Photo: Bhumjaithai PartyThe Bhumjaithai Party will unveil its prime ministerial candidates on Wednesday, with senior figures confirming the party has finalised three names ahead of the 2026 general election campaign. Earlier reports indicated that the party had approved the nominations of party leader Anutin Charnvirakul, Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun and Foreign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow. The recent floods in the South had inevitably affected support, Mr Phiphat added, but insisted that government relief had now reached 97% of affected households. As for Wednesday's announcement, Mr Phiphat confirmed the party would present all 500 parliamentary candidates and hinted that while Mr Anutin was the first prime ministerial nominee, the remaining two names would be revealed on stage. He said nominating three candidates was necessary to avoid risks associated with relying on a single figure, particularly in light of ethical and legal scrutiny.

Call to address capital inflows hurting exportersListen to this articleBangkok Port in Bangkok’s Klong Toey district. The Thai National Shippers' Council (TNSC) is concerned about baht appreciation because it may be influenced by foreign capital inflows and not aligned with the real economy. Given rising volatility in global financial markets, gold is often seen as a safe haven for assets. "While these exporters face rising costs, they see no benefits from capital inflows." To address these issues, the TNSC said the government and relevant agencies should closely monitor capital inflows, especially short-term funds unrelated to investment or trade.

Listen to this articleThe baht could potentially appreciate to test 30 to the dollar in the near term amid a sharp rise in international gold prices to a new record high and broad weakness for the US dollar, say analysts. Surging gold prices have driven the baht to appreciate to a 4.5-year high of 31.10-31.12 to the greenback, as the dollar index extended its losses for the second successive session to 98.10 in early Asian trading hours. "In the short term, it is possible the baht could test 31 to the dollar, or even stronger than that," said a currency trader. Gold has soared nearly 70% this year and hit multiple record highs, while the ‌baht has risen more than 10%, making it the best-performing currency in the region. "It seems the Bank of Thailand has not clearly determined what are the domestic factors causing the baht to sharply appreciate in recent weeks.

Virtual banks to shake up Thai finance next yearListen to this articleVirtual banks' interest rates and fees are likely to be lower than those of traditional banks due to risk-based pricing and the lower operating costs for fully digital services. By mid-2026, Thais are expected to be able to access virtual banks, offering expanded options for people underserved by formal financial services. In June this year, the central bank announced the three successful applicants to establish the country's first batch of virtual banks. Tanyapong Thamavaranukupt, co-president of Ascend Money, said the three virtual banks are expected to reach 7-19 million individuals, significantly higher than the 2-3 million currently served by traditional banks. "Our virtual bank will similarly leverage technology to keep operating costs far below those of traditional banks."

He was speaking after authorities, including the central bank, stressed the need for joint efforts to deal with the stronger baht as its value approaches 31 to the dollar. Car exporters do not want baht appreciation to affect the prices of their cars in the global market, he said. Tourism businesses are worried about a stronger baht making Thailand an expensive travel destination, said Mr Surapong. Baht appreciation also causes foreign travellers to spend less, causing ripple effects for various businesses in and outside of the manufacturing sectors. The entrepreneurs said foreign exchange volatility remains a pressing issue, with exporters disadvantaged by the stronger baht.

Phasing out coal makes economic senseListen to this articleMae Moh coal-fired power plants in Lampang province are shown in this Oct 10, 2024, file photo. Economic imperativeDear readers, despite the not-so-inspiring energy policy, I remain hopeful. Notably, retiring coal power plants early is significantly more cost-effective than investing in small nuclear reactors, which are pricier. It is six times cheaper than offshore CCS and over 20 times cheaper than building hydrogen power plants. In 2022, the Philippines' ACEN Corp successfully spun off its 246 MW SLTEC coal plant into a special purpose vehicle (SPV).

On Monday, police officers raided two apartments in Soi Sukhumvit 13 in Bangkok, arresting another Chinese national and confiscating 552 Zombie Pods and related paraphernalia. A recent survey by Mahidol University's Faculty of Medicine found that Thailand now has 1.7 million e‑cigarette users, up from just 500,000 in 2020. The study found that peer pressure and social media portrayals of vaping as a "cool" lifestyle strongly influence experimentation. Opponents of e-cigarette and vaping, including the World Health Organization and medical communities, warn that recent research links vape liquids to cardiovascular risks and ischaemic stroke. With the spread of Zombie Pods, young users face heightened exposure to recreational drugs and narcotics.

Bus industry loses 'Jeh Kiew', its leading voiceListen to this article2025 was a big loss for all interprovincial bus operators as it was the end of the road for a woman who staunchly protected their business. Suchinda Cherdchai, best remembered by her colleagues and officials as "Jeh Kiew", died of natural causes on Sept 27, aged 88. Jeh Kiew, which means big sister Kiew, could not be blamed for what she did. Born into a poor family that forced her to drop out of school, Jeh Kiew fought to become a billionaire. Had she been alive, Jeh Kiew would have prepared for another fight against this challenge.

