Senator urges settlement of maritime border disputeSenator Khamnoon SitthisamanSenator Khamnoon Sitthisaman called on the government on Monday to settle a dispute with Cambodia involving overlapping border areas in the Gulf of Thailand before pursuing talks on joint development of energy resources in the contested area. The joint development of a 26,000-square-kilometre energy-rich area in the gulf is said to be among the issues to be raised at the meeting. But Sen Khamnoon wrote on his Facebook account that the maritime border issue should also be covered in the talks and finalised before negotiations on the joint development proceed. Under the MoU, the maritime border demarcation and joint development must be carried out as an "indivisible package", with a Thailand-Cambodian Joint Technical Committee set up to discuss how to carry it out. Several rounds of talks have been held since, but no progress has been made, mainly because of the dispute over the maritime border demarcation.

(Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)The Immigration Bureau on Monday updated its online service for foreigners who need to report their presence in the kingdom every 90 days. Immigration police chief Pol Lt Gen Ittipol Ittisaranachai said the "90 Days Online Notification" service initially covers foreign investors who have received promotional privileges from the Board of Investment. All foreigners staying in Thailand on various kinds of long-term visas are required to confirm their address with the Immigration Bureau every 90 days. An online system has been available for several years but it was unreliable and most people continued to visit Immigration offices in person. Foreigners who need to make a 90-day report can register at this link to create an account by providing an email address.

Ms Pimphattra sees an opportunity to collaborate with Saudi Arabia on potassium fertilizer business, but potash mining remains a controversial issue in Thailand. Potash mining offers potential, but remains a contentious issue that could lead to protests from villagers living near mines because of concerns over the environmental impact. Industry Minister Pimphattra Wichaikul raised the possibility of potash mining investment during her meeting in the Saudi capital Riyadh with Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef, industry and mineral resources minister, and his deputy minister Khalil Binslmah. Saudi Arabia produces and exports urea and phosphorus fertilisers, while Thailand has potash, said Ms Pimphattra. Villagers are concerned poor potash mining management would lead to waste water being discharged to nearby areas, making the soil salty and reducing the yields of rice and other crops.

Indonesian presidential front-runner stirs fears of ‘death of democracy’FILE PHOTO: Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, waves to photographers as he leaves after attending a dialog held by country's anti-graft agency Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) at its headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia, Jan 17, 2024. “What will happen is the death of democracy,” said Hendardi, the director of the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace. The presidential hopeful, he said, had “learned a lot” from being surrounded by Joko and his supporters. Prabowo spent his early years in England and Switzerland and later attended Indonesia’s military academy. In 2020, Joko put Prabowo in charge of a programme aimed at curbing the country’s reliance on food imports.

It looks impracticalRe: "Bridge of disinterest", (PostBag, Jan 18) & "PM in Davos for WEF", and "4 MFP MPs quit bridge panel", (BP, Jan 15). VLCCs (very large crude carriers) usually carry about 2 mln bbls = 270,000 metric tonnes of oil (not 20 m bbls). that the convict Thaksin is not currently an inmate, there appears to be a widespread belief that he should be. WarnerMiserable startRe: "Land Bridge 'necessary', PM says", (BP, Jan 5 ). On a dull, wet and cold morning in the far north of Chiang Mai I have been reading about a controversial plan to spend massive amounts of money on an impractical land bridge scheme and Thailand's lack of children.

(Photo: Royal Thai Navy)The United States has warned the Royal Thai Navy about the reported involvement of a Chinese company in a plan to salvage the US-built corvette HTMS Sukhothai. Jusmag, which oversees US military affairs in Thailand, first contacted the navy a month after the Sukhothai sank, seeking information about plans to recover the ship that entered service in 1987. Mr Chayaphon said that in the case of a salvage operation involving a US-built ship, the navy has an obligation to seek US government approval of the contractor. “If the US takes part in the salvage operation, it may delay the operation from its original schedule set in April,” said a source who asked not to be identified. The navy has found a bid winner that will salvage the warship with a budget of 199 million baht, pending approval.

