Category: The Bangkok Post

Building on the findings of its earlier survey on public perceptions of platform work, Kantar Insights Thailand, with support from Bolt, has released the second phase of its nationwide survey. The new findings highlight that platform work is not only widely respected, but also serves as a vital source of financial stability, skill development, and life progress for thousands of Thai drivers.

According to the data, 93% of drivers say platform work has improved their household’s financial stability, allowing them to achieve tangible milestones such as purchasing vehicles or funding education.

44% have bought a motorcycle,

43% have purchased a car, and

30% have paid for education for themselves or family members.

Most drivers work 21-30 hours per week, with around 29% earning between ?20,001 and ?40,000 per month, roughly 154% higher than Thailand’s average monthly wage of ?15,738 (Q4 2024). This underscores the strong earning potential and flexibility that platform work offers.

‘Platform work is not just a job. It’s an enabler of financial freedom and personal growth,’ said Nathadon Suksiritarnan, General Manager, Bolt Thailand. ‘The survey clearly shows that drivers are building better lives for themselves and their families through flexible, independent work that fits their lifestyles and ambitions.’

Earlier findings from Bolt and Kantar revealed that 97% of drivers feel respected by society, challenging outdated stereotypes that platform work is ‘only for the young’ or ‘for the unskilled.’ The new results reinforce this shift in perception, showing that drivers not only value flexibility but also gain professional and financial empowerment. Drivers consistently cite flexibility as the top reason for partnering with digital platforms.

99% say platform work helps them better manage personal and family responsibilities.

88% report having full or significant control over their schedules. The ability to ‘be your own boss’ and earn on one’s own terms remains central to why people choose this work.

Beyond income, the survey reveals platform work as a source of professional development.

63% of drivers say they have improved their time management and customer service skills.

53% have gained new digital and communication skills.

Nearly half report improvements in navigation, logistics, and financial literacy.

‘Drivers today are digital entrepreneurs,’ added Nathadon. ‘They’re gaining real-world experience that translates into valuable professional skills, from managing time and budgets to building customer relationships.’

The release of these findings comes at a pivotal moment as Thailand advances its Digital Platform Economy policy-led by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) and its agency, the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA). Both bodies play a central role in shaping an inclusive and innovation-friendly digital ecosystem that supports fair competition and sustainable digital economy growth.

MDES’s Digital Economy and Society Development Plan outlines national goals to expand digital infrastructure, strengthen digital literacy, and promote inclusive participation in the digital economy. ETDA, meanwhile, oversees implementation of the Royal Decree on the Supervision of Digital Platform Services (B.E. 2565), which enhances transparency, user protection, and responsible platform operations.

‘Platform work has become a vital part of Thailand’s economy,’ said Nathadon. ‘As Thailand’s digital platform policies evolve, regulation should empower this workforce-supporting innovation, flexibility, and the well-being of hundreds of thousands of Thais who choose this profession.’

In this context, the Kantar survey provides valuable, data-driven insights to support evidence-based policymaking-helping regulators understand how platform work contributes to economic inclusion, upskilling, and household resilience across Thailand.

Thailand’s winter starts officially on Oct 23 this year. Unfortunately, the perennial PM2.5 dust and smog problem usually acompanies the cooler weather. Here are some tips and cool gadgets to help deal with it.

PM2.5 dust pollution is a lingering problem that has plagued Thailand since at least 2019. It is well documented and is caused by, among other things, the burning of crop trash, vehicle exhaust fumes, electricity generation and industrial processes. But we are not here for a discussion about what causes it, or how to fix it. We are here for tips and to explore cool gadgets to help deal with the smog on a day-to-day basis in the land of smiles.

General tips

Check air quality on websites like www.iqair.com, or apps like Air4Thai and AirVisual.

On bad-air days, limit your outdoor activity, especially outdoor exercise such as jogging, biking and hiking.

Close your windows or mosquito screens to limit dirty outdoor air.

Wear proper PM2.5-ready masks outdoors

Wear glasses outdoors.

Stay hydrated, eat well, exercise.

Rinse your nose every now and then.

Clean your house: cat fur, dog hair, book dust, cooking fumes easily accumulate and will affect your respiratory system.

Sensitive people should consider using an air purifier in the house.

Plant trees and other greenery.

