Category: The Bangkok Post

Cyber police arrested 151 suspects and seized more than 140 million baht over the past year in a crackdown on illegal e-cigarette networks.

Pol Maj Gen Siriwat Deepor, commander of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau Division 1 and deputy spokesperson for the Royal Thai Police, said the nationwide operation targeted online sellers and transport networks.

He warned some devices had also been modified to deliver ketamine, ecstasy and other psychoactive substances.

“E-cigarettes are also linked to criminal networks and a threat to young people,” he said.

He said the networks extended from importers and logistics providers to mule accounts and overseas platforms, creating enforcement challenges.

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission’s (NBTC) board meeting scheduled for Thursday is likely to be aborted again as some commissioners still insist they will not attend the meeting if chairman Dr Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck is present.

Dr Sarana urged all parties on Wednesday to work around disagreements and return to carrying out the board’s responsibilities and duties.

His remarks follow the Supreme Administrative Court’s order on Aug 31, directing the Central Administrative Court to accept his lawsuit for consideration.

In July, the NBTC selection committee ruled Dr Sarana lacked the qualifications to hold office as he failed to resign from posts prohibited by NBTC law, making him ineligible to assume a commissioner post.

In response, Dr Sarana filed a lawsuit with the Central Administrative Court, seeking to revoke the selection committee’s ruling on his qualification.

The court initially refused to accept the lawsuit, but the Supreme Administrative Court overturned its ruling.

Commissioner AM Thanapant Raicharoen reiterated his readiness to attend NBTC board meetings with the other commissioners, while reserving the right not to participate if Dr Sarana attends.

The NBTC has board meetings scheduled for Sept 2 and 3 this week.

The meeting on Wednesday was cancelled as Dr Sarana awaited the Supreme Court’s order.

NBTC board meetings have been aborted six times since July 27, as some commissioners refused to attend the meetings because of the ruling on Dr Sarana’s qualifications.

“I have considered the matter and would like to reaffirm my position on attending NBTC meetings. I remain ready to perform my duties and attend meetings with the remaining NBTC commissioners, as prescribed by law,” AM Thanapant said.

However, he said he cannot attend meetings with a person legally disqualified from his position.

AM Thanapant cited Section 18 in conjunction with Sections 8(2) and 20 of the 2010 NBTC law, which allow the remaining commissioners to continue performing their duties, and provide that the NBTC shall be deemed to consist of the commissioners who remain in office.

In addition, he noted Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has already sought royal consideration to remove Dr Sarana from office.

Meanwhile, Dr Sarana said he respects the Supreme Court’s order.

Despite the differing views, he said he believes all parties should respect the judicial process and allow legal determinations to serve as the basis for moving forward.

“From this point on, what matters most is not any individual, but ensuring that the NBTC can resume carrying out its duties fully and effectively, with unity, and move forward with important matters to prevent any adverse impact on the the country and the public interest,” Dr Sarana said.

He called on all NBTC commissioners to return to their duties and attend board meetings.

Dr Sarana said he is ready to work with all commissioners, while respecting differing opinions, putting the interests of the country above all else.

The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) is preparing 1,520 electric buses to replace ageing vehicles, with deliveries expected to begin in March 2027.

Kittikan Chomdoung Charuworapolkul, BMTA director, visited Absolute Assembly in Chachoengsao on Wednesday to inspect the EV bus production line.

He said the transition would improve passenger convenience, safety and environmental performance while reducing the organisation’s fuel and maintenance costs by an estimated 4.1 billion baht annually.

The buses feature rooftop batteries, three emergency exits and universal-design features. The BMTA is developing 12 depots and charging stations, with each bus requiring about three hours to charge. Two prototype buses will soon undergo testing by BMTA drivers to assess safety before wider deployment, he said.

The opposition has named Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob as initial no-confidence targets over concerns about government accountability and policy implementation.

Opposition parties have agreed to proceed with a no-confidence motion under Section 151 of the constitution, which provides for a debate followed by a vote, People’s Party (PP) list-MP Parit Wacharasindhu, the opposition chief whip, said on Wednesday.

