Bureau seeks 10% growth for exhibitions market
Bureau seeks 10% growth for exhibitions marketMrs Supawan says TCEB wants to grow revenue from meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions by 10% this year. Amid economic uncertainty, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) targets 10% growth for the Mice (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) segment this year, with 163 billion baht in revenue and 29.4 million participants. Supawan Teerarat, president of TCEB, said 10% growth would be a major achievement, considering the stagnant economy and geopolitical challenges. In terms of spending, the domestic market is expected to generate 92 billion baht in revenue and the international market 71 billion. Thailand ranked first among Mice destinations in Asia, according to the Asia Mice Destination Index 2025.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 07, 2026 00:12 UTC
New import tax to level field amidst flood of foreign goods
Starting from Jan 1 this year, all goods ordered online and imported into Thailand are subject to both import duty and value-added tax (VAT). The Customs Department eliminated the minimum tax-exempt value (de minimis value), which was 1,500 baht. Industry observers and online shoppers are looking to see if prices for products ordered on online platforms will increase. However, online platforms that import goods for sale in Thailand are expected to adapt to retain their customer base amid intense competition. For example, the US previously set the de minimis threshold at $800, but abolished the de minimis tax exemption from Aug 29, 2025.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 07, 2026 00:12 UTC
Education anchors Thai Kao Mai policy
Thai Kao Mai Party leader Suchatvee Suwansawat campaigns in Chatuchak and Laksi areas in Bangkok on Feb 5. (Photo: Thai Kao Mai Party)Thai Kao Mai Party leader Suchatvee Suwansawat entered politics following a career rooted in academia, with education reform at the centre of his political agenda. Together, they founded the Thai Kao Mai Party. Under his leadership, Thai Kao Mai has fielded 136 parliamentary candidates, including contenders in all 33 Bangkok constituencies and 60 party-list nominees. Mr Suchatvee outlined the party's vision under the slogan, "Thai Kao Mai Party, a new step for a strong Thailand".
Source:Bangkok Post
February 07, 2026 00:12 UTC
Oil drilling set to increase
Oil drilling set to increaseThe Erawan gas block in the Gulf of Thailand, operated by PTT Exploration and Production Plc. The Department of Mineral Fuels (DMF) is preparing to restart oil and gas exploration and production projects once a new government takes office following the Feb 8 general election, in a bid to attract multi-billion-baht investments and strengthen Thailand's long-term energy security. Mr Warakorn noted all these initiatives will generate revenue for the state and ensure continuity of petroleum production. Domestic oil and gas supply last year accounted for about 30% of total energy consumption, with usage averaging 2 million barrels of crude oil equivalent per day. The DMF is also preparing to submit a draft amendment to the Petroleum Act to ensure production continues when licences expire.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 07, 2026 00:12 UTC
Raise a glass to new alcohol laws
The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act of 2025, which took effect last November, has sparked confusion among stakeholders in the alcoholic beverage industry, including retailers and consumers. Has the 2-5pm alcohol sales ban been permanently lifted? The 2-5pm alcohol sales ban was temporarily lifted. Licensed entertainment venues follow their own rules for operating hours and alcohol sales, and are regulated by relevant legislation. The subordinate laws are expected to be issued within a year, but the process could take longer.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 07, 2026 00:12 UTC
Pheu Thai denies G550 jet claims
Pheu Thai denies G550 jet claimsPheu Thai prime ministerial candidates Yodchanan Wongsawat, centre, Jullaphan Amornvivat, right, and Suriya Jungrungreangkit, left, pose for a selfie photo at the party's final major campaign rally in Bangkok on Friday. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)The Pheu Thai Party has rejected allegations surrounding a Gulfstream G550 private jet linked to its prime ministerial candidate, Suriya Jungrungruangkit, describing the claims as false, misleading and politically motivated. The remaining shares, valued at more than 832 million baht, are owned by relatives in proportion to their respective holdings. According to Mr Krichanont, Mr Suriya last used the jet in early November last year. Mr Suriya told Next News on Thursday that the jet cost more than 800 million baht but he declared only his personal stake.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 07, 2026 00:12 UTC
New York's wild nights captured on camera
Warhol, Basquiat and Madonna were part of the scene, mixing with uptown elites, downtown dealers and buzzing club kids. "The New York of the 80s and 90s does not exist any more, that's for sure," Haynes told Life. Their first year has seen packed opening nights for the photography of Gerhard Joren as well as upcoming art students from Silpakorn University and some well-known Thai artists. Haynes will launch his latest zine at Chaloem La today, containing a series of cutouts from contact sheets from 1992 to 1998. "I have always loved contact sheets," Haynes said.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 06, 2026 23:59 UTC
When progress feels less certain at the ballot box
Participation among younger voters appears fragile. For many younger and disillusioned constituents, the issue is not whether politics matters, but whether participation feels meaningful under existing conditions. Among younger voters in particular, there is growing unease that positions which once felt urgent and uncompromising now appear softened, delayed or constrained. Staying informed, scrutinising shifts in position and showing up at the ballot box even when confidence wavers are not acts of endorsement so much as acts of insistence. This election may feel less certain and belief may feel harder to extend.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 06, 2026 23:59 UTC
