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About 500,000 vehicles in Thailand still have defective Takata airbags, which could explode and hurl metal fragments at drivers and passengers, the The Thai Automotive Industry Association (TAIA) has warned.

The warning follows a fatal accident in Singapore on Sept 29, when a driver was killed by shrapnel from a ruptured Takata airbag. It was the first such death reported in the city-state, more than a decade after global recalls began.

The TAIA said in July that despite years of recall campaigns by major carmakers, many vehicle owners in Thailand have yet to have their airbags checked or replaced.

The defective airbags have been linked to numerous injuries and deaths worldwide, including cases in Thailand. A total of 14 car brands have recalled affected models in Thailand:

Chevrolet (2007-15)

BMW (1998-2018)

Ford (1998-2014)

Honda (1998-2014)

Mazda (1996-2014)

Mitsubishi (2005-15)

Nissan (2000-15)

Toyota (2001-14)

Lexus (2006-16)

Jaguar XE (2015-17) and XF (2009-15)

Land Rover Discovery (2015-16) and Land Rover (2011-12)

Audi (1997-2017)

Mercedes-Benz (2004-16)

Subaru (2004-12)

Owners of affected vehicles are urged to contact authorised service centres or call centres of their respective brands to book a free replacement. The repair is carried out at no cost. More information is available from the TAIA at its dedicated website www.checkairbag.com.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has lowered its Thai GDP growth estimates for this year and next, citing export deceleration, a slow recovery of foreign tourist arrivals, as well as weakened private consumption and investments.

In its latest Asian Development Outlook (ADO) report, the Manila-based bank projects Thai GDP to expand 2% this year, down from 2.9% forecast in April, with the economy slowing in the second half as front-loaded shipments to the US end.

Economic growth is expected to slow further to 1.6% in 2026, down from the bank’s previous forecast of 2.9%.

“The 19% US tariff on exports will slow shipments, particularly of electrical equipment, machinery, metals, processed food and vehicles. Small businesses may find it difficult to adjust to the tariffs compared with their US counterparts, which often benefit from larger operations and lower production costs,” noted the report.

Meanwhile, a sluggish recovery of tourist arrivals together with a weakened global economy is dampening the tourism sector. The forecast for foreign tourist arrivals was downgraded from 39.5 million in April to 34 million, primarily due to fewer inbound tourists from China.

“Increased competition from other regional destinations is also contributing to the projected slowdown. Many countries in the region are spending heavily to attract international visitors by developing tourism infrastructure and offering competitive costs. Weakened currencies in some countries also makes them more affordable to foreign tourists,” ADB noted.

The bank downgraded Thailand’s private consumption growth from the ADO April 2025 forecast due to declining income, weak consumer confidence, and a drop in farm incomes based on lower agricultural prices.

“The impact of US tariff hikes and sluggish tourism will likely affect employment and income,” noted the report.

“Persistently high household debt will continue to limit household purchasing power.”

In the latter half of 2025, private consumption may benefit from government domestic tourism stimulus programmes, though the impact could be limited due to registration issues, according to ADB.

Fiscal stimulus measures, particularly for infrastructure, could encourage private investment. However, private investment will be hurt by the US tariff hikes, concerns over domestic political stability, and a weakness in services stemming from the slow tourism recovery, noted the report.

ADB added risks to the outlook “remain on the downside”.

“Domestic economic fragility, including political uncertainties and high household debt, heightened the risk of a slowdown in domestic demand,” noted the report.

“A larger impact from US tariffs, a slower recovery in tourism, and increased geopolitical tensions could slow economic growth to fall short of the forecast.”

Thailand is expected to welcome 200,000 Chinese tourists during the Chinese eight-day Golden Week holiday, a 24% year-on-year decrease, with revenue projected to drop 17% to 9.1 billion baht despite growth in outbound travel from mainland China.

Outbound bookings for the holiday this year surged 28% year-on-year, while international seat capacity rose by 10% to both short- and long-haul destinations, according to ForwardKeys, an air traffic data company.

