Birthday boy Kohli equals Tendulkar's record 49 ODI hundredsStar of the show: Virat Kohli celebrates after scoring his centuryKOLKATA - India's Virat Kohli equalled Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 one-day international hundreds when he reached three figures in a World Cup match against South Africa on Sunday. Kohli, on his 35th birthday, got to the landmark in 119 balls, including 10 fours, at Kolkata's Eden Gardens. It had taken him 277 innings to score 49 hundreds at this level compared to the 438 required by Tendulkar. Kohli's 101 not out was the centrepiece of unbeaten tournament hosts India's 326-5 in their 50 overs. Both India and second-placed South Africa, whose only defeat at this 10-team tournament so far was a shock loss to non-Test side the Netherlands, have already qualified for the semi-finals.

Should rich also get digital handout? Public evenly split: pollSupporters of the digital wallet scheme voice their demand that the 10,000-baht handout go ahead at the headquarters of the Pheu Thai Party on Oct 17. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)Most people are of the opinion that the 10,000-baht payout via the government's digital wallet scheme should be paid to people of all groups regardless of their incomes or bank deposits, according to an opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll. Many questions have been raised about the feasibility of the scheme, particularly about how it will be funded. On Saturday, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said the details of the project, including how it will be funded, will all be announced at a specially arranged press conference on Friday.

The new network will link the regional route that connects Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, and China, Department of Rail Transport director-general Pichet Kunathammarak said yesterday. To achieve the goal of opening this new regional rail link by 2027, Thailand needs to accelerate construction of the second phase of its double-track railroad as well as the new Thai-Lao friendship bridge, he said. The first phase of the new train system will wrap up next year when the total length of its double-track railway will have been extended to 627km, Mr Pichet said. The construction of these three -- of seven -- sections in the second phase, which span a total length of 1,479km, will have to be sped up in order to facilitate the planned connection of the double-track rail services through Thailand. The study found the new bridge should be built to serve transnational double-track rail services, as the first Thai-Lao bridge in the northeastern province can still meet the demand for transportation by car across the Mekong River.

The 10,000-baht digital wallet handout was projected to cost around 560 billion baht, according to the original estimate. Analysts are expressing concerns over Thailand's fiscal position, saying figures are likely to deteriorate in the medium term as the government pushes through populist policies such as the digital wallet scheme. "Thailand's fiscal position will come under pressure in the medium term, as we think the Pheu Thai government will implement expansionary populist spending to reach its growth target of 5.0%," said the London-based research company. Policymakers have already announced several measures that will be detrimental to Thailand's fiscal position. Maybank Securities said the watered-down digital wallet scheme and delayed implementation would relieve the near-term strain on Thailand's fiscal balances, "at a time when credit rating agencies are voicing concerns about the country's public debt levels".

Thailand needs more resilience - central bank chiefPeople shop at Wang Lang Market in Bangkok Noi district in September 2023. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)Thailand needs to be more resilient to grow sustainably, Bank of Thailand (BoT) governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput said on Friday. The central bank chief has said the economy is expected to grow close to forecast this year, but next year's outlook of 4.4% growth would be revised down if the government's handout plan was reduced. On Friday, he said he was worried about high household and public debt, but that the country's external stability remains strong. The rate has been raised by total of 200 basis points since August last year to curb price pressures.

Thai stocks spike after Fed maintains rates againAn investor monitors share price movements at a brokerage in Bangkok. The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) index rebounded strongly on Thursday as other regional bourses tracked gains on Wall Street after the Federal Reserve kept US interest rates unchanged at 5.25-5.50%. (Bangkok Post File Photo)The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) index rebounded strongly on Thursday as other regional bourses tracked gains on Wall Street after the Federal Reserve kept US interest rates unchanged at 5.25-5.50%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 1.06%, while South Korea's Kospi gained 1.99%. Tisco expects the Thai index to have a support level of 1,320 points and resistance at 1,420 points this month.

PTTEP looks to Mideast, MalaysiaPTTEP is increasing gas production at its Erawan gas block in the Gulf of Thailand. SET-listed PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) plans to increase its petroleum production capacity in the Middle East and Malaysia to brace for the depletion of domestic gas and oil supply within a decade. With the gas volume in the country expected to decline, PTTEP plans to focus on petroleum exploration and production projects in Malaysia and the Middle East, said Mr Sumrid. The Lang Lebah project completed front-end engineering design in October and is expected to have its first gas production in the first half of 2028. PTTEP also operates a petroleum production business in Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

Keep the change: Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin collects an iced Americano from City Plus Coffee, a Government House cafeteria that employs people with disabilities, on Thursday. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)The government is planning a mass evacuation of Thais in Israel as the Israel-Gaza war is expected to escalate, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said. "Things are also becoming complicated as the number of Thai workers who choose to remain in Israel is still not known. According to the Labour Ministry's Facebook page, 21,229 Thai workers remain in Israel, and 8,637 had returned home as of yesterday. He said Malaysia was ready to help the Thai government in safely repatriating all the Thai workers.

