Category: The Bangkok Post

Thirteen children were injured when a car crashed into a child development centre in Muang district on Friday afternoon, police said.

The accident occurred at about 12.30pm at Ban Nong Song Child Development Centre in tambon Kaeng Sian. The children were taking their afternoon nap when the car crashed into the building, police said.

Police said the car was carrying two people. Preliminary reports indicated the 54-year-old driver had a heart condition and may have lost consciousness before the vehicle veered into the centre.

Rescue workers and emergency responders rushed to the scene and transported the injured to hospital. A teachers told police that 34 children were attending the centre at the time of the accident. Thirteen children suffered injuries, most of them head injuries, while the remaining 21 were not injured.

Local rescue workers from the Rattanavudh Foundation said none of the injured children were in a serious condition.

Parents of the children have asked police to conduct an alcohol test on the driver to ensure all aspects of the case are fully clarified.

Police are gathering evidence and investigating the cause of the accident.

Eight people were killed and at least 22 others injured after gunfire erupted at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Bang Kruai district, Nonthaburi province, on Friday morning.

The suspected shooter, a Mathayom 2 (Grade 8) student, was later found dead inside the well-known secondary co-ed school.

Investigators subsequently searched the suspect’s house in Bang Bua Thong district and found the bodies of his grandfather, 73, and grandmother, 74, inside. Both had fatal gunshot wounds to the head.

Authorities believed the grandparents were killed before the student went to the school, though the exact timeline remains under investigation.

The incident was reported at around 10am when volunteers from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation received reports of shots fired inside the school.

A student inside the school said the gunman, dressed in a purple physical-education uniform, fired 26 rounds on the school grounds. Another 34 rounds of ammunition were found at the scene, police said.

Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat said the eight fatalities include five teachers, the suspected shooter and his grandparents. Twenty-two people were injured, nine seriously, and taken to hospitals for treatment.

The suspected perpetrator, armed with a 9mm handgun, had barricaded himself on the third floor of the school’s pink building. Police confirmed the suspected gunman was found dead, apparently of self-inflicted wounds.

Authorities rushed to the scene to evacuate students and staff and maintain a security cordon around the campus.

Officials urged the public to stop livestreaming the incident and avoid the surrounding area to prevent interference with the ongoing operation.

Forensic police were examining the crime scene, inspecting the firearm used in the attack and interviewing witnesses and others connected to the case.

Investigators were working to establish the motive and reconstruct the sequence of events in one of Thailand’s deadliest recent school shootings.

In February this year, a 17-year-old gunman stormed a school in Hat Yai district, Songkhla province, injuring staff and pupils. The school director later died of her injuries and the suspect was captured by police.

In October 2022, 37 people, including 22 children, were killed when a disgraced former policeman armed with a gun and a knife attacked a child development centre in Nong Bua Lam Phu province.

Police are questioning an 18-year-old girl after she allegedly stabbed her father, a naval officer, with a pair of scissors during an argument at their home in Sattahip district.

Pol Col Wutthiphong Somjai, superintendent of Plutaluang police station, said he received a report of a serious stabbing at a house in Sattahip at 9.50pm on Aug 6. He went to the scene along with police officers, a rescue unit from Queen Sirikit Naval Hospital and Sattahip rescue workers.

At the location of the complaint, officers found blood splattered across the floor of the residence. The injured man was identified as Chat, 52, a Chief Petty Officer of the Royal Thai Fleet, who was found lying in a pool of blood with injuries to his arm and a stab wound in the area of his lower left ribcage. He had lost a large amount of blood. Officers administered first aid before rushing him to Queen Sirikit Naval Hospital. A blood-stained pair of scissors was found at the scene and collected as evidence. Chat’s daughter, identified as the attacker, was found standing outside the house, appearing frightened.

According to the injured man’s initial statement, he engaged in an argument with his daughter shortly before the incident, which escalated into a physical altercation. The two were alone in the house at the time; his wife was away working in Pattaya.

Police were told the daughter suffers from depression and had a history of arguments with her father. She was taken into custody for further questioning. Police plan to take an additional statement from her father once his condition stabilises, ahead of further legal proceedings.

