Category: The Bangkok Post

The body of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother was on Sunday evening brought to the Grand Palace, where funeral rites will be held, as people gathered to pay their respects and express heartfelt gratitude to the late former queen.

Her Majesty’s body was conveyed in a royal procession that departed from King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital at 4.26pm. The procession followed a 10-kilometre route to the Grand Palace. Their Majesties the King and Queen, together with other members of the Royal Family, travelled in the procession.

The royal coffin was transported in a grey Volkswagen Caravelle T4 van that had once served as the work vehicle of His Majesty King Rama IX. The same van had also been used to carry the body of the late King in 2016.

Thousands of mourners dressed in black, along with military personnel, police officers, doctors, nurses and officials, lined the procession route along Henri Dunant, Rama IV, Phaya Thai, Si Ayutthaya and Ratchadamnoen roads.

Moments of sorrowful silence alternated with cries of grief as the royal motorcade passed by. Many mourners held portraits of the Queen Mother close to their hearts or raised them above their heads. As the cortege moved along, tears flowed freely among the crowds – and the sky, moments earlier bright and sunny, turned sombre and grey.

‘I arrived on Ratchadamnoen Avenue in front of the Supreme Court in the morning. I never once felt tired while waiting for the royal procession. It is the greatest honour of my life to have the opportunity to bid farewell to Her Majesty,’ said Nanthapop Prombut, a Bangkok resident.

‘Since my childhood, I have seen Her Majesty tirelessly helping people in need, in both urban and rural areas. She cared deeply about the environment and the welfare of all Thais. She will forever remain in the hearts of the people,’ he said.

The royal motorcade reached the Grand Palace at 5.05pm. Her Majesty’s body was first taken to the Phiman Rattaya Throne Hall, where the royal bathing ceremony was conducted.

The royal coffin was then transferred to the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall, where the royal funeral rites were performed.

From Monday onwards, the public may pay their respects before the Queen Mother’s portrait at the Sahathai Samakhom Pavilion in the Grand Palace between 8.30am and 4pm.

From 9th November, members of the public will be able to pay their respects at the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall from 9am to noon.

From urban communities to remote towns, the sense of loss is felt keenly across the kingdom as Thais mourn the passing of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother.

While expressing profound sorrow, citizens also expressed heartfelt gratitude for Her Majesty’s unparalleled grace and dedication to the nation.

In the northeastern region, government agencies, state enterprises and local organisations, as witnessed in Yasothon and Bueng Kan provinces, lowered their flags to half-mast and displayed mourning cloths as a mark of tribute.

Local clothing stores put black attire on display, allowing residents to purchase it and wear it to mourn Her Majesty’s passing.

In Nakhon Ratchasima, Prakakrong Phutklang, a retired teacher, spoke about Her Majesty’s life of service and the positive impact of her projects on the people she served.

“Her Majesty’s dedication to the people made the nation better,” the teacher said.

Kerd Chinsuk, 92, from Phimai district, recalled the time when she met King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit during their visit to the district in 1955 and fondly remembered Her Majesty’s kindness.

Ms Kerd recalled that Her Majesty asked her how old the child was.

She replied, “Six months, and he’s my only child”.

Her Majesty smiled warmly in response and looked radiant, Ms Kerd said.

She said that to honour the memory of the royal family, she has raised her family with sustainable farming principles inspired by King Rama IX (King Bhumibol Adulyadej).

In the Central Plains, locals in Uthai Thani province expressed their intention to mourn for a full year, with black attire becoming a prominent symbol of respect.

At the Saturday market in Nong Chang municipality, vendors and shoppers alike wore black. Stores quickly sold out of black attire.

A vendor tearfully shared her sorrow, calling Her Majesty the “Mother of the Land”, a title that resonated deeply with many.

In Si Racha district of Chon Buri province, residents immediately donned black clothing to express their sorrow.

In Ayutthaya province, staff at the Bang Sai Royal Folk Arts and Crafts Centre have begun decorating the place with mourning cloth, and residents are joining in, reflecting on Her Majesty’s support for vocational training and community education.

In Betong district, Yala province, in the Deep South, the atmosphere was similarly sombre.