After the water receded, laughter returned
'I wish every day could be Children's Day," said five-year-old Jariyawadee Sawangchan, grinning as she posed with Unicef Thailand's Teddy Blu mascot. Hat Yai Municipal Park recently hosted its National Children's Day celebration, less than two months after the devastating floods which submerged much of the city in late November. Having lived through flooding twice last year, the chance to laugh and play freely again made this Children's Day feel different and more important. An estimated 5,000 children and parents attended Children's Day at the park, more than double the size of a typical year. The overwhelming feeling as Children's Day events began to wind down was that it was not just a festival.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 06, 2026 23:59 UTC
All eyes trained on coalition maths
All eyes trained on coalition mathsElection Commission staff conduct training on Jan 15 to prepare officials for Sunday's general election and referendum. What bears close watching is fierce competition within the conservative camp: Pheu Thai versus BJT in the Northeast, and BJT versus the Democrats -- who have performed better following the return of Abhisit Vejjajiva -- in the South. In both scenarios, Pheu Thai emerges as the pivotal variable that propels the poll winner to the Thai Khu Fah Building. It is also worth remembering that Pheu Thai and BJT share common roots in the Thaksin era. BJT was once part of Thai Rak Thai, which later evolved into today's Pheu Thai.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 06, 2026 23:55 UTC
Charter choice at polls
Tomorrow's charter referendum is therefore symbolic: a direct exercise of democracy in which citizens help set the direction of the country's fundamental law. Yet a charter amendment should not be seen as an end in itself or the final outcome of a vote. What is worrying is that the charter referendum campaign has been highly politicised. The EC must do more than mail charter amendment booklets to households. Without bipartisan cooperation, charter amendment will be little more than a symbolic gesture, if not another political campaign.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 06, 2026 23:53 UTC
A dive into the Super Bowl of prediction markets
As an economist who has long studied marketplaces and incentive mechanisms, my own answer starts with a simple premise: Prediction markets are markets, and markets are a fundamental tool for allocating resources and aggregating information. Prediction markets also make it easier to extract signals from the noise. Contemporary prediction markets have their roots in modern economics, statistics, mechanism design, and computer science. When prediction markets work well, they can have significant benefits relative to other forecasting methods. Finally, prediction markets have a big advantage in the breadth of coverage they offer.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 06, 2026 23:53 UTC
Young leader eyes premiership
Young leader eyes premiershipNatthaphong: Entered parliament as a Bangkok MP in 2019Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, the country's youngest opposition leader, has declared his readiness to become prime minister, positioning his People's Party as a vehicle for national transformation. His parliamentary career began in 2019, when he was elected as a Bangkok MP under the now-dissolved Future Forward Party. He later won a party-list seat in the 2023 election with the Move Forward Party. Either the People's Party forms the government, or we return to the old-style coalition politics we have seen before." Comparisons with former Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat are inevitable, but Mr Nattacha rejects the notion of replacement.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 06, 2026 22:47 UTC
Int'l monitors to ensure transparent polls
Int'l monitors to ensure transparent pollsStudents in Trat take part in a campaign on Thursday to urge voters to exercise their voting rights on Sunday. (Photo: Jakkrit Waewkhaihong)A total of 44 election observers from 17 countries and one international organisation will monitor Sunday's general election and charter rewrite referendum, according to the Election Commission (EC). The observers are participating in an election observation programme running from Feb 5–9 in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces. That includes briefings, field observations on polling day and post-election assessments. On polling day, they will observe the process from the opening of polling stations through voting, vote counting and the closing of ballot boxes.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 06, 2026 22:36 UTC
Charter rewrite rivals make final appeals
Charter rewrite rivals make final appealsDr Tul Sitthisomwong, third from the front left, leads a rally opposing a charter rewrite in the Silom area on Friday. (Photo: Mac Million's Facebook)Campaigning for and against approval of a constitutional rewrite intensified on Friday as a coalition of pro-democracy groups called on voters to back the amendment process while opponents rallied in defence of the 2017 charter. Among the organisations backing the charter rewrite are the Campaign Committee for Democracy, the Human Rights Lawyers Association, the People's Network for Elections, the People's Movement for a Just Society and the Anti-Corruption People's Network. Meanwhile, a group of opponents of the charter rewrite led by Dr Tul Sitthisomwong rallied in Bangkok's Silom area, holding placards and chanting slogans rejecting the drafting of a new constitution. During the rally, he admitted that some provisions of the 2017 constitution may require revision, but said the mechanism to hold politicians accountable is the strength of the charter.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 06, 2026 22:29 UTC