Category: The Bangkok Post

The Bhumjaithai (BJT) Party has warned that the charter amendment bills proposed by the Pheu Thai Party and the People’s Party (PP) lack protections for Chapters 1 and 2 of the current constitution and risk violating the charter.

A joint sitting of parliament was held on Tuesday to deliberate on three constitutional amendment bills proposed by the PP, BJT, and Pheu Thai. All three seek to amend the constitution by introducing a new Chapter 15/1 concerning the drafting of a new constitution.

Parit Wacharasindhu, a list MP from the PP, explained the core principles of his party’s charter change bill, which proposes the establishment of 135 constitution drafters.

The process would establish a 35-member Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) responsible for drafting the new charter, and a 100-member Constitution Drafting Advisory (CDA) Council to collect public opinions. CDC members would be chosen from party-list-style candidate groups of 17-70 individuals. The entire country would serve as one constituency, where voters elect 70 candidates, from whom parliament would select the final 35 members.

Advisory Council members would be directly elected by voters in each province, with one to five representatives depending on population. Each province would form its own constituency.

Mr Parit said that the PP’s bill maximises public participation while complying with Constitutional Court rulings. It also stipulates that the new constitution must preserve Thailand’s unity as an indivisible kingdom and maintain a democratic system with the King as head of state.

However, Korawee Prisananantakul, a BJT MP for Ang Thong, said that the charter amendment bills proposed by Pheu Thai and the PP carry a significant risk of contravening the Constitutional Court’s ruling. This concern arises from the fact that both bills propose that members of the CDA be directly elected by the people in the initial stage before being shortlisted by parliament. This process may conflict with the Constitutional Court’s decision, which prohibits the direct election of CDA members by the public.

He further noted that neither bill explicitly guarantees that Chapters 1 and 2 of the 2017 Constitution, which concern the indivisibility of the kingdom and the monarchy, will remain untouched. Chapter 1 of the constitution contains sections that define Thailand as a single, indivisible kingdom with a democratic regime and establish the King as the head of state. Chapter 2, meanwhile, outlines royal prerogatives. In particular, the PP’s bill is complex and does not even establish a formal CDA. Instead, it only proposes a 35-member CDC responsible for drafting the new constitution.

Chousak Sirinil, a list MP from Pheu Thai, insisted that Pheu Thai has no intention of amending either chapter.

Thailand’s SEA Games squad produced a disciplined performance to hold China’s U23 side to a 0-0 draw in a Fifa Day friendly at the Kunming Haigeng Training Center on Tuesday.

The Thais started brightly and almost struck inside two minutes. Iklas Sanron broke down the left and squared for Thanakrit Chotemuangpak, whose effort grazed the side netting.

Near the 30-minute mark, another chance surfaced for the visitors, but Yotsakorn Burapha’s shot was deflected wide.

The visitors thought they had the breakthrough in the 36th minute when Auttapon Sangtong slipped a pass to Yotsakorn, who finished from close range only for the assistant referee to raise his flag to rule it offside.

After the break, a couple of more opportunities were wasted when Iklas’ shot was deflected by a Chinese defender in the 76th minute and Yotsakorn sent his effort sailing over the bar six minutes later.

Thailand U23 team coach Thawatchai Damrong-ongtrakul expressed satisfaction with the opportunity to test several new players in the friendly against China.

“We tried out many players I had never worked with before and they all performed well. For many of them it was their first time playing abroad, and they handled it admirably. This gives us more options to consider for upcoming tournaments,” he said.

Thawatchai praised the spirit and resilience of his squad but added: “We still have many things to fix, but I appreciate this group of players.”

Looking ahead, the coach said: “Our next target is the 2025 SEA Games, but this warm-up with China gave us a lot. We will also face them again in the AFC U23 Championship, so applying what we learned here will be valuable.

“When we adapt these experiences to matches against Asean opponents, it should help us improve further.”

The Thai U23 squad will return home this afternoon, and the coaching staff will get down to work again for training plans for the 2025 SEA Games, hosted by Thailand from Dec 9-20, and the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup finals in Saudi Arabia from Jan 6-24.

About 7,300 tonnes of invasive blackchin tilapia have been removed from natural water sources and aquaculture ponds across 19 affected provinces, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Capt Thamanat Prompow said.