The growth in travel demand was attributed to visa-free entry to many countries and depreciation of the yen.

The most popular destinations remained in Japan, with Osaka and Tokyo reporting increases of 66% and 24%, respectively.

Many large cities in Southeast Asia reported upticks for the Golden Week holiday period, led by Ho Chi Minh City with a 71% increase, followed by Kuala Lumpur and Hanoi at 66%, Denpasar at 61%, and Singapore at 18%. No Thai city made the top 10.

Thapanee Kiatphaibool, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said Chinese people began entering Thailand for the holiday on Sept 26 and will continue to take trips until Oct 8, taking advantage of the country’s visa exemption scheme for convenient family travel.

However, the number of Chinese arrivals is expected to decline by 24% from 262,001 in 2024, with revenue down 17% from 10.9 billion baht as confidence in safety remains a roadblock, she said.

Other countries offer better value, particularly Japan, where the average cost of travel has fallen by 15% due to the weak yen, while some routes in Singapore and Malaysia have prices that are 6% cheaper year-on-year.

South Korea recently launched visa-free privileges for groups of three people entering via tour companies registered with the South Korean government.

Due to the longer Golden Week holiday period this year, which runs from Oct 1-8, a number of Chinese had opted to venture to Europe, resulting in 110% growth in Chinese tour groups to France, Switzerland and Spain.

South Africa, which offers an e-visa for Chinese tourists, also recorded 30% growth during this period.

Ms Thapanee said Chinese tourists are expected to stay for 6-8 nights on average in Thailand and spend 6,600 baht a day.

Seat bookings during the holiday still rose by 5%, most of which came from Beijing (20%), Guangzhou (18%) and Chengdu (10%), while the second-tier cities that generated the most tourists for Thailand included Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Xi’an, Xiamen and Chongqing.

Ms Thapanee said there would be at least 30 chartered flights touching down in Thailand during the week, mostly from the second-tier cities where the Thai government has already launched its subsidy campaign.

The government’s Khon La Khrueng (half-half) co-payment economic stimulus scheme will begin on Oct 29, with registration expected to open soon after cabinet approval next week, according to Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas.

Mr Ekniti, also deputy prime minister, said registration would use the same system, based on the Pao Tang app, that consumers are familiar with from 2020-22 when the programme was first introduced to stimulate the pandemic-hit economy.

The programme will last for two months, with the daily co-payment limit increased to 200 baht from 150 baht previously, aimed at delivering a ‘quick big win’ to stimulate spending and the economy.

The increase is part of a dual-pronged ‘Plus’ enhancement – a higher subsidy and broader inclusion, said the minister.

‘Quick’ refers to the speed of implementation – with the project ready for immediate rollout following cabinet approval. ‘Big’ represents an increase in the co-payment share, said Mr Ekniti.

‘Win’ means this round will be expanded to include small legal entities in addition to individual vendors, in response to public feedback and a desire to distribute benefits more broadly among small business operators and taxpayers.

‘Plus’ means that people who pay tax will qualify for an additional 2,400 baht in co-payment benefits, reflecting the government’s intent to reward those who participate in the tax system. ‘Plus’ also represents the focus on digital skill development, said the minister. Participating vendors will be encouraged to adopt digital tools, use e-commerce platforms, and basic accounting systems to enhance financial literacy and competitiveness among Thai small businesses.

During the debate on the government’s policy statement on Tuesday, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dismissed criticism that the scheme is a thinly veiled attempt at pre-election campaigning.

Khon La Khrueng proved popular and effective during the pandemic, as it subsidised purchases of selected daily-use goods, easing household burdens while injecting cash directly into the economy.

The scheme had a total budget of 208 billion baht from 2020-22. Thais 18 and older who did not hold state welfare cards were eligible, with about 30 million participants in total.

The budget for the 2025 version of the programme has not been confirmed but it is expected to be around 50 billion baht.

