Category: The Bangkok Post

The plan to allocate 200 billion baht towards energy transition, focusing on rooftop solar systems and battery-powered vehicles, has raised concerns among economists and lawmakers over transparency and feasibility.

The funding, which represents half of the controversial 400-billion-baht emergency loan approved by the cabinet, is being criticised for lacking clear details and oversight.

People’s Party MP and economist Anusorn Tamajai, vice-chairman of the House committee on finance, fiscal affairs, financial institutions and financial markets, warned that the scheme risks wasteful spending.

“I am confident that many projects under this 200-billion-baht scheme will be wasteful and excessive,” he said, noting the absence of feasibility studies and performance evaluations.

Mr Anusorn argued that clean energy projects should be financed through the annual budget process, allowing parliamentary scrutiny, rather than through an emergency loan decree that bypasses oversight.

He said the plan offers only broad guidelines without concrete goals, methodologies or indicators. With the loan set to be spent within 18 months, doubts remain about whether meaningful progress can be achieved in such a short timeframe.

Thailand’s struggle with the middle-income trap has been partly attributed to high energy costs and inefficient energy use.

Mr Anusorn urged the government to clarify how it will involve the private sector in co-investing in energy projects, with transparent criteria for payback periods and economic feasibility.

He also emphasised the need for investment in human capital, including training community technicians and local workers in solar cell installation, system design and maintenance.

Building a nationwide workforce of clean energy specialists, he said, would create local jobs, reduce migration to major cities and strengthen Thailand’s energy resilience.

Additionally, Mr Anusorn called for integrated cross-ministerial collaboration to prepare engineers and technologists, while upgrading knowledge in smart grid technology, carbon capture and storage.

Smart grids would enable households to become electricity producers and sellers, enhancing both energy independence and economic opportunity.

Local authorities and experts have conducted a drone survey of a mysterious circular island known as “The Eye” in Pathum Thani after images of the site went viral on social media, prompting discussion about its potential as a tourist attraction.

Interest surged after Prinya Thaewanarumitkul, a law professor and director of the Legal Studies Centre at Thammasat University, posted striking aerial footage of the formation on his Facebook page.

Mr Prinya suggested the phenomenon may have formed naturally following the devastating 2011 floods. He described it as a floating mass of aquatic vegetation that slowly rotates and rubs against the shoreline, gradually forming a nearly perfect circle resembling Argentina’s famous floating island, El Ojo.

Following the online attention, local officials and community leaders inspected the site, which sits on privately owned land belonging to Siriphon Wattana 1979 Co.

Drone footage revealed the pond covers more than 12 rai. Investigators found that the circular formation consists largely of floating vegetation moving with wind currents within the water body.

Village headman Preecha Poondee of tambon Suan Prik Thai said the pond has existed for as long as he can remember, explaining the area was created decades ago through soil excavation for commercial purposes.

“From ground level, there is nothing particularly unusual about it,” he said. “But from above, it looks extraordinary and could be considered an unseen attraction.”

Chaiwat Inlert later visited the site on behalf of the Pathum Thani Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO). He said PAO President Kamronwit Thoopkrajang had ordered engineers to inspect the area and determine its characteristics.

On the eastern side of the Chao Phraya River, about two kilometres southeast of Pathum Thani Bridge 1, the circular island measures roughly 100-120 metres in diameter. Authorities are now coordinating with the landowner to explore whether the site could be opened to visitors.

Meanwhile, Jessada Denduangboripant, a science lecturer at Chulalongkorn University, offered a more conventional explanation. In a social-media fact-check post, Mr Jessada said historical satellite imagery suggests the site is likely a large pond or wetland where aquatic plants, including reeds and water hyacinths, have spread across the surface, forming the unusual pattern over time.

The current trend of crop tops is confusing to me. It is not exactly flattering for anyone with a fuller belly or bottom. Wearing a longer layer underneath the crop top doesn’t look polished. Is this a teens-only thing, or is there a way to manage this style for a more sophisticated look? – Lila, Cincinnati

Answer: Crop tops, that style of shirt or jacket or sweater chopped off anywhere from the bottom of the breasts to the waist, are indelibly connected to the early 2000s, when pop stars like Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears and Mariah Carey made the look their own. The tops were most often paired with low-rise pants that made the whole look resemble nothing so much as the millennial equivalent of Barbara Eden in ‘I Dream of Jeannie.’

