Category: The Bangkok Post

The National Nanotechnology Centre (Nanotec) is supporting Thai entrepreneurs in developing high-value herbal products using advanced technology to tap growing emerging markets and increase market shares.

Uracha Ruktanonchai, Nanotec executive director, said the centre helps entrepreneurs create differentiated products with greater value through science, innovation and technology.

Nanotec’s “Thai herb-based product to high-value emerging market” project has piloted seven products from three companies that passed market testing before receiving technology transfers. They are HC and PR Pharmaceutical Company, Bio Bloom and Vet Products Group Research and Innovation Centre.

HC and PR has developed encapsulated curcuminoid effervescent tablets designed to improve the effectiveness of Piperine and UC-II for joint and movement therapy, receiving positive feedback from users. The company plans to expand into other Thai herbs, potentially creating more income for farmers.

Bio Bloom, based in Saraburi, has developed skincare products using porcine placenta extract, which contains amino acids, peptides, vitamins and minerals. The product is promoted for reducing pigment production and melanin-forming enzymes.

Vet Products Group Research and Innovation Centre has developed a pet skincare spray using white crane flower extract. Mr Uracha said the project has increased entrepreneurs’ confidence by reducing risks associated with technology investment.

It also helps move lab research into manufacturing, so consumers can access premium-quality products developed through science-based technology.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found no formalin contamination in 42 vegetable samples tested in the wake of reports of formalin being used on Chinese cabbage.

The FDA has stepped up surveillance of vegetables after reports emerged that formaldehyde solution was being used to keep Chinese cabbage fresh during transport.

Supattra Boonserm, secretary-general of the FDA, said the agency had ordered food and drug checkpoints to tighten inspections of imported vegetables and conduct risk-based sampling, while also checking Chinese cabbage already on the domestic market.

As of Tuesday, a total of 22 samples, including Chinese cabbage, pak choi, coral lettuce, coriander and celery, had been tested at Chiang Khong, Chiang Saen and Bangkok Port.

Another 20 Chinese cabbage samples were collected from two domestic wholesale markets, comprising 11 imported samples and nine produced locally. No formalin contamination was detected.

The move followed reports online about formaldehyde solution being used during the bulk purchase and transport of cabbage in northern China. Authorities in Hebei province have also confirmed illegal use of the chemical and ordered investigations, according to CCTV News.

Ms Supattra said Thailand has measures to oversee the safety of fruit and vegetables throughout the supply chain. Here, food treated with formaldehyde is prohibited from being produced, imported or sold. Violators face six months to two years in prison and fines of 5,000 to 20,000 baht.

Formaldehyde is used for disinfection and cleaning in medical and industrial applications but is not permitted to be used to soak, spray or preserve food. Its misuse on vegetables, fruit, seafood or meat can cause irritation of the mouth and throat, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

Bangkok Hospital Dental Center and Switzerland-based Straumann Group have launched Thailand’s first Straumann Center of Dental Education (CoDE) as growing use of digital technologies drives demand for advanced professional training.

The new facility forms part of Straumann’s global network of dental education centres, supporting clinical education and professional development in implant dentistry, said Boonthida Jaroensawat, director of Bangkok Hospital.

The Straumann Group specialises in implant dentistry.

Dr Boonthida said the centre provides dentists with opportunities to develop clinical skills and gain practical experience applying emerging technologies and treatment approaches.

She said Bangkok Hospital has invested in specialist medical centres, technology and professional development programmes aimed at supporting both patient care and healthcare education.

The designation of Bangkok Hospital Dental Center as Thailand’s first CoDE and the 60th worldwide reflects the hospital’s capacity to serve as a regional venue for dental education and professional knowledge exchange, said Dr Boonthida.

The centre will focus on helping practitioners update their skills in digital dentistry, including artificial intelligence-related applications, and function as a site for evaluating new technologies and products before their wider market release, she noted.

Bangkok Hospital plans to introduce two specialised training programmes, with the first being a digital pro arch workflow course covering fully digital fixed full-arch rehabilitation, including data acquisition, treatment planning and final restoration.

