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People’s Party MP for Bangkok, Rakchanok Srinok, has accused the Social Security Office (SSO) of allowing unauthorised individuals to attend sensitive investment meetings concerning the Social Security Fund (SSF).

In a Facebook post yesterday, Ms Rakchanok said two individuals joined SSO investment sessions as supposed representatives of Mercer, an international consultancy firm hired under a 15-million-baht contract. One, a Thai national, attended in person, while the other joined by video conference from overseas.

She said it later emerged that the overseas participant was Mercer’s sole official representative, but he remained silent during discussions as he could not understand Thai. The in-person attendee, meanwhile, was found to be a subcontractor, despite Mercer’s contract banning subcontracting.

Ms Rakchanok called the matter troubling, noting that both individuals continued to sit in on investment and risk management meetings, including one on Aug 26 where decisions worth more than 400 billion baht were discussed. This came despite Mercer’s contract with the SSO expiring in August 2024.

She questioned whether Mercer’s representatives had the required licences from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), stressing the impact of the SSF.

“The Social Security Fund is worth 2.7 trillion baht. Every decision affects market prices. If someone knew which stocks the SSF planned to buy or sell, they could profit enormously. This is why participation must be tightly regulated. How could the SSO allow unauthorised individuals to sit in on such critical discussions?” she asked.

The Bank of Thailand plans to introduce new business licences for white-label automated teller machines (ATMs) next year.

The licences are available to both banks and non-bank operators, with the goal of expanding financial inclusion nationwide.

According to the central bank’s Payment Directional Paper under the Financial Landscape 2025, the regulator is seeking approval from the Finance Ministry to issue these licences.

The central bank expects to submit the proposal to the ministry in early 2026, with implementation anticipated by late next year, said Daranee Saeju, assistant governor for the payment systems policy and financial consumer protection group.

Applications for the new licences are open to a broad range of operators, including banks, non-banks, fintech companies and ATM vendors.

The initiative is intended to enhance financial inclusion, particularly in remote areas, by providing broader access to affordable financial services.

“For basic financial services, fees charged for transactions on white-label ATMs must not exceed current rates. However, higher fees may be permitted for innovative financial services where appropriate, based on cost structures,” said Ms Daranee.

She said while bank branches and ATMs have been steadily declining in line with growing digital banking adoption, certain consumer segments still rely on traditional services. However, the central bank expects cash usage to continue to recede, said Ms Daranee.

Central bank data indicates cash transactions are projected to drop to 10-20% of total banking transactions in 3-5 years, down from 31% at present.

PromptPay, the national digital payment platform, has propelled Thailand’s shift towards a cashless economy. Average digital payment transactions per user rose to 651 in 2024, up from 538 in 2023 and 425 in 2022.

Ms Daranee said the central bank also wants to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt digital payments through the PromptBiz platform.

However, she said the regulator is cautious about aggressively pushing digital payment adoption in certain groups, such as seniors, to protect them from financial fraud.

Chaiyarit Anuchitworawong, senior executive vice-president at Bangkok Bank (BBL), said the bank is considering the new ATM licensing scheme and may participate in installations where it does not have a presence.

BBL, the country’s largest lender by total assets, has continued to scale down its brick-and-mortar branches and ATMs in the post-pandemic period.

Over the past three years, the bank has closed around 300 branches nationwide, averaging about 100 closures per year, as digital transactions continue to increase.

An abusive teacher is facing legal action after the parents of a seven-year-old boy rebuffed his apology for assaulting their son and a request to settle the matter quietly.

The 23-year-old teacher has been accused of violently striking the first-grader with a metal ruler and slapping him multiple times for eating the teacher’s marshmallow snack. The incident left the child’s face badly bruised, sparking outrage among local residents and community leaders.

The teacher and his mother earlier visited the family’s home to apologise and offer compensation – only to flee when confronted by reporters.

According to community leaders, the case came to light after a local headman and village chief visited the child’s home in tambon Na Sak of Mae Moh district. They said they found the boy with visible bruises on his face and neck. Upon questioning, the boy admitted he had eaten the teacher’s snack because he had no money to buy his own.

The victim’s mother, identified only as Da, said she refused to accept the teacher’s apology. ‘They came unannounced with a gift basket to ask forgiveness, but I told them it’s too late,’ she said.

Da said the teacher’s mother begged her to settle the matter privately and offered financial compensation, claiming her son was mentally ill.

Da recalled that on the day of the assault, she had no money to give her son for snacks.

‘He told me later that he had eaten some of the teacher’s marshmallows without asking. When I got home, I found him sitting quietly in front of the house with bruises all over his face and neck,’ she said tearfully.

‘He told me he doesn’t want to go back to school because he’s scared of being beaten again. I want this teacher transferred immediately.’

