But he asked whether we are being asked to vote for a sustainable digital future, or just for flashy gadgetry. He said the "super app" proposed by the Pheu Thai Party is pitching a "centralised digital integration" model. Mr Chanwit said Thailand is stuck in the digital middle-income trap and the only way out is innovation. Sharing data structurePathom Indarodom, director of the Digital Council of Thailand, said it seems that most political parties are starting to speak the same language. There is a consensus that "digital and AI" are no longer just new gadgets, but the core infrastructure for the nation's future.

Department unveils e-Accountant PlusListen to this articleThe Department of Business Development (DBD), in collaboration with eight accounting agencies, is introducing the e-Accountant Plus system, empowering businesses to confidently find qualified accountants and safeguard against fraud. "This integration ensures data accuracy, reduces duplication, and minimises errors in accountants' data entry," he said. The e-Accountant Plus system introduces several important new features, including testing systems to enhance professional recognition and knowledge, streamlined data management across internal and external agencies, robust data security protocols, and reduced administrative burdens for accountants. He said data from the e-Accountant Plus system will play a vital role in improving oversight and the effectiveness of accountants across the country. The department and eight accounting organisations also announced their commitment to motivate accountants nationwide to fight against grey capital and fraud.

By Rewin PataibunlueListen to this articleThe global energy system is undergoing its most significant transformation since the Industrial Revolution. At the core of this shift is climate capital, the reallocation of financial resources toward technologies and business models that accelerate the green transition. Green bonds and sustainability-linked loans have surged, channeling capital into renewable energy, low-carbon transport and green buildings. It also demands policy clarity to attract global climate capital, which is increasingly selective and seeks predictable, scalable opportunities. Positioned at the intersection of rapid energy demand growth and rising climate risk, the region can emerge as a leader in the global energy transition if it mobilises climate capital with urgency and strategic purpose.

Zhen Ding invests B65bn in local PCB joint ventureListen to this articleThailand is set to become a hub for Southeast Asia's circuit board industry after the world's largest printed circuit board (PCB) maker, Zhen Ding Technology, announced a massive 65-billion-baht investment through its joint venture, Peng Shen Technology (Thailand). Zhen Ding, headquartered in Taiwan with major facilities in China, chose Thailand as its first and only production base outside Greater China. Zhen Ding has held the crown as the world's largest PCB manufacturer since 2017, with annual revenue topping 180 billion baht and a workforce of more than 48,000 employees worldwide. Meanwhile, Saha Pathana Inter-Holding, a member of the Saha Group, which is Zhen Ding's Thai partner, brings decades of local industrial expertise to the joint venture. Between 2023 and November 2025, the BoI approved 214 projects worth more than 300 billion baht in PCB production, assembly and raw materials.

Banks focus on selective segments for auto loansListen to this articleAttendees review auto loan products at booths during last year's Money Expo. Banks are adopting mixed strategies for auto loans this year, focusing on selective segments amid weak consumer purchasing power. Tisco Bank, a subsidiary of Tisco Financial Group, targets overall auto loan growth in 2026 of 0–5%, depending on vehicle segments. Tisco, one of the country's leading auto lenders, reported overall auto loan growth of 2.6% in 2025, driven mainly by a 2.7% increase in hire-purchase loans, while loans against auto licences contracted by 0.1%. Amid intensified price competition in the auto loan market, the bank has slowed the expansion of used car loans and shifted its focus to new car loans.

BTS prepares B20bn condo projectsListen to this articleAn artist's rendition of Baan Chao Thai D: Code Sri Nakarin on 42 rai with 24 eight-storey towers and a total of 4,150 units. BTS chairman Keeree Kanjanapas said the projects will be developed under the Baan Chao Thai scheme, targeting first jobbers and mass-market buyers with affordable prices and improved access to financing. One of the first two Baan Chao Thai projects will be developed on a 42.3-rai plot in the Srinakarin area near the Yellow Line, featuring 24 eight-storey buildings with 4,150 units. "Baan Chao Thai was my idea, developed last year after the company received payment for the Green Line debt settlement," said Mr Keeree. It previously undertook residential development through joint ventures with SET-listed developers Sansiri, Noble Development and Ananda Development.

Graft thrives along Mae Sot borderListen to this articleThe arrest of Ratchapong "Pond" Soisuwan, a constituency candidate representing the People's Party and then incumbent MP for Constituency 2, former MP for Mae Sot district in Tak province, came as little surprise to local people. The reality is that this legislator was allegedly part of a vast grey-to-black ecosystem deeply embedded in Mae Sot. Once positioned as a "trading hub" and "gateway to Myanmar, Mae Sot has become a corridor of transnational crime. Mae Sot has become an arena of strategic competition between China and the US, each backed by its own allies. The situation in Mae Sot goes far beyond the arrest of a former MP from any single political party.