Cool gadgets

Air purifier of choice, depending on your room or health condition.

Portable ionizers can be great for people who go out often.

Any popular Thai inhaler can make your breathing easier.

Indoor exercise video games, such as Ring Fit adventure () or Fitness Boxing (), or Nintendo SwitchS Sports will keep you fit without the need to expose yourself to the dust outside.

I hope that even though days of dust and smog loom over Bangkok city, these tips and gadgets make it easier to cope with.

Kuehne+Nagel has announced a strategic investment in a new fleet of prime movers in Thailand to meet the rising demand for reliable and scalable cross-border transportation across Southeast Asia. This initiative builds on the successful 2024 acquisition of City Zone Express, a well-established logistics provider operating across Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, and China.

The fleet will be deployed in three phases: the first batch is already operational, while the second and third batches are scheduled for rollout in January and April 2026 respectively. Once fully deployed, the expanded fleet will include nearly 40 prime movers and 100 containers, giving customers greater capacity and flexibility to move goods efficiently across Southeast Asia.

David Roussiere, Managing Director of Kuehne+Nagel Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar said: ‘Customers in fast-growing sectors like e-commerce and high-tech can benefit from customised road logistics solutions, including add-ons like real-time visibility and multimodal options. As supply chains evolve, we are committed to helping businesses build resilience, optimise costs and meet their sustainability goals.’

Thailand’s Ministry of Transport has committed over USD 64 billion to infrastructure development since 2022, including major investments in highway construction and logistics connectivity. The ASEAN Customs Transit System (ACTS) continues to streamline operations across Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, playing a key role in ASEAN’s efforts to boost intra-regional trade and reduce transaction costs.

With this fleet expansion in Thailand, customers will benefit from faster response times and more reliable transport options to keep their supply chains moving smoothly.

Police have raided a large Russian-owned vehicle rental company on Koh Phangan, seizing hundreds of motorbikes and cars and making seven arrests.

Those held included a Russian man and a Thai woman suspected of being a nominee fronting for another Russian, the actual owner, living in Phuket.

A team of tourist, immigration and local police and officials raided the vehicle rental business, which operated out of Centre Point Market in tambon Koh Phangan, on Tuesday evening.

The action followed complaints from foreign tourists that the company had held their passports as collateral for car rentals and refused to return deposits.

Residents had also questioned the legality of the business, which allegedly operated without proper licences and employed foreigners without work permits, Pol Maj Gen Krit Warit, deputy chief of the Tourist Police Bureau said on Wednesday.

At the shop police found a Thai woman, identified as Thanyanich, 39, working as a shop attendant. A Russian national, Valerii Belomyttcev, also 39, was also present and appeared to be managing customer services.

Five Myanmar nationals, three men and two women, were also employed on the premises, serving as cleaners and customer service staff, Pol Maj Gen Krit said. (continues below) The men were identified as Myo Lwin, 45, Zaw Ko Naing, 31, and Lin Htet, 24, and the women as Nyo Nyo Phyo, 39, and Zin Zin Maw, 34.

All were detained for questioning.

Investigators said the company had two registered shareholders, Ms Thanyanich and a Russian living in Phuket.

However, Ms Thanyanich was found to have no financial involvement in the business and was suspected of being a Thai nominee fronting for the real owner.

Pol Maj Gen Krit said they found about 400 motorcycles on the premises – a mix of big bikes, enduro and super cubs – along with 20 cars and numerous spare parts.

Initial inquiries suggested some of the motorbikes had been reported stolen on Koh Phangan.

One of the detained Myanmar employees allegedly admitted to purchasing motorcycles from other Myanmar workers on the island for a few thousand baht each.

The tourist police deputy commander said the company also offered daily accommodation for rent without having a hotel licence, and ran an unauthorised garage where vehicles were dismantled for parts and modified.

‘All 400 motorcycles and 20 cars have been seized for verification of ownership. The company’s actual owner is a Russian national. The woman listed as a shareholder is believed to be a nominee’ Pol Maj Gen Krit said.

The investigation was being expanded with an examination of company’s financial records and business dealings to determine if any other laws were broken. Additional charges would be filed as appropriate, he said.

A border fence project proposed by Thailand was a highlight of the two-day Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting that ended on Wednesday in Chanthaburi, say sources at the meeting.