Vendors and locals recalled Her Majesty’s visits to remote areas, including a 1976 trip to Betong, where she promoted livelihoods and improved the quality of life for residents.

For them, Her Majesty was not only a queen but a mother figure who deeply cared for every citizen.

Agencies across the country are also opening condolence books for citizens.

Microsoft has unveiled a significant update for Copilot on Windows 11, fulfilling earlier cryptic hints about an upcoming feature that would allow users to “rest their fingers”. This major enhancement introduces voice interaction capabilities, allowing users to converse directly with the AI assistant, marking a crucial step in transforming Windows into a fully integrated AI-native platform.

The core addition is Copilot Voice, which will be generally available in countries supporting Copilot services on Windows 11. Users can initiate conversations with the command “Hey Copilot” and conclude them with “Goodbye”. This opt-in feature, which must be enabled within Copilot, aims for more natural interaction. It will enable tasks such as summarising webpages, setting up meetings, drafting emails or editing documents in Word, all without typing, and it supports continuous, cross-application commands, functioning much like a personal secretary.

Complementing the voice feature is Copilot Vision, which grants the AI the ability to “see” what is on the user’s screen, including tables in images, scanned documents, or PowerPoint slides. When a user shares their desktop or an application, Copilot analyses queries and offers real-time guidance through a “Highlights” feature. This can involve visually indicating where to click or demonstrating usage steps within an application. For users less inclined towards voice, Microsoft is also preparing a Text-in Text-out mode for the Windows Insider build.

The Windows 11 interface is being updated with an Ask Copilot button on the taskbar, resembling a search box, alongside new shortcuts to quickly access the Voice and Vision features, integrating Copilot into daily workflows. Microsoft has reiterated that while search responsiveness is improving, Copilot does not access files or applications directly, instead relying only on the same Windows APIs as Windows Search and requiring explicit user permission for every access request.

Further development is underway with Copilot Actions, currently being tested with Windows Insiders, and Copilot Labs. These initiatives are focused on enabling Copilot to directly manage local files – such as organising images, correcting skewed photos, deleting duplicates, or extracting data from PDFs. These background processes will allow users to monitor progress at any time, with the scope of these local file capabilities expected to expand as the feature matures.

Copilot Connectors on Windows will facilitate data linkage with services across both Microsoft and Google ecosystems, including OneDrive, Outlook, Gmail, Google Calendar, and Contacts. Once authorised, Copilot can search for and retrieve personal data based on verbal commands – for instance, locating a calendar appointment or pulling an old cloud document – and can then immediately pass the results to Word, Excel, or PowerPoint for further work.

In a move to simplify system management, Copilot will also integrate fully with Windows Settings. Users can now type or speak requests like “make the screen easier to read” or “reduce distractions during work”, and Copilot will directly open the relevant settings panel. Microsoft confirms that all new Copilot features operate on an explicit consent basis, meaning the AI only accesses data when permission is granted, and this access can be revoked at any time. While the taskbar experience does not require an NPU chip (the chip designed for AI processing) for the Voice and Vision features on Windows 11, the presence of one will ensure faster and more secure audio and visual processing.

This comprehensive update represents a significant shift, evolving Windows from a standard operating system into a more intuitive personal assistant capable of listening, seeing the screen, and acting upon request. Sound, sight, and AI are positioned to become the new cornerstones of the modern user experience, with Microsoft aiming to establish Windows as the central hub for AI-native experiences for both consumers and enterprises, promising further enterprise details at the next Microsoft Ignite event.

You can’t beat a good old fashioned diamond heist to make media headlines around the world. Even better when it involves an iconic institution like the Louvre museum in Paris home of the much loved Mona Lisa.

Adding to the interest is the sheer audacity of the heist made by four men in broad daylight and taking less than eight minutes to complete.

The brazen nature of the heist and its simplicity has been extremely embarrassing for officials having to admit they had lost a slice of French history. When the Louvre director addressed staff after the heist she was greeted with a chorus of boos as they had regularly complained security was not up to standard.

At the time of writing the culprits haven’t been caught. Perhaps they should put Inspector Clouseau on the case. His investigative skills would prove very useful in this situation. With his infallible philosophy “I believe everything and I believe nothing. I suspect everyone and I suspect no one” he would undoubtedly quickly sort things out.

