Category: The Bangkok Post

A man who parked his pickup truck behind an ambulance is accused of disrupting the emergency transfer of a critically ill patient at Plaipraya Hospital in Krabi province.

The patient later died from respiratory failure.

The hospital issued a statement on Saturday to explain the incident, which took place on Thursday, Oct 16.

At 11.10pm, staff were preparing to transfer a male patient suffering from acute myocardial infarction and respiratory failure to Krabi Hospital.

At 11.15pm, a brown Toyota pickup truck was parked closely behind the designated ambulance, blocking its rear door.

The truck was transporting a 69-year-old woman patient. The hospital said the head nurse explained the critical situation to the relatives and asked them to wait, providing a bed for their mother. However, the family complained loudly about the lack of immediate attention.

When staff were ready to load the critical patient into the ambulance, the truck was still blocking the way. Staff and the family of the critical patient pleaded with the driver to move the vehicle, but he continued to argue angrily for some time before eventually complying.

The critical patient, who was the father of the family, died later that night.

The hospital said the actions of the truck owner ‘obstructed urgent duties of the medical team’.

According to Thairath Online, a daughter of the deceased, Pattaraporn Panich, 29, said she believed a faster transfer might have saved her father.

Plaipraya Hospital director Dr Natthapong Doo-Ngam told Thairath the hospital has assigned its legal team to gather evidence and consider reporting to police on Monday.

New Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiya led executive members into the party’s head office on Monday morning, and said he planned to invite three outsiders for their views on restoring the credibility of Thailand’s oldest political party.

Mr Abhisit and his team paid respect to the statue of the Earth Goddess Mae Thorani, the party’s emblem, before holding their first meeting, to map out the future direction of the party going into the promised general election next year.

The former prime minister was reinstated as Democrat leader on Saturday after Chalermchai Sri-on stepped down amid the party’s declining popularity and internal chaos after some members broke the alliance with the Pheu Thai Party and supported the Bhumjaithai Party-led coalition.

He said he had invited academic and former minister Suvit Mesinsee, KKP Bank Director Banyong Pongpanich and WHA Corp Group chief executive Jareeporn Jarukornsakul to a ameeting on Oct 28 to offer their views on the party and the future of the country.

“I am confident they will have valuable opinions for us. Their views will give us all some good homework to do,” Mr Abhisit said.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnviraku promised to call a general election in four months when he recently took office at the head of his fragile coalition. No date has been announced, but the government has suggested March 29.

Macau: Dominic Foos bagged the Macao Open title yesterday to become the first German to win on the Asian Tour since his illustrious compatriot Bernhard Langer 29 years ago.

He defeated Taiwan’s Wang Wei-hsuan on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff on the iconic par-five 18th at Macau Golf and Country Club.

Foos drained a 10-foot birdie putt to win after Wang missed his attempt for a four — in what was sixth playoff in the history of the event.

The pair had finished tied on 17-under 263, with Foos — who started the day six behind overnight leader Sarit Suwannarut from Thailand — shooting a seven-under-par 63, while Wang closed with a 62.

China’s Wenyi Ding carded a 67 to finish solo third, one stroke back, with Sarit shooting a disappointing 73 to finish alone in fourth, four short of the playoff.

The win will be a huge relieve for Foos who made it through the past two Asian Tour Qualifying Schools. He was also battling to keep his Tour card for next year, sitting in 62nd place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit prior to this week. He has now leapt into 15th position.

The 28-year-old was in the fourth from last group out and like Wang was bogey free. He made seven birdies, crucially on the last two holes of regulation play.

“I gotta say, I didn’t really look at the leaderboard all day,” said Foos.

“Just wanted to play shot by shot, but as I was walking up 18, I obviously had to have a look at the score, and then I noticed I had to make birdie. I was just past the green there. And yeah, knew what I had to do, and I’m glad I did it.”

Langer’s victory was recorded at the Alfred Dunhill Masters in Hong Kong in 1996.

Pang makes a big bang

Chinese teenager Pang Runzhi reinforced her growing reputation as a rising star by winning the Women’s China Open by one stroke yesterday following a tense battle against defending champion Ji Yuai and Wang Zixuan.

The 18-year-old Pang, who was the co-overnight leader with Wang, was the last golfer standing at Enhance Anting Golf Club after battling to a one-under 71 in windy conditions at the CLPG Tour flagship tournament.

With a three-day aggregate of 5-under 211, Pang lifted her second career title following a maiden triumph at the Singapore Ladies Masters last season.

“This tournament [win] feels different for me. It’s a completely different experience,” said a jubilant Pang. “This just feels unbelievable … I guess I was really lucky.”

Thailand’s Sherman Santiwiwattanaphong, who held the lead briefly on the front nine, finished solo fourth following a closing 72 to end the week two shots behind the champion.

