Category: The Bangkok Post

Mixed doubles pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran missed out on a chance to win their fifth title of the year after bowing out in the semi-finals of the US$475,000 (approx 15.2 million baht) BWF Arctic Open in Finland on Saturday.

Dechapol and Supissara went down to world No.2 pair Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping of China in three games, 21-15, 16-21, 12-21, on Saturday.

Feng and Huang will face compatriots Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin in the title decider after the world No.1 pair battled from a game down to edge past Thai duo Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Sapsiree Taerattanachai, Dechapol’s former playing partner, in three games, 16-21, 21-12, 21-12 in 53 minutes.

Ratchanok Intanon and Busanan Ongbamrungphan were due to face off in the women’s singles semi-final while men’s singles top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn was also due in action against Rasmus Gemke of Denmark later last night.

Women’s top seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan booked her berth in the final after she cruised past the 62nd-ranked Anmol Kharb of India 21-10, 21-13 in just 29 minutes.

Yamaguchi, who won her third world title in Paris, is chasing her second World Tour crown of the year after winning the Korea Open last month.

The Thailand men’s national football team, riding a tide of confidence, left for Taipei Saturday night to play the return leg of an AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifier against Taiwan on Tuesday.

The Group D clash will take place at Taipei Municipal Stadium and will be Thailand’s fourth match of the campaign.

The squad underwent training stints under the guidance of head coach Masatada Ishii on Friday evening and Saturday morning. Two recently called-up players, Santiparb Channgom and Songwut Kraikruan, joined the squad in both sessions.

Defender Natthapong Sairiya, reflecting on the team’s progress and the challenges ahead, told media on Friday evening: “The last game we performed well. Every match is important, and we want to win all of them from now on.

“I have to thank all my teammates for working together in both attack and defence. Our target for the next game remains the same — we want to win.”

“I’ve played in Thai League for many years, so joining the national team doesn’t make me nervous. Most of us have already faced each other in the league, which makes communication easier. The atmosphere in the squad has been excellent even before the last match. We are united and always encouraging one another.”

“I think Taiwan are a counter-attacking team. Playing away will not be easy, but we are determined to take three points. That means we must attack them, but at the same time be careful of their counterattacks.”

‘It’ll be more difficult’

Right-back Nicholas Mickelson, who plays for SV Elversberg in Germany, said: “The last game was a good experience and we were happy to get three points, but it was not easy.

“On the right flank I’ve played before, and in the national team we rotate positions quite often. If I get the chance to push forward, I don’t see any problem.

“Playing away in Taipei will definitely be more difficult than at home. They will surely prepare something new for us. It could be tougher if we play without a target striker, which might mean we rely more on short passes rather than crosses.

The match between Thailand and Taiwan on Tuesday will kick off at 5.30pm (Thai time) and will be broadcast live on Thairath TV Channel (32), BG SPORTS YouTube channel and TrueVisions Now.

Tomorrow happens to be Plain English Day which has in recent years morphed into International Plain Language Day designed to promote the proper use of language. In other words the aim is to cut out all the gibberish, mumbo jumbo, codswallop, balderdash, tripe, tommyrot, twaddle, tosh and bosh you may have become accustomed to. heaven forbid, some of it even in PostScript.

In the past the Plain English campaign has handed out annual Foot in Mouth Awards given to the biggest culprits, usually politicians who have a certain knack of wrecking the English language. Interestingly no awards have been given in the past couple of years possibly because there have been too many candidates to choose from.

It probably won’t come as a great surprise that a three-time “winner” is former British prime minister Boris Johnson. In 2004 he came up with the following baffling response on a TV panel show: “I cannot fail to disagree with you less.”

Mr Boris won it again in 2016 when he claimed Brexit would be a “titanic success” — a rather unfortunate choice of words when you consider what happened to the ship.

However it is unlikely anyone will beat the offering of former US secretary of defence Donald Rumsfeld who in 2003 uttered the following splendid observation:

“As we know, there are known knowns, there are things we know we know. There are also known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don’t know we don’t know.”

It’s hard to follow that but we must not overlook George W Bush who received a well-earned Life Time Achievement Award for “services to gobbledygook”.

