Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the opposition People’s Party, will be nominated for prime minister in a parliamentary vote expected on March 19. (Bangkok Post file photo)The opposition People’s Party will nominate its leader, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, for prime minister in a parliamentary vote next week, but has declined to reveal its choice for House speaker for now. The decision to nominate candidates for the two positions was intended to reaffirm the People’s Party’s status as the largest opposition party, deputy spokeswoman Pukkamon Nunarnan told reporters on Friday. Under parliamentary rules, a contested House speaker vote is held by secret ballot, with all nominees required to present their visions. The government coalition led by the Bhumjaithai Party currently commands 290 seats in the House, while the opposition holds 209 seats, 120 of which belong to the People’s Party.

B30 million in fake goods seized at ‘notorious’ MBK mallOfficials inspect a shop inside MBK Center in Bangkok on Friday. The shopping complex features on Washington’s latest “Notorious Markets” report for intellectual property infringement. (Photo: Department of Special Investigation)More than 100,000 counterfeit goods worth about 30 million baht have been seized during a raid at MBK Center in Bangkok as authorities step up action against intellectual property violations. Investigators discovered large quantities of counterfeit goods, including handbags, shoes, clothing and fashion accessories imitating major international brands such as Christian Dior, Nike, Adidas, Gucci, Chanel and Louis Vuitton, she said. Management of MBK Center cooperated with investigators and confirmed it would immediately terminate rental contracts with vendors found selling counterfeit goods, she said.

Thai fan favourite misses multiple attempts at flyweight limit but rest of Lumpinee card holds togetherSuablack fails hydration during the ONE Fight Night 41 weigh-insSuablack’s risky move to flyweight in ONE Championship hit a major obstacle at Thursday’s official weigh-ins and hydration tests for ONE Fight Night 41 in Bangkok. The Thai striker failed multiple attempts to pass hydration ahead of his flyweight kickboxing bout with Japan’s rising star Hyu Iwata. Suablack will still need to return and pass hydration outside the three-hour testing window before the bout can proceed at a catchweight. Both Mauro Mastromarini (left) and Marcos Aurelio failed hydration for their bantamweight MMA bout at the ONE Fight Night 41 weigh-insElsewhere on the card, both Brazil’s Marcos Aurelio and Argentina’s Mauro Mastromarini failed hydration ahead of their bantamweight MMA bout, which is expected to be renegotiated at a catchweight. Anna “Supergirl” Jaroonsak likewise passed hydration and weight comfortably for her comeback bout with Hong Kong’s Yu Yau Pui.

Separated from the base by a wall painted with bright murals, the Shajareh Tayyebeh School was the northernmost building hit on Feb 28. Reuters has not independently confirmed the death toll, which the Iranian Red Crescent said reached a total of 175. The school’s website includes photos of students gathered in the ​yard, which matched verified videos outside the building after the strike. Some of the schools in that network, including the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls school and its equivalent boys school in Minab, listed their addresses as being in or adjacent to IRGC-controlled locations, according to the archived website. The address for the Minab girls school is specifically listed as “Resalat Blvd, Alley No.

South Sudan has been mired in conflict, poverty and corruption since its independence in 2011, but the success of its models has been a ray of positivity. 'Heartbroken'Successful models can earn tens of thousands of US dollars in a season, a life-changing amount in South Sudan where 92% live under the poverty line. Bichar Hoah, 24, raised by a single mother in Kakuma refugee camp in neighbouring Kenya, was recently rejected for a European visa. There are added challenges in a conservative country like South Sudan. "One day, really, South Sudan will change," said Agou.

Mini Thailand debuts a fusion of two British design icons in the MiniBangkok: Mini Thailand is proud to present a very special meeting of two British legends with the arrival of the new Mini Cooper Paul Smith Edition. The Paul Smith Edition offers a choice of three exterior paint finishes, two of which are edition exclusive. The Mini Cooper Paul Smith Edition is equipped with 18-inch Night Flash Spoke aluminium wheels in black and Dark Steel. BMW Group ThailandBMW Group Thailand, a subsidiary of BMW AG, Germany, was established on Oct 3, 1998. In 2025, BMW Group Thailand recorded a performance with 12,247 BMW and Mini registrations.

Investigations in Phuket focus on use of yacht charter firms as frontsA marine police patrol boat approaches a yacht off Mai Khao in Phuket to arrest a German skipper accused of running unlicensed 11‑day Andaman tours. (Photo: Phuket marine police)PHUKET - A German skipper has been arrested on a yacht off Mai Khao beach for allegedly running unlicensed tours in the Andaman Sea, Phuket marine police said on Friday. On board, they found six German tourists and a man identified as Markus Wilhelm, 50, acting as skipper. Pol Lt Col Wissanu said Mr Wilhelm was unable to produce a tour‑business licence or the vessel’s operating papers. Police are gathering additional information to pursue checks and arrests of other operators engaged in similar activities, Pol Lt Col Wissanu said.