The El Niño phenomenon is expected to help Thailand achieve its rice export goal of 7 million tonnes this year, according to a shipper.

.stropxe ecir iahT rof dnamed gnisaercni yllaitnetop ,enilced dluoc seirtnuoc gnicudorp rojam ni sdleiy ecir ,shtnom gnimoc eht ni snrettap rehtaew stceffa yltnacifingis oñiN lE fi dias ,noitaicossA sretropxE eciR iahT eht fo tnediserp yraronoh ,esgnowsahpO taikoohC

.deton eh ,egasu ecuder ,tsaE elddiM eht ni tcilfnoc eht yb nevird ,secirp resilitref hgih sa rehtruf llaf dluoc sdleiY

.taikoohC rM dias ,esir ot ylekil era secirp tropxe ,revoeroM .sdeen tropxe dna citsemod htob teem ot ylppus tneiciffus sniatniam yrtnuoc eht ,oñiN lE fo stceffe eht leef osla yam dnaliahT hguohtlA

.sennot noillim 11 dnuora ta noitpmusnoc citsemod htiw ,yllaunna ecir fo sennot noillim 02 ylhguor secudorp dnaliahT

.deton eh ,raey siht sennot 000,09 tuoba ot deppid tekram taht ot stropxe tub ,qarI ot sennot noillim 1 dnuora deppihs dnaliahT ,5202 nI .stropxe ecir iahT derepmah sah tcilfnoc tsaE elddiM ehT

.natsikaP sa hcus sreilppus evitanretla ot denrut sah qarI

.taikoohC rM dias ,rehgih era stsoc scitsigol eht tub ,yekruT hguorht detuor era qarI ot stnempihs emoS

.dias eh “,tsaE elddiM eht ni erahs tekram rehtruf gnisol sksir dnaliahT ,seunitnoc tcilfnoc eht fI”

“.seiteirav rehto ot hctiws yam ecir iahT referp ohw sremotsuc ,mret gnol eht revO”

.noillib 19.1$SU ot %5.02 llef eulav tropxE .raey-no-raey %2.81 nwod ,6202 fo flah tsrif eht ni ecir fo sennot noillim 82.3 detropxe dnaliahT ,edarT ngieroF fo tnemtrapeD eht ot gnidroccA

.raey-no-raey %02 nwod ,sennot noillim 15.1 htiw %64 rof gnitnuocca ,stropxe del ecir etihW

.enilced %01 a ,stropxe fo %7.42 gnisirpmoc ,sennot noillim 18.0 deillat stnempihs ecir enimsaj iahT

.%7.91 fo pid a ,%7.81 ro ,doirep eht rof sennot noillim 16.0 dellatot stropxe ecir deliobraP

.%1.35 fo pid a ,sennot 000,061 ta anihC dna ;%011 pu ,sennot 000,003 ta senippilihP eht ;%492 fo esaercni na ,sennot 000,033 ta aisyalaM ;%2.71 nwod ,sennot 000,063 ta SU eht ;%01 pu ,sennot 000,005 ta acirfA htuoS erew 6202 fo flah tsrif eht ni stekram tropxe evif pot ehT

Two weeks before proposed 50% tariffs take effect, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney turned US President Donald Trump’s rhetoric back on him, calling trade talks with the United States ‘nasty.’

‘Yes, this is a tough negotiation,’ Carney said to reporters in a mix of French and English on Thursday after laughing in response to a question about Trump’s repeated use of the word ‘nasty’ during a speech. ‘We can change the adjective. You can say ‘nasty.’ But I mean, this is a question of Canadian jobs. It’s a question of the future of Canadian businesses.’

Trump repeatedly called Canadians nasty in a speech in Las Vegas on Wednesday after claiming that Canada and other countries had long been unfairly using tariffs against the United States.

‘Canada’s nasty. They are. They’re nasty,’ Trump said. ‘I love the people, but they’re nasty. Nasty leadership.’

The indirect exchange about nastiness between the two leaders comes at a perilous economic time for Canada. After refusing to extend the free trade deal between the United States, Canada and Mexico for another 16 years, Trump signed an order last month to impose 50% tariffs on a wide variety of Canadian products worth about US$20 billion.