Little wonder the look returned on the recent wave of nostalgia for all things Y2K and the last gasp of the analogue world. Baby one more time and all that. There are currently 2.4 million posts hashtagged #croptop on TikTok.

But while a large percentage of today’s crop tops may be the province of the generation that did not get to experience them the first time round, or anyone who simply wants to show off very worked-out abs – hello Cameron Brink of the WNBA, who recently wore a cropped pinstriped jacket and matching trousers for her tunnel walk – not all crop tops are those crop tops.

Which is to say, not every crop top is either a madeleine for the days of yesteryear or a fashion Freddy Krueger for anyone with poochy stomach anxiety.

Simply consider 71-year-old Oprah Winfrey, who recently, and publicly, declared herself in her crop top era while modelling a short white button-up from Amazon with pinstriped high-waist Stella McCartney pants.

In case anyone did not believe her, Winfrey also wore a white side-wrapped Zimmermann crop top and matching joggers while out in Sydney in December, a cropped suede blazer with wide-leg jeans to the Chloé show in February and a pale blue cropped sweater with matching pleated pants to interview the Artemis II crew in May. She’s all crop much of the time.

But her crop tops – like the button-up shirt worn by Anne Hathaway while filming ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ – are more structured and sophisticated than the last gen crop tops. Think of them as crops 3.0. They are less a fashion fluke than a modern way to think about proportion: Look for tops that are less T-shirt than actual shirt or jacket and sit closer to the lower than the upper ribs.

They are not hard to find. Such tops are available at all price points, from Old Navy to TWP. According to Tagwalk, the fashion search engine, more than 300 looks from the spring 2026 season included cropped shirts or jackets. They are favoured by fashion labels as disparate as Chanel, where Matthieu Blazy’s debut collection (the one causing pandemonium in stores) opened with a squared-off men’s blazer truncated to the upper waist, and Monse, the independent label from former Oscar de la Renta designers Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, the team responsible for Brink’s look.

‘Our tops keep getting shorter,’ Kim told me during their recent cruise presentation. The show included crisp, short-sleeve cotton tops with drawstrings at the hem so you could adjust the length as desired, from just above the belly button to just under the breasts.

The best way to wear them? With high-waist pants or skirts to create the look of an hourglass without all the bulk of stuffing your shirt inside. (Monse makes what it calls ‘corset pants,’ with a sort of built-in waist-cincher above the top of the trousers.)

She and Garcia started making them in part because Kim herself has a ‘sort of straight body, with a thick waist,’ she said. ‘It’s not an Instagram shape,’ she added, and she liked the way the combination created curves.

‘For shorter girls, I think it works better than a long shirt or longer jacket,’ she said. ‘A little boxy top sort of sits above the waist. I actually think it’s more flattering than tucking in a long sweater or shirt.’

Election Commission (EC) secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee declined on Monday to comment on reports that he failed a performance evaluation by poll commissioners.

Mr Sawaeng was responding to media reports claiming he received a score below 60%, with some reports suggesting commissioners voted 4-3 against approving his evaluation.

“I am the person being evaluated. I have no comment,” he said.

He said the assessment covered his performance in 2025 and had already been completed.

Asked whether the matter could be referred to the Council of State for a legal opinion — particularly on whether commissioners whose terms had expired were eligible to participate in the evaluation — Mr Sawaeng said only that the EC might seek a formal interpretation.

Separately, speaking at the opening of the third Media Relations Programme ahead of the June 28 elections for the Bangkok governor and Bangkok Metropolitan Council, Mr Sawaeng stressed the importance of public participation in election monitoring.

He said election outcomes belonged to the public, while the EC’s role was to organise the electoral process.

Mr Sawaeng described local elections as a cornerstone of democracy and said public scrutiny was essential because the EC lacked sufficient personnel to monitor every polling station nationwide.