LONDON – England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt hopes her team of “outsiders” can thrive at the Women’s Cricket World Cup as they seek to end a painful eight-year trophy drought.

The team are one of the best-funded in the women’s game but have been overshadowed in recent years by Australia and India.

Since winning the 50-over World Cup at Lord’s in 2017, England have fallen short on the global stage, raising questions about their ability to cope under intense pressure.

They were beaten finalists in 2022, losing by 71 runs to Australia despite an impressive 148 not out from Sciver-Brunt.

England have also underperformed at T20 World Cups, losing to South Africa in the semi-finals in 2023 and failing to make it out of the group stage last year.

Earlier this year they were put firmly in their place by Australia, suffering a humiliating 16-0 loss in the multi-format Women’s Ashes.

But there have been signs of progress under the leadership of all-rounder Sciver-Brunt and coach Charlotte Edwards, both of whom have only been in their posts since April.

England defeated reigning world champions Australia and co-hosts India in tournament warm-up matches, though Sciver-Brunt accepts they will still be the teams to beat.

– ‘Outsiders’ –

“We were never going to be going in as favourites, that’s India and Australia, but not having that label will hopefully free us up,” she said.

“The expectation of being outsiders will spur us on, I guess, but internally we have certain expectations to put something out that we are proud of and compete against the very best teams.

“In terms of the last few world tournaments we’ve been disappointed not to get the results we wanted because we set standards as an England side.

“But having a new coach and new captain, hopefully that is a fresh start in terms of not dwelling on previous tournaments.”

England begin their campaign against South Africa in Guwahati on Friday.

And while a winning start is clearly the aim, the round-robin format of the one-day international tournament, also featuring matches in Sri Lanka, means there is plenty of time to overcome a loss.

Sciver-Brunt, 33, is one of four survivors in the England squad from the victorious 2017 side, together with former skipper Heather Knight, Tammy Beaumont and Danni Wyatt-Hodge.

Back then, England opened their tournament with a defeat by India before recovering strongly.

“We lost our first game in 2017 and came full circle to beat the same team in the final,” said Sciver-Brunt.

“In these tournaments it’s not about how you start, it’s how you finish and if you peak at the right time.”

The minimum expectation for England, whose players now enjoy high-profile domestic competition thanks to the women’s Hundred, will be a semi-final spot.

Mindful of the slow, turning pitches they will encounter in the subcontinent, England have travelled with a quartet of spinners — a decision that led to veteran seamer Kate Cross’s omission from their 15-strong squad.

England’s Sophie Ecclestone is the world’s top-ranked bowler in women’s ODIs, with fellow slow left-armer Linsey Smith, off-spinner Charlie Dean and leg-spinner Sarah Glenn also available to Sciver-Brunt.

PARIS – A Victor Osimhen penalty gave Galatasaray victory over Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday, while Chelsea edged out Jose Mourinho’s Benfica and Kylian Mbappe hit a hat-trick for Real Madrid in Kazakhstan.

Elsewhere in the second round of matches in the league phase of Europe’s elite club competition, Tottenham battled back to draw with Bodo/Glimt as Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Marseille and Inter Milan recorded big wins.

In Istanbul, Osimhen beat Alisson Becker from the spot in the 16th minute, giving Galatasaray a 1-0 win and condemning Liverpool to a second straight loss after their defeat by Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

The English champions thought they had a chance to equalise late on when Ibrahima Konate went down and a penalty was given, but the referee overturned his decision on review.

Liverpool, who finished first in the league phase last season, also saw Alisson go off injured in the second half before the introductions off the bench of Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak failed to have the desired impact.

“The margins were very small last season but then we were a lot of times on the right side of the score,” coach Arne Slot said.

“Today again the margins were really small, but for the second time in a row on the wrong side.”

Liverpool will now hope to bounce back on Saturday away to Chelsea, who themselves got back to winning ways with a 1-0 success against Benfica as the Portuguese giants’ new coach Mourinho came back to Stamford Bridge.