Participants addressed various urgent matters, particularly Thai complaints about Cambodian nationals encroaching on Thai territory in Ban Nong Chan and Ban Nong Ya Kaeo in Khok Sung district of Sa Kaeo.

The Thai delegation informed their Cambodian counterparts of the plan to construct a straight-line border fence connecting boundary markers previously agreed on by both sides, the sources said.

Construction of the fence is expected to take place from boundary markers 52 to 59, covering a distance of 8.4 kilometres in Pong Nam Ron district of Chanthaburi province, the meeting was told.

It will be about 3.5 metres high and must be durable and permanent, with the capacity to prevent intrusion, vandalism, dismantling and illegal crossings, whether by people tunnelling underneath or climbing over.

Discussions also covered planned revisions to the 2003 terms of reference, to incorporate LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology for aerial mapping purposes. Notably, the meeting did not involve discussions on formal border demarcation, the sources said.

The outcomes of the JBC meeting will be reported to the secretariat of the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC), which met on Tuesday and Wednesday to prepare for a special session of the GBC on Thursday in Kuala Lumpur.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he had received a progress report on the GBC meeting in the Malaysian capital, adding that the talks appear to be moving forward positively.

The GBC deals with border security issues chaired by defence ministers. The JBC focuses on legal and technical land demarcation led by foreign ministry officials, while the Regional Border Committee (RBC) handles regional border management and cooperation, involving military commanders.

Mr Anutin will be in Kuala Lumpur for this weekend’s Asian Summit. Among others in attendance will be US President Donald Trump, who expects to preside over the signing of some kind of ‘peace agreement’ between Thailand and Cambodia to bolster his Nobel credentials.

However, it is not yet clear whether there will be anything to sign.

The new leader of the Pheu Thai Party will be a party member but will not be related to the Shinawatra family, party election director Suriya Jungrungreangkit said on Wednesday.

He was speaking after party leader and former prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced her resignation.

Mr Suriya said at the party’s headquarters that Pheu Thai had deep bonds with the Shinawatra family. Thaksin Shinawatra was its founder, back when it was named the Thai Rak Thai Party, which was later dissolved by the court.

‘However, everything changes. …. I have learned that the party will find a person who is not related to the family. That person will be a member of the party but not part of the Shinawatra family,’ Mr Suriya said.

He dismissed speculation that he might be the next leader. He said the new party leader should be from the younger generation and be able to effectively lead the party into the coming general election.

Mr Suriya also denied a report that his faction of 70 MPs had pressured Ms Paetongtarn to resign from the leadership, threatening to pull out if she did not.

He said he began his political career with the Thai Rak Thai Party led by Thaksin and had been party secretary-general. During Ms Paetongtarn’s administration he was transport minister and a deputy prime minister.

Ms Paetongtarn had been generous, he said, “it’s just not possible that I would lead MPs to another party.’

Mr Suriya said his faction would remain with Pheu Thai and he would recruit more members and increase the number of Pheu Thai MPs to 200, as he had said he would.

Chusak Sirinil was on Wednesday appointed acting party leader. Pheu Thai will elect its new leader and a new party executive board on Oct 31.

Police seized over 13,000 substandard hair salon items after raiding nine locations in several provinces on Tuesday. The raid followed the death of a 10-year-old girl electrocuted by a hairdryer in northeastern Thailand.

Officers from the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) were prompted by the girl’s case, who died on Oct 10 in Buri Ram while using a hairdryer believed to be substandard and purchased online by her mother.

An investigation revealed the dryer was bought in January through an online platform for 89 baht, with a Chinese label and without approval from the Thai Industrial Standard (TIS), Pol Maj Gen Kongkrit Lertsitthikun, commander of the CPPD, said on Wednesday.

The raid took place in Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan and Ratchaburi, with the premises being warehouses, distribution centres and shops.

Authorities seized 13,929 illegal products, including hair dryers, flat and curling irons and electric combs, worth over 10 million baht, Pol Maj Gen Kongkrit added.

According to investigators, the goods were imported from outside Thailand through online channels, priced from 100 to 1,000 baht per item. Some products were found to have been tagged with TIS labels from other legal products to deceive customers.

The investigation was continuing to identify the importer, Pol Maj Gen Kongkrit said.

