi, president of the Thailand Cycling Association, said heavy afternoon rain had left the track wet and dangerous, prompting Wright to halt racing and settle results on times and standings already recorded.

He said Saturday’s haul of one gold, one silver and one bronze took Thailand’s overall tally to two golds, one silver and two bronze, following Jai’s win in the keirin on the opening day.

Decha added that Jutatip, a specialist in the points race, might have added a further gold had the final leg of the omnium been completed.

Competition continues on Sunday with 10 more gold medals on offer, including the sprint, points race and junior scratch race events at the same venue.

Thailand will have an opportunity to fight for an Olympic berth after booking their berth in the final of the 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Asian Championship in Tianjin on Saturday.

The defending champions defeated arch-rivals Japan 3-1 (25-21, 25-20, 20-25, 25-20) in just over two hours to advance to the championship decider where they will face either hosts and 13-time champions China or surprise package Iran.

The winners of Tianjin 2026 will earn a spot at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and also a place at the 2027 World Cup. The runners-up and the third-place team will also qualify for next year’s FIVB centrepiece event in the United States and Canada.

The three-time champions put on an inspired performance, with middle blocker Thatdao Nuekjang, outside hitter Sasipaporn Janthawisut and opposite spiker Pimpichaya Kokram all having an excellent game at Tianjin Olympic Center Gymnasium.

Pimpichaya topped the scoring chart with 20 points (19 kills, 1 block) while outside hitter Sasipaporn chipped in 15 points (15 kills, 1 block) and Thatdao added 14 (11 kills, 3 blocks).

With Japan winning four of their last five meetings including their latest match at the FIVB Nations League in Osaka earlier this year, Thailand knew what was in store for them against the world No.6 opponents.

Coach Kiatipong Ratchatakriengkrai started the match with captain Pornpun Guedpard, Pimpichaya, Chatchuon Moksri, Sasipaporn, Kaewkalaya Kamulthala, Thatdao, and Piyanut Pannoy as libero.

And it was the Pornpun and Thatdao combination that proved crucial as Thailand cruised through the first two sets after just one hour.

Japan, known for their tenacious defence and fighting spirit, refused to bow down easily and fought back to take the third set and looked to regain some momentum.

But Thailand regrouped in the fourth set and went on to seal their place in the final, with Pimpichaya smashing the winning shot.

The Election Commission (EC) is facing a credibility test as it schedules a vote on the Senate collusion case for Sept 14. Opposition figures warn that this decision could reshape the political system.

EC commissioner Narong Rakroi said on Saturday the seven-member panel would decide on Sept 14 whether to forward the Senate collusion case to the Supreme Court after reviewing the files for three months.

He said the date was unanimously agreed by the panel after examining problematic files involving senators. Additional information may still be needed on some issues, Mr Narong added.

The announcement comes as opposition parties and civil society groups increase the pressure on the EC over whether it will forward the case to the Supreme Court. A total of 229 people are accused of colluding to manipulate the 2024 Senate election.

Mr Narong dismissed critics’ claims that pressure had influenced the commission, saying it was following the law and established procedures. “Please be confident in all seven of us,” he said.

The case has become a major test of the EC’s interpretation of the legal threshold requiring “reasonable grounds to believe” that electoral wrongdoing has occurred before a case is forwarded to the court.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said the EC should not act as a judge in deciding whether those accused were guilty, but determine whether there was sufficient evidence to send the case to the judiciary.

Commenting on reports that those implicated might escape prosecution, he said this would raise questions about the standard applied by the EC.

Mr Abhisit pointed to Supreme Court rulings last year in which exchanges of votes through Line conversations were found sufficient to constitute violations of the law governing Senate selection.

He questioned why allegations of an organised operation should not also be sent to court if the evidence met the legal threshold.

People’s Party (PP) list-MP Parit Wacharasindhu meanwhile unveiled what he described as new evidence linked to the case, including phone-location data, vote sheets, money trails and telephone records.

Location data showed 40 senators, among the 229 people in the case files, were near the Pullman hotel on July 21, 2024, he said.

Mr Parit said that combined with other information already made public, this could provide reasonable grounds to believe electoral manipulation had taken place.

PP MP for Samut Prakan Phanida Mongkolsawat highlighted links between four Uthai Thani senators and Deputy Interior Minister Jeseth Thaiseth, including telephone records and relationships involving aides and former staff.

Opposition leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut said the case was a test of whether independent organisations could exercise checks and balances.

He questioned whether the EC could impartially determine whether there were grounds to believe the Senate election was rigged, noting that four of its seven members were selected by the current Senate, some of whose members are being investigated.

He said the issue was larger than individual prosecutions, describing alleged manipulation of the Senate election as the starting point of what he called the “blue regime” gaining control over key political institutions.

Bangkok will open the first phase of the Rajavithi Skywalk in early October, linking BTS Victory Monument station with existing walkways around the landmark.

The Public Works Department of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said the 1,300-metre project from Victory Monument to Tuek Chai intersection was 38.3% complete.

The first phase covers the Rajavithi and Phahon Yothin roads and will connect the walkway from BTS Victory Monument station, near Rajavithi Hospital.