Ducking the question

On the lighter side, supermodel Naomi Campbell was awarded the 2006 prize after commenting, “I love England, especially the food. There’s nothing I like more than a lovely bowl of pasta”.

One of the more bizarre comments which won in 1998 came from Welsh MP Rhodi Morgan. When asked if he wanted to be leader of the Welsh Assembly he replied: “Does a one-legged duck swim in circles?”

So is that a yes or a no? It is certainly a very useful riposte which we all might find useful when someone asks an awkward question.

Full of holes

The huge sinkhole that suddenly appeared on Samsen Road in Bangkok recently serves as a gentle reminder of the days when holes, thankfully of a smaller variety, made regular appearances on roads in the Big Mango.

The golden era was in the 1970s and 80s when holes and excavations in Bangkok highways popped up everywhere. No vehicle was immune and tuk-tuk drivers experienced a particularly distressing time. On one occasion an oil tanker fell into a giant crater on Wireless Road and it took days to move it, creating a gridlock of apocalyptic proportions.

Foot soldiers

More pertinent to the pedestrian population of course are holes in the pavement. We have all probably plunged into a hole in Bangkok at some time or another and it is not a happy experience.

Back in the days when the Post was based at Soi Saladaeng, for a period the soi was a disaster area thanks to road works. Someone who experienced this in a most painful fashion was the newspaper’s cartoonist Nop. He had nipped out for a bite to eat one night when he tumbled down an open drain. It was a clear case of noppus droppus.

Other members of the editorial department were hobbling about after suffering similar experiences and for a while our office resembled the Ministry of Funny Walks.

Musical excavations

Of course holes are not confined to Bangkok. In London the excavations used to provide lunchtime entertainment for bored city gentlemen who would admire holes being dug while they munched their cheese and tomato sandwiches. The late British actor Bernard Cribbins enjoyed a hit in 1962 with a song entitled Hole in the Ground in which a man digging a large hole ends up burying a snooty bowler-hatted city gent who criticises his efforts.

“Holes” also receive an honourable mention in the Beatles’ epic A Day in the Life with the last verse featuring “four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire” and concluding “Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall”.

John Lennon had been inspired by a news item in the Daily Mail in 1967 which reported 4,000 potholes in Blackburn’s roads. As for mentioning the Albert Hall, Lennon admitted he simply included words that sounded good together.

Soap bubbles

The memory cells of our more mature readers have been working overtime recently as they recall ancient TV commercials. Some remember the soap ad “You’ll look a little lovelier each day with fabulous pink Camay”. If you weren’t convinced by that message an ad for the same soap claimed it was “worth nine guineas an ounce” which meant it must be good.

One reader says he remembers the strong rivalry of the washing powder companies prompting slogans for their commercials like: “Hold it up to the light, not a stain in sight”, “Tide’s in, dirt’s out” and a brand that “washes whiter than white”.

I must admit that when those ads came on I would nip out to the kitchen for a cup of tea.

Kunlavut Vitidsarn had to settle for a runner-up spot after losing to defending champion Chou Tien-chen in the final of the US$475,000 (approx 15.2 million baht) BWF Arctic Open in Vantaa, Finland, on Sunday.

Second seed Chou prevailed in three games, 21-11, 13-21, 21-19, against the top-seeded Thai to claim the Super 500 title – his first since Vantaa 2024.

It was Kunlavut’s third straight defeat against Chou this year. He also lost to the Taiwanese star at the Indonesia Open and the China Open.

Earlier, world No.1 pair Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin defeated two-time defending champions Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping 21-19, 24-22 to take the mixed doubles title.

Sunday’s final was the third consecutive year the two pairs fought for the crown.

Feng and Huang dispatched Thai duo Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran in the semi-finals.

In the women’s doubles final, Malaysia’s Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan defeated Japan’s Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi 21-7, 21-9.

The victory ended a run of three consecutive final losses for the Malaysians.

The Ministry of Public Health has announced measures to improve the allocation of medical graduates in the 2026 fiscal year, aiming to address critical shortages in underserved provinces.

Dr Somruk Jungsaman, permanent secretary of the Ministry, presented the plan during a Medical Council meeting on Saturday, saying only 72% of the targeted medical workforce is currently active. Ten provinces, including Bueng Kan, Sa Kaeo, and Mae Hong Son, have less than 60% of their medical positions filled, with Bueng Kan facing the most severe shortage.

