Gunman murders motorist on Bangkok expresswayListen to this articlePolice at the murder scene on a Bangkok expressway in Bang Sue district early Tuesday morning. (Photo supplied)A gunman in the passenger seat of a luxury van shot dead another motorist on a Bangkok expressway near Pracha Chuen toll plaza in Bang Sue district on Tuesday morning. The killer struck about 200 metres from the toll plaza about 4.50am. As they approached Pracha Chuen toll plaza, a white Toyota Alphard van cut in front of them to enter a toll booth. After they passed through the toll plaza she saw the van slowing down.

Thai woman arrested in Taiwan returns to face child prostitution chargesListen to this articleRelatives of the girl, shown second and third from the right, file their complaint at the Royal Thai Police Office in Bangkok in November 2025. (Photo supplied)Authorities anticipate the return of a Thai woman on Tuesday, who is accused of forcing her 12-year-old daughter into prostitution at a massage parlour in Japan this year. According to a police source, the 29-year-old mother, whose name was withheld, was arrested in Taiwan and will be flown back to Thailand on Thai Airways flight TG633, arriving at Suvarnabhumi airport at 5pm. The woman faces serious charges, including procuring her minor child for prostitution and human trafficking, which can result in a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of up to 2 million baht. An arrest warrant was issued last month after she allegedly compelled her daughter to work at a massage parlour in central Tokyo earlier this year before fleeing to Taiwan.

Winter unveils the world’s snow destinations. After a day on the snow, evenings segue into refined dining at Le Grand Hall, lively après-ski and the hotel’s storied winter atmosphere.­Hotel Seehof DavosPerched above the historic town of Davos, Hotel Seehof in Graubunden, Switzerland, offers an intimate winter escape in the heart of Graubunden. Risonare Tomamu and Tomamu The TowerHokkaido in Japan is the powder paradise for many skiers, especially Thais and other Asians. The 3.2-hectare Ice Village will be open until mid-March and includes an ice bar, ice chapel and an ice hotel, which may close in February. Until March 27, the hotel offers a “Oirase Mountain Stream Bus Tour” to guests who want to see these breathtaking formations up close.

Spotify has unveiled a new "Prompted Playlist" feature, leveraging artificial intelligence to allow users to generate highly personalised music collections through simple text commands. A standout capability of the Prompted Playlist feature is its "auto-refresh" functionality. The feature is currently being rolled out as a beta test for Spotify Premium subscribers. At present, the AI tool only supports English language commands. Spotify has not yet confirmed a timeline for a wider global rollout or support for additional languages.

Dib leans into a global perspective, a truly international interpretation of modern art, and not just a creative space that is based in Bangkok. The museum is also celebrating internationally recognized Thai artists, including Pinaree Sanpitak, the late Montien Boonma, and Thaiwijit Puengkasemsomboon. Does that mean Bangkok is now taking contemporary art more seriously? Dib offers a different experience to other prominent art spaces in Bangkok, namely MOCA and established independent galleries. This is how you know when a city’s art scene is evolving: there can be a handful of everything, and we can enjoy the privilege of having more than one contemporary art museum.

Guru By Bangkok Post is making sure that even if you blink, you don’t miss out on the new taste tinglers that are worth mentioning, in Bangkok and beyond. Authenticity takes a back seat to creativity, humour and individuality, a half-breed interpretation of Thai flavours shaped by expat experiences. At the heart of its revival is chef Phatchara "Pom" Pirapak, whose is known for her precise craftsmanship and understanding of Thai flavours. The menu reflects the enduring identity of Thai cuisine, celebrating aromatic herbs, distinctive cooking techniques and the subtle interplay of sour, salty, and sweet. Chef de cuisine Kamil Kuczynski blends global cooking techniques, premium meats, local Thai produce and the distinctive character of traditional fire-based preparation.

This creates a subtle but persistent pressure - not to spend extravagantly, but to appear capable of spending steadily. To keep up with a rhythm that looks modest on screen, but demands repetition in real life. Spending still happens, but approached in a more careful manner, filtered through questions that are rarely discussed online. In a city that is visually dense and socially dynamic, this quieter relationship with money feels less like retreat and more like calibration. What it is learning now is how to do so under constant visual pressure, without mistaking appearance for affordability, or repetition for ease.