These were some activities that positioned Canada with the rest of the Asean dialogue partners. By rebooting ties with China, Canada's overall relationship with the region will benefit, especially with Asean. Countries such as Japan, Australia, South Korea and New Zealand have built long-term security, economic and diplomatic ties with Asean. This matters for Asean countries as well. Strongly promoting ties with Asean by joining the EAS and upgrading ties to CSP.

A view of global power with a gangster's eyeListen to this articleThere is a method behind the apparent madness of US President Donald Trump's transactional, spheres-of-influence approach to geopolitics and the global economy. Setting aside the profound moral and legal issues raised by Mr Trump's strategy, can it actually work? Relative stability, such as it was, rested on a combination of overwhelming military power and a framework of global rules and institutions designed to keep geopolitical rivalries in check. While Mr Trump's bullying may produce some short-term concessions, it is deeply counterproductive. These problems are compounded by Mr Trump's broader economic agenda, which continues to prioritise fossil fuels over emerging technologies like renewables, electric vehicles, and battery storage.

Choice at life's endListen to this articleAs political parties showcase a raft of mainly economic policies designed to boost Thailand's competitiveness ahead of the February general election, one relatively minor initiative stands out for its bold moral impetus. This time, the People's Party proposes a healthcare policy to explore more options for a dignified death beyond traditional palliative care. This written directive allows citizens to refuse life-prolonging treatments when terminally ill or in a critical, irreversible condition, ensuring they can make a conscientious choice to die with dignity and prevent unnecessary suffering. At the heart of the proposal is the question of whether one should have autonomy over one's life and death. If the ultimate goal of medicine is to minimise suffering, we must ask whether all available means should be considered -- including the patient's right to choose the timing of their own departure.

It found that 20% of Thais believe AI understands them better than their families and 17% say AI understands them better than their friends. To ask whether AI can be a "safe zone", Mahidol University's Department of Religion and Ethics for Sustainable Development hosted a forum titled "What Happens When My Safe Zone Is AI?" The forum opened with the question: "Can we trust AI to be our safe zone?" But she warned that frequent use of AI chatbots among teenagers has been linked to increased isolation. "This means AI chatbots are similar to social platforms designed to encourage users to continue their engagement.

Listen to this articleTourism and Sports Minister Artthakorn SirilatthayakornTourist arrivals through four immigration checkpoints along Thailand's northeastern border fell by half in January, as authorities continue to strictly curb visa runs, while overall arrivals to the country are expected to decline by 18%. Caretaker Tourism and Sports Minister Artthakorn Sirilatthayakorn said the number of foreigners passing through immigration checkpoints in Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Nong Khai and Ubon Ratchathani declined by 50% year-on-year in January. Meanwhile, total visitor arrivals between Jan 1-14 stood at 1.43 million, down 6.67% year-on-year. Since November last year, the Immigration Bureau has intensified visa screening, targeting those using visa exemptions to repeatedly enter and exit the country. However, two immigration checkpoints in Sa Kaeo and Surin remain closed due to the border conflict with Cambodia, he said.

The measure specifically targets gold trading via mobile applications, which authorities believe is directly impacting the baht's exchange rate. The move is aimed at minimising the impact of skyrocketing gold prices on the baht which has gained 0.9% year to date as Asia's best performing currency. "Tightening oversight of online gold trading could somehow help soften the effect of jumping global gold prices on the baht's volatility but it could not slow the baht's strength," Ms Kanjana told the Bangkok Post. Siriluck Pakotiprapha, vice-president of the research department at gold trader Hua Seng Heng Futures Co, shared a similar view, noting that most Thai investors still prefer to use baht in gold trading. Locally, it projects gold bars to trade near 70,000 baht per baht weight, as prices soared 600 baht to 69,050 baht on Monday.

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) has remained firm in its plan to have the country's three largest alcohol producers float shares on the Thai bourse, projecting that Thai Beverage Plc (ThaiBev) will become the first to list as early as this year. SET chairman Kitipong Urapeepatanapong said that alcohol producers are large-scale, highly profitable businesses that remain underrepresented in Thailand's equity market. Alcohol producers would be a new growth engine for the Thai stock market," said Mr Kitipong, noting that such businesses are widely accepted and actively traded on major stock exchanges worldwide. Beyond ThaiBev, SET has also approached Boon Rawd Brewery, the producer of Singha beer, Thailand's oldest beer manufacturers and one of its largest. While Boon Rawd may require additional corporate restructuring, Mr Kitipong believes it could be ready for a listing within three years.

War room touted amid Vietnam rivalryListen to this articleA pagoda decorated with millions of ceramic pieces woos visitors to the city of Da Lat in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. This situation requires the new government to establish a tourism war room in collaboration with private sectors to plan a proactive tourism strategy. "We need a tourism war room supported by private operators to plan the low-season and long-term strategy." Regarding the first-quarter outlook, overall hotel performance is expected to be similar to that of last year, both in terms of occupancy rate and room rate, he said. Mr Thienprasit said that since Chinese New Year in 2026 will fall in mid-February, the number of Chinese tourists might pick up next month.