Trump said that he would impose those tariffs in part because Canada had earlier retaliated against US tariffs of up to 50% on Canadian steel, aluminium and automobiles.

Despite the president’s views on Canada, Carney said that he was in regular contact with Trump.

‘It’s easy for me to speak with Mr Trump if necessary,’ Carney said in French. ‘Last week, for example, we had a conversation and we will surely have other conversations when it’s necessary.’

While the United States has not scheduled formal trade talks with Canada as it has with Mexico, Dominic LeBlanc, the Canadian minister responsible for trade with the United States, and Janice Charette, the chief trade negotiator for Canada, met Thursday afternoon in Washington with Jamieson Greer, the United States trade representative. The session followed a similar meeting last week.

In a social media post, LeBlanc described the meeting as ‘constructive and detailed’ but offered no details. LeBlanc’s office said the meeting had run an hour longer than its scheduled 30 minutes.

Carney said Thursday that Canada would not make trade deals that covered only specific issues with the United States.

‘We’re not interested in a very targeted deal,’ he said. ‘We’re interested in a more comprehensive deal, more global deal.’

He added: ‘Will we get all that by the 19th of August? We’ll see. But we want to have pathways in order to get that.’

On Wednesday, Carney took a poke at Trump when his teleprompter broke down during a speech.

‘I would like to inform you that the teleprompter has ceased to function,’ Carney said. ‘Unlike a certain world leader, I do not view this as a conspiracy.’

In September, Trump’s teleprompter failed while he was speaking to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), an incident that led to allegations that staff at the organisation had set out to sabotage him.

Thailand and Myanmar signed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on Thursday aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation in labour, transboundary water quality management and space technology.

The two neighbours pledged to strengthen ties across a broad range of sectors, including security, trade, environmental protection and sustainable development.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul held bilateral talks with Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing during the latter’s official visit to Thailand.

The discussions focused on advancing cooperation in security, economic affairs, trade, investment, energy, development and the management of cross-border challenges for the mutual benefit of both countries.

Mr Anutin reaffirmed Thailand’s support for Myanmar’s participation in Asean and expressed Thailand’s commitment to working together towards sustainable growth.

He stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability along the shared border. He also proposed expanding cooperation to combat transnational crime, particularly drug trafficking, online scams and money laundering, while strengthening coordination between relevant agencies to improve public safety and border security.

Mr Anutin described economic cooperation as a cornerstone of Thailand-Myanmar relations. He welcomed the reopening of the Second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge linking Mae Sot and Myawaddy and called for both countries to remove regulatory barriers, facilitate cross-border trade and improve transport connectivity to revitalise border commerce.

Thailand also confirmed its readiness to host a meeting of the Joint Trade Committee (JTC) later this year.

Mr Anutin proposed further collaboration in energy, greater private-sector investment, the development of bilateral payment mechanisms, and progress on economic corridors and infrastructure linking Thailand, Myanmar and the wider region to promote sustainable trade and investment.

Mr Anutin welcomed the signing of bilateral labour agreements, highlighting the important contribution made by Myanmar workers to Thailand’s economy. He reaffirmed the Thai government’s commitment to protecting migrant workers’ rights and welfare while promoting lawful employment through close cooperation between the two governments.

Environmental issues also featured prominently in the talks. Mr Anutin said such problems directly affect the health and wellbeing of people in both countries and required a shared response.

The two sides agreed to accelerate the implementation of measures to address transboundary haze and establish a joint technical working group on river pollution. They also pledged to continue cooperating on water resources management and flood prevention to improve environmental quality and living standards in border communities.

Thailand reiterated its readiness to remain a development partner for Myanmar through cooperation in agriculture, public health, education, human resource development and support for SMEs.

Hong Kong’s tourism industry has called for more experiential events, enhanced transport measures and closer cross-border cooperation to draw overnight visitors, after tourist spending fell to HK$197.5 billion (830 billion baht) last year, 44% below its 2018 level.

Lawmaker Perry Yiu Pak-leung, chairman of China Travel Service (Hong Kong), said on Friday that the fall reflected changing travel patterns, with tourists placing greater value on experiences and in-depth exploration than on shopping.

