Category: The Bangkok Post

Prime Minister and Bhumjaithai (BJT) Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul topped the list of candidates for premiership, according to the latest survey by Khon Kaen University.

The survey, also known as the E-Saan Poll, was carried out to gauge the northeastern region’s household economic conditions and political preferences. The poll, conducted between Oct 3 and 5, 2025, sampled 1,074 respondents aged 18 and above from 20 provinces across the Northeast, according to Suthin Wianwiwat, director of the E-Saan Poll.

When asked, ‘If a general election were held today, who would you want to be prime minister?’ about 24.3% of respondents picked Mr Anutin, followed by opposition People’s Party (PP) leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut (22.8%), Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt (19.1%), businessman Natthaphong Khunakornwong who is close to the Pheu Thai Party (7%), Yoschanan Wongsawat, from Pheu Thai (6.6%), and Thai Sang Thai Party leader Sudarat Keyuraphan (6.3%).

When asked which party they would vote for in the constituency MP race if an election were held today, PP led with 30.6%, followed by Pheu Thai with 27.4% and BJT with 12.3%. About 20.1% of respondents were undecided or had other opinions.

For the party-list vote, results were similar: PP with 41.7%, Pheu Thai (20.6%), BJT (12.6%) and undecided (8.5%).

The E-Saan Poll noted that Mr Anutin’s personal popularity currently exceeds that of BJT, largely because both PP and Pheu Thai lack a clearly defined or high-profile prime ministerial candidate at this time.

Meanwhile, the poll noted Chadchart Sittipunt remains one of the most popular figures nationally. Analysts working believe the party which nominates him as its prime ministerial candidate could gain a significant advantage in the next election.

Italy are struggling to qualify automatically for next year’s World Cup finals and the pressure on the team is exacerbated by the tension surrounding next Tuesday’s qualifier with Israel in Udine.

Italy was the scene of some of Europe’s biggest pro-Palestinian protests last weekend, as Israeli forces continue their offensive in Gaza.

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered across Italy in anger at Israel’s actions, and calls for the country to be barred from international sport have grown louder.

The protests were in response to Israel’s military operation in Gaza, which was sparked by the attack by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, on Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip.

During Friday’s massive strike action in support of the Palestinians, demonstrators went to the Italian national team’s training centre in Florence to demand the match against Israel be called off.

As of Tuesday only around 4,000 tickets had been sold for the game in Udine, a small city in Italy’s far north-east, which was picked specifically to help limit the potential for disorder.

Udine was the venue when Italy – who face Estonia in Tallinn on Saturday – last hosted Israel, in the Nations League in September 2024. That match passed off largely without incident, albeit surrounded by a massive security operation which included soldiers on the roof of the stadium.

But the threat of much bigger and more disruptive protests led Udine’s mayor Alberto Felice De Toni to ask for the match to be postponed.

‘Very sad’

This week Italy’s coach Gennaro Gattuso said the situation in Gaza was ‘very sad’ and lamented a difficult atmosphere for a match which will be key to Italy’s hopes of avoiding missing out on a third straight World Cup.

‘There will be 10,000 people outside the stadium and 5-6,000 inside it. I would have preferred to play a home match in front of an enthusiastic crowd like we did in Bergamo (where Italy beat Estonia 5-0) a month ago,’ Gattuso said.

His task was already complicated enough without the external political pressure of playing Israel, as direct qualification for the World Cup is seriously in doubt.

Only the winner of the five-team group is guaranteed an automatic spot and Italy sit second, level on nine points with Israel and six behind leaders Norway, but with a game in hand on both.

However Norway’s far superior goal difference – they have a 16-goal advantage over Italy – means Gattuso’s side can only top the group if they win all four of their remaining matches and Erling Haaland and company slip up before they travel to the San Siro next month.

That leaves second place and a spot in the play-offs as the likely route to the World Cup, a tournament in which Italy haven’t played a knockout fixture since winning it in 2006.

Italy exited at the qualification play-off stage for the last two World Cups, failing to reach the 2022 edition in Qatar despite being reigning European champions.

Same-day delivery has become the latest battleground for both competitive e-commerce and express delivery sectors.

KEX Express (Thailand) Plc, an express parcel delivery firm, recently introduced a same-day delivery service.