Capt Thamanat, who’s also a deputy prime minister, announced on Tuesday that the eradication campaign, led by the Department of Fisheries in coordination with various agencies, is based on seven comprehensive measures to relieve the burden on fish farmers and halt the species’ rapid spread.

Prachin Buri and Phatthalung provinces have now completely eradicated the species, while the number of affected provinces has dropped from 19 to 17, according to Capt Thamanat.

Of these, nine are now classified as low-density areas (fewer than 10 fish per 100 sqm), namely Chachoengsao, Nonthaburi, Bangkok, Samut Songkhram, Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi, Surat Thani and Songkhla.

Eight others reported having moderate species prevalence: Chanthaburi, Chon Buri, Rayong, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumpon and Nakhon Si Thammarat.

To further strengthen ecological recovery, the Department of Fisheries has released over 1.13 million predator fish compatible with local ecosystems, helping to naturally control any remaining blackchin tilapia populations.

Working with agencies such as the Rubber Authority of Thailand and the Land Development Department, the Department of Fisheries has also turned eradicated fish into valuable resources, he said. Nearly 5,000 tonnes were processed into bio-fermented water for rubber farming, and over 2,000 tonnes were converted into fishmeal for animal feed, generating more than 34 million baht in value.

Thitiporn Laoprasert, acting director-general of the Department of Fisheries, added that under the Blackchin Tilapia Outbreak Mitigation Action Plan, continuous monitoring will ensure sustainable control.

For fiscal year 2025, the department aims to release over 78 million aquatic animals to revive biodiversity.

Auto hire-purchase lending is likely to remain flat in the second half of 2025 despite falling interest rates and competitive new car pricing, says Tris Rating, citing cautious lending practices, weak consumer purchasing power, a glut of used cars and limited truck demand.

According to Tris, hire-purchase loans across all vehicle categories declined throughout 2024 and into the first six months of 2025, though passenger cars showed early recovery signs driven by competitive used car pricing and growing hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) demand as consumers shift towards sustainable options.

“Auto hire-purchase lending will likely remain flat in the latter half despite favourable conditions, including supportive regulations, competitive new car pricing, motorcycle market normalisation, and falling interest rates,” the credit rating agency said in a recent report.

Some positive momentum is expected for used cars and HEVs, but “broader stagnation will persist” due to used car oversupply, weak consumer purchasing power, limited truck demand, and cautious lending practices, added Tris.

Motorcycle hire-purchase is the only segment showing a clear recovery following stricter credit standards, with most companies reporting declining non-performing loan (NPL) ratios. Market conditions have stabilised as a result of reduced loan-to-value ratios and dealer commissions.

“Still, lenders remain cautious, now requiring down payments or upfront instalments for customers with weaker credit,” noted Tris.

“The truck leasing outlook remains challenging given economic weakness. Most lenders show declining NPL ratios since the first quarter, though aggregate data remains elevated.”

Credit costs dropped in the first quarter, then rebounded in the second quarter along with increased write-offs. However, losses from repossessions declined as fewer truck repossessions improved resale prices.

New car hire-purchase portfolios from six captive finance companies in Tris’s database showed improving trends, with declining average NPL ratios due to conservative lending.

“Conversely, used car non-bank financial institution [NBFI] lenders still face ongoing challenges with elevated and volatile NPL ratios, rebounding in the second quarter after declining in the first three months,” noted the agency.

Commercial banks with auto hire-purchase exposure saw mixed trends. Some reported rising NPL ratios from portfolio contractions with modestly higher absolute NPLs, while others recorded declining NPL ratios alongside portfolio reductions, according to Tris.

Government debt relief programmes, including “You Fight, We Help”, have provided modest NPL stabilising support for banks and their subsidiaries so far.

Despite challenging market conditions, a positive trend was lower losses from repossessed vehicles based on recovering used car prices, said the agency.

Meanwhile, the Bank of Thailand plans to directly supervise the auto hire-purchase and leasing business, aiming to enhance market conduct to improve consumer protection and industry practices. The new regulation is due to take effect 180 days from the date of publication, on Dec 2, 2025.

“While these supervisory measures may slow loan growth and increase compliance costs, the overall impact is expected to be contained,” Tris said.

The Finance Ministry is expanding the Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation’s coverage, allowing it to guarantee loans from NBFIs not owned by traditional financial institutions.

However, Tris does not expect NBFIs to actively expand loan portfolios via the guarantees.

