Sangha scandal: A year of shattered faithListen to this articlePhra Alongkot, abbot of Wat Phra Bat Nam Phu in Lop Buri, is arrested on charges of financial fraud and money laundering in August. Wassayos NgamkhamIn 2025, Thailand’s Buddhist establishment came under its most intense legal and institutional scrutiny in decades, following a wave of confirmed criminal investigations involving senior monks nationwide. Investigators traced financial transactions totalling about 385 million baht over three years, much of it linked to online gambling. Financial tracing suggested total gambling-related transactions of at least 500 million baht after eight months of undercover monitoring. Amid mounting scandals, the Royal Gazette revoked ecclesiastical titles from 81 senior monks for conduct deemed spiritually damaging.

Oil's geopolitical premium is goneListen to this articleA photo dated Dec 22, 2024 shows the sun setting behind the Dora (Daura) Oil Refinery Complex in Baghdad. AFPGlobal oil markets faced multiple black swan events in 2025 -- including the Israel-Iran war and Ukrainian strikes on Russian refiners -- yet they were barely fazed. A most pivotal moment for energy markets came on June 12 when Israel bombed military, government and nuclear sites across Iran. The mere threat of such a cataclysmic event would cause oil prices to blow out into triple-digit territory, or so the theory went. But for energy markets to be truly spooked, there will need to be a genuine change in physical volumes.

That Cambodia agreed to shift the venue from its initial demand for Kuala Lumpur to Thailand's eastern province is nevertheless a positive sign. Peace advocates can do little more than hope that no new deadly clashes erupt, which could derail the talks. Border trade, from which Thailand enjoys an advantage worth more than 100 billion baht a year, has declined sharply. Although the war budget remains confidential, estimates suggest spending has already exceeded 10 billion baht, with the Anutin Charnvirakul government allocating several billion baht to cover costs. Leaders acting rationally must not allow the peace process to collapse but must work to sustain it.

Policy options for an overvalued bahtListen to this articleAn image of Thai baht banknotes and coins, and a bank savings account passbook. Thailand, after the disastrous 1997 financial crisis, abandoned the fixed exchange rate regime in favour of a flexible exchange rate regime. Every time a single dollar is converted into Thai baht, 30 plus extra baht is added to the local money market. Capital controls were imposed because speculative inflows caused the Thai baht to strengthen from over 40 baht to the dollar to 36 baht to the dollar. Sadly, the capital control measure failed, and the baht kept strengthening to 33.7 baht to a dollar a year later.

Listen to this articleYodchanan WongsawatThai-Cambodian border tensions had nothing to do with the Shinawatra family, Yodchanan Wongsawat, one of the Pheu Thai Party's prime ministerial candidates, said on Wednesday, stressing it was due to Thailand's intensified crackdown on transnational scam networks. He said these efforts caused anger among affected groups, which contributed to heightened tensions along the border. On concerns over the impact of US tariff measures combined with border tensions, he said both issues required careful handling, but Pheu Thai's experienced economic team was capable of handling them. Enhancing connectivity and transport infrastructure would help attract investment, while the government must ensure that investment schemes would also support technology transfer, he said. He added that Pheu Thai was to submit its policy platform to the Election Commission later on Wednesday, ahead of candidate registration.

Army denies Cambodian cluster munitions claimsListen to this articleMaj Gen Winthai SuvareeThe army has rejected Cambodia's claims about cluster munitions, stating its weapons only target military objectives. The Royal Thai Army (RTA) said it has dismissed the claims as a distortion of the facts in an attempt to undermine Thailand's credibility. Maj Gen Winthai said the munitions cited by Cambodia were in fact dual-purpose artillery rounds designed exclusively for use against military targets to enhance their destructive capability. Cambodia's claim that such munitions remain in the area and threaten the environment and Cambodian children, he said, constitutes a distortion of facts aimed at discrediting Thailand. Maj Gen Winthai also noted that the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), which prohibits the use, production, and stockpiling of cluster munitions, is not legally binding on either Thailand or Cambodia, as neither country is a state party to the convention.

(Photo: South China Morning Post)Raphael Chan entered Hong Kong’s construction industry in the mid-1990s convinced that quality building work could improve people’s lives. Chan (a pseudonym, used at his request) has also helped the Independent Commission Against Corruption in its investigations into such syndicates. To ensure profits, syndicates targeted older private estates with more than four blocks, Chan said. The syndicates he encountered, including contractors and consultants, held weekly meetings, but always on the mainland, often in saunas where all men went naked to evade surveillance recordings. The founder of the Property Owners’ Anti Bid-Rigging Alliance, who also worked for a main contractor, said it was hard to eradicate corruption.

