Category: The Bangkok Post

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is accelerating renovation work at Lumpini Park in preparation for its 100th anniversary and the centennial commemoration of King Vajiravudh (King Rama VI).

The celebrations, scheduled for Nov 20-25, will feature various activities honouring both milestones.

During a BMA board meeting at Bangkok City Hall on Monday, agencies reported on current renovation projects expected to be completed in time for the celebrations. These include the construction of a new walkway that would directly link the Lumpini-Benchakitti Green Bridge on Witthayu Road to the park, and a privately funded dog park. These two projects are now 21.78% and 40% completed, respectively.

Other ongoing work includes the renovation of the 72nd Birthday Anniversary Pavilion, the park’s wall along Rama IV Road, the area surrounding the King Rama VI Monument, the playground and fitness zone, and the lake inside the park. The public library and the clock tower are also under renovation.

For the royal commemoration, the BMA will handle landscaping, coordinate venue management with the Office of the Prime Minister, and provide medical tents, mobile toilets, and municipal officers to ensure order and cleanliness. Decorative lighting, a musical fountain, and exhibitions of King Vajiravudh’s literary works will also be prepared.

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has tightened measures regarding text messages sent from other countries in its efforts to curb fraud.

According to NBTC commissioner Pol Gen Nathathorn Prousoontorn, the latest move is in response to scam SMS messages originating from overseas.

He added that while the number of scam calls has declined, the number of inbound scam text messages has increased since the beginning of last month, with over 1 million of them a day having been blocked.

Recently, the NBTC subcommittee on enforcing the law suppressing technology crime held a meeting with related authorities concerning its ongoing implementation of the measures aimed at preventing online crime.

The meeting discussed the new measures governing the sending of SMS messages in the application to persons or A2P format.

The measures requires the telecom operators to place the senders of A2P SMS messages into two categories — those sending such messages from within the country, and those sending them from overseas.

Moreover, the telecom operators must register those that wish to send SMS messages domestically in the A2P format. They must be clearly separated from those sending SMS messages from other countries.

In addition, the telecom operators must implement a firewall to screen potentially risky SMS messages, especially those sent from other countries.

After these SMS messages sent from abroad pass their screening process, the operators must place the symbol of an exclamation mark in front of these messages to alert users that it is an international SMS.

The operators must urgently implement all the measures and immediately inform customers about the measures.

The NBTC will start registering SIM boxes in November and only registered ones are eligible to connect with telecom networks. This means the SIM boxes of call centre gangs will not be able to connect with the telecom operators’ networks.

The Senate has approved Anan Suwannarat and Narong Rakroi to serve as members of the Election Commission (EC), filling the two vacant positions.

The approval came during yesterday’s Senate meeting, presided over by Deputy Senate Speaker Kriangkrai Srirak, following a review by the Standing Committee on Background, Conduct, and Ethical Behaviour, chaired by Sen Chattawat Saengpetch.

After the deliberation, Gen Kriangkrai opened the floor for voting on the nominees.

The voting results were: out of 167 votes cast, 137 were in favour of Mr Anan, one opposed, and 29 abstained. As for Mr Narong, 135 votes out of 168 were in favour of him, 32 abstained, and one did not vote.

Earlier yesterday, the People’s Party (PP) called on the Senate to delay the vote to select the two new members of the EC over concerns about a potential conflict of interest among some senators.

PP spokesman Parit Wacharasindhu said he had asked Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul during a debate in parliament on Sept 30 to urge the Senate to delay the vote, as several senators are currently under investigation by the EC for allegedly colluding to manipulate the outcome of the Senate election.

Allowing senators to pick new members of an agency which is currently investigating them posed a huge conflict of interest, which could undermine public trust in the electoral agency, which is meant to be an independent body, Mr Parit said.

Although Mr Anutin, as the head of the executive branch, has no authority to compel the Senate to act in any particular way, he said, the prime minister could use his influence to get the Senate to delay the vote, as the issue concerns public and international confidence in his government.

However, Mr Anutin had yet to respond, he said.

Speaking ahead of the vote on the new commissioners he said if it proceeded as planned, three of the nation’s seven election commissioners would have been appointed by senators currently facing corruption allegations, he said.

Two more election commissioners are due to complete their seven-year terms by the end of this year he said.

Mr Parit unsuccessfully called on the Senate to postpone the vote until the EC concludes its investigation, before urging the EC to proceed with the investigation in a timely manner.

Phuket and Songkhla are seeing more visitors and expect tourism revenue to exceed 4.1 billion baht during their vegetarian festivals this week, while Phuket is pushing the event as a flagship cultural celebration.

