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.

(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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Army denies Cambodian cluster munitions claimsListen to this articleMaj Gen Winthai SuvareeThe army has rejected Cambodia's claims about cluster munitions, stating its weapons only target military objectives. The Royal Thai Army (RTA) said it has dismissed the claims as a distortion of the facts in an attempt to undermine Thailand's credibility. Maj Gen Winthai said the munitions cited by Cambodia were in fact dual-purpose artillery rounds designed exclusively for use against military targets to enhance their destructive capability. Cambodia's claim that such munitions remain in the area and threaten the environment and Cambodian children, he said, constitutes a distortion of facts aimed at discrediting Thailand. Maj Gen Winthai also noted that the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), which prohibits the use, production, and stockpiling of cluster munitions, is not legally binding on either Thailand or Cambodia, as neither country is a state party to the convention.

(Photo: South China Morning Post)Raphael Chan entered Hong Kong’s construction industry in the mid-1990s convinced that quality building work could improve people’s lives. Chan (a pseudonym, used at his request) has also helped the Independent Commission Against Corruption in its investigations into such syndicates. To ensure profits, syndicates targeted older private estates with more than four blocks, Chan said. The syndicates he encountered, including contractors and consultants, held weekly meetings, but always on the mainland, often in saunas where all men went naked to evade surveillance recordings. The founder of the Property Owners’ Anti Bid-Rigging Alliance, who also worked for a main contractor, said it was hard to eradicate corruption.

Average expected spending per person for domestic travel was 7,514 baht, while overseas travel spending averaged 34,299 baht per person based on the responses. The university estimated New Year spending by category as follows: social gatherings at 16.1 billion baht; merit-making 10.5 billion, daily consumption 22.8 billion, durable goods 5.26 billion, and luxury goods at 3.04 billion baht. Domestic travel spending was projected at 48.2 billion baht, while overseas travel spending was estimated at 5.7 billion baht. Mr Thanavath said New Year 2026 spending remained relatively vibrant, supported by the Khon La Khrueng Plus scheme, increased social gatherings and continued travel activity. Campaign-related spending is projected to inject a further 40–60 billion baht into the economy, helping to support growth in the first and second quarters.

(Photo: AFP)BRUSSELS - The European Union and some member states reacted sharply Wednesday to US sanctions imposed on five European figures involved in regulating tech companies, including former European commissioner Thierry Breton. A statement from the Commission said: “We have requested clarifications from the US authorities and remain engaged. “Our digital rules ensure a safe, fair and level playing field for all companies, applied fairly and without discrimination,” it added. Breton, the former top tech regulator at the European Commission, often clashed with tech tycoons such as Elon Musk over their obligations to follow EU rules. ‘Intimidation and coercion’German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul wrote in a post on X Wednesday: “The DSA was democratically adopted by the EU for the EU –- it does not have extraterritorial effect.