Kasikornbank (KBank) has successfully implemented its early retirement (ER) programme and aims to reduce employee costs by 10-20% over five years as it increasingly adopts artificial intelligence (AI).

Kattiya Indaravijaya, chief executive of KBank, said the ER programme delivered the expected results and will help lower personnel expenses.

The bank continues to invest in information technology systems to support growing demand for digital banking and AI-driven services, she said.

Ms Kattiya did not disclose how many employees retired early. As of June this year, KBank employed about 18,300 staff.

The country’s third-largest lender by total assets, the bank recently introduced a one-time ER scheme open to employees 45 and older.

The voluntary programme was available from Aug 15 to Oct 7, targeting eligible applicants aged 45-59.

Chongrak Rattanapian, co-president of KBank, said the bank plans to continue to reduce both staff numbers and employee expenses by 10-20% over five years.

Traditional branches will continue to be slashed as more transactions are digital, he said.

In the first half of 2025, personnel expenses at the bank tallied 14.3 billion baht, up from 13.7 billion year-on-year. Personnel costs accounted for 51% of total operating expenses.

Mr Chongrak said the bank operates roughly 750 physical branches nationwide and plans to reduce this number by 10-20 branches a year, targeting around 700 outlets in a few years.

This reduction aligns with the decline in branch transactions and the strong growth of digital banking activities, he said.

“We aim to maintain our cost-to-income ratio in the low 40% range by controlling operating expenses and accelerating digital and AI adoption,” said Mr Chongrak.

As of June this year, KBank operated 749 branches nationwide, down from 756 year-on-year.

Branch numbers have steadily declined from 839 in 2021 to 824 in 2022, 808 in 2023 and 781 in 2024, according to KBank data.

During the first half of 2025, branch-based transactions accounted for only 0.3% of total banking transactions, down from 2% in 2021, while mobile banking transactions surged to 94.5%, up from 86% over the same period.

Meanwhile, the number of users of KBank’s K-Plus mobile banking app has risen steadily from 17.1 million in 2021 to 23.4 million in the first half of this year.

The bank wants to increase the number of K-Plus users to 23.9 million next year.

A 69-year-old blind German man sat waiting for his wife at their home, unaware that she had taken her own life inside until a neighbour arrived on Tuesday evening.

Police were called to the two-storey house in tambon Khlong Udom Chonlachon at 6.30pm on Tuesday, where they found the body of a 53-year-old Thai woman who had hanged herself beside the staircase. Her husband, blind in both eyes due to a car accident, was sitting at a table outside.

A neighbour told police the couple had rented the house for over a year. The woman typically worked as a taxi driver in Bangkok for two to three days at a time, preparing meals for her husband before leaving. The neighbour would check in and cook for him if she was away for longer.

On the day of the incident, the husband called out, asking the neighbour to turn on the house lights. When the lights came on, the woman’s body was discovered.

The husband told police his wife had returned home that morning distressed after a traffic accident. The other party was demanding 40,000 baht in compensation, which the couple did not have. She had returned home to wait for negotiations.

Officials from the provincial Social Development and Human Security office visited the home on Wednesday to assess the man’s situation and found his visa had expired. He has lived in Thailand for 16 years on a German pension.

The man reportedly said he wishes to remain in Thailand. Authorities are coordinating with tourist police, immigration and the German Embassy to contact his relatives. Meanwhile, neighbours continue to provide him with meals and care.

Flooding persists in 15 provinces on Wednesday morning, mostly on the Central Plain, with water levels being either stable or lower.

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported flooding in eight provinces on the Central Plain:

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 Sena, Phak Hai, Bang Ban, Bang Sai, Bang Pa-in, Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya, Mara 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 lower floodwater

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

Ayutthaya had the most affected households, 50,128, of any 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, Sri Samrong and Sawankhalok 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, Wan Sai Phun, Taphan Hin and Wachira Barami districts with lower floodwater

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 stable 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 stable flood levels

In the East, only Chachoengsao was flooded, in Bang Nam Prieo district, and the water level was stable.

Flooding remains in 15 provinces on Tuesday, mostly on the Central Plain, with water levels being either stable or lower.

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported flooding in eight provinces on the Central Plain:

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 Sena, Phak Hai, Bang Ban, Bang Sai, Bang Pa-in, Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya, Mara 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 lower floodwater

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

Ayutthaya had the most affected households, 50,026, of any of the 15 inundated provinces nationwide.

