Thai-French JV marks new era for Le Grand VéfourListen to this articleFrom left: Julia Dionisi, chief operating officer of Paris Society; Mr Supasith; Sophie Huynh, deputy chief executive of Mud & Hound; and Mr de Gourcuff, at an event marking the formation of a joint venture to preserve and elevate the legacy of Le Grand Véfour in Paris. Le Grand Véfour will unveil its new look and concept in the spring of 2026. Le Grand Véfour is situated in the gardens of the Palais Royal in Paris and dates back to 1784. "We are confident that Le Grand Véfour will continue to captivate diners from around the world and cement its position as one of the world's most extraordinary dining destinations," he said. "Together with Mud & Hound, we look forward to ensuring that Le Grand Véfour continues to shine on the global stage and to writing the next chapter of this extraordinary establishment's story," he noted.

Ambassador says unit of under-fire agency will have only an ‘advisory’ roleListen to this articleMilan is hosting the Winter Olympics from February 6 to 22. (Photo: AFP)MILAN - A branch of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent to Italy for the Winter Olympics will not carry out patrols and will have only an “advisory” role, Washington’s ambassador to Rome said on Wednesday. “At the Olympics, HSI criminal investigators will contribute their expertise by providing intelligence on transnational criminal threats, with a focus on cybercrimes and national security threats. ICE operations in a number of US cities have triggered large-scale protests, and the recent killings of two demonstrators have caused outrage. Agents accused of violence there are from a different division than that earmarked for the Olympics.

Unsafe levels of ultrafine dust blanketed 57 provinces and Bangkok and one province, Samut Songkhram, faced a red level of harmful smog. The highest level, 75.8, a red level (seriously harmful to health), was recorded in the central plains province of Samut Songkhram west of Bangkok. Orange levels of PM2.5 (starting to harm health) were recorded in Bangkok and 56 other provinces. Moderate air quality was detected in 16 provinces with PM2.5 levels ranging from 25.2 to 37.1. Three southern provinces had good air quality with PM2.5 levels from 19.9 to 24.6.

Liverpool, Man City and Barcelona ease into Champions League last 16Listen to this articleMohamed Salah scored his first goal for Liverpool since early November as they reached the last 16. (Photo: AFP)PARIS - Liverpool, Manchester City and Barcelona booked last-16 places in the Champions League on Wednesday, as holders Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid missed out on the top eight. Premier League champions Liverpool thrashed Qarabag 6-0 in the eighth and final round of league-phase matches at Anfield to finish third in the 36-team table behind already-qualified Arsenal and Bayern Munich. Man City, Champions League winners in 2023, saw off Galatasaray 2-0 at the Etihad to grab eighth place with goals from Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki. Real face play-offs after 'keeper dramaReal Madrid took the lead against Benfica when Kylian Mbappe headed home his 12th Champions League goal of the season.

Traders bullish on gold's skyrocketListen to this articleGold jewellery on display in a Korea Gold Exchange store. In Thailand, prices jumped by 2,150 baht per baht-weight, with gold bar trading at 77,000 baht, according to the Gold Traders Association (GTA). The most bullish price forecast is from Kritcharat Hirunyasiri, chairman of MTS Gold, who expects global gold to hit $6,400 per ounce, while domestic prices move in a range of 85,000-88,000 baht per baht-weight. "Geopolitical tensions spurred by Trump is the major driver of gold prices jumping by about 20% year-to-date." Domestic prices are on course to reach 80,000 baht per baht-weight, up from the recent estimate of 75,000 baht.

Schemes for SMEs to generate at least B260bnListen to this articleMr Sittikorn says TCG recorded cumulative new credit guarantees worth 35.7 billion baht during the first 11 months of 2025. According to TCG president Sittikorn Direksoonthorn, ongoing government stimulus packages aimed at enhancing liquidity for SMEs comprise three main programmes. The "SMEs Credit Boost" credit guarantee mechanism is implemented in collaboration with the Finance Ministry, the Bank of Thailand and commercial banks, expected to result in around 100 billion baht in additional new lending over 1-2 years. During the first 11 months of 2025, TCG recorded cumulative new credit guarantees worth 35.7 billion baht, enabling 45,300 SMEs to access financing, helping to preserve 467,000 jobs, and generating 46.6 billion baht in credit within the system. The overall economic benefit created is estimated at 147 billion baht, according to TCG.

China targeting over 1.5m Thai visitors in 2026Listen to this articleChina aims to attract at least 1.5 million Thai visitors this year, up from more than 1 million in 2025, while the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects to generate 35.4 billion baht from 1.25 million foreign tourists during the 10-day Chinese New Year holiday next month. The Thai Travel Agents Association projected China was the top destination for Thai travellers with more than 1 million visitors last year, and Zhang Ruoyu, chief of the Chinese National Tourist Office (CNTO) Bangkok, said it's possible Thai arrivals could reach more than 1.5 million this year. Mr Zhang said the influx of tourists to China was attributed to supporting policies, such as visa exemptions and instant tax refunds for shopping. According to the CNTO, the number of Thai tourists visiting China soared by 494% year-on-year in the first half of 2024, following the introduction of permanent visa-free entry on March 1, 2024. Overall revenue during the holiday should reach 42.2 billion baht, increasing by 13% year-on-year, noted the TAT.

