(Photo: Chanat Katanyu)The "rule of law" is an age-old notion that sounds paradoxically both archaic and dynamic. Originally, the English version of the rule of law advocated the supremacy of law, meaning that everyone is subject to the law; equality before the law, including fair trials; and constitutionalism, implying a balancing act among different state institutions, even where the state does not have a written constitution. The third element was premised on the perceived role of the judiciary, enjoying independence and invigorated by judge-made law, or "common law". In reality, non-democracies often invoke the term to validate their power base, epitomised by what is better described as "rule by law". By contrast, official data reveal an increase in violence against women, underscoring the need for a new anti-domestic violence law.

Greenland: Donald Trump versus NatoListen to this articleDanish soldiers land at Nuuk airport, January 19, 2026. (Photo: Reuters)After the Danish and Greenland foreign ministers came out of a meeting in Washington on Jan 14 convinced that Donald Trump really intended to seize Greenland, things moved very fast. But that was Donald Trump's pretext for taking Greenland: "The US needs Greenland for the purpose of national security....It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building." Rather than thank the Europeans for finally picking up the load, Donald Trump blasted them for having "journeyed to Greenland for purposes unknown". And Mr Trump has used them in the past about Canada as well.

Peace board price tagListen to this articleThailand has received an invitation from US President Donald Trump to join his newly proposed "Board of Peace", an organisation ostensibly aimed at overseeing the reconstruction and peace process in Gaza following more than two years of devastating conflict. A seat at this table carries a staggering price tag of US$1 billion (31 billion baht), a sum that demands far more than diplomatic curiosity. The draft charter speaks of a "bold new approach" to global conflicts, suggesting Gaza is merely a pilot project for a new geopolitical platform. Beyond the fiscal burden, full engagement risks branding Thailand as a partisan actor in an increasingly multipolar world. True leadership is not found in buying a seat at an elite table; it is found in principled multilateralism.

Founded in 2019 by designer/artist Khontarat Techatrisorn, the brand give.me.museums is unique for its landscape patterns and vibrant colours. To celebrate the Year of the Horse, give.me.museums collaborated with Iconsiam to showcase the exhibition "Flower Art Garden" at Charoen Nakhon Hall. This concept is connected to give.me.museums and the Sawatdee collection is one of those in 'Flower Art Garden'," explained Khontarat. Since give.me.museums is inspired by landscapes and floral patterns, "Flower Art Garden" is filled with vibrant and colourful floral motifs. Merchandise at 'Flower Art Garden'.

Thai industrial sentiment retreats after 7-month highListen to this articleMap Ta Phut Industrial Estate in Rayong province. (Photo: Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand)Thailand's industrial sentiment index ‌fell in ​December 2025 after hitting a seven-month high in November over concerns about the border conflict ‌with Cambodia and uncertainties about government policies, the Federation ‌of Thai Industries (FTI) reported on Wednesday. The strong baht and ⁠slow manufacturing were also among the concerns, the group said. The baht has gained about 1.5% against the dollar so far this year, ‌making it ‍Asia's best performing currency. The FTI said its industrial sentiment ⁠index declined to ​88.2 in December from 89.1 in the previous month.

A floor cleaning robot at Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan province was spotted dragging a power cable and sockets along the terminal floor during operating hours on Tuesday, catching the attention of passengers. After the video of the incident went viral, airport staff said the issue will be addressed promptly. Social media users remarked that the robot resembled an employee on their last day of work, seemingly indifferent to its tasks.

A new study published on Tuesday (January 20) in the Journal of Animal Ecology found three Antarctic penguin species starting their breeding season markedly earlier than a decade ago, in what researchers say is a record shift likely linked to rapid warming at colony sites in the Antarctic region.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he will impose a 200% tariff on French wines and champagnes, a move he claimed would push French President Emmanuel Macron to join Trump's Board of Peace initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts.

BAM proposes adding small firms to debt relief schemeListen to this articleBangkok Commercial Asset Management Plc (BAM) has proposed the Bank of Thailand expand the "Clear Debt, Move Forward" scheme to cover the non-performing loans (NPLs) of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), leveraging a mechanism of private asset management companies to manage the debt. BAM has held discussions with the central bank on expanding the scheme to cover SME NPLs and allowing private AMCs to take part in managing the bad debt, said Mr Rak. If regulators allow the scheme to cover SME NPLs, BAM expects to help about 100,000 borrowers exit the cycle of bad debt," he said. According to central bank data, total NPLs in the banking industry tallied 544 billion baht as of September 2025. Funding for the debt scheme for retail NPLs comes from a reduction in the Financial Institutions Development Fund contribution rate across the banking industry to 0.23% from 0.46%.