The opposition will move quickly to prepare the motion, with Rangsiman Rome, a PP list-MP, set to lead a working group responsible for coordinating with other opposition parties, gathering allegations and drafting the motion.

Mr Parit said the opposition expected the process to take only a few weeks. While other ministers could be named later, Mr Anutin and Mr Chaichanok had already been agreed upon as the initial targets.

He declined to preview any “knockout” evidence, saying the opposition would let its performance during the debate speak for itself.

However, he urged the prime minister and the Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) not to use procedural means to prevent the opposition from raising issues concerning alleged collusion in the Senate election and cheating in local government examinations.

Mr Parit also rejected speculation over whether the opposition could bring down the government, saying it could not predict how MPs would vote.

Although the government still has a majority, he said the debate was not simply about counting votes but about presenting evidence to the public.

If the opposition secured enough votes to defeat the government, it would leave office sooner. Otherwise, a strong performance in the debate could influence voters at the next election, he said.

Government chief whip Paradorn Prissananantakul said the government welcomed the no-confidence motion, describing it as a legitimate constitutional tool for the opposition to scrutinise the administration. The government had not tried to anticipate the opposition’s arguments and would wait to see the motion before preparing its response, he said.

Mr Paradorn insisted the government had not engaged in any illegal or corrupt conduct and was confident it could answer all allegations.

Asked whether the Senate election collusion case would be a major focus, he said the issue would likely target BJT in particular. The party has denied involvement and had instructed its members in writing not to interfere in the Senate selection process.

BJT list-MP Akradech Wongpituchroj, also a government whip, said the government was not afraid of scrutiny and cited its energy reforms, promotion of artificial intelligence, the Thais Help Thais Plus subsidy scheme, national disaster insurance and the clean-energy transition as examples of its work.

He also said the government had acted against suspected corruption, including irregularities in local government examinations, and had allowed the Department of Special Investigation to investigate. Mr Akradech urged the opposition to base its allegations on facts and evidence rather than political rhetoric, saying ministers were ready to answer all questions.

The Migrant Working Group (MWG) has submitted a proposed marine fishing labour protection bill to the People’s Party (PP), seeking parliamentary action against exploitation and forced labour.

Adisorn Kerdmongkol, MWG coordinator, on Wednesday submitted the draft to Veerayooth Kanchoochat, PP list-MP, deputy party leader for political strategy and policy adviser, along with other party MPs.

MWG wants the party to push the proposed legislation through Parliament to strengthen protections for fishing workers and prevent exploitation and working conditions that could amount to forced labour.

Mr Adisorn said fishing differs greatly from land-based work, with long hours, remote locations and risks to workers’ lives and health. Many migrant workers face barriers to labour rights and protections. The network believes Thailand needs legislation specifically designed for working conditions aboard fishing vessels, with clear and enforceable standards covering workers, employers and state agencies.

MP Veerayooth said labour protection had long been among PP’s priorities, while the fishing sector continued to face unresolved problems.

He highlighted the lack of protection for even basic rights, including a minimum age for marine fishing workers, and pledged to pursue the issue.

The proposed law, he said, should address more than workers’ rights and welfare, as the fishing sector is also linked to environmental protection, marine resource management, food security and the wider economy.

Mr Veerayooth noted that Thailand’s fishing sector has also faced measures from the European Union, with repercussions extending beyond the industry.

The PP is now preparing its own version of the legislation and plans to submit it for consideration alongside the civil society draft, creating a potential parliamentary process involving both proposals.

Mr Veerayooth urged the government to submit similar legislation if the issue is a priority, saying Parliament could help stakeholders find solutions that benefit workers, employers, and the sector.

The Supreme Administrative Court has overturned a lower court’s refusal to hear a challenge by the chairman of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) against the NBTC selection committee’s ruling on his qualifications.

A source said on Wednesday the court issued its order on Monday, directing the Central Administrative Court to accept the lawsuit filed by NBTC chairman Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck and consider his request for interim measures pending a final judgement.

