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Shares of Taokaenoi Food and Marketing Plc (TKN) plunged by nearly 10% on Tuesday as Itthipat “Tob” Peeradechapan announced his resignation as the company’s chief executive and director following civil sanction measures imposed by Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for insider trading violations.

In its filing to the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), TKN acknowledged the SEC’s announcement on Monday, which disclosed civil penalties against five individuals for insider trading of TKN shares.

The seaweed snack company reported that it was reviewing the facts and gathering information from all relevant parties to ensure compliance with corporate governance principles. TKN said the allegation does not affect the company’s ongoing business operations.

By midday Tuesday, TKN’s share price had fallen by 9.9% to 4.64 baht, with a total trading value of 145 million baht following the news.

Trading violations

The SEC said that information provided by the SET in March 2023 prompted the regulator to conduct a further investigation, which found sufficient evidence against five individuals. According to the SEC, Mr Itthipat, Nutchatpong Peeradechapan (former managing director for business support), Phanida Wiriyakitnukul, Thitirat Panuwatvanich and Jakkaphan Sardpreechar engaged in insider trading of TKN shares between Aug 5 and Nov 9, 2022.

The SEC found that the individuals had access to material non-public information concerning TKN’s third-quarter 2022 earnings, which recorded a net profit of 179.97 million baht – a significant increase – along with a special interim dividend of 0.08 baht per share. These undisclosed developments were likely to influence the company’s share price.

Evidence showed Mr Itthipat purchased TKN shares through Mrs Phanida’s trading account, while Mr Nutchatpong executed share purchases via accounts belonging to Ms. Thitirat and Mr. Jakkaphan, prior to the public disclosure of the information on November 10, 2022, according to the SEC.

Penalties

Consequently, the regulator’s civil sanctions committee imposed a fine of 11,601,063 baht on Mr Itthipat, as well as a 20-month ban from serving as a director or executive of any listed or securities company.

Mr Nutchatpong was fined 2,916,030 baht and given a 14-month ban from executive positions. Mrs Phanida was fined 625,197 baht and given a 13-month ban from executive roles, while Ms Thitirat and Mr Jakkaphan were fined 625,197 baht each and ordered to serve nine-month bans from holding director or executive roles.

The SEC said all fines and reimbursements are to be remitted to the Ministry of Finance as state revenue.

Ban periods begin once offenders sign consent agreements. Refusal will result in the SEC requesting prosecutors to file civil lawsuits seeking maximum penalties.

Fines and compensation will be remitted to the Ministry of Finance as state revenue.

TKN reported that it is reviewing facts from all parties to proceed according to law and good corporate governance and will report further developments.

Sukhothai delivered one of the biggest upsets of the Thai League 1 season on Saturday night, stunning big-spending BG Pathum United 3-1 in front of their home crowd.

The Rabbits, boasting a squad full of internationals, were expected to control proceedings but were undone by the Fire Bats’ energy and resilience.

Brazilian striker Elias Souza struck inside two minutes to give Sukhothai a dream start, only for Tomoyuki Doi to level for BG in the 13th minute.

The visitors pressed for long spells but could not break down the hosts, who defended stoutly and looked dangerous on the counter.

With 13 minutes left, Ratchanat Arunyapairot restored Sukhothai’s lead, and Elias sealed the points with his second goal deep into stoppage time.

The victory lifted Sukhothai clear of the relegation zone, while BG Pathum were left to reflect on another damaging setback in their title chase.

At Chang Arena, champions Buriram United stayed on top with a 2-1 win over Rayong in a match that carried special milestones as Guilherme Bissoli scored his 50th Thai League 1 goal, while captain Theerathon Bunmathan marked his 300th league appearance.

Goran Causic opened the scoring for Buriram in the eighth minute, but Rayong equalised through Saharat Sonthisawat just before half-time. Early in the second half, Theerathon’s precise cross was headed home by Bissoli, who reached his half-century in just 52 matches.

It was also a winning home debut for new English coach Mark Jackson, who praised his players’ determination.

Elsewhere, Bangkok United edged Lamphun Warriors 4-3 in a thriller, while Ratchaburi defeated Uthai Thani 3-2 away.

The Thai sporting community was rocked after national badminton ace Pornpawee Chochuwong, currently ranked world No.6 and Thailand’s top women’s singles player, announced her withdrawal from the upcoming 2025 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

The 33rd edition of the biennial SEA Games will be hosted by Thailand from Dec 9-20.