Average expected spending per person for domestic travel was 7,514 baht, while overseas travel spending averaged 34,299 baht per person based on the responses. The university estimated New Year spending by category as follows: social gatherings at 16.1 billion baht; merit-making 10.5 billion, daily consumption 22.8 billion, durable goods 5.26 billion, and luxury goods at 3.04 billion baht. Domestic travel spending was projected at 48.2 billion baht, while overseas travel spending was estimated at 5.7 billion baht. Mr Thanavath said New Year 2026 spending remained relatively vibrant, supported by the Khon La Khrueng Plus scheme, increased social gatherings and continued travel activity. Campaign-related spending is projected to inject a further 40–60 billion baht into the economy, helping to support growth in the first and second quarters.

(Photo: AFP)BRUSSELS - The European Union and some member states reacted sharply Wednesday to US sanctions imposed on five European figures involved in regulating tech companies, including former European commissioner Thierry Breton. A statement from the Commission said: “We have requested clarifications from the US authorities and remain engaged. “Our digital rules ensure a safe, fair and level playing field for all companies, applied fairly and without discrimination,” it added. Breton, the former top tech regulator at the European Commission, often clashed with tech tycoons such as Elon Musk over their obligations to follow EU rules. ‘Intimidation and coercion’German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul wrote in a post on X Wednesday: “The DSA was democratically adopted by the EU for the EU –- it does not have extraterritorial effect.

Instant noodles, the poverty labelListen to this articleMama, just a simple name, yet it resonates like a heartbeat in Thailand, where these instant noodles have woven themselves into the very fabric of daily life for over 50 years. However, instant noodles are not always about hardship. With its wide range of flavours, instant noodles have won people over and, for many, become a dependable go-to meal. The problem is not instant noodles but the way society uses food to judge people’s lives. Poverty is not defined by a bowl of instant noodles, but by the limited time, income, and opportunities that shape everyday decisions.

The Japanese government is considering charging visiting foreigners a fee of about 2,000 yen (400 baht) to 3,000 yen for a planned online pre-travel screening system called Jesta, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The Jesta, aimed at preventing terrorism and illegal employment of foreign visitors to Japan, applies to countries and regions whose people are exempt from obtaining short-term stay visas. The government is weighing submitting a bill to amend the immigration control law in the next regular Diet session to create the system. Similar programmes adopted in the United States and Canada charge fees of roughly 1,000 to 6,000 yen. Japan is considering using the revenue for emergency support for foreign visitors during disasters, the source said.

Normally, he sleeps in the garage, but yesterday he moved to the street because the sun had not yet reached the garage. “According to the footage, the driver did not stop to check on him at all. After being run over, my dog ran into the garage and died within five minutes. I advise filing a report since the other party did not stop to check or take responsibility,” the user wrote. Meanwhile, another user noted that regardless of legal responsibility, the driver should have at least stopped to check on the dog after the incident.

(Reuters File Photo)The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has proposed a new set of indicators to assess the risk of policy-based corruption ahead of the Feb 8 general election. Examples included the rice-pledging scheme operated during the Yingluck Shinawatra administration, and a rubber sapling procurement project carried out under the administration of her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra. Political parties would be required to submit policy information through this framework, with the Election Commission later publishing the results to aid voters in their decision-making, Mr Surapong said. The NACC also urged the media and civil society to help raise awareness, stressing the need for transparent and lawful policy development. The NACC said it believes this collaboration with the EC would mark a significant step towards promoting cleaner politics and equipping voters with reliable information to underpin a more transparent election process.

Siripong Angkasakulkiat, who is also a spokesman for the caretaker government, confirmed remarks made by Prime Minister Anutin that Bhumjaithai was not naming any other PM hopefuls. All three had earlier been rumoured as prospective prime ministerial candidates alongside Mr Anutin. Mr Siripong shrugged off concerns about the political risk of having just one PM candidate, saying Bhumjaithai used the same approach in the 2023 election. Mr Siripong declined to speculate on potential coalition partners, saying the situation would become clearer after the election results. Mr Anutin vowed to strengthen national security, combat smuggling and cybercrime, and ensure sovereignty remains intact.

This tactic is occasionally employed by ships ferrying sanctioned oil in order to obscure their trajectories and cargoes. Venezuela’s oil industry, once a global powerhouse, has been decimated by years of sanctions and underinvestment. The Skipper, the first Venezuela tanker to be targeted by US forces, was using this tactic when it was captured earlier this month. Many in the dark fleet turn to flags of convenience or false registrations to avoid inspection. Venezuela’s regular dark fleet tankers are typically provided by other countries, as Caracas is unable to finance its own flotilla, and cannot rely on an existing fleet that is too small and old.