Yiu made the call after the latest Legislative Council research found that visitor spending had fallen 44%, from about HK$353 billion in the pre-pandemic year of 2018.

Yiu said some tourists still had strong purchasing power, but their spending depended on whether Hong Kong could encourage them to stay longer and offer a wider variety of events.

“The tourism industry is very much affected by the external environment, such as weather, flight prices and transport costs, among others,” he said.

“While we cannot control these factors, providing more and different travel experiences, and strengthening connections and synergy are some important directions to bring an upgrade to our industry, enhance tourists’ travel experience and boost their spending.”

According to the research, the gap between visitors’ spending in Hong Kong and Hong Kongers’ expenditure abroad narrowed significantly in recent years.

While visitor spending in the city fell, Hong Kong residents’ non-local expenditure rose 10% from 2018 to HK$191.1 billion last year.

The research also showed that spending per overnight visitor in Hong Kong fell from HK$6,614 in 2018 to HK$5,503 last year. Spending per same-day visitor dropped by more than 48% over the same period, from HK$2,202 to HK$1,139.

The city recorded 49.9 million inbound visitor arrivals last year, about three-quarters of the 2018 peak of 65.1 million.

Meanwhile, Hong Kongers made 117.5 million outbound trips last year, up 28% from 2018. Northbound travel through cross-border land checkpoints accounted for 88% of all departures.

Speaking on Friday, Yiu said the city had received more same-day visitors, who tended to spend less, as they transferred flights in Hong Kong or passed through cross-border checkpoints to mainland China.

While the city had hosted exhibitions to attract high-spending overnight business travellers, Hong Kong could also organise and promote more experiential events to appeal to visitors from different countries, he said.

He cited the example of working with the city’s Thai community and retailers to celebrate the Songkran festival, with the aim of attracting tourists from Southeast Asia.

Yiu also said industry practitioners had observed that more foreign travellers were reaching Hong Kong via the mainland, thanks to China’s 240-hour visa-free transit scheme.

The policy allows individuals from 55 eligible countries who are travelling from China to a third country or region to enter visa-free through designated ports and stay within permitted areas for up to 240 hours.

“Many travellers first travelled to the mainland and tried taking the high-speed rail to Hong Kong … If we step up cooperation with mainland cities, we can benefit from mutual tourist sourcing,” he said.

“We can lure foreign travellers and achieve multi-stop travel. I believe it will help increase visitor arrivals.”

He added that Greater Bay Area cities could also work together on promotion and tourism products to appeal to international travellers.

Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, noted that the city had organised many events to attract tourists but lacked incentives to keep them in the city longer.

He suggested that providing free transport and shuttle services between tourist spots could be an incentive, as it would make travelling within the city more convenient.

He pointed out that Macau hotels have been providing free shuttle services to connect key attractions and border checkpoints.

Thailand aims to secure Unesco Creative Cities Network (UCCN) recognition for two new destinations every two years as part of a national strategy to have at least 35 Thai cities designated by 2037, according to the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Dasta).

The agency said receiving recognition is expected to increase tourism revenue in those areas by 10-30%.

Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, director of Dasta, said Thailand is on track to drive community-based and cultural tourism to receive international standards, as targeted by the government.

The strategy calls for Thailand to achieve international standards such as the UCCN or Top 100 Sustainable Destinations by Green Destinations for 35 cities or communities by 2037.

Thailand has nine Unesco creative cities currently and roughly 15 communities and attractions recognised as top 100 sustainable destinations.

Mr Siripakorn said Phuket was named Thailand’s first UCCN in 2015 as a “City of Gastronomy”.

Of the nine cities, Dasta helped six of them to achieve recognition since 2019: Sukhothai, Nan, Songkhla, Chiang Rai, Suphan Buri and Phetchaburi.

The agency’s framework includes collaborating with local organisations to consult on development standards.

Under Unesco’s criteria, each country can receive only two creative city titles every two years. There are 408 cities globally acknowledged under the UCCN.

Dasta, related ministries and provincial organisations plan to submit two more cities for Unesco recognition in 2027. Potential candidates are Pattaya for film, Chanthaburi for gastronomy and Si Sa Ket for crafts and folk art.