Village headman Narongdej Wong-ai and tambon chief Rat Umhong said they were alerted by a local official who was checking on why the boy was not at school. Initially, they suspected domestic abuse, but after questioning, learned the injuries were caused by the teacher.

The boy was later taken for a medical examination, which confirmed the bruises were consistent with blunt-force trauma from a hard object.

Following the discovery, the teacher reportedly called the local chief to apologise and pleaded for leniency. However, community leaders refused, saying the assault was too severe and other children could be in danger.

Other teachers at the school said the accused had a history of isolating himself and previously punished students by locking them in a room.

The village headman added that when the boy’s mother first tried to file a police report, officers refused, suggesting they feared the child might be labelled a thief.

After intervention from the village and tambon chiefs – both of whom also serve on the school’s board – the police finally accepted the complaint.

Local leaders and the boy’s family have vowed to pursue the case until justice is served. They are demanding that education authorities remove the teacher from the school and that legal action be taken against him for physically assaulting a minor.

Affinity’s professional graphic design applications are now available for permanent free download on the Apple App Store for iPad.

The suite includes Affinity Photo, Affinity Publisher and Affinity Designer, giving users a chance to access the tools without any subscription fees.

The announcement follows Serif’s sale of Affinity to Canva in 2024. At that time, users were only offered a seven-day trial across iPad, personal computers (PCs) and Mac.

The new development suggests that iPad users can now keep the apps for free, although some speculate it may be the result of a technical error rather than a planned policy.

To secure a permanent licence, users must first download the app free from the App Store and activate the seven-day trial.

Returning to the Affinity Photo page on the App Store will show a licence option labelled ‘Affinity Photo 2 for iPad licence.’

Downloading it again registers the app for permanent use. Affinity has long been marketed as a one-time purchase alternative to Adobe’s subscription-based services such as Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere. On iPad, the interface and workflow are like Adobe’s apps, but Affinity traditionally charges a single fee (USD$18.49), while Adobe requires monthly payments (USD$9.99 – 22.99/month).

The Royal Thai Navy has ordered the immediate transfer of officers accused of involvement in oil theft and procurement irregularities at its logistics base in Trat province, pending a full investigation.

Spokesman Rear Adm Parach Rattanachaiphan said the First Naval Area commander has ordered a probe into the allegations and temporarily transferred the accused officers to its headquarters to prevent interference.

On the claim that conscripts were deployed for private work, Rear Adm Parach said the navy has already investigated such abuse of conscripts, found grounds for the allegations and taken action against those responsible.

The navy’s clarifications are in response to People’s Party MP Chetawan Tuaprakhon, who said the House committee on military affairs received three complaints about misconduct and irregularities in the navy.

The first involved the use of conscripts for work at private ferry piers in Trat’s Laem Ngop and Koh Chang, while the other two involved the alleged smuggling of fuel out of the base and irregularities in procurement contracts for logistics operations in Trat.

Mr Chetawan said fuel logs indicated repeated withdrawals of 1,000 litres for “backhoes,” raising suspicions of fraud, while photos showed pickup trucks leaving the base with large fuel tanks.

Regarding irregularities in procurement contracts, 16% was deducted from the contracts, raising questions about whether receipts were issued without the actual delivery of goods, according to the MP.

Thailand’s new foreign affairs minister, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, said on Thursday that Thailand will be back on the “global radar” while he serves in office.

Speaking to the media at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok, Mr Sihasak outlined his plans to execute diplomacy during the current administration’s four-month tenure.

Mr Sihasak said that after a long absence, Thailand deserves to make a global comeback, adding that it is necessary to restore its international image by presenting itself as a dynamic country of economic significance.

“Foreign countries often refer to Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam when they talk about Southeast Asia,” he said. “Thailand is only known for having good food, good people, and tourist spots, but we need to portray our economic dimensions as well.”

Mr Sihasak’s schedule is busy over the coming months with international meetings planned, including those related to the Thailand-Cambodia conflict, the general election in Myanmar slated for December, the Asean Summit in Malaysia’s Putrajaya in November, and the Apec Summit in South Korea at the end of October.

“We need to head in directions where Thailand’s benefits could be taking place,” he said.

Mr Sihasak said his ministry will aim to improve communication efficiency in its diplomatic efforts. During the border conflict, Thailand’s communication was perceived as limited and slow compared to that of the Cambodian side, he said.

It is necessary to respond more quickly while creating understanding among the Thai public, he said.

Thailand’s unstable politics have also been a factor limiting the country’s presence on the world stage, Mr Sihasak added.

Now that the dust has settled on the dramatic events at Bethpage last weekend, it is time to reflect on what was a most extraordinary Ryder Cup tournament that will long be remembered for both good and bad reasons.

We should not allow the poor behaviour of sections of the crowd to detract from the terrific golf that was played throughout the tournament. It should also not be forgotten that on those first two days the American team didn’t play that badly but the Europeans were simply outstanding. It was teamwork at its best under the inspirational leadership of captain Luke Donald.

