Devotee's sacred tattoos fail the axe test
Devotee's sacred tattoos fail the axe testListen to this articleA sak yant master uses a needle to tattoo a man during a festival at Wat Bang Phra monastery, where devotees believe their tattoos have mystical powers, in Nakhon Pathom province. (Photo: Reuters)SAMUT PRAKAN - A 37‑year‑old man who set out to “test the power” of his sacred tattoos ended the evening in a far less mystical fashion, lying in a pool of blood with axe wounds to his back. According to the girlfriend, the man had earlier visited a samnak sak yant (sacred tattooing shrine) in Bangkok to “test” the protective power of his tattoos. The tattoos are traditionally applied with a sharpened needle while a sak yant master quietly recites sacred mantras throughout the ritual. Historically, Thai warriors often bore these markings as a source of morale, magical protection and spiritual power in battle.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 01, 2026 04:50 UTC
Why transformation must start with the leader
They are expected to navigate uncertainty, lead continuous transformation and create clarity in environments that rarely stand still. In our work with leaders across industries and regions, one pattern emerges consistently: Organisations rarely transform beyond the inner capacity of their leaders. At that point, transformation is no longer just about strategy, structure or capability. When transformation efforts struggle, the issue is often not direction or design. Executives and organisations looking to collaborate or learn more about leadership development, talent development, succession planning and organisational transformation can contact her directly at arinya.talerngsri@bts.com or visit her LinkedIn profile.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 01, 2026 04:46 UTC
Advance voting underway,for 2 million eligible voters
Advance voting underway,for 2 million eligible votersListen to this articleVoters queue for advance voting in Laksi district, Bangkok, on Sunday morning. (Photo: Election Commission)Advance voting, a week ahead of the general election, was underway on Sunday with more than 2 million eligible voters registered to cast their ballots ahead of polling day on Feb 8. The Election Commission said 2.41 million Thais had registered for advance voting. There are 52.92 million registered eligible voters in total. In Bangkok, Bang Kapi had the most people seeking advance voting, 59,000, followed by 51,000 in Chatuchak district and 38,000 in Lat Krabang.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 01, 2026 04:45 UTC
Tourists opt for the beach as bars close for early voting
Tourists opt for the beach as bars close for early votingListen to this articleTourists relax on the beach in Pattaya on Saturday night, when the bars were closed for advance voting on Sunday for the Feb 8 general election. (Photo: Amporn Sangkaew)PATTAYA - Thai and foreign tourists opted to relax on the beach on Saturday night, when entertainment venues were closed for advance voting on Sunday ahead of the general election the next Sunday. Accordingly, entertainment places, bars and eateries where alcoholic beverages were available were closed. Crowds of Thai and foreign tourists gathered peacefully on Pattaya beach as the streets fell quiet in entertainment areas on Saturday night. Local officials patrolled Pattaya and surrounbding beaches to ensure order, with instructions to strictly enforce the law on drinking in public.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 01, 2026 02:51 UTC
Tourists in Pattaya stay on the seaside as entertainment venues closed
Tourists in Pattaya stay on the seaside as entertainment venues closedTourists relax on the beach of Pattaya Saturday night. Amporn SangkaewPATTAYA: Thai and foreign tourists relax on the beach of Pattaya as entertainment venues were closed for the advance voting on Sunday. Accordingly, entertainment places, bars and eateries where alcoholic beverages were available were closed. Crowds of Thai and foreign tourists relaxed peacefully on the Pattaya beach while roads in entertainment areas became quiet Saturday night. Local officials patrolled Pattaya and its beach to ensure order and they strictly enforced regulations on drinking in public places.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 01, 2026 01:52 UTC
Border woes hit Japanese firms
Border woes hit Japanese firmsListen to this articleOfficers from the Trat Marine Corps Special Task Force secure the Ban Tha Sen border area in Trat province bordering Cambodia on Jan 16. Royal Thai NavyBorder closures, rising logistics costs and lower levels of production, procurement and sales are among the major challenges Japanese firms in Thailand have had to cope with following the Thai-Cambodian border conflict in the second half of 2025. The findings were disclosed by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok (JCCB) recently to present a business sentiment survey of Japanese corporations operating in Thailand. The survey has been conducted twice a year since 1971 and remains one of the most comprehensive indicators of the business environment for Japanese companies in Thailand, it says. Among the most significant impacts cited were longer logistics lead times following the land border closures, reported by 29% of respondents.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 01, 2026 01:46 UTC
Sex workers get pre-election boost
The Service Workers in Group (Swing) Foundation recently held a forum, "Sex (Worker) and the City", to discuss policies relating to sex work. Criminalised industryDespite the scale of the sex industry in Thailand, sex work remains criminalised under the Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act. Ms Patdarasm said sex workers should be protected under the Entertainment Places Act so they can be considered formal workers. Thai Sang Thai PartyBest Wongpairojkul, Thai Sang Thai deputy secretary-general, said sex work "should not remain in the shadows" and urged decriminalisation. "The problem is not the sex workers themselves, but the system that facilitates corruption and exploitation," he said.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 01, 2026 01:45 UTC
New treatment improves care for Parkinson's disease patients