Listen to this articleThe SEC put digital assets, crypto ETFs and financial innovation at the centre of its capital market development strategy for 2026. The roadmap comes at a critical juncture for global markets, as cryptocurrencies and spot crypto ETFs gain wider institutional acceptance. This data-driven approach aims to strengthen risk management, improve disclosure standards and elevate investor protection as digital assets become more mainstream, she noted. The SEC plans to expand access to crypto ETFs, including spot crypto ETFs, providing investors with regulated exposure to digital assets within a transparent and supervised environment. In parallel, the regulator is developing digital asset derivatives, laying the groundwork for a deeper and more resilient crypto market.

Pheu Thai Party flags major debt overhaulListen to this articlePheu Thai Party's prime ministerial candidate, Yodchanan Wongsawat, is greeted by supporters during a campaign rally in Sawankhalok district of Sukhothai, on Tuesday. Pheu Thai PartyThe Pheu Thai Party has signalled a major push to position itself as both pro-stimulus and fiscally cautious ahead of the Feb 8 election, announcing plans to roll out a sweeping debt-restructuring policy anchored in what it calls the "More Than Half-Half Plus 70:30" model. During a campaign rally in Sukhothai on Tuesday, Pheu Thai prime ministerial candidate Yodchanan Wongsawat said the party's initiative aims to ease household and informal debt burdens while maintaining budget discipline, with full details set to be unveiled later this week. Mr Yodchanan said a Pheu Thai government would tackle debt "across the entire system", from household liabilities to informal loans, pledging to eliminate loan sharks. He said the plan would not undermine fiscal discipline because "Pheu Thai knows how to generate revenue -- we don't just spend".

Assoc Prof Panitan Wattanayagorn, a security and foreign affairs scholar, said the move represents a reconfiguration of US politics in relation to world politics, a transition towards a new form and a restructuring of the global order. Mr Panitan said the proposal could be considered a form of neo-colonialism or great-power dominance that bypasses established rules. This could serve as camouflage for US intentions, he added, noting that overt coercion is harder to pursue in today's world. He warned that the Trump administration has tended to prioritise US national interests over the existing world order and international law, including the UN Charter. However, he cautioned that Thailand must balance its position between major powers, particularly as China may advance its own peace initiatives.

Petroleum law changes put on holdListen to this articleThe Erawan gas block in the Gulf of Thailand, operated by PTT Exploration and Production. The Department of Mineral Fuels (DMF) has finished drafting amendments to the Petroleum Act to ensure the continuity of petroleum production when licences expire, avoiding delays that can result in expensive electricity bills. Setbacks in domestic gas production force Thailand to import more costly liquefied natural gas (LNG) to fuel power generation, thus driving up production costs. The source said while the Petroleum Act specifies a one-time renewal for only 10 years, a second renewal can actually be done immediately with cabinet approval. This caused delays in petroleum production in the country, resulting in Thailand depending more on LNG imports.

Universal subsidy programmes for energy prices have proven not to ease people's living costs over the long term, notes an analyst. The Oil Fuel Fund Office said earlier it intends to revise its energy price subsidy programmes to focus on groups who desperately need help, rather than implementing universal schemes. Environmentally, subsidising energy prices for a long time could hamper efforts to promote efficient energy consumption, part of climate change campaigns, according to energy analysts. If policymakers prolong energy price subsidies, people will be less concerned about saving energy and ways to improve energy consumption, leading to greater use of fossil fuels, said Mr Praipol. More battery energy storage systems are also being used to serve as back-up electricity, so the AP is no longer needed.

Listen to this articleMr Bhatia says the current AI landscape does not reflect an AI bubble, as the industry has pivoted towards tangible, outcome-based solutions. Funding is primarily directed towards Generative AI (GenAI), AI agent development, public cloud AI services, on-premise AI infrastructure and AI security/transparency tools. As AI workloads scale, infrastructure strategy is emerging as 86% of organisations across Asia-Pacific incorporate on-premises or edge environments as part of hybrid AI architecture, effectively making hybrid AI the default model for enterprise AI deployment. Sumir Bhatia, president for Asia-Pacific Lenovo Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG), said several priorities are shaping business as AI inferencing becomes a value engine. Scaling AI remains a challenge, as only half of AI proof-of-concepts can be materialised and scaled.