Pheu Thai seeks lessons from poll loss
Pheu Thai seeks lessons from poll lossPheu Thai prime ministerial candidate Yodchanan Wongsawat, centre, party secretary-general Prasert Chantraruangthong, left, and prime ministerial candidate and election director Suriya Juangroongruangkit, right, attend the first meeting of the party on Friday after the Feb 8 election. (Photo: Pheu Thai Party)The Pheu Thai Party held its first meeting after the Feb 8 election on Friday to draw lessons from both the winning and losing candidates, as well as to discuss issues related to the transparency of the poll. Pheu Thai secretary-general Prasert Chantraruangthong said there have been complaints filed in many areas concerning the transparency of the poll. He also advised election candidates to submit the conclusions of their campaigns and the reasons for their victories or losses. I will not leave Pheu Thai," he said.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 13, 2026 23:25 UTC
Thai Tobacco Authority targets B1.2bn export revenue in 2026
Thai Tobacco Authority targets B1.2bn export revenue in 2026The Tobacco Authority of Thailand looks set to boost exports this year, aiming to raise cigarette shipment revenue to 1.2 billion baht, up from 800 million baht in 2025. Mr Poomjit said the domestic cigarette market has contracted due to the economic slowdown and increasing competition from imported cigarettes. As a result, the authority's market share of cigarettes, which was previously a domestic monopoly, has substantially declined. Over the past several years, the Tobacco Authority has faced intense competition, said Mr Poomjit. The authority's market share over the past decade has declined by 37.8 percentage points to around 60%, while production costs last year rose by 45% from 2018 levels.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 13, 2026 23:17 UTC
Chiang Mai airport traffic reaches post-Covid peak
69 chartered flights from China and Taiwan scheduled to land at Chiang Mai over Lunar New YearPassengers at Chiang Mai Airport on Friday. (Photo: Panumate Tanraksa)CHIANG MAI - The number of daily passengers using Chiang Mai Airport as reached a new post-pandemic high, underlining the city’s status as a tourist hub in northern Thailand. Airports of Thailand Plc has said the average daily number of travellers at the northern hub is around 35,000. Airlines using Chiang Mai Airport serve 11 domestic destinations and 22 international routes. A total of 69 charter flights originating from China and Taiwan are due to land in Chiang Mai between Feb 16 and 22, he said.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 13, 2026 23:17 UTC
MCOT opens bids for Bangkok land
MCOT opens bids for Bangkok landThe MCOT land is located on Watthanatham and Thiam Ruam Mit roads, adjacent to an exit of the Thailand Cultural Centre station on the MRT Orange Line. The leasehold price is expected to be 30-40% of the freehold value, which MCOT has estimated at 9 billion baht based on the re-zoning plan. Instead, we chose to lease the land rather than invest directly or pursue a joint venture." The process took some time as MCOT needed to ensure clarity on access points, review relevant regulations, and reassess the land value following the re-zoning, which resulted in a 20% increase in valuation, said Ms Soontareeya. MCOT plans to open bidding for the lease of two additional plots after the Rama IX site.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 13, 2026 23:06 UTC
Ukrainian Heraskevych loses appeal against Olympics disqualification
Ukrainian Heraskevych loses appeal against Olympics disqualificationUkrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych holds his helmet, which depicts victims of his country's war with Russia. (Photo: AFP)MILAN (ITALY) - Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych on Friday lost his appeal against his disqualification from the Winter Olympics for wearing a helmet adorned with pictures of the Ukrainian war dead. Heraskevych was disqualified from the Milan-Cortina Games on Thursday after refusing to ditch the helmet that features pictures of Ukrainian sportsmen and women killed since Russian forces invaded Ukraine in 2022. The Court of Arbitration for Sport said it had "denied an application by Skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych (Ukraine) against the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC)". The decision to disqualify Heraskevych drew a stinging response on Thursday from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said the "Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors".