Richard Rios turned an Alejandro Garnacho cross into his own net for the only goal of the game in the 18th minute, with Benfica unable to recover as Mourinho returned to face the club he coached over two separate spells.

Chelsea had substitute Joao Pedro sent off in stoppage time but Enzo Maresca’s side were delighted to get the win after losing their opening European game of the campaign at Bayern.

“A defeat is always a defeat but this one can be a start for us. It was a stable performance,” Mourinho said of his team.

Spurs escaped Norway with a point in a 2-2 draw with Bodo/Glimt in a game played north of the Arctic Circle.

Kasper Hogh missed a penalty for the hosts before a brilliant second-half brace from Jens Petter Hauge had them two goals in front.

However, Micky van de Ven pulled one back on 68 minutes for last season’s Europa League winners, and Spurs then got a lucky 89th-minute equaliser when a Nikita Haikin save smashed into the stomach of Jostein Gundersen from close range and trickled over the line.

– Mbappe hat-trick, Kane on target –

Record 15-time European champions Real made the long trip east to face Kairat Almaty and ran out 5-0 winners.

Mbappe opened the scoring from a first-half penalty and made it 2-0 soon after the break before firing in from the edge of the area to complete his hat-trick on 73 minutes, making it 60 career Champions League goals.

The Frenchman has now scored 13 goals in nine games in all competitions this season for Real, who also saw Eduardo Camavinga and Brahim Diaz net towards the end.

Bayern also scored five, with Harry Kane netting twice in the first half in a 5-1 win away to Pafos in Cyprus. The England star now has 17 goals in nine games in all competitions this season for his club.

Raphael Guerreiro, Nicolas Jackson and Michael Olise also found the net for Bayern, while Mislav Orsic scored for the hosts.

“I’m going into games with confidence, knowing I’ll get my chances. Scored a couple more goals today, I’m happy with that,” Kane said.

Atletico followed a 5-2 win over Real in the Madrid derby last weekend by thumping Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1.

Giacomo Raspadori, Robin Le Normand, Antoine Griezmann and Giuliano Simeone netted for Atletico before Julian Alvarez scored a late penalty. Griezmann’s goal was his 200th for the club. Jonathan Burkardt pulled one back for Eintracht.

Igor Paixao netted twice in the opening 12 minutes as Marseille hammered Ajax 4-0. Mason Greenwood and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were also on target.

Lautaro Martinez got a brace either side of a Denzel Dumfries goal as last season’s runners-up Inter eased to a 3-0 win over Slavia Prague at San Siro.

Mario Pasalic scored a late winner as Atalanta beat Club Brugge 2-1, after a Lazar Samardzic penalty had cancelled out a Christos Tzolis opener for the Belgians.

A section of Charoen Krung Road near the Electricity Authority in Bangkok suddenly subsided on Wednesday morning and the road has been partially closed to traffic.

The road surface collapsed around 10am on Wednesday.

A video posted online shows a large hole in the road surface, raising concerns about safety and disruption of traffic flow in the busy area. The collapsed section is several metres long.

Rescue teams and other agencies rushed to the scene to evaluate the damage, begin traffic control measures and prevent further accidents.

The cause of the collapse was still being investigated.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area if possible and use alternative routes until repairs are completed and the road fully reopened.

The incident follows the recent major sinkhole on Samsen Road outside Vajira Hospital.

Thailand’s Bangkok United will be hoping for another win when they face Indonesian giants Persib Bandung in an AFC Champions League Two clash Wednesday night.

The match will kick off at 7.15pm at Pathum Thani Stadium.

Bangkok United laid an early marker in Group G with an impressive 4-2 away victory against Selangor of Malaysia, opening a two-point lead at the top of the standings.

The Thai side will be expecting another three-point haul when they welcome Persib Bandung at their home ground, with the Indonesian outfit hurting after conceding a late goal in a 1-1 draw with Lion City Sailors of Singapore.

