G-Able, AWS Partner to Accelerate Thailand’s Digital Future

G-Able Public Company Limited (G-Able), Thailand’s leading provider of digital solutions and end-to-end IT infrastructure services, has announced the signing of a Strategic Collaboration Agreement (SCA) with Amazon Web Services (AWS), the world’s most comprehensive and widely adopted cloud platform. The agreement underscores G-Able’s mission to empower Thai enterprises with advanced cloud technologies, enhance competitiveness, and fuel innovation across industries.

Dr Chaiyuth Chunnahacha, Chief Executive Officer of G-Able Public Company Limited, said: ‘This strategic collaboration marks an important milestone in our mission to help Thai enterprises harness cloud and AI technologies. Together, we will enable organisations to accelerate digital transformation within their local business context.’

Through the SCA, G-Able will collaborate with AWS to develop cloud strategies and solutions tailored for medium and large Thai enterprises, expand resources and expertise by obtaining AWS Competencies, and strengthen digital capabilities for businesses. The collaboration will focus on four key areas:

Cloud Migration: Supporting enterprises in moving from on-premises IT infrastructure to AWS quickly and securely, while reducing downtime and costs.

AI and Machine Learning: Applying AI to analyse data, understand customer behaviour, forecast markets, and design personalised services.

Data Analytics: Developing data platforms that can aggregate, analyse, and present real-time business insights.

Generative AI: Enabling enterprises to create new content, models, and services using tools such as Amazon Bedrock and Amazon Q. G-Able has also developed its own AI platform, Allyx, built on AWS, to support a wide range of use cases including chatbots, document summarisation, search, and AI automation (Agentic AI) across industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, and education. In addition, G-Able integrates Amazon Q in QuickSight with Allyx to empower business users to access data and create dashboards with greater ease.

G-Able will also expand specialised services in cybersecurity and automation to help enterprises strengthen IT infrastructure management and streamline business processes. The company has already supported numerous Thai public and private sector organisations in migrating workloads to AWS and in piloting AI and analytics solutions.

Kirsten Gilbertson, Head of Partner Management, ASEAN, AWS, said: ‘G-Able’s strong technical expertise and its ability to meet customer requirements in Thailand make them a strategic AWS Partner in ASEAN. Together, we will help Thai enterprises accelerate cloud adoption and leverage advanced technology services to succeed in the digital economy.’

Dr Chaiyuth added: ‘This collaboration with AWS will be a key enabler for Thai enterprises to achieve sustainable growth in the digital era.’

Star Thai skeet and trap shooter boycotts SEA Games

Skeet and trap shooting star Sutiya Jiewchaloemmit is boycotting the SEA Games, to be held in Thailand in Deember, accusing event organisers of a lack of transparency and mismanagement.

Her withdrawal is not the first controversy to hit this year’s biennial multisport event. Two badminton layers have also questioned the fairness of the player selection process.

Sutiya announced her decision on Monday, saying she would not participate in the selection process for the national team for the games, because she had suspicions about transparency in the way the Skeet and Trap Shooting Association handlies its budget and financial support from sponsors.

‘That is why I have distanced myself from the Skeet and Trap Shooting Association. And I have decided that I will not contest the SEA Games and will cheer on younger players,’ Sutiya told reporters. ‘I hope the younger players perform well.’

The SEA Games will run from Dec 9-20 with events spread between venues in Greater Bangkok, Chon Buri and Songkhla.

The Skeet and Trap Shooting Association targets three gold medals.

Sutiya would have been a front runner if she competed

She asked Deputy Prime Minister Thammanat Prompow to look into all the problems at the Skeet and Trap Shooting Association and other sports organisations in the country.

As deputy PM, Mr Thammanat oversees the Sports and Tourism Ministry. The cabinet minister responsible for sports is Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn. Both are members of the Klatham Party, part of the new coalition government.

Sutiya has competed in four consecutive Olympics – in Beijing in 2008, London in 2012, Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020. She won a gold medal in 2016.

