Will poll be breakout or more of same? Only once in the past 26 years -- in January 2001 -- have voter preferences prevailed, when Thaksin Shinawatra's Thai Rak Thai Party swept to power. Its successor, the People's Party (PP) under Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, now appears poised to repeat the feat. Having won every election except 2023, Pheu Thai retains extensive upcountry canvassing networks and a formidable war chest. Democrats may siphon off some younger voters seeking reform without touching monarchy reform.

BGRIM puts emphasis on renewablesMr Link says BGRIM wants to develop more renewable energy projects to support a transition to a low-carbon society. B.Grimm Power Plc (BGRIM) is positioning clean energy as a game changer for Thailand's energy transition, accelerating its push into renewables as the country and global industry move towards a low-carbon future. The company set an ambitious target to lift its share of renewable energy to more than 50% of total generation by 2030, up from 37% now, while increasing total capacity to 10 gigawatts from 4.6GW. Beyond energy generation, BGRIM is diversifying into digital infrastructure to support the growth of artificial intelligence and cloud services. Plans include a 96MW hyperscale data centre that is to serve as a foundation for Thailand's digital economy.

Thais make team event quarter-finalsThai star Pitchamon Opatniputh. (Photo supplied)The Thai women's badminton team reached the quarter-finals of the Asia Team Championships 2026 in Qingdao, China on Thursday. Thursday's victory followed their 5-0 opening win against Myanmar on Tuesday. Pornpicha won the deciding fifth match, beating Malvika Bansod 21-18, 21-14 to send Thailand through as champions of the group. They defeated Macau 5-0 in the opening tie on Wednesday.

TikTok affirms B270bn outlay in ThailandMr Ekniti examines a TikTok display at Davos. TikTok has confirmed its long-term investment plan in Thailand worth 270 billion baht, according to caretaker finance minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas. TikTok also proposed positioning Thailand as a regional base for activities such as content development. TikTok established its Thai entity, TikTok Technologies Co, as a regional operating office in 2021 when the company received BoI investment promotion for its international business centre operations. "TikTok reaffirming its investment in Thailand reflects the confidence of global investors in the potential of our digital economy," said Mr Ekniti.

Heavily indebted governments have limited options beyond higher taxes, debt repudiation or inflation, Mr Faber told the recent "Game Changer - Outlook 2026 & Beyond" seminar held in Bangkok. Despite its recent gains, Mr Faber maintains that gold remains undervalued when measured against the expansion of global liquidity and sovereign debt. It is a form of insurance against financial disorder, currency debasement, and political instability," said Mr Faber. As such, Mr Faber sees Bitcoin as a potential diversifier rather than a core store of value comparable to gold. "The biggest risk for investors is not volatility, but the permanent loss of purchasing power in a world dominated by debt and money printing," said Mr Faber.

Former WTO chief urges Thailand to adaptSupachai: Strategy must changeFormer World Trade Organization (WTO) chief Supachai Panitchpakdi is urging Asia and Thailand to adapt to a new era shaped by multipolar power, geoeconomics and strategic technologies. GAME CHANGERSMr Supachai's first game changer is a "multipolar world without multilateralism". The second game changer is the rise of geoeconomics, where economic tools are increasingly used as instruments of political strategy. The third game changer involves the growing dominance of geoeconomic considerations over traditional economic policy, concerning key strategic areas in the world. Beyond geopolitics and trade, he noted artificial intelligence must be developed with a broader purpose, rather than productivity gains alone.

BoT expected to avoid manipulation chargeThailand has a low likelihood of being designated a currency manipulator, as foreign exchange intervention in the baht remains well below the US threshold, according to Kasikorn Research Center (K-Research). Under the US Treasury's foreign exchange intervention criteria, net foreign exchange purchases must not exceed 2% of GDP. K-Research estimates the Bank of Thailand's intervention in the baht amounted to 0.9% of GDP. One of the criterion is a significant bilateral trade surplus with the US. In addition to foreign exchange intervention, the central bank has also supervised domestic gold trading, which can partially affect baht movements.

Iran, US prepare for Oman talks after deadly protest crackdownOman is a longstanding but discreet mediator. (Photo: AFP)MUSCAT (OMAN) - Iran and the United States were preparing for talks on Friday in Oman, with Washington looking to see if there was any prospect of diplomatic progress on the Iranian nuclear programme and other issues while refusing to rule out military action. President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are due to lead their delegations at the negotiations in the discreet Gulf sultanate, which has periodically acted as a mediator between the countries. Trump initially threatened military action against Tehran over its crackdown on protesters and even told demonstrators "help is on its way". But his rhetoric in recent days has focused on reining in the Iranian nuclear programme, which the West fears is aimed at making a bomb.

