Category: The Bangkok Post

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) will hold a public consultation to gather opinions on its TH-AI Passport project, which is facing growing scrutiny from the public and opposition parties.

The ministry’s “TH-AI Passport Forum” is inviting representatives from the private sector, academic institutions, industry experts and members of the public to participate in discussions on the development framework and implementation of this national AI upskilling initiative.

The forum will be held on June 11 at the ministry’s building in the Government Complex on Chaeng Watthana Road, Bangkok.

The forum is viewed as an attempt by the ministry to open channels of communication with stakeholders while easing mounting criticism surrounding the project.

The event is expected to provide a platform for both supporters and sceptics to debate key issues, including transparency, value for money, implementation standards, and the long-term direction of Thailand’s AI policy landscape.

A ministry source said the move comes at a sensitive moment for the TH-AI Passport programme, which has become the subject of intense public debate and scrutiny following criticism from opposition politicians, digital policy observers, academics, and segments of the technology industry.

Under the first phase of the scheme, the government plans to spend more than 1.6 billion baht to procure professional and premium generative AI models for free use by up to 5 million Thais for one year.

Authorities have repeatedly defended the initiative as a strategic investment intended to prevent Thailand from falling behind in the global AI race.

However, critics have raised a series of concerns spanning budget allocation, procurement transparency, project design, and the selection process for the winning bidder.

One major point of contention centres on whether the scale of the budget is proportionate to the actual deliverables and long-term measurable outcomes.

Questions have been raised over how training effectiveness will be assessed, how many participants are realistically expected to complete the programme, and whether the initiative risks becoming a large-scale certificate distribution scheme without sufficient depth in practical AI capability development.

IT industry observers and opposition figures have questioned whether certain technical qualifications and terms of reference may favour specific consortia or technology providers.

DES Minister Chaichanok Chidchob recently pledged to gather more input before proceeding with the project.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Energy authorities are preparing to expand Thailand’s electricity generation capacity amid mounting concerns that rising demand from resource-intensive businesses, particularly data centres, could strain the national grid.

An energy official who requested anonymity said Thailand’s current installed capacity is 46,191 megawatts, excluding renewable sources. Peak demand during the hot season reached 36,758MW, leaving a reserve margin of less than 30%.

That figure marks a decline from last year’s 38% reserve margin, according to an energy analyst.

The official dismissed claims by some observers that Thailand has reserve capacity of more than 50%, stressing that intermittent sources such as solar, wind and biomass cannot be counted as reliable supply.

Solar and wind power are inter- mittent sources of electricity, with output dependent on sunlight and weather conditions, which can affect supply stability.

Concerns are growing that the rapid expansion of data centres could push reserve margins below the international benchmark of 15%.

Each facility consumes between 5-10MW, far higher than the average factory’s demand of less than 3MW, the official said.

“State grids and power distributors are expanding distribution capacity in areas experiencing bottlenecks without building new power plants, especially now that data centres have begun operating in Thailand,” he said.

Options to expand capacity include calling for bids for new power plants, repowering retired facilities and increasing the use of renewable energy.

However, gas-fired and coal-fired generation have limitations, the official noted.

Thailand’s domestic gas supply has peaked, leaving the country more reliant on imported liquefied natural gas, which exposes it to price volatility.

While concessions for existing gas-fired plants could be renewed at a lower cost than constructing new ones, new coal-fired projects are off the table due to commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the UN Development Programme, the official said.

Senior officials have yet to discuss nuclear power, although small modular reactor technology is being considered internationally.

The official stressed any new capacity must be weighed carefully, given its impact on electricity prices, emissions and fuel security.

Thailand’s energy planners now face a balancing act: meeting surging demand from data centre businesses while safeguarding supply stability and adhering to environmental commitments.

The British motorcyclist charged in the death of a prominent doctor on Koh Phangan will also face charges of running a tour boat business through a Thai nominee.

The suspect, Duncan Wilcock, 51, has already been charged with reckless driving causing serious injury, fleeing the scene of an accident, driving without a valid licence, operating an unregistered vehicle without compulsory insurance, drug use and driving under the influence of alcohol causing serious injury.

The charges have now been upgraded to reckless driving causing death.

The victim, Assoc Prof Dr Theerasuk Kawamatawong, 53, was pronounced dead at Ramathibodhi Hospital on Sunday.

The doctor had suffered severe brain trauma after allegedly being struck by Mr Wilcock’s motorcycle on the night of May 23.

– Nominee business investigation –

Koh Phangan police expanded their investigation to include the suspect’s business activities.

They allege Mr Wilcock set up a nominee structure to illegally operate a tour boat business.

He was a shareholder in Reef Charter Co Ltd. The company had one managing director, identified as Jamnong Rungruang, who later admitted he was merely a boat driver occasionally hired by Mr Wilcock.