The American golfers produced a brave fightback in the singles. It made the last day much more gripping than had been expected and the final 15-13 score more acceptable for the hosts. However, the damage had been done on the opening two days.

The sad thing is that the brilliant golf from both teams at times became secondary to the unsavoury incidents sparked by some of the crowd. You know something is not quite right when mistakes by players are greeted by louder cheers than any fine shots. It’s a bit like tennis fans applauding double faults.

At most regular stroke-play golf tournaments around the world, the galleries are very respectful, knowing when to clap and when to keep quiet. But in the Ryder Cup it is a different story, brought on by the admittedly exciting match-play format in which every hole counts and the fans know it. As a result the galleries have become increasingly boisterous, sounding more like football crowds.

At Bethpage the raucous crowd was to be expected, but the vitriolic nature of the insults aimed at the Europeans was over-the-top. It didn’t do the American players any favours either, as it must have been uncomfortable for them hearing the slurs directed at their opponents. All credit to Justin Thomas who repeatedly gestured to the crowd to calm down when the Europeans were putting.

The great American golfer Tom Watson was so upset that he apologised for the “rude and mean-spirited behaviour” of the fans.

Unfortunately the event will always attract those who think it is clever to shout out something stupid when a player tees off. We should be thankful there were very few water hazards at Bethpage so at least we didn’t get those idiotic cries of: “in the water”. However, this time it was “in the bunker”. And of course the tiresome “get in the hole” accompanied virtually every shot.

Fortunately there were many things to admire on the playing side. US “rookie” Cameron Young performed well throughout the tournament, highlighted by a dramatic win over Justin Rose in the singles.

Despite the loss to Young, Rose epitomised the commitment of the European squad. Some of his putting was absolutely brilliant. Rory McIlroy played well considering the crowd hostility, which clearly affected him. Tommy Fleetwood was also outstanding and displayed an amazingly cool demeanour despite the pressure.

Shane Lowry will always be remembered for his Irish jig as he celebrated sinking the putt that guaranteed Europe would retain the trophy. His reaction reflected the tension the players were experiencing.

Arguably the best shot of the tournament came from Spaniard Jon Rahm when he chipped in from an almost impossible lie on the eighth hole on the second day. Rahm was a truly inspirational figure on those first two days.

Let’s hope that in the 2027 tournament at Adare Manor in Ireland we will return to fans cheering the good shots and not the mistakes.

A change in government can create a sense of renewal and excitement. New faces in the cabinet and new policies give the public hope for improved public administration and service.

Amid this, old policies are often put on ice, despite some of them already consuming a significant amount of tax revenue.

The previous Pheu Thai government had a “soft power” project, which focused on commodifying creativity, culture, and human potential, including sports and the arts. Former prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was a champion of such soft power initiatives.

Indeed, the Pheu Thai government established the National Soft Power Strategy Committee to promote 13 key industries: tourism, food, films, fashion, festivals, sports, music, art, design, gaming, literature, wellness, and the performing arts.

National committees, such as the Thailand Creative Culture Agency and its related subcommittees, were established to drive these initiatives.

And last year, the soft power scheme got a 5-billion-baht budget.

One of the flagship projects is One Family One Soft Power (Ofos), which sought to create 20 million jobs with a minimum annual salary of 200,000 baht.

The past government also allocated a budget to develop festivals and events, such as the Maha Songkran Water Festival, as part of its soft power initiative to attract tourists.

There were also promising initiatives, such as grants given to artists and filmmakers, as well as proposals to implement tax incentives for art collectors.

The big question is what successive governments will do with these schemes.

Last week, lawmakers also raised the question about soft power in a parliamentary session, with a list-MP from the People’s Party, Apisit Laistrooglai, even asking the government to inspect soft power budgets. He also claimed that some of the projects, such as Ofos, failed to meet their targets.

So far, the Auntin government has not revealed a clear policy about these soft power schemes.

The new tourism minister, Artthakorn Sirilatthayakorn, has not included soft power ideas such as local cuisines, Muay Thai, or Thai crafts as instruments to attract and promote tourism.

Sabeeda Thaised, the new culture minister, has yet to outline her policy on promoting Thai culture or what she will do with the numerous projects that her predecessor, Ms Paetongtarn, who was also the cultural minister, had initiated.

Needless to say, the parliament must review the budget spending.

Yet, such reviews must be fair and not driven by politics.

After all, soft power, initially known as the creative economy, if handled efficiently, can indeed create a new economy and a source of income and economic opportunities for Thais.

Of course, there are a number of concerns regarding the redundancy of these soft power schemes.

There are complaints about irregularities in bidding, and questions arise about whether these projects, financed by taxpayers’ money, have met their goals.

What government and lawmakers need to do is investigate irregularities and improve these schemes, rather than abandoning them simply because they belonged to a past government.