A disappointed Sherman said: “It’s been tough. I had some bad luck on the 10th hole for my bogey and then hit bad shots on 11 and 12 due to the conditions. I couldn’t quite control the ball.”

Global investors appear to be in a “fear of missing out” (FOMO) mode, with strong buying momentum continuing to flow into gold and trendy equities worldwide, despite heightened risks from renewed US-China trade tensions and political uncertainty in the US.

According to Asia Plus Securities (ASPS), global markets remain volatile as trade hostilities between the US and China intensify.

US President Donald Trump recently declared America is now in a full-scale trade war with China, threatening to impose an additional 100% tariff and even cancel the upcoming Apec Summit scheduled for South Korea later this month.

Trump also signalled plans to suspend vegetable oil trade with China, further escalating market concerns.

Adding to the uncertainty, the possibility of a prolonged US government shutdown — potentially lasting more than 25 days — has deepened market caution.

Sentiment remains somewhat buoyed by expectations that US-China trade negotiations could resume, as the US treasury secretary is reportedly preparing to propose a 90-day tariff suspension in exchange for China lifting export restrictions on rare earth minerals.

Markets are pricing in two additional Federal Reserve rate cuts before year-end, while strong third-quarter earnings in multiple sectors provides further support to risk assets.

Among global highlights, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (MC FP) surged more than 12.2% after reporting hefty revenue recently, with Asian sales returning to growth for the first time in six quarters.

Estée Lauder Companies Inc (EL US) showed clear recovery momentum as sales in China rebounded, driven by online channels such as Tmall, Taobao and Douyin, making it the only foreign beauty brand still expanding in the Chinese market. ASPS recommends short-term speculative positions in ESTEE80 depositary receipts.

Domestically, the Bank of Thailand signalled a “cautious policy stance”, prioritising long-term stability over short-term stimulus. As a result, expectations for a December rate cut have eased, while the 10-year Thai government bond yield rose above 1.50%.

Meanwhile, the Thai government is preparing to propose a year-end tourism stimulus package worth up to 20 billion baht in personal tax deductions, including a 1.5-times deduction for travel to secondary cities between Oct 29 and Dec 15. Stocks likely to benefit include The Erawan Group (ERW), Minor International (MINT) and Central Plaza Hotel (CENTEL), according to ASPS.

In terms of market sentiment, global equity sentiment remains firmly in FOMO territory. US margin debt in September surged 6.3% month-on-month to a record high, while volatility as measured by average true range for both US and Thai equities has doubled from the three-month average, noted the brokerage.

Fund inflows have concentrated in hot themes such as gold, silver, mining, semiconductors, renewable energy and healthcare.

Gold prices year-to-date have climbed nearly 60%, the S and P 500 index has gained 15-20%, while the SET index remains down about 8%, recovering from a contraction of 20% earlier in the year.

Monrat Phadungsit, managing director of Land and Houses Fund Management Co, suggested focusing on big trends that will shape the next phase of global growth, especially artificial intelligence, highlighting the space economy, quantum computing, and nuclear energy as standout investment themes.

Meanwhile, Gcap Company Ltd noted gold retains strong bullish momentum, supported by three drivers: escalating trade tensions, US government shutdown risks, and expectations of further Fed rate cuts. The firm recommends maintaining long positions and adding on price dips, with major resistance at US$4,250 an ounce, provided prices hold above $4,000.

Registration for the “Khon La Khrueng Plus” programme has officially opened, says Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas.

During a visit to Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi on Sunday to monitor the roll-out of the co-payment scheme, Mr Ekniti said the programme will benefit not only consumers, but also small business owners, and local shops.

He said over 200,000 vendors have already registered to take part in the programme. Registration for vendors will remain open until Dec 19.

Mr Ekniti said in this phase of the scheme, licensed public transport drivers, including motorcycle taxis and bus operators, are also eligible to join as service providers. The Ministry of Transport will provide subsidies to reduce travel expenses for the public, allowing citizens to pay only half of transport costs.

The initiative includes discounted fares for buses operated by the Transport Co Ltd across the country.

During his visit, Mr Ekniti said many local shops and residents responded positively to the scheme and asked for the second phase of the scheme to run for a longer period. He instructed the Ministries of Finance and Interior to monitor for any misuse of the programme, warning that anyone found guilty will face strict legal action.

The Khon La Khrueng Plus scheme, initiated by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, is part of the government’s Quick Big Win strategy to boost economy and reduce the cost of living for the public.

Meanwhile, deputy government spokeswoman Airin Phanrit said the scheme has drawn healthy interest from consumers and merchants.

Some 123,960 shops have registered between Oct 15 and 17 while another 98,064 are still undergoing the verification process. In total, over 222,000 shops have applied so far.

