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The ?United States has ?extended a trade into Vietnam’s intellectual property protections by three months until the end ?of ?February, the Office of the US Trade Representative said on Tuesday, citing the complexity of the matter.

Launched in ?May to look into Vietnam’s alleged “persistent failure to resolve long-standing concerns about IP protection and enforcement,” ?the probe was initially scheduled to ?be completed the end of this month, the ?USTR ?had said.

The deadline for its ?conclusion has now been moved to Feb 28 because “the investigation involves ?complex or complicated issues ?that require additional time,” according to a USTR statement released on Tuesday.

Personal data of 60,529 passengers who booked flights with Thai Airways International (THAI) was compromised during three years of cybersecurity breaches at global travel platform provider Amadeus, the national carrier revealed on Tuesday.

The breaches of the reservation system operated by Amadeus involved the misuse of account credentials and occurred between Aug 10, 2023 and Sept 23 this year.

An investigation showed that 60,529 bookings by THAI passengers were compromised. The hacked data included passengers’ names and reference numbers, travel dates, flight routes and classes of reserved seats, the announcement said.

In 376 of the affected bookings, exposure also included other types of data such as email addresses, phone numbers, passport numbers, nationalities, mileage membership numbers, flight numbers, ticket numbers and seat numbers.

Thai Airways stressed that credit card details were not affected and its own systems and operations remained unaffected.

It said it was verifying information from Amadeus and it apologised for the worry and inconvenience caused.

Other affected users of the Amadeus system included Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and Finnair.

Nine people were hurt when a speedboat crashed into a chartered fishing boat off Cape Bali Hai late Monday night.

The Pattaya City sea rescue unit reported the crash occurred about 11pm, resulting in injuries to six Thai women, two Russian females and a woman from Ukraine.

All were pulled to safety and then taken to hospital. It was unclear whether the injured were passengers on the speedboat or the fishing boat.

The charter skipper, named only as Pong, said he took his passengers out fishing off the cape, with the vessel’s lights on. The speedboat came out of nowhere and hit his vessel, he said. The impact sank the speedboat.

Pattaya police said the speedboat was taking 27 Thai and foreign tourists from a seaside restaurant back to the bay pier. The boat driver said he did not see the chartered fishing boat.

The police investigation was continuing.

Thailand will host the opening round of the MotoGP season for a third consecutive year in 2027, as the championship enters a new era of 850cc machines and revised technical regulations.

The Grand Prix of Thailand will take place at Chang International Circuit in Buri Ram on March 5-7, the first race under a new hosting agreement.

Tickets went on sale worldwide at 2pm on Monday, following a press conference at the Sports Authority of Thailand’s head office.

Surasak Phancharoenworakul, the tourism and sports minister, said the selection reflected confidence in Thailand’s ability to stage world-class events.

He said the ministry would promote sports tourism under a “value over volume” approach, encouraging visitors to explore other attractions so that the benefits reached hotels, restaurants and local communities.

Proadprans Samarnmit, governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand, said the body was committed to improving the spectator experience, from travel to the circuit to entertainment around the venue, so that the event became “more than just a race”.

Victor Segui, director of fan engagement at MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group, formerly Dorna Sports, said the aim was to bring spectators closer to the action, with events in Bangkok building anticipation before the series moves to Buri Ram.

Chotchanok Chidchob, the circuit’s director of international events, said track inspections, facility upgrades and additional staffing and safety measures were under way to accommodate hundreds of thousands of riders, team personnel, officials, fans and media.

A single “3-in-1” ticket covers the Buri Ram Test on Feb 6-7, the three-day race meeting and a motorsport festival with live concerts and Muay Thai in the commercial area outside the circuit. A motorcycle-themed expo will feature food and local specialties from Buri Ram and elsewhere.

Grandstand seats cost 5,000 baht, rider stands 3,000 baht, and brand and side stands 2,000 baht. A paddock pass is 15,000 baht and the VIP lounge 20,000 baht. Standalone Buri Ram Test tickets start at 500 baht a day for the grandstand.

Side and brand stand tickets are 30% cheaper from Nov 9-15. Tickets are available at 7-Eleven outlets and allticketthailand.com, with 0% instalments available for up to 10 months.

The Democrat Party is preparing an Administrative Court lawsuit with residents of Khlong Chan Flats in Bang Kapi district against the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) over its handling of recent flooding and alleged delays in compensation payments.

Deputy party leader Sakoltee Phattiyakul and deputy secretary-general Ramet Rattanachaweng, who heads the party’s legal team, visited the community on Sunday at the instruction of party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Mr Sakoltee said residents complained that relief payments had been slow and inadequate. Many households and businesses had received nothing, while others received only 5,000-9,000 baht in relief payments despite extensive damage.