In the North, flooding was in four provinces:

Phitsanulok in Wang Thong, Bang Rakam and Noen Maprang districts with lower floodwater

Sukhothai in Muang, Sri Samrong and Sawankhalok 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, Wan Sai Phun, Taphan Hin and Wachira Barami districts with lower floodwater

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 stable flood levels

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

In the East, only Chachoengsao was flooded, in Bang Nam Prieo district, and the water level was falling.

The cabinet on Tuesday reshuffled 45 high-level officials at the Interior Ministry – chiefs of provincial and local administration and land departments, as well as provincial governors.

Many of them were returned to positions they held before being moved out by the past government.

Government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat said the promotions and transfers filled positions left open by retirement and corrected injustices to some officials who were unfairly treated in three previous reshuffles in only one month.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is also the interior minister, denied the latest reshuffle reflected the fight between his Bhumjaithai Party and the Pheu Thai Party, which led the past government and until recently controlled the Interior Ministry.

He said the reshuffle was proposed by the interior permanent secretary. He only put it on the cabinet’s agenda. The permanent secretary did not seek his advice on the matter, the prime minister said.

Late last month, Mr Anutin told the parliament that Pheu Thai needed the Interior Ministry because a general election was near.

Tuesday’s changes focused on the provincial governors of Nong Bua Lam Phu, Chai Nat, Ang Thong, Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya, Si Sa Ket, Chiang Rai, Chachoengsao, Surat Thani, Uttaradit, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Phanom, Phetchaburi, Phuket, Khon Kaen, Sing Buri, Uthai Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Nakhon Sawan, Samut Prakan and Rayong.

The cabinet resolution also affected the position of the chief of the Land Department. Pornpoth Penpas returns as director-general of the Land Department after being made a deputy interior permanent secretary last August. The Land Department is at the heart of the controversy over ownership of a large area of land near Khao Kradong in Buri Ram province, which is the political stronghold of Mr Anutin’s Bhumjaithai Party.

To make way for Mr Pornpoth’s return as land department chief, Kachornkiat Rakpanichmanee becomes the governor of Khon Kaen province.

Tuesday’s cabinet resolution also made Narucha Khosasivilai, currently interior inspector-general, the director-general of the Department of Provincial Administration. In his earlier posting he was the governor of Buri Ram province.

Surat Thani governor Theerayut Supawibulpol becomes the director-general of the Department of Local Administration.

Authorities have started drafting a new version of the power development plan (PDP), focusing on the nation’s long-term power supply management amid a surge in solar power, says the Energy Policy and Planning Office (Eppo).

The issue is being discussed by energy officials who plan to introduce the PDP in 2026, said Wattanapong Kurovat, director-general of Eppo.

Thai power producers in the independent electricity supply category have increased, especially businesses developing solar power generation facilities for their own usage.

Solar power gained popularity as electricity bills soared and the prices of solar panels decline.

The proportion of solar power in the country’s total electricity supply sharply increased to more than 2 gigawatts last year, up from a few kilowatts from 2015-2018.

This makes it difficult for energy officials to calculate a steady supply of electricity via the grid when solar power generation capacity drops as sunlight vanishes on cloudy days, said Mr Wattanapong.

Thailand needs back-up power systems to support more uses of solar power, which is an intermittent source of energy, he said.

Another issue is solar power generation facilities coming to the end of their service in the future, which requires back-up electricity systems to be well-managed or else Thailand could face economic damage, said Mr Wattanapong.

Thailand wants to avoid the widespread blackouts that occurred in parts of Spain and Portugal earlier this year, believed to result from a failure to ensure a steady supply of electricity as Spain depends greatly on renewable energy sources.

Another issue for the draft is Thailand’s economic growth outlook, he said.

The National Economic and Social Development Board asked energy authorities to revise electricity demand forecasts due to modest economic growth projections. Electricity consumption has stagnated despite electric vehicle usage and investment in data centres.

In another development, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) expects the power tariff, which is used to calculate electricity bills, to remain unchanged at 3.94 baht per kilowatt-hour during the first four months of next year. The prices of imported liquified natural gas, a key fuel for power generation in Thailand, should not significantly fluctuate despite greater gas demand in the winter, noted the ERC.