Explosive devices in plastic bags were found in a flush tank in the women’s toilet at the Pattani bus terminal in Muang district of the southern border province on Thursday. (Photo: Abdullah Benjakat)Two timebombs were defused at the Pattani bus terminal in Muang district on Thursday after they were found hidden a toilet, with authorities saying they resembled previous finds at several petrol stations in the province. Police received a report from local people in tambon Tabulo of a suspicious object in a restroom at the station at about 7am, said Pol Col Jeffrey Saimankul, chief of the Muang district police station. Authorities went to inspect and discovered two devices in the women’s toilet. The perpetrators of Thursday’s incident were believed to be the same group responsible for planting bombs with digital timers at three PTT petrol stations in the district on Tuesday night.

Thailand should use the global spotlight from hosting the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in October this year to reposition its economic growth model, according to a senior World Bank official. Thai economic growth is expected to slow to 1.8-2% this year, lagging its regional peers. According to World Bank projections, Thailand is growing about 1.8% a year. The World Bank identified three major global trends shaping Thailand's prospects: economic fragmentation, climate change and technological transformation. To drive future growth, the World Bank highlighted five priority sectors with strong potential: advanced and green manufacturing, food and agribusiness, digital services, tourism and wellness, and creative industries.

Bitcoin slumped below $72,000, a level last seen 15 months ago, as a broad risk-off sentiment engulfed global markets on Thursday. The largest cryptocurrency is extending a downward spiral that has produced a 42% decline from its peak in October last year. Bitcoin came within a whisper of breaching $70,000 before recovering slightly to trade around $71,000 as of 9am local time in London. “The market is currently navigating a crisis of faith,” said Shiliang Tang, managing partner of Monarq Asset Management. Unlike equity markets, however, bitcoin and other tokens had already been sliding for months.

AIT and MIT convene regional policy workshop on data-driven energy transition in AsiaBangkok, Thailand, Jan 29, 2026 - The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), in partnership with the MIT Management ASEAN Office, convened a high-level policy workshop in Bangkok on Jan 28 to advance the use of energy–climate modelling and strategic foresight in shaping public decision-making across Asia. The event also featured a live demonstration of the En-ROADS climate simulator, an interactive global climate policy tool. Led by Bethany Patten, executive director of the MIT Climate Policy Center, the session showed how combining measures such as carbon pricing, renewable energy and energy efficiency can shift emissions pathways and long-term temperature outcomes. The initiative marks a step towards deeper institutional cooperation between AIT and MIT in climate analytics, policy advisory work and capacity building. It reinforces AIT’s role as a regional platform for science-based policy dialogue and applied energy research in Asia.

An attendee in front of Bitcoin signage on the exhibition floor during the Plan B Forum Bitcoin conference in San Salvador, El Salvador, on Jan 30, 2026. (Photo: Bloomberg)NEW YORK — Bitcoin tumbled below US$70,000 Thursday as negative momentum deepened across cryptocurrencies, driven by vanishing marginal demand and this week’s volatility in tech equities along with precious metals. The token dropped as much as 4.6% to $69,271 in early New York trading, hitting its lowest level since November 2024. The slide is accelerating even as gold and silver retreat from recent highs that had prompted speculative traders to pivot from digital assets. Bitcoin is down about 45% from its October high, as big buyers like exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and digital-asset Treasuries beat a retreat.

ECB holds interest rates as strong euro causes jittersEuropean Central Bank President Christine Lagarde has been saying that interest rates are in a 'good place'. "Low unemployment, solid private-sector balance sheets, the gradual rollout of public spending on defence and infrastructure and the supportive effects of the past interest rate cuts are underpinning growth," it added. "The Governing Council is not pre-committing to a particular rate path," it said. The Bank of England also left its benchmark interest rate unchanged Thursday, at 3.75%, while cutting its forecasts for UK growth this year and next. The ECB does not target any particular exchange rate, but its officials do monitor currency movements as they could impact inflation.

2 Klatham Party candidates axed over past convictionsKongkiat Katesombat, of the Klatham Party, is one of two party candidates affected by the Supreme Court's ruling. (Photo: Kongkiat Katesombat Facebook account)The Supreme Court has revoked the eligibility of two candidates of the Klatham Party candidates to contest the Feb 8 general election due to past criminal convictions. The EC disqualified Kongkiat as a candidate, and Kongkiat appealed the EC's ruling to the Supreme Court. The other case involved Chalong Saengratmekhin, a Klatham Party candidate who applied to run in Nakhon Ratchasima's Constituency 13. The Klatham Party is led by leader Narumon Pinyosinwat and secretary-general Thamanat Prompow.