Diplomatic protest filed over letterListen to this articleThailand has lodged a formal diplomatic protest with Cambodia following the publication of an open letter by a Cambodian senator, which the government says crossed diplomatic boundaries. "The open letter published by Cambodian media politicising the Thai monarchy is highly inappropriate and reflects an unfortunate lack of sound judgement," he said. Mr Nikondej said Foreign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow had instructed the ministry to move swiftly to clarify Thailand's position, issue a formal letter of protest to the Cambodian government, and send written responses to the Cambodian media outlet involved. According to Mr Sihasak, the publication amounts to interference in Thailand's internal affairs and contravenes basic diplomatic etiquette, the Asean charter, and Clause 6 of the joint statement signed by both sides on Dec 27, 2025, which commits them to each refrain from actions or statements that could provoke heightened tensions. Thailand has urged Cambodia to ensure senior figures in its government and parliament exercise restraint, refrain from issuing provocative statements, and sincerely adhere to bilateral commitments to rebuild mutual trust.

BJT savages co-payment planListen to this articleA countdown sign for the election is displayed by the Bang Sue district office in the Saphan Kwai area, encouraging citizens to exercise their right to vote in the election and referendum on Feb 8. Nutthawat WichieanbutPheu Thai's launch of its new co-payment policy, branded "More Than Plus 70:30", has drawn sharp criticism from its chief rival, the Bhumjaithai (BJT) Party, which has questioned the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposal. Pheu Thai's proposal would see the state cover 70% of spending and consumers just 30%, a much higher subsidy than the 50:50 cost-sharing model used in the BJT-led "Half-Half Plus" scheme. The party said the existing Half-Half Plus scheme only lifted GDP growth by about 0.2% in 2025. According to details on Pheu Thai's Facebook page, funds would be distributed to a wider target group, namely all Thai nationals aged 16 and above.

Bhumjaithai PartyBhumjaithai Party (BJT) leader Anutin Charnvirakul brushed aside a projection by the Nida Poll director that the party would win up to 150 seats in the general election, saying the figure was "too low". Mr Anutin said on Wednesday BJT was fighting hard in every constituency and that the Nida estimate fell short of the party's internal target. However, he said opinion polls were useful benchmarks for assessing how well the party's campaign was performing. Earlier, in a television interview, Suvicha Pouaree, director of the Nida Poll Centre, said BJT was surging and expected to secure between 140 and 150 seats. On his first campaign visit to the northeastern region, Mr Anutin led campaigning in Nakhon Phanom on Wednesday.

PP wants more than 20m votesListen to this articlePiyabutr Saengkanokkul, secretary-general of the Progressive Movement, speaks to People's Party supporters at a campaign rally in Loei on Wednesday. Speaking at the Chaiyaphum municipal ground, the former secretary-general of the now-dissolved Future Forward Party was campaigning for the PP ahead of the Feb 8 election. He said pro-democracy parties -- first the Future Forward Party and later the Move Forward Party -- had been dissolved twice, with many of their politicians disqualified, but the movement would continue. "We [the Move Forward Party] won the election [in 2023] but were not allowed to form a government. He warned against splitting votes, saying opponents feared genuine reform.

Pol Lt Col Krit alleged that Pol Gen Surachate slapped him on the left ear so hard that his eardrum ruptured in February 2017, subsequently leaving him with permanent hearing loss in that ear. Another officer who previously worked for Pol Gen Surachate, Pol Col Aris Kooprasitrat, also accused him of emotional abuse causing him to suffer depression. Mr Sanyapatchara said the alleged psychological abuse may be linked to Pol Col Aris having “switched sides” politically. “Pol Col Aris will be the next to get a counter-complaint,” the lawyer said. Pol Gen Surachate has long alleged that there was an organised campaign to block his path to the police chief’s position.

IRPC wins Thailand Energy Awards 2025, solidifying leadership in global energy innovationIRPC Public Company Limited (IRPC), led by Terdkiat Prommool, President and Chief Executive Officer, received the Thailand Energy Awards 2025 in the Creative Energy category for the project “Reduce Hydrocarbon Loss in Flare from PNU by Digitalization”. The award was presented by caretaker Energy Minister Auttapol Rerkpiboon, who presided over the award ceremony held at the Grand Ballroom, Rama Gardens Hotel, Bangkok. The Thailand Energy Awards are organised by the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE) under the Ministry of Energy, with the objective of promoting energy conservation and the sustainable development of alternative energy.

Seeing through the marketing trapsListen to this articleAI-generated graphicAs purchasing power weakens and living costs soar, daily expenses shock Bangkok residents. A trap that always worksThe middle class, who typically have the spending power, often falls into the 'illusional trap.' Avoiding traps with simple thoughtsWe can’t completely avoid overpricing but we can learn to restrain our unnecessary spending, fostering financial discipline for future uncertainties. For example, a 3,000-baht product used daily could be more economical than a 500-baht single-use product, highlighting the difference in value. At the end of the day, with rising costs and financial challenges, chasing trends may only undermine your financial stability.

(Photo: Reuters)DAVOS, Switzerland - President Donald Trump declared on Wednesday that he would not use force to take control of Greenland, but insisted that the United States must still have “ownership” of the island. Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday afternoon, Trump demanded “immediate” talks on Washington’s acquisition of the autonomous territory from NATO ally Denmark. “It’s the United States alone that can protect this giant mass of land, this giant piece of ice, develop it and improve it,” he said. “That’s the reason I’m seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States. Having made that boast, he sought to reassure his audience that force was not an option in Greenland.