The skeet shooter is not the only player disgruntled with the performance of sports organisation leaders ahead of the SEA Games.

Ratchapol Makkasasithorn and Nattamon Laisuan on Sept 19 accused the Badminton Association of Thailand of being unfair after they were ruled out of the national squad.

Ratchapol and Nattamon won the mixed doubles at the Thailand National Championship in December. The win would have given them an automatic berth in the national team under the old rules, which gave priority to winners of the annual competition. The second priority was to be ranked in the world top 20.

The badminton association amended the regulations in April, putting global ranking above winning a national championship. Players in the top 32 of the world are now automatically selected, followed by winners of the national championship.

The change dropped Ratchapol and Nattamon from selection as the pair are not ranked in the top 32, ending their hopes of representing Thailand at the December SEA Games.

Bangkok sinkhole to be filled, Samsen Road to reopen on Oct 9

The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand says it plans to fill the sinkhole on Samsen Road in Dusit district of Bangkok and reopen the road for traffic by Oct 9.

Sand was being dumped into the sinkhole to prepare for the quick reconstruction of the Samsen road surface, MRTA deputy governor Kitti Akewanlop said on Tuesday.

The job will require 7,000 to 8,000 cubic metres of sand and workers can dump about 2,000 cubic metres a day, he said. On Tuesday the sinkhole was about 10 metres deep from the original road surface.

‘The road surface will be rebuilt on Oct 8 and two lanes will reopen on Oct 9 as planned,’ Mr Kitti said.

He also said that the adjacent Samsen police station building did not shift after the collapse as earlier feared, and officials concerned had confirmed its safety.

Apart from the police station, the sinkhole stood next to Vajira Hospital. Patients and relatives have been advised to take public transport for now. Hospital executives say that 7,000 to 8,000 patients and relatives visit the hospital every day.

The sinkhole was 30 metres wide, 30 metres long and 20 metres deep when it formed suddenly on Samsen Road on the morning of Sept 24. The MRTA initially blamed it on soil sliding into a tunnel and underground station of its Purple Line extension route.

The contractor for the section in question is the CKST joint venture, made up of SET-listed Ch. Karnchang Plc and Stecon Group Plc. The family of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul are major shareholders in the latter.

Young man sets himself on fire in Bangkok

A 21-year-old man set himself on fire at a bus stop and ran out into the traffic on Phahon Yothin Road in Bangkok on Tuesday, horrifying pedestrians and motorists.

The incident occurred around 10am at a bus stop in front of the Land Development Department office in Chatuchak district.

A surveilance camera recording showed the man, whose name has not been released, standing behind the bus stop and holding a large jar containing a liquid believed to be petrol.

He poured the liquid over his body before setting himself on fire with a lighter.

According to 3 Plus News, he walked around while on fire, terrifying two university students waiting for a bus, before running out onto the road and falling to the ground, underneath Senanikom BTS Station.

The sudden sight of his burning body startled motorists. One motorcyclist fell off his bike and was injured. He was taken to nearby Paolo Hospital along with the self-immolated man by emergency responders called to the scene.

A witness told police the man had a heated phone conversation with someone before setting himself ablaze. His mother said she learned her son had been having a problem with his girlfriend over the past few days.

His condition was not known.

Volunteer pilot PM Anutin delivers donated organs

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Tuesday flew his private jet to the northeastern province of Loei to receive a donor’s organs that can be used to save at least seven patients.

According to the Public Relations Department, Mr Anutin arrived at Loei airport at 12.15pm to receive the organs from Loei Hospital.

Mr Anutin has been a volunteer pilot for the Thai Red Cross Society since 2014. The flight on Tuesday was his first volunteer mission since he became prime minister.

The organs came from a 19-year-old man who was a native of Chiang Khan district of Loei. He had been declared brain-dead after an accident.

The donated organs comprised a heart, liver, two kidneys, two eyes and a pancreas which can be used to save at least seven patients at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok.

The donor is the 20th organ donor from Loei and the 141st in Thailand.