Three shocks that shook us in 2025Listen to this articleVisitors ride on spinning tea cups in Kyiv on Sunday. The contradiction was fatal: If the Ukraine war ended with a peace deal, it would be hard to sustain this economic pump-priming. In 2025, this strategy met its Waterloo, and Europe was again the primary collateral damage. In 2025, the US proved incapable of slowing China's rise and, instead, unwittingly propelled its tech sector towards full independence. Mr Trump's acquiescence to Chinese President Xi Jinping has triggered a flood of Chinese exports to the EU.

New import duty a double-edged swordListen to this articleThe Customs Department's imposition of import duties on goods valued less than 1,500 baht starting on Jan 1, 2026 will have both positive and negative impacts for Thailand. They will have to bear higher import costs, either by absorbing them or passing them on to consumers through higher retail prices. Industry leaders also called for the Customs Department to operate with greater transparency, as well as creating a unified digital customs system linked directly with e-commerce platforms. Thailand retained its position as Southeast Asia's No.2 digital economy, projected to be worth between $90-160 billion by 2030. The number of video sellers surged by 175% year-on-year to 850,000, making Thailand home to the region's largest and fastest-growing population of video commerce sellers.

Finance summit thrusts Thailand onto global stageListen to this articleThailand's promotional booth at the IMF-WBG Annual Meeting 2025. Thai leaders hope the global event will enhance foreign confidence in the country's economic fundamentals. The country will become one of only three nations to host the event twice, following its first hosting in 1991. Thailand introduced a country theme for the event -- "Thailand's New Horizons: Empowering People, Building Resilience" -- emphasising a people-centred development vision that aims to strengthen its economic resilience amid rising global uncertainty. Founded in 1944, the IMF has 191 member countries and focuses on safeguarding global financial stability, supporting economic growth, and assisting members facing economic crises.

Thais aim to bounce back at Asian CupListen to this articleThailand U23 team coach Thawatchai Damrong-ongtrakul presents his report. Thailand's football authorities and coaching staff have moved swiftly to regroup following the disappointment of the SEA Games, turning their focus to the AFC U23 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia next month. Coach Thawatchai, still smarting from the SEA Games exit, outlined the challenges of assembling a competitive squad for Saudi Arabia. He added: "We may have been disappointed at the SEA Games, but the commitment and spirit remain. This tournament is a crucial step towards future campaigns, including the Asian Games and the next SEA Games."

The wreckage of their Falcon 50 aircraft was located by Turkish security personnel in the Haymana district near Ankara, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. Libya's Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah said on his Facebook page: "It is with deep sadness and great sorrow that we learnt of the death of the Libyan army's chief of general staff, Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad." Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said the Ankara chief prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into the incident. The minister said the others on the aircraft were Haddad's advisor, Mohammed Al-Assawi, as well as Major General Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, Major General Mohammed Jumaa, and their escort, Mohammed Al-Mahjoub. Haddad had been the army's chief of general staff since August 2020 and was appointed by then-prime minister Fayez al-Sarraj.

Thailand, Laos hail new friendship bridgeListen to this articleThe Fifth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge (photo: Ministry of Transport)Thailand and Laos welcome the inauguration ceremony of the Fifth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge (Bueng Kan–Bolikhamsai), which will be held on Thursday. Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Tuesday welcomed the ambassador of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to Thailand, HE Mr Sisavath Inphachanh, at Government House to mark the ambassador's assumption of office. According to government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat, Mr Anutin congratulated Mr Sisavath on his official appointment and expressed confidence that, with his extensive experience and strong understanding of Thailand, he would play a key role in advancing cooperation. Both sides also welcomed the opening ceremony of the Fifth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge. Mr Anutin reiterated Thailand's support for Laos's "Land-Locked-to-Land-Linked" policy and expressed hope for tangible progress on a new Mekong railway bridge linking Thailand's Nong Khai province and Laos's capital of Vientiane.

15 royal aides-de-camp receive special ranksListen to this articleBoonsin: Becomes a full generalA royal command has been issued granting special military ranks and decorations to 15 officers serving as royal aides-de-camp. Among those honoured is Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang, former commander of the Second Army Area, who will be elevated to the rank of general. Adm Weerasak Oakkangwan, commander of the Office of the Aide-de-Camp Department at the Amphon Sathan Residential Hall, issued an official letter to the permanent secretary for defence on Tuesday concerning the royal command bestowing military ranks and royal decorations on the 15 officers. An Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defence list shows that the 15th individual on it is Lt Gen Boonsin, who has been promoted to the rank of general. Lt Gen Boonsin was appointed as a special royal aide-de-camp on Sept 26, along with 37 other commissioned military officers and police officers.