Meanwhile, the Logistech Association Thailand is urging regulators to tell e-commerce platforms to allow sellers to have their own options for delivery providers.

A need for speed

KEX’s same-day service covers Bangkok and surrounding provinces, including Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Sakhon and Samut Prakan.

The service includes the urgent delivery of snacks, fruit and important documents.

The service also meets the needs of e-commerce businesses, such as sellers of gadgets or electronic devices whose customers often require immediate use of the products, as well as small businesses looking to differentiate themselves and better cater to the demands of modern consumers.

Stephen Bao, chief operating officer of KEX Express (Thailand), told the Bangkok Post the same-day service is not meant to compete with any specific player.

“Our focus has always been on delivering the highest service quality and value to our customers,” he said.

“We recognise the growing demand from both individual and corporate clients for greater speed, reliability and flexibility, and our same-day service is designed to meet that evolving need.”

This service is part of KEX’s broader direction to elevate its service portfolio — moving beyond standard delivery towards premium, time-definite and customised logistics solutions, said Mr Bao.

J and T Express offers J and T Super as a premium delivery service for fast and secure parcel shipments within a guaranteed time frame, with same-day delivery available in Bangkok.

If a parcel arrives later than promised, customers can immediately request a refund for the shipping fee upon receiving it.

Lazada offers a priority delivery service within 24 hours for sellers, covering major provinces, but the merchants need to use its delivery fleet.

Shopee has same-day delivery in Bangkok and suburban areas, and the sellers can use their preferred fleet.

According to TikTok’s new rules effective as of Oct 1, sellers are required to send products to customers on a same-day basis for orders placed before noon.

If they fail to do so, points will be deducted. TikTok is giving sellers a one-month grace period to adjust to the new rule.

Kongkrit Lawlertratana, head of marketing commercial at Shopee Thailand, said it is focusing on increasing the speed of delivery times.

The company offers instant delivery within four hours on the same day by leveraging its ShopeeFood riders.

FAIR COMPETITION

Sutthikead Chantarachairoj, president of the Logistech Association Thailand, told the Bangkok Post that same-day delivery service benefits consumers, though it puts pressure on merchants. If they fail to deliver on the same day as promised, the platforms might deduct points. This approach could coerce sellers to use the platforms’ fleets or those of their partners.

He said e-commerce platforms have a large volume of parcels and prefer to use their own fleets to gain a better profit margin for fullfilment and delivery service.

“You may notice how many delivery providers are still operating compared with 3-4 years ago,” he said.

Mr Sutthikead said the association has been working with the House of Representatives’ Committee on Economic Development to coordinate with the Electronic Transactions Development Agency and the Trade Competition Commission to address unfair issues in the digital platform industry.

Sellers should be free to choose their preferred delivery providers, while minimum and maximum pricing for shipping fees and platform service charges should be set, he said.

When major sellers pay for advertising on e-commerce platforms, the payment goes overseas, not to a Thai location, resulting in a loss of opportunity to gain additional tax revenue, said Mr Sutthikead.

The Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) have jointly initiated the ‘Internet Khon La Khrueng’ co-payment scheme for mobile internet usage.

The scheme is primarily aimed at helping low-income elderly and disabled people to access the internet to upgrade their digital skills, according to Trairat Viriyasirikul, NBTC’s acting secretary-general.

In addition, the NBTC has asked mobile phone service operators to help subsidise the cost of replacing mobile phones for these groups of people to support the scheme, which also aligns with its plan to shut down the Third Generation (3G) networks soon.

DES Minister Chaichanok Chidchob and his team recently held discussions with NBTC chairman Dr Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck and Mr Trairat on their organisations’ collaboration to drive the economic recovery.

Mr Trairat said the planned co-payment scheme for mobile internet usage would complement the government’s ‘Khon La Khrueng Plus’ co-payment scheme.

The government’s scheme will provide tools for micro-businesses, households and individuals to upskill digital learning to foster sales.

Mr Trairat said the Internet Khon La Khrueng project will be funded by the NBTC. Final details of the project have yet to be finished.

‘There may be several million people targeted by the Internet Khon La Khrueng project. We’re waiting for several targeted people from the Social Development and Human Security Ministry,’ Mr Trairat said.

