Category: The Bangkok Post

The Supreme Court on Tuesday scheduled the first witness hearing for Aug 25 in a case against 44 former MPs of the now-dissolved Move Forward Party (MFP).

They are accused of serious ethical misconduct for jointly submitting a bill seeking to amend Section 112 of the Criminal Code.

The court also dismissed a separate petition seeking to suspend People’s Party (PP) leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut from performing his duties.

The now-dissolved MFP has since been reconstituted as the PP.

The Supreme Court held its first hearing on Tuesday after the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) petitioned it to determine whether the former MPs had committed a serious breach of ethical standards.

Of the 44 respondents, 10 are now members of the opposition PP, including its leader, Mr Natthaphong.

The court accepted written objections from all 44 respondents and scheduled an examination of evidence for Aug 4. Both sides were instructed to submit proposed examination procedures and any requests to summon witnesses by July 25.

The first witness hearing is set for Aug 25, with further hearings on Sept 22 and Oct 27. The court plans to hear 17 witnesses and has set a one-year timeframe for the proceedings.

One respondent will act as his own lawyer, while another will conduct his own defence without appointing legal counsel.

After the hearing, former Move Forward deputy leader Pol Maj Gen Supisarn Bhakdinarinath said he had exercised his legal rights in accordance with judicial procedures and had challenged the admissibility of certain evidence in his written submission.

He said the outcome would depend on the court’s fairness and added that the former MPs had encouraged one another throughout the process, with some appointing lawyers and others choosing to represent themselves.

NACC assistant secretary-general Phattanaphong Chanphetphoon said the commission’s submission detailed the conduct of each respondent individually.

Whether the cases would be heard separately or together would be decided by the court. The commission has proposed 17 witnesses, including case officers and former Move Forward MPs who previously gave statements, although the final decision rests with the court.

The court also rejected a petition by Nopparut Worachitwuttikun, a former leader of the White Dove 2006 group, seeking an order suspending Mr Natthaphong over remarks concerning the participation of some privy councillors in a meeting held by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.

A raid was conducted on a major illegal anabolic steroid manufacturing operation in Suan Luang district of Bangkok, seizing more than 1.8 million items of illicit products valued at 50 million baht, authorities announced on Tuesday.

The operation was jointly led by Prime Minister’s Office Minister Supamas Isarabhakdi and Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat, along with the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Consumer Protection Police Division.

Products confiscated included finished steroid powders and liquids, over 1.3 million unlabelled tablets, 405,094 counterfeit labels and packaging, and 79 pieces of production equipment.

The illegal facilities were located in condominiums and targeted foreign markets and online sales, misleading athletes, bodybuilders, and consumers with exaggerated claims.

Authorities confirmed the products were manufactured in non-standard facilities, posing risks of contamination, the presence of banned substances, and unsafe ingredients.

Ms Supamas said the government is committed to tackling unsafe health products, noting the dangers of unregulated steroids to long-term health.

She said the OCPB has been instructed to intensify enforcement in two key areas: online commerce regulation, including strict checks on direct sales and e-commerce businesses, and consumer protection, with a focus on complaint handling, mediation, and pursuing legal action on behalf of affected consumers.

Phuket experienced heavy to very heavy rainfall early Wednesday until around 9.35am, leaving roads inundated in multiple locations.

In Muang district, affected areas included the Surin Circle Clock Tower, in front of Kota Khao Mun Kai restaurant, an alley near Dara Hotel, Dibuk Road intersection, Thra Kraeng three-way junction, Lotus Samkong intersection, the route to Boat Avenue Mall and in front of Wat Chalong.

In Kathu district, flooding was reported in the Patong area in front of Paradise Complex, near the Patong fire station intersection and in front of Wat Kathu. No flooding was reported in Thalang district.

Phuket City Municipality has issued a warning urging residents within the municipal area to move belongings to higher ground. Heavy rain is expected to continue across the island and accumulated precipitation has pushed water levels in Bang Yai canal up by more than three metres.

Officials are working to increase drainage to ease impact on residents.

Those in the Phuket City Municipality area can report flooding emergencies via the municipal hotline at 1132, or the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation office at 076-211111 or 199.

The government has instructed Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Co (Aerothai) to extend its reduction in air navigation charges for an additional two months to help mitigate the impact of the energy crisis.

