Category: The Bangkok Post

Taobao Shangou, Alibaba’s instant commerce and on-demand delivery service that was revamped last year, won a top French Design Award prize on Friday for its delivery worker uniform design.

This marks the first time a uniform has received the Gold Award in the prize’s 11-year history. According to the award’s organisers, the design sets a new standard for safety, comfort and performance for delivery riders, while helping the workforce build a stronger sense of dignity and identity.

“Its racing-inspired design gives riders a symbol of pride and belonging while building a more positive connection with customers. The design language is clear, confident and highly aligned with the brand’s dynamic spirit,” said Dave Amantea, the chief design officer at Pininfarina, in a written jury citation.

Jury member Andrea Mocellin, an independent automotive and aviation designer, also praised the design for humanising the profession while “improving both the wearer’s confidence and public perception”.

Launched in August 2025 and provided for free to over a million riders, the suits pair safety-focused gear – including smart earbuds for hands-free navigation and a pocket for emergency medical information – with Amap-upgraded helmets that can detect crashes and share location to speed up rescue efforts, according to a statement from Alibaba, which is the owner of the South China Morning Post.

The design reflects a growing emphasis in Chinese society on improving conditions for the country’s roughly 200 million gig workers, after viral videos of exhausted delivery riders breaking down on the job sparked public outcry.

The sector has absorbed many of the country’s college graduates and laid-off employees as the economy continues to struggle.

China’s State Council has called for enhanced labour protections during extreme weather, timely and fair wage payments and a stronger social security system, among other measures, in a 12-point plan issued in April.

The Commerce Ministry is targeting 100,000 food stalls nationwide for a 40-baht rice-and-curry scheme to help alleviate living costs.

Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun said the initiative would expand the “Thai Help Thai Plus” programme by encouraging participating restaurants to offer affordable meals while maintaining quality and portion sizes.

The ministry is considering financial support for shops to help cover ingredient costs, with possible assistance of 3,000, 5,000 or 10,000 baht per restaurant. The pilot phase will select 100,000 shops from a network of about 250,000 restaurants under the Thai Help Thai Plus programme.

The scheme is expected to run for at least three months and could begin before August if approved by cabinet, Ms Suphajee said. “We want to help reduce expenses for salaried workers while expanding the Thai Help Thai Plus programme,” she said.

Participation will be voluntary, with restaurants selecting affordable menus, such as rice with two side dishes for no more than 40 baht per plate. Shops will receive signs to help consumers identify budget-friendly outlets. Ms Suphajee added the ministry was also preparing measures to support farmers and SMEs, including aid for agricultural products and measures to tackle cheap imports.

A young Thai couple were arrested and about 200,000 smuggled cigarettes seized from their rented room in this southern tourist island province.

Police from Vichit station said Somnuek, 27, and Sophis, 28, were caught in possession of a rucksack containing 120 packs of smuggled cigarettes outside a block of flats on Chao Fah Tawan Tok road in tambon Vichit of Muang district on Saturday night.

Police were acting on a report from an eyewitness informant.

Police then searched the couple’s rented room and found 10,680 more packs of contraband cigarettes in cardboard boxes. In total, police seized 10,800 packs holding 216,000 smuggled cigarettes.

The pair allegedly confessed to smuggling the cigarettes into Thailand.

Vietnam has opened an honorary consulate on the resort island to strengthen diplomatic, economic and tourism ties with Thailand and provide services for Vietnamese nationals across southern provinces.

The office was inaugurated by Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Viet Hung on Thursday. The consulate’s jurisdiction covers Phuket, Phangnga, Krabi, Trang, Satun, Ranong, Songkhla and Surat Thani.

Mr Pham said the opening marked an important step in enhancing Vietnam-Thailand relations as the two countries approach the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

Phuket and southern Thailand serve as key gateways for tourism, trade and transport in the Southeast Asia region.

The move follows the launch of direct flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Phuket by Vietnam Airlines on July 2, which is expected to boost tourism, trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges.

A young Thai couple were arrested and about 200,000 smuggled cigarettes seized from their rented room in this southern tourist island province.

Police from Vichit station said Somnuek, 27, and Sophis, 28, were caught in possession of a rucksack containing 120 packs of smuggled cigarettes outside a block of flats on Chao Fah Tawan Tok road in tambon Visit of Muang district on Saturday night.

Police were acting on a report from an eyewitness informant.

Police then searched the couple’s rented room and found 10,680 more packs of contraband cigarettes in cardboard boxes. In total, police seized 10,800 packs holding 216,000 smuggled cigarettes.

The pair allegedly confessed to smuggling the cigarettes into Thailand.

A probe into Department of Local Administration (DLA) recruitment exam results has found irregularities among 5,372 candidates, accounting for 35.84% of nearly 15,000 applicants who reported for appointment as local government officials.

Unsit Sampuntharat, permanent secretary for the interior, said the Interior Ministry had completed its own investigation into the alleged fraud in the 2025 local government recruitment examinations.

The review focused on identifying irregularities and determining whether any ministry officials were involved, while parallel investigations are being conducted by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).

He welcomed the appointment by Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul of a committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt to examine the allegations.

The panel which includes national police chief Pol Gen Kittharath Punpetch has been given 30 days from July 6 to complete its initial investigation.

He said the DLA had reviewed all 14,988 candidates who reported for appointment out of 15,520 candidates called for recruitment.

A total of 9,217 candidates, or 61.5%, were found to have normal scores, while 5,372 candidates were identified as having irregularities.

