Category: The Bangkok Post

Police in Nakhon Ratchasima are examining 27 suspected forged birth registrations linked to foreign nationals following a probe by the municipal registry.

Investigators led by Pol Col Sirichai Srichaipanya inspected procedures at Pho Klang Municipality in Muang district on Monday, gathering evidence from records following a complaint lodged by Pho Klang Mayor Kitipong Pongsurawet.

The probe centres on alleged document falsification for foreign nationals, reportedly involving payments of 10,000 to 30,000 baht per case.

Preliminary findings revealed 27 suspicious birth certificates involving Thai fathers and Chinese mothers, with many births recorded outside the municipality’s jurisdiction.

In one case, a boy was registered as born on Oct 15, 2023, to a Chinese mother and a Thai father listed in a different province.

Mr Kitipong said the municipality provided full cooperation, supplying documents and data to the investigation. He stressed the issue could affect national security and maintained administrative processes were transparent, adding that any wrongdoing would face legal action.

Pol Col Sirichai confirmed police had accepted the case and were reviewing procedures from notification to document issuance. Investigators are identifying individuals for questioning and examining operational methods used in registration.

The investigation has widened into a suspected racket involving local officials. Provincial police chief Pol Maj Gen Narongsak Phromtha has ordered investigators to question all those involved.

The case is set to be forwarded to the National Anti-Corruption Commission over alleged misconduct.

A campaign by a famous Thai influencer selling durians at 100 baht each is aimed at boosting consumption of smaller, lower-grade durians, says the Commerce Ministry.

Goranij Nonejuie, deputy spokesperson of the Commerce Ministry, said the ministry is broadening distribution channels for Thai fruits by encouraging influencers to sell durians through live commerce, directly connecting consumers with production sources.

Mr Goranij explained that Pimrypie, a well-known influencer, planned to run the special promotion on Tuesday, offering durians at 100 baht each on her platform to stimulate domestic consumption and expand the market for lower-grade durians.

These durians are typically sold domestically. While they are relatively ripe and of good quality, they may not meet the visual standards for export and are suitable for small households. Their price per kilogramme is lower than that of export-grade D durians, which are also small.

Other grades of durians, including premium ones, are also available to help support overall seasonal prices.

He said the live commerce initiative aims to expand market opportunities for farmers and deliver quality durians to consumers more quickly.

This approach enables faster distribution and broader consumer reach, effectively responding to higher output this year.

Total durian output this year is projected to be about 2 million tonnes, up 33% from the previous year, with the eastern region accounting for 998,000 tonnes, or 48%, and peak supply expected in May, according to Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun.

Mr Goranij said the initiative is not only aimed at managing surplus supply, but also at upgrading Thailand’s fruit trade to align with evolving consumer preferences for convenience, speed, and transparency in product sourcing.

The ministry aims to ensure consumers have access to quality durians at fair prices.

“Influencers are encouraged to sell products directly at orchards, selecting quality durians, cutting them fresh, and delivering them straight to consumers,” he said.

This effort aims to build confidence in Thai products while equipping farmers with skills in online sales, content creation, and access to digital markets, enabling them to further develop their own distribution channels in the long term.

As of April 27, the ministry reported that durian prices in markets and trading areas average 140-150 baht per kilogramme, consistent with market mechanisms and product quality during the current season.

The cabinet on Tuesday approved a budget of 6.43 billion baht for the Andaman International Health and Wellness Center as proposed by Prince of Songkla University (PSU), with an aim to upgrade healthcare services in Phuket and neighbouring Andaman provinces.

Deputy government spokeswoman Lalida Periswiwatthana said the four-year project would span the fiscal years of 2027 to 2030. The goal is to address shortages of medical and public health personnel, reduce the need to transfer patients with complex conditions to other regions, and strengthen healthcare services for residents and tourists in one of Thailand’s key strategic hubs.

The project, first proposed by the university in 2020, consists of five main components:

Andaman Health College

PSU Traditional Thai Medicine Hospital Phuket

PSU Medical Technology Service Center Phuket

PSU Digital Dental Center Phuket

PSU Phuket Hospital.

PSU Phuket Hospital, expected to open in 2030, will serve as a tertiary-level specialised hospital, supporting treatment for complex diseases, precision medicine, telemedicine and training for health science personnel.

Construction of the hospital alone is budgeted at 4.84 billion baht, comprising 2.9 billion in state funding and 1.94 billion from non-budgetary sources, along with the procurement of medical equipment.

