Thai headline inflation remained negativeListen to this articleShoppers browse through clothes and other products at a night market in the Ram Intra area of Bangkok. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)Thailand's headline ‌inflation remained ​negative in December 2025, but core inflation ‌was in line with expectations, ‌the Commerce Ministry reported on Wednesday. Headline inflation stood at -0.28% year-on-year last month, compared ‌to a ‍forecast -0.34% in a ‌Reuters ​poll. Core inflation, which does not include goods in the energy and fresh food categories, stood at 0.59%, versus the ⁠0.69% Reuters ​poll forecast. On Wednesday, the Bank of Thailand (BoT) said the country's economy ‌is facing challenges, ⁠including a sustained decline in competitiveness, with exports ‌expected to be ‍negatively affected ‌by ​US tariffs.

Man arrested for posing as police officer to dupe Thai woman in the USListen to this articleThe 29-year-old suspect reads the arrest warrant, as Crime Suppression Division police arrest him for posing as a police officer in Krabin Buri. (Photo: Central Investigation Bureau)A 29-year-old man has been arrested in Prachin Buri after he was accused of posing as a police officer and extorting money from a US-based Thai woman by falsely linking her to a money-laundering case, causing her to lose almost 200 million baht. Deputy Crime Suppression Division commander Pol Col Pongpanot Chukaew apprehended Yongyut in front of a house in the Hat Nang Kaeo sub-district of Krabin Buri on Tuesday. The arrest came after Jenjira (surname withheld) filed a complaint with investigators at the Technology Crime Suppression Division 2 (TCSD 2). Shortly later, a man posing as a police officer contacted her via the Line app, accusing her of being involved in a money laundering case.

Innovation drives new era of farmingListen to this articleTen outstanding farmers, including three award winners, strike a pose at the "Rak Ban Kerd Farmers of the Year 2025" awards. Mr Tharaphong (third from right), Mr Santisuk (second from left) and Mr Apichat (third from left) each received an award during the event. A new generation of Thai farmers is harnessing innovation and research to develop high-value, environmentally friendly products, allowing family-owned farms to achieve both profitability and sustainability. Our foundation has developed an e-book featuring 200 successful cases of farmers using technology, with the aim of building a network that helps newcomers reduce risk." According to Peeraphan Korthong, director-general of the Department of Agricultural Extension, there are 558,553 smart farmers registered with the department, of which 252,333 individuals are categorised as young smart farmers.

Listen to this articleA 40 baht daily fare is already operating successfully on Red and Pur ple lines in Bangkok, says Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Bhumjaithai deputy leader and acting transport minister. A 40 baht daily pass would offer unlimited rides. Under the plan, Bhumjaithai would repurchase concessions through the Mass Rapid Transit Authority to help subsidise fares. Another option would allow private investors to take part in shareholding, which could later be used as collateral for loans. Instead, the party is proposing a zoning-based fare structure to support subsidisation.

England lose Crawley as they battle to save final Ashes TestListen to this articleMitchell Starc, right, celebrates trapping Zak Crawley lbw in the first overSYDNEY - Mitchell Starc removed Zak Crawley before England recovered to reach 80-1 at lunch on day four of the fifth and final Ashes Test, still trailing Australia by 103. The England captain limped off clutching what appeared to be his groin while bowling the third over of the day and did not reappear. Australia lead the series 3-1 and have already retained the Ashes, with England desperate for another morale-boosting win after victory in the previous Test at Melbourne. But the Australian skipper did not last long, nicking a fuller length delivery from Josh Tongue to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith. Scott Boland suffered a golden duck, edging Will Jacks to Harry Brook in the slips to leave Webster unbeaten on 71.

Siam Society is holding a study trip to Shanxi, one of China's most historically significant regions, from April 6-15. Owing to its strategic position between China's northern frontiers and the Central Plains, Shanxi province has played a crucial role in Chinese history for more than two millennia. It continues to Mount Wutai (Wutaishan), one of China's four sacred Buddhist mountains, where participants will study major monasteries, including Foguang Temple and Nanchan Temple, where the earliest surviving Tang-Dynasty wooden temples in China are preserved. The programme then proceeds to Pingyao, a Unesco-listed Ming–Qing city illustrating late-imperial urban planning and the origins of China's early banking system and concludes in Taiyuan, the provincial capital, with visits to Jinci Temple, Shanxi Museum and other key monuments synthesising Shanxi's political, religious and artistic development. The fee is 101,000 baht (96,000 baht for members) excluding air tickets.