It is not the first time the Louvre has had a problem with thieves. In 2013 it had to close down for a day after staff walked out complaining that the place was being overrun by “aggressive pickpockets”, including gangs of children. Even the staff were being regularly “dipped” by the gangs.

It’s not just in Paris of course. The New Orleans police department used to display a splendid sign “Beware of Pickpockets and Loose Women”. Now that’s a wicked combination.

The Bangkok heist

I recall back in 1994 in Bangkok we had a rather entertaining diamond heist at a jewellery fair being held at the Convention Centre on Ratchadapisek.

Staff from one major jeweller were transferring six bags of diamonds worth millions of baht inside the exhibition site. Suddenly they were confronted by the sight of US$100 (3,266 baht today) banknotes lying in front of them on the floor. They couldn’t believe their luck and promptly put down their bags of diamonds to scoop up their unexpected bonus.

It will come as no surprise that when they turned to pick up the diamonds, the bags were gone along with a suspicious gentleman who was spotted scuttling out of a door. The fellow jumped on a waiting motorcycle and that was the last anyone saw of him or the bangles.

To rub it in those seductive $100 bills presumably planted by the thief’s accomplice, turned out to be counterfeit.

Hard to swallow

In 2015 a less successful attempt to steal a large diamond in Bangkok involved a Chinese woman who was arrested after apparently swallowing a 10-million baht diamond at a jewellery fair. What prompted considerable comment was the means by which the precious stone was extracted from her stomach. After laxatives failed to work it was determined that a much more direct approach was required, using a pair of surgical pliers. Judging from the look on the lady’s face following the successful extraction, it wasn’t a pleasant experience.

There was also considerable debate whether the hot rock had gained or lost value since its little adventure. After all, it didn’t exactly take the scenic route. One suspects there were not many hi-so ladies in Bangkok who would be too keen on showing off the diamond if they knew where it had been.

Girl’s best friend

There is no doubt that diamonds have a special allure for film stars. Marilyn Monroe didn’t do the reputation of diamonds any harm in the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. It is in this production she performed that memorable song, “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”. The song includes the immortal line: “A kiss may be grand, but it won’t pay the rental.” It was one of Monroe’s best performances.

Another actress Zsa Zsa Gabor got through her fair share of husbands and collected more than a few bangles on the way. She might have experienced difficulty keeping her husbands, but heroically hung on to her jewellery without any problem. As Zsa Zsa once explained: “I never hated a man enough to give his diamonds back.” That was very considerate.

News from the loos

Any mention of the Louvre always reminds me of a magnificent newspaper misprint many years ago. It was in the days when reporters used public telephones to send in their stories to the newsdesk. If the line was bad it could have unfortunate results.

It was such a call that led to the following slip that appeared in the Times. Explaining why it is necessary to charge entrance fees to art exhibitions in London, a British minister was quoted as saying: “You expect to pay for going to the loos.”

The next day the furious reporter was spotted informing a red-faced sub-editor who transcribed his call, that he was talking about the Louvre museum and not the toilets.

Sorry teacher

A bad phone line prompted the following apology in a British newspaper: “A report on the Irish church leaders meeting should have stated that Cardinal Conway’s use of the word ‘horizon’ was ‘prophetic’. Because of a mishearing it appeared as ‘pathetic’.?”

Another dodgy telephone line prompted the following splendid correction in an American newspaper: “It was incorrectly reported that today is T-shirt Appreciation Day. In fact it is actually Teacher Appreciation Day.”

Somewhere between the early alarms, back-to-back meetings and endless notifications, we lost something. We became efficient – frighteningly efficient – but a little less human. We move fast, talk fast and decide fast.

Even our relaxation is scheduled. We meditate through apps, take power naps between calls and track our ‘well-being’ like a KPI. Life has become one long checklist: complete, sync, repeat.

And yet, when you ask people how they are, the most common answer isn’t ‘I’m great.’ It’s ‘I’m tired.’ I meet so many people who look successful on paper but feel empty inside. Entrepreneurs who have built thriving businesses yet feel disconnected from what once inspired them. Managers who deliver results but quietly wonder if their work still matters. Senior leaders who have everything they ever worked for but can’t remember the last time they felt truly alive.