The vegetarian festival from Oct 20-29 is expected to generate 382,710 domestic trips, a 28% increase year-on-year, in the two southern provinces, said Thapanee Kiatphaibool, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Revenue from those trips is forecast to rose by 31% to 4.1 billion baht, up 31% year-on-year.

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is forecast to earn 2.3 billion baht from 198,239 domestic trips, with hotels registering an 81% occupancy rate on average.

The Songkhla event is expected to earn 1.76 billion baht from 184,471 trips, with a 75% occupancy rate.

In terms of foreign arrivals, 82% of the visitors to Phuket and Songkhla for the celebrations of Thai-Chinese culture are estimated to be from short-haul markets, led by Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, said Ms Thapanee.

Rangsiman Kingkaew, president of the Tourism Council of Phuket, said this year is the 200th anniversary of the Kathu Shrine, which is the origin of the celebration in Phuket.

Even though most attendees are locals, foreign tourists are increasingly interested in joining the celebration, he said.

Malaysian and Singaporean tourists typically visit the festival in Phuket annually because of their Chinese-rooted culture.

In addition, more European tourists already staying in Phuket during the high season want to explore the unique event, said Mr Rangsiman.

‘The vegetarian festival is considered one of our flagship events to promote the festival economy in Phuket,’ he said.

Other notable festivals held in Phuket include the Phuket Peranakan Festival, the electronic dance music event EDC Thailand, the Phuket Lobster Festival, and the Laguna Phuket Marathon.

Songchai Mungprasitthichai, president of the Songkhla Tourism Promotion Association, said around 10,000 Malaysian tourists were expected to visit Hat Yai this weekend, when there will be a special parade to celebrate the festival.

However, the Hat Yai celebration is not as famous now as in the past, he said.

Mr Songchai said Phuket has emerged as a preferred destination for Malaysian tourists during the festival, with more flights from Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

Regulations that forbid Malaysian tour buses from commuting out of Songkhla to other provinces also hamper the tourism market, he said.

Mr Songchai urged the government to extend the operating hours of border checkpoints to 24 hours a day.

Floodwater had drained from one province in Thailand by Tuesday morning, leaving 15 still flooded and the majority of those in the Central Plain region.

The eastern province of Chachoengsao was removed from the list of flooded provinces by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. Earlier reports showed flooding in Bang Nam Priao district of Chachoengsao.

On Tuesday the department reported flooding in nine central provinces:

Uthai Thani in Muang district with lower floodwater.

Chai Nat in Sapphaya district with stable flood levels.

Sing Buri in In Buri, Phrom Buri and Muang districts with stable flood levels.

Ang Thong in Pa Mok, Wiset Chai Chan, Chai Yo and Muang districts with stable flood levels.

Suphan Buri in Muang, Bang Pla Ma, Song Phi Nong, Don Chedi, Doembang Nangbuat, U Thong, Nong Yasai, Sam Chuk and Dan Chang districts with stable flood levels.

Ayutthaya in the districts of Sena, Phak Hai, Bang Ban, Bang Sai, Bang Pa-in, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Maha Rat, Bang Pahan, Ban Phraek, Tha Rua, Nakhon Luang and Ban Sa-ai with stable flood levels.

Pathum Thani in Sam Khok and Muang districts with rising flood levels.

Nonthaburi in Muang and Pak Kret districts with lower flood levels.

Nakhon Pathom in Bang Len, Sam Phran and Nakhon Chai Si districts with stable flood levels.

Ayutthaya still had the most affected households, 52,543, of the 15 inundated provinces nationwide.

In the North, flooding was in four provinces:

Phitsanulok in Wang Thong and Bang Rakam districts with lower floodwater.

Sukhothai in Muang, Kong Krailat and Khiri Mat districts with lower flood levels.

Phichit in Sam Ngam, Pho Thale, Pho Prathap Chang, Bung Narang, Bang Mun Nak, Thap Khlo, Muang, Dong Charoen, Sak Lek, Wang Sai Phun, Taphan Hin and Wachira Barami districts with lower flood levels.

Nakhon Sawan in Chumsaeng, Muang, Phaisali, Phayuha Khiri, Krok Phra and Tha Tako districts with stable flood levels.

In the Northeast, flooding was reported in:

Ubon Ratchathani in Muang, Warin Chamrap, Phibun Mangsahan, Sawang Wirawong, Trakan Phuetphon and Don Mot Daeng with lower flood levels.

Udon Thani in Phibun Rak, Sang Khom, Nong Han, Ban Dung, Phen, Kut Chap, Muang, Nong Wua So, Na Yoong and Kumphawapi districts with lower flood levels.