Pornpawee, a four-time SEA Games gold medallist, personally submitted a resignation letter to the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), stating that she had lost motivation due to what she described as unfair treatment from certain officials within the Badminton Association of Thailand’s development division.

She emphasised that her decision was not related to financial allowances, but rather to systemic problems that she hopes will be addressed for the sake of younger athletes. “I have endured these problems for years, but I don’t want the next generation to face the same difficulties,” Pornpawee said.

The 27-year-old shuttler revealed that she had made significant sacrifices in preparation for the SEA Games, including withdrawing from the Australian Open and professional league competitions in China.

She also covered most of her own training and travel expenses, citing insufficient support from the association.

Pornpawee further explained that her disappointment stemmed from the lack of prior notice about mandatory SEA Games fitness tests.

“If I had been told, I would have complied with the rules,” she said, stressing again that her dispute was not with the SAT or about daily allowances.

Her resignation comes amid ongoing controversy over the deduction of allowances for national team players.

Earlier this year, fellow stars Kunlavut Vitidsarn and Ratchanok Intanon saw their allowances reduced to 6,000 baht after missing scheduled fitness tests due to international competitions.

Meanwhile, preparations for the 33rd SEA Games, scheduled to take place in Bangkok, Chon Buri, and Songkhla, will continue.

Minister of Tourism and Sports Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn has confirmed that the Games will proceed as planned, though the opening and closing ceremonies will be simplified in light of the recent passing of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother.

SAT Governor Dr Gongsak Yodmani added that the organising committee will focus on ensuring appropriate ceremonies, security, and smooth operations across all venues.

The Senate on Tuesday voted by a wide margin to find Senator Nantana Nantavaropas guilty of committing a serious ethical violation over “pork seller” remarks that were deemed demeaning toward a fellow senator.

Following the decision, the case will be next referred to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for legal proceedings, said Senate Speaker Mongkol Surasajja.

The five-hour closed-door session, chaired by Mr Mongkol, concluded with 130 votes in favour, 26 against and 11 abstentions – surpassing the required three-fifths majority of 119 votes.

The decision followed a review by the Senate’s ethics committee, chaired by Deputy Senate Speaker Gen Kriangkrai Srirak, which ruled that Ms Nantana’s comments showed prejudice against certain professions, disrespected human dignity and tarnished the Senate’s reputation.

Ms Nantana called a press conference to denounce the Senate’s resolution, calling it a ‘disgraceful decision’ that exposes how hidden hands are manipulating the upper chamber.

The Senate’s deliberation marked the first time the current Upper House has voted to declare a senator’s conduct a serious breach of ethics, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The session was long because it allowed both Ms Nantana and the investigating committee to present detailed explanations before voting, said the source.

Some senators had proposed deferring the decision, noting that related criminal proceedings were still pending, but the chamber proceeded with the vote, said the same source.

Earlier, Gen Kriangkrai denied allegations that the ethics probe against Ms Nantana was politically motivated or intended to target her, following criticism that the inquiry over her remarks belittling a fellow senator was unfair.

The United States has ramped up efforts to hedge against rare earth export controls by China – the world’s dominant supplier – through agreements signed on Sunday with two Southeast Asian countries, including one that experts believe could deliver results relatively quickly.

Memoranda of understanding with Malaysia and Thailand pave the way for increased critical mineral exports to US automotive, defence and hi-tech hardware manufacturers – following a US$8.5 billion US-Australia framework deal earlier this month.

Both agreements, however, will require industry support and time to develop processing capacity before raw materials reach US buyers in significant volumes, said Charles Chang, a finance professor at Fudan University in Shanghai.

Still, analysts said the two accords could eventually help reduce US dependence on China in the event of a prolonged trade dispute, which has already seen Beijing restrict exports of the critical minerals.

China accounts for about 70% of global mining for rare earth metals – a subcategory of critical minerals – and 90% of processing output, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a prominent US think tank.

US electric vehicle makers, for instance, rely heavily on certain rare earth metals. “If they can get those materials from Malaysia and Thailand, which means that the US puts concrete plans in place to actually buy those materials on long-term contracts, and they put the downstream processing in place, then an agreement will help,” said Jon Hykawy, president of the Toronto-based industry advisory Stormcrow Capital.