“This investment should be valuable for future tourism returns,” said Mr Siripakorn.

The recognition is expected to draw more high-spending tourists keen for new experiences, he said.

These cities should be able to earn 10-30% more revenue, an additional 3,000-5,000 baht in average spending per trip, said Mr Siripakorn.

Dasta and partner organisations held the Thailand Creative Cities Network Forum 2026 yesterday, inviting representatives of new creative city candidates to exchange ideas with delegates from creative city recipients Berlin, Jakarta, Cebu and Echizen.

Regarding the development of the Phu Kradueng cable car, he said the project still needs an environmental impact assessment and design refinements.

The final study and development plan must be submitted to the cabinet for approval by mid-2027, said Mr Siripakorn, and the construction should take 1-2 years.

In terms of community-based tourism, 45 local communities within Dasta’s designated areas generated 137 million baht in 2025, up by 22.3% year-on-year, tallying 426,431 visitors.

The agency targets a 10-20% increase in revenue annually, driven by new marketing, activities and experiences, he said.

Next year Dasta plans to return the administration of one designated area to the local community as it is ready to manage it without Dasta’s guidance, said Mr Siripakorn.

The agency manages nine designated areas across Thailand and is studying the feasibility for a new area development, such as Laem Tua Ngork in Kanchanaburi, Phayao or Hua Hin and Cha-am.

CIMB Thai Bank (CIMBT) has urged policymakers to prioritise sustainable investment in data centre projects to maximise the long-term benefits for the Thai economy.

.TBMIC ta tsimonoce feihc ,alwahC pehtnomA dias ,tnemtsevni fo ytitnauq eht naht rehtar ytilauq eht no sucof dluohs tnemnrevog iahT eht ,stcejorp ertnec atad ni ylralucitrap ,tnemtsevni tcerid ngierof ni htworg tsubor dimA

.deganam ylreporp ton si tnempoleved rieht fi secruoser erutcurtsarfni dna retaw ,ygrene s’yrtnuoc eht no erusserp tnacifingis ecalp dluoc sertnec atad taht denraw eh ,noitidda nI

.pehtnomA rM dias “,srotsevni ngierof tcartta ot sevitnecni xat no ylelos gniyler naht rehtar ,ymonoce eht rof eulav retaerg etareneg taht stcejorp esitiroirp ot ytinutroppo eht ezies dluohs ]IoB[ tnemtsevnI fo draoB eht ,tnemtsevni ertnec atad rof snoitanitsed gnidael s’noiger eht fo eno semoceb dnaliahT sA”

.snoissime sag esuohneerg elcycefil ni snoitcuder gniriuqer dna ,yrevocer taeh etsaw dna gnilcycer retaw gnigaruocne ,ygrene elbawener fo esu retaerg gnitomorp ,ssenevitceffe egasu rewop rof sdradnats gnittes sa hcus ,airetirc tnemtsevni desucof-ytilibaniatsus tpoda IoB eht detseggus eH

.deton pehtnomA rM ,D and R gnitroppus dna ,refsnart egdelwonk dna ygolonhcet gnitatilicaf ,tnelat latigid dna gnireenigne gnipoleved ,tnetnoc lacol fo esu eht gnigaruocne ,sreilppus lacol htiw segaknil gninehtgnerts yb stifeneb cimonoce citsemod esimixam osla dluohs noitomorp tnemtsevnI

.dias eh “,ssenevititepmoc mret-gnol sti ecnahne dna ymonoce latigid s’yrtnuoc eht fo rallip yek a emoceb dluoc yrtsudni ertnec atad eht fo noisnapxe eht ,stcapmi latnemnorivne gnitagitim dna eulav cimonoce gnitareneg ,tnemtsevni gnitcartta neewteb ecnalab thgir eht ekirts nac dnaliahT fI”

.thab noillirt 95.1 fo eulav tnemtsevni denibmoc a htiw stcejorp ertnec atad 44 rof noitomorp tnemtsevni devorppa IoB eht ,6202 yaM dna 4202 neewteB .erahs tnacifingis a rof gnitnuocca sertnec atad htiw ,raey-no-raey %73 pu ,thab noillirt 74.1 dedeecxe noitomorp tnemtsevni IoB rof snoitacilppa ,6202 fo flah tsrif eht nI