Among those irregularities cases, 3,044 candidates are flagged for general anomalies in the scoring system, representing 20.31%.

Another 1,522 cases involved discrepancies in which answer-sheet scores were one point lower than figures recorded in the electronic database, accounting for 10.15%. A further 806 candidates, or 5.38%, failed to meet minimum score requirements, including receiving fewer than 10 marks in English.

The DLA said another 399 cases, or 2.66%, remained under review due to technical and documentation issues, including unclear image files, missing image records and candidates whose names did not appear in the electronic database.

Original documents and answer sheets are being re-examined to determine the final outcome. Among the 10 examination centres nationwide, Chiang Mai recorded the highest proportion of normal results at 79.15%, followed by Phitsanulok at 72.9%.

Repairs to the leaky Purple Line train tunnel in Klong San district, Bangkok, were making progress and the water flow has already been reduced, the city governor said on Sunday morning.

Chadchart Sittipunt was speaking at the site of the leak, near Wong Wian Yai roundabout. He said five grouting machines were being used to strengthen the soil adjacent to the tunnel.

Tunnel grouting machines are specialized systems used to inject grout into the gap between pre-cast concrete segments and the surrounding ground.

Mr Chadchart said cement grouting had reduced water leakage into the tunnel from 50 cubic metres per hour to 20 cubic metres an hour as of Saturday evening.

“The present situation is free of concern,” he said.

Mr Chadchat said there should not be any further obstacles to the repair work. Rainfall was limited on Saturday. He was informed on Sunday morning there had been no further subsidence of nearby buildings or road surfaces.

Authorities had ordered the evacuation of two apartment buildings, and 111 residents agreed to move out. Seven residents had refused to leave the affected buildings, he said.

The water leak started in one of the two tunnels in the extended section of the Purple Line railway system on Wednesday. The extended section was the site of a huge sinkhole on Sam Sen Road in Dusit district last year.

The present leak was spotted at a sump pit in the tunnel. It caused the subsidence of about 30 centimetres of the surface of Prachadhipok Road, and big cracks appeared in some nearby buildings.

The government plans to launch a project that would allow vendors to offer ready-to-eat food at 40 baht per dish by next month, according to the commerce minister.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun said food vendors were being invited to take part in the 40-baht meal project. She expected it would be launched by the end of the month and would help bring down the cost of living.

The project would have an initial life of three months, but could be expanded.

Ms Suphajee said high fuel prices had led to food vendors raising their prices by 5-10 baht per dish. Prices were now above 50 baht.

The government would provide participating vendors with a raw materials subsidy, which could be 3,000, 5,000 or 10,000 baht per vendor. The government would finalise the subsidy amount, and pick the dishes that would be included in the 40-baht list.

Ms Suphajee expected 100,000 food vendors would participate. She based this on the roughly 250,000 food vendors who are already within the network of the Ministry of Commerce and take part in the ongoing Thais Help Thais Plus co-payment scheme.

The commerce minister said she would present the project to the cabinet in the third week of this month. If the cabinet gives approval, the project could be implemented before August, she said.

Ms Suphajee said vendors’ participation would be voluntary.

‘This will give people another choice of meals. The ministry will print clear signs that will be posted by participating vendors… If the project is well received it could continue and the number of eateries offering economical dishes could expand nationwide,’ Ms Suphajee said.

The Pathumwan Institute of Technology campus has been closed for a month and courses moved online to pre-empt possible clashes with rival schools as it celebrates its 94th anniversary on Aug 1.

The institute announced the closure of the campus from Sunday July 12 until Aug 8 for all students and classes, with only teachers and other personnel allowed in through the gate.

All courses and workshop classes will be conducted online during the four weeks, the announcement said.

The measure was deemed necessary to avoid possible brawling with students from Rajamangala University of Technology Uthenthawai campus during the anniversary celebration. Present and former students were expected to visit the school during this time and the atmosphere could escalate into violence.

Pathumwan Institute of Technology was founded on Aug 1, 1932.

Pathumwan Tech and nearby Uthenthawai vocational school have a long history of rivalry and have in the past brawled violently in the streets.

Repairs to the leaky Purple Line train tunnel in Klong San district, Bangkok, were making progress and the water flow has already been reduced, the city governor said on Sunday morning.

Chadchart Sittipunt was speaking at the site of the leak, near Wong Wian Yai roundabout. He said five grouting machines were being used to strengthen the soil adjacent to the tunnel.

Tunnel grouting machines are specialised systems used to inject grout into the gap between pre-cast concrete segments and the surrounding ground.

Mr Chadchart said cement grouting had reduced water leakage into the tunnel from 50 cubic metres per hour to 20 cubic metres an hour as of Saturday evening.

‘The present situation is free of concern,’ he said.

Mr Chadchat said there should not be any further obstacles to the repair work. Rainfall was limited on Saturday. He was informed on Sunday morning there had been no further subsidence of nearby buildings or road surfaces.

Authorities had ordered the evacuation of two apartment buildings, and 111 residents agreed to move out. Seven residents had refused to leave the affected buildings, he said.

The water leak started in one of the two tunnels in the extended section of the Purple Line railway system on Wednesday. The extended section was the site of a huge sinkhole on Sam Sen Road in Dusit district last year.

The present leak was spotted at a sump pit in the tunnel. It caused the subsidence of about 30 centimetres of the surface of Prachadhipok Road, and big cracks appeared in some nearby buildings.