“Since the conflict erupted over the weekend, many foreign tourists have shifted to booking long‑haul flights to Thailand via Thai Airways. However, developing an aviation hub takes time, he said. Thailand’s best opportunity lies in becoming an aviation hub for the 680 million people in Southeast Asia, although this largely depends on how quickly the country can develop supporting infrastructure beyond its main airports, he said. Mr Tassapon said Thailand will not achieve aviation hub status unless major ongoing projects, such as the high‑speed railway linking three airports — six years behind schedule because of endless contract snags — are successfully completed. Becoming an aviation hub requires a long-term commitment, particularly in developing the broader transport network to better accommodate travellers, he said.

Anutin says he won’t interfere, brushes aside concerns about political falloutPrime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul arrives at Government House on Feb 24. Mr Mauerberger for many years was based in Bangkok, where he cultivated connections with many prominent business and political figures. However, reported links between Klatham chief adviser Thamanat Prompow and Mr Mauerberger are among the factors making Bhumjaithai wary of a deal. Thamanat has denied he had any knowledge about the alleged offences of Mr Mauerberger or his wife, saying they occurred before he knew the former. Mr Rangsiman is fighting a defamation lawsuit filed by Mr Mauerberger, who is seeking 100 million baht in damages.

Bank of Thailand: Middle East war will dent Thai GDPBank of Thailand governor Vitai Ratanakorn. The new war in the Middle East could dent gross domestic product (GDP) by 0.1-0.15 percentage points due to the heightened risk to oil supply, according to Bank of Thailand governor Vitai Ratanakorn. The risk is that the war in the Middle East could affect the Thai economy more severely than previously estimated,” said Mr Vitai. The oil price had already increased by US$5-7 per barrel due to the Middle East war, he said. An average annual increase of $10 per barrel is expected to shave 0.1-0.15% off Thai GDP,” said Mr Vitai.

(Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)The Thai government has confirmed there are adequate supplies of oil for local consumption but warns local prices will still rise at some point in line with global prices, even with the use of subsidies to offset the increase. The caretaker prime minister admitted that the Mideast conflict would affect oil prices, but promised that his government would try its best to maintain the retail prices of oil, gas and other necessary products. Caltex raised diesel prices by 1.80 baht and most gasohol prices by 0.90 baht per litre. Veerapat Kiatfuengfoo, deputy permanent secretary for energy, said the Ministry of Energy would use the Oil Fuel Fund to subsidise any rise in oil prices. However, local pump prices would still increase at some point, in line with global oil prices, he said.

Underdogs New Zealand confident on eve of T20 semi-finalNew Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson bowls during training on the eve of the T20 World Cup semi-final against South Africa at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. (Photo: AFP)KOLKATA - Underdogs New Zealand back themselves against anyone in “one-off games”, captain Mitchell Santner declared on Tuesday on the eve of their T20 World Cup cricket semi-final against South Africa in Kolkata. South Africa, by contrast, enjoyed statement wins over India and the West Indies in the second phase. New Zealand and South Africa have never won a cricket World Cup in either 50-over or T20 formats. New Zealand will be playing their fourth semi-final in the last five T20 World Cups.

Govt focused on evacuating Thais from IranForeign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkaeow, left, speaks during a meeting of the Middle East Situation Centre, chaired by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, centre, on Tuesday. About 300 Thai nationals, 200 of them students, are estimated to be in Iran. The minister reiterated that evacuating Thais from Iran is the top priority. Mr Sihasak said the situation in Iran warranted the term “evacuation”, while in other countries authorities were facilitating voluntary departures. A decision on whether to evacuate embassy personnel would be made after the mission to assist Thai nationals was completed, he said.

A state-driven digitisation, aiming to inject efficiency into the overstretched healthcare system, has been underway for over a decade. The app "gives any ordinary user -- no matter where they are -- the opportunity to get good answers to their questions," Duan said. Since giving birth, she has used AQ even more, asking paediatrician avatars about rashes or for general care advice. Nationwide, there are more than 100 AI medical projects, an official said recently. Others emphasised that the adoption of AI in healthcare will be cautious.

Guru held over B50m merit scam(Photo: 123RF)The Central Investigation Bureau has arrested a self‑proclaimed spiritual guru known as "Ajarn Ton", for allegedly running a bogus merit‑making scheme that laundered more than 50 million baht. He was wanted under a Criminal Court warrant on charges of public fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and laundering the proceeds of crime. The couple also promoted a recruitment model, urging participants to bring in new members to increase their "merit". Authorities have confirmed at least 14 victims, with documented transfers exceeding 15 million baht. Total funds moving through the suspect's accounts have surpassed 50 million baht.