Thailand has more than 600,000 polling stations and election units, while the EC employs about 2,500 staff members nationwide, he said.

He urged citizens to observe polling and vote-counting procedures, noting that many complaints arise after results are announced rather than during the counting process.

Referring to controversies over vote counts in several provinces during the Feb 8 elections, including Chon Buri and Pathum Thani, he said concerns would be more effectively addressed if they were raised while election officials were carrying out their duties.

“The EC is responsible for organising it, but transparency depends on the participation of citizens,” he said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that the compulsory conciliation mechanism under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) carries no binding legal force on disputed parties, though it can exert considerable political pressure and influence international perceptions in disputes such as the Thai-Cambodian maritime boundary issue.

On Facebook on Saturday, the ministry published an infographic explaining the “compulsory conciliation” process under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, seeking to provide the public with a clearer understanding of the dispute-resolution mechanism after Cambodia initiated proceedings involving Thailand.

The ministry said compulsory conciliation is one of several dispute-settlement mechanisms available to state parties under Unclos.

It said findings issued by a conciliation commission differ from judgments handed down by international courts or arbitral tribunals because they are not legally binding on the parties involved.

However, the ministry said that while the commission’s recommendations cannot be enforced as a matter of law, they often carry substantial political weight and may affect a country’s standing and credibility in the international arena.

Under the process, once a conciliation commission completes its work, it prepares a report containing findings and recommendations.

The disputing parties are then expected to use the report as a basis for further negotiations aimed at reaching a mutually acceptable solution.

The process typically takes about one year after the commission is fully constituted before a final report is submitted to the parties.

The ministry said the information campaign was intended to enhance public understanding of Unclos, which serves as the principal legal framework governing maritime affairs and the peaceful settlement of disputes between states.

On Friday, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Defence Minister Adul Boonthumjaroen and Army commander Pana Claewplodtook to discuss Thailand’s stance.

This comes after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet formally Thailand and the UN secretary-general of Cambodia’s intention to begin compulsory conciliation proceedings.

Following the meeting, Mr Anutin said Thailand would appoint representatives to participate in the process, with Mr Sihasak leading the Thai side.

He dismissed concerns Cambodia was gaining an advantage by taking the dispute to the international stage, insisting Thailand had acted properly and remained confident in the legitimacy of its position.

“We have done nothing wrong, so there is no reason to be worried,” he said, adding that Thailand’s priority was to safeguard its interests throughout the proceedings.

A highly respected medical specialist critically injured by a motorcycle ridden by a foreigner on Koh Phangan last month died on Sunday.

Assoc Prof Dr Theerasuk Kawamatawong, 53, suffered severe brain trauma when hit by the motorcycle on the night of May 23 in Surat Thani province.

Dr Theerasuk was initially treated for his injuries at Koh Phangan Hospital, then transferred to Bangkok Hospital in Samui and later to Ramathibodi Hospital in Bangkok for specialist care.

The 51-year-old rider, British national Duncan Wilcock, was reportedly riding without a valid licence and tested positive for cocaine.

Dr Theerasuk’s death was announced by the hospital on Sunday, drawing an outpouring of grief from colleagues, students and the wider medical community, where he was widely respected as a physician and medical educator.

He was a pulmonologist at Ramathibodi Hospital and a lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, Mahidol University. He also practised at Vimut Phaholyothin Hospital in Bangkok and at Bangkok Hospital Samui while volunteering at Koh Phangan Hospital.

“Throughout his career, he served with dedication and commitment,” Vimut Phaholyothin Hospital said in a condolence statement. “His contributions to medicine and to the care of his patients will be remembered by all of us.”

The circumstances surrounding the accident remain under investigation, with Koh Phangan police now looking to file additional charges against the British suspect.

A boat captain improvised a way for a tourist who was reluctant to dive to see fish by having their head submerged, in a video that initially led viewers to mistake the scene for a rescue.

The clip, shared on Sunday by Krabi tourism operator Hmee Sarayut, shows two people on a paddleboard – one paddling while the other lies face-down with their head submerged.

Many viewers initially feared it was a rescue, but the poster explained that a customer wanted to see fish but refused to dive, so the boat captain improvised.

