People's Party pushes Social Security overhaul
A 12-million-baht canteen renovation is one of many instances of questionable spending by the civil servants overseeing the Social Security Fund (SSF) in Thailand. (Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut)The People's Party says it will move immediately to table a sweeping overhaul of the Social Security system, proposing a new board structure that shifts authority away from the state and towards the contributors who fund it. "At this moment, insured persons are worried about how their money is being used," he said, arguing that reform cannot wait for the typically lengthy legislative process. Despite contributing only 2.75% to the Social Security Fund, compared with 5% each from employers and employees, the government held equal representation and outsized influence, he said. The draft law would also remove the Social Security Office from the traditional bureaucratic structure and place it under a publicly accountable co-governance model.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 14, 2026 04:07 UTC
France detains nine over alleged $11.8 mln Louvre ticket fraud
French police arrested nine people in an investigation into a Louvre ticket fraud that may have cost the world's most visited museum 10 million euros ($11.86 million) in revenues, the Paris prosecutor's office said on Friday (February 13).
Source:Bangkok Post
February 14, 2026 04:07 UTC
‘They don’t come in the building,’ says nurse amid major US measles outbreak
Spartanburg County in South Carolina finds itself the epicenter of the largest U.S. measles outbreak in more than thirty years. Some doctors fear that outbreaks like this one are becoming the new normal.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 14, 2026 03:51 UTC
4 Thai women rescued from scam hub
4 Thai women rescued from scam hubFour Thai women allegedly held for ransom in Myanmar's border town of Shwe Kokko have been rescued and returned to Thailand through Mae Sot district, local sources said yesterday. If investigators conclude that the women are not trafficking victims, they could face legal action for illegal border crossing into Myanmar, the sources said. After arriving at the Mae Sot bus terminal in Tak, they were picked up and transported across the border. Prior to the rescue, a civil society network that assists trafficking victims submitted an urgent letter to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, calling for swift government intervention. The site is located near the Thai-Myanmar border, opposite a checkpoint in Mae Pa sub-district of Mae Sot.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 14, 2026 03:27 UTC
AoT sees revenue climb in first quarter
AoT sees revenue climb in first quarterThe Airports of Thailand (AoT) yesterday reported a net profit of 4.65 billion baht for the first quarter of the 2026 fiscal year, pledging to focus on a progressive financial restructuring initiative to support steady growth. According to AoT president Paweena Jariyathitipong, the authority earned more than 17.3 billion baht in revenue from October to December last year. Of those included, she said aviation services generated more than 8.8 billion baht in income, a 0.67% increase from the same period of the previous fiscal year. Ms Paweena said that AoT expected revenue growth over the next nine months of this fiscal year, following a trend in tourism revitalisation across the world. Ms Paweena said that AoT has also worked on a revenue restructuring initiative, including a promotional campaign for carriers on servicing at one of six AoT airports, to increase its aeronautical revenue.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 14, 2026 03:11 UTC
B150bn motorway projects head for bidding this year
B150bn motorway projects head for bidding this yearThe Department of Highways (DoH) has announced plans to open bidding this year for several major motorway projects, with a combined investment value exceeding 150 billion baht. For motorway rest areas, the department plans to open bids for facilities on the M6 (Bang Pa-in–Nakhon Ratchasima) and M81 (Bang Yai–Kanchanaburi). The M6 project will cover 15 rest areas under two contracts, with construction costs estimated at 2.16 billion baht and operations and maintenance (O&M) costs of 7.76 billion baht over 30 years. The M81 project will include six rest areas under a single contract, with construction costs of 1.46 billion baht and O&M costs of 4.84 billion baht over the same period. The project is valued at about 15.72 billion baht.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 14, 2026 02:38 UTC
Alhaft and Arthur strike as Angels down Macarthur
Alhaft and Arthur strike as Angels down MacarthurBangkok United defeated Australia's Macarthur 2-0 in the AFC Champions League Two Round of 16 first leg tie at Pathum Thani Stadium on Thursday night. Goals from Allias Alhaft and Arthur gave the Thai League 1 side a comfortable lead going into the return leg in Australia next Thursday. Macarthur responded with Mitch Duke striking the left post with a glancing header, before Anthony Caceres wasted another attempt, heading straight at Angels' keeper Patiwat Khammai. Macarthur nearly conceded again in the 59th minute when Alhaft set up Muhsen Al Ghassani inside the box, but his header drifted wide of the right post. Saudi test for ThaisThailand will face hosts and two-time champions Saudi Arabia in the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026, which will take place between May 5-22.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 14, 2026 00:34 UTC
Asian shares retreat ahead of Lunar New Year break
Asian shares retreat ahead of Lunar New Year breakRECAP: Asian equities pulled back from record highs yesterday as traders locked in gains and pared positions ahead of a week-long holiday in Chinese markets. Foreign investors were net buyers of 32.93 billion baht, followed by institutional investors at 3.29 billion and brokerage firms at 1.43 billion. Thai investors cheered the prospect of political stability after the Bhumjaithai Party scored a convincing win in the Feb 8 election. The World Bank lowered its 2026 Thailand GDP growth forecast to 1.6% from 1.8%, citing a global trade slowdown, high household debt and a sluggish tourism recovery. However, if fourth-quarter Thai GDP is weaker than expected, it could dim market sentiment.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 14, 2026 00:34 UTC