The men’s football gold remains the most coveted medal for Thailand as the War Elephants look to end an eight-year title drought at the upcoming Southeast Asian Games in December.

The Thai team have won the men’s football gold for a record 16 times. They also hold the record of winning it eight consecutive times from 1993-2007.

However, the last time Thailand won the men’s football gold was in 2017 at the 29th SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur. The War Elephants lost 5-2 to Indonesia in the final of the 32nd edition in Cambodia two years ago.

Just as the public holds high hopes for the men’s football crown, the country’s athletes are also expected to top the medal standings, but Dr Gongsak Yodmani, Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand, has admitted it will be difficult for the Thai contingent to rule the medal haul in every sport.

“We expect our athletes to perform well in Olympic sports such as taekwondo, weightlifting, badminton, while in other sports like athletics and swimming, they should produce better results than the previous edition, although they may not win gold in some events,” said Dr Gongsak.

“Expectations will be high in popular sports such as football and volleyball. Football, especially, is easily the sport carrying the biggest gold medal hopes that Thai fans will want our team to win,” he added.

The men’s football team are in Group A along with Cambodia and Timor-Leste and will play the group stage at Songkhla’s Tinsulanonda Stadium.

“Every match in the SEA Games is very important. Our target is to win the gold medal because we are a host nation. If the preparation goes as well as is planned, it is a good opportunity for us to go all the way and win the title,” said head coach Thawatchai Dumrong-ongtrakul.

The 33rd SEA Games, which will feature 50 medal sports, will take place in three host cities — Bangkok, Chon Buri and Songkhla — between Dec 9-20.

This Sunday, when Timor-Leste finally joins Asean as its 11th member, it will mark a diplomatic triumph for one of Asia’s smallest states and a moral test for the region’s most enduring organisation. For Dili, this long-awaited step is not about prestige; it is about survival, legitimacy, and opportunity. For the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), welcoming Timor-Leste completes the Southeast Asian map but also exposes the limits of its inclusivity.

Timor-Leste’s path to Asean membership has been long, deliberate, and at times uncertain. The country applied in 2011, almost a decade after independence from Indonesia, and spent over a decade waiting for approval. The hesitation was rooted in practical concerns. Asean questioned whether a nation of just 1.3 million people, with limited administrative capacity and heavy dependence on oil revenues, could handle the bloc’s demanding institutional workload. Yet Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines championed its entry, arguing that the regional family was incomplete without it.

For Timor-Leste, Asean membership is a strategic necessity. The country’s location between Indonesia and Australia makes it inherently part of Southeast Asia, but geography alone has never guaranteed belonging. Politically and economically, Timor-Leste has often been on the margins, relying on Western donors like Australia and the United States for aid and governance assistance, while turning to China for infrastructure development. Membership in Asean offers something different, not a patron, but a platform. It gives Dili a seat at the table where regional rules are written, and a buffer against great power rivalry that increasingly shapes the Indo-Pacific.

The economic rationale is equally clear. Timor-Leste’s petroleum reserves, which fund most of its budget, are dwindling. Without diversification, fiscal sustainability will soon be at risk. Asean membership offers access to a regional market of more than 650 million people and a network of development programmes that can support tourism, agriculture, and digital transformation. Investors often view Asean membership as a seal of stability, a signal that a country plays by predictable rules. For Dili, that credibility is as valuable as capital.

But Asean’s value to Timor-Leste extends beyond economics. It represents a political homecoming and a declaration of identity. For decades, Timor-Leste has balanced between its Portuguese heritage and its Southeast Asian geography. Joining Asean ends that ambiguity. It anchors the young democracy within a community of nations that share similar histories of colonialism, struggle, and reconstruction. For leaders like José Ramos-Horta and Xanana Gusmão, this moment fulfils a long-held aspiration to return Timor-Leste to its regional roots.

Yet both sides face real challenges. For Timor-Leste, joining Asean is only the first step. The hard work begins with integration, building the bureaucratic capacity to attend hundreds of Asean meetings, harmonising domestic laws with regional agreements, and contributing to common initiatives. Its civil service remains thin, its private sector small, and its infrastructure underdeveloped. Without sustained support, Timor-Leste risks becoming a symbolic rather than functional member.

