Category: The Bangkok Post

Local steel producers are calling on the government to strengthen measures against steel manufactured using induction furnace (IF) technology, particularly imports, citing persistent quality inconsistencies that threaten the domestic industry.

The EAF Long Product Steel Producers Association, led by president Chaichalerm Bunyanuwat, urged officials to promote locally made steel produced using electric arc furnace (EAF) technology, which is widely utilised by Thai steel companies.

Unlike IF, which relies on induction heating to melt scrap metal, EAF uses high-powered electric arcs to achieve more consistent results, ensuring stronger and safer steel.

“We are discussing with the Commerce Ministry measures to control IF steel imported from abroad as well as IF steel produced locally,” Mr Chaichalerm said.

Thailand’s steel industry has long struggled with an influx of cheaper IF steel. Producers said tighter enforcement, improved testing, and a review of certification processes are urgently needed.

Ten steel associations have jointly called for a government policy requiring state projects to use locally produced steel, a practice already adopted in several countries to protect domestic industries.

They also want incentives to encourage production under Thai industrial standards, alongside stricter oversight of emissions and waste management.

Global steel production capacity is around 1.85 billion tonnes annually. Of this amount, blast furnace (BF) technology accounts for roughly 70%, EAF for 25-26%, and IF 4-5%. Many countries have already banned IF steel due to its lower quality.

Blast furnaces differ significantly from IF and EAF. While IF and EAF can recycle scrap metal, BF is a massive, fossil fuel-intensive process that produces new steel from raw iron ore.

In Thailand, steel production capacity is about 11 million tonnes per year, with 40% coming from EAF, 40% from IF and 20% imports.

However, capacity utilisation has dropped to just 30% since 2017, underscoring the need for stronger protective measures.

Steel consumption in Thailand rose from 16.5 million tonnes in 2024 to 18.5 million tonnes last year, driven largely by demand for long steel products.

Mr Chaichalerm said the association expects consumption to grow another 5% this year, fuelled by government infrastructure and repair projects. While public investment is expected to sustain demand, private sector projects may slow due to economic uncertainty.

Industry leaders warn that without decisive government action, the domestic steel sector risks being undermined by steel imports.

The government plans to use data from its latest state welfare card registration to help more than five million working-age low-income people find jobs and improve their skills in a bid to address the root causes of poverty.

Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said the registration exercise found that more than five million of the programme’s nine million-plus recipients were aged 20 to 60.

“This is an issue that must be addressed,” Mr Ekniti said. “We cannot allow people to continue earning less than 100,000 baht a year indefinitely. The government must use this data to create employment opportunities and upgrade workers’ skills so they can earn higher incomes.”

His comments came amid criticism of the 2026 state welfare card registration after more than 9.3 million applicants failed to qualify, prompting the government to review the scheme’s eligibility criteria.

Mr Ekniti said changes in the number of beneficiaries would not create budgetary problems, noting that the country already spends more than 70 billion baht annually on the programme.

“Our priority is to make sure assistance reaches those who truly have nothing,” he said, adding that those who did not qualify remained eligible for other forms of government assistance.

He attributed many disputes to incomplete or outdated government databases rather than flaws in the criteria. “The problem lies in the data, which may not have been updated, particularly regarding applicants’ assets.”

However, the new exercise had helped expose weaknesses in government databases and identify cases in which people may have been deceived into transferring or registering assets. “If it can be proven that applicants were defrauded, the government will restore their welfare rights,” Mr Ekniti said.

A court has issued an arrest warrant for a suspect in the deadly Narathiwat checkpoint attack as Defence Minister Lt Gen Adul Boonthumjaroen pledged to bring those responsible to justice.

The Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 Forward Command (ISOC 4) said Narathiwat Provincial Court had approved a warrant for Mr Azizun (surname withheld), from Chanae district, over the shooting and pipe bomb attack on the Buket Sami checkpoint in tambon Tanyong Mat of Rangae district on July 22.

The attack targeted a Ranger Company 4509 unit while officers were providing security at the checkpoint at 6.45pm. Five rangers were killed: Sgt Maj Theerayut Somakoet and Ranger volunteers Wimon Dapthong, Zakariya Jehna, Natsit Kaewsena and Solahuding Pi.

Six civilians were injured, including two boys aged 10 and 15 and a girl aged three. All have since been discharged from hospital, except the 10-year-old boy who remains under close medical supervision at Rangae Hospital.

Lt Gen Adul, who visited the attack site on Saturday before meeting the injured boy, said Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had instructed him to monitor the investigation and ensure those responsible were brought to justice.