Board of poll body has 90 days to decide whether to uphold findings and close caseDisappointment and criticism are mounting after reports that an Election Commission (EC) subcommittee has voted to clear all 229 suspects in the high-profile Senate election collusion case, prompting calls for the commission to disclose its reasoning. Those named include 138 current senators and 91 others comprising Bhumjaithai Party executives, members and their associates. Setting up a special panel solely to handle the Senate case could raise concerns about procedural irregularities and fairness. The DSI, meanwhile, confirmed it would continue its separate criminal investigations into alleged “secret society” activities and possible money-laundering offences, regardless of the EC subcommittee’s findings. The final vote in the three-stage Senate election on June 26, 2024 produced highly unusual results, notably a disproportionate number of winners from provinces where the Bhumjaithai Party is strong electorally.

Thai authorities deny claims of huge Israeli presenceThe Immigration Bureau discusses the presence of Israelis in Thailand during a briefing on Thursday. (Immigration Bureau photo)Immigration police have denied claims circulating on social media that hundreds of thousands of Israelis have settled in Thailand. There are no irregularities with verified arrival and departure figures for Israeli nationals, Immigration Bureau officials said on Thursday. From Jan 1 to March 11 this year, 84,238 Israelis visited Thailand and 80,171 left the country. Last year Thai authorities stepped in to combat anti-Israeli backlash in Pai in Mae Hong Son, a favourite destination of Israeli travellers.

Hyu is targeting the ONE Championship flyweight kickboxing title in 2026Hyu Iwata said he did not care if Suablack missed weight – and ONE Championship’s rising Japanese kickboxing star proved it. By Friday morning, the 23-year-old had backed up those words, agreeing to proceed with the bout at a catchweight for their ONE Fight Night 41 clash at Lumpinee Stadium. “Everyone says I’m the next Takeru,” Hyu said. Hyu believes a knockout could push him straight into the conversation at the top of the flyweight kickboxing division. “I will hold the ONE Championship kickboxing belt,” he said.

Vietnam police probe prominent journalist over ‘anti-state’ actsMotorcycles are seen on a street in Hanoi, Vietnam, on June 30, 2016. (File photo: Reuters)HANOI — Vietnam’s police launched criminal proceedings into prominent journalist and blogger Le Anh Hung for alleged anti-state activities in a country where authorities maintain a tightly controlled media environment. The 52-year-old was previously convicted of “abusing democratic freedoms” and released from prison in 2023 after five years behind bars, according to VOA. In February 2025, journalist Truong Huy San was sentenced to 30 months in prison for posting articles on Facebook that were critical of the government. Vietnam’s parliament in December passed amendments to the press law that tighten restrictions over information gathering and sharing.

Their Majesties to visit Laos on MondayHis Majesty the King and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith jointly preside over the opening of the Friendship Bridge linking Bung Kan province and Laos’ Borikhamxay province on Dec 25, 2025. (Photo: Royal Household Bureau)His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen will pay a three-day state visit to Laos starting on Monday. The Huayxone-Huayxua project was the first royal project initiated by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great (Rama IX). The visit, at the invitation of Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith, will be the first in 32 years for the Thai king. HM King Bhumibol the Great and HM Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, visited Laos on April 7-8, 1994, after jointly presiding over the opening of the first Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge with Laos.

No request yet on Thaksin’s parole, says justice ministerThaksin : Eligible for parole consideration on May 9 after serving two-thirds of his one-year prison sentence. The Ministry of Justice has not received any proposals for parole for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Justice Minister Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon Naowarat said on Friday, adding that any consideration in his case is to proceed under the normal committee process. Only in special cases of suspension does the justice minister personally decide, he said. The NSPRT’s objections must be examined carefully to avoid repeating past mistakes, the justice minister added. In its January petition, the NSPRT urged the justice minister to scrutinise Thaksin’s eligibility, arguing the review should be grounded in a transparent legal assessment rather than the time served alone.

1,000 eager to return homeEighteen Thai workers arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport from Iran on Thursday. (Photo courtesy of Foreign Affairs Ministry)Nearly 1,000 Thai workers in the Middle East have expressed a desire to return home amid the escalating regional conflict, according to the Ministry of Labour. Pichet Tongpan, deputy permanent secretary for labour, said on Thursday that 35 Thai workers have already returned to Thailand, including 17 from Bahrain and 18 from Iran. So far, about 940 Thai workers in the Middle East have informed authorities that they wish to return to Thailand, he said. Mr Pichet said the ministry is ready to assist returning workers immediately upon arrival, including guiding them in claiming benefits from the Overseas Workers Assistance Fund.

Marine missions see twenty arrestedAuthorities have arrested a Myanmar national and detained 19 Indonesian fishermen in separate maritime operations targeting fuel smuggling and illegal fishing in the Andaman Sea. Marine police later intercepted the vessel KT-224 near a floating pier in tambon Pak Nam of Muang district at about 8.30am. The suspect failed to present export documents and reportedly admitted he had been hired by another Myanmar national to deliver the fuel for 2,000 baht. In a separate operation, naval forces and maritime authorities arrested 19 crew members from two Indonesian fishing vessels for allegedly operating illegally in Thai waters. Prayut Rattanawan, Phuket provincial fisheries chief, said the two vessels seized were a trawler and a handline fishing boat.