The truth is, we are not built to run like machines. We are human: emotional, creative, unpredictable, beautifully imperfect. We don’t just survive on efficiency; we live on connection, reflection and meaning.

The more we chase speed, the more we risk losing the slower, deeper parts of life, the pause before a big decision, the conversation that goes off script, the silence that allows new ideas to form. Those are the moments where insight, empathy and real leadership begin.

Efficiency is useful, but it should never be the only measure of success. If we focus only on what can be done faster, cheaper or easier, we start to flatten life into numbers and deadlines. We forget that what truly moves people and organisations is not speed, but sincerity.

I’ve seen this in every transformation journey I’ve been part of. The turning point never comes from a new system or process. It comes from a real conversation, the kind where people stop performing and start listening.

When someone dares to ask not just ‘What are we doing?’ but ‘Why are we doing this?’, that’s when everything changes. Teams reconnect. Leaders rediscover their purpose. People remember that behind every strategy and every metric are human beings trying to do meaningful work.

And maybe that’s the art of staying human in a hyper-efficient world, not by rejecting progress, but by grounding it in presence. By slowing down just enough to see, to listen and to care.

So this week, instead of asking yourself, ‘How can I get more done?’ try asking, ‘How can I make what I do more meaningful?’ You may find that the most powerful progress doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from being more: more aware, more human.

While China, the West, and South Korea are cracking down on cyber scam empires, the Thai government is still looking the other way.

Early this year, Chinese authorities dismantled scam compounds in Myanmar’s Myawaddy and brought gang bosses to justice.

This month, Britain and the United States sanctioned Chinese-Cambodian tycoon Chen Zhi, mastermind of one of the world’s biggest online fraud networks in Cambodia. South Korea also issued a “code black” travel ban, sent a high-level response team and repatriated over 60 citizens from the scam compounds.

Last week, Myanmar’s military raided the notorious KK Park scam compound in Myawaddy, opposite Mae Sot in Tak province, which holds over 2,000 detainees at present.

The raid at KK was quite shocking. Early this year, China had moved to rescue its citizens from Myawaddy out of frustration with Thai inaction.

The Thai government promised to “cut power, internet and oil” to cripple the operations. But the delay enabled the scam city to adapt. With new power lines, satellite internet and fresh oil supplies from Thailand, the city was back in full swing when the Myanmar government started its crackdown on Tuesday.

Who profited from that delay? Everyone with a hand in the smuggling, bribes, and payoffs. Ironically, when the scam victims — Thais and foreign workers lured by fake job ads — escaped forced labour and torture, they were arrested for illegal border crossing.

Their testimonies, which could expose traffickers and recruiters, were ignored. Authorities insist they went willingly, turning victims into offenders and letting the real criminals walk free. This happens on both the Myanmar and Cambodia borders.

When embassies and civil society groups plead for help to speed up the transfer of victims rescued from scam compounds to return home, officials drag their feet. Among them are pregnant women, suicide survivors, and torture victims.

This bureaucratic red tape borders on complicity.

Without action, Thailand risks being seen as part of the global scam architecture. Look no further than Chen Zhi’s Prince Group that has opened a real estate business in Thailand, apart from Taiwan and Singapore. In Thailand, the group has dealings with politicians and real-estate firms, hobnobbing with the elite.

If Chen Zhi’s empire has roots here, what is the government going to do? Only last week, when news about scammer networks grew too big to ignore, did the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) start investigating Thai shareholders.

Expecting the government to dismantle these networks may be an insurmountable task especially when the warlords are in business with the powerful. But at the very least, the government can handle victims and forced labour more efficiently.

Hundreds of workers fled KK Park, a major online scam operation, when Myanmar’s military started its raid. They crossed the Moei River into Thailand.

Many are Thais. The government must deploy special troops to rescue them, instead leaving the task to local officials to handle. It must make use of their testimony to pursue traffickers, and stop punishing people who have already been through hell.

In mid-October, an anti-trafficking group wrote to the prime minister urging the government to speed up rescues from scam centres, classify them as human-trafficking victims, and allow international human-rights observers to monitor screening. It is a plea that remains unheard.