New treatment improves care for Parkinson's disease patientsListen to this articleChiang Mai Neurological Hospital has reported success in treating patients with Parkinson's disease using apomorphine subcutaneous injections, particularly in cases where patients show intermittent responses to medication. The policy emphasises the use of advanced medical technology to improve patients' quality of life, he said. Parkinson's disease is caused by the deterioration of cells in the brain system responsible for controlling body movement, Dr Thanin said. While Parkinson's disease cannot be cured, its symptoms can be managed through medication that increases or replaces dopamine, depending on the patient's condition. However, some patients experience intermittent responses to medication, making apomorphine subcutaneous injections a suitable alternative to help control symptoms.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 01, 2026 01:45 UTC
Real barriers to temple reform
Real barriers to temple reformListen to this articleAfter a year of temple scandals, Thailand's top monks have promised a great clean-up. The council of elders says it will stop using large construction projects as a yardstick for promoting abbots and senior monks. They answer upward to senior monks, not outward to communities. Such practices will not disappear with one order, especially when some senior monks benefit from them. Without change in the Sangha Law, enforcement, oversight, and institutional reform from within, these orders risk becoming another round of symbolic virtue.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 01, 2026 01:20 UTC
Jabs against pneumococcus seen as 'sound investment'
Jabs against pneumococcus seen as 'sound investment'Listen to this articleThailand's leading paediatric organisations have urged the National Health Security Office (NHSO) to include the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in the universal health care scheme, saying protection against severe but preventable childhood diseases is a sound public investment. The groups warned that infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, or pneumococcus, remain a major cause of serious illness in Thai children. In Thailand PCV remains classified as an optional vaccine, leaving access dependent on a family's ability to pay. The evidence indicates that nationwide pneumococcal conjugate vaccination would reduce treatment costs and lower losses linked to childhood disability and mortality. Based on these findings, the groups concluded that PCV vaccination is a "worthwhile investment" and called on authorities to act.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 01, 2026 01:08 UTC
Panitchaphon keeps title hopes alive
Panitchaphon keeps title hopes aliveListen to this articleMan in form: Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul in action during his semi-final match. Panitchaphon has had a great run in the last two weeks, including reaching the Indonesia Masters final last Sunday. In pursuit of the biggest win of his career and his first-ever Super 300 crown, Panitchaphon will take on Indonesia's Moh Zaki Ubaidillah, who upset second-seeded compatriot Alwi Farhan 21-18, 21-14. Panitchaphon won his maiden World Tour title last year in Vietnam -- a Super 100 event. Earlier, Malaysia's Goh Jin Wei advanced to the women's singles final after she beat fellow Malaysian Wong Ling Ching 17-21, 21-17, 21-16.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 01, 2026 00:54 UTC
Narrow victory helps Thais top Group B table
Narrow victory helps Thais top Group B tableListen to this articleDecisive strike: Krit Aransanyalak celebrates his goal against Vietnam. Thailand's national futsal side secured a narrow but decisive 1-0 victory over arch-rivals Vietnam on Saturday to claim first place in Group B of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup in Indonesia. The result capped a flawless group-stage campaign for the Thais, who progress to the quarter-finals with maximum nine points, while Vietnam advance as runners-up. Chau Doan Phat unleashed a long-range effort in the 36th minute, but Senbat stood firm. Despite sustained pressure, Thailand's disciplined defence held out to secure the win and finish with nine points from three matches.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 01, 2026 00:53 UTC
Supat probe finds ATK breaches
Supat probe finds ATK breachesListen to this articleDr Supat Hasuwannakit. The inquiry, reported by nextnewsth.com on Friday, examined ATK purchases made by Dr Supat, former director of Saba Yoi Hospital. It found that 42,854 Standard-brand ATKs were bought from a company at a total cost of 9.8 million baht. 4910/2564, dated Oct 5, 2021, community hospital directors could approve purchases of up to 2 million baht per transaction. However, the inquiry found five purchases of supplies from the vendor violated regulations and did not result in lower costs.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 01, 2026 00:09 UTC
Hedgehoppers in search of good news
Hedgehoppers in search of good newsListen to this articleBeing the very first day of February it would have been nice if there was some good news worth celebrating, but unfortunately nothing immediately springs to mind. With this in mind a newspaper was launched in the US some years ago which vowed to publish only good news. Back in 1965 there was a hit song in the UK entitled "It's Good News Week" by the splendidly-named English group Hedgehoppers Anonymous. The opening lines were: "It's good news week/ someone dropped a bomb somewhere/contaminating atmosphere/and blackening the sky." Unfortunately, my "honeymoon" with Afghan food was not to last.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 01, 2026 00:07 UTC
Suchart vows Bhumjaithai sweep in Chon Buri
Suchart vows Bhumjaithai sweep in Chon BuriListen to this articleSuchart Chomklin, a leading figure of the Bhumjaithai party, has declared that Chon Buri is firmly under his party's control, saying voters have already decided and no seats will be left for rival parties in the province. Mr Suchart, an election candidate for Chon Buri's constituency 1, yesterday said it is up to each party to evaluate its popularity ahead of the Feb 8 poll. In the 2023 election, Move Forward, the predecessor of the People's Party, won seven of the 10 seats in Chon Buri. He said Chon Buri, his home town, still remains a sense of brotherhood and family. He said in the final week before the election voters would have already made up their minds, adding that the results after Feb 8 would prove his point.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 01, 2026 00:05 UTC