The second programme, the single anterior course, focuses on digital workflows for single-anterior implants, covering treatment planning, guided implant placement, temporary restorations and final prosthetic treatment.

Dr Boonthida said the first course is expected to begin in mid-2027 and will initially target dentists from China.

The hospital aims to develop the centre into a regional dental education hub serving the Asia-Pacific region within the next five years.

Markus Kaufmann, vice-president and head of global medical education at Straumann Group, said education and continuous clinical training remain important factors in improving standards of dental care.

He said the CoDE model is designed to support patient care through structured training programmes and professional exchanges based on real-world clinical experience.

Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas has defended the government’s 400-billion-baht emergency loan decree as essential to economic security as the energy crisis pushes the current-account deficit towards 600 billion baht.

Speaking in the House on Wednesday, Mr Ekniti, also a deputy prime minister, took part in a debate on the decree authorising the Finance Ministry to borrow up to 400 billion baht to address the energy crisis and accelerate the energy transition.

He said the measure was introduced on economic-security grounds, with spending subject to scrutiny.

The latest second-quarter economic figures supported the government’s assessment, he said, with the economy slowing, inflation rising and the current-account balance swinging to a deficit of almost 600 billion baht in a single quarter, following higher oil and imported energy costs linked to the Middle East war.

Unlike previous crises, which began with negative GDP growth, this crisis started with higher energy prices, living costs and production costs, he said.

Oil prices had risen by 60-70%, inflation had climbed from negative territory to almost 3%, while the producer price index had increased by nearly 10%. Private consumption growth slowed to 1.9% in the second quarter from 3.3%.

“If costs continue to rise, businesses may have to cut workers or shut down. This is economic security. It is not just about figures on paper, but about people’s living costs and livelihoods,” he said.

Mr Ekniti said the decree had two main objectives. The first was to assist people, farmers and businesses affected by the energy crisis through the Thais Help Thais Plus co-payment scheme. The second aim was to accelerate the energy transition by reducing dependence on fossil fuels and imported energy while promoting renewable and alternative energy, alongside innovation.

The government also plans to support household solar power to reduce electricity bills and allow people to sell electricity back to the grid.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told the House the Middle East war had disrupted energy production, infrastructure and transport routes, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz.

Thailand imports almost 50% of its oil from the Middle East and remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels, leaving households and businesses vulnerable to higher costs and weaker purchasing power.

He warned that rising living and production costs could increase the risk of stagflation.

He said normal fiscal resources were insufficient and too slow, noting that the 2026 central budget of 99 billion baht had already been committed to urgent needs including disasters and border security, while additional spending needs were estimated at 140 billion baht.

With the 2026 budget already 72% spent and the 2027 budget not due to take effect until October, an emergency decree was necessary. The 400 billion baht would be divided equally: 200 billion baht for assistance to those affected by the energy crisis and 200 billion baht for energy efficiency, renewable and alternative energy, skills and innovation.

Opposition leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut said the opposition did not object to the first 200 billion baht for immediate relief but opposed the second tranche, arguing the government lacked a clear investment plan and could use alternative funding sources.

Democrat Party MP Korn Chatikavanij also opposed the decree, warning temporary stimulus would not resolve structural economic problems and increased borrowing could put further pressure on the 70% public-debt-to-GDP ceiling.

Yayoi Kusama, one of the world’s most notable avant-garde artists, has died at the age of 97, leaving the global art community to mourn the passing of a uniquely brilliant mind.

Kusama passed away peacefully in a Tokyo hospital on August 14, said a statement posted on her website on Thursday

The ‘polka dot queen’, as she was often known, channelled hallucinations and trauma into vibrant art featuring her trademark dots, nets and infinity motifs over a career spanning decades.

‘She continued to paint until her final days, never setting aside her brush, and continued exploration of forever love and eternal soul,’ the statement said.

She was known internationally for her dotted artworks that spanned many media from larger-than-life sculptures to poetry. Her blend of minimalism and avant-garde was unique and inspirational to the contemporary art world.

Her ‘Infinity Mirrored Rooms’ are a revolutionary series of immersive installations that have been presented around the world since 1965, transforming mirrored spaces with soft sculptures or luminous lights into seemingly infinite environments that have captivated visitors for decades.