Although company records showed two shareholders, Mr Wilcock (49%) and Mr Jamnong (51%), Mr Jamnong allegedly said he had not actually invested in the business. He had allowed his documents to be used in the belief it was related to his employment.

Four additional nominee-related charges against Mr Wilcock include submitting false information to authorities, operating a tourism business restricted to Thai nationals, allowing a Thai national to assist in a prohibited foreign business, and operating a business without proper permission.

According to police investigators, the suspect confessed to all charges during questioning.

Further investigation revealed that Ameena Accounting Phangan Co Ltd was involved in establishing the nominee structure. The accounting firm was reportedly part of a broader network previously targeted in a crackdown on foreign nominee businesses on May 23.

Police said the investigation was continuing, along with legal action against all involved parties.

More than 8.86 million State Welfare Card holders have completed registration to confirm their eligibility for the 2026 State Welfare Registration Programme, with over 8.45 million of them verified, the Finance Ministry said on Saturday.

Attapol Attaworadej, deputy permanent secretary of the ministry, said that as of midnight on June 4, a total of 8,865,427 current cardholders had completed registration.

Of the total, 5,473,320 registered through the programme website, 1,244,416 via the Tang Rath app, 1,188,530 through the Pao Tang app, 614,723 at registration units at five participating banks and 344,438 through Krungthai Bank ATMs.

The ministry said 8,454,728 registrants have completed the verification process, while 410,699 registrations remain incomplete.

Applicants can check their registration status through all available channels, including the programme websites and service points at the five participating banks.

Those who registered online and verified their identity using a national ID card are advised to check whether their status reads “registration successfully confirmed”.

If so, no further action is required, and applicants should await the qualification screening results, which the ministry will announce on July 17.

Registrants whose status shows “information on ID card is incorrect” must restart the registration process through any of the available channels.

Those with incomplete verification must re-register before the registration deadline on June 21.

Arsenic and lead levels exceeding surface-water standards were detected at three monitoring locations in Saraburi’s canal network, the Pollution Control Department (PCD) said.

The findings were based on water samples collected on May 27 from Klong Nong Nam Khiao, Klong Ket and Huai Takhe as authorities investigate the source of pollution that recently turned parts of the waterway black.

However, tests showed that raw water met Type 3 surface-water standards, and treated tap water complied with drinking-water safety limits.

At the upstream section of Klong Nong Nam Khiao, arsenic was measured at 0.013 mg/litre and lead at 0.072 mg/litre, above the respective limits of 0.010 mg/litre and 0.050 mg/litre.

Elevated arsenic levels were also detected downstream of an industrial estate, where arsenic reached 0.019 mg/litre.

At Kut Nok Phlao weir, arsenic and lead were recorded at 0.020 mg/litre and 0.076 mg/litre, respectively, both above surface-water standards.

The PCD said no heavy metals exceeding standards were detected downstream from Huai Takhe near Suankularb Witthayalai School to the end of Klong Phriao, although some metals were found at certain points.

The PCD said analysis is under way to determine possible links between the heavy metals and pollution sources, based on findings from joint inspections carried out with the Department of Industrial Works (DIW) on May 28 and Thursday.

Additional sediment samples will also need to be examined for examine heavy-metals, said the department.

The Thailand Consumers Council is representing 10 scam victims suing internet platform operators Meta, Apple, Line and banks for 230 million baht in total damages.

Council lawyers helped the 10 scam victims file their lawsuit at the Civil Court on Rachadaphisek Road in Bangkok on Monday.

Lawyer Nannapatsorn Techapanyapipat said the complaints targeted Meta Platforms Inc which owns Facebook, Line, Apple and banks.

The victims were lured with scam advertisements on Facebook, invited to join investment scam groups on Line and transferred money to scam gangs through the systems of banks.

Ms Nannapatsorn said her clients had wanted to learn about the securities exchange and searched for relevant information in Facebook. The platform then presented investment scam pages which showed the pictures of well-known investment gurus.

The victims then were invited to join Line groups where they were ‘educated’ about stock trading and watched trainers’ clips.

Afterwards the victims were lured into trading securities through apps that they had to download from the Apple Store. Then they were scammed.

Saree Aongsomwang, secretary-general of the Thailand Consumers Council, said the overseas parent companies controlled content on their platforms, received revenue shares and made profit from content. Therefore, the legal action targeted the mother companies, not their Thailand-based branches which had only supportive responsibilities.

Ms Saree said the banks that handled transactions for scam networks should have noticed the illicit business activity and prevented the victims transferring money to scammers.

The demanded restitution totals 230 million baht. The consumer council expects the action now initiated will help protect other innocent people, she said.

One of the complainants told reporters she lost 165 million baht to one of the investment scams. She had been lured by people on Facebook and Line into downloading an investment app from the Apple Store.

She had previously filed complaints with government organisations, but they had not been heeded.

The Civil Court will convene a meeting of the parties concerned on Aug 3.