Taiwanese, Indians get free entryThe cabinet has given the green light to a visa exemption policy for tourists from India and Taiwan to stay in the kingdom for 30 days, in a bid to draw more revenue as the high season approaches. "We will provide visa exemption for Indian and Taiwanese visitors because a lot of their people like to visit Thailand," said the premier. Government spokesman Chai Wacharonke said arrivals from 59 countries can now enter Thailand without an entry visa. Recently, the cabinet agreed to grant visa exemptions for tourists from China and Kazakhstan, on a temporary basis. Some 1.55 million Indians are expected to visit the kingdom this year in total, said Mr Chai.

Govt to waive visas for Taiwan, India to boost tourismThai and foreign tourists visit Wat Pho, a Buddhist temple complex in the Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok, on Oct 22, 2023. Thailand in September scrapped visa requirements for Chinese tourists, the country's top pre-coronavirus-pandemic tourism market with 11 million of the record 39 million arrivals in 2019. "Arrivals from India and Taiwan can enter Thailand for 30 days," government spokesman Chai Wacharonke said. Inbound tourism from India showed signs of growth as more airlines and hospitality chains targeted that market. Thailand expects the number of Chinese tourists to reach 4 million to 4.4 million in 2023, the tourism agency said earlier this month.

Sub swap proposal 'must stay in budget'The government's plan to procure alternative armaments instead of a submarine is reasonable as long as it keeps within budget, according to the House committee on national security. Mr Rangsiman made an appointment to see the minister last week. People would not object as long as a deal swap does not exceed the budget earmarked for the 16-billion-baht submarine. Mr Rangsiman said Mr Sutin assured him the government would handle the matter in a way that would minimise impacts on ties. Mr Rangsiman said the committee also raised the emergency decree imposed in the far South in discussions with Mr Sutin.

Chiang Mai airport's new hours met with protestsChiang Mai airport is filled with tourists. Residents of tambon Mae Hia are stepping up their opposition to a plan to extend Chiang Mai International Airport's operating hours, saying many have yet to be compensated for damage caused by flights taking off and landing at the airport over the past five years. (File photo)CHIANG MAI: Residents of tambon Mae Hia are stepping up their opposition to a plan to extend Chiang Mai International Airport's operating hours, saying many have yet to be compensated for damage caused by flights taking off and landing at the airport over the past five years. At a meeting with Mae Hia residents on Monday, AoT representatives and officials from Chiang Mai airport promised to roll out a number of measures to address local residents' concerns. They also pledged to open a shop in the airport to showcase products made by local residents.

Free trade deal between EU and Australia unravelsFree trade talks with the EU have collapsed over market access for Australian agricultural produce such as beef. SYDNEY: A free trade deal between the European Union and Australia has unravelled despite early optimism, with Canberra saying on Monday it could take years until negotiations resume. Since 2018 the painstaking discussions have picked through everything from chemicals to cosmetics, but have repeatedly come unstuck over market access for Australian products such as beef and sheep meat. "I think it will be quite some time before any Australian government or any EU leadership is able to negotiate a deal. In July, the two parties failed to reach a deal during talks in Brussels, with Australia saying it had not been guaranteed "significant" access to the European market for its agricultural products.

Control of goods related to weapons of mass destruction to be tightenedThe Commerce Ministry looks set to enforce measures to control goods related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and dual-use items (DUI), which are goods that have both commercial and military use. Ronnarong Phoolpipat, director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, said the department is preparing to tighten measures to control products related to the proliferation of WMD and DUI that were previously voluntary. "Consequently, the department decided to intensify measures to control goods related to the proliferation of WMD and DUI. Thailand has a law to control WMD and related items, with enforcement starting in 2020. Mr Ronnarong said in the initial phase of implementing licensing measures, exporters may need time to learn the regulations and guidelines.

Winter in Thailand officially arrives when the lowest temperature remains under 23 degrees Celsius. The lowest average temperature would be 21-22 degrees Celsius, compared with 19.9 degrees Celsius on average. In the North and the Northeast, the lowest temperatures this winter will be 9-10 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, it will be 17-18 degrees Celsius in Bangkok and 15-16 degrees Celsius in adjacent provinces. Cold weather and frost would be frequent on mountaintops and winter would end in late February, Mr Somkhuan said.