Born in 1929 to a wealthy family in Matsumoto in Nagano prefecture of Japan, Yayoi Kusama was the youngest of four siblings.

Kusama grew up in a family that cultivated seeds – a plant nursery still stands at her childhood home. Despite pressure from her mother to pursue a conventional life as a housewife, she persisted in becoming a professional artist, using whatever materials she could find to create.

‘One day, after seeing a tablecloth with a red flower pattern on a desk, I saw the same red flower pattern all over the ceiling, windows and pillars. It filled the room, and covered my body,’ she wrote in her autobiography.

In her teenage years when Japan was recovering from World War II, Kusama began exhibiting her work. By the early 1950s, she had begun attracting attention with solo shows in her hometown, marking an early breakthrough in her artistic career.

But she struggled with her feelings for her home country, which she once described as ‘full of disdain for women’.

She then left for New York at the age of 27 to escape the confinement of Japan and to seek bigger opportunities in the West.

Apart from fine art, Kusama set up her own fashion company in the late 1960s. It was provocative to say the least.

Notable garments from the label contained strategically placed holes to reveal breasts, genitalia and buttocks. The ‘Phallic Dress’ and ‘Orgy’ wedding dress also caused a stir.

Kusama also cultivated an instantly recognisable image for herself, defined by the bright red wig and dotted garments she wore throughout her career.

In the world of activism, she also stood out as someone willing to take a stand. She once staged a performance art piece that featured nude dancers in front of the New York Stock Exchange building. An anti-war message also can be seen in many of her paintings, alluding to the bodies that have passed on due to war.

In a letter to then president Richard Nixon, Kusama wrote: ‘Our earth is like one little polka dot, among millions of other celestial bodies, one orb full of hatred and strife amid the peaceful, silent spheres. Let’s you and I change all that and make this world a new Garden of Eden. … You can’t eradicate violence by using more violence.’

Kusama was never one to shy away from talking about the struggles of mental health, which afflicted her for most of her life.

Living in Japan during her early years might have felt confining, but New York presented her with an even wider range of neuroses.

Her most recognisable works, covered in her signature dots, were revealed to be deeply rooted in the hallucinations Kusama experienced throughout her life. She has described seeing dots spread across her surroundings – and using that as a starting point, she just paints them in the real world.

After returning to Japan in her late 40s, Kusama voluntarily entered a Tokyo psychiatric hospital, where she lived – and worked – for the rest of her long life.

She also published several novels in her later years, while her exhibitions continued to draw huge crowds.

In an interview with Tate Modern, Kusama once said: ‘I’ve sought for truth of art with an ambition and fought like hell all my life to accomplish my purpose as a human being.

‘Even after I finish my life, I’d like to keep telling posterity about my way of art. … I’d like to keep creating art until the day I die.’

The controversy over the Election Commission’s investigation into alleged collusion in the 2024 Senate election intensified on Thursday, with senators accusing opposition figures of pressuring the poll agency and prejudging the case.

The dispute centres on conflicting findings within the EC. The first inquiry sub-committee that it set up recommended legal action against 229 people – including 138 of the 200 senators and numerous Bhumjaithai Party figures – in the election-rigging case.

However, a second sub-committee was later set up and it voted 5-2 to dismiss the complaints. Its recommendation is the one the EC must now decide to accept or reject.

The conflicting decisions were followed by the leak of investigation documents containing details including financial trails, links between candidates and political networks, and score sheets allegedly used to organise voting.

The leaked material reportedly overlaps with evidence being examined by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) in a case involving criminal association and money laundering.

Government figures and people implicated in the case have hit back, threatening legal action over the leak and accusing the DSI of political persecution.

The EC now faces pressure to decide whether to seek Supreme Court action against those implicated or end the case in line with the recommendation of the second subcommittee.

The deadline for announcing a decision is Sept 8.

Reserve senators and civil society groups have warned that dropping the case could expose commissioners to accusations of dereliction of duty, while pursuing it could affect the status of numerous sitting senators.