Ms Lalida expressed confidence that the initiative would help position Phuket and the Andaman provinces as a regional healthcare hub. It will improve access to quality medical services closer to local residents, reduce healthcare inequality and boost confidence among residents, investors and tourists.

‘This is not merely the construction of a hospital, but the foundation of a comprehensive health system for the entire Andaman region – with skilled personnel, technology, research and internationally recognised medical services,’ she said.

Members of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, after visiting the project site at the PSU Phuket campus, also voiced their support for developing the international medical hub.

Assoc Prof Dr Phan Thongchumnum, vice-president of PSU Phuket campus, said the university aims to develop the centre into a world-class healthcare destination, set to serve over 170,000 patients annually. The university also plans to produce healthcare professionals with skills tailored to regional demand.

PSU has additionally launched a medical degree programme integrating medicine with language skills and quantum technology, in preparation for Phuket and the Andaman region’s ambition to become a global ‘health city’ under Thailand’s national strategy.

Government procurement will focus primarily on investment in digital innovation and green initiatives, says Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas.

In his keynote speech at the International Public Procurement Conference, attended by countries across the Asia-Pacific region, Mr Ekniti said that Thailand’s public procurement system, overseen by the Comptroller General’s Department, plays a key role in shaping national development strategies.

In Thailand, public procurement accounts for around 10% of GDP, while in some countries it can be as high as 20%.

He added that Thailand aims to use public procurement as a tool to support the growth of Thai small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by providing them with certain advantages.

However, the core focus of Thailand’s public procurement strategy will be on investments in digital innovation and green initiatives to drive national development.

Mr Ekniti said the Comptroller General’s Department will enhance the efficiency of the public procurement system and make it more convenient for businesses contracting with the government, especially SMEs.

The department plans to develop the e-GP platform into a central platform accessible to financial institutions, enabling them to provide loans more easily to SMEs that are government contractors.

He also stated that digital systems will be increasingly adopted in procurement processes to improve transparency and speed. In addition, the department will make more of its data publicly accessible to further enhance transparency in government procurement.

Regarding the second phase of the government’s “Khon La Khrueng” programme, also known as the “Thai Chuay Thai” project, Mr Ekniti said that funding sources are currently under consideration.

One potential source is budget allocations that cannot be contractually committed by April 30.

The government plans to issue a budget transfer act to reallocate these funds for the programme, with the Comptroller General Department’s director-general and the director of the Budget Bureau assigned to review the matter.

Previously, Mr Ekniti estimated that uncommitted budget funds by April 30 could total between 80 billion and 100 billion baht.

The Thai Chuay Thai project is expected to begin by June. Initially, participants will receive 1,000 baht a month for four months. The government will cover 60% of the expenses, while the remaining 40% will be paid by participating citizens.

Economists have played down the impact of the long-awaited second phase of the government’s latest co-payment plus scheme in propping up the subdued economy, citing a limited budget, while goods prices are expected to rise substantially from the second quarter due to elevated oil prices.

Under the Thai Help Thai Plus scheme, the flagship consumer spending stimulus of the Bhumjaithai-led government, the package could offer a 1,000 baht per month subsidy on consumption for four months. The programme to “ease citizens’ financial burden” will feature a 60:40 split of approved spending by consumers, with the government paying 60%.

While the overall budget remains unknown, Poonyawat Sreesing, senior economist at Siam Commercial Bank’s Economic Intelligence Center (SCB EIC), said the scheme is unlikely to generate substantial effects in boosting the economy as the available budget “seems limited”.

Registration via the Pao Tang application is expected next month, with implementation starting from June 1 for an estimated 20-30 million recipients. The co-payment plus benefits could be distributed over a few months given the limited government budget, he said.

“Greater impacts from the Middle East war would prevail in the second and third quarters of this year, pushing goods prices, transportation costs, and fuel tariffs to rise substantially. Consequently, we anticipate that this would prompt consumers to spend less, even though they receive giveaways from the government,” said Mr Poonyawat.

The government has signalled it may raise the public debt ceiling and issue an emergency decree for additional borrowing to mitigate the uncertain impact of the conflict in the Middle East.

Even though Moody’s Ratings last week upgraded the outlook for the Thai government to stable from negative, SCB EIC warned that in the second half of the year it remains vital to closely monitor Fitch’s outlook, which downgraded its outlook for Thailand to negative in 2025.