Source:Bangkok Post
February 13, 2026 23:05 UTC
US waives Venezuela oil sanctions as Trump says expects to visit
US waives Venezuela oil sanctions as Trump says expects to visitTrump has praised Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez for her cooperation since the toppling of her former boss, Nicolas Maduro. (Photo: AFP)WASHINGTON (UNITED STATES) - US President Donald Trump said Friday he planned to visit Venezuela and reiterated satisfaction with its interim leader, as his administration authorized five major oil companies to operate in the country. "I'm going to make a visit to Venezuela," Trump told reporters Friday, while adding that the date had not been decided. Trump and top appointees like Energy Secretary Chris Wright have been blunt in characterizing Washington as a party controlling Venezuela's oil resources for the foreseeable future. Wright said Wednesday that the US oil embargo on Venezuela, in place since 2019, was "essentially over."
Source:Bangkok Post
February 13, 2026 23:05 UTC
Call for police reform to boost tourism
Tourism operators are urging the government to reform law enforcement and regulation, as businesses and tourists suffer from worsening bribery issues, hampering the nation's tourism reputation. Chinnawat Udomniyom, president of the Phuket Boutique Accommodation Consortium, said the poor corruption score was a mirror of tourism concerns in Phuket, such as bribery and a lack of law enforcement against criminals. He said robust tourism in Phuket had attracted many businesses, including some that violate the law. Sanga Ruangwattanakul, president of the Khao San Road Business Association, said bribery is common in Thai tourist destinations, stemming from inefficient law enforcement structures. If the officers followed normal procedures, it would not have made the news or affected tourism sentiment, he said.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 13, 2026 23:05 UTC
Canada PM to mourn with grieving town, new details emerge on shooter
Canada PM to mourn with grieving town, new details emerge on shooterA memorial for the victims the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, Canada. (Photo: AFP)TUMBLER RIDGE (CANADA) - A grief-stricken community in northern Canada will mourn with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday, who is headed to the remote town of Tumbler Ridge to honor victims of a mass shooting. In the days since Tuesday's killings at the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, more information has emerged about both the victims and the shooter, an 18-year-old transgender woman named Jesse Van Rootselaar. The town was quiet early Friday and residents have voiced weariness over the influx of media attention following the tragedy. He described Tumbler Ridge as a town of miners, teachers and construction workers who represent "the very best of Canada: resilient, compassionate and strong."
Source:Bangkok Post
February 13, 2026 23:05 UTC
Thailand to host Asia’s premier Textile & Apparel Sourcing event
The dual events position Thailand as a powerful gateway for global sourcing, industry dialogue and cross-border collaboration. Organised as a comprehensive multi-country sourcing platform, Asia Sourcing 2026 integrates the 2nd Asian International Apparel Sourcing Show and the 2nd Asian International Yarn & Fabric Sourcing Show. It also receives strong support from key organisations such as the National Federation of Thai Textile Industries (NFTTI), the Thailand Textile Institute (THTI) and the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB). These flagship platforms are developed as the first truly global, multi-country textile and apparel sourcing marketplace ever organised in Thailand. Event Details2nd Asia Sourcing Show 2026 (Textiles & Apparel) Global Sourcing Summit 2026Date: 3–5 June 2026 Venue: IMPACT Exhibition & Convention Center, BangkokContact Information: Website: www.asia-sourcing.com WhatsApp: +1 212 914 7414 Email: contact@cems-global.com
Source:Bangkok Post
February 13, 2026 18:57 UTC
Barcodes on ballots could violate secret voting rules
Barcodes on ballots could violate secret voting rulesThe barcodes and QR codes on ballots could violate secret voting rules. A heated debate has erupted online over barcodes and QR codes printed on election ballots, with voters questioning whether the codes could be used to trace who voted for whom, potentially violating constitutional guarantees of ballot secrecy. Since polling station officials record the sequence in which ballots are issued, and ballot stubs contain corresponding numbers, the ballots could theoretically be matched to individual voters, fundamentally contradicting the principle of secret voting. Notably, yellow ballots for the constitutional referendum contained no barcodes or QR codes. The yellow ballots for the constitutional referendum contained no barcodes or QR codes.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 13, 2026 18:37 UTC