Over the last 10 years, Beijing has unseated the United States as the largest trade partner for South America, devouring its soybeans, corn and copper. The port, majority-owned by Chinese state-owned firm Cosco Shipping, will be the first controlled by China in South America. “The Chancay mega-port aims to turn Peru into a strategic commercial and port hub between South America and Asia,” Peru Trade Minister Juan Mathews Salazar told Reuters. But its widening trade lead — some $100 billion around South America in the most recent annual data — brings extra clout. Nonetheless, several of the people said China’s rise in South America was solidifying despite these headwinds, with the region desperate for financing and foreign currency.

China rules applyRe: "Of mice and lions", (PostBag, Jan 13) & "Generals halved by 2027", (BP, Jan 6). This is not completely correct as Germany, being part of the European Union, is bound by decisions made by that organisation. Indeed, this embargo has been in place for over 20 years and is well known to all involved in defence procurement. This means the RTN and China were aware of this regulation when negotiating the technical specifications for the proposed purchase. Overall, whilst your proposed solution seems simple and logical, it will not be as easy as you have suggested.

Early on Jan 12, the US and UK launched a series of strikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, aiming to safeguard shipping from attacks by the Iran-aligned movement. Why have they attacked ships in the Red Sea? The Red Sea's Bab al-Mandab strait is a crucial route for global trade, accounting for about 10% of the world's crude oil shipping. In response to the unrest in the Red Sea, the TNSC talked with various shipping lines and proposed five measures to assist importers and exporters:1. Maintain the original freight rates for goods pending transport, as per the agreed-upon shipping contracts.

Bridge of disinterestRe: "PM in Davos for WEF", and "4 MFP MPs quit bridge panel", (BP, Jan 15). PM Srettha Thavisin deserves an "A" for effort in selling Thailand to the world's investors -- but his main offering, his Land Bridge, doesn't fill customer needs. Each VLCC carries up to 20,000,000 bbls, to be unloaded into oil tanker trucks at one end of the Land Bridge, transported to the other end, and loaded into a second oil carrier vessel. This, combined with the cost of the second tanker ship waiting at the other end of the canal, will wipe out any cost/time advantage the Land Bridge might have had over going through the Malacca Strait. It's small wonder that in the 20-plus years since Thaksin first proposed the Land Bridge, no major cargo carrier has even expressed interest.

Samsung Electronics unveiled its latest premium smartphones on Wednesday (January 17) that will have multiple AI functions - such as simultaneous translation of foreign language phone calls - in the company's latest push to challenge Apple.

Blast was second fatal incident at factory in Muang districtSmoke pours from a fireworks factory in Muang district of Suphan Buri following an explosion that claimed at least 17 lives on Wednesday afternoon. (Photo: Suphan Buri Highway Rescue Association)At least 22 people were killed on Wednesday in an explosion at a Suphan Buri fireworks factory where a blast a year ago left one person dead and three injured. Local residents said that about 20 workers had arrived to work at the factory in the morning and that they saw nobody come out after the explosion. There were reports that an explosion at the same factory in November 2022 killed one person. (Photo: Suphan Buri Highway Rescue Association)

SET set to rebound as stimulus kicks inMr Pichai, left, and Mr Sukit at a press conference. The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) index has the opportunity to rebound significantly, approaching 1,700 points this year as global interest rates stabilise and the government stimulates the domestic economy, says InnovestX Securities. Asian stock markets are more intriguing than leading markets such as the US and Europe due to their sustained high growth rates. Chief commercial officer Pichai Lertsupongkit said that when interest rates peak, bonds and gold tend to provide favourable returns, while stocks continue to exhibit volatility. Senior analyst Sutthichai Kumworachai said that in 2024 central banks worldwide, apart from Japan, are expected to start lowering interest rates.

Authorities in China were scaling up rescue and relief efforts on Tuesday (January 16) after around 1,000 tourists remain stranded in a remote holiday village following avalanches which hit China's northwestern Xinjiang region.

Man arrested with over 1,400 illegally registered mobile SIM cardsA man has been arrested with over 1,400 illegally registered mobile phone SIM cards, which the police believed are linked to online gambling operations. He was found in possession of 1,456 SIM cards, which he said were obtained online. The arrest followed a police investigation into the Facebook account "Yotzar Mbk", which was selling mobile phone SIM cards with various networks. Chaiyot admitted the SIM cards were registered under other people's names. He has since been charged with procuring and selling mobile telephone services that were registered under other people's names.