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Thailand has made clear it will not attend this weekend’s round of border talks unless Cambodia submits a plan to move its citizens out of three Thai border villages by the deadline on Tuesday night.

The Royal Thai Army posted a Facebook message on Tuesday morning reiterating its intention to boycott the Regional Boundary Committee (RBC) meeting scheduled in Poipet from Friday to Sunday unless the Thai condition is met.

Cambodia’s Military Region 5 would host the meeting with leaders of the 1st Army Region, which is responsible for the border in Sa Kaeo.

The Thai regional team had demanded Cambodia present a plan to vacate structures erected on Thai soil in three villages in Sa Kaeo province no later than Tuesday. The villages are Ban Nong Chan and Ban Nong Ya Kaeo in Khok Sung district and Ban Ta Phraya in Ta Phraya district.

The latest Thai position was posted as the deadline approached. The Cambodian side had earlier, on Sunday, rejected the Thai condition.

“The RBC meeting will not take place due to no additional agenda items to end the problems on the Thai-Cambodian border,” the 1st Army Region said.

Cambodia has dismissed the Thai call and is preparing to counter Thailand’s move to evict Cambodians from the Thai villages after the deadline passes.

Chavana, a renowned Thai jewellery brand, is celebrating the journey towards its 111th anniversary with a special exhibition ‘The Ray Of Light – Prelude To 111 Years Of Chavana’, which is running on the 4th floor of Central Embassy, Phloenchit Road, until Oct 26.

The exhibition highlights the inspiration drawn from the beauty and relationship between light and time, interpreted through fine art and the brand’s signature high jewellery craftsmanship.

It introduces the signature collection Ray Of Light alongside live craftsmanship demonstrations, in-depth showcases of design concepts, and a ‘Touch and Try Experience’ where guests can closely explore and try on jewellery.

The rich history of Chavana dates back to 1914, beginning in the heart of Ban Mor where a husband and wife opened a small jewellery shop and named it Mian Teck – meaning ‘continuous virtues’. What began as a personal offering has quietly grown, generation by generation, into what is known as Chavana.

The brand has upheld the belief that jewellery is more than adornment – it is art, imbued with the spirit of family. Each piece is a continuation of the master craftsmanship passed down through generations with patient craft, inherited knowledge and the belief that beauty carries meaning when it is made with care.

This exhibition is a tribute to both a moment of remembrance and renewal. The Ray Of Light collection embodies the brand’s enduring commitment to capturing the subtle beauty of nature, telling stories rich in meaning, value and exquisite craftsmanship, allowing the wearer’s identity to shine with grace.

Re: “MPs fail Clean Air Bill,” (Editorial, Oct 1).

Pheu Thai dismally failed its northern core base by boycotting voting on the Clean Air Bill, causing this very important bill to fail due to a lack of a quorum. Northerners suffer most from seasonal haze and PM2.5 pollution, and Pheu Thai chaired the bill’s drafting committee, yet only 27% of Pheu Thai MPs showed up to vote. This was in stark contrast to the People’s Party (90% of its MPs present) and the Bhumjaithai Party (80%).

When your party won’t even vote on a bill that it authored and that’s vital to your family’s health — it’s past time to switch.

Burin Kantabutra

False equations

Re: “In an Irish memorial, I see echoes of Palestine”, (Opinion, Oct 3).

Andy Young’s commentary, in which she equates the situation in Gaza with the Irish Famine, the famine in Sudan and Hurricane Katrina, is a litany of nonsensical equations.

For one, we have seen pictures of hundreds of thousands of people fleeing Gaza City. Do they look like emaciated famine victims? No, they do not.

And the harrowing pictures of children are manipulated Hamas photo ops. None of their parents looks in the least hungry.

We are led to believe that Jews are colonisers, completely ignoring the fact that half of Israeli Jews fled or were expelled from Muslim countries. Israel has two million Arab citizens, while most Muslim countries now have no Jews.

I could make a more poignant historical comparison: More than 80 years ago, following years of anti-Semitic propaganda, some six million Jews were murdered while nearly every country in the world, including Ireland, refused to accept Jewish refugees.

Today’s massive anti-Israel propaganda, again, justifies the murder of Jews.

Frank Scimone

Revealing remarks

Re: “Military heads summoned for empty spectacle”, (Opinion, Oct 10).