According to deputy government spokeswoman Lalida Persvivatana, the ongoing unrest in the Middle East continues to affect energy costs and airline operations. In response, the Transport Ministry has directed Aerothai to extend its air navigation charge relief measures to ease airlines’ operating cost burdens and improve their liquidity.

Ms Lalida said that at its meeting on June 24, Aerothai’s board of directors approved a two-month extension of the assistance measures, covering July and August.

Under the extension, domestic flights will continue to receive a 30% discount on air navigation charges. In addition, airlines will be allowed to defer part of their payments by paying 50% of the service charges by the original due date, while the remaining balance can be paid 30 days later.

Ms Lalida said the measures are expected to help reduce cost pressures, particularly those arising from volatile jet fuel prices. At the same time, Aerothai will enhance the efficiency of air traffic management to reduce flight delays, enabling aircraft to operate more efficiently by reducing flight time and fuel consumption while maintaining the highest safety standards for all flights.

The Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) had previously projected in April that the average price of Dubai crude oil would be US$91 per barrel for the year. However, as of June 30, the price of Dubai crude stood at $79.21 per barrel.

In celebration of ‘Morte Cucina’ (2026), the latest Thai film by Pen-ek Ratanaruang and shot by Christopher Doyle, House Samyan brings back five films of Wong Kar-wai that were shot by Doyle to Bangkok screens.

The films and their screening dates are as follows:

‘Happy Together’ – July 9, Thursday

‘2045’ – July 10, Friday

‘In The Mood for Love’ – July 11, Saturday

‘Chungking Express’ – July 12, Sunday

‘Fallen Angels’ – July 13, Monday

Australian cinematographer Doyle and the Hong Kong’s renowned film director Wong are linked by their over a decade collaboration in seven highly acclaimed films including ‘Days of Being Wild’ (1990), ‘Ashes of Time’ (1992), ‘Chungking Express’ (1994), ‘Fallen Angels’ (1995), ‘Happy Together’ (1997), ‘In the Mood for Love’ (2000) and ‘2046’ (2004).

‘Morte Cucina’ or ‘???????’ marked Doyle’s latest work as a cinematographer and Pen-ek as a director.

Pen-ek is known as one of the most prominent New Wave directors during the 1990s to 2000. His prominent works include ‘6ixtynin9’ (1999), ‘Monrak Transistor’ (2001), ‘Last Life in the Universe’ (2003) and ‘Ploy’ (2007).

The films are to be screened at House Samyan on the fifth floor of Samyan Mitrtown.

A total of 287kg of cannabis hidden in parcels supposedly containing coffee beans was seized at a private logistics company in Bang Yai district, Nonthaburi, on Tuesday, according to the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine.

The shipment, valued at 8.61 million baht, was intended for illegal export to the United Kingdom and Germany, the department said. The seizure was jointly conducted by the department and the Narcotics Suppression Bureau.

The cannabis was hidden in 65 suspicious packages, intercepted during two inspections. The exporter had no licence to research, export, sell, or process cannabis under the Controlled Herbs Regulation (Cannabis) 2025.

Victor Willis, the lead singer of the disco group Village People whose hit Y.M.C.A. became a gay anthem and a fixture at rallies for Donald Trump, has died, his spouse said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. He was 74.

‘It is with profound sadness that I must announce the death of my husband, Victor Willis. Victor passed away on Tuesday June 30, 2026 as a result of a short, but aggressive illness,’ the post on Willis’s official page said.

The Texas-born musician co-founded Village People and co-wrote hits including Y.M.C.A., In the Navy and Macho Man that swept the world’s dancefloors in the late 1970s.

Trump expressed his condolences on Wednesday and said Willis will be sorely missed.

‘He was a great and happy guy who loved that I used his groups song, Y.M.C.A., at my Rallies. It became a ‘monster’ hit, again, 30 years after its original launch,’ Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

‘We will think of Victor every time Y.M.C.A. is played, like today, and all throughout this July Fourth Birthday week,’ he added, referring to the 250th anniversary of US independence this weekend.

The group, which began in 1977 when Willis accepted an invitation from producer Jacques Morali and his business partner Henri Belolo, eventually grew to a lineup of six or seven performers.

‘I had a dream that you sang lead vocals on an album I produced, and it went very, very big … I’ll make you a star,’ Morali reportedly told Willis, according to the band’s website.

With their flamboyant costumes and choreography, the group became a pop culture phenomenon, targeting disco’s large gay audience with camp fantasy characters of butch builders, bikers, cowboys and soldiers.