Laos’ ambassador, Khamphan Anlavan, met Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul yesterday at the conclusion of his posting to Thailand and to reaffirm continued strong bilateral ties between both nations.

According to government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat, Mr Anutin expressed his appreciation for Mr Khamphan’s contribution in promoting Thai-Lao diplomatic relations during his posting, including the Thai premier’s official visit to Laos on Oct 16.

Mr Anutin also passed on his thanks to Laos’ president, Thongloun Sisoulith, and prime minister, Sonexay Siphandone, for a warm and friendly welcome from both the Lao people and the government.

He emphasised Thailand’s determination to work with Laos in every aspect for shared benefits for the people of both countries.

Mr Khamphan then expressed appreciation to Mr Anutin for choosing Laos as a destination for his first official international visit as Thailand’s PM, signalling the close ties both countries share.

Other areas of collaboration were raised, including a proposal from Thailand for Laos to extend the electricity purchase concession for energy security.

They also discussed cross-border logistics fees to facilitate consumers.

Both nations agreed to use a Joint Commission and a Joint Boundary Commission as a mechanism for further cooperation, said Mr Siripong.

Lalamove, the Hong Kong-based on-demand delivery platform, has sharpened its focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand, with the aim of improving their cost efficiency.

It has also tailored its services to meet their specific needs.

“SMEs are the driving force of Thailand’s economy, and at Lalamove, we see ourselves not only as an on-demand delivery platform but also as a trusted partner in their growth journey,” Ben Lin, managing director of Lalamove Thailand, said during the company’s recent “LALAMOVE x SME” event.

The platform has seen a 30% increase in active corporate users over the past year, with SME orders now making up around 25% of total volume — a share it aims to push to 30%.

To strengthen its regional footprint, Lalamove recently opened business development offices in Chon Buri and Khon Kaen, to collaborate with local logistics providers and extend its service coverage.

With a diverse fleet including nine types of vehicle, the company supports a wide range of sectors, ranging from food and flowers to construction and auto parts, delivering fast, flexible and cost-effective solutions that help entrepreneurs save time, cut costs and scale efficiently.

“We have several hundred drivers and around 5 million users in Thailand,” said Mr Lin. “What sets us apart is our diverse fleet and cost-effective model — we don’t charge SMEs directly. Instead, we operate on a gross profit-sharing model with our drivers, which varies by vehicle type.”

He suggests that the spate of same-day delivery services from e-commerce operators and last mile delivery players has yet to impact Lalamove as on-demand delivery services are quite complex while Lalamove offers a diverse fleet in terms of vehicle type.

Mr Lin recognises that economic challenges significantly impact SMEs. Many are forced to adjust their business models, and some even have to shutter.

However, he also noted that these same conditions often give rise to new SMEs, as entrepreneurs adapt to changing markets and seize emerging opportunities.

“We continue to grow our business in a sustainable way with the aim of growing 30% and widening our services such as ride-hailing that we initiated early this year,” said Mr Lin.

Thanapong Vongchinsri, better known as “Torpenguin”, the founder of the influential “Torpenguin” page, said during the same event that adaptability is the most critical skill for SMEs — especially in the restaurant sector — during times of economic uncertainty.

He said businesses must develop strong unique selling points and adopt an asset-light approach by outsourcing non-core functions.

Collaborations, such as the partnership between Hey! Coffee and PASTA AMA, which share space to attract broader customer segments, are examples of strategic moves that expand reach without heavy investment.

Mr Thanapong also urged business owners to embrace digital tools and efficient delivery services to tackle order management challenges.

“By doing so, SMEs gain flexibility in handling orders and can focus more on developing their products and services,” he said.

Meanwhile, Itthikorn Thepmanee, founder of the dog treat brand JAIKLA, shared his journey of turning food waste into opportunity by creating insect-based protein treats for dogs.

One of the biggest challenges SMEs face is managing raw materials and logistics — especially when demand fluctuates, making operations hard to plan, he added.

OpenAI chief executive Officer Sam Altman is preparing to launch a version of ChatGPT capable of handling mature, adult-oriented content, including erotica, with the expected rollout in December 2025.

Mr Altman took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to announce that the company is set to release a new version of ChatGPT that can engage with adult material, specifically 18+ and erotic themes, but only for users who complete identity verification confirming they are of legal age.

The company’s CEO said ChatGPT had previously maintained relatively stringent limitations as a measure to protect users’ mental well-being. While this caution prevented potential harm, it led to many users finding the chatbot overly reserved and insufficiently flexible for their needs.