The Supreme Administrative Court found the NBTC selection committee’s July 21 ruling directly affected Dr Sarana’s legal status, rights and duties. It therefore constituted an administrative order that could be challenged before the Administrative Court to determine whether it was lawful. Dr Sarana’s filing with the Central Administrative Court on Aug 3 also fell well within the 90-day statutory period, as he became aware of the selection committee’s ruling on July 22. The Supreme Administrative Court therefore ruled that Dr Sarana had the right to bring the case before the Central Administrative Court.

However, the latest order concerns only whether the lawsuit should be admitted for judicial consideration. It does not determine whether the selection committee’s ruling was lawful, nor does it constitute a final ruling. Those issues will have to be considered by the Central Administrative Court. Dr Sarana was selected by the Senate as an NBTC commissioner on Dec 20, 2021, before being appointed NBTC chairman by royal command, effective April 13, 2022. The dispute arose after the NBTC selection committee ruled on July 21 that he lacked the qualifications to hold office because he had failed to resign from posts prohibited under the NBTC law before becoming eligible to assume the commissioner post.

Dr Sarana disagreed with the ruling, arguing the selection committee no longer had the authority to determine his qualifications after he had been formally appointed to the NBTC by royal command. He later filed a lawsuit with the Central Administrative Court seeking an order to revoke the NBTC selection committee’s ruling on his qualifications. The Central Administrative Court initially refused to accept the lawsuit.

It said that once Dr Sarana had been appointed NBTC chairman by royal command, any removal from office under circumstances prescribed by law would have to follow statutory procedures. The lower court found that, at that stage, Dr Sarana could not yet be regarded as having suffered harm or been directly affected by an act of the NBTC selection committee. It ruled he did not have the right to bring the lawsuit.

Residential developers are increasingly turning to hotels and warehouses to diversify their revenue streams, as sluggish demand and tighter mortgage lending limit growth in their core housing businesses.

SET-listed SC Asset Corporation is expanding its recurring-income businesses, with hotels and other commercial assets playing a larger role in supporting earnings.

“We are focusing on businesses capable of generating recurring income alongside our residential development operations,” said Namtip Promchua, SC’s chief finance and accounting officer.

The strategy reflects its efforts to build more resilient revenue streams by adding businesses that are less dependent on homebuyer purchasing power and mortgage approvals.

In the first half, SC recorded 925 million baht in recurring income, up 75% year-on-year, driven by the expansion of its hotel and logistics portfolios, whose contributions to recurring income surged to 41% and 13%, respectively, from 5% and 6%.

Meanwhile, revenue from residential sales rose 33% to 9.4 billion baht, mainly driven by condos, which increased 3.8-fold to 4 billion baht following the completion of a project in May. The project had secured more than 90% in presales before completion.

By contrast, revenue from low-rise houses, its main revenue contributor, fell by 11% to 5.3 billion baht due to weak demand, intense competition, and a large inventory in the market.

SC’s hotel arm operates three properties totalling 545 rooms, maintaining an average occupancy rate of 65% during the first six months of the year.

Complementing its hospitality business, SC’s US residential assets in Boston achieved nearly 100% occupancy across four apartment buildings comprising 59 units.

Meanwhile, SCX Logistics, the warehouse business of SCX Corporation, which is SC’s recurring-income asset management arm, has built a 200,000-square-metre warehouse portfolio, with more than 90% of construction completed and full tenant occupancy secured.

To sustain growth, SC plans to add another 200,000 sq m of logistics space in the second half through strategic joint ventures.

The expansion of hotels and logistics assets is part of SC’s strategy to build a more diversified income base, generating recurring cash flow alongside its residential development.

SET-listed Origin Property is also seeing a growing contribution from hotels and warehouses, which it expects to become increasingly important earnings drivers under its three-year business plan.

Pitipong Trinurak, co-chief executive of Origin Property, said hotels and warehouses would remain the company’s key value-creation businesses, alongside selective residential development and expansion into new markets.

Origin operates eight hotels with an asset value of around 11 billion baht, while its Alpha warehouse business has roughly 360,000 sq m of operating space.

Alpha reported 100% occupancy in the second quarter, with all of its operating sites fully occupied, highlighting the stable demand for logistics and warehouse facilities.