‘Macho Types Wanted for World-Famous Disco Group – Must Dance and Have a Moustache,’ read an early ad seeking members to bolster the group’s lineup, according to its website.

The Village People name was long assumed to be a reference to Greenwich Village in New York, which was the center of the city’s gay scene in the 1970s.

Known for his signature ‘cop’ and ‘admiral’ stage personas, Willis left the group in 1980. He struggled with drug addiction and took a plea deal over cocaine possession in 2006.

Willis rejoined Village People in 2017 following a victory in a copyright lawsuit which allowed him to reclaim part-ownership of some of the band’s biggest hits.

Trump rally favourite

Y.M.C.A., whose lyrics urge ‘young men’ to head to the Young Men’s Christian Association in New York, became an anthem for the LGBTQ community and beyond.

In 2020, the song was added to the National Recording Registry by the US Library of Congress, as well as the Grammy Hall of Fame.

But some say the song has been co-opted by the American right wing following its use at rallies and events supporting Trump.

The president developed his own trademark dance to accompany the song – a stiff shuffle of the hips and fist bumps at waist-high level.

Willis has rejected interpretations of the song as a gay anthem, saying in 2024 that it was a ‘false assumption based on the fact that my writing partner was gay, and some (not all) of the Village People were gay, and that the first Village People album was totally about gay life’.

The band performed Y.M.C.A. at a Trump rally in January 2025, before the Republican was inaugurated for his second term.

Willis said at the time: ‘Let’s give President Trump a chance, regardless of what you may have thought about him in the past.’

‘Let’s see what he’s going to do moving forward and if he does things to restrict LGBTQ rights, Village People will be the first to speak out,’ he said.

The cabinet has approved a one-year extension of the measure reducing transfer and mortgage registration fees for real estate transactions to 0.01%, which policymakers claim can spur Thai GDP growth.

Under the normal fee structure, the transfer fee is 2% of the appraised value, while the mortgage registration fee is 1% of either the appraised value or the actual purchase price, whichever is higher. The fee reduction has been in effect since 2025 as part of efforts to stimulate the real estate sector, and was due to expire on Tuesday.

The extension takes effect immediately upon publication of the Interior Ministry’s notification in the Royal Gazette, remaining in force until June 30, 2027.

According to government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek, the extension is intended to encourage purchases of both newly built and existing residential properties, while reducing the financial burden on Thais seeking home ownership.

The slashed fees apply to purchases of real estate by Thais, including residential properties covering detached houses, semi-detached houses, townhouses, commercial buildings, or land together with such buildings, or condo units registered under the Condominium Act, provided that both the purchase price and the official appraised value do not exceed 7 million baht, and the mortgage amount does not exceed 7 million baht per contract.

The measure does not apply to transactions involving the sale of partial ownership interests, and foreigners have to pay all the normal fee rates.

The Finance Ministry estimates the measure will support annual real estate transactions valued at 540 billion baht, generating about 305 billion baht in additional investment each year compared with normal fee levels.

The measure is expected to help sustain market confidence and support the recovery of the real estate sector, which has slowed due to economic conditions and the impact of war in the Middle East, said the ministry.

As the fee cuts reduce revenue for local administrative organisations, the cabinet instructed the Budget Bureau and relevant government agencies to consider allocating budgetary funds as appropriate to compensate the organisations for the revenue shortfall, ensuring they have sufficient funding to carry out their functions and responsibilities.

BETTER SOLUTIONS

Kessara Thanyalakpark, managing director of SET-listed Sena Development, questioned the effectiveness of the fee reductions, saying the stimulus may not deliver the best value for public spending.

“The measure is estimated to cost the government around 9 billion baht a year, but it may not be the most efficient way to stimulate the housing market,” she said, urging authorities to adopt more targeted policies instead.

Ms Kessara suggested directing support towards first-time homebuyers and young families rather than applying broad-based incentives, arguing that targeted assistance would better address affordability challenges while encouraging genuine housing demand.

She cited the Netherlands as an example, where the government guarantees up to 10% of mortgages for first-time buyers, helping younger households overcome financing constraints without distorting the wider market.

Germany’s “Bauspar” programme offers another model, allowing prospective buyers to save over a three-year period before becoming eligible for preferential mortgage rates and more favourable loan-to-value conditions.