He said the assault was a carefully planned attack targeting security personnel, and every available measure would be used to apprehend those involved. Those responsible would face legal action whether they remained in Thailand or fled abroad, he said.

Mr Azizun is wanted under two arrest warrants. The latest warrant, issued by Rangae Police Station, relates to the July 22 attack.

He also faces an earlier warrant issued at the request of Sungai Kolok police over a shooting and bombing in Sungai Kolok municipality on March 8, 2025.

Authorities also brought in another individual, Mr Mahamasri (surname withheld), from Sai Buri district in Pattani, for questioning at the 46th Ranger Regiment’s interrogation centre to assist investigators in identifying other people linked to the assault.

ISOC 4 said CCTV footage showed more than 10 armed men travelling in a pickup truck and on motorcycles.

Six attackers, dressed in black and wearing wide-brimmed hats to conceal their identities, rode in the back of the pickup, while another team on a motorcycle acted as scouts and provided cover during the escape.

The attackers opened fire with M16 and AK-style rifles before throwing pipe bombs at the checkpoint.

After overpowering the rangers, they seized four AK rifles, a handgun, ammunition magazines and body armour before fleeing towards Dusong Yo district. The entire assault lasted about 90 seconds.

Investigators are also examining a burnt-out pickup truck found later that evening in Sri Sakhon district.

The vehicle is believed to have been used in the attack and set alight to destroy forensic evidence. Officers are verifying its chassis number after discovering the licence plate belonged to another pickup registered in Songkhla.

Separately, investigators also made progress in the probe into the car bomb attack outside the old Tanyong police station in Muang district, Narathiwat, on July 21, with two suspects now facing arrest warrants.

The attack, carried out using an improvised explosive device concealed in a vehicle, slightly injured a police officer and damaged the police station and other government property.

Narathiwat Provincial Court has approved arrest warrants for Mr Azmin (surname withheld), from Sungai Padi district, and Mr Abdulrahim (surname withheld), from Tak Bai district. Both men were already wanted under previous warrants linked to earlier security incidents in Narathiwat.

Two other people have also been taken to security interrogation centres for questioning as investigators continue expanding the inquiry and pursuing other suspects believed to have been involved in both attacks.

Two high-level officials have been summoned to hear police charges in relation to the rigging of results of the civil service recruitment examination for local government bodies nationwide.

Pol Maj Gen Patanasak Bupphasawan, commander of the Crime Suppression Division, said on Monday that CSD interrogators had summoned a senior official from the Department of Local Administration and another from Srinakharinwirot University to acknowledge charges.

The action follows a raid at a house in Bang Yai district of Nonthaburi where police found local administrative officials altering thousands of exam answer sheets for job applicants who allegedly paid bribes totalling several billion baht.

The CSD commander said that both senior officials would face charges, along with the 11 officials who were caught rigging answer sheets at the house in Nonthaburi on June 22.

Police had called the accused officials in to acknowledge charges on Friday, he said.

Informed sources said they are a former director-general of the Department of Local Administration and a testing director at Srinakharinwirot University. They face multiple charges of malfeasance, document forgery, certification of false documents, input of false information into computer systems and breaching classified documents.

The department hired the university to organise the exam.

The 11 other accused officials will be charged with illegal assembly, tampering with documents of other people and input of false information into computer systems.

The legal action followed the exposure of nationwide results rigging in the Department of Local Administration examination for the recruitment of new officials late last year. About 400,000 people sat the exam, competing for about 6,700 jobs.

In the raid in Nonthaburi last month, authorities suspected corrupt officials of taking bribes ranging from 350,000 to 800,000 baht from each exam sitter who wanted to be recruited. The list of recruited candidates was announced. Afterwards, there were complaints about the exam results, and corrupt officials were mobilised to change answer sheet data to match the earlier announced list.

Recently three suspects were arrested. They included a former senior local administrator in Phetchabun province who owns the raided house.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Monday that all culprits in the case would be prosecuted and about 5,900 newly recruited officials would lose their jobs.

Fifteen Lao passengers were hurt when their van hit a truck parked on the side of the Mittaphap highway on Sunday evening.

Pol Capt Chatree Khaosa-ard, chief interrogator at Ban Phai police station, said the accident occurred around 5.30pm in Ban Phai district.

The van was taking 15 Lao workers back to Bangkok from Nong Khai after they returned to Vientiane to renew their Thai work permits, he said.

Investigators suspect that van driver Naphaskhan Sopheepong, 34, fell asleep at the wheel. Passengers told police he had made several petrol station stops and was driving erratically before the accident.

Lorry driver Kasem Leamthongkham, 51, said he was taking his cargo from Khon Kaen to Prachin Buri and had pulled over onto the side of the road to check his tyres.