“This is always a good hedging strategy for the US,” said Chen Zhiwu, chair professor of finance at the University of Hong Kong. “It’s the simple reality that other countries won’t want to be subject to other actions to be taken by future Chinese officials.”

Earlier in October, Beijing expanded export controls on rare earth materials, technologies and dual-use items as part of its trade war with the US. But implementation could be eased after talks with Washington in Kuala Lumpur over the weekend and an expected meeting between the two presidents this week, as hinted by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Agreements between the US and other countries, even if the benefits only pay off in the long term, might increase US bargaining power with China, Chang of Fudan University said.

“The Australia, Malaysia and Thailand announcements are aimed at reducing China’s negotiation leverage,” he added.

Beijing, however, need not worry for now as it still has “the most stable and the cheapest supply chain”.

US President Donald Trump and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed a memorandum of understanding to “secure and diversify” critical mineral supplies, the White House said in a statement. They also agreed to promote partnerships between US and Thai companies while enhancing “global supply chain resilience”.

Malaysia and the US also reached an agreement to promote trade and investment in the exploration, extraction, processing and refining of critical minerals, the White House said in a separate statement on Sunday.

The Malaysia agreement will support the transition to “efficient and secure critical mineral and rare earths markets”, the White House added.

While many countries have reserves, analysts said in August that Malaysia’s industry, unlike many others, could scale up quickly because of its existing processing capacity. A Malaysian government business model has called for “fast-tracking” the sector’s supply chain.

The two US agreements were announced during Trump’s participation at the 2025 Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur.

Elon Musk on Monday unveiled his own version of Wikipedia, the crowdsourced online encyclopaedia, with entries edited by xAI, his artificial intelligence (AI) company.

The new project, Grokipedia, would ‘purge out the propaganda’ flooding Wikipedia, Musk claimed in a post on his social media site, X.

Grokipedia, which briefly crashed after its launch Monday afternoon, tallied more than 800,000 AI-generated encyclopaedia entries, compared with Wikipedia’s nearly 8 million human-written ones. Visitors to the website – grokipedia.com – were greeted with a bare-bones logo and a search bar that allowed them to query topics.

An entry on Musk said his public persona ‘blends innovative visionary with irreverent provocateur’ and featured details of his diet, noting his consumption of ‘occasional indulgences like morning donuts and multiple Diet Cokes daily.’ Grokipedia also has entries on OpenAI, a competitor of xAI, and political figures including President Donald Trump and the New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

The new site adds to Musk’s online media ecosystem, which coheres with his personal political views. On X, Musk has reinstated right-wing creators and allowed them to reach enormous audiences, and he has used X as a bully pulpit to drive government funding cuts. He has also tweaked xAI’s chatbot, Grok, to lean further to the right.

‘The impulse to control knowledge is as old as knowledge itself,’ said Ryan McGrady, a senior research fellow at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who studies encyclopaedias and social media platforms. ‘Controlling what gets written is a way to gain or keep power.’

Some Grokipedia entries appeared to align with Musk’s views. On gender transition, which Musk has publicly opposed, the site said medical treatment for transgender people was based on evidence that was ‘limited and of low quality.’ Wikipedia’s corresponding page said scientific understanding of the subject had existed for decades.

Musk was also a frequent critic of Parag Agrawal, a former CEO of Twitter, now X. Grokipedia’s entry on Agrawal highlighted Musk’s assertion that the former executive downplayed the existence of bots on the platform, and it said he had ‘faced significant scrutiny over the platform’s estimates of fake and spam accounts.’ Those details were not found on Wikipedia.

A representative for xAI did not respond to questions about Grokipedia or the outage.

Wikipedia, which debuted almost 25 years ago, has faced increasing criticism from conservatives in recent months. Musk and his political allies have argued that the online encyclopaedia is too ‘woke’ and excludes conservative media outlets from its approved citations.

Musk fiercely criticised the site in January, after the entry on him was edited to note that he had thrown his right arm stiffly into the air in front of him – a gesture many onlookers quickly compared to a Nazi salute – during a celebratory speech honouring Trump’s inauguration. Musk has denied any meaning behind his gesture, something also included in the entry.

‘Since legacy media propaganda is considered a ‘valid’ source by Wikipedia, it naturally simply becomes an extension of legacy media propaganda!’ he posted, calling for its donors to stop contributing to the site.