Senator Pisit Apiwattanapong on Thursday criticised People’s Party MP Parit Wacharasindhu and iLaw director Yingcheep Atchanont for publicising information from the leaked files.

He questioned whether the information was authentic and properly sourced, and whether releasing personal information violated the Personal Data Protection Act or could constitute offences involving false computer data or defamation.

Mr Pisit also accused the pair of potentially interfering with the legal process and creating a ‘witch hunt’ against senators through social media, saying the public was being encouraged to prejudge the case.

Senator Kob Ajanakitti similarly questioned whether the opposition campaign amounted to interference, urging the public and media to consider competing claims fairly.

New allegations

Mr Parit, meanwhile, raised fresh allegations linking Prime Minister’s Office Minister Napintorn Srisunpang to the Senate election case.

He said he had received information that Mr Napintorn, then a deputy commerce minister, met a Senate candidate twice at his ministry office on June 24 and 25, 2024, shortly before the final vote in the three-stage election.

Mr Parit alleged that the candidate was asked to sign a resignation letter in advance so it could be used to control him if he became a senator.

He also questioned Mr Napintorn’s explanation that the meetings concerned an oversupply of turkeys in Ratchaburi, saying no record of the complaint cited in that explanation could be found in the ministry’s official registry.

He urged Mr Napintorn to answer the allegations, asked Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun to prevent any retrospective fabrication of documents, and called on the EC to act impartially rather than protect anyone in the ‘blue network’, referring to the Bhumjaithai Party and its political allies.

Mr Parit also said a forum planned for Aug 29 to review more evidence in the election collusion case would be moved from a Bangkok hotel to parliament after the hotel reportedly withdrew permission to host it.

Thailand wants to reassure the public that rising investment in data centres will not lead to higher electricity bills or environmental strain, as the government rolls out new regulations and accelerates its transition to renewable energy.

Speaking at Thailand Focus 2026, an annual conference organised by the Stock Exchange of Thailand, Energy Minister Akanat Promphan said the government is pursuing a balanced strategy that supports digital infrastructure growth while advancing long-term sustainability goals.

The rapid expansion of data centres has sparked concerns over resource allocation and surging power demand, which some fear could increase electricity costs for households.

Mr Akanat said new regulatory measures are being introduced to ensure incoming investments do not pass additional energy costs on to consumers.

Under the framework, data centre operators will be required to absorb the marginal costs of gas imports needed to support their operations, helping to prevent higher electricity tariffs for the public.

The government is also directing a 200-billion-baht borrowing programme to accelerate Thailand’s green transition.

Rather than focusing solely on large infrastructure projects, the funding will support broader access to clean technologies, including residential solar rooftop installations and biofuel development.

Mr Akanat said the new 2026 power development plan (PDP), expected to be released next month, will guide the country’s energy strategy until 2050 and align with Thailand’s net-zero commitments.

Under the plan, at least 60% of new power generation capacity will come from renewable energy sources, while the remainder will be supported by carbon capture technologies.

The PDP will also promote independent power supplies, energy storage systems, prosumers and direct power purchase agreements, which allow businesses to buy clean electricity directly from producers.

Meanwhile, B.Grimm Power Plc (BGRIM) said data centre investments could deliver wider economic benefits.

Harald Link, chairman of the BGRIM board, said local data centres would improve data security and reduce dependence on overseas facilities in hubs such as Singapore and the US.

The sector could boost domestic manufacturing of technology components and strengthen local supply chains.

“Data centre investments are catalysing partnerships with universities and vocational schools to train the next generation of engineers, technicians and internet entrepreneurs,” said Mr Link.

Sa Kaeo: Police launched a hunt on Thursday for a robber who used explosives to make off with gold goods from a shop in a Lotus’s superstore located in tambon Banmai Nongsai of Aranya Prathet district.

Surveillance camera footage showed the lone robber in a long-sleeved black-and-white shirt, jeans and a hat.

With his face concealed by a piece of cloth, the individual lobbed a number of small explosives to pave the way for the crime at a Yaowarat Krungthep gold shop.

The bombs sent a security guard at the opposite gold shop and staff of the targeted store fleeing.