The van driver was also injured and remains in hospital. Police were waiting until he is well enough to question him.

A confrontation between a Chinese fan and security personnel at the International Novel Festival 2026 which will be held from 24 July to 2 August, has sparked widespread criticism of the organiser, Thai entertainment giant GMMTV, which felt compelled to issue an explanatory statement on Monday.

Videos of the incident, which occurred on Sunday and showed a physical altercation between a Chinese female fan and security staff at the event, spread rapidly online and across social media platforms in China.

Fans in Thailand and abroad called for the company to explain the circumstances and take responsibility.

Following an initial internal review, GMMTV acknowledged that security personnel had, at certain points during the incident, used force beyond what was considered appropriate for the situation.

The company said the individuals involved were contracted outside security personnel, not GMMTV employees. Nevertheless, it accepted responsibility for overseeing all personnel working at its events.

GMMTV said it had suspended the security staff involved, pending the outcome of a full investigation.

The company denied online claims it had taken legal action against those involved in the incident. The reports were false, the company said. No lawsuits or criminal complaints had been filed in connection with the altercation. (continues below)

Reaffirming its corporate principles, GMMTV said it has no policy of discrimination based on race or nationality. It stressed that the incident was an isolated dispute between individuals and should not be interpreted as reflecting the company’s attitude towards fans from any particular country.

The company said it would review its event management procedures, including security operations and staff supervision, to strengthen safety measures and reduce the risk of similar incidents occurring in the future.

Although the statement was released swiftly, the controversy continues to attract significant attention, particularly among international fan communities awaiting the outcome of the investigation and any further action by the company.

Most Thai posts accuse the company of lacking moral fibre, given that many videos show that the chinese fan was the person one who did not comply with the rules. They accuse GMMTV of caring more about the money they hope to gain from Chinese fans in future.

The discussion surrounding the incident continues to intensify on Thai social media. The hashtag #???GMMTV (meaning boycott GMMTV) on X has gained traction as users continue to share video clips of the confrontation.

A South Korean man wanted under an Interpol Red Notice for allegedly supplying mule accounts to a call-centre gang has been arrested in Bangkok.

Immigration Bureau officers arrested Jimin, 28, on Saturday after coordinating intelligence with South Korean police and Interpol.

Investigators allege he was part of a transnational crime network that provided and distributed bank accounts used to defraud victims through investment scams.

The suspect used Telegram and fake online shopping websites to lure victims into transferring money, causing losses of more than 4.2 billion won (about 97 million baht), they said.

Police also found alleged money laundering transactions worth over 403 million won, bringing the total amount involved to more than 5 billion won.

He was charged with overstaying his permission to remain in Thailand by 218 days and will face further legal proceedings and deportation.

A five-storey building collapsed during demolition work to make way for the Orange Line electric train system in Din Daeng district, Bangkok, on Monday evening.

The Din Daeng district office reported the collapsed building was on Pracha Songkroh 28 Road, on land expropriated for the western segment of the Orange Line. Before the collapse at 4.15pm, three floors had already been removed.

The district office said Green Design Co was contracted to carry out the demolition but had not notified the office before starting work.

Debris from the expropriated building fell on three neighbouring houses, but no casualties were reported. The contractor has pledged to compensate all affected residents.

The Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA), owner of the Orange Line, said some steel sheets erected around the demolition site fell onto adjacent properties.

The state enterprise apologised for the incident and vowed to repair the affected properties promptly. It confirmed no injuries.

HIV remains a significant public health concern in Chiang Mai, with health authorities reporting approximately 23,900 cumulative infections and about 700 new cases each year – almost two new infections a day on average.

According to the Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Office, the virus is no longer confined to specific populations but is affecting a broad range of communities, particularly migrant workers and ethnic minority groups.

These vulnerable populations often face barriers to healthcare, including language differences, limited treatment rights, lack of identification documents and concerns over social stigma, leading some to delay or avoid HIV testing and treatment.

Health officials also reported a 3.6% HIV prevalence among ethnic minority men engaged in sex work, highlighting persistent gaps in access to prevention services and healthcare.

Young people aged 15 to 24 are another group of growing concern. Nationally, roughly half of all new HIV infections, 49%, occur within this age group. Officials attribute the trend to changing sexual behaviour, limited awareness of HIV prevention and restricted access to youth-friendly healthcare services.

Adults aged 25 to 49 continue to account for the largest number of new infections. As the most socially and sexually active age group they remain a key target for ongoing education, routine testing and improved access to treatment.