The connection will complete the pedestrian loop around Victory Monument, which has remained only half a circuit for more than 20 years, allowing people to move around the area more conveniently, according to the BMA.

The four-metre-wide walkway has been designed according to universal design principles, providing sufficient space for wheelchairs and hospital beds. Four public more ifts will be installed — one on each of Rajavithi and Phahon Yothin roads and two along Rajavithi Road.

The walkway surface uses a seamless polyurethane floor system with anti-slip sand, while Braille paving blocks will run along the route.

The project aims to strengthen pedestrian links wiith Bangkok’s medical district, connecting BTS services with Rajavithi Hospital, Phramongkutklao Hospital, the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, the Institute of Dermatology and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

The BMA said the skywalk would improve convenience and safety while providing a seamless route for commuters and patients.

A prolonged dry spell linked to the incoming “super El Niño” is reducing water supplies in Nakhon Ratchasima province, as Songkhla province in the South prepares for possible flooding.

The Nakhon Ratchasima Irrigation Project reported that the Lam Takhong reservoir, one of the four main reservoirs in the northeastern province, holds 105.01 million cubic metres of water. This amount accounts for 33.39% of the reservoir’s total capacity. However, the usable water is only 82.29 million cubic metres, which represents just 28.21% of the total capacity.

The reservoir received only 0.583 million cubic metres of water on Thursday, leading to a total inflow of 57.47 million cubic metres for the year, which is 22.11% of capacity. Currently, the reservoir is releasing about 0.51 million cubic metres daily to meet the needs of tap water, ecological requirements, agriculture and industry. The project says a prolonged drought may persist into next year, emphasising the need for careful water management.

The falling water level has exposed a long stretch of the old Mittraphap Road near Ban Thang Oi in Pak Chong district to vulnerabilities. Farmer Sala Piesai, 67, from tambon Ban Han in Si Khio district, said his 17-rai maize field was drying out after a prolonged period of insufficient rain. He expects losses after investing nearly 40,000 baht, with seed, fertiliser and pesticide costs also rising. He urged the government to stabilise fertiliser and pesticide prices and provide more water sources for farmers.

In Songkhla, seismologist Paiboon Nualnil said rainfall and runoff from upstream areas, particularly Na Mom and Sadao districts, would be decisive for Hat Yai’s flood risk during the rainy season. He urged close monitoring of weather forecasts and rainfall radar, while calling for faster and more accurate warnings to restore public confidence in disaster alerts.

Mr Paiboon said Hat Yai was better prepared this year, with the Royal Irrigation Department, Office of the National Water Resources, Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and central government coordinating flood measures. Improvements to the Khlong R1 drainage canal, faster drainage around Khlong Wa and wider waterways should improve flood management, he said.

The latest unrest in the southern border provinces shows an insurgency adapting faster than the state’s response, demanding a strategy beyond military containment.

An evolving threat

The 75 incidents across Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla on Aug 22-23 should be read as more than another eruption of violence in a conflict lasting more than two decades.

The coordinated attacks targeted government facilities, infrastructure and other public property, leaving 11 people injured and causing widespread damage.

Their significance lies in what they reveal about the movement behind the unrest: an ability to mobilise across several areas, attract new participants and combine physical attacks with information operations.

Wanwichit Boonprong, a political science lecturer at Rangsit University, believes insurgent networks may be expanding their pool of operatives through younger recruits and people who have not previously appeared on security agencies’ lists. He refers to these new operatives as “white-faced bandits” — people without an established criminal or security record.

If that assessment is correct, a security model centred on known individuals will be difficult to sustain. New recruits can operate outside established databases, making community-level intelligence and public cooperation more important.

Srisompob Jitpiromsri, director of Deep South Watch and a researcher at the Centre for Conflict and Cultural Diversity Studies at Prince of Songkla University, also sees signs of greater participation by younger people.

The significance is not simply that younger people may be joining. Mr Srisompob said the movement’s ideological continuity remains strong, with networks developed over the past two decades still capable of bringing new participants into the conflict.

The latest violence suggests the insurgency has not exhausted its capacity for renewal. For the state, generational change is becoming a strategic issue rather than merely a demographic one.

Signals from attacks

The pattern of the attacks also provides clues about how the movement wants to be perceived.

Mr Srisompob says the targets were largely government-related locations and public infrastructure. In some incidents, civilians were moved away from places such as convenience stores before attacks took place.

The perpetrators appeared to seek visible, symbolic disruption while limiting direct civilian casualties. That does not remove the wider impact on communities, which still face fear, property losses and disruption to daily life.

Mr Srisompob points to allegations that a military helicopter fired on young people in Narathiwat as an example of the information challenge. Whether such claims are ultimately established or disproved, he says some young people in local communities believe the military was responsible.

That perception matters because information can gain influence when it fits existing distrust. The government cannot assume that official explanations will automatically be accepted in communities where confidence in the state remains fragile.

The response needs credible communication alongside security operations. Transparency, timely information and sustained engagement with communities are essential if the state is to prevent rumours and unverified claims from further widening the gap between residents and security personnel, he said.