Lenovo Empowers SMEs with Scalable AI-Ready IT Solutions

Amid growing pressure on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to modernise their IT infrastructure and prepare for the era of artificial intelligence, Lenovo has introduced a suite of solutions designed to make deployment, scaling and management simpler and more cost-effective.

These IT infrastructure solutions are tailored to help SMEs deploy, scale and leverage modern technology with ease. They are designed to accelerate growth and innovation from day one through pre-tested and validated bundles of servers, software and consumption-based pricing options that enable businesses to move faster from decision to deployment. Featuring guided set-up and built-in security, the solutions allow organisations to modernise outdated infrastructure quickly, preparing them for today’s AI-powered workplace while delivering insights wherever business happens.

In today’s fast-moving IT landscape, SMEs face mounting pressure to adopt AI and remain competitive despite limited resources, requiring technology that is both powerful and practical. To address this, Lenovo has adopted an SME-first approach with scalable solutions that are easy to implement, robust from the outset and focused on delivering immediate value.

‘SMEs face a challenging and competitive environment today, with many struggling to modernise IT while keeping costs under control. Lenovo is helping these enterprises stay current with solutions that remove traditional barriers of complexity and expense,’ said Sumir Bhatia, President, Asia Pacific, Infrastructure Solutions Group, Lenovo. ‘Our SME portfolio simplifies the way enterprises acquire, deploy and manage IT, accelerating innovation and operational efficiency from day one. By providing AI-ready, enterprise-grade technology that is flexible, secure and easy to adopt, we are giving SMEs the tools to compete and grow with confidence in today’s AI-driven era.’

Business Solutions Designed for Today and Ready for Tomorrow

Lenovo’s pre-tested and validated bundles are built to deliver enterprise-grade performance and reliability for SMEs without the usual complexity. By combining the industry’s most trusted servers with leading technology partners, these solutions make it easier to access next-generation IT at lower cost and with faster results – with no custom builds, no guesswork and no specialised teams required. Lenovo offers several pre-tested bundles, including the following:

Business Ready Infrastructure in a Box: Scale confidently with proven designs and simplified IT through Hyper-V Ready Node solutions built on the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR635 V3 or Lenovo ThinkSystem SR630 V4, validated with Windows Server 2025 Hyper-V and imaged with Windows Admin Console enabled.

AI Edge-Ready Node: Run modern applications wherever business happens with the cost-effective Lenovo ThinkEdge SE100, powered by Scale Computing HyperCore for lightweight, on-demand edge deployments – making enterprise-grade edge computing easy to adopt and manage for smaller teams.

Business Protection in a Box: Safeguard critical data and workloads with the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR650 V3 supporting up to 55 VMs, or the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR630 V3 combined with ThinkSystem Storage Arrays supporting up to 140 VMs.

Kumar Mitra, Executive Director, CAP and ANZ, Infrastructure Solutions Group, Lenovo, added: ‘SMEs are the backbone of Thailand’s digital economy, yet AI adoption remains low, leaving many at a disadvantage. Lenovo’s new SME-ready solutions are designed to address this gap. Whether it is our Business Ready Infrastructure in a Box for simplified IT, AI Edge-Ready Node for modern applications anywhere, or Business Protection in a Box to safeguard critical workloads, these pre-tested, scalable and secure solutions with flexible consumption options help SMEs modernise efficiently and unlock AI-driven growth without the complexity or cost of building IT from scratch.’

Lenovo provides businesses with a streamlined, easy-to-manage experience from set-up to daily operations through Lenovo XClarity One, a secure cloud portal offering AI-driven visibility, control and preventative maintenance to minimise downtime and operating costs. For data protection, Lenovo integrates Veeam to safeguard workloads against ransomware and failures, enabling near-instant recovery so that SMEs can restore critical operations within minutes, without requiring a large IT team.

Additionally, Lenovo simplifies business transformation with validated AI configurations that offer a proven roadmap, eliminating the need to build AI from scratch. These new solutions deliver rapid results, with use cases ranging from real-time threat detection that strengthens security to customer insights that drive revenue growth.

