Category: The Bangkok Post

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.’

Two tourists in Phuket are being sought for disturbing the peace and injuring another beachgoer after setting off fireworks on the island’s popular Patong beach.

Criticism erupted online on Saturday after videos showed a man and a woman causing chaos on the beach in Kathu district by launching fireworks.

The incident reportedly took place near the Bangla police booth on Friday night.

Lifeguards told police that they had detained two unidentified foreign nationals, whose actions had caused property damage and injuries to bystanders.

However, surveillance video later showed that the people responsible for the fireworks did not match those who were detained, and they were released.

The injured tourist told authorities they did not wish to press charges, as their injuries were minor and they wanted to focus on resting.

Police said they would continue to seek and apprehend the culprits.

As the major shareholder of Thai Airways International (THAI), the Finance Ministry has confirmed all the new nominees for the company’s board of directors are professionals.

According to finance permanent secretary Lavaron Sangsnit, 17 individuals have been nominated as potential new directors of THAI, not including nominees from shareholders who hold at least 5% of shares, who are entitled to propose candidates for consideration by the selection committee.

The committee is expected to select eight qualified candidates by Oct 19: four to replace directors whose terms have ended, and four new ones. These names are to be submitted for approval by THAI’s board, which is scheduled to meet on Oct 23.

The board then proposes the list to the shareholders’ meeting for final approval, slated for December.

“Thai Airways must have a professional board of directors, and we affirm that all the nominees we have proposed are top-tier and highly professional,” said Mr Lavaron.

In his capacity as chairman of the Thai Airways board, he said he guarantees all processes are conducted with transparency, and there is no intention to return the airline to a state enterprise, nor will it be managed as one, but rather as a listed company.

“The board members are true professionals who work for the genuine benefit of Thai Airways. Of course, during board meetings not everyone will agree on every issue, but all are professionals. What is discussed in the board room should not be disclosed outside,” said Mr Lavaron.

“As long as I remain chairman, there will be no corruption — everything must be transparent in every aspect.”

He also explained the necessity of increasing the number of board members to 15.

“There are 11 directors, which creates some operational limitations. Certain committees cannot be established because the board is incomplete. For example, the risk management committee is essential, but it cannot be formed at present,” said Mr Lavaron.

“Only two committees exist: audit as well as nomination and remuneration, as required by the stock exchange regulations.

“Under Thai Airways’ rules, all audit committee members must be independent directors. As three independent directors already serve on the audit committee, they cannot serve on any other, reducing the total by three. Another three are assigned to the nomination committee, making six in total that are ineligible for other committees.

“The chairman should not serve on any committee, leaving seven. This leaves only four directors available, which makes it impossible to form the risk management committee. This is why it’s necessary to increase the number of board members to 15.”

It is no secret that former great footballers do not necessarily enjoy the same success in their role as managers or coaches. The most recent example has been Wayne Rooney, who has discovered being a gaffer can be a very demanding job.

Another gifted player, Frank Lampard, has experienced struggles in a managerial role. But since moving to Championship club Coventry last season fortunes appear to have changed for the better for the former Chelsea star.

After not making a great impression in charge of Derby, Chelsea and Everton, the former England midfielder seems to have found his niche at the Championship club.

When Lampard took over the Sky Blues last season the club were 17th in the table just two points above the relegation zone. But a run of nine wins in 10 games saw them reach the playoffs where they eventually succumbed to Luton at Wembley in a penalty shootout.

This season life has got even better for Lampard with his club sitting unbeaten at the top of the Championship table after five wins and four draws.

They’ve also been banging in the goals having scored 27 in their nine games, far more than any of their rivals. Their latest victims were troubled Sheffield Wednesday who they overwhelmed 5-0 at Hillsborough last weekend. A few days earlier they hammered Millwall away 4-0.

Spearheading the scoring for Coventry has been US international Haji Wright, who has already netted nine times.

Lampard is understandably delighted at his team’s performance but is not getting carried away. “We’ve had a good start,” he said last week. “It’s important to keep our feet on the ground, enjoy the moment and continue with this form.”

The fans are happy too. One supporter commented, “When Lampard was appointed, we all had a little smile thinking it would all end in tears. Well done Frank. Exciting time to be a City fan.”

When Coventry were relegated from the Premier League in 2001, it ended a 34-season stay in the top flight. During that time they collected only one major trophy, upsetting Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 in the 1987 FA Cup final.

After relegation, major financial problems were compounded by complex issues concerning their stadium. For several seasons “home” games were played at Northampton Town and Birmingham City. It was a real test of loyalty for their fans. By 2017 they had slumped into League Two.

Despite these major setbacks they have since managed to progress, winning promotion from League Two in 2018 and then League One in 2020 to reach the Championship. The situation behind the scenes also improved with the Sisu group selling out to local businessman Doug King.

It would be huge for Lampard if he could return to the Premier League with Coventry and might shake off the hurt of being fired by Chelsea, a team with which he had been so successful as a player.

Although his Chelsea sacking was half-expected, it still seemed premature and a classic example of the prevailing ruthlessness in this results-oriented business. Gary Lineker called the sacking “utterly ridiculous.”

After his ouster a rather poignant “In Frank We Trust” poster remained in the Stamford Bridge stands for a few days as a pertinent reminder of how quickly things can change.

With just nine matches played there is still a long way to go for Lampard to achieve his goal. His immediate task will be to focus on next week’s home game against Blackburn Rovers.