The doctor-to-population ratio remains critically low in provinces such as Samut Prakan, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nakhon Phanom, Nonthaburi, and Chaiyaphum.

Meanwhile, the number of doctors resigning from public service has increased — from 789 in 2020 to 1,201 in 2024 — further straining the healthcare system.

Dr Somruk said that imbalances in the 2025 doctor allocation process, which prioritised health regions 8 and 10, have caused some other health regions, particularly regions 4, 5, and 6, to face a shortage of new residents, forcing adjustments and special recruitment rounds.

The ministry proposes prioritising allocations to provinces with the greatest need, revising scholarship regulations to allow cross-provincial placements, and adopting a flexible “One Province, One Region, One Hospital” model to enable general and specialist doctors to move across districts or provinces.

The plan also includes increasing compensation for doctors in high-workload areas, offering incentives for specialisation in underserved regions, and boosting regional budgets to support these efforts.

In the 2026 fiscal year, 2,795 medical graduates are expected to enter the workforce, with 1,980 positions allocated to the ministry.

About 79% of Thais feel confused about the upcoming election and referendums, which involve four separate ballots covering six questions, says a survey by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida).

The poll, conducted from Oct 7-9 among 1,310 adults nationwide, highlighted widespread uncertainty over navigating the electoral process, particularly the votes on the four ballots covering six questions in the upcoming election.

The first ballot is for constituency MPs. The second ballot for party-list MPs. The third one is for the constitutional amendment referendum with two questions.

The fourth ballot is for the referendum on the fate of the Memorandums of Understanding that Thailand signed with Cambodia over overlapping land and maritime boundaries in 2000 and 2001 (MoU 43 and MoU 44). This ballot will also have two questions.

The survey found 79.16% of respondents reported feeling confused about the ballots and questions, including 48.55% who said they were very confused and 30.61% somewhat confused.

In contrast, the remaining 20.84% said they were not confused, including 11.99% who said they were not confused at all, and 8.85% said they were not confused.

When asked about their personal ability to handle the ballots, about half said they were confused, including 26.8% who were very confused and 23.36% who were somewhat confused.

The remaining half said they were not confused, including 34.73% who were not confused at all and 15.11% who were not confused.

The survey also questioned whether the four-month preparation period announced by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s government would be sufficient to educate voters.

About half said it would not be sufficient, of which 30.23% of respondents said the time was ‘not sufficient at all’ and 20.53% said somewhat sufficient.

A further 46.57% said it would be sufficient, including 24.43% who said the time is ‘definitely sufficient” and 22.14% said the time is somewhat sufficient. The remaining 2.67% did not respond or were not interested.

Finally, when asked for opinions on holding the MP election, the constitutional amendment referendum, and the MoUs 43 and 44 cancellation referendum on the same day, 49.16% said they agreed with holding all on the same day.

A little over a quarter, or 26.11%, said the three processes should be held on separate days while 12.60% said only the MP election should be separated.

Meanwhile, 5.42% said only the MoU cancellation referendum should be separated, and 2.82% said only the constitutional amendment referendum should be held separately.

If we are to listen to what the National Health Security Office (NHSO) has told us, everything has been running smoothly with the universal healthcare programme, better known as the 30-baht scheme.

What about reports that member hospitals are facing mounting debt? That is just a “routine budget adjustment”. Partnered clinics are closing down? That is, the NHSO claims, because of their failures to comply with the rules.

Indeed, the official prospects of the 30-baht scheme appear so rosy that the newly-appointed Public Health Minister, Pattana Promphat, promised to improve the free kidney dialysis treatment for more than 100,000 patients nationwide within the next two months, following a directive by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

The problem, however, is people who rely on the 30-baht “gold card” scheme — along with its partnered clinics and hospitals — see a different reality. On social media platforms, complaints abound from gold card members who must travel farther to newly-assigned clinics after their original ones either closed or substantially curtailed services due to a lack of funding.

A similar scenario is unfolding among partnered hospitals, some of which claim to have operated in the red for so long they have been forced to stop taking referrals. In these cases, the burden falls directly on patients who depend on the welfare scheme and are apparently left to fend for themselves.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Public Health acknowledged that many state hospitals are struggling under the weight of financial debt — a severe challenge affecting healthcare services nationwide. At the heart of the financial crisis is the 30-baht scheme, where the allocated funds could not keep up with the increasing medical costs.