In President Donald Trump’s lacklustre speech to the 700 US generals whom he summoned to a meeting in Quantico, Virginia, from their posts all around the world, he said that there are two N words that he would never use. One stands for nuke, and the other one is n***er.

Mr Trump is explicit in boasting that the US has more nukes and they are better than and outnumber those of the Russians and the Chinese.

Mr Trump may not be aware of the consequence that, like the tariff he advocates, the use of nukes is reciprocal too. His Trump Tower in New York will vanish seconds later if he drops a nuke in St Petersburg.

Perhaps he got carried away and thought he was addressing a crowd in a town hall that cheered and believed everything he said.

Even though Mr Trump did not elaborate on the other n-word, it is difficult to convince people that he is not a racist.

There is an old Chinese saying: There are 300 taels of silver buried here, which means one is trying to prove what nobody doubts.

Yingwai Suchaovanich

A 40-year-old man has confessed to killing his uncle during a drunken argument over a karaoke microphone.

Police called to a house in tambon Pong Talong, in Pak Chong district, on Monday found a 59-year-old man identified as Thian lying dead with severe head injuries in a pool of blood.

An air rifle with a broken stock lay beside the body.

Police arrested the victim’s nephew, Arthit, 40, who allegedly confessed to killing his uncle.

According to police, Arthit told investigators they had been drinking together. His uncle had spoken rudely to him and had snatched the karaoke microphone from his hand.

He had responded, hitting Thian on the head with the gun stock before stabbing him below the ear with a knife.

Police charged Arthit with murder and he was held in custody for legal proceedings.

SET-listed Bangchak Corporation is seeking partners to conduct e-fuel research and development in a move to replace fossil-derived fuels, which are blamed for increasing carbon dioxide emissions.

E-fuel, also known as electrofuel, is a type of synthetic fuel created by using electricity from renewable sources to combine hydrogen and carbon dioxide in order to produce synthetic hydrocarbon fuel.

The new fuel could be used with internal combustion engine-powered vehicles.

“We do not want to do R and D from scratch but prefer to join hands with energy firms to speed up work in this field,” said Chaiwat Kovavisarach, chief executive and president of Bangchak.

Bangchak is planning to have its own research centre to facilitate the development of e-fuel projects.

The company will spend part of its US$30-milion budget, allocated for new businesses and innovation, to fund the construction, said Mr Chaiwat.

It also plans to ask for financial support from the Office of National Higher Education, Science Research and Innovation to help translate its research facility project into action.

Mr Chaiwat was speaking as he led a team of executives to study e-fuel projects at ENEOS Corporation in Yokohama, Japan.

ENEOS currently produces 1 barrel, or 159 litres, of e-fuel a day, at its prototype plant, supported by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation.

The company is testing the new fuel with a shuttle bus service at the Expo 2025 in Osaka.

The event, which started on April 13, will run through Oct 13.

Synthetic hydrocarbon is a promising fuel that can support campaigns aimed at achieving carbon neutrality, a balance between carbon dioxide emission and absorption.

Though vehicles using synthetic hydrocarbon emit carbon dioxide, the process of making this e-fuel requires a manufacturer to capture carbon dioxide to combine it with green hydrogen.

Green hydrogen is produced by using electricity made from renewable energy to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen.

Mr Chaiwat sees the potential of synthetic hydrocarbon but noted that the development of e-fuel is four times as costly as fossil-derived fuels.

The price of e-fuel is expected to decrease and become more competitive with conventional oil prices after 2040, he said, citing an estimate from ENEOS experts.

A good point is that it can be used with oil-powered vehicles without the need to adapt their engines.

The push for alternative fuels is part of Bangchak’s business development plan. The company is making a test run at its factory to produce sustainable aviation fuel, a biofuel for aircraft, which is also aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has warned of continued rainfall until Oct 15, although the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) has expressed confidence that there is no risk of flooding reaching 2011 levels.

The TMD on Monday warned of widespread heavy rainfall across the country from Oct 6 to 15, with particular concern for flood-prone areas.

According to the warning, the weakened Typhoon Matmo is expected to affect Vietnam, Laos, and northern and upper northeastern provinces of Thailand.

Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon is intensifying over the Andaman coast and the eastern region, affecting provinces such as Ranong, Phangnga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang, Chanthaburi and Trat. Accumulated rain could lead to flash floods and overflowing rivers.

