Twin disasters mark year
Twin disasters mark yearListen to this articleRubble is seen of the State Audit Office building that collapsed during the March 28 earthquake. Apichart JinakulTwin disasters mark yearAmong the biggest news stories in Thailand in 2025 were two major disasters -- a deadly earthquake felt in Bangkok and a catastrophic flood that inundated Hat Yai, the economic hub of the South. Flooding affected 12 southern provinces, killing more than 270 people and disrupting the lives of millions. Other than physical damage, the disasters disrupted livelihoods and schooling, deepening economic hardship and social inequality, with farmers, low-income households, and the elderly being hit the hardest. Economic losses in the city alone were estimated at up to 12 billion baht, with regional losses possibly reaching 100 billion baht.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 25, 2025 01:07 UTC
Kingdom a pioneer in protecting LGBTQ+ rights
Kingdom a pioneer in protecting LGBTQ+ rightsListen to this articleA couple registers their marriage on Jan 23, joining about 1,800 same-sex partners nationwide marking the first day the Marriage Equality Act came into force. Former prime minister Srettha Thavisin, who has been a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights in both his businesses and political career, was invited as a key speaker at the forum. Citing the Act, he said Thailand needs to keep supporting the spirit behind Pride Month to ensure LGBTQ+ rights are protected. Cafés and wedding planners have begun offering services tailored to LGBTQ+ couples, boosting tourism and invigorating regional economies. Public displays of affection among LGBTQ+ couples are increasingly normalised.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 25, 2025 01:07 UTC
Push to reduce dropouts
Push to reduce dropoutsListen to this articleThe government is intensifying efforts to tackle teenage pregnancy and prevent adolescents from dropping out of school through the Thailand Zero Dropout initiative. Under the Teenage Pregnancy Prevention and Solution Act, B.E. Local administrative organisations have implemented 2,241 projects addressing teenage pregnancy. Adolescents have accessed sexual and reproductive health services, with 31,355 consultations via hotlines and the "1663" Facebook page. The Public Health Ministry, in partnership with the Equitable Education Fund (EEF), is supporting pregnant teens' return to school through the Thailand Zero Dropout programme.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 25, 2025 00:47 UTC
Minister denies rumours of Cambodian deportations
Minister denies rumours of Cambodian deportationsListen to this articleLabour Minister Treenuch Thienthong denied a rumour that Cambodian workers in Thailand are to be deported on Feb 13 due to work permit issues. Cambodian workers with no work permits are allowed to work until March 31, 2026, she said. Cambodian nationals who have renewed their work permits -- for those whose original permits expired on Feb 13, 2025 -- will also be able to remain in Thailand to work until Feb 13, 2027. After that, they can renew their work permits once for a maximum period of two years, that is, until Feb 13, 2029. Therefore, there are no Cambodian workers whose work permits expire on Feb 13, 2026, who will have to be deported, she said.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 25, 2025 00:40 UTC
Gold traders, BoT discuss controls
The market is focused on Friday's meeting between Thai gold traders and the central bank, as the industry pushes for alternative measures to relieve pressure on the baht. Major traders and the Gold Traders Association plan to discuss efforts to mitigate the impact of the proposed controls, which include the imposition of a specific business tax on online gold trading. Ms Pawan warned overly strict measures or new taxes could push activity towards illegal gold traders, recalling past crackdowns on underground gold trading fairs. During periods of heightened volatility, daily gold trading has spiked to as high as 255 billion baht. The industry also believes strict controls could significantly hurt Thailand's gold trading business, Mr Kritcharat noted.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 25, 2025 00:21 UTC
Charter court hears Senate collusion case
(File photo: Government House)The Constitutional Court on Wednesday concluded its examination of six key witnesses in a case concerning alleged interference by former deputy prime minister and defence minister Phumtham Wechayachai and former justice minister Pol Col Tawee Sodsong in the Senate election collusion investigation. The court is scheduled to deliver its ruling on Jan 21. The case stems from a petition signed by 92 senators accusing the two former ministers in the Srettha Thavisin administration of abusing their authority by pushing for the alleged Senate collusion case to be handled as a special case by the DSI. The senators allege the ministers misused their power by employing the DSI as a tool to influence the Election Commission's investigation into alleged irregularities in the 2024 Senate election. After the conclusion of witness hearings yesterday, the court ordered both parties to submit their written closing statements by Jan 6, 2026.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 25, 2025 00:20 UTC
Senate approves 2 NACC commissioners
Senate approves 2 NACC commissionersListen to this articleThe Senate has approved two nominees, namely Suchart Suntreekasem and Manuphan Yotthasaen, to serve as commissioners of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). Mr Suchart, a former Criminal Court judge, was nominated to replace NACC chairman Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit, while Mr Manuphan, a former presiding judge of the Supreme Court, was nominated to succeed NACC committee member Suwanna Suwanjuta. Both nominations were approved during Wednesday's Senate meeting, chaired by Speaker Mongkol Surasajja, after having previously been vetted by a Senate screening committee chaired by Sen Gen Sawat Tassana. Mr Suchart and Mr Manuphan both surpassed the approval threshold of at least half of all senators' votes, receiving 150 and 162 votes in favour, respectively. As a result, both candidates were formally endorsed as NACC commissioners.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 25, 2025 00:20 UTC
Leaked recording reshapes politics, border tensions
In the recording, Ms Paetongtarn could be heard criticising Thailand’s then-Second Army Region commander Gen Boonsin Pladklang, calling him an obstacle to negotiations. Hun Sen escalated the controversy by publicly blaming former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Ms Paetongtarn’s father, for the border dispute before severing ties with him in July. Ms Paetongtarn admitted the recording was authentic and apologised to the public on June 19, describing it as a negotiating tactic. The ruling forced the Pheu Thai Party into opposition. That said, Thailand and Cambodia agreed to host further talks under the General Border Committee framework in Chanthaburi yesterday.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 25, 2025 00:18 UTC