Anyone can take part in digital skill training at NBTC’s USO net centres nationwide for free.

Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said the government’s ‘Khon La Khrueng Plus’ scheme was allocated 44 billion baht and is expected to bolster gross domestic product (GDP) in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Mr Ekniti said the ministry plans to allocate 10 billion baht from the Board of Investment to provide upskilling and reskilling training for people.

In principle, each of the courses would take around four months to complete.

The skills training courses cover several sectors, such as agriculture teaching, smart farming, automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics.

‘The skills training programme is partly to help attract investment, as well as bridging the gap of the skills shortage when it comes to labour,’ Mr Ekniti said.

He said the programmes will directly serve the demand side rather than the supply side.

Thailand take on Taiwan in a crucial Group D battle of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign Thursday night, knowing they cannot afford to drop any more points.

The match will kick off at 7.30pm at Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium.

Since their 3-1 defeat at the hands of Turkmenistan in their second Group D match, Thailand have been left with the uphill task of winning their remaining group games.

The away loss pushed Thailand down to second place in the group with three points from two games. They had earlier beaten Sri Lanka 1-0 in their opening match.

Turkmenistan top the standings with a perfect six points.

Only the winners of the six groups in the qualifying tournament will advance and join the 18 countries that have already booked their spots in the finals in Saudi Arabia.

Thailand coach Masatada Ishii admitted at a pre-match press conference on Wednesday that his men cannot afford any more slip-ups.

“This time, we face Taiwan in both home and away matches, and our only target is to win both games and collect six points,” said the Japanese tactician.

Ishii was questioned about his decision not to replace the injured Supachai Chaided with another forward, leaving Teerasak Poeiphimai — who has already picked up a yellow card — as the only natural striker in the team.

The coach said: “I also worry about this a lot, thinking all the time how to help Teerasak avoid picking up another card.

“We don’t just have to win these games, but we also have to think about scoring as many goals as possible and improving our goal difference.

“Teerasak is the obvious choice for the task, and I didn’t bring another striker into the team because I wanted to select players of the equal calibre as those who have pulled out of the squad.”

Taiwan coach Huang Che Ming said: “Playing against Thailand is not easy at all. We are focusing on building a new generation, so most of our players are young. We are concentrating on our defence.

“We have to be careful as Thai midfielders can be difficult to handle, but that isn’t our only concern — the strength of the Thai defence is also a big worry for us.”

The match between Thailand and Taiwan will be televised live on Thai Rath TV (32), the BG Sports YouTube channel, and TrueVisions NOW.

U23 team depart for China

The Thailand U23 men’s national football team departed Suvarnabhumi International Airport on Wednesday for Kunming, China, where they will play two friendly matches against the China U23 side on Friday and Oct 14.

Head coach Thawatchai Dam­- rong-ongtrakul is leading a 23-man squad, which will form the core of this year’s SEA Games team.

Speaking before departure, Thawatchai noted the importance of the fixtures: “These matches fall on Fifa Days, and since China are in our group for the final round, it’s a valuable chance to test ourselves. We want to sharpen our attacking play while also improving our defending at set-pieces, because China are physically strong.”

He added that injuries to key players such as Waris Chuthong and Sittha Boonla have opened opportunities for newcomers: “It’s a chance to see if the new players can step up and replace them.”

The second match on Oct 14 will be broadcast live via BG Sports YouTube channel and TrueVisions NOW.

Uthai sack coach Lettieri

Uthai Thani have officially announced their decision to part ways with Italian coach Gino Lettieri after just seven Thai League 1 games.

The announcement came hot on the heels of Buriram United’s shock decision to sack their Brazilian coach, Osmar Loss Vieira, only 24 hours earlier.

Uthai Thani have appointed Milos Joksic as their new head coach. Joksic returns to the club after guiding them to a ninth-place finish last season.

The team are currently rooted to the bottom of the top-flight table, having collected only three points from seven games — all of them draws.

Lettieri joined Uthai Thani during the pre-season after leaving Muang Thong United at the end of the previous campaign.

The Italian becomes the fourth Thai League 1 coach to lose his job this season, following Osmar, Dusit Chalermsan (Kanchanaburi Power), and Supachai Komsilp (BG Pathum United).

iCreator Conference 2025, presented by Sony, will take place on 26 November at BITEC, marking Thailand’s largest gathering of content creators, influencers, and industry professionals.