News reports say the 10 most indebted hospitals recorded a collective loss of 1.9 billion baht in the first quarter of this year alone. Among the hardest hit is Khon Kaen Hospital, which reported a deficit of 1.2 billion baht.

The issue was brought into sharp focus last week when Mongkutwattana Hospital announced it would suspend services for universal healthcare cardholders transferred from their primary care units, citing an overdue debt owed by the NHSO.

In response, NHSO secretary-general Jadej Thammatacharee attributed the problem of overdue debts to budgeting regulations. He said a service unit receiving lower assessment scores will be allocated a smaller budget, a situation that might be misunderstood as a deficit.

Although the NHSO promptly assigned other referral hospitals to people affected by the disruption at Mongkutwattana Hospital and expressed its willingness to take into account public feedback, the office also acknowledged its patient referral system remains problematic in some areas.

But the problem seems far more critical than the NHSO is willing to admit. There is a fundamental question whether the NHSO’s per-patient allocation of over 8,000 baht is adequate considering medical costs and the fact Thailand will soon become a fully aged society.

Some academics suggested the NHSO prioritise strengthening its core services before expanding into more advanced treatments to appease the public.

As the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) recommended in a research paper this year, the NHSO needs structural reforms. These include increasing transparency in governance, decision making and budgeting, from planning to allocation, and upgrading technology to improve reimbursement rules and reduce errors on transaction checks.

While the NHSO board and subcommittees have broad authority, their structure lacks proper checks and balances as required by the National Health Security Act.

TDRI researchers who inspect NHSO found some members serve multiple overlapping terms across committees, which slows down decisions on which services and benefits should be included in the gold card package.

Meanwhile, a systematic, transparent assessment of the cost-effectiveness and impact of each benefit is still missing.

The universal healthcare programme is undeniably one of the country’s most progressive and respected policies.

However, the NHSO must look beyond its complex regulations and consider the situation on the ground.

Only when the regulator appreciates the real-world challenges that patients and hospitals face can this vital policy be made truly efficient and sustainable.

The War Elephants have arrived in Taipei for their fourth Group D fixture in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, with head coach Masatada Ishii urging his players to treat every remaining pool match as a must-win if they are to secure a spot in the finals.

Fresh off a 2-0 home victory over Taiwan on Thursday night, the Thai squad held a training session in the Taiwanese capital as they prepare for the crucial return leg on Tuesday.

Earlier, Ishii said: ‘After our first match, because we did not have much time, we divided the players into two groups – one for recovery and the other for training. Now we have two more days to work on tactics again.

‘The coach of Taiwan has said they will play more attacking football, and I actually hope that is the case. If they attack more, it will open up space for us to exploit.

‘The reason I called up Santiphap Channgom and Songwut Kraikruan is because they are already familiar with the squad and could be brought in immediately. Some other players were unavailable or too far away to join. In fact, I had already been considering how to use these two, so it was natural to bring them in.

‘From now on, we need three points in every game. Against Turkmenistan we failed to do that, so we must make up for it in the matches ahead.

‘Although Sri Lanka managed to beat Turkmenistan, I want to focus on our own team. Of course, those two will meet again, but for us the priority is clear – we must concentrate on ourselves and make sure we collect three points.’

Community leaders in four districts of Sa Kaeo province bordering Cambodia carried out evacuation drills on Sunday, while the army said mine clearance in a border village was part of a plan to remove Cambodian settlers encroaching on Thai territory.

Community leaders who took part in the evacuation drills were from Ta Phraya, Khok Sung, Aranyaprathet and Khlong Hat districts. During the exercises, they learned where to guide their villagers to safety in the event of a border emergency.

Sa Kaeo governor Parinya Phothisat said leaders of sub-districts and villages of the four districts were prepared for real evacuations in case of necessity.

The governor said that the evacuation drill was an internal affair and had nothing to do with efforts to evict Cambodians from their encroachment areas in Ban Nong Chan and Ban Nong Ya Kaeo villages of Khok Sung district.