The company plans to add another 150,000 sq m of warehouse space to its pipeline, mainly around Bang Na, Laem Chabang and industrial estates.

For hotel business, Origin is planning to launch Moxy Phuket Chao Fah and Motto Chiang Mai Nimman, which are among the projects planned under its latest development pipeline.

Those two hotels will have around 300 rooms, with a combined investment value of about 1.1 billion baht, further expanding Origin’s hospitality portfolio, Mr Pitipong said.

“Our strategy is based on building and operating assets until occupancy reaches an appropriate level before monetising them through real estate investment trusts or sales to investors,” he said.

This model allows Origin to generate operating income while assets are held, followed by potential gains when they are monetised and capital is recycled into new developments.

The company expects non-residential businesses to account for half of its profit this year, with hotels and warehouses becoming increasingly important contributors.

The shift comes as residential developers face slower sales growth, high mortgage rejection rates and cautious consumer spending, encouraging them to seek income from commercial and hospitality assets.

Origin’s second-quarter revenue reached 1.9 billion baht, while net profit rose to 151 million baht, supported partly by gains and cash from hotel and land disposals.

The developer expects asset-related businesses to continue to support earnings as more hotels and warehouses mature and become suitable for exits or other forms of monetisation.

SC is pursuing a similar diversification strategy, using commercial and hospitality assets to broaden its earnings base and reduce reliance on residential transfers.

For developers, the growing contribution from hotels and warehouses represents a structural shift from a predominantly project-based business towards a portfolio model combining residential sales with recurring operating income.

The trend could become increasingly important as developers seek more stable cash flows while waiting for Thailand’s residential market to recover.

Some Thais may be embracing services powered by artificial intelligence (AI), but they are not ready to hand over control, with only 10% willing to let AI act by default and nearly a quarter refusing to use it at all.

This signals that trust could become a critical battleground for brands deploying AI in customer experience, according to the Ipsos Global Insights 2026 survey.

Pimtai Suwannasuk, senior client officer at Ipsos in Thailand, said consumer expectations continue to rise, particularly regarding personalisation, convenience, speed of service, transparency, security and data privacy.

However, many organisations still face a gap between customer expectations and organisational readiness, while accelerating AI adoption to improve efficiency.

Trust and emotional attachment to brands influence consumers’ willingness to delegate tasks to AI.

Among customers whose needs were unfulfilled by AI, 29% would not use AI, 34% preferred advice only, 27% would allow AI to act after approval and 10% would let it act by default.

Among customers emotionally attached to brands, the proportion rejecting AI fell to 21%, while 38% preferred advice, 30% will allow AI to act after approval and 11% would let it act by default.

Ipsos said AI acceptance is higher when customers have an emotional attachment to a brand.

Consumers are particularly reluctant to delegate sensitive decisions to AI, including changing credit card or overdraft conditions, moving significant savings between accounts or into investments, choosing mobile plans, handling insurance disputes and dealing with serious airline service failures.

“AI can improve the customer experience, but brands should not confuse ‘reducing customer effort’ with ‘shifting effort to the customer’,” Ms Pimtai said, adding that companies should focus on where AI can genuinely improve the customer experience.

FRAUD PROTECTION

An Ipsos Digital FastFacts survey of 300 Thais aged 20-60 in April 2026 found 84% wanted AI to detect and block suspicious transactions in real time before money leaves their account, and 46% “really want” the feature.

Roughly 83% wanted warnings when transferring money to an account flagged for fraud, while 83% wanted AI to identify whether a message, link or call might be a scam. In both cases, 45% said they really wanted the capability.

The findings come as Thai consumers report weaker experiences with brands.

Some 64% of Thais said they had positively memorable brand experiences, down from 73% last year, while 16% reported poor experiences, up from 15%.

Problem resolution remains a major weakness. Only 35% of Thai customer issues are fully resolved, while 70% said resolution required equal effort from the customer and brand. One in five said they had to put in more effort than the brand.

“Customers may not remember every routine transaction, but they remember the moments when a brand plays an important role in their lives — particularly when something goes wrong and they need support,” Ms Pimtai said.