If Thailand continues to be a weak and inert link in this global scam chain, it will be branded as an accomplice and clean investors will steer clear.

Tourists will think twice, and the economy and the nation’s reputation will pay the price while the corrupt grow richer off the world’s misery.

Chinese tourist arrivals have plunged after reports of their nationals being kidnapped, tortured, and trafficked on Thai soil. Every foreign headline about Southeast Asian cybercrime chips away at Thailand’s reputation as a safe destination.

Worse, the result of state inaction is scam empires are making Thailand home. If these gangsters are not stopped, they will start expanding their investments, just like Chen Zhi did in Cambodia.

The cyber scam industry is no longer a border issue; it’s a national threat. It lays bare how deeply corruption has eaten into the system. And until the government acts, the scams will keep thriving in plain sight, under the bright light of official approval.

Jonathan Haggerty has set his sights again on Fabricio Andrade’s ONE Championship bantamweight MMA title – vowing to chase his long-held dream of becoming the promotion’s first simultaneous three-sport world champion.

The 28-year-old Briton returns at ONE 173 in Tokyo on November 16, where he will face Nabil Anane for the bantamweight Muay Thai belt.

Victory, he said, would reignite his bid to complete the historic trifecta.

‘I can see a [Fabricio] Andrade super fight next for the MMA world title – let’s go,’ Haggerty told the Bangkok Post. ‘I want to be the consecutive three-sport champ and have all three belts at one time, and it starts with November 16. We get the Muay Thai belt back, and who knows – we’ll have to see. But the future is looking bright and I’m excited for it.’

Haggerty won both the Muay Thai and kickboxing bantamweight titles in 2023, the latter against Andrade when the belt was vacant in what was an ill-tempered rivalry.

He then called for a crack at the Brazilian’s MMA crown – but instead defended his Muay Thai belt twice, stopping Felipe Lobo before surrendering it to Superlek in Denver last September.

The Londoner admitted his focus for now remains firmly on Anane, but said he would welcome a direct leap into MMA title contention afterward.

‘Let’s go straight for the MMA belt – no warm-up fight in MMA,’ he said. ‘Listen, I’m focused on Nabil, the task ahead of us. We have to wait and see how things pan out, but the main goal now is to defeat Nabil and reclaim the world title.’

Andrade, who defends his MMA belt against Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu at ONE Fight Night 38 in December, told the Bangkok Post he is open to the matchup – but would like to see Haggerty gain MMA experience first.

‘I just want to fight – it doesn’t matter who it is,’ Andrade said. ‘If he starts fighting MMA, he could be a potential opponent, no problem.

‘I think it would be good to build this fight if he does an MMA fight first. If he has never fought MMA, you cannot just go straight for the title. They can give him an opponent, and he can make his debut, then it’s very easy to make it happen.

‘Maybe John Lineker – that would be a tough fight for him, because Lineker mixes very well with the takedowns.’

For now, Haggerty’s focus is on reclaiming the Muay Thai belt he once held. But with a win in Tokyo, the door could open for one of ONE’s most ambitious cross-disciplinary showdowns yet.

Sampson Zheng set up a fascinating final-round contest in the US$2 million International Series Philippines with home hero Miguel Tabuena and the in-form Sarit Suwannarut after a sensational 10-under-par 62 in the third round on Saturday.

Thailand’s Sarit (69), a two-time International Series winner, had started the day four shots ahead of Tabuena and Kazuki Higa, but he was caught on moving day by the fast-charging Zheng, and Tabuena (65), who made two eagles during the round.

The leading trio were on 17-under 199 at the Sta Elena Golf Club, one shot ahead of Japan’s Yosuke Asaji (65), while South Africa’s LIV Golf star Dean Burmester (65) and another in-form star Higa (68) were tied fifth at 14-under 202.

India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar (67) made a bogey on his closing hole but advanced to seventh place alone at 13-under, one ahead of Australia’s Marc Leishman (65).

China’s 24-year-old Zheng rode a hot putter and jumped into contention with a round that featured eight birdies and an eagle on the par-five eighth hole. The round included four straight birdies from the 14th to 17th holes, followed by a crucial par save on his final hole when he two-putted from 45 feet.