Meanwhile, Maj Gen Benchapol Dechatiwong na Ayutthaya, commander of the Burapa Task Force who also supervised the evacuation drills, said the army was clearing landmines from the encroached areas for public safety and for their future use by Thai people.

The commander acknowledged the use of loudspeakers in border areas under the task force’s supervision, saying he was unconcerned about Cambodia’s complaint regarding the noise.

Maj Gen Benchapol said the measure was intended to keep Thai soldiers alert while on duty within Thai territory and should not be an issue for Cambodia.

He was apparently referring to the border areas of Ban Nong Chan and Ban Nong Ya Kaeo villages, where some Cambodians have continued to live since taking refuge there to escape the civil war more than four decades ago.

The First Army Region said on Sunday that Thai officials used loudspeakers to inform Cambodians of their escape from the Cambodian Civil War and refuge in Sa Kaeo’s villages they tried to claim.

Thai authorities through the loudspeakers also warned Cambodian encroachers that they illegally occupied Thai forest areas and thus were liable to a jail term of up to 15 years and a fine of up to 100,000 baht in accordance with the Forests Act of Thailand.

The military defended its operations along the border on Sunday, following Cambodia’s complaint to the interim observer team (IOT) over the use of so-called ‘ghostly sounds’, insisting that all activities took place strictly within Thai territory.

Maj Gen Benjapol Dechatiwong Na Ayutthaya, commander of the Burapa Task Force, brushed off the protest, saying, ‘They can complain all they want. Everything we did was on Thai soil. My men were on duty through the night and needed to stay alert. I simply helped them stay awake. It’s our land. They can file whatever they like, I don’t care.’

He added that troop morale remained high and Thai soldiers are ready to act “whenever and wherever” they are needed.

Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree, army spokesman, echoed the sentiment, noting recent incursions by Cambodian officials and civilians.

“Cambodian authorities had mobilised civilians alongside officials to provoke and obstruct Thai residents. Some Thai groups responded using loudspeakers to express their discontent – non-violently – against the encroachment and distortions by the Cambodian side,” he said.

Maj Gen Winthai said the actions taken by the military had been carefully considered to avoid escalation, in contrast to Cambodian actions, which involved aggressive actions and improvised weapons against Thai personnel.

“All actions are guided by human rights principles, ensuring law enforcement is applied in ways that minimise potential harm while addressing the border dispute responsibly,” he said.

On Saturday night, Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence, in coordination with the IOT, inspected border areas in Banteay Meanchey province, reported the Khmer Times.

The visit was carried out to verify reports about Thai operatives broadcasting eerie sounds along the border, which affected many Cambodian citizens, especially the sick, elderly, children and persons with disabilities, during the night, said the report.

The dispute erupted after the military allowed activist Guntouch “Gun Jompalang” Pongpaiboonwet to bring loudspeakers to Nong Chan and Nong Ya Kaeo villages in Sa Kaeo, where he has played recordings of helicopter and jet engine noises, along with ‘ghostly sounds’, to intimidate Cambodian villagers who are encroaching on Thai territory since the night of Oct 10.

The ghost sounds play to Cambodians’ supposed superstitions and are intended to intimidate.

Phnom Penh later lodged a complaint with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), accusing Thailand of psychological intimidation.

The Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC) also submitted an urgent appeal to the OHCHR, condemning what it described as the use of ‘disturbing sounds’ by the Thai armed forces as a form of psychological intimidation and harassment against Cambodian civilians along the border, said another report by the Khmer Times.

Mr Guntouch responded defiantly on social media, saying Cambodian authorities had ‘betrayed Thai generosity’ and his campaign was meant to remind them of the aid given by Thailand over the years.

‘We helped them when they fled hardship and even the Queen Mother extended kindness. Yet now they try to seize our land and defame us,’ he wrote.

He also hit back at human rights advocates, including Senator Angkhana Neelapaijit, who on Sunday questioned the government’s handling of the incident.

‘These rights advocates are only brave when it comes to Thais,’ he said. ‘Why not speak up about Cambodians bringing pregnant women and children to the frontline? Sometimes being too idealistic doesn’t work. For 40-50 years we’ve tried diplomacy, sent letters, but nothing changes.’

‘When we send a letter, they ignore it. But when we play sounds for two days, they panic. Sometimes you have to shake things up,’ he said.