Flexible IT Consumption Without the Extra Costs

Lenovo is reshaping IT consumption for SMEs with TruScale Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). Through leasing, subscriptions and consumption-based pricing, TruScale allows businesses to pay only for what they use, scaling services to exact requirements while simplifying control, support and integration, and avoiding unnecessary costs. Customers report up to 30% faster rollouts, accelerating the journey from purchase to productivity.

Closer to home in Asia-Pacific, Malaysia’s Microtree Sdn Bhd (M3) used TruScale to expand its portfolio with new ‘as-a-service’ offerings such as Backup-as-a-Service. By leveraging Lenovo’s flexible model, M3 avoided large upfront spending, brought solutions to market more quickly, and unlocked growth with SMEs. TruScale enables precise scaling without overspending, making it more than just a solution – it is a strategic advantage that accelerates operational agility.

Thailand works to spur Taiwanese arrivals

Declining confidence among Asian travellers to Thailand has also affected the Taiwanese market this year, say travel agents.

Even though the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) remains hopeful about increasing arrivals from Taiwan to 1.2 million in 2026 – up from the 1 million targeted this year – Taiwanese travel agents emphasise the need to upgrade products and services in order to restore tourist confidence.

Sarima Chindamat, director of the Taipei office, said the TAT has revised down the target for this market to 1 million due to several headwinds.

Those include the earthquake in March and call centre scams that lured foreigners to work in neighbouring countries by using Thailand as a transit hub.

One recent factor was the skirmishes along the Thailand-Cambodia border, prompting Taiwan to issue a yellow travel alert for Thailand in July.

US tariffs have also put pressure on the overall economy and impacted spending among tourists, she added.

At present, tourists are seeking more emotional and experiential value during their trips, with smaller groups of 10-30 people and a personalised itinerary.

Potential segments include senior travellers, millennials, families and niche markets such as golfers as well as LGBT tourists.

In terms of capacity, there were 1.9 million airline seats a year between Taiwan and three cities in Thailand – Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket.

Some chartered flights are also operated from second-tier cities in Taiwan, such as Taichung, Tainan and Hualien to Thailand.

As of Sept 22, a total of 716,169 Taiwanese travellers had visited Thailand. The total for all of last year was 1.08 million, far exceeding the 790,039 arrivals recorded in 2019.

Thailand was the sixth most popular outbound destination for Taiwanese tourists, according to first-half data from the Taiwan Tourism Bureau.

Taiwanese tourists’ top five destinations were Japan, China, South Korea, Hong Kong and Vietnam, respectively.

Ms Sarima said the agency is preparing to roll out campaigns for the final three months to gain at least 100,000 tourists a month, paving the way to 1.2 million Taiwanese tourists next year.

It also consistently holds tradeshows and familiarisation trips for agents to boost the market, as well as offering joint promotions with agents and airlines.

Last week, over 300 Taiwanese agents joined the Association of Thai Travel Agents roadshow in Taipei, which was held in collaboration with the TAT.

Penny Chen, managing director of Kai Nan Tourist Club, said that post-pandemic, Taiwanese tourists opted for tours that offered local experiences and city escapes.

Mr Chen said Thailand also has both local and international celebrations which attract Taiwanese tourists, such as the annual New Year countdown event in Bangkok.

Of the company’s outbound packages, Thailand accounted for 30%, while the largest market, representing 60%, was package tours to Japan, which is the most popular destination among Taiwanese every year.

Regarding the sinkhole in Bangkok, Mr Chen said this kind of accident had occurred in many places before, and it should not impact tourist confidence, assuming reliable repair work is carried out.

A rather more important factor in attracting tourists is upgrading attractions to become more friendly to all generations, including senior travellers, along with more quality goods and products.

Fendi Shi, general manager of Gloria Tour, said some Taiwanese tourists are concerned about their children or family members visiting Thailand because of the widespread consumption and misuse of cannabis.