‘The customer didn’t want to dive but wanted to see fish, so the captain went in and made it happen,’ the tourism operator wrote.

The video quickly spread online, with numerous commenters admitting they first thought it depicted an emergency before recognising the humorous intent.

Malaysia is still waiting for a response from Thailand on sanitary concerns as the two countries remain in dispute over seafood bans.

Adnan Hussain, the Malaysian Fisheries Department director-general, said on Monday that Malaysia has not received answers on safety worries about shrimp from Thailand, which is a pre-condition before deciding on the ban.

‘We have asked the Thai authorities to answer the questionnaires we sent regarding shrimp imports so that they can provide the necessary clarification,’ Mr Adnan was quoted as saying by Bernama.

‘Once we receive the response, we will assess whether it meets Malaysia’s biosecurity requirements,’ the official added.

His statement contrasted with what Thai Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit said. Mr Suriya said on Friday the Thai Fisheries Department had already submitted a full clarification and received a positive response from the Malaysian counterpart.

Malaysia has banned shrimp imports of five species from Thailand from June 1 in retaliation for Thailand’s strict inspections of seabass after residue contamination was detected.

Malaysian seabass exporters have also complained about inspections at the Sadao border checkpoint in Songkhla province, where clearance can take one to two days and affect product freshness.

Thailand exports about 400 tonnes of shrimps worth about 44 million baht to Malaysia every month, according to the Thai government. The Shrimp Association estimated that the damage could exceed 2 billion baht if the dispute drags on.

Government spokeswoman Rachada Dhanadirek said on Sunday the two countries would try to quickly resolve the shrimp dispute. However, Thailand is also considering taking the matter to negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to protect shrimp farmers, she added.

On Sunday, deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said the government is accelerating efforts to open alternative markets for Thai shrimp, with authorities seeking to prevent a decline in farm-gate prices and cushion the impact on farmers.

A 6-year-old boy died on Saturday after being attacked by a long-tailed macaque his grandfather had kept as a companion since it was an infant.

Ekkarat Sichan was savaged by the monkey in village 4, tambon Theppharat of Sichon district in Nakhon Si Thammarat, according to Pol Col Montri Lenthat, an investigator at Plien subdistrict police station.

The young boy was rushed to Sichon Hospital after the attack, but succumbed to his injuries. He was a first-grade student at Ban Khao Yuan Tao School, according to news reports.

He was attacked by a macaque tethered beside a village grocery store owned by his grandfather Jaroon, who had kept the monkey as a pet.

The animal was not trained to harvest coconuts, but was kept for companionship.

The monkey was tethered to a long rope strung between two trees, with a wooden beam allowing it to climb and move around.

On Saturday morning, 6-year-old Ekkarat reportedly walked past the monkey and was suddenly attacked.

Reports said the monkey grabbed and bit him, causing severe injuries to his chest and leg.

Police said the monkey remained tethered at the same location as the investigation continued.

The Trade Competition Bill will be reviewed fairly, says Bhumjaithai MP Akkaradet Wongpitakroj, who heads the review committee.

The changes are expected to have wide-ranging implications for businesses and consumers.

Mr Akkaradet, who chairs a House committee vetting the bill, said the panel would examine the law to address loopholes and shortcomings that have emerged in practice.

He said the committee would assess whether problems stem from weaknesses in the law or inadequate enforcement, with a focus on strengthening oversight and improving regulatory effectiveness to ensure the legislation reflects economic conditions and market realities.

The committee will also consider whether the Trade Competition Commission has sufficient powers to prevent monopolies and regulate market dominance effectively, he said.

“We will use the merger of major telecommunications operators as a case study to prevent monopolies that directly affect consumers,” he said.

Mr Akkaradet said one of the bill’s key objectives is to protect small businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), enabling them to compete on a more level playing field in a market dominated by large corporations and imported products.

He said the bill is not intended to restrict large businesses, but ensure fair competition under the same regulatory framework.

“The bill seeks to create a system in which large and small operators can coexist and support one another without monopolistic or unfair competition,” Mr Akkaradet said, adding the goal is to promote balanced growth.