Category: The Bangkok Post

Closing provincial branch offices of state agencies could be part of an overhaul of Thailand’s public administration system under plans being drawn up by the The Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC).

Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt said the cabinet would be asked to approve the proposal because many state agencies operate provincial branch offices whose responsibilities overlap with those of provincial governors.

There is no law recognising the establishment of these branch offices, he said.

Mr Pakorn said the OPDC board has resolved that the branch offices should be replaced with online services as part of efforts to streamline the bureaucracy and eliminate duplication.

Measures have been prepared to support affected officials, including transfers back to headquarters or participation in voluntary early retirement programmes, he said.

‘The cabinet will be asked to replace these costly branch offices with online systems. More administrative services can be delivered online, while a standardised monitoring system would help reduce opportunities for corruption,’ he said.

Mr Pakorn also said the government is reviewing the pay structure for senior local government executives after finding wide disparities in salaries and benefits.

Some executives of local administrative organisations receive higher salaries and allowances than ministry permanent secretaries, despite the latter overseeing national policy, he said.

The deputy prime minister attributed the disparities to the autonomy of local administrative organisations in setting their own benefits rather than following the pay structure for central government officials.

He said the Comptroller General’s Department will develop a central accounting system to standardise financial management and strengthen oversight of local government spending.

Mr Pakorn also said the ‘hometown tax’ programme will encourage large companies to support small local administrative organisations with annual revenues of less than 25 million baht.

The scheme offers tax deductions to companies that donate money to support local development, with funding to focus more on improving quality of life and promoting the circular economy than on road construction, he said.

The programme will also help narrow the financial gap between better-funded and less well-funded local administrative organisations while improving access to public services.

Two women driving black Mercedes-Benz sedans have attempted suicide from bridges above the sea in Phuket on successive days. One was saved, the other has not been found.

Police from Tha Chatchai station were called on Wednesday evening to the Sarasin Bridge, which links the island province and mainland Phangnga, after eyewitnesses noticed a woman behaving suspiciously.

The woman had parked her Phuket-registered Mercedes-Benz C220d on the bridge and it was not clear what she was intending to do next.

Fearing a suicide attempt, eyewitnesses were quick enough to call the police to the scene. Officers managed to calm her down and bring her to the station where they contacted her relatives for assistance.

The previous evening, another woman had parked a black Mercedes-Benz C350e on the parallel Thao Thep Krasattri Bridge and jumped into the sea. Rescue teams are still searching for her.

The Bangkok-registered sedan was left with its engine idling and a pair of slippers about five metres from the spot where the woman jumped.

Adopting artificial intelligence (AI) at an enterprise level has the potential to generate 1.4 trillion baht in economic value for Thailand over five years, says Google Cloud Thailand.

“Rather than focusing on standalone AI tools, companies need to embed AI into core business operations to improve efficiency, automate routine tasks and support data-driven decision-making,” said Saruj Thipsena, country manager of Google Cloud Thailand.

Many organisations remain in the “individual AI” stage, where employees independently use public AI applications without enterprise governance, he said.

To unlock greater business value, companies need to transition to what Google calls “institutional AI”, integrating AI across organisations under common governance, workflows and data management.

This requires standardised AI policies across departments, collaboration between business functions, AI embedded into workflows, secure access to enterprise data, and organisation-wide integration rather than isolated pilot projects, noted Mr Saruj.

“If executed properly, AI could contribute 1.4 trillion baht in economic value to Thailand over five years, creating numerous jobs and professions,” he said.

Successful enterprise AI depends on three factors: seamless integration into employees’ daily work, secure access to internal corporate data without risking information leakage, and measurable business outcomes.

To support enterprise adoption, Google Cloud offers Gemini Enterprise, which lets organisations use AI while ensuring proprietary corporate information remains within the company’s environment.

The company also provides the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform, allowing businesses to develop and manage multiple AI agents for specialised functions, such as customer service or inventory management, while enabling them to work together without extensive manual programming.