Musk announced his intention to build a competing site this month.

‘Wikipedia has achieved a dominant position. I hope Grokipedia challenges it and is able to fix that,’ said David Sacks, the AI czar of the Trump administration and an investor in several of Musk’s companies, in an episode of his podcast this month. ‘But the easier path might just be for Wikipedia to stop blackballing and censoring conservative publications, rather than having to rebuild that whole thing from scratch.’

Jimmy Wales, a Wikipedia co-founder, said in an interview that he did not think AI could replace the site’s accuracy. He is leading an internal working group that is focused on promoting neutral points of view and developing guidelines to encourage academic research into potential biases on Wikipedia, he added.

‘I try to tease out what is the negative something in there that I could try to improve,’ Wales said of the critiques. ‘It’s digging in and doing the work. That’s the only thing I know how to do.’

Wikipedia already faces challenges as its entries are used to train AI systems, said representatives for the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that oversees the online encyclopaedia.

Visits to its website by humans have fallen 8% this year, while visits from automatic scrapers that AI companies use to harvest data have increased. AI summaries generated by search engines and chatbots are also stopping users from visiting Wikipedia.

‘People will take information they get from these tools at face value, and that information may or may not be correct,’ said Selena Deckelmann, the chief technology officer of the Wikimedia Foundation. ‘The value Wikipedia has provided for over a decade is that it lets people dig into the sources.’

The Centre for Alcohol Studies (CAS) has voiced concerns that the government’s proposals to lift zoning restrictions on alcohol sales and extend the opening hours of nightlife venues nationwide to 4am could strain the country’s public health system.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul recently assigned the Interior and Public Health ministries to study the proposals by January. The policies, aimed at boosting tax and tourist revenue, were proposed by nightclub operators and business groups.

Dr Polathep Vichitkunakorn, CAS director, said that according to a study, the 2023 ministerial regulation on extended operating hours in five zoning areas of Bangkok, Phuket, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai, and Koh Samui had resulted in negative impacts on public health and safety.

The zoning announcement increased road accidents and injuries by 12% and led to a 13% rise in road fatalities.

Moreover, the fatality rate in major tourism provinces such as Bangkok, Phuket and Chon Buri during the zoning announcement was reported to have hit 22%, while the number of intoxicated driving cases doubled by 115% compared to the previous year.

The zoning had also not resulted in economic growth, he said. Some provinces outside of the zoning area reported double the revenue and number of tourists.

“Liberalisation may be presented as an economic shortcut, but evidence confirms that this is a dead end in terms of public health and safety,” said Dr Polathep.

Preyahathai Aroonvanichporn underlined her rising status in Thai equestrian sport with a double triumph at the 2025 King’s Cup Thailand Championship Dressage and Pony Dressage Final at the Royal Thai Army Riding Club, Sanam Pao, Bangkok, last month.

The 17-year-old rider delivered assured performances to claim first place in both the Young Rider Novice and Junior Preliminary categories, confirming her reputation as one of the country’s brightest prospects in dressage.

Preyahathai’s impact extends well beyond the arena. She is the founder of SafeSwim, a youth-led volunteer initiative that brings together students from more than 15 schools in Thailand and abroad. The group focuses on water safety and drowning prevention, with a particular emphasis on supporting children with disabilities, especially those with hearing impairments.

The programme has gained national recognition for its inclusive approach to safety education.

On World Drowning Prevention Day, SafeSwim was honoured with the Outstanding Youth Activity Award, presented jointly by the Ministry of Public Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) Thailand. The award highlighted the group’s contribution to raising awareness and equipping vulnerable children with life-saving skills.

For Preyahathai, the accolade reflects the same discipline and commitment she brings to her sport. Her achievements at the King’s Cup and her leadership of SafeSwim mark her as a standout figure in Thai youth sport.

Every generation believes it is living in an unprecedented era with unique challenges. But time and again, the same patterns and motivations have weakened and even destroyed civilisations, or strengthened them and enabled them to flourish. To learn from the past requires recognising its symmetries and resonances.

For example, the rise and decline of powers over the centuries has established some basic tenets. Chief among them is that when a dominant power faces two rivals, the rival that does not enter into conflict with the dominant power is usually the one that triumphs.

