Sacred Karen tusks returnedVillagers in traditional attire carry 400-year-old sacred elephant tusks back to the Karen 'long-haired hermit' community following their return on Thursday in Tak's Ban Lay Tong Ku, Umphang district. (Photo: Aswin Pinitwong)Tak province has returned a pair of 400-year-old sacred elephant tusks to the Karen "long-haired hermit" community of Lay Tong Ku in Umphang district, ending a years-long dispute over the culturally significant artefacts. The tusks were formally handed back during a ceremony yesterday presided over by Umphang district chief Manoch Phoniaem. Thai authorities later coordinated with the Karen Buddhist Democratic Army to recover the tusks. For security reasons, they were kept at the Umphang district office pending the resolution of ownership issues.

If the additional nine MPs can be brought in to join BJT, the total number of MPs able to support BJT leader Anutin Charnvirakul's bid for prime minister would rise to 301. The party is believed to be seeking a stable majority in the House of Representatives before formally opening coalition negotiations. Attention has centred on a bloc of nine MPs linked to Chalermchai Sri-on and Dech-it Khaothong within the Klatham Party. Despite the swelling parliamentary tally, BJT has stopped short of confirming whether Klatham or the Democrat Party would ultimately join the coalition. Asked whether 290-plus seats were sufficient, she said that a simple majority in the House was the operative principle, without specifying a definitive target.

SCB predicts gradual baht declineSiam Commercial Bank (SCB) expects the baht to gradually weaken against the US dollar, reaching 33 baht per dollar in the fourth quarter of this year, driven by a combination of domestic and external factors. SCB forecasts the baht to ease to 31.50 per dollar in the first quarter, 31.70 in the second quarter, 32 in the third quarter, and 33 in the fourth quarter. Wachirawat Banchuen, senior strategist at SCB Financial Markets, attributed the baht depreciation outlook to both internal and external developments. Forex transactions conducted through digital platforms account for around 40% of SCB's total forex transactions. Last year online forex transactions grew by more than 30% year-on-year, said Mr Poulier.

Sihasak defends border conduct in Europe: ministryForeign Affairs Minister Sihasak PhuangketkeowForeign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow used his recent visit to Europe to reaffirm Thailand's commitment to peace with Cambodia and firmly reject allegations that Thai forces had violated Cambodian territory, the ministry said yesterday. Mr Sihasak travelled to Paris, France, and Geneva, Switzerland, from Feb 23–25, where he held meetings with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and European officials, the ministry said. Mr Sihasak stressed that the ceasefire remains fragile but insisted Thailand has strictly adhered to its terms and never encroached on Cambodian territory, contrary to claims made by Phnom Penh, she said. The ministry has also formally protested to Cambodia following a recent cross-border shooting incident, underscoring Thailand's concern over actions that could undermine the ceasefire, she said. The mines were found some 500 metres inside Thai territory, and technical analysis confirmed they were newly planted by Cambodia rather than remnants of past conflicts, said RAdm Paraj Ratanajaipan, spokesman of the RTN.

Heat back on SAOA music video released by the State Audit Office (SAO) came at just the right time. The 30-storey building, intended to serve as the SAO headquarters, collapsed after a quake centred in Myanmar hit Bangkok on March 28 last year. The music video's lyrics seek to encourage SAO officials to continue doing good work, overcome adversity and fulfil the agency's mission. Allegations of corruption or misconduct by state officials have been submitted to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for further investigation. However, the public should be reminded that investigations into SAO officials implicated in the irregularities are still ongoing, with no clear progress to date.

Sereepisuth targets PM over Thamanat appointmentSeri Ruam Thai Party leader Pol Gen Sereepisuth says he is seeking a review of the legality and ethical implications of the appointment of Capt Thamanat Prompow as a deputy prime minister and as agriculture and cooperatives minister. (Photo: Seree Ruam Thai Party)Seri Ruam Thai Party leader Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temeeyaves says he will petition the Ombudsman over Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's appointment of Capt Thamanat Prompow as a deputy prime minister and as agriculture and cooperatives minister. In a Facebook post on Thursday, Pol Gen Sereepisuth said he would formally lodge the complaint at 1pm on Friday. The announcement quickly sparked debate online, drawing strong backing from supporters despite Seri Ruam Thai holding only one seat in parliament. The latest development follows a separate complaint filed on Tuesday by lawyer Pattharapong Supha-aksorn, who petitioned the Ombudsman to examine whether Capt Thamanat meets all legal qualifications required to serve as a cabinet minister.

Centara expands into budget hotelsMr Thirayuth, left, says Centara targets 15.7-15.9 billion baht in revenue this year, an increase of 14-15%, through an improved occupancy rate and revenue per available room. Centara Hotels & Resorts is targeting revenue growth of 15% this year, banking on a recovery in Thai tourism and diversified markets. The company will begin investing in the first phase of six budget hotels from 2026 to 2028 at petrol stations in partnership with PTT Oil and Retail Business (OR). This year, it will spend roughly 6.6 billion baht, of which more than 4 billion baht will be earmarked for renovations, such as properties in Hua Hin and Krabi. In the first phase, it plans to develop six budget hotels at petrol station locations in Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya, Surat Thani, Chon Buri and Songkhla between 2027 and 2028.