Ms Shi said Thailand should regulate its cannabis consumption more properly and educate members of the public.

It should also roll out campaigns and enforce safety measures to restore tourist confidence in order to deal with the scam centre issue.

She said that since 2-3 years ago, Vietnam has become more popular with new products and cheaper prices than Thailand. Packages for this market now sell more quickly than those for Thailand.

Ms Shi said the company is planning to join the TAT’s chartered flight incentives, as it has been operating routes between Taiwan and Phuket, bringing 500 tourists a month to Thailand.

Anny Lin, general manager of Supreme General Travel Service, said this year tour packages sales for other Southeast Asian markets, such as Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, have been outpacing Thailand.

In the past, the company could arrange many large tour groups to Thailand with thousands of tourists a month, but the monthly number has dropped to just 200-300 at present, said Ms Lin.

She said many travel agents have been discounting their tour packages in a bid to attract tourists to compensate for the unsafe perception of Thai tourism.

During next month’s Taiwan National Holiday, the overall Taiwanese outbound market is expected to face challenges due to concerns about the economy and spending, she said.

Thamanat defends role in cabinet

Agriculture Minister Thamanat Prompow on Tuesday rejected allegations made during a heated parliamentary debate that he was unqualified to serve as a cabinet minister.

Anusorn Iamsa-ard, a Pheu Thai Party list-MP, made the allegations.

Mr Anusorn referred to multiple controversies surrounding Thamanat, particularly the infamous ‘flour case’ from 1993. At that time, Thamanat had claimed that a substance weighing 3.2kg seized by Australian authorities – allegedly heroin – was merely ‘flour’.

An Australian court in March 1994 sentenced Thamanat to six years in prison for heroin trafficking. He was released after four years and deported to Thailand.

Thamanat, also a deputy prime minister, said that the Constitutional Court had already ruled unanimously on such matters during his previous tenure as deputy agriculture minister in the Prayut Chan-o-cha government. The court found that he did not violate any disqualifying criteria as set out in Sections 160 (6) and (7) of the constitution.

In short, the court found that only a criminal conviction in Thailand can disqualify a person from serving as an MP or minister.

As well, Thamanat said, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) cleared him of a complaint of gross ethical misconduct. He said all the relevant documentation had been thoroughly reviewed through proper legal channels.

‘I would like to remind the debating MP that I have been through both good times and difficult times in life. I have always accepted scrutiny and have passed every stage of the judicial process,’ he said.

‘Please stop dredging up old matters to make them political issues again. If there are still doubts, we can discuss them privately.

‘Let me make this clear. Anyone who makes defamatory remarks against me – even under parliamentary privilege, and if those remarks cause reputational damage outside parliament – they will face consequences. Our next meeting place will be in the Phayao [police station].’

Azerbaijan approves Memorandum of Understanding on tourism co-op with Cambodia – decree

“Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia” has been approved, Azernews reports.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed the relevant decree.

According to the decree, the “Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia”, signed in Phnom Penh on July 21, 2025, has been approved.

Subsequent to the activation of the Memorandum of Understanding delineated in the initial segment of this decree, it is incumbent upon the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan to facilitate the execution of its stipulations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan shall be required to formally communicate to the Government of Cambodia that all requisite internal protocols for the activation of the Memorandum of Understanding have been duly finalized.

Second day of Baku Climate Action Week kicks off

The second day of the Baku Climate Action Week has begun, bringing together senior Azerbaijani officials and international participants to discuss the country’s clean energy transition and climate resilience, Azernews reports.

Speakers at the event include COP29 President and Special Envoy of the President of Azerbaijan on Climate Change Mukhtar Babayev, Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov, Deputy Director of the State Agency for Renewable Energy Sources Rena Humbatova, and other officials.

The agenda highlights Azerbaijan’s potential in solar energy, offshore wind power, blue and green hydrogen production, and geothermal resources. Participants are also set to explore ways of strengthening climate resilience through international cooperation and advancing corporate sustainability as part of the legacy of COP29 under the theme ‘From Pledges to Action.’