Gold crosses $4,800 for the first time as US, EU spar over GreenlandListen to this articleA goldsmith weighs gold jewellery inside a showroom in Ahmedabad, India, July 31, 2025. Spot gold rose 1.2% to $4,821.26 per ounce by ‌0226 GMT, after scaling a record $4,843.67 earlier in the session. (The move in gold) reflects fears about global geopolitical (tensions)," said Kyle Rodda, a senior market ⁠analyst at Capital.com. He later said, "We will work something out where NATO is going to be very happy and where we're going to be very happy." Spot silver fell 1% to $93.59 an ounce, after hitting a record high of $95.87 on Tuesday.

(Photo: AFP)AL-HOL CAMP, Syria - The Syrian army on Wednesday entered the vast Al-Hol camp that houses relatives of suspected Islamic State jihadists after Kurdish forces withdrew from the site, said an AFP journalist at the scene. The camp in a desert region of Hasakeh province holds around 24,000 people, including some 6,200 women and children from around 40 nationalities. Al-Hol is the largest camp for suspected jihadists established by Kurdish forces after they took control of swathes of Syria with coalition backing. Al-Roj is still under Kurdish control in eastern Hasakeh province. A security official on the ground told AFP that Kurdish forces were still inside the facility on Wednesday.

Pond part of initiative to prevent animals from straying outside forestListen to this articleA herd of wild elephants bathe in a water source built as part of a project to prevent them from leaving protected forest areas in Khao Yai National Park in Prachin Buri. (Photo: Manit Sanubbo)PRACHIN BURI – A herd of wild elephants has been spotted enjoying a newly dug pond in Khao Yai National Park, signalling that the initiative to prevent the animals from straying and damaging local residents’ properties is yielding tangible results. The project was funded by the eastern provinces’ budget in 2025 and launched in the Unesco World Heritage-listed national park, which straddles Prachin Buri, Nakhon Nayok, Saraburi and Nakhon Ratchasima provinces. It was aimed at solving the problem of wild elephants leaving protected areas to find food and water sources, which often led to damage in local communities’ agricultural areas and posed a risk to people’s safety. The conservation office would continue monitoring the project’s progress to ensure wild elephants have a safe, suitable and sustainable habitat, he added.

Listen to this articleThe Ministry of Digital Economy and Society on Wednesday reported its success in combating cybercrime, saying 220,000 illegal web addresses and 180,000 gambling websites had been shut down. (Screenshot from Department of Public Relations website)The Thai government has shut down 220,000 illegal web addresses, including 180,000 gambling websites, since Oct 1 last year as part of an ongoing crackdown on cybercrime, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) announced on Wednesday. Between Oct 1, 2025 and Jan 11, 2026, she said the ministry blocked 220,486 illegal social media pages and website URLs. December alone accounted for 116,397 blocked links,Online gambling made up the largest share of the blocked content, with 183,977 URLs taken down, followed by links related to e-cigarettes (14,618) and alcohol advertising (10,139). Also targeted were web addresses linked to the sale and purchase of cannabis (2,943), prostitution (2,040) and firearms (1,990).

State enterprise disbursement target at 95%Listen to this articleThe State Enterprise Policy Office (Sepo) has set a target for state enterprise investment budget disbursement of no less than 95% this year to support the economy. According to Tibordee Wattanakul, director-general of Sepo, state enterprises have a combined investment plan totalling 2.4 trillion baht in 2026, and Sepo will seek to ensure that investment budget disbursement reaches at least 95%. As a result, state enterprises related to these two public utilities are able to maintain revenue regardless of economic conditions. In recent years, state enterprises have collectively remitted revenue exceeding targets by about 40 billion baht. The shortfall was attributed to underperformance by the country's three key revenue departments: the Revenue Department, which collected 1.6% below target; the Excise Department, which collected 11.8% below target; and the Customs Department, which collected 2.5% below target.

UN report declares global state of 'water bankruptcy'Listen to this articleThe UN says new language is needed to describe the crisis state of the world's water basins and aquifers. "Water stress and water crisis are no longer sufficient descriptions of the world's new water realities," read a new report by the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH). The report proposes the alternative term "water bankruptcy" -- a state in which long-term water use exceeds resupply and damages nature so severely that previous levels cannot realistically be restored. It is based on a peer-reviewed report, soon to be published in the journal Water Resources Management, that will formally propose a definition of "water bankruptcy". The report "captures a hard truth: the world's water crisis has crossed a point of no return", Tim Wainwright, chief executive of the WaterAid charity, wrote in a statement.

Semi-trailer truck bombed and torched in deep SouthListen to this articleA semi-trailer truck is completely damaged by a bomb explosion and fire at a warehouse in Sungai Kolok district, Narathiwat, early on Wednesday morning. (Photo: Abdullah Benjakat)NARATHIWAT — A semi-trailer truck was bombed and torched at a warehouse in tambon Pasemat of Sungai Kolok district of this southern border province early on Wednesday morning. Initially there was no casualties reported, even though the truck was completely destroyed. Sungai Kolok police cordoned off the scene and bomb experts have yet to clear the area for investigations. On Jan 11, assailants planted bombs and set fires at petrol stations in the far South, with five of the 11 stations located in Narathiwat.