Google Cloud is also emphasising its vertically integrated AI infrastructure, spanning custom chips, cloud infrastructure, AI models, analytics and applications.

As organisations transition from pilots to full production, managing the economics and predictability of running complex AI workloads becomes a critical differentiator.

TOKENOMICS

Mr Saruj said a key advantage is what Google calls “tokenomics”, which allocates simpler tasks to smaller, lower-cost AI models while reserving larger, more advanced models for complex requests, helping organisations optimise AI spending.

Widespread enterprise adoption will depend not only on access to AI technology, but also on organisations redesigning business processes, strengthening governance and investing in human capital to ensure AI delivers measurable business value, he said.

“AI has dramatically shifted the threat landscape, and attacks that used to take weeks to carry out can now happen in mere minutes or hours,” said Steve Ledzian, chief of technology for Google Cloud Security and Mandiant, Japan and Asia-Pacific.

To defend against this range of threats, organisations need more than one model or agent — they need a collection of models for multiple passes, and a solution that can analyse their systems, prioritise the most significant threats, and patch vulnerabilities quickly, while continuously monitoring for new attacks, he said.

Vulnerabilities tripled from about 20,000 in 2020 to 60,000 this year, while the time needed to weaponise them has fallen sharply, said Mr Ledzian.

Fixing flaws during coding can take seconds, compared with up to 40 hours after deployment.

“My focus is partnering with my team and our partners to bring the full power of our open, end-to-end AI stack to Thai enterprises, helping them translate AI potential into tangible economic value,” Mr Saruj told the Bangkok Post.

“Google Cloud’s DNA includes delivering open and integrated solutions, alongside its investments in local infrastructure enabling support for customers in uncertain times and rapid AI developments.”

Regarding criticism of data centres’ massive natural resource consumption, he said that Google’s data centres rank among the top globally for energy efficiency, achieving 83% greater efficiency compared with standard data centres.

The search continued on Thursday for two Russian siblings who have been missing from their house in Pattaya for five days, with police bringing in two sniffer dogs to assist in the mission.

Pol Maj Gen Kiatisak Sathong-oi, investigative commander of Provincial Police Region 2, is leading police and local officials in the search for Diana Nazimova, 22, and her brother Roman Nazimov, 17.

Search teams are focusing on tambon Na Jomtien in Sattahip district and tambon Huay Yai in Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri.

Police had two sniffer dogs smell clothing provided by the siblings’ mother, then brought them to a pond and deserted building in Na Jomtien, believed to be the last possible locations of the Russians before their disappearance.

Ms Nazimova and her brother rode their black Honda ADV150 motorcycle out of their Bristol Park Pattaya housing estate in tambon Huay Yai at 4am on Sunday. CCTV footage showed they rode to the Na Jomtien motorway.

Later their motorcycle was seen leading another motorcycle along a frontage road parallel to the motorway. The siblings then rode to a traffic intersection under the Ban Chak Ngaew motorway bridge before disappearing.

Police are looking for two Thai men believed to have been on another motorcycle in the same area as the Russians around the time of the disappearance. They were identified only as Pong and Thong.

On Wednesday parts of the Russians’ Honda ADV150 motorcycle were found buried at two locations not far from the house of Pong’s 74-year-old aunt in tambon Huay Yai.

The aunt said Pong, 43, had been released from jail less than two months ago. He visited her on Monday night and told her that he was planning to leave for Chanthaburi to see his sick child.

The era of battery anxiety could soon be ending as silicon-carbon batteries make their way into smartphones, electric vehicles and other everyday devices.

The new technology promises longer usage times, faster charging and slimmer designs, offering welcome relief for anyone who has ever watched a phone battery fade away while trapped in Bangkok traffic.

For more than a decade, lithium-ion batteries have powered modern life. Their reliability helped fuel the smartphone revolution, but the technology has been approaching its limits. Traditional batteries rely heavily on graphite to store energy, leaving engineers searching for a way to pack more power into the same amount of space.