“I just hit a lot of greens and made a lot of putts. I honestly didn’t feel like I did anything super special, but I just stuck to the game plan. Hit a lot of greens, hit a lot of shots very close, and fortunately made some putts,” said Zheng, whose best finish on the Asian Tour is a tied for second at the Indonesia Open and a tied for fourth in the International Series in England, last year.

In Friday’s second round, Tabuena made a hole-in-one and an eagle, and he followed up on Saturday with eagles on the par-five third and 16th holes. On the third, Tabuena smashed a four-iron from 257 yards and hit a five-iron from 235 yards downwind on the 16th.

Tabuena said: “To be honest, I totally forgot my score out there. I was just cruising and found myself in a real flow state — which is exactly what I wanted to achieve at the start of the day. I didn’t want to think about my score or what the other players were doing. I just wanted to focus on my own game and execute my plan, and it was nice to be able to do that today.”

After making 16 birdies in his first 36 holes, Sarit could add only five in the third round, apart from two bogeys — one of which came on the par-five eighth.

“It was a tough day. I didn’t hit my driver as well as the first two days, and the pins were a little bit tougher. So, I’ll say overall solid, but not as good as I wanted,” said the 27-year-old, who was leading by four shots the previous week in Macao, but finished tied fourth.

“I feel the same as I was in Macao. The number I have to shoot to be able to win, I’m just going to focus on that and try to do my best to outplay the other guys. Not only the other two guys, but also you can see how low everyone is scoring on Sunday. Someone could shoot 10-under again and jump up the leaderboard. But yeah, I’m going to play my best, and let’s see what happens after that.”

Former world No.1 Dustin Johnson shot a four-under 68 to move up to a tie for 26th place at eight under.

A big fireball was reportedly seen above the sky of Thailand in central and eastern provinces early Sunday morning.

According to media reports, people in Pattaya, Chon Buri, Rayong, Prachin Buri and Bangkok saw the moving yellow-orange fireball, heard an explosion and felt a vibration at about 12.30am.

The Thai Astronomical Society said the fireball event might be a part of the Taurid meteor shower resulting from falling fragment of periodic Comet Encke.

Facebook user Pongsa Pakaedom said he recorded the fireball in Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri.

Opposition leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut has criticised Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s handling of the online scam crisis, describing the government’s action as “too light and too slow.”

Mr Natthaphong, also leader of the People’s Party (PP), urged the premier to take the initiative and form international partnerships to combat the transnational criminal networks behind scam operations.

“The prime minister can still take a lead on the world stage by proposing Thailand serve as a coordinating hub for data exchange and anti-scam operations,” said Mr Natthaphong.

He should set up a central agency to liaise with affected countries, Interpol, and international police networks, as well as supporting victims of human trafficking linked to scam networks.

Mr Natthaphong also questioned the government’s sincerity in tackling the issue, saying the current approach lacked intensity and urgency.

“The prime minister needs to demonstrate clear political will and take decisive action,” Mr Natthaphong said. Transparency was crucial for public confidence, especially amid allegations that a deputy prime minister may be linked to illicit financial networks associated with scams.

“The prime minister doesn’t have to wait for anyone to resign. He has the authority to act now,” he said.

Turning to political reform, Mr Natthaphong urged Mr Anutin to honour the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed with the PP, which commits the coalition to push for a new, more democratic charter and eventually dissolve parliament to make way for general elections.

“If the charter-drafting process collapses, there will be no reason for us to hold back.

“We will move forward with a no-confidence motion under Section 151 [of the 2017 constitution],” he said.

Meanwhile, Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob chaired a high-level meeting on the government’s anti-scam strategy, joined by police and regulatory bodies. Assistant national police chief Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej said authorities were intensifying efforts to suppress scam networks, aiming to reduce the more than 1,000 new cases reported daily.

Thai authorities are focused on the operations, unlike neighbouring countries that failed to act after Thailand tried to coordinate with them and instead allowed scam centres to flourish.

Unlike some neighbouring countries, he added, Thailand was conducting continuous raids and arrests.