Defining moments of 2025
Nutthawat WichieanbutNation mourns Queen Sirikit's passingThe death of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother on Oct 24 led to national mourning for a beloved queen who oversaw Thailand's transition in the latter half of the 20th century. As His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great, or King Rama IX, was among the world's longest-reigning monarchs, she too was one of the world's longest-serving queen consorts. Queen Sirikit travelled throughout Thailand and introduced various development projects that have increased the dignity and income of countless people. Queen Sirikit aimed to turn the saline soil into something productive by supporting tree growth with roots that hold freshwater beneath the soil, which enabled cultivation and farming on such land. "The passing of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother marks the profound loss of the 'Great Mother of the Thai Nation,'" Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Oct 25.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 25, 2025 00:18 UTC
Klatham rips Abhisit for 'sowing division'
Klatham rips Abhisit for 'sowing division'Listen to this articleThe Klatham Party has slammed former prime minister and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva for playing a "divisive politics" card after he declared at a recent debate forum that his party would not be part of any coalition government that includes Klatham. Akkharasankeeree Lohwira, the Klatham spokesman, on Tuesday criticised Mr Abhisit for what he described as divisive political rhetoric, saying it echoed past actions that not only hamstrung the nation's development but caused it to regress. Mr Akkharasankeeree said the stance reflected a political mindset focused on sowing division rather than fostering unity to move the country forward. Klatham has reaffirmed its commitment to constructive politics, he said, placing the country's interests at the centre of its agenda. "We are not a party that merely uses lofty words to sell dreams," Mr Akkharasankeeree said.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 25, 2025 00:18 UTC
Sangha scandal: A year of shattered faith
Sangha scandal: A year of shattered faithListen to this articlePhra Alongkot, abbot of Wat Phra Bat Nam Phu in Lop Buri, is arrested on charges of financial fraud and money laundering in August. Wassayos NgamkhamIn 2025, Thailand’s Buddhist establishment came under its most intense legal and institutional scrutiny in decades, following a wave of confirmed criminal investigations involving senior monks nationwide. Investigators traced financial transactions totalling about 385 million baht over three years, much of it linked to online gambling. Financial tracing suggested total gambling-related transactions of at least 500 million baht after eight months of undercover monitoring. Amid mounting scandals, the Royal Gazette revoked ecclesiastical titles from 81 senior monks for conduct deemed spiritually damaging.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 25, 2025 00:18 UTC
Oil's geopolitical premium is gone
Oil's geopolitical premium is goneListen to this articleA photo dated Dec 22, 2024 shows the sun setting behind the Dora (Daura) Oil Refinery Complex in Baghdad. AFPGlobal oil markets faced multiple black swan events in 2025 -- including the Israel-Iran war and Ukrainian strikes on Russian refiners -- yet they were barely fazed. A most pivotal moment for energy markets came on June 12 when Israel bombed military, government and nuclear sites across Iran. The mere threat of such a cataclysmic event would cause oil prices to blow out into triple-digit territory, or so the theory went. But for energy markets to be truly spooked, there will need to be a genuine change in physical volumes.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 25, 2025 00:17 UTC
It's time to choose peace
That Cambodia agreed to shift the venue from its initial demand for Kuala Lumpur to Thailand's eastern province is nevertheless a positive sign. Peace advocates can do little more than hope that no new deadly clashes erupt, which could derail the talks. Border trade, from which Thailand enjoys an advantage worth more than 100 billion baht a year, has declined sharply. Although the war budget remains confidential, estimates suggest spending has already exceeded 10 billion baht, with the Anutin Charnvirakul government allocating several billion baht to cover costs. Leaders acting rationally must not allow the peace process to collapse but must work to sustain it.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 25, 2025 00:17 UTC
Policy options for an overvalued baht
Policy options for an overvalued bahtListen to this articleAn image of Thai baht banknotes and coins, and a bank savings account passbook. Thailand, after the disastrous 1997 financial crisis, abandoned the fixed exchange rate regime in favour of a flexible exchange rate regime. Every time a single dollar is converted into Thai baht, 30 plus extra baht is added to the local money market. Capital controls were imposed because speculative inflows caused the Thai baht to strengthen from over 40 baht to the dollar to 36 baht to the dollar. Sadly, the capital control measure failed, and the baht kept strengthening to 33.7 baht to a dollar a year later.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 25, 2025 00:17 UTC
Border row 'not Shinawatras' fault'
Listen to this articleYodchanan WongsawatThai-Cambodian border tensions had nothing to do with the Shinawatra family, Yodchanan Wongsawat, one of the Pheu Thai Party's prime ministerial candidates, said on Wednesday, stressing it was due to Thailand's intensified crackdown on transnational scam networks. He said these efforts caused anger among affected groups, which contributed to heightened tensions along the border. On concerns over the impact of US tariff measures combined with border tensions, he said both issues required careful handling, but Pheu Thai's experienced economic team was capable of handling them. Enhancing connectivity and transport infrastructure would help attract investment, while the government must ensure that investment schemes would also support technology transfer, he said. He added that Pheu Thai was to submit its policy platform to the Election Commission later on Wednesday, ahead of candidate registration.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 25, 2025 00:05 UTC