After stepping over the shop’s counter, the suspect reportedly swept gold necklaces from two wall-mounted trays before escaping by jumping over the counter on the other end of the space.

CCTV footage captured his escape on a motorcycle.

The Lotus’s superstore is about six kilometres from the Thai-Cambodian border in Aranyaprathet district. According to media reports, ordnance experts who examined the crime scene afterwards found that the robber threw four homemade bombs, only two of which detonated.

There are no reports of Thai nationals being injured, killed or missing following devastating flash floods and landslides in Nepal, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A Thai engineering expert, meanwhile, has suggested the disaster may have involved more than an ordinary flash flood.

The disaster struck areas along the Bhote Koshi River in Nepal’s Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan districts on Wednesday. The latest reports said more than 300 bodies had been recovered in Nepal, with hundreds of others still missing.

‘So far, there have been no reports of Thai nationals being injured or killed in the incident,’ ministry spokeswoman Jaithai Upakarnitikaset said on Thursday.

Thai citizens affected by the disaster or requiring assistance can contact the Thai Embassy in Kathmandu on its 24-hour emergency hotline at +977-9818749944.

Meanwhile, Amorn Pimanmas, president of the Structural Engineers Association of Thailand and an engineering lecturer at Kasetsart University, said the scale and characteristics of the Nepal-Tibet disaster raised questions about whether it was simply a conventional flash flood.

In a social media post, he said there were reportedly no heavy rains in the affected area at the time of the disaster.

Given the steep mountainous terrain, a possible explanation could involve the collapse of a large mass of glacial ice and rock, which may have blocked a waterway and formed a temporary natural dam.

If such a dam later failed under mounting water pressure, it could have released a huge volume of water mixed with rocks, ice, trees and other debris, creating a destructive force capable of severely damaging buildings and infrastructure.

The rapid rise of water levels also resembled a dam-break event, he said.

Mr Amorn added that a magnitude 4.4 earthquake had reportedly occurred nearby, although the US Geological Survey has since said that the seismic activity was caused by the ice and rock collapse.

The Narathiwat Task Force has rejected reports that troops fired an M16 rifle from a helicopter at a group of youths in Chanae district, saying personnel carried no weapons during the surveillance mission.

The unit issued the clarification after reports emerged that five youths were fired at from a helicopter by a “sergeant” while returning from a camping trip in tambon Chang Peuak.

One suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen, with the bullet exiting through his hip.

The task force said the helicopter was deployed for surveillance and supporting ground operations after several violent incidents were reported across Narathiwat on the night of Aug 22.

Four personnel were on board — a pilot, co-pilot, staff officer and mechanic — and no weapons were taken aboard the aircraft, it said. None held the rank of sergeant, it added.

Regarding images of marks on the asphalt road circulating in the media, the task force said they were taken before forensic police examined the scene. It said unauthorised people entering the area could disturb the scene and affect evidence in the case.

Pornprasit Chantra, director of Narathiwat Rajanagarindra Hospital, said on Wednesday the injured youth was safe.

Based on the size of the wound, the injury did not appear to have been caused by a high-powered weapon, but doctors could not determine what type of firearm caused it, he said.

Meanwhile, Maj Gen Chalermpong Khongbua, secretary-general of Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4 Forward Command, on Wednesday acknowledged possible intelligence gaps in handling the recent unrest.

He said cooperation among the military, police and civilian agencies remained strong, but authorities needed to build greater trust among local people and assure them they would be safe when providing information.

Asked what instructions the army commander had given after the latest wave of violence, Maj Gen Chalermpong said troops were told to review operational procedures and assess the strengths and weaknesses of both sides.

They were also instructed to identify any shortcomings in their operations while ensuring the safety and welfare of personnel, he added.

A total of 51 attacks were reported across the three southernmost provinces from 8pm on Aug 22. Narathiwat recorded 22 incidents, Pattani 11 and Yala 18.

Earlier, Fourth Army Area commander Lt Gen Norathip Phoynok said the incidents did not appear, overall, to have directly targeted civilians or officials, but were intended to create unrest and undermine the work of state agencies.