Another FA Cup opportunity for the Silkmen
Leading the charge will be non-league Macclesfield Town, who in the third round defeated defending champions Crystal Palace in arguably the biggest upset in FA Cup history. The Tigers were FA Cup finalists in 2014 but succumbed 3-2 to Arsenal. Sunderland will be expected to overcome struggling Oxford United but in the FA Cup you can never be sure. There are only two games between Premier League teams and both will be fiercely contested. Other Premier League teams in action include league leaders Arsenal at home to Wigan Athletic.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 14, 2026 00:34 UTC
China military purge exposes Xi's unease
China military purge exposes Xi's uneaseStrange and mysterious events are transpiring inside the walls of Beijing's Forbidden City. Composed of seven members including Chairman Xi, the CMC forms the Supreme military leadership body of China's military services such as the powerful People's Liberation Army and Navy. It went on: "Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, as senior cadres of the Party and the military, seriously betrayed the trust and expectations of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission". An Institute for the Study of War analysis opines, "Xi Jinping's Military Purges Leave Him Increasingly Powerful but Isolated". But many inside the Chinese military understand the complexity of such an operation, which is by no means assured of victory.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 14, 2026 00:27 UTC
Big C allots B8bn for new branches
A conceptual prototype of The Color, a new lifestyle mall from Big C Supercenter, scheduled to open in Chaengwattana in the first quarter of 2027. Big C Supercenter Plc plans to invest up to 8 billion baht for new branch openings and the renovation of outlets across Thailand. The investment aims to modernise facilities to better meet evolving consumer habits, particularly those seeking convenience, quality and diverse experiences, said Aswin Techajareonvikul, chief executive and president of Big C Supercenter. Big C Supercenter allocated 6-8 billion baht this year to expand its large stores at potential locations, open 200 new Big C Mini branches and renovate more than 300 outlets of various sizes across Thailand. "The Color Chaengwattana will be a new landmark for the area and a new format of Big C mall," she said.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 14, 2026 00:14 UTC
Strategic flavours
Tasteful Thailand comprises 10 episodes, each centred on a single ingredient considered fundamental to Thai cuisine. Viewers are invited to see Thai cuisine not as a fixed canon, but as a living, evolving practice shaped by people and place. Gao also reflected on the complexity and openness of Thai cuisine, emphasising its emotional range: "Thai food is astonishingly diverse. "It helps audiences understand that Thai food is more than just delicious -- it reflects the relationship between people, nature and culture. EP.2 Lemongrass – Khon Kaen Official launch: Jan 30Chef Paisarn Cheewinsiriwat (Kaen Restaurant, Michelin Selected) explores Isan flavours through this essential Thai herb.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 14, 2026 00:09 UTC
When journalism still exists -- but no longer matters
When journalism still exists -- but no longer matters'Democracy Dies in Darkness" became the motto of the Washington Post in 2017, four years after Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder and one of the world's richest men, purchased the newspaper. For years, the crisis in journalism was described largely in terms of partiality, polarisation, and declining trust. That is why it matters that Skydance -- headed by David Ellison, Larry Ellison's son -- took over Paramount, which controls CBS. Journalism and facts still exist, but the chain that once ran from reporting to shared reality to institutional response begins to break apart. Accurate reporting no longer compels action, because facts can be published, verified, and still fail to trigger a response.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 13, 2026 23:51 UTC
Navigating between global superpowers
Navigating between global superpowersBoth China and the US issued new national security policies over the past year. China issued its new National Security Policy near the middle of 2025, reiterating its earlier Global Security Initiative, which had emphasised its commitment to multilateralism, embodied in the UN, and the rules-based order under that umbrella. The 2025 policy titled "China's National Security in the New Era" has a more inward-looking dimension. That caution also applies to the new US national security policy: "National Security Strategy of the United States of America" issued at the end of 2025. Of course, the public can agree or disagree with the national security policies of those superpowers.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 13, 2026 23:36 UTC
Anutin fuels border fear
Anutin fuels border fearFrom a dubious plan to tightly seal the border with Cambodia, caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is seeking to form a coalition government, has now given the nod to construct additional fencing along the frontier -- a move that signals extended hostility towards Thailand's immediate neighbour. Shortly before approving the wall, Mr Anutin ordered a study into the possible annulment of the controversial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) 44. The border wall and the MoU 44 review are likely to consolidate Mr Anutin's ultra-conservative base as coalition negotiations continue. Mr Anutin must be transparent with the public that large sections of the border remain undemarcated. It is not too late for Mr Anutin to reconsider a military-led approach.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 13, 2026 23:36 UTC