The breakthrough comes from silicon, a material capable of storing far more energy than graphite. Silicon-carbon batteries offer massive energy storage in slim designs. This breakthrough builds upon traditional lithium-ion technology. Swapping out standard graphite anodes for a mixture rich in silicon allows the new power cells to trap significantly more energy. This allows devices to either pack vastly more power into the same physical space or shrink in size without sacrificing longevity.

Consumers will notice an immediate difference through expanded usage times and better fast-charging capabilities. Manufacturers can now equip their devices with enormous batteries reaching 6,000 milliampere-hours (mAh) or more. They can achieve this incredible capacity without making phones thicker or heavier.

Scientists have long known that silicon holds far more potential than graphite but early attempts failed because the material would swell and degrade during regular charging cycles. The clever addition of carbon stabilises the internal structure. This prevents harmful expansion and ensures the battery survives years of daily use, which results in a battery that charges significantly faster and holds far more juice without turning your mobile phone into a dangerous pocket warmer during the sweltering Thai summer.

This year has become a genuine turning point for this technology. Major smartphone developers are already rushing to include this innovation in their newest models. The upgrade arrives at a perfect time as users demand constant power for artificial intelligence tasks and intense mobile gaming as well as advanced photography and ultra-fast internet connections.

As of mid-2026, major mobile phone makers officially made the leap. Flagship devices from leading Asian technology brands, like the recently shipped Samsung Galaxy Z series, the latest Oppo Find and Xiaomi 18 series phones, are already shipping with these new silicon-carbon batteries.

Consumers are now enjoying devices with massive 6,000 mAh capacity that weigh no more than last year’s models. I just bought a vivo phone for my daughter and it has more mAh than mine, which is larger than hers.

The shift is not limited to phones. The electric vehicle industry is also embracing silicon-carbon technology in its pursuit of longer driving ranges and shorter charging times, like in the MG IM5, Tesla 3 or the Porsche Taycan. For drivers making a journey from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, the prospect of travelling farther and spending less time waiting at charging stations could prove especially attractive.

Investors are taking notice too. Industry forecasts point to strong growth in the market for advanced battery technologies over the coming years, with Asia Pacific companies at the forefront of development and production. For people in Thailand, that could mean earlier access to the latest battery-powered gadgets and vehicles as regional manufacturers expand their reach.

Behind the technological advances, a fierce international race is under way. Asian producers currently hold a strong position in battery manufacturing, while companies in the United States and other Western nations are investing heavily to strengthen domestic production and reduce dependence on overseas supply chains.

From now on, you can expect your high-tech digital devices to last longer with each charge.

The Ministry of Transport is accelerating construction of the first phase of the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project while preparing to launch bidding for the second phase, which will extend the line to Nong Khai and strengthen onnectivity with Laos and China to support regional trade, investment and economic growth.

Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn on Thursday chaired the first meeting of the executive committee for the Thailand-China Railway Cooperation Project at the ministry.

Participants reviewed progress on Phase 1 of the Bangkok-Nong Khai rail project and preparations for Phase 2.

Construction of the first phase (Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima) is now 55% complete, according to the latest update from the ministry, which aims to open the 250-kilometre section in 2030.

However, authorities have privately acknowledged that a 2030 timeline would be ‘tight’, given that construction was originally expected to be 80% completed by now. A report released earlier this year by Euro Group Consulting details the factors behind the delay.

Discussions on Thursday also focused on integrating Thailand’s rail network with those of Laos and China to create a seamless regional transport corridor supporting future travel, trade, investment and tourism.

A ministry official said the meeting focused on monitoring progress and resolving obstacles affecting the flagship infrastructure project between the Thai and Chinese governments.

The railway will link Bangkok with the Northeast of Thailand and Nong Khai province, a strategic border trade hub connecting Thailand with Laos.

Once completed, the line is expected to significantly improve travel between Bangkok and major cities in the Northeast by reducing travel times and easing transport constraints.

It is also expected to facilitate the movement of people and goods, decentralise investment from the capital, stimulate urban development around stations, and create new opportunities for businesses, tourism and the service sector along the route.