Between Oct 9-15, the monsoon trough is forecast to shift southward, spreading rain over the lower parts of the country, especially Bangkok and surrounding provinces, where thunderstorms are expected in 60-70% of the area from Wednesday to Sunday.

The TMD stated that Thailand will transition to winter after Oct 12, with less rainfall in the North and Northeast and wind directions shifting eastwards and northeastwards, a sign that a cold air mass is approaching.

According to ONWR secretary-general Danucha Pichayanan, although rainfall has increased in the north, overall water levels remain manageable, with major dams like Bhumibol Dam and Sirikit Dam likely to increase water releases to maintain balance and prevent downstream overflow.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Monday emphasised, after chairing the meeting of the Committee for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, that the government places the well-being and livelihoods of the people as its top priority.

“I urge provincial governors to work closely with central authorities to ensure assistance reaches affected residents as quickly as possible,” Mr Anutin said.

Deputy PM Sophon Zarum echoed Mr Danucha’s stance, reassuring the public that water management measures are under control and that this year’s floods will not be as disastrous as those in 2011, though constant monitoring and adjustments are ongoing.

Pattaya Night-Business Entrepreneurs Association has petitioned the Senate to review the new Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, citing the law’s harmful impact on tourism and local livelihoods.

The petition was submitted by the association’s chairwoman, Lisa Hamilton, to parliament on Monday. It was received by the spokesman of the Senate Affairs Committee, Pisit Apiwattanapong, and Senator Prathum Wongsawat.

The petition focuses on Section 32 of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, which prohibits the sale of alcohol by unlicensed vendors. Under the new rule, tourists who drink alcohol on the beach risk being fined or arrested. Ms Lisa said the rule risks damaging Thailand’s image as a tourist destination, especially ahead of the high season.

According to Ms Lisa, the act opens opportunities for corrupt officials to demand bribes from businesses or tourists caught drinking in prohibited areas.

“We urge the government to reconsider before [the rule] ruins the country’s reputation,” she said.

OpenAI has introduced new parental controls for ChatGPT, responding to growing concerns over teen safety and the chatbot’s influence on young users in both Thailand and around the world.

The move comes amid rising use of the artificial intelligence tool by Thai teenagers seeking help with homework, personal issues and even mental health struggles.

The update follows a tragic case in the United States, where the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine have filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against OpenAI. They claim ChatGPT provided Adam with information about suicide methods in the months leading up to his death in April.

In early September, OpenAI announced the new safety features, developed in partnership with Common Sense Media, a nonprofit known for its age-based tech ratings. The controls aim to give parents more oversight while encouraging responsible AI use among teens, which Thai schools rarely provide.

Parents can now link their child’s ChatGPT account to their own, unlocking tools to limit sensitive content, restrict usage times, and toggle features like voice mode, memory saving and image generation. There’s also an option to prevent ChatGPT from using teens’ conversations to train its models.

One of the most critical additions is a notification system. If ChatGPT detects signs of potential self-harm, parents will receive alerts via email, text or push notification – unless they opt out. These alerts won’t include specific conversation details but will flag a possible safety risk.

OpenAI says a small, specially trained team will review flagged cases. If a parent cannot be reached and a threat is detected, the company is working on protocols to contact emergency services. ‘No system is perfect,’ OpenAI said, ‘but we believe it’s better to act than to stay silent.’

Despite the safeguards, teens can still bypass the controls. OpenAI admits that its age prediction system is still in development. If a teen disconnects their account from a parent’s, the parent will be notified – but the teen can continue using ChatGPT without an account.

Adam Raine reportedly circumvented ChatGPT’s filters by claiming he needed the information for a fictional story. OpenAI acknowledged that ‘guardrails help, but they’re not foolproof’.

Good parenting by being there for your children and giving them guidance on how to use AI responsibly is still the best way to give them immunity to AI misinformation and bad advice.

A taskforce set up to enhance the attractiveness of the Thai capital market has launched a sweeping reform package, seeking to deliver quick results within the next four months while laying the foundations for long-term competitiveness.

The Taskforce for a Competitive and Attractive Market, which consists of representatives from the Ministry of Finance’s Fiscal Policy Office (FPO), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) and the Federation of Thai Capital Market Organizations (Fetco) on Monday unveiled the Thai Capital Market Attractiveness Initiative.