For Asean, Dili’s admission is a test of flexibility and principle. The bloc prides itself on unity and consensus, but its members differ vastly in wealth, governance, and institutional capacity. Integrating a low-income democracy will require creative approaches, what some call “differentiated integration”, to prevent slowing the bloc’s decision-making machinery. Yet this challenge also offers Asean a chance to reaffirm its founding promise that the region’s strength lies in inclusion, not exclusion.

Timor-Leste could also bring new moral clarity to Asean’s politics. As one of Asia’s most resilient democracies, its stance on issues like Myanmar or human rights may challenge the bloc’s tradition of quiet diplomacy. Dili’s independent voice could enrich Asean’s discourse, reminding members that consensus need not mean silence. That, too, is part of Asean’s evolution, from a club of governments to a community of nations.

Economically, Timor-Leste adds little weight to Asean’s combined GDP, but symbolically, its inclusion matters deeply. It completes the map of Southeast Asia, stretching the bloc’s presence across the Timor Sea and strengthening its claim to represent the entire region. It also sends a signal to the world that Asean remains open, relevant, and confident enough to expand even amid global uncertainty.

The success of this new chapter depends on sustained cooperation. If Asean provides targeted assistance, helping Timor-Leste improve governance, logistics, and connectivity, then the partnership could become a model for how regionalism uplifts small states. But if Dili is left to navigate the complexities of membership alone, frustration could build quickly, and the promise of unity would ring hollow.

Timor-Leste’s journey to Asean has been defined by patience and persistence. Its membership now challenges the bloc to match that determination with tangible support. For both sides, this is not merely a ceremonial milestone; it is a test of whether Southeast Asia’s spirit of cooperation can turn aspiration into reality.

If Asean can integrate Timor-Leste with empathy and purpose, it will prove that its idea of”community” remains more than a slogan. And if Timor-Leste can transform inclusion into progress, it will show that even the smallest nation can help shape the future of a region in flux.

This Friday will mark one month since the under-construction MRT station at Vajira Hospital suffered a massive sinkhole on Samsen Road. The public has since been left in the dark, not knowing how a well-designed and costly subway tunnel collapsed so easily.

The public has been told that soil subsidence, underground water, or even a burst water pipe may have caused the collapse. Yet such explanations merely fuel concerns.

How could an expensive, supposedly state-of-the-art underground system be so vulnerable to routine and natural risks such as soil shifts, water leaks, or heavy rainfall?

If those were the real causes, other ongoing subway projects in the area could face similar risks. After all, the underground water level in Bangkok is constantly changing.

In terms of soil, it is an open secret that contractors dealing with projects beneath ground level often use construction technology to stabilise the condition of the soil.

The problem is that the government has not revealed many details.

Media reports focus on how contractors are providing remedies to damaged parties.

However, last week, Pheu Thai list-MP Plodprasop Suraswadi — chair of the Lower-House’s sub-committee on improving public safety and standards on civil construction — warned the public that the collapsed surface at the construction site extended for about 25 metres.

A few days later, Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt openly brushed aside Mr Plodprasop’s warning, confirming the area as being already safe again.

The big question is why the MRT and the associated contractors have not come forward to clarify Mr Plodprasop’s warning.

Just this month, the Ministry of Transport quietly formed a fact-finding committee to look into the cause of the huge sinkhole.

This 11-person panel only contains a few neutral experts. The majority are officials from the Ministry of Transport, the Metropolitan Rapid Transit — the owner of the subway project — and contractors from the CKST-PL Joint Venture.

The ministry has not spelt out the framework of the fact-finding mission or when the results of the probe will be released.

Last week, members of the same Lower-House sub-committee sent a letter to the ministry urging the fact-finding committee to invite more neutral experts to join.

In countries with strong public safety records, professional probes are often conducted by third-party experts, with the results publicised. But in Thailand, most fact-finding committees feature stakeholders like contractors and only a few neutral experts. In many cases, the government publicises only some of the results.

Such is the case with the State Audit Office that collapsed early this year — only the conclusion of the report has been publicised. The names of the experts involved have not been revealed. The simulation model they used to test the structural strength and materials of the buildings remains “classified”.

The ministry must improve public safety standards — starting by making its fact-finding inclusive and transparent; then, by telling the public what the fact-finding mission will do and when the truth will be known.