He cited losses of up to 700,000 baht at local shops and a bookstore, as well as a damaged photocopier worth more than 80,000 baht.

The proposed lawsuit will seek fair compensation and highlight what the party described as four failures by the BMA under Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt. The allegations include inadequate advance water management, failure to remove drainage obstructions, insufficient flood warnings and concerns over the readiness and efficiency of water pumps.

Mr Sakoltee alleged BMA agencies failed to warn residents despite officials knowing water levels were critical. As a result, he claimed residents of Khlong Chan Flats and Rom Klao could not protect their property, leaving thousands of vehicles submerged and damaged.

He also urged the government to work with financial institutions to assist owners of flood-damaged cars and motorcycles, particularly those without first-class insurance who were still making instalment payments on vehicles they could no longer use.

The party will gather evidence and damage records this week, with its legal team expected to file the first cases within two weeks.

House secretary-general Siroj Phaetphan on Monday denied political interference in guidelines governing the House’s 35 standing committees after opposition MPs accused parliamentary leaders of restricting oversight powers and delaying action on urgent public issues.

Mr Siroj said the committees had operated under the same principles since 2019, but the Secretariat moved to formalise them after legal concerns about committee powers.

Under Section 129 of the constitution, committees must act collectively when seeking documents or summoning individuals to provide information. Such actions require majority approval rather than decisions by individual lawmakers, he said.

The guidelines are intended to ensure legal compliance and protect parliamentary staff from possible investigations or disciplinary action over procedural mistakes.

“There has been no political pressure. We operate on the basis of the law, the constitution and parliamentary regulations,” Mr Siroj said. He warned that civil servants could be held responsible for procedural violations while politicians might escape the consequences.

Mr Siroj said he had not received a formal invitation from the House committee on legal affairs, justice and human rights for Speaker Sophon Zarum to explain the guidelines next week. The speaker could attend or send his first deputy or the secretary-general, he said.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) ?said on Tuesday it would launch a vaulting service to hold bullion for ?foreign central banks and lower taxes on some companies in the gold market as it competes for a bigger slice of the precious metals trade.

“Developing our gold market is an extension of Singapore’s role as a trusted financial centre,” said Deputy ?Prime Minister Gan Kim ?Yong, who is also Singapore’s minister for trade and industry and chairman of MAS.

The gold vaulting service will hold bullion reserves on behalf of foreign central banks, international financial institutions and sovereign entities in Singapore’s national currency vault, which has room for 500 metric tonnes.

“With growing demand for gold as a reserve asset, central banks are looking ?for more options to strengthen their resilience,” Gan said.

“There’s interest that has been expressed to us. Because these were confidential, I won’t be able to share details of which particular central banks have approached us,” he added.

MAS and the Ministry of Finance will ?also seek to introduce a new tax framework from April next year, extending tax relief for gold to wholesale services between institutional participants, such as ?vaulting, , recasting, assaying and broking.

“Taken together, these initiatives will put in place the key building blocks for a deeper and more vibrant ?Singapore ?gold market, facilitate price discovery and risk management during Asian trading hours, while strengthening Singapore’s role as a trusted connector to established ?gold centres and global liquidity,” MAS said in a statement.

The move comes as Singapore prepares to launch an over-the-counter gold clearing system by the end of the year.

Live trading and market ?operations are expected to commence by March 2027, with gold market ?liquidity building throughout the year, MAS said in its statement.

Separately, SGX’s physically deliverable gold kilobar futures are targeted for launch in the second quarter of 2027, the statement added.

Elsewhere in Asia, Kong’s government has ?been pushing to expand bullion storage ?and develop the city as an international gold trading centre.

Protesters demanding a 10-baht-per-litre cut in diesel prices and measures to ease the cost of living plan to remain outside Government House for an initial 30 days, their leader said on Monday.

Led by Mano Khrueakaew, kamnan of tambon Krabi Noi in Krabi’s Muang district and head of the People’s Revolutionary Alliance to Protect the Nation, the protesters are also demanding action on falling agricultural prices and drug-related problems affecting communities nationwide.

The protesters arrived outside Government House at 8.30pm on Sunday and began setting up a stage near Chamai Maruchet Bridge on Monday morning, facing Nang Loeng intersection.

Several surrounding roads were closed to traffic, while police were deployed to maintain security.

At 11am on Monday, Mr Mano visited Sondhi Limthongkul, a former leader of the People’s Alliance for Democracy, at Baan Phra Athit to discuss protest strategy.

He later said the demonstration would initially last 30 days, denying that he had suggested it would continue until a parliamentary no-confidence debate, the timing of which he said he did not know.