TSTH flags pressure from Chinese steelListen to this articleSteel products manufactured by Tata Steel (Thailand). TSTH president and chief executive Tarun Kuma Daga said weakening demand and pricing pressure in China are pushing mills there to ship more steel overseas. "China will continue exporting steel across the world at an enhanced level, due to weakening domestic demand and pricing competition," Mr Daga said. Mr Pandey has worked across multiple Tata Steel business units in India for 32 years and relocated to Thailand in December 2025. "Competition in the steel business is certainly challenging, especially against steel coming from Chinese mills," Mr Pandey said.

The initiative aims to raise 100 million baht for 13 hospitals lacking orthopaedic equipment and encourage Thais to collectively run 60 million kilometres — the equivalent distance from Bangkok to Mars. The Royal College of Orthopaedic Surgeons of Thailand (Rocost) has announced a fundraising marathon to support 13 hospitals facing shortages of orthopaedic medical equipment. Saksit Maharattanawong, an orthopaedic surgeon and director of Langsuan Hospital in Chumphon, said his hospital has only two orthopaedists. A lack of surgical equipment often forces patients to be referred to the provincial hospital, where long waiting lists delay treatment. "Although we have an operating theatre, we do not have adequate surgical equipment.

Hospitals ready for Nipah virusListen to this articleRajavithi HospitalThe Department of Medical Services has confirmed that Rajavithi Hospital and other major medical facilities are fully prepared to handle suspected or confirmed cases of Nipah virus infection, even though no cases have yet been reported in Thailand. In Pattaya, mayor Poramet Ngampichet has ordered health and veterinary teams to collect samples from large colonies of fruit bats after residents expressed concern they could spread Nipah virus. The hospital confirmed no Nipah virus cases have been detected, and strict screening and monitoring remain in place. The Embassy of India in Thailand said that since December 2025, only two confirmed Nipah cases have been reported in West Bengal, while 196 close contacts tested negative. On Tuesday, at least 1,700 tourists underwent screening for Nipah virus infection at three international airports, with no detections reported, the Public Health Ministry said.

True Corporation intends to harness the strength and resources of its group and those of incoming majority shareholder Arise Ventures Group to generate profit and dividend payments. The Arise Group includes True Internet Data Center Co Ltd (True IDC) and Ascend Money. True will explore how the company and Arise can better leverage these businesses together, True Group chief executive Sigve Brekke told the Bangkok Post. Norwegian telecom operator Telenor recently agreed to sell a 24.95% stake in True to Arise Digital Technology Co, a subsidiary of Arise Ventures Group. Arise Ventures Group is owned by Suphachai ‌Chearavanont, the chairman of True Corp.

According to the FTI's Automotive Industry Club, the target includes 950,000 units for export and 550,000 units for the domestic market. While the export figure remains unchanged, domestic production is set to increase by 50,000 units. Thailand's domestic car sales are forecast to reach 640,000–650,000 units in 2026, supported by rising BEV demand. Domestic car sales in December surged by 47.2% year-on-year to 75,121 units, boosted by the Thailand International Motor Expo, which recorded total bookings of more than 80,000 vehicles and motorcycles. For 2025, overall domestic sales rose by 8.47% to 621,166 units.

Thai exporters told to make better use of free trade dealsListen to this articleCaretaker commerce minister Suphajee SuthumpunCaretaker commerce minister Suphajee Suthumpun is urging Thai exporters to make fuller use of free trade agreements (FTAs) to unlock untapped trade potential, after finding that 54% of eligible companies currently utilise FTA privileges. The Commerce Ministry stands ready to provide support and facilitation to help increase export capacity and competitiveness," Mrs Suphajee told a forum co-hosted by the SET on Wednesday. Thailand exports around US$14 billion worth of goods to India, and imports $4 billion worth of Indian goods here. "If certification procedures can be streamlined while maintaining standards, export values could increase meaningfully," Mrs Suphajee said. Regarding trade negotiations with the US, Mrs Suphajee said Thailand received approval for a tariff rate of around 19%, broadly in line with neighbouring countries.

The influx of low-priced goods from China has a far more severe impact than US tariffs on Thai products, notes an analyst. In terms of direct effects, it can almost be ignored," said Mr Somkiat. Mr Somkiat said the more damaging factor for Thailand is the influx of Chinese goods into the domestic market, which was a problem before tariffs were introduced. Thailand must ensure the US does not view it as a transit base for Chinese goods destined for the American market, said Mr Somkiat. Without adaptation, such as amending laws that pose structural obstacles, Thailand's economy will be unable to recover, said Mr Somkiat.

Call-centre gangs shift to using corporate accountsListen to this articleThe Anti-Online Scam Centre (ACSC) has uncovered a new operational model used by call-centre gangs, which have shifted from using individual mule accounts to corporate "mule accounts" to defraud victims, evade scrutiny, and launder larger sums of money, police said. These entities, he said, are then used to open bank accounts in the name of juristic persons, which function as mule accounts to receive funds transferred by scam victims. Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said corporate mule accounts are increasingly favoured by fraud syndicates, particularly in investment scams, because victims tend to view corporate accounts as more credible than personal ones. As it moves to counter the threat, the ACSC has coordinated closely with the DBD to roll out stricter preventive and enforcement measures against nominee arrangements and corporate mule accounts from late last year until early this year. Among the measures: the DBD has issued six new regulatory instruments to tighten company registration and verification procedures.