Under the theme “Awaken the Future”, the conference aims to equip creators with insights and strategies to navigate evolving trends and expand their reach globally, aligned with the mission to “Empower Thai Content Creators to the World”.

Programme Highlights

The conference features three main stages hosting over 50 speakers across 24 sessions and nine workshops, covering topics from community building to brand collaboration and content monetisation.

Notable sessions include “The Power of Connection” with Third Phutirapat Ongsri and Tang Makkaporn, exploring community-building strategies, and “The Stories that Matter” with Singh Wannasingh Prasertkul, discussing impactful storytelling and documentary production.

Sony Thailand will host a special session with creators from Peanut Butter and Here’s Jae on product content creation and brand partnerships.

Global Platform Updates

Representatives from Meta Thailand (Facebook and Instagram), TikTok Shop, YouTube Thailand, and Lemon8 will present the latest platform trends and opportunities.

Additional speakers include Ken Nakarin, Koendanai, Aem Ohana, Dr Palang Rocksilp, and nicolenam_xo, amongst others.

Ticket Information

Single tickets are priced at 1,290 baht (reduced from 2,500 baht) during the 10.10 Sale Day, from 8-12 October. Early Bird tickets (9-31 October) include complimentary Canva Pro or ANGA online courses.

All tickets include access to sessions and workshops, Sony Creator Clinic sessions, exclusive merchandise, networking opportunities, and six-month replay access.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has promised the next four months of his administration will not be wasted, signalling a strong push for reform and national progress. He also emphasised the importance of equal justice for all citizens, not just a select few.

Speaking at the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ), Mr Anutin, who also serves as an interior minister, delivered a keynote address titled “The Rule of Law: A National Agenda for Enhancing Thailand’s Competitiveness”.

Mr Anutin said the concept of the rule of law is one of the most frequently invoked terms in public discourse — yet all too often, it is misunderstood or misused for inappropriate purposes. “Though I am not a legal expert,” he said, “I firmly believe in and uphold the rule of law. This belief has guided me throughout my life — from my business career to my service in public office. It is a principle I have always adhered to and one that I credit for much of my resilience and success in various endeavours.”

Drawing on his background as an engineer, Mr Anutin underscored the importance of laying strong foundations, saying the rule of law serves as one of society’s most critical pillars. “We must be able to rely on the law. And the law must, in turn, serve justice for everyone, not just the privileged few,” he added.

He acknowledged that restoring structures and strengthening the rule of law is no easy task. It requires time, consistency, and sustained effort, and not just from the government. “This cannot be the government’s responsibility alone,” he said.

“It requires your cooperation and support. If we can begin to accomplish these goals, then the next four months of this administration will not be wasted. Instead, they will serve as a critical period in which we lay the foundations — driving in the first pilings and establishing a roadmap for the next government.”

In his policy address to parliament, he said any misconduct by state officials — such as the misuse of laws or state machinery for political gain, or the deliberate neglect of law enforcement to prevent and combat drug trafficking, illegal gambling, transnational crime, or cybercrime — would be dealt with decisively.

The Criminal Court has sentenced Kornkanok, known as “Mae Takk,” and Karnpol, known as “Pa Beer”, to 20 years in prison and fined them and their company, K2N Gold Co Ltd, over two million baht for selling falsely advertised gold.

However, the court suspended their prison terms for five years, citing their remorse and efforts to compensate victims.

The Office of the Attorney General filed the case against K2N Gold and three defendants for fraud and violations of the Computer Crime Act, the Consumer Protection Act, and the Direct Sales and Direct Marketing Act. All three pleaded guilty.

The court found that although the gold jewellery sold was genuine, the couple falsely advertised it as 99.99% pure gold and offered free gold giveaways.

This amounted to unauthorised direct marketing, deceptive advertising, improper product labelling, and public fraud, totalling 60 counts. K2N Gold, Karnpol and Kornkanok were each fined 675,000 baht, and the couple were sentenced to 20 years in prison.

However, the court noted the defendants had accepted responsibility, recovered products worth 82 million baht from 3,929 customers, and refunded 57 million baht to 1,610 customers.

