Thailand last topped the Asean Para Games medal table in Singapore in 2015. Returning as hosts for the first time in 18 years, the home contingent is targeting 233 gold medals from 19 sports. However, she has never competed in the Asean Para Games as the sport was not included in the tournament after the 2008 Games in Thailand. Three-time Paralympic gold medallist Pongsakorn will be a part of the wheelchair racing team, featuring well-known athletes such as Chaiwat Rattana, Athiwat Paeng-Nuea, and the legendary Prawat Wahoram. "I am confident that all Asean member nations place great importance on the 13th Asean Para Games in Thailand.

"The regulation requiring rice exporters to hold at least 100 tonnes of rice in stock is intended to prevent traders from 'catching a tiger with bare hands' -- having no rice in stock. Stockpiling rice also enables the state to oversee the quality of rice for export, as historically some rice shipments were rejected and returned due to poor quality. Regarding stockholding costs, Mr Somporn said medium-sized rice mills naturally maintain rice stocks as part of their normal trading operations. "The cost of holding rice stocks is not very high because exporters normally need to keep a certain amount of milled rice in stock. FREE TRADE FOR RICEChookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said rice exporters have to ensure adequate rice for customers while safeguarding the country's food security.

Hotel worker held for room entry bidListen to this articlePHUKET: A hotel employee accused of attempting to enter a female guest's room late at night was taken into custody Sunday afternoon and brought before the Phuket Provincial Court, where he pleaded guilty to attempted nighttime trespass. The guest later filed a complaint with police. The hotel later clarified that he was a loss prevention supervisor, not the security chief, and confirmed that his employment has now been terminated. Following circulation of the CCTV footage, Phuket provincial authorities inspected the hotel on the orders of Governor Nirut Pongsitthithawon. The hotel said it immediately assisted the guest by moving her to another room and issuing a refund, excluding food charges.

Health volunteers hope to encourage voter turnoutListen to this articleMore than one million local health volunteers nationwide will go door to door to encourage eligible voters to exercise their right to vote in the Feb 8 general election, according to the Department of Health Service Support (DHSS). Volunteers will visit households to remind citizens of the importance of voting and to promote clean and fair elections. To support the campaign, the DHSS has issued a circular to provincial public health offices, presidents of local health volunteer clubs and all 12 regional health service support centres nationwide, inviting volunteers to take part in outreach activities under the no vote-buying scheme. Local health volunteers are also expected to play a key role in assisting vulnerable groups, including the elderly and persons with disabilities, by helping them access polling stations and exercise their voting rights. According to the DHSS, Thailand has about 1.07 million local health volunteers.

Petition over Pheu Thai eventListen to this articlePheu Thai Party list MP candidate Chaturon ChaisaengActivist Srisuwan Janya on Monday filed a petition with the Election Commission (EC) seeking an investigation into Chaturon Chaisaeng, a Pheu Thai Party party-list MP candidate, over the dissemination of a video clip featuring youth football players that promoted approval of a constitutional amendment in the upcoming referendum. Mr Srisuwan submitted the complaint to the EC and its secretary-general, arguing that the clip may violate the law. The activist said that although the clip has since been deleted, the alleged offence was already complete under the law, prompting the petition for a full investigation and penalties. Critics said it was inappropriate to involve minors in political campaigning and claimed the video steered voters toward a "yes" vote, undermining neutrality. He maintained that the expressions by the coach and players reflected their freedom of expression and were not an endorsement of any political party.

US seeks Thai help on Gaza peace planListen to this articleThailand is reviewing an invitation from US President Donald Trump to join a US initiative to end the Gaza conflict. The government said it has acknowledged the US initiative, including plans to establish a Board of Peace of which Thailand could be a member, and is carefully considering the substance and implications of the proposals. In principle, Thailand said it welcomes initiatives that could contribute to lasting peace in the Middle East and support humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people, emphasising that any process should reflect Palestinian aspirations and gain regional support. Thailand reaffirmed its position backing a two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security, in accordance with international law and UN resolutions.

Listen to this articleMassage parlour tycoon-turned-politician Chuvit Kamolvisit eats an orange at a press conference, where he denied attacking the People's Party with false information. Wisuttipong RodpaiThe People's Party (PP) has denied allegations of a secret political deal with Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, dismissing claims that it had promised him the post of deputy prime minister in exchange for securing 10 MPs in southern Thailand. However, he said Mr Chuvit had continued to circulate allegations that had already been publicly clarified by PP, prompting doubts about his motives. Mr Wiroj said the latest criticism by Mr Chuvit went beyond fair criticism, accusing him of stitching together unrelated information and using personal conjecture to falsely allege a deal with Pol Gen Surachate. "The People's Party accepts all sincere criticism from the public, even harsh words," Mr Wiroj said.