The Provincial Public Health Office also warned that changing behaviour in the digital age was contributing to new risks. Local data shows 61.9% of men who have sex with men (MSM) use dating applications to meet and have sexual encounters with people they have not previously known, a practice that may increase the risk of HIV transmission as well as other sexually transmitted infections, including mpox.

Health officials said the situation underscores the need to reduce inequalities in access to healthcare, particularly for marginalised communities, young people and other high-risk groups.

They advocate stronger public education through digital platforms, more inclusive healthcare services and efforts to tackle HIV-related stigma, while ensuring wider access to HIV testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and timely treatment.

For years, Bitkub symbolised Thailand’s cryptocurrency boom. It was the country’s largest digital asset exchange, the creator of KUB Coin, and the startup that reached unicorn status after Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) announced a landmark acquisition worth 35 billion baht.

At its peak in late 2021, Bitkub was poised to become Thailand’s undisputed crypto champion.

Five years later, the company faces its biggest governance challenge.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revealed on Thursday it filed a criminal complaint against Bitkub Online Co Ltd and two former directors, alleging they submitted false regulatory reports following a 1.7-billion-baht cyber-attack in 2021.

The case has reignited questions over the company’s corporate governance, transparency and whether Thailand’s first crypto success story can regain investor trust.

According to the regulator, hackers withdrew digital assets across 16 cryptocurrencies from Bitkub on May 10, 2021, with losses estimated at 1.7 billion baht.

Although customers were eventually made whole after the company replaced the stolen assets by Oct 31, 2021, regulators allege Bitkub failed to disclose the incident properly in its daily net capital reports (Form DA 1) for more than five months. Instead, the company reported no material deterioration in its financial position.

The SEC referred the case to the Economic Crime Suppression Division for criminal investigation, with a police probe possibly followed by public prosecution.

FOUNDER’S RESPONSIBILITY

Soon after the SEC’s announcement, Sakolkorn Sakavee, founder and former chairman of Bitkub Capital Group Holdings, released a video statement accepting sole responsibility.

He admitted personally altering the regulatory filings without informing fellow directors, executives or employees.

Mr Sakolkorn said he chose not to disclose the cyber-attack because he feared triggering panic withdrawals, a collapse in cryptocurrency prices and a “bank run” that could have destroyed the exchange.

He said the founders used their own funds to repurchase the stolen digital assets until every customer had been fully reimbursed.

Mr Sakolkorn apologised for concealing the incident, resigned from Bitkub’s boards and pledged full cooperation with regulators.

He stressed SEC inspections conducted in 2025 confirmed that customer assets remained fully intact, while Bitkub has since invested more than 400 million baht to strengthen cybersecurity and now stores customers’ assets with global custodians including BitGo and Coinbase.

A FALLING CRYPTO STAR?

Industry observers said the legal case may not immediately threaten Bitkub’s operations, but its reputational impact could prove more damaging.

Udomsak Rakwongwan, co-founder of decentralised derivatives platform FWX and a lecturer at Kasetsart University, said he believes Bitkub is more likely to experience a gradual decline than a sudden collapse.

The exchange already lost its market pole position, with Binance TH overtaking Bitkub in trading volume, according to coinmarket.com.

Once commanding more than 90% of Thailand’s crypto trading market, Bitkub’s market share has reportedly fallen to roughly half that level or less.

According to Mr Udomsak, the biggest challenge is no longer technology but investor confidence.

Years of undisclosed information and questions over corporate governance could make fundraising, attracting strategic partners and pursuing future expansion significantly more difficult, he noted.

The criminal investigation also leaves former executives exposed to potential legal risks if prosecutors proceed with the case, Mr Udomsak told the Bangkok Post.

THE NEXT STAGE

The cyber-attack occurred on May 10, 2021, just days before Bitkub launched KUB Coin on May 20, 2021.

Initially priced at 30 baht, the token surged during the crypto bull market, reaching an all-time high of around 580 baht in December 2021 after SCB announced plans to acquire a controlling stake in Bitkub.

The proposed 17.85-billion-baht purchase of a 51% stake valued Bitkub at roughly 35 billion baht, making it Thailand’s first crypto unicorn. The acquisition was later cancelled in August 2022.

Today KUB trades near 24 baht, representing a decline of roughly 96% from its peak.

The SEC’s criminal referral does not indicate guilt, as the case must still pass through investigation, prosecution and court proceedings.

Whether Bitkub ultimately recovers may depend less on the outcome of the legal process than whether it can rebuild the trust that once made it the face of Thailand’s digital asset industry.

“For many investors, the question is no longer whether Bitkub will survive, but if it can ever reclaim the dominance it once enjoyed,” wrote Piriya Sambandaraksa, a Thai Bitcoin enthusiast, on his Facebook page.