Mastercard and TAT Unveil Revamped "Amazing Thailand" App Focused on AI and Cloud-Native Modernization by Dr. Monsinee Keeratikrainon​BANGKOK – February 24, 2026 – Mastercard and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) officially launched the new "Amazing Thailand" application today at Dusit Central Park. A Vision for Digital TransformationThe event featured addresses from Deputy Kittipong Prapattong (TAT), Timothy Murphy (Vice Chair, Mastercard), and Safdar Khan (Division President, Southeast Asia, Mastercard). Beyond AI, Dr. Monsinee championed a Cloud-native modernization strategy to ensure the app meets international standards. About Dr. Monsinee Keeratikrainon​Dr. Currently serving as an AI Advocate for the TAT Digital Master Plan Committee, she focuses on supporting Thailand’s digital tourism infrastructure through cloud-native innovation and data-driven standards.

(Photo: AFP)LONDON - Global stock markets dived, energy prices surged and the US dollar gained on Tuesday as the Iran war drove volatility across global financial markets and roiled companies worldwide. The Frankfurt, Madrid and Milan stock markets each shed around 4% in midday deals, while Paris and London lost close to three percent. Iran has unleashed missiles and drones across the Middle East, including at Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Dubai, while threatening explicitly to drive up global energy costs. European natural gas prices surged 50% on Monday after Qatar’s state-run energy firm said it had halted liquefied natural gas production. “A spike in energy prices creates a dilemma for central banks,” said Rodrigo Catril at National Australia Bank.

Thailand has long pursued diversification of its energy imports. A turning point came in 2004-05 when global oil prices surged, prompting the government and PTT, the majority state-owned energy company, to seek new sources. Of this, 60% comes from domestic sources, 15% from Myanmar via pipeline, and 25% as LNG imports from the Middle East. However, before the prime minister's announcement, Shell raised its diesel prices by 4.20 baht per litre and gasohol by 1.50 baht. Caltex raised diesel prices by 1.80 baht and most gasohol prices by 0.90 baht per litre.

Passengers check in for flights at Suvarnabhumi airport on Nov 24, 2025. (Photo: Transport Ministry)Passengers on Thai Airways International flights are being advised to spare extra time for check-in at Suvarnabhumi airport after long lines on Monday when the airline adopted a new checked baggage policy. The new policy switches from a weight-based allowance to the number of pieces per passenger, which varies depending on the class of ticket. Passengers of the national carrier were forced to queue at check-in counters to receive the tags for loading their baggage onto the aircraft. The self-service kiosks at the airport are still in normal operation as the problem occurred only with THAI, it added.

The Russian invasion in 2022 triggered a massive energy crisis, particularly in Europe, where gas prices — then largely dependent on imports from Russia — soared. Regarding its energy security, “Europe is facing the biggest wake‑up call since the invasion in Ukraine”, said Ana Maria Jaller‑Makarewicz, analyst for the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). Fossil fuels produced just 29% of the European Union’s electricity last year, according to research group Ember. The new war meanwhile drove up oil prices by about seven percent on Monday, while European gas prices skyrocketed by more than 30%. European gas prices jumped after QatarEnergy, the state‑owned energy company, announced a halt in LNG production following an Iranian drone attack.

Party-list MPs to be announced WednesdayAn election official shows a party-list ballot during counting in a re-election in Kannayao district, Bangkok, on Feb 22, 2026. The EC has so far certified 246 of the winners in the 396 constituencies where the election results are final. On those figures, the real winner of the party-list race was Bhumjaithai. Its party-list quota surges from only three after the 2023 general election to 19, with Pheu Thai dropping 13 seats and the People's Party eight. Thailand has a parallel voting system with party-list seats calculated independently of the constituency results.

Israel has resumed air strikes on alleged Hezbollah targets in southern Beirut after the Lebanese militia fired rockets in support of Iran. Powerful explosions also shook Tehran through the night, as fighter jets flew over the Iranian capital and US President Donald Trump threatened to escalate the conflict. In Gulf cities and the Omani port of Duqm, Iranian strikes continued to hit oil and gas infrastructure and as European markets opened the benchmark Brent crude price jumped again. And, speaking to NewsNation, Trump warned Iran would “find out soon” how he planned to retaliate for the Riyadh embassy attack. Iran had been ready to strike US forces in the region in response to Israel, so Trump decided to intervene “pre-emptively” alongside Israel, Rubio said.