Labour Dept says ITD safety awards were project-basedListen to this articleThe Department of Labour Protection and Welfare on Monday clarified confusion surrounding safety awards given to Italian-Thai Development Plc (ITD), the main contractor involved in last week's crane collapse incidents. Saroj Khomkhai, the department's director-general, said that the awards for outstanding safety and occupational health were based on evaluations of two specific projects, not an endorsement of the company's overall construction record. He said each assessment was conducted separately, and that each project was required to manage safety and occupational health systems and strictly meet the department's criteria and conditions. Awards for outstanding safety and occupational health were presented for a project manufacturing construction frameworks in Saraburi, and for the construction of the Corrections Department's hospital building in Bangkok. Mr Saroj said the awards were based on safety performance over two consecutive years for industrial operations and one year for construction projects.

Charter debate draws interestListen to this articleElection Commission secretary-general Sawaeng BoonmeeA public debate on the referendum on whether to approve the drafting of a new constitution will be held on Jan 25, following strong interest from both supporters and opponents of constitutional redrafting. Election Commission (EC) secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee said that registration to participate in the debate on the referendum vote has exceeded expectations. As of Monday, 40 people had registered, with 30 supporting amendment and 10 opposing it. Once registration closes, the EC will hold meetings for each side to select two representatives each to take part in the debate. He said that amending the constitution section by section would provide greater clarity about which provisions are being changed.

Mercury set to drop again this weekListen to this articleA new cold spell is expected from Tuesday until Saturday with temperatures in the upper North dropping 1–3C. The Thai Meteorological Department has forecast a fresh bout of cold weather affecting upper Thailand, with conditions turning cool to cold. The drop in temperatures will be driven by a new, moderately strong high-pressure system, or cold air mass, moving south from China to cover upper Thailand and the South China Sea. In the Central Plains region, cool to cold weather is expected with morning fog. Bangkok and its surrounding areas are expected to be hit by cool conditions with morning fog.

Listen to this articleWorkers use heavy machinery to remove debris from the site of the crane collapse in Sikhiu district, Nakhon Ratchasima. All three died together when a construction crane collapsed onto a train travelling from Krung Thep Aphiwat to Ubon Ratchathani on Jan 14. Nanthika Na Nakorn, the family's sister-in-law, said the tragedy was made even harder by the family's faith in rail travel. The Morning death struckThe disaster occurred on a section of track in Sikhiu district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, where a large crane was being used to construct part of the high-speed rail project. By morning, she was in Pak Chong in Nakhon Ratchasima, travelling from hospital to hospital, until she learned her daughter's body was at Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital.

Nutthawat WichieanbutThe Election Commission (EC) is examining allegations of vote-buying after a survey suggested more than a quarter of prospective voters would back candidates who offer cash, with payments reportedly ranging from 3,000 to 7,500 baht per person. He noted that the EC aims to achieve a high voter turnout, and that the turnout in the upcoming election is expected to exceed the previous election's 75%. He said the EC is fully aware of vote-buying, although the exact amounts involved are not always known. The JSCCIB launched the result of its nationwide survey on Sunday, which involved 4,814 respondents, including 3,043 citizens and 1,771 representatives from the business sector. She said the survey found that Bangkok and surrounding provinces recorded the highest reported vote-buying rate at 7,500 baht per person, followed by other regions at lower levels, ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 baht per person.

Ninth policeman dies in Guatemala gang riots, attacksListen to this articleGuatemala has declared a state of emergency over an outbreak of gang violence, in which nine police officers were killedGUATEMALA CITY - Authorities in Guatemala said Monday a ninth police officer died of his injuries following an outbreak of gang violence, over which the government declared a state of emergency. The state of emergency took immediate effect, despite requiring approval by the opposition-controlled Congress. Arevalo said the state of emergency would allow the police and army to act against organized crime. Since mid-2025, gang members have staged several uprisings in Guatemalan prisons to demand their leaders be held in less restrictive conditions. In October, the authorities reported that 20 leaders of the Barrio 18 gang had escaped from prison.

Trump to charge $1bn for permanent 'peace board' membership: reportsListen to this articleTrump's peace board was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza, but its charter, widely cited by US media, does not appear to limit its role to the Palestinian territory. (Photo: AFP)WASHINGTON (UNITED STATES) - US President Donald Trump's government has asked countries to pay US$1 billion for a permanent spot on his "Board of Peace" aimed at resolving conflicts, according to US media reports. "The three-year membership term shall not apply to Member States that contribute more than $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force." Trump would have the power to remove member states from the board, subject to a veto by two-third of members, and choose his replacement should he leave his role as chairman. The "Board of Peace" began to take shape on Saturday as the leaders of Egypt, Turkey, Argentina and Canada were asked to join.

KYODO — Famous for their innovative products, Japanese toilet makers have introduced new stool analysis technology to their products in a bid to attract health-conscious buyers. The first such product designed for home use in Japan, the system classifies stool shape and hardness into seven categories, while volume and colour are recorded in three levels. Users can keep track of their stool status on a smartphone application and even receive dietary advice based on analysis of their bowel movements, such as a recommendation to increase vegetable intake. The new product is intended to help users "to turn everyday toilet habits into a gateway to better health," a company official said. As conventional self-checks can be unpleasant for both facility residents and staff, the new device has been well-received, it said.