Thanadet Rangsithananont, director of research at Pi Securities, said that with an estimated cost of 84-88 billion baht, the Thai Help Thai Plus stimulus is expected to add only 0.2% to Thai GDP.

“The stalled peace talks between the US and Iran will keep global oil prices elevated, pushing impacts to spread further into the second quarter and beyond,” he said.

SCB EIC, meanwhile, projects that the global economy will slow to 2.5% growth this year from 2.9% in 2025, pressured by conflicts in the Middle East and higher energy and raw material costs.

Global monetary and fiscal policies are facing increasing constraints due to accelerating energy prices and a resurgence of inflation, the think-tank noted.

A four-year-old girl was found dead inside the family car where she had gone to wait after her mother promised to take her out soon, police said.

Local police were informed of the tragedy at a house in the Thepharak 5 community on Pracha Samosorn Road in tambon Nai Mueang of Mueang district at 2.30pm on Tuesday.

The distraught 34-year-old woman told police that she had arrived home and told her daughter that they would go out later. She then went inside the house to take a rest and assumed that her daughter had gone to see a grandmother who lived nearby.

Later she went outside to her car and saw her daughter lying still inside. She brought the girl out, tried to wake her and called rescue workers, but it was too late.

CCTV video from the property showed the girl entering the car by rear right door and closing it. No one else was there, said Pol Col Yosawat Kaewsuebtanyanit, chief of the Mueang Khon Kaen police station.

The girl was inside the car for a long time and might have suffocated in the heat, he said. Police are questioning people further before concluding the cause of the death.

Thai AirAsia will reduce the frequency or temporarily halt flights on some routes, most notably to India, as it struggles with high jet fuel prices amid the continuing conflict in the Middle East.

Thailand’s leading low-cost carrier announced the changes on Tuesday, a move that mostly affects flights at Suvarnabhumi airport, routes to some domestic destinations and to international destinations, mainly to India.

The changes are effective for two months or more, depending on the route and its popularity. The airline said they will reduce overall seat capacity to about 30% next month and in June.

“Aviation fuel constitutes our primary operating expense, and with jet fuel prices having surged more than threefold recently, we must rigorously optimise our operational plans by reducing flight frequencies and temporarily suspending several unviable routes,’ Thai AirAsia chief executive officer Phirat Pornpathananangoon said.

For domestic routes from Suvarnabhumi, Thai AirAsia will operate only to Chiang Mai and Phuket over the next two months, and ground planes serving other airports.

Suspended domestic flights from Suvarnabhumi from May to June:

Buri Ram

Chiang Rai

Khon Kaen

Hat Yai

Krabi

Surat Thani

Nakhon Si Thammarat

The airline previously suspended flights from Suvarnabhumi to Udon Thani from April 28 to the end of June and to Narathiwat from April 21.

Domestic flights from Don Mueang are operating normally.

Scrapped international routes from Don Mueang:

Guwahati : from April 29 – Oct 24

Kathmandu: from May 1 – July 31

Bali: from May 1 – June 30

Hong Kong (HKG): May 12 – June 30

Singapore: May 12 – June 30

Jaipur: May 12 – Oct 24

Ahmedabad: May 28 – Oct 24.

Hyderabad: June 1 – Oct 24

Lucknow: June 3 – Oct 24.

Xi’an: Suspension effective from May 11

Another suspended foreign route will be the Hong Kong-Okinawa service, from May 7.

The airline has grounded flights between Phuket and Chennai, in India, since April 13.

The decision follows the changes by its long-haul partner, Thai AirAsia X, which slashed frequencies and terminated some routes on Friday.

Advanced Info Service (AIS) is expanding into the vertical series market by partnering with global storytelling platform ReelShort, strengthening its content leadership with the partner’s vertical drama library of more than 4,000 premium titles across every genre.

The move taps into the growing “verticaltainment” trend of short, easy-to-watch, binge-worthy content accessible anytime, anywhere, said Lertchai Kodsup, chief mobile business officer of AIS.

He said AIS data shows that usage of vertical short-drama apps expanded by 56% last year compared with the previous year, with an additional 3 million users.

Currently, around 9 million AIS customers access vertical series apps each month.

To meet this demand, AIS has launched the 5G ReelShort package, starting at 39 baht per month, offering both entertainment access and value-packed data to suit today’s digital lifestyles.

