Underdogs New Zealand confident on eve of T20 semi-final
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.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 03, 2026 15:44 UTC
Govt focused on evacuating Thais from Iran
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.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 03, 2026 15:40 UTC
China's overstretched healthcare looks to AI boom
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.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 03, 2026 14:55 UTC
Guru held over B50m merit scam
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.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 03, 2026 14:44 UTC
Mastercard and TAT Launch AI-Powered "Amazing Thailand" App
Mastercard and TAT Unveil Revamped "Amazing Thailand" App Focused on AI and Cloud-Native Modernization by Dr. Monsinee KeeratikrainonBANGKOK – 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 KeeratikrainonDr. 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.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 03, 2026 14:28 UTC
War-induced volatility rattles global markets
(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.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 03, 2026 14:16 UTC
Thai authorities hunt for new fuel sources
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.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 03, 2026 12:15 UTC
New baggage policy leads to longer THAI check-in times
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.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 03, 2026 11:14 UTC
Mideast war exposes fragile oil and gas dependency
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.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 03, 2026 11:05 UTC
Party-list MPs to be announced Wednesday
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.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 03, 2026 11:05 UTC
Iran targets Mideast cities as Trump threatens to escalate
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.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 03, 2026 11:01 UTC
Spotlight on French village where Khomeini plotted revolution
Spotlight on French village where Khomeini plotted revolutionAyatollah Khomeini is seen in exile in the French village of Neauphle-le-Chateau in January 1979. (Photo: AFP)NEAUPHLE-LE-CHATEAU, France - It has been nearly 50 years since the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini recorded speeches calling for an Islamic revolution from a country home in an affluent village west of Paris. But the inhabitants of Neauphle-le-Chateau have still not got over their famous guest, as the US-Israeli war against Iran puts the spotlight back on the ayatollah’s legacy. But then a friend offered the house west of the capital and Neauphle-le-Chateau became internationally famous. A Neauphle-le-Chateau resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that between 150 and 200 people came each year with Iran’s ambassador “to celebrate the anniversary” of Khomeini’s return to Iran.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 03, 2026 11:00 UTC
Thailand expects Mideast war to last at least a month
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul speaks to reporters aftera meeting on the Mideast conflict at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday. Participants in the meeting included Thai ambassadors and senior diplomats stationed in the Middle East who attended via teleconference. The foreign ministry earlier said that overland evacuation via Turkey was possible but if more than 100 people expressed a wish to leave, a flight could be arranged. So far, less than 25% of the estimated 77,000 Thai people in the Middle East have expressed an intention to return to Thailand, Mr Anutin said. The number could rise depending on the situation, but most Thai workers in Israel were in agricultural zones which should be safe, Mr Anutin said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 03, 2026 11:00 UTC
Foreign cash fleeing Vietnamese stocks
Vietnam’s benchmark index gained 41% in 2025, its strongest rise in eight years, as the economy of the export-reliant nation expanded 8%. Flows of overseas capital can lift Vietnamese companies’ stocks and lower their funding costs, supporting economic growth and the currency. “Foreign investors were cautious on Vietnam heading into the Trump presidency due to concerns around potential tariffs,” said Sean Taylor, chief investment officer at the San Francisco-based asset management firm Matthews Asia. A benchmark dominated by banks and developers is being increasingly driven by a single stock, Vingroup, which rose 736% last year. “A few related stocks account for a disproportionate share of the index and exert outsized influence over market movements,” said Thu Nguyen, deputy head of Vietnamese fund VinaCapital.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 03, 2026 10:45 UTC
Air ticket prices soar on Asia-Europe routes
A screen displays cancelled flights to Middle East destinations at Hong Kong International Airport on March 2, 2026. An economy-class ticket for a one-way flight was available for 71,190 baht ($2,265) on March 15, with prices dropping to 27,045 baht by March 18. Reuters’ checks of several airlines’ websites on Tuesday showed few near-term bookings available and high prices on offer for flights from Asia to London. Mainland Chinese airlines’ websites showed fares on China-UK routes have also surged far above normal levels, with economy-class seats largely unavailable on near-term departures. A return economy-class ticket from Beijing to London typically costs under 10,000 yuan ($1,460) but Air China’s only option for Wednesday is business class, with a one-way ticket priced at 50,490 yuan.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 03, 2026 10:29 UTC