In the late 18th century, Great Britain prevailed over the Netherlands, while France, the other contender, who went to war against the Netherlands, never became a superpower. In the early 20th century, the United States prevailed over Great Britain largely because of the wars between the United Kingdom and its other rival, Germany. Another lesson is that empires collapse when they can no longer afford to finance the security of their hinterlands and trade routes. Spain’s Golden Age came to an end when it could no longer fund the military expenditure required to defend its colonies. Great Britain’s empire depended on naval supremacy, which could not be maintained. The Soviet Union fell because it confused greatness with over-armament.

A third lesson is that, even when civilisations are set up for success, they can collapse under the weight of unforced errors. For example, at the start of the 20th century, the West seemed primed for prosperity: with the advent of electrification, the automobile, the telephone, the radio, and air travel, technological progress was accelerating, while the vicious cycle of poverty and war appeared to be broken. But World War I disrupted this golden age. Inventions designed to liberate mankind became weapons of destruction, and the illusion of progress died in the trenches. For decades, Europe convulsed with war and hatred, unbearable humiliation, and barbaric revenge. Despite the certainty that this time would be different, the continent went up in flames.

The world is experiencing something similar today: We should be on the cusp of a prosperous future. Never has humanity’s potential been so immense. The shift to cleaner power could bring the fossil-fuel era to a close. Scientific breakthroughs could drastically change our lives by curing diseases that have defied treatment, developing a near-limitless source of clean energy, freeing humans from the most arduous tasks, and much more.

Many countries have recognised the importance of addressing climate change. Millions of hectares — from Kivu to the Amazon — are being reforested. The High Seas Treaty seeks to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030. Banks are incorporating biodiversity considerations into their balance sheets. The world’s youth are making themselves heard, women are gaining access to decision-making positions, and societies, acutely aware that they face shared challenges, are engaging in dialogue.

And yet, as in the beginning of the 20th century, the worst-case scenario is unfolding. Authoritarianism has become ever more widespread, subverting even the most established democracies. If we are not careful, AI could destroy billions of jobs, power new weapons, and erode cognitive skills. The environment continues to deteriorate, and the climate crisis is deepening. Rising sea levels, drying rivers, and failing crops have forced millions to migrate. Wars are multiplying around the world, and conflicts over food and water are set to rise.

Most democratic governments are paralysed. As globalisation comes under attack, fear of the other, nostalgia for a nonexistent purity, and disdain for knowledge have resurfaced. This has resulted in division, exclusion, and mistrust — the conditions on which populism thrives.

More worryingly, and with no precedent, we face challenges that affect humanity as such. Saturated with screens and video games, and still obsessed with national rivalry, we forget to think about the global future and allow powerful national interests to dominate policymaking. This is how civilisations die. This is how human civilisation may die.

To avert this outcome, we must not forget the lessons of the past. We must understand that it is time to think as one human species and to fight common challenges. We must build on global cooperation and not the geopolitical selfishness of nation-states. Perhaps one day we will look back at 2025 as the year when humanity could have taken a turn for the worse, but instead, for the first time in centuries, chose life.

Three conservation groups are rallying for public support against two bills they say would grant amnesty to forest encroachers and investors, influential figures or politicians linked with them.

The groups: Kasetsart University’s Forestry Alumni Society, the National Parks Association of Thailand, and the Love Thailand Network, launched their online campaign on Sunday, urging the public to sign a petition against the law changes.

About 10,000 people signed on the first day, according to the groups.

They warned that the bills could lead to the loss of millions of rai of forest and weaken Thailand’s forest protection and management systems.

In a joint statement, the groups argued that while the bills are aimed at granting an amnesty for individuals found guilty of forest land encroachment, including the local poor, they would also benefit wealthy investors, influential businesspeople and politicians who have illegally occupied or exploited forest areas.

They also mentioned the absence of a clear timeframe for the amnesty, which could effectively pardon offenders not only from the past but also those who commit encroachments in the future.

They further suggested that lawmakers who back the bills may be in breach of parliamentary and judicial codes, while the bills themselves could violate the Constitution and the Organic Act on Anti-Corruption BE 2561. By allowing the legislature to override judicial powers, the groups said, the bills contradict democratic principles and the rule of law.

The bills are currently under review by a special parliamentary committee chaired by Pol Col Tawee Sodsong, MP and leader of the Prachachat Party. The deliberation is expected to be completed by the end of this month.