Trump pays tribute to 'godfather' SindhuWorld No.1 Judd Trump meets Thai Olympic chief Pimol Srivikorn, left, at the funeral of former Billiard Sports Association of Thailand (BSAT) president Sindhu Pulsirivong. Trump, 36, attended the second night of funeral rites at Wat That Thong on Tuesday evening, representing the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA). Sindhu's death marks the passing of a man widely regarded as the "godfather of Asian snooker." His vision and leadership made him the true godfather of Asian snooker." He championed snooker's inclusion in the SEA Games, Asian Games and Asian Indoor Games, and worked to secure its place in the World Games as a step towards Olympic recognition.

Prices of new Samsung Galaxy to rise by up to 20% in ThailandThe S26 Ultra. (Photo: Komsan Jandamit)Rising memory component costs have pushed up launch prices for Samsung's latest flagship lineup, with several models in the new Galaxy S26 series debuting up to 20% higher than their Galaxy S25 predecessors in Thailand. Samsung Electronics this week unveiled the Galaxy S26 series, positioning proactive, on-device artificial intelligence (AI) as the core differentiator in the premium smartphone segment. The Galaxy S26 Ultra (12GB/256GB) remains unchanged at 46,900 baht. "With the Galaxy S26 series, we focused on making AI feel effortless, working quietly in the background so people can focus on what matters."

Tariff turmoil fails to rattle WHA's expansion blueprintMs Jareeporn remains optimistic about WHA's growth despite global economic uncertainty. US President Donald Trump's new 15% tariff policy does not pose a new business challenge to WHA Corporation, which is now prepared to navigate the economic uncertainty continuously fuelled by the world's largest economy. She was responding to the Federation of Thai Industries, which recently raised concerns over long-term global economic uncertainty. Seeing an opportunity amid the current economic uncertainty, Ms Jareeporn asked him to view Thailand not only as an investment destination but also as a second home for business establishment. China topped the list of WHA's customers, accounting for 30% of total investors, followed by Japan (19%), Thailand (17%), the United States (12%) and Europe (10%).

Two banks cut lending interest ratesIn response to the Bank of Thailand's policy rate cut on Wednesday, Bangkok Bank (BBL) and the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) yesterday announced a reduction to their lending interest rates of 0.1 percentage points per year. BBL, the country's largest lender by total assets, reduced its minimum lending rate (MLR), minimum overdraft rate (MOR) and minimum retail rate (MRR) by 0.1 percentage points each, effective Feb 26. The rate cuts are in line with the policy rate reduction and are intended to support Thailand's economic recovery. The bank said the reduction in lending rates aligns with government policy, as both monetary and fiscal measures are aimed at supporting economic growth. The committee plans to monitor the transmission of banking interest rates.

Portugal calls for global unity, multilateralismPaulo Rengal, Minister of State and Foreign Affairs of Portugal, together with Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. The world is a network -- not a collection of isolated fortressesAnd in this global network, the United Nations system plays a pivotal role. And in times of rising geopolitical tensions and increasingly borderless challenges, the answer can only be stronger cooperation: international, regional, and inter-regional. Despite the serious challenges facing the United Nations today, Portugal remains convinced that multilateralism is the most effective and sustainable path to address global challenges. Closer engagement between the UN and Asean would promote coherence between global and regional approaches, especially regarding peace, security, and stability.

Tanit Chearavanont, group chief wholesale business officer of CP AXTRA Plc, told the Bangkok Post about the company's transformation into a true retail tech player. RETAIL TECH COMPANYMr Tanit defined "retail tech" as more than simply launching an e-commerce platform. According to him, the true meaning of retail tech lies in transforming an organisation to be driven by data and technology. "E-commerce is a big component, but it doesn't mean everything when it comes to retail tech," he said. Recently, Makro PRO, the company's e-commerce platform, was recognised as the No.1 Thai-owned e-commerce platform and Thailand's top e-commerce platform based on first-party (1P) sales.

Carney's speech signals end of Western illusionsWhen the late playwright Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll first opened 20 years ago, it was deeply personal for me as a student at Cambridge studying film in Prague. Two decades later, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's recent speech in Davos felt like the sequel. Mr Carney's reference to Havel was not some quaint historical aside. Mr Carney's speech highlights that we all must reject nostalgia for a rules-based system that never fully delivered on its promises. What all tyrannical systems share, Mr Carney reminds us, is "the participation of ordinary people in rituals they privately know to be false".

Data centres used for AI model training and deployment require enormous amounts of energy for processing and cooling. Energy consultancy Cleanview has already identified 46 data centres that plan to build their own power plants, primarily with gas-fired generation. Their combined 56 GW of capacity represents around 30% of all planned US data-centre capacity, the consultancy said. One of the country's other major power networks, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), also risks being overwhelmed by surging ‌data-centre demand. The rush to build data centres to support the global AI arms race is set to become a defining economic feature of this decade, if not this century.