In addition, customers who register a new number, switch to AIS, or convert from prepaid to postpaid can enjoy one year of free ReelShort access, along with 5G maximum-speed internet, continuous data, and free calls, when subscribing to the 5G Max Experience package starting from 499 baht per month.

The partnership also marks ReelShort’s first collaboration with a telecom operator in the world, positioning Thailand as a key launchpad for its global expansion, Mr Lertchai said.

He added that the partnership marks another important step forward as AIS joins forces with ReelShort, the global leader in vertical short-series platforms, which offers a library of more than 4,000 titles from around the world at launch, including those with Thai subtitles and Thai dubbing.

The collaboration also positions AIS as the only platform in the market to offer the most comprehensive vertical series library and more than 500 new original titles per year.

Joey Jia, chief executive of Crazy Maple Studio, which owns ReelShort, said short drama, or vertical series, is one of the fastest-growing entertainment trends today, driven by demand for mobile-first, bite-sized, and emotionally engaging content.

Today, ReelShort is the number one global platform in the micro-drama category, with millions of daily viewers.

“Backed by Crazy Maple Studio, headquartered in Silicon Valley, our shows are produced in Hollywood for a global audience, blending premium-quality storytelling with a seamless mobile-first viewing experience.”

Twelve Vietnamese nationals, who claimed to have escaped a scam network in Cambodia, have been arrested after they crossed the border illegally into Si Sa Ket province, the Royal Thai Army said on Tuesday.

The 10 men and two women were caught on Monday about 380 metres from the Chong Sangam checkpoint in Phu Sing district in the northeastern province. Fifteen mobile phones were also seized from them.

According to the army, the group said that they had seen online job advertisements on various social media pages in Vietnam, recruiting IT workers for jobs in Cambodia with a high salary of about 40 million dong per month, or around 50,000 baht.

After applying and being accepted, they said, they were picked up and taken to the neighbouring country. Upon arrival, their passports were confiscated and they were trained to work in a call-centre scam operation, including how to use communication tools, persuade victims and issue threats.

They were later relocated to work in a casino area near the Chong Chom-Chong Sangam permanent border crossing.

There they witnessed coworkers being physically abused. Fearing for their own safety, they decided to escape and were eventually arrested by the Thai Suranaree Force.

All 12 individuals were handed over to the Phu Sing police station for legal proceedings, the army said.

Singapore is interested in Thailand’s Land Bridge project as a potential economic opportunity, though discussions remain at an early stage, government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said.

Her remarks followed a meeting between Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Singapore’s Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing.

She said talks covered a broad range of issues, including defence cooperation and joint military exercises such as Cobra Gold, as well as potential collaboration in the aviation and maritime industries. Both sides also discussed energy security, agreeing on the need for greater regional resilience through the development of fossil and renewable energy.

On the Land Bridge project, Ms Rachada said Singapore had expressed interest but had not yet committed to any specific role. “They recognise the project’s potential and the opportunities it could create for Thailand and the wider region if it proceeds,” she said.

She rejected criticism from opposition politicians that the government was advancing the project without sufficient economic justification, insisting that any proposal submitted to the cabinet would be supported by comprehensive feasibility and environmental studies.

“There is no question of presenting a blank proposal,” she said, adding that the project would rely primarily on private investment under a public-private partnership model.

The government has also pledged continued public engagement, acknowledging local concerns in southern provinces where the infrastructure would be built. Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn will visit the southern region next month to gather feedback, though officials stressed that no formal public hearings have yet been held.

Supporters argue the project — linking ports on the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand — could strengthen the country’s position as a regional logistics hub and reduce reliance on congested maritime routes. Officials say Thailand already has strong refining capacity and could develop a “trading hub” model for marine fuel supply.

However, the initiative has faced mounting scrutiny. In parliament, Senator Norasate Prachyakorn announced plans to seek a review of the project, citing its estimated cost of around one trillion baht and potential environmental consequences. He questioned whether key environmental and health impact assessments (EHIA) had been adequately completed, warning that accelerated approval could undermine due process.

Marine scientist Thon Thamrongnawasawat highlighted significant discrepancies in data on seabed organisms in Ranong province, one of the proposed port sites. While official studies estimate roughly 1.5 billion organisms would be affected, independent research suggests the figure could exceed 50 billion — raising questions about the scale of ecological damage and compensation required.

These concerns have prompted action from Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin, who said he would convene relevant agencies to review the contested EHIA findings. The move follows pressure from civil society and academic groups.