A group of five artists present a journey of self-exploration that traverses both time and space during "The Wayfarer In Motion", which is running at Tang Contemporary Art, until Jan 11. Zhao Yu has long researched the "Sun God" as a core symbol carrying the cultural evolution of both East and West. While Sun worship represents humanity's most primal impulse to journey to pursue inner desire, its outward exploration ultimately returns to the self. Tang Contemporary ArtBoth Verapat and Duairak's works present natural landscapes brimming with joy and vitality. Tang Contemporary Art is located at Room 201-206 of River City Bangkok, Charoen Krung 24, and opens daily from 11am to 7pm, except Monday.

Listen to this articleA closer look at the demand and supply of commodities offers a clearer picture of the market, but may not always shed light on the complexity of the economy. Looking beyond economic factors, analysts and business leaders often use a political lens to grasp the meaning of a range of issues such as the Thai-Cambodian border clashes to years-long unsettled disputes between the US and China. Geopolitical conflicts were under the spotlight throughout 2025 and this trend is likely to continue in 2026. Several political quarrels are expected to set political-economic themes for 2026 in sectors ranging from trade and tourism to mining in far-flung areas.

Border trade marred in 2026 by conflictListen to this articleCambodian workers return to their home country via a checkpoint in Sa Kaeo province amid ongoing border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia. The ongoing border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia is expected to continue to hamper trade in 2026. In September, the Department of Foreign Trade projected total border trade for 2026 would align with 2025 estimates, ranging from 1.81-1.85 trillion baht. Jiraphant Asvatanakul, vice-chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the Border Trade and Cross-Border Trade Strategic Committee, forecasts a negative outlook for border trade revenue this year due to tension and closures along the Cambodian border, as well as weak consumer purchasing power in Myanmar and Laos. In 2026, Mr Jiraphant does not expect significant economic changes for neighbouring countries, though Vietnam is an exception.

AG pressed for in-depth Senate poll probeListen to this articleA group of reserve senators on Monday called on the attorney-general to ensure a comprehensive investigation takes place into alleged collusion in the 2024 Senate selection process. He said the group had earlier filed a complaint with the DSI as directly affected parties under the constitution. He said selective legal action would undermine the credibility and integrity of the entire Senate selection process. Mr Thanawat said the group would consider pursuing legal action against certain agencies if the case is concluded without a complete and fair investigation. The DSI has been probing the case for more than nine months.

Listen to this articleThe National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has launched a fact-finding probe following the circulation of an audio clip allegedly featuring a senior police officer demanding kickbacks from illegal businesses in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. The NACC on Monday confirmed it was examining the authenticity and substance of the audio recording, which has spread widely on social media. Meanwhile, Chawang Police Station released a statement addressing the viral clip, which was posted on a Facebook page along with an image of Pol Maj Gen Kriangsak and provocative captions. Following the release of the clip, national police chief Kittharath Punpetch signed an order transferring Pol Maj Gen Kriangsak to the RTP's Operations Centre. He was relieved of his Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Police command, with Pol Maj Gen Pornchai Khajornklin, deputy commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, stepping in as the acting commander on Sunday.

Medical gear purchases trigger graft concernsListen to this articleThe Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT) on Monday raised concerns over possible irregularities in the procurement of medical equipment worth 603 million baht by several state-run hospitals, saying pricing showed significant discrepancies. The procurement was carried out through an e-bidding process with the median price set at 4.5 million baht per unit, bringing the total budget to 603 million baht. However, Phrapokklao Hospital signed a contract at 1.95 million baht per unit, or 2.55 million baht below the median price. The discrepancies in price raised questions about whether the median price was set far above market levels, said the ACT. If irregularities were involved, it could cost the state more than 340 million baht for 134 units that were procured, the ACT added.

Another health appListen to this articleThe Public Health Ministry is set to relaunch its Mohpromt application next month, pivoting from its role as a central platform for Covid-19 vaccinations to a comprehensive digital health "super app". For an average citizen, the digital health landscape appears like a confusing maze. There is Paotang, the government's primary welfare platform featuring a "health wallet"; the National Health Security Office (NHSO) app for universal healthcare beneficiaries; and SSO-plus for those under social security. It remains unclear whether the new Mohpromt app will absorb this function or simply create yet another redundant link back to the welfare app. It goes without saying that the Public Health Ministry has not disclosed the price tag for the new Mohpromt.

What happens when Christmas loses its soul to AI? The melodies were more or less the same -- recognisable as Silent Night, The First Noël, and Winter Wonderland. I first heard Winter Wonderland about 40 years after its lyricist, Richard Bernhard Smith, died in 1935; another 50 years have passed since then. In this case, the death of Winter Wonderland -- and Christmas music more generally -- was caused by a set of algorithms that we flatteringly call artificial intelligence. The tortured version of Winter Wonderland that I was forced to listen to is just the tip of the iceberg.