Hit, replace, no penalty: rules explainedListen to this articleIf your ball hits another player's ball on the fairway, your ball is played as it lies, and the other player replaces their ball to its original spot with no penalty to either player. If your ball, played from off the green, hits another ball on the green and goes in the hole then it counts. You play your ball as it lies (in the hole), and the other player replaces their ball on its original spot with no penalty, as your ball was considered an "outside influence". Mickelson (obviously not too impressed on how he was playing) ran after his ball and hit it while it was still in motion on the green. Mickelson wound up making 8, but was also awarded a 2-stroke penalty for playing a moving ball, which brought his score for the hole to a 10.

Amid all the uncertainty in politics and policy, growth disappointed in the third quarter of 2025, falling by 0.6% from the previous quarter. At its December meeting, the Bank of Thailand kept a neutral tone even as it cut the policy rate to 1.25%. Similar to the May 2023 election, the largest risk to Thailand's economic outlook in 2026 is a policy standstill. Further de-escalation of US-China trade relations could also pose a downside risk to the economy in 2026. The real policy rate would likely remain positive, mitigating any potential build-up in household debt.

Agency steps up digital citizen pushListen to this articleThe Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) is rolling out its ETDA Digital Citizen (EDC) network across 15 provinces nationwide to create a regional trainer network that will include at least 2,000 additional trainers. The project aims to disseminate digital knowledge to 60,000 people in communities by the end of 2026. According to the 2026 budget, ETDA's roadmap under the Regional Digital Trainers Network model aims to add 2,000 more digital trainers to the system, expanding the network to organisations in all regions. Mr Chaichana said the project aims to transfer knowledge to a target group of up to 60,000 people this year. The project's four training courses this year include the ETDA Digital Citizen Plus, aimed at building digital literacy in many key areas such as digital identity, digital communication and security.

U.S. President Donald Trump reasserted on Monday (January 5) that his country needs Greenland for national security reasons, and said a newly appointed special envoy would "lead the charge," drawing sharp criticism from Denmark and Greenland. Why is he pushing to take control of Greenland? Diane To takes a look.

U.S. President Donald Trump mocked transgender athletes on Tuesday (January 6) while addressing Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives, using examples from weightlifting and boxing as he argued against transgender participation in women’s sports.

At least 14 people were killed after being swept away by flash floods in Indonesia's North Sulawesi, an official said on Tuesday (January 6) as the search for the missing continued. Heavy rain early on Monday (January 5) triggered flash floods on the island of Siau, located in the region of Siau Tagulandang Biaro, a spokesperson for the local rescue agency said.

With outdated engines, Thailand has slipped to the bottom of Asia; only Japan grows more slowly. Reviving the economy requires real growth engines. One wing carries four "spending engines": consumption, private investment, public spending, and exports. Public investment is limited by tight budgets and low tax revenue, much of which goes to fixed expenses such as salaries. Our task now is to build new engines -- ones that create "good" jobs.

Adaptation easily covers its costListen to this articleRescuers navigate their boats along a flooded street in Hat Yai district on Nov 26, 2025. Much of the Netherlands would be under water were it not for centuries of ingenious adaptation to the constant threat of flooding. That may sound expensive, but the benefits of that adaptation would exceed the cost by roughly seven times. The good news is that many households can implement some adaptation measures on their own, particularly for heat. And they can deploy targeted subsidies or procurement programmes to make adaptation more affordable for households and small firms.

More than 20 years later, law enforcement authorities have yet to identify or implicate those responsible for that 2004 raid. Regardless of who they were, the 2004 raid marked the beginning of systematic sabotage efforts by militant and separatist groups in the Deep South -- Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and parts of Songkhla. Over the past 22 years, 12 governments under 10 prime ministers have attempted, with limited success, to extinguish the violence in the Deep South. As the country prepares to form a new government, a serious question arises: what will it do about the violence in the Deep South? Decades after the Jan 4 arms robbery, one conclusion is clear -- force alone is not a sustainable solution.