They also deposited funds with the court to reimburse 36 remaining victims. Considering their cooperation, the court suspended their sentences for five years.

Cool season this year will start about two weeks later than usual and is expected to be slightly warmer than average, the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) announced on Thursday.

According to the department’s outlook, the average minimum temperature in upper Thailand will be around 21 degrees Celsius – slightly warmer than the historical average of 19.9°C and last year’s average of 20.7°C.

While some parts of the North and Northeast will still see temperatures drop to 7 to 8°C, the average minimum temperature in Bangkok is expected to be around 18 to 20°C, with surrounding provinces experiencing lows of about 16 to 18°C.

The weather agency said the coolest period will be between mid-December and early February.

Although mountain peaks and ridges in the country’s upper regions will still experience frost and severe cold, conditions in the South are expected to be milder and wetter, especially along the eastern coast between November and December.

Heavy rainfall could trigger flash floods and cause rivers to overflow, while waves in the Gulf of Thailand may reach 2 to 3 metres, potentially rising to 4 to 5 m during tropical storms. The Andaman Sea will see waves of 1 to 2 m.

The TMD said low-pressure systems in November and December may develop into tropical cyclones.

B.Grimm and Siam Piwat Group have forged a multi-dimensional strategic partnership to install solar rooftop panels at Siam Paragon, driving a clean-energy future.

B.Grimm signed a memorandum of understanding with Siam Piwat to expand their strategic partnership across several areas, including a transition to renewable energy with the installation of a solar rooftop at Siam Paragon, the application of digital technology to enhance energy efficiency, collaboration on biodiversity conservation, knowledge exchange to promote holistic wellness, and supporting arts and culture initiatives.

Harald Link, chairman of B.Grimm, said the company remains dedicated to advancing Thailand’s progress in healthcare and infrastructure. As a leader in renewable and clean energy technology as well as efficient energy management, he said B.Grimm is delighted to support Siam Piwat’s properties.

This partnership reflects B.Grimm’s philosophy of “doing business with compassion in harmony with nature” in pursuit of long-term business development goals and creating future innovations to meet the needs of society in the digital age.

This ethos is reflected in the partnership’s wide-ranging scope, which includes creating positive impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem integrity, exchanging knowledge and developing projects integrating Bhutan’s concept of gross national happiness, promoting holistic healthcare and fostering classical music education through the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, Southeast Asia’s premier orchestra.

This resonates with Siam Piwat’s business vision, which aims to create benefits for the general public and enhance the quality of life for Thais alongside environmental conservation and restoration.

Chadatip Chutrakul, chief executive of Siam Piwat Group, said this partnership with B.Grimm marks another significant collaboration between two leading organisations to establish a new benchmark for sustainable destinations in Thailand by integrating innovation and clean energy management for efficiency optimisation.

Siam Piwat prioritises the transition to renewable energy and has set a goal to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The company has already installed solar rooftops to generate electricity for use at some of its malls.

She said the partnership reflects a shared vision between B.Grimm and Siam Piwat as leaders in the energy and global retail sectors with deep commitment to establishing a new sustainability benchmark for Thai businesses in alignment with international standards and cultivating a business ecosystem driven by environmental, social and governance considerations.

Siam Paragon signed a power purchase agreement with B.Grimm Power Smart Solution Co, a subsidiary of B.Grimm Power Plc, to develop a solar rooftop project on its building.

Covering an area of more than 4,600 square metres with a total installed capacity of 793 kilowatt-peak, the project is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by some 532 tonnes per year.

The solar rooftop will supply power to Paragon Hall, a world-class convention and exhibition centre, and a section of a new zone within Siam Paragon scheduled to open in late 2025, which is set to become a key landmark and a model sustainability platform in Bangkok.

Building on the success of the solar rooftop installation at Iconsiam, this project will increase the proportion of clean energy usage, in line with Siam Piwat Group’s goal to complete its transition to 100% renewable energy across its malls by 2030.

Siam Piwat’s commitment to sustainability is integrated across its entire portfolio, including Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery, Iconsiam, ICS and Siam Premium Outlets Bangkok, which are designed not only as global destinations but also as venues that connect people, society and the environment to drive positive change.

The company remains dedicated to creating a positive impact for all stakeholders across its value chain, guided by its core business strategy of creating shared value.