Phase 1 has a budget of 179 billion baht, divided among 14 civil engineering contracts. Construction has been completed on two contracts, work is under way on 10 others, and procurement is continuing for the remaining two.

Projects nearing completion include the Muak Lek and Lam Takhong tunnels under Contract 3-2 and the Lam Takhong-Sikhiu and Kut Chik-Khok Kruat sections under Contract 3-4.

Authorities are expediting procedures to sign contracts and begin construction on Contract 4-1, covering the Bang Sue-Don Mueang section in Bangkok, and Contract 4-5 (Ban Pho-Phra Kaeo).

The committee on Thursday also reviewed preparations for Phase 2, which will extend the railway from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai. The 357km section will include five stations and has an estimated investment value of 341 billion baht.

The ministry is currently preparing terms of reference and reference prices for construction and supervision contracts while land expropriation is also under way.

It plans to invite bids for eight civil engineering contracts by December this year, with construction scheduled to begin in 2027 and finish in 2031.

Mr Phiphat, who also serves as deputy prime minister, said Thursday’s meeting marked an important milestone in advancing the flagship infrastructure project of the Thai and Chinese governments.

‘In the long term, the project’s objective extends beyond providing faster transport,’ he said. ‘It aims to spread economic opportunities across all regions while developing a safe, accessible and modern public transport system that will serve as a key engine of Thailand’s sustainable economic growth.’

Government revenue collection has exceeded its target by 2.4% for the first nine months of fiscal 2026, reflecting the country’s economic recovery.

The Finance Ministry reported net government revenue collected during the first nine months of fiscal 2026, covering October 2025 to June 2026, totalled 2.15 trillion baht, outpacing the official estimate by 50.9 billion baht or 2.4%.

The uptick was attributed to stronger value-added tax receipts, with additional contributions from extra dividend payments from the accumulated profits of Vayupak Fund 1. In addition, dividend remittances from several state-owned enterprises were higher than expected due to improved operating performance, while there were surplus proceeds from bond sales related to government borrowing to finance the fiscal deficit.

Tax refunds issued by the Revenue Department exceeded the estimate by 16.2 billion baht thanks to the government’s policy to streamline and accelerate the corporate income tax refund process to improve liquidity for businesses.

Total revenue from the three main tax-collecting agencies tallied 2.27 trillion baht, exceeding the target by 30.8 billion or 1.4%. The Revenue Department collected 1.75 trillion baht, surpassing its target by 35.3 billion baht or 2.1%.

The Excise Department collected 433 billion baht, beating its target by 1.26 billion baht or 0.3%, while the Customs Department collected 85.8 billion, falling short by 5.83 billion or 6.4% of its target. Customs revenue for the period increased 0.5% year-on-year.

Revenue remitted by state-owned enterprises contributed 170 billion baht, exceeding the estimate by 29.5 billion or 20.9%, while other government agencies remitted 139 billion baht, 10.4% above the target. Other government agencies refers to bodies that do not collect tax, but generate revenue for the state such as the Treasury Department, which remitted 11.6 billion baht for the period.

According to the cash-based fiscal report, total government revenue remitted to the Treasury amounted to 2.15 trillion baht, while budget disbursements tallied 3.14 trillion baht. To finance the budget deficit, the government borrowed 762 billion baht for the period, resulting in a Treasury cash balance of 424 billion baht as of the end of June.

The ministry also upgraded its GDP growth forecast for this year, rising to 2.5% from 1.6%, a modest gain from fiscal 2025 supported by strong export growth, an uptick in private investment, and resilient private consumption helped by stimulus measures.

Authorities have arrested the chairman of a tambon administration organisation (TAO) council in Tha Uthen district, finding him with 400,000 speed pills.

Siwat Saengba, 49, chairman of Nong Thao TAO council, was apprehended with two fertilizer sacks containing 400,000 speed pills, Tha Uthen district chief Prakhongsak Khanpiakaew said on Thursday during a media briefing.

Mr Siwat had been under surveillance for an extended period after intelligence linked him to a major transnational drug trafficking network operating along the Thai and Lao sides of the Mekong River.