Ms Kessara said such programmes not only improve access to homeownership, but also support broader demographic objectives by encouraging younger people to establish families and settle down earlier.

Thai banks should consider adopting risk-based mortgage pricing, under which interest rates better reflect each borrower’s individual credit profile, creating a fairer lending system while expanding access to qualified homebuyers, she said.

The government is stepping up efforts to address the renewed violence in the southernmost provinces following a series of bomb attacks, with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul scheduled to hold talks with Malaysian leaders on July 9-10 to seek more concrete solutions to the long-running insurgency.

Deputy Prime Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said he had received reports from the governors of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat regarding the recent bombings.

He said the initial reports involved incidents in two provinces, but authorities later confirmed another explosion in Tak Bai district of Narathiwat. Mr Phiphat described the attacks as part of an organised operation, adding that the National Security Council (NSC) and Mr Anutin, who chairs the council, are working on measures to address the situation.

NSC secretary-general Chatchai Bangchuad said authorities believe the bombing at a PT gas station on Road No. 15 in tambon Sateng Nok, Muang district, Yala, on Sunday was linked to the ongoing unrest in the southern border provinces.

He said investigators suspect the attack was carried out by insurgents because it resembled previous bombings targeting fuel stations in the region. However, officials are continuing to gather evidence before drawing final conclusions.

Mr Chatchai also confirmed Mr Anutin will make an official visit to Malaysia on July 9-10, where discussions on reinforcing cooperation to resolve the southern border conflict will be among major agenda items.

Meanwhile, the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) has ordered officials to provide assistance to victims of the attacks.

Following instructions from SBPAC secretary-general Piyasiri Wattanawarangkul, SBPAC assistant secretary-general Nipon Chaiyai and SBPAC rehabilitation officers visited Al-Ameen Bin Mudo, who was injured in the bombing at the PT Piya gas station on Highway 42 in Yaring district, Pattani, on Sunday.

The victim suffered temporary hearing loss and chest tightness but remains conscious and is receiving close medical care.

During the visit, officials checked on his condition, offered words of encouragement, and presented a gift basket on behalf of the SBPAC secretary-general.

SBPAC rehabilitation officers also explained the victim’s rights and the compensation available under relevant government regulations, while reaffirming that the agency would continue to monitor his recovery and coordinate with relevant authorities to ensure prompt assistance and rehabilitation.

Europe’s most severe heatwave has yet to trigger a surge in tourists to Thailand, with Phuket hotels slashing low-season rates by 70-80% compared with the high season as surging airfares continue to deter both domestic and foreign visitors.

The continent has experienced record temperatures since June 20, while France’s national weather service forecast a possible recurrence of a heatwave in July. Over the weekend, high temperatures scorched the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland, with the countries recording new records of 41.9°C, 41.7°C and 40.5°C, respectively.

Somjai Tungkoo, vice-president of the southern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association, said summer holidays typically attract large numbers of European tourists, but demand this year has been weaker than expected as many travellers seek to escape the heat by visiting cooler destinations within their region rather than taking long-haul trips.

She said travellers remain concerned about high airfares and are reluctant to spend as much as usual amid economic uncertainty.

Travel costs to Phuket are particularly high, with return domestic airfares from Bangkok to the island averaging nearly 5,000 baht, mainly attributed to increased airfare and fuel surcharges.

Ms Somjai said this is the slowest low season in Phuket in 6-7 years, with average occupancy rates plunging to 30-40% this month, prompting hoteliers to offer steep discounts to attract tourists.

Normally average room rates during the low season are around 50% lower than during the high season, but rates have fallen by 70-80% this year, she said.

For instance, hotels and resorts that charge 5,000 baht per room during the high season have cut their rates to less than 2,000 baht.

The discounts started at beachfront properties, prompting hotels across the island to cut their rates to remain competitive during the sluggish period.

“Our low season this year has been particularly challenging as one of our main target markets during the rainy season, the Middle East, has yet to resume overseas travel because of unrest in the region. The Chinese market has also failed to recover as strongly as it did in the past,” said Ms Somjai.

Most hotels are awaiting forward bookings for the high season, with new inquiries expected to increase from this month, she said. While waiting for demand to recover, many hotels have utilised unpaid leave to reduce labour costs.

Hotel operators requested government relief measures and stimulus to help sustain their businesses, particularly soft loans for affected operators and a co-payment subsidy scheme for domestic travellers to absorb some travel costs.