Security and politics

The government’s immediate challenge is to protect communities without reinforcing the grievances that sustain the conflict.

Mr Srisompob believes a predominantly military response could deepen negative attitudes towards the state, particularly among younger people. Repeated reliance on martial law, emergency measures or intensified security operations could generate resentment and further weaken confidence.

Mr Wanwichit identifies another institutional weakness: the tendency to place responsibility for major security failures heavily on the commander of the Fourth Army Area.

He said pressuring or changing commanders after major incidents can damage continuity and morale while leaving the broader institutional problem unresolved. Responsibility, he believes, should be shared among the military, police and provincial administrations.

He proposes that senior personnel assigned to the southern border provinces should remain for at least two years before being transferred. Such continuity could strengthen local knowledge, institutional memory and relationships with communities.

The national political context adds another layer. Mr Wanwichit views the change in National Security Council leadership as an opportunity for closer coordination between the political leadership and the military establishment, giving the government faster access to operational assessments.

Politics before force

The longer-term question is whether Thailand can prevent security operations from becoming the central measure of progress in a conflict with political and ideological dimensions.

Mr Wanwichit believes there may be competing currents within the insurgent movement, with some favouring negotiation and others favouring violence. The latest attacks could therefore reflect an effort to strengthen those who believe force remains necessary.

Mr Srisompob identifies two possible scenarios. The first is escalation, with the state increasing military pressure and the insurgent movement responding with further violence.

Such a cycle could produce more casualties, human rights concerns, public opposition and higher military expenditure, while the movement itself also faces limits on its ability to sustain increasingly intensive operations.

The second is a return to the peace process once both sides recognise that violence cannot deliver their objectives.

“The government should work to make the second scenario more likely,” Mr Srisompob said.

That does not require accepting separatism or creating a special administrative zone. Rather, political space should remain open for discussions about rights, governance, identity and security without requiring either side to abandon its fundamental position before negotiations begin.

“The objective should be to make dialogue a viable alternative to violence, particularly for younger generations who may otherwise inherit the conflict without experiencing its original political context,” he said.

Regional leverage

Malaysia could provide an additional channel for engagement. Mr Wanwichit proposes Thailand broaden political contacts in Malaysia, including with Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS).

His proposal reflects perceptions that PAS has influence in areas connected to the southern conflict and that engagement could provide Thailand with information and communication channels unavailable through existing contacts.

He believes such contact could provide Thailand with new information and give it greater leverage in future negotiations.

These perceived links should not be presented as established evidence of direct involvement. The strategic value of the proposal instead lies in testing whether wider political engagement could produce useful information, create additional channels of communication and strengthen the prospects for compromise.

The broader lesson is that regional diplomacy should complement domestic peace efforts rather than remain separate from them.

Security operations remain necessary to protect communities, but force alone cannot secure the public confidence needed for effective intelligence gathering. Institutional continuity is needed to preserve local knowledge, while credible communication is essential to counter misinformation.

Most importantly, political dialogue must remain possible even when violence makes engagement difficult.

The strategic objective should shift from simply containing the next attack to reducing the conditions that enable the next generation of attacks. The real test for the government is not whether it can respond more forcefully.

Armed insurgents stormed into a big department store in Pattani on Saturday evening, forcing customers and employees to leave before detonating three bombs.

Security officials believe the insurgents were attempting to fuel unrest in the southern border province ahead of floated, approaching talks in Malaysia.

The attack on the Global House store in tambon Bana of Muang Pattani district began shortly before 7pm.

Armed men first evicted customers and staff. Three explosions rocked the building minutes later.

Five masked men armed with assault rifles and handguns had arrived on two motorcycles and a motorcycle-sidecar combination, Pol Col Jeffrey Salaimankul, chief of Muang Pattani police station, said on Sunday.

Two of the attackers subdued security guards at the entrance, while two others entered the store and ordered staff and customers to leave. The men then planted three explosive devices at different locations inside the building.

A fifth suspect parked the bomb-laden sidecar in the store’s loading area.

Before fleeing, one of the attackers told a security guard: ‘If you do not want anyone to be killed, hurry and get everyone out of the store.’

The suspects escaped on motorcycles. About five minutes later, three bombs exploded inside the store. No deaths or injuries were reported.

Security forces sealed off the area amid fears that additional explosives had been left behind.

An explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) unit led by Pol Lt Gen Piyawat Chalermsri, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 9, inspected the sidecar combination left in the loading bay. A drone detected suspicious objects inside the vehicle and the team deployed a robot to disable the device before moving the sidecar to a safe area for examination.

The vehicle contained an improvised bomb packed into a gas cylinder weighing nearly 50 kilogrammes, along with seven gallons of petrol. They spent two hours safely dismantling it. Police said the device may have malfunctioned after its triggering mechanism was disturbed during transport, but was capable of causing extensive damage had it detonated.

Pol Lt Gen Piyawat said the motorcycle-sidecar appeared to be a booby trap, intended to be remotely detonated after security personnel were lured to the scene.

‘EOD personnel have disabled part of the triggering system and are continuing inspections to ensure the area is safe,’ he said.

Security personnel remained at the scene on Sunday morning to assess damage and gather forensic evidence.