Investigators alleged he was responsible for receiving shipments of speed smuggled across the Lao border and holding them at a location on the Mekong riverbank before transportation deeper into Thailand.

The arrest took place during a surveillance operation along the riverbank. A combined team of army rangers and loal officials spotted the suspect walking to the water to collect two sacks that had been hidden on the shoreline.

He was allegedly carrying the drugs to a cattle pen in Hat Sai Phe village, where they were to be stored ahead of further distribution. When officers moved in, the suspect attempted to flee but was caught.

Although he initially denied the allegations, investigators said the evidence against him was sufficient.

During questioning, he admitted he had been hired to transport the drugs but declined to provide further details.

Authorities said they were expanding the investigation to identify and arrest other members of the trafficking network.

According to investigators, the group regularly smuggled hundreds of thousands of speed pills into the country with each shipment, with couriers allegedly receiving payments worth hundreds of thousands of baht.

Background checks found that Mr Siwat is a former village headman of Hat Sai Phe village and had long been suspected of involvement in drug trafficking.

After leaving his position as village headman, he successfully ran for election as a Nong Thao TAO member in 2023 and was serving his second term when he became chairman of the TAO council.

Authorities suspected his involvement in local politics may have been used to cultivate public trust and avoid suspicion while he allegedly carried out drug-related activities.

Investigators also found that his wife had previously been imprisoned on a narcotics charge involving possession of speed pills several years ago.

The Transport Ministry has pushed for the Chumphon-Ranong double-track railway project, describing the 110-kilometre route as a missing link needed to connect Thailand’s rail network with an Andaman Sea port.

Deputy Transport Minister Sanphet Bunyamanee said the project forms part of the government’s plan to develop an integrated transport system under the policies of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.

He said Thailand’s infrastructure development is entering a new phase, shifting from individual projects towards a connected network in which roads, railways, ports, airports and border checkpoints operate together to strengthen the country’s long-term competitiveness.

“The Chumphon-Ranong railway, with a distance of about 110 kilometres and an estimated investment of more than 27 billion baht, is considered a critical missing link because it will allow Thailand’s main railway network to connect with a deep-sea port on the Andaman coast for the first time,” he said.

Mr Sanphet said the route’s strategic importance lies in maximising infrastructure investments made in the rail system over many years by linking separate projects into a single network.

“Once completed, the railway will allow goods from the North, Northeast, Central and South to be transported directly by rail to Ranong Port without having to switch to trucks for the final stage of delivery. This will reduce logistics costs, shorten transport times and improve the competitiveness of Thai exports,” he said.

The connection would also provide Thailand with a new trade route linking the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. Existing ports, including Laem Chabang, Bangkok and Map Ta Phut, would continue serving the eastern and central regions, while Ranong Port would become a gateway to the Indian Ocean and markets in BIMSTEC countries, the Middle East and Africa, he said.

Government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said the Missing Link approach would not reduce economic opportunities in the South after opposition parties questioned the government’s decision to shift focus away from the Land Bridge megaproject.

She said the railway would strengthen Thailand’s logistics capacity and support the country’s goal of becoming a regional economic hub. The project would also support the development of Ranong Gateway by linking the port with Thailand’s main railway network and routes connecting to Laos, China, Malaysia and Singapore.

Ms Rachada said the project’s detailed design has been completed, with an environmental impact assessment required before it can be submitted to the cabinet for consideration. If approved, construction would take about three years.

Meanwhile, Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) Watch has opposed the government’s plan to revive the Land Bridge project, saying it will stage a protest against the project on Aug 4 in front of Government House.

The group said Mr Anutin’s recent remarks that the Land Bridge project could return in the future showed a previous agreement between SEC Watch and Mr Phiphat had not been honoured.

SEC Watch said the agreement included cancelling the Land Bridge project and establishing a committee to prepare a master plan for southern economic development. The group argued transport development in the South should follow a broader strategy based on economic and environmental considerations rather than political decisions.