Bangkok United head coach Totchtawan Sripan told a pre-match news conference on Tuesday: “It will be another difficult game for us.

“We won a Thai League 1 game last weekend, but we have to check on the fitness of some players. We will have to rotate some players for this match.

“We cannot underestimate Persib Bandung at all. They are a good team.

“Of course, we want to win the match and claim three points. We will do our best to achieve that as we are the hosts.”

Former Port player Frans Putros, who now plays for Persib Bandung, said on Tuesday: “Bangkok United have an organised game and tend to play ball possession football. Their strength is in playing as a team. The match will be quite difficult.

“However, they still have gaps [weaknesses] that can be exploited, and our coach knows about them.

“Last season, Bangkok United played very well, so I think this will be an interesting match. Let’s see what we can do.”

New venture for youth

Coca-Cola Thailand on Tuesday announced a new strategic partnership with the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) which will see the storied ‘Coke Cup’ make a comeback in 2026 with a refreshed format.

The tournament will now serve as a U17 league to provide emerging Thai players with greater opportunities to train, compete and aspire to represent their country on the world stage.

Selman Careaga, president of the Asean and South Pacific Operating Unit of Coca-Cola Company, said: “We are proud to have an enduring tradition of supporting football, both locally and internationally and this partnership with the FAT reflects our commitment.”

FAT president Nualphan Lamsam said: “This collaboration represents another significant step forward for Thai football, especially at the youth level. The U17 age group is one of the categories that our association prioritises.”

The Coke Cup will be held over three years from 2026 to 2028 and will see the FAT organise 195 matches involving 192 qualified teams from six regions of Thailand.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Wednesday his Bhumjaithai Party will always welcome new members willing to work in the national interest, after veteran politician Santi Prompat and his son joined the party on Tuesday.

‘The Bhumjaithai Party is a political party. If anyone interested in serving the nation thinks the Bhumjaithai Party can do good for the nation and wants to participate, we will welcome them,’ the Bhumjaithai leader said at Government House.

Asked if it was his intention that Bhumjaithai win the general election after his government’s promised four-month-long tenure, Mr Anutin said all political parties had such a goal, including Bhumjaithai.

The prime minister’s comments follow Santi Prompat’s decision to resign as secretary-general of the Palang Pracharath Party on Monday and join Bhumjaithai on Tuesday, along with his son Pattana.

Mr Anutin was voted in as prime minister on Sept 5 by the parliament, succeeding Pheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra who was removed from the prime minister’s seat for her controversial phone call with Cambodian strong man Hun Sen in June.

KANCHANABURI – A Myanmar woman was arrested following a car chase in Sangkhla Buri district on Tuesday night, and nine illegal migrants crammed inside the car she was driving were also detained.

Police, immigration and local officials manning a checkpoint near the border in Sangkhla Buri district signalled a Toyota Vios with Phitsanulok licence plates to stop for a search about 8.30pm on Tuesday.

The vehicle was travelling from the Ban Phra Chedi Sam Ong area.

Instead of stopping, the driver made a sudden U-turn and sped away. Police gave chase, Pol Maj Gen Pornchai Chalordet, chief of Kanchanaburi police, said.

The pursuit ended when the car’s movement was blocked in front of a Dynamo shop. The driver, identified only as Mon, 29, a Myanmar national, was detained. There were also nine Myanmar nationals in the car, five men and four women packed tightly together.

During questioning, Ms Mon allegedly admitted through an interpreter that she had picked up the illegal migrants from a forest behind Nam Kerk checkpoint at village Moo 8 in tambon Nong Lu. She had been delivering them to a location in Sangkhla Buri district.

The migrants told offiials they had entered Thailand illegally in the hope of getting jobs in inner provinces.

The arresting team seized the car and the driver’s mobile phone for further investigation of the smuggling network. Ms Mon was charged wih assisting illegal migrants evade arrest, in addition to entering and residing in Thailand unlawfully. The nine migrants were charged with illegal entry and will be sent back.