.aisenodnI dna dnaliahT ,aisyalaM ot gnidnapxe erofeb eropagniS htiw gninnigeb ,sedaced owt tsap eht revo yrtsudni ertnec atad sti depoleved ylidaets sah aisA tsaehtuoS dias ,TBMIC ta egarevoc gniknab tnemtsevni dna etaroproc fo daeh ,gnowirsgnaT adinaP

.dias ehs “,ymonoce latigid lanoiger eht tifeneb lliw tnempoleved ertnec atad ,seunitnoc dnert siht sA .niahc ylppus eht ssorca tnemtsevni gnitalumits yb tceffe reilpitlum a evah yeht ;yrtsudni enoladnats a naht erom era sertnec ataD”

.adinaP sM dias ,selbac rewop ytilauq-hgih dna smetsys ylppus rewop elbitpurretninu ,raeghctiws ,sremrofsnart sa hcus smetsys rewop dna tnempiuqe lacirtcele fo erutcafunam eht dna ,slairetam cinortcele decnavda fo noitcudorp eht ,gnirutcafunam draob tiucric detnirp sa hcus ,niahc eulav ertnec atad eht nihtiw sessenisub fo egnar ediw a ssorca laitnetop gnorts sah dnaliahT

.dias ehs ,tnemtsevni ertnec atad gnitroppus erutcurtsarfni rehto dna setatse lairtsudni dna ,secivres gnireenigne dna noitcurtsnoc desilaiceps ,snoitulos tneiciffe-ygrene dna smetsys gnilooc edulcni laitnetop htworg gnorts htiw seirtsudni rehtO

Thailand’s U23 football team will make a run into the later stages of the 20th Asian Games while the women’s volleyball players will bring home a medal.

.yrtnuoc eht ni strops ralupop tsom eht fo owt ni stcepsorp s’yrtnuoc eht dessessa eh sa inamdoY kasgnoG rD ronrevoG dnaliahT fo ytirohtuA stropS eht fo weiv eht saw tahT

.napaJ ekil maet ssalc-dlrow a tsniaga etepmoc ot ytinutroppo doog a sa ti sees ronrevog TAS eht dna gnoK gnoH dna natszygryK ,napaJ stsoh sa puorg emas eht ni nward neeb evah dnaliahT ,noititepmoc llabtoof s’nem eht nI

.kasgnoG dias “,sdnuor retal eht ot teg ot elba eb dluohs ew ,maet lanoitan iahT eht fo laitnetop eht htiw taht eveileb I .erbilac siht fo maet a ecaf ot teg ew netfo ton s’ti sa ,ytinutroppo taerg a si ,maet ssalc-dlrow a ,napaJ noitan tsoh eht sa puorg emas eht ni gnieB .gnoK gnoH dna ,natszygryK ,napaJ htiw A puorG ni era dnaliahT dna noititepmoc 32U a eb lliw ti ,semaG naisA eht tA”

“.slanif-imes eht hcaer tsael ta lliw ew taht tnedifnoc ma I dna ailognoM dna ,natszygryK ,nawiaT htiw C puorG ni era dnaliahT .niaga ladem a niw ot ecnahc a evah ew ,eroferehT .semaG naisA eht ta ladem a now osla dna erofeb eltit naisA eht now ew ,maet llabyellov roodni s’nemow eht rof sA” ,deunitnoc eH

.aeroK htuoS dna ,napaJ ,anihC eb lliw llabyellov s’nemow ni stnenoppo tsegnorts s’dnaliahT taht dedda feihc TAS ehT

.dnuor tuokconk eht ot gnicnavda puorg hcae morf sedis owt pot eht htiw ,tamrof nibor-dnuor a yalp lliw smaeT .spuorg ruof otni dedivid smaet htiw ,noititepmoc llabtoof s’nem eht ni gnitapicitrap era seirtnuoc neetfiF

.dnuor tuokconk eht ot ssergorp lliw puorg hcae morf smaet owt pot eht dna spuorg ruof otni dedivid era seirtnuoc 41 ,llabyellov s’nemow roodni nI