Ipsos identified empathy, rapid support, reliability and recognition as key factors behind stronger emotional relationships.

Across seven sectors, automotive brands recorded the highest emotional attachment at 69%, followed by airlines at 68%, motor insurers at 61% and banks at 59%. Mobile network providers and retailers stood at 58%, while insurers ranked lowest at 57%.

Pheu Thai Party (PT) leader Julapun Amornvivat has dismissed concerns over government instability, saying a dinner planned for coalition leaders on Sunday is intended to improve communication and coordinate government work, not prepare for a no-confidence debate.

Mr Julapun said the prime minister would host leaders of coalition parties at his private residence, but there were no plans to discuss a cabinet reshuffle.

“We are working together as a coalition government for the people,” he said, adding that concerns raised by the media and the public about the government’s stability were unfounded.

The dinner would provide an opportunity for ministers and MPs to discuss their work in a more relaxed atmosphere, he said. Some deputy ministers may have limited opportunities to speak directly with the prime minister, while coordination in parliament was also essential to ensure government legislation proceeds smoothly.

Mr Julapun denied the gathering was being organised to prepare for an anticipated opposition no-confidence motion.

“We have not prepared anything in particular. It is up to the opposition what questions it wants to ask, and we are ready to answer them,” he said.

The opposition is expected to raise several controversial issues, including alleged collusion in the Senate election, with key politicians reportedly on its censure radar, including Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

Mr Julapun said Pheu Thai had already pursued the Senate election case to the extent of its authority when it previously led the government and had handed the matter over to state agencies and independent bodies. He said the party must respect the investigation and accountability mechanisms now handling the case.

“Pheu Thai has no special information,” Mr Julapun said, rejecting suggestions that the party was withholding evidence. All available information had already been submitted to investigative bodies, he added.

Regarding a possible no-confidence vote, he said Pheu Thai had yet to determine how its MPs would vote, although he expected party members to remain united. Mr Julapun also said there were no discussions about replacing Pheu Thai ministers. The coalition government had been in office for only about four months, he said, and ministers needed time to demonstrate whether they could deliver on policies and address public concerns.

Thailand and Singapore have agreed to deepen cooperation in four key areas covering energy, investment, defence and regional affairs.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his Singaporean counterpart, Lawrence Wong, reached the agreement at the fifth Thailand-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat in Bangkok on Wednesday, the first such meeting in 11 years.

The two leaders welcomed the Joint Statement on the Thailand-Singapore Forward-Looking Strategic Partnership, which will guide future relations and strengthen bilateral cooperation.

They also witnessed the exchange of a memorandum of understanding on social development between Thailand’s Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and Singapore’s Ministry of Social and Family Development.

The agreement covers social welfare, community development, people with disabilities, women, children and families, as well as personnel exchanges.

Mr Anutin said the first area of cooperation would focus on environmental sustainability and energy and food security.

Thailand and Singapore will deepen cooperation on clean and low-carbon energy, including the Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project as a step towards developing the Asean Power Grid.

The two countries will also cooperate on carbon credits, hydrogen, green finance, low-carbon technologies and carbon capture, utilisation and storage.

On food security, Thailand will build on an agreement to supply Singapore with 100,000 tonnes of Thai rice over five years and seek to expand cooperation to other products.

The second area covers the economy, investment and digital cooperation.

Mr Anutin said Thailand would encourage Singaporean investment in semiconductors, digital industries, the green economy and logistics, alongside cooperation on high-skilled workforce development, financial connectivity, artificial intelligence and the digital economy.

The two countries will also strengthen digital links, building on cross-border digital payment cooperation launched in 2021, and explore further collaboration in financial technology.

The third area is defence and security.

Mr Anutin said the two sides would expand cooperation on defence, cybersecurity and defence industries, while stepping up efforts to combat online and transnational crime.

The fourth area involves regional strategic coordination.

Mr Anutin said Thailand would support Singapore’s Asean chairmanship in 2027 and work closely with Singapore to ensure continuity when Thailand assumes the chairmanship in 2028.