He acknowledged that protesters were considering further action but said he would consult his working team before making any decisions. He stressed that the rally would remain peaceful and non-violent.

Among those expected to address the demonstrators were Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temeeyaves, leader of the Seri Ruam Thai Party, on the Khao Kradong land dispute, and lawyer and political activist Phattharaphong Suphaksorn on alleged collusion in the Senate election.

More than 100 residents from several districts of Nakhon Ratchasima travelled to Bangkok to join the rally, bringing grievances over a potash mine in Dan Khun Thot district, a waste-to-energy project in Kham Sakae Saeng district and the relocation of the 2029 World Horticultural Expo from Khong to Pak Chong district.

They alleged that mining activities had increased soil and water salinity, affecting farmland and waterways. Residents near the waste-to-energy project also raised concerns about odours, wastewater and possible pollution.

Protest representative Thawin Rattanaporn said participating groups were preparing their demands for submission to the government. He welcomed reports that Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul was willing to meet the protesters and urged him to follow through.

Meanwhile, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Sayam Boonsom said the restriction on demonstrations within 50 metres of Government House was intended to maintain public order and safety.

He said police officers would initially warn demonstrators of any violations but could take legal action and seek court orders if they ignored the warnings.

The Education Ministry has asked LINE to shut down all Line OpenChat groups that have been misused by students across Thailand to publicly shame, dox or sexually harass others.

The cyberbullying crisis emerged last week, with parents filing complaints with police in provinces including Nakhon Ratchasima, Nonthaburi, Kanchanaburi, Surin, Nakhon Pathom and Chiang Mai.

Students have exploited the anonymity offered by Line OpenChat, which allows users to join with avatar profiles and aliases instead of their primary LINE identities, to create localised bullying circles.

Reports said the groups were often named using the Thai word ?? (chae), meaning ‘to expose”, followed by the name of a particular province, school or student.

The groups grew rapidly, attracting hundreds or even thousands of students who took part in the bullying.

Content shared included private photographs, sensitive personal information and allegations intended to besmirch the targets. Members also engaged in coordinated verbal abuse and sexual harassment.

In Nakhon Ratchasima, Mr Jaturathep, a parent whose child was a member of one such group, said he was deeply concerned that this behaviour could cause serious harm to young victims. Although some might dismiss it as harmless fun, or as teasing among children, he said it could become a serious problem for those targeted.

Lert Prungpho, director of Ban Cho Ho School, said the school had called in several students for talks after learning that they had been invited to join such groups.

On Tuesday, Deputy Education Minister Akkaranan Kankittinan said he had instructed offices of the Centre for the Protection of Children’s Rights nationwide to report the bullying groups. The ministry was also coordinating with Line to close all groups involved and expected the process to be completed by late Tuesday. Other OpenChat groups would not be affected.

Mr Akkaranan said he did not know where the trend originated, but it had spread rapidly over the previous two or three days.

Regarding students’ use of social media and mobile phones at school, Education Minister Prasert Chantararuangthong said schools were legal entities and therefore had the authority to introduce their own measures under the ministry’s student-safety policy.

The ministry was working with the Public Health Ministry, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, and universities to address the problem comprehensively.

Parents have also been urged to remain vigilant. Checks found that most of the Line OpenChat users involved were lower- and upper-secondary school students, according to authorities, the deputy minister said.

Although OpenChat users can create new or avatar profiles, these remain linked to their original accounts, allowing authorities to trace their identities and activities.

Offenders could face defamation charges or legal action under the Child Protection Act, while parents could also be held responsible if violations are established.

Police seized about 5 million methamphetamine pills from a car as the driver fled into the darkness in Muang district of Chiang Rai on Monday night

Officers from drug suppression units in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai were deployed in Monday night’s operation, led by Pol Col Ratthapong Tiasud,deputy commander of Narcotics Suppression Bureau Division 3.

It targeted a drug trafficking network linked to an ethnic minority group in Ban Huai San of tambon Mae Korn in Muang district of Chiang Rai.

They spotted a white Toyota sedan of interest as it descened a hill on Den Ha-Dong Mada Road and followed it. The driver apparently became aware of the surveillance and turned off onto another road leading to Nong Chang Khot orchard, police said.

The driver stopped, abandoned the car and fled on foot, using the darkness and his familiarity with the area to evade capture.

A search of the vehicle found 10 bags containing 2.4 million meth pills. A search of the surrounding area found another 12 bags, bringing the total seizure to 22 sacks containing about 5 million pills. The car was also seized.

The drugs and the vehicle were handed over to investigators at NSB Division 3.

Forensic officers were examining DNA and fingerprint samples taken from the car, hoping for leads to the masterminds behind the smuggling operation.