The reforms are built around four pillars, comprising quality demand, attractive supply, trusted market and a supportive ecosystem. Together, they aim to restore investor confidence, expand fundraising opportunities and reposition Thailand as a regional fundraising hub.

The first set of measures focuses on simplifying initial public offering (IPO) rules to streamline listing procedures, reduce regulatory barriers and make the Thai market more competitive compared with regional peers.

The taskforce will also propose regulatory changes to the Ministry of Finance to eliminate outdated restrictions on fundraising, particularly for small and medium enterprises and “new economy” companies.

Thailand’s benchmark index has dropped more than 7% this year, the worst performer among Asia’s major stock markets, as international funds withdrew about US$2.9 billion.

“We need urgent action to restore the appeal of the [Thai] stock market among the international investors,” said SET president Asadej Kongsiri.

Tax incentives are being considered for technology firms endorsed by the Board of Investment, aiming to draw more innovative businesses to the Thai bourse.

The initiative also calls for expanding retail investor participation through individual investment accounts and providing greater access to wealth management tools and diverse financial products.

Under the attractive supply pillar, authorities plan to lure more high-potential new economy firms to list in Thailand, upgrade existing companies through programmes such as Jump+ and Value Up, and promote ESG disclosure aligned with the International Sustainability Standards Board framework.

The Trusted Market component emphasises reinforcing corporate governance, tightening oversight of market professionals and leveraging technology to boost transparency, particularly for small listed firms.

The supportive ecosystem pillar seeks to diversify investment products, accelerate digital transformation and update trading rules in line with evolving investor behaviour.

Warothai Kosolpisitkul, international economic advisor at the FPO, said the measures serve as quick win initiatives that will generate tangible short-term results while catalysing long-term economic restructuring.

By attracting high-potential businesses to raise funds, the market creates greater opportunities to drive growth across various sectors and broaden the investor base. This will make the Thai capital market a more efficient fundraising platform for national development, he added.

While global volatility and domestic structural challenges remain, regulators view that quick reforms in IPO rules, tax incentives and digitalisation, alongside structural measures to enhance governance and supply can restore inflows, strengthen resilience and secure Thailand’s standing in the global capital market.

SEC secretary-general Pornanong Budsaratragoon said in the next phase, the regulator will proceed with developing other areas of the capital market, including bond markets, investment units and a digital capital market.

FETCO chairman Kobsak Pootrakool said the collective effort to strengthen the stock market’s competitiveness helps address the country’s emerging challenges while maintaining the SET’s pivotal role in supporting the economy.

Establishing tangible quality demand, in particular, will serve as a key foundation for cultivating a long-term investment culture. This includes the development of individual investment accounts which will empower investors to transform their savings into sustainable long-term investments, preparing for the country’s transition towards an ageing society, he said.

Hylife Group, led by Mr. Dhanush R. Nair, Co-Group CEO, announced a landmark collaboration through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with distinguished international partners. The signatories included the Grenada Investment Development Corporation, represented by Ambassador Dr. Richard A. Nixon, Chairman; K Wave Media, represented by Mr. Pyeungho Choi, Chairman; and Solaire Partners, represented by Mr. Youngjae Lee, Chief Executive Officer. The agreement seeks to advance and promote the creative industry by strengthening human capital development and accelerating the growth of the film sector in the Caribbean. This initiative is designed to foster sustainable progress by building a robust creative network between Asia and the Caribbean.

Mr. Shubhodeep Prasanta Das, Chairman of Hylife Group, remarked ‘This collaboration stands as clear evidence that the creative industry can serve as a true bridge-uniting people, cultures, and economic opportunities across diverse regions. Hylife Group is committed to driving the film and creative media industries forward, empowering them to step onto the global stage with pride, resilience, and sustainability.’

The signing represents a significant milestone in expanding international cooperation and underscores Hylife Group’s role as a leader in connecting global creative networks. The framework of collaboration emphasises people, creative media, and investment as core pillars to empower creators, facilitate cross-continental co-productions, and establish new gateways for Caribbean cinema to access global audiences through solid and sustainable partnerships.

Hylife Group believes that with strong partnerships and a shared vision, this MOU will mark the beginning of a transformative journey that propels the film and creative industries onto the international stage while generating enduring value for both regions.