Registration for consumers will be available through the Pao Tang app from Oct 20-26 between 6am and 10pm. Participants will receive between 2,000 and 2,400 baht each, with a daily spending limit of 200 baht.

Ms Airin also warned of increased online scams exploiting the scheme’s popularity, saying cybercriminals have been sending fake links to steal personal data and bank account information. She advised the public to avoid clicking on suspicious SMS links or sharing personal details, including ID numbers, PINs, OTPs or bank data.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has instructed the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) to strengthen coordination across agencies to combat online scams and call centre fraud.

Government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat said the directive was issued during Isoc’s first board meeting, held on Monday at its Bangkok headquarters.

Mr Anutin called for tougher defences against scammers, improved real-time intelligence sharing, and tighter cross-border cooperation to prevent Thailand from being used as a base or transit point for cybercrime.

The meeting also endorsed four strategic plans for Isoc’s southern operations, covering counter-narcotics, anti-terrorism and scam suppression.

Army spokesman Maj Gen Thammanoon Maisonti said Mr Anutin stressed the need for proactive intelligence to detect criminal activity and integrate data from security and financial agencies to dismantle scam networks.

Meanwhile, Thai delegates at the 151st Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva urged stronger global cooperation against cybercrime.

Led by House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, the Thai team proposed an urgent motion on transnational crime during the Asia-Pacific Group meeting at the Centre International de Conférences Genève.

Rangsiman Rome, a People’s Party MP, presented the proposal, warning that online scams had become a global menace undermining economies and exploiting the vulnerable.

Co-drafted by Thailand, China and Cambodia, the proposal calls for enhanced data-sharing, coordinated law enforcement, and mutual legal assistance to track and recover assets linked to cybercriminals.

Delegates also discussed holding digital platforms accountable for enabling fraud. The Asia-Pacific Group recommended Thailand’s initiative for adoption as an emergency resolution at today’s IPU plenary session.

However, Cambodia opposed the proposal, arguing it did not align with the assembly’s main theme of maintaining humanitarian standards amid global crises.

The Football Association of Thailand (FAT) staged the official draw for the 2025 SEA Games football competitions in Bangkok on Sunday — but the ceremony unfolded under a pall of controversy after Timor-Leste accused Thailand of shutting its men’s team out of the tournament.

The furious claim from Dili sparked public anger and even calls for protests against Timor-Leste’s own Olympic committee, with officials initially pointing the finger at Thailand for the missing entry.

However, Chaiyapak Siriwat, CEO of the SEA Games Federation and vice president of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand, insisted the error did not originate in Bangkok.

He explained that all nine eligible nations had been confirmed after the entry-by-name deadline, making it impossible for Thailand to have excluded Timor-Leste.

Late on Friday, Timor-Leste’s Olympic officials admitted the mistake was internal, caused by staff failing to key in the football team’s registration, and formally apologised to Thailand.

With Timor-Leste granted an entry into the men’s football competition, the official draw went ahead, pitting hosts Thailand against Cambodia and Timor-Leste for Group A first round battles.

The men’s competition, which will take place between Dec 3-18, will feature 10 teams. They have divided into two groups of three and one group of four, with group winners and the best second-placed team advancing to the semi-finals.

Thailand, the 16-time champions, will play their first round matches at Tinsulanonda Stadium in Songkhla.

Vietnam, the 2021 winners, Malaysia and Laos are in Group B while defending champions Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines and Singapore are in Group C, with matches taking place at Chiang Mai’s 700th Anniversary Stadium.

The semi-finals and the final will take place at Bangkok’s Rajamangala National Stadium.

Later, the FAT addressed concerns over the men’s football draw for the SEA Games, after Timor-Leste was unexpectedly added to the competition lineup just hours before the official ceremony.

Vice president Dr Charnwit Polcheewin said the late change came directly from the SEA Games organisers and the association had no choice but to follow the directive.

Thailand have also drawn bitter foes on and off the field Cambodia in their group for the women’s football competitions.

There are eight teams in the women’s competition, which will be played at Chonburi Stadium and the National Sports University Chonburi Campus.

Thailand are in Group A with Cambodia, Singapore and Indonesia while Group B includes Vietnam, Myanmar, Philippines and Malaysia.

The group stage will start from Dec 4 to 11 while the semi-finals and the final will be played at Chonburi Stadium between Dec 14-17.

The six-team women’s event, which will take place at Bangkok Thonburi University from Dec 12-18, will feature two groups of three.

The men’s futsal competition will take place at Nonthaburi Stadium, with five-time champions Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia competing in a single round-robin format. The team with the most points will take home the gold medal.

Thailand, Malaysia and Philippines are in Group A while Group B consists of Vietnam, Myanmar and Indonesia. The top two teams will qualify for the semi-finals.

New Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiya led executive members into the party’s head office on Monday morning, and said he planned to invite three outsiders for their views on restoring the credibility of Thailand’s oldest political party.

Mr Abhisit and his team paid respect to the statue of the Earth Goddess Mae Thorani, the party’s emblem, before holding their first meeting, to map out the future direction of the party going into the promised general election next year.

The former prime minister was reinstated as Democrat leader on Saturday after Chalermchai Sri-on stepped down amid the party’s declining popularity and internal chaos after some members broke the alliance with the Pheu Thai Party and supported the Bhumjaithai Party-led coalition.

He said he had invited academic and former minister Suvit Mesinsee, KKP Bank Director Banyong Pongpanich and WHA Corp Group chief executive Jareeporn Jarukornsakul to a ameeting on Oct 28 to offer their views on the party and the future of the country.

“I am confident they will have valuable opinions for us. Their views will give us all some good homework to do,” Mr Abhisit said.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnviraku promised to call a general election in four months when he recently took office at the head of his fragile coalition. No date has been announced, but the government has suggested March 29.

The International Schools Association of Thailand (ISAT) says it hopes to enhance Thailand’s academic landscape in line with the national education policy, with a strong focus on improving opportunities for disadvantaged children and youth.

In partnership with state agencies, including the Equitable Education Fund (EEF), ISAT launched a scholarship programme last year to support top-performing students from low-income families.

The initiative helps students develop academic and social skills in an international learning environment by enrolling them in leading international schools across Thailand. The programme was inspired by earlier scholarship efforts that sent Thai students abroad but often saw them struggle due to language and cultural barriers. By preparing students locally first, ISAT aims to ensure that future scholars can succeed globally.

The 2022 Pisa report says more than 26,000 Thai students from the poorest 15% of households ranked among the nation’s top 20% academically. Yet despite their potential, many have lacked access to quality education and international exposure. ISAT calls this the “lost ice-time phenomenon” — a loss of opportunity, not talent.

ISAT’s initiative complements the government’s Outstanding Development Opportunity Scholarship (ODOS) programme, which supports high-achieving high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This year, 2,400 Grade 12 students have been awarded full scholarships for further education. Of these, 168 will study abroad in the UK, US, and Australia, while the rest will attend universities in Thailand, in the upcoming academic year. These 168 students will also join ISAT’s pilot programme, developed in collaboration with its member schools.

The initiative provides a two-way learning experience where scholarship recipients join classes with ISAT students, encouraging cultural exchange and confidence-building before they continue their studies overseas.

Set to begin in March next year, the pilot phase will run across 10 ISAT schools, including International School Bangkok, Bangkok Patana, New International School, Rugby International School, Bangkok Prep, Ramkhamhaeng Advent International School, St Andrew’s, and Ruamrudee International School.

The programme features a “shadow bootcamp,” where scholarship students attend regular ISAT classes, as well as English and STEM-focused training to boost academic readiness and adaptability. “Thai children are exceptionally capable, particularly in STEM fields, but many lack opportunities,” said ISAT president Usa Somboon. “More than 180 ISAT member schools have already joined this effort, and we’re also providing counselling to help students reach their full potential.”

Looking ahead, ISAT will partner with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security on the “Child Safeguarding in Thailand” initiative to strengthen student welfare systems.

Thianthong Prasanpanich, director of the ministry’s Children and Youth Protection Division, noted: “International schools have strong child protection systems, including counselling and training for students and guardians.” Through these partnerships, ISAT aims to expand reporting mechanisms, and ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive.

Local sports officials see nothing unusual in the fact a 28 million baht sports arena has not been used for at least two years and is now rundown and overgrown.

Passakorn Phutthananupakorn, provincial chief of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), said on Monday it was normal for a stadium to go more than two years without any activities being orgainised there.

He refused to explain just why no events had been scheduled there, only denying news reports that it cost 100 million baht to build. The actual figure was merely 28 million baht, he said.

The stadium is in suburban Nakhon Phanom municipality in Muang district. The arena is a shambles, the grass on the centre field long and uncut and the running track around it rapidy deteriorating.

Mr Passakorm claimed workers maintaining the grounds could not keep up with the grass growing there because it had been raining a lot.

SAT headquarters in Bangkok was aware of the problem and was considering allocating extra funding for a cleanup and renovation, he said.

However, according to one person involved in maintaining the grounds, no budget funds have been provided for years. (continues) The stadium was built by the SAT to promote activities in Nakhon Phanom and neighbouring provinces. It is not clear when.

“Providing sports services is our duty,” SAT Office Region 3 declares on its website. The office oversees some northeastern provinces, including Nakhon Phanom.

Nakhon Phanom has another stadium, closer to the city centre, built by the Provincial Administration Organisation. This venue is home to Nakhon Phanom FC, a football club. It is well maintained.