Guru's Weekly Buzz: Feb 13-19
St Valentine's Day / Sri's Room / Until Feb 28This Valentine’s season, Sri’s Room is offering the "Valentine’s Course Menu", available until Feb 28. Anniversary showdown / Tropic City / Feb 14Tropic City gears up to celebrate its eight-year anniversary with a stacked line-up set for Feb 14. Chinese New Year / Waldorf Astoria Bangkok / Feb 15-23Front Room at the Waldorf Astoria Bangkok will offer a Thai-Chinese à la carte menu from Feb 15-23. Chinese New Year / The St. Regis Bangkok / Feb 22The February edition of "Cocktails, Tapas & Friends" returns on Feb 22, celebrating the Chinese New Year. The five chefs will be offering tastings of the four regions of Thailand in a nine-course set menu.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 13, 2026 18:21 UTC
Thailand pushes to arrest plunging birth rate
(Photo: Somchai Poomlard)Authorities are launching a new push to address Thailand’s collapsing birth rate, now the lowest in 75 years, with a focus on ensuring that every pregnancy is safe, voluntary and fully supported. The trend, she warned, poses long-term risks to the country’s economic growth, social structure, labour force, welfare system and public health. Thailand is consistently ranked among the bottom 10 countries in the world for low birth rates. Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia with a declining birth rate. The low birth rate is attributed to economic struggles, high living costs and changing social norms among younger generations, leading the government to view the issue as a national crisis.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 13, 2026 17:36 UTC
Malaysia fencing Thai border ‘rat routes’ with barbed wire
Authorities looking to deter smuggling and other cross-border crimesA Thai soldier stands lookout on the bank of the Golok River separating Sungai Kolok district in Narathiwat province with Kelantan state in Malaysia, in 2018. (Bangkok Post File Photo)Malaysia has started installing security wire at illegal passes along the river border opposite Narathiwat province in Thailand to tackle cross-border crimes. Rantau Panjang stands on the other side of the Golok River where Sungai Kolok district is located. Malaysian security authorities have demolished illegally built piers and routes along the river to combat contraband, human trafficking, illicit drugs and other border-crossing crimes. Kelantan state has been pushing for a concrete wall along the border with the Thai province, but the country’s home minister has said he would prefer to use higher-tech solutions.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 13, 2026 17:19 UTC
Thailand’s Minor International to 'explore' Hong Kong IPO
Minor mulls Hong Kong listing for restaurant business. (Photo: Minor Food)Thailand’s Minor International Public Company Limited, one of Asia’s largest hospitality groups, is considering a Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) for its restaurant business, people familiar with the matter said, at a time when Bangkok’s stock market tries to revive activity at home. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong stock exchange has been trying to court more listing candidates from countries apart from mainland China. Cryptocurrency exchange operator Bitkub and technology startup Line Man Wongnai are also considering offerings in Hong Kong, Bloomberg News has reported. Coconut-water maker IFBH Ltd made its Hong Kong debut in June.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 13, 2026 17:01 UTC
‘Tokyogurl’, ‘Cheerio’ charged in SEA Games cheating case
Naphat “Tokyogurl” Warasin at the SEA Games esports event in Bangkok on Dec 16, 2025, where she was expelled for cheating. The offences relate to Ms Naphat’s use of unauthorised software and a stand‑in to play during the SEA Games esports competition on Dec 16, 2025. According to the investigation, Ms Naphat shared her username and password with Mr Chaiyo, a well-known semi-pro player who had also competed on the professional stage. The suspicious activity was flagged during a Thailand–Vietnam fixture, prompting match officials to expel Ms Naphat and disqualify Thailand’s women’s team. “Cheerio”, seen in a promotional poster, admitted in January that he secretly played for Thai e-sports athlete “Tokyogurl” during a 2025 SEA Games event.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 13, 2026 15:51 UTC