A series of emerging reports in recent weeks concerning tight water supplies and river pollution in central and northern Thailand mean the nation is now facing a challenging water security situation, experts say.

The reports include a Thai-owned waste management plant in Saraburi province that has allegedly been polluting canals with heavy metals, a case of transboundary water pollution in Chiang Rai province caused by unregulated mining activity in Myanmar, and a local protest against the construction of a Chinese-owned mining plant in Kanchanaburi province due to fears of pollution.

Department of Royal Irrigation spokesman Thanet Sombon said the department has had to focus on both the quantity and quality of water supplies.

He said water pollution presents another challenge to the department’s task of ensuring there is sufficient year-round water consumption for households, and the agricultural and industrial sectors.

Mr Thanet said the department aims to expand the country’s total irrigated area to 38.9 million rai by 2037, raising the water storage capacity above 86.2 billion cubic metres. At present, 35.9 million rai are covered by irrigation systems, with a storage capacity of about 83.85 billion cu/m.

This represents about 60% of the country’s total potential irrigated area. The remaining 21.4 million rai, or 40%, is planned for development after 2037.

Meanwhile, to support the running of plants located in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), Mr Thanet said 16 irrigation projects are under way. They are set to be finished by 2037 on the budget of 48 billion baht, increasing the water volume by 542 million cu/m, he added.

A budget will also be allocated to six projects to increase the volume of water in the Pra Sae reservoir in Rayong province and Bang Pra reservoir in Chon Buri, Mr Thanet said. This is expected to add another 155 million cu/m of water volume in the reservoirs.

Another 28-billion-baht budget includes the controversial Klong Wang Tanod reservoir construction project in Chanthaburi. About 55 million cu/m of water from the dam is expected to feed the Pra Sae reservoir, linking up with other water networks in the eastern region.

A budget of 12 billion baht will be allocated to seven projects to increase water storage capacity in two reservoirs in Chachoengsao province and two more reservoirs in Chon Buri, together with increasing water storage in canals.

All of these combined should be able to store in excess of 296.6 million cu/m. The rest focus on increasing the water storage capacity in Klong Bang Pai, Chon Buri.

Data centre impact

The EEC is expected to be the industrial base of AI data centre investment despite local people’s concerns about the huge consumption of water volume and energy. Any investment in the sector requires environmental impact assessments (EIA/EHIA) be conducted in advance.

Sitang Pilailar, a lecturer from the Department of Water Resources Engineering, Kasetsart University, voiced her concern the issue of water security has yet to be made a national agenda item despite the fact that it affects people’s health and jobs.

The government’s water policy mainly concerns the sourcing of natural water. As a result, the quality of the water has been overlooked even when water pollution has increased mostly from industrial activities, such as when industrial plants discharge wastewater into a natural water source, Ms Sitang said.

‘When water is not safe, neither food nor people are safe.’ she said. ‘We are now at the point where all stakeholders must take action to deal with polluted water.

‘Strong law enforcement must be taken to plants that discharge untreated water into the rivers or canals.’

Ms Sitang said local administrative organisations should play a key role in regulating factories located within their jurisdiction to curb emissions and safeguard the environment.

National security issue

Pianporn Deetes, executive director of the advocacy group Rivers and Rights, said transboundary river contamination is not simply an environmental issue, but rather a national and regional security issue. It directly threatens water security, food security, public health and regional stability.

When rivers that sustain millions of people become contaminated, the costs are measured not only in damaged ecosystems but also in economic losses, declining public trust and long-term health consequences, Ms Pianporn said.

Delayed or inadequate action only compounds those costs. That is why this crisis must be treated as a national priority and a regional diplomatic priority, she added.

‘I have not lost hope in the Thai government or in other governments that share responsibility for addressing this crisis,’ she said. ‘What is needed now is stronger political leadership and a genuine commitment to cooperation.

‘Thailand has the legal tools, diplomatic channels, scientific expertise and international partnerships necessary to confront this challenge.

‘What people expect is not confrontation with neighbouring countries or China, but principled leadership that puts the public interest first.’