However, OpenAI now claims to possess new tooling that offers enhanced mental health safeguards, enabling them to ease these previous restrictions, thus promising users greater freedom and safety in their interactions.

This shift marks a significant departure from OpenAI’s historically conservative stance.

Mr Altman had previously stated publicly that the company would refrain from incorporating “sex-bots” into ChatGPT, even if such a feature could boost user numbers, out of a desire to prevent the AI from being misused in ways that could psychologically impact individuals.

He had even jokingly suggested that some companies might pursue Japanese anime-style sex-bots, but firmly asserted that OpenAI would not follow that path, preferring to prioritise user benefit and safety.(continues below)

Mr Altman said this forthcoming update operates under the principle of “treat adult users like adults”. This means ChatGPT will be capable of understanding the context of mature conversations, yet clear rules prohibiting illegal content, abuse, or sexual violence will remain strictly enforced.

In addition to the content relaxation, this new ChatGPT version will introduce features allowing users to customise the AI’s personality themselves. Users will reportedly be able to configure responses to be warm, friendly, frequently use emojis, or even converse like a friend, reflecting preferences seen in the GPT-4o model.

Mr Altman concluded by noting that within the next few weeks, a new version will be released that allows users to select their preferred personality, such as a friend-like persona with ample emoji use, but only when explicitly requested by the user.

The refreshed ChatGPT will still be based on the GPT-5 model but will undergo internal customisation to support these entirely new functionalities. The full public launch is optimistically anticipated by December 2025.

Lifestyle medicine is a term that describes a holistic approach to achieving graceful longevity among senior citizens, according to Dr Kobkarn Chunhasawatdikul, director of Medpark Well-Healing in Bangkok.

Graceful longevity in turn describes the maintenance of good health through a person’s entire lifespan, in a way that can retard ageing, reduce the duration of illness and support a ‘good death’.

Dr Kobkarn, who has spent 26 years in the field of longevity and wellness science, outlined some of the benefits of lifestyle medicine at the Bangkok Post Forum ‘Living Well Living Long’ on Tuesday.

Thailand is officially an aged society, with just over 20% of the population aged 60 years or more. The figure is projected to reach 30% in 2033, which would classify the country as a ‘super-aged society’.

‘We need to prepare for good health right now by understanding the quality of our health through fundamental or advanced healthcare check-ups,’ said Dr Kobkarn. ‘Then, we must adjust our lifestyle to reduce any health risks, which can be done without expensive cost.’

There are four main non-communicable disease types that place a huge burden on health security: cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes.

Many cancers are caused by cellular inflammation, metabolic syndrome increases the risk of diabetes, while heavy consumption of unhealthy fats and salt is a major contributor to high blood pressure and heart disease.

Dr Kobkarn suggested that people adjust their consumption behaviour by having more nature-based foods, less sugar which is a prime contributor to cell inflammation, no unhealthy fats and limited amounts of salt. Eating enough protein to build up muscle strength is also helpful.

Importantly, she said, people should get a good sleep. Nearly half of the elderly population reports not being able to sleep well, but improving the chance of a good sleep is not hard: more exercise, less caffeine late in the day, and a last meal four hours or more before bedtime. Still looking at that glowing mobile phone screen in the dark? Turn it off.

High-quality sleep can help the body shed deteriorated cells, which in turn can prolong biological age.

‘In the future, technology, science and innovation will play a significant role in longevity,’ Dr Kobkarn said. ‘But before we get to that stage, people must educate themselves to achieve a better understanding of their health, paving the way for lifestyle medicine.’

Emotional strength, supported by good relationships, is also important for seniors, she said, as is some form of work or activity that will contribute to physical and mental strength.

As well, everyone needs self-development goals to ensure they have a purpose in life, empathy and better self-awareness.

Older people should strive to be ‘precious gems’ who can share their experience of graceful ageing with the younger generation, said Dr Kobkarn.

The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine has launched three formulas for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, which it said is a major problem among Thai men.

Department director Nanthasak Chotichanadechawong said on Tuesday that data going back to 2004 showed erectile dysfunction affected up to 43% of Thai men aged 40-70 years, and the problem was getting worse.

‘According to Thai traditional medicine, erectile dysfunction results from a deficiency in the wind element, which has direct impact on blood circulation and the nervous system. So, treatment focuses on attaining a balance between the wind element and the fire element to stimulate blood circulation,’ he said.

The three formulas consist of extracts from rmany plants, in different ratios. They include the water lily rhizome, ginger, long pepper, wild betel pepper, pepper, love apple (aka wax apple), yellow berried nightshade, eggplant, gold apple, cardamom and spur chilli.