PM Anutin expects new govt to serve full term
Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul speaks to reporters at Government House in Bangkok on Tuesday. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul expects his new government to serve its full four-year term, while a key party figure says the coalition being formed should have about 300 MPs. “The new government led by the Bhumjaithai Party must serve its four-year term, working honestly and quickly to meet people’s demands, maximise the national interest and be internationally recognised,” Mr Anutin said at Government House on Tuesday. Mr Anutin confirmed that with the number of Bhumjaithai MPs he was likely have he would be able to control the other coalition parties. The party would listen to the people’s voice, and it was clear that many people trusted the Bhumjaithai Party, Ms Treenuch said.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 10, 2026 13:51 UTC
Opponents demand recount in Chon Buri seat won by deputy PM
Opponents demand recount in Chon Buri seat won by deputy PMBallot boxes stored at the badminton court in Muang district, Chon Buri, on Tuesday morning. (Chon Buri PR Department)Protesters have demanded a recount of ballots in Chon Buri's constituency 1, claiming that ballot boxes were not properly sealed after voting ended on Sunday. Demonstrators gathered at the badminton court of the Muang Chon Buri municipal office near the Muang Chon Buri district office on Monday and remained overnight. The Muang Chon Buri district chief ordered the ballot boxes secured. Observers and the questioned ballot boxes in Muang district, Chon Buri, on Tuesday morning.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 10, 2026 13:49 UTC
Thailand’s corruption score slips
Thailand’s score was on par with three other countries: Ecuador, Panama and Serbia. In the past decade, the best CPI score Thailand has achieved was 38, in both 2014 and 2015. The three worst performers in the 2025 survey were Venezuela with a score of 10 points, Somalia and South Sudan (9 each). Berlin-based Transparency International said the global average score in 2025 dropped one point to 42, and 122 countries scored below 50, signalling widespread public sector corruption. Countries that curb civic space often lose control of corruption, Transparency International said.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 10, 2026 13:46 UTC
Workers hospitalised after building collapses
Workers hospitalised after building collapsesRescuers approach the collapsed building at the Bang Phli Metropolitan Electricity Authority training centre in Bang Sao Thong district in Samut Prakan province on Monday. (Photo: Fire and Rescue Thailand)A building collapsed at the Bang Phli electricity authority training centre in Samut Prakan on Monday, injuring four construction workers. The building, on Soi Kan Kheha Haeng Chat Bang Phli, collapsed about 11.45am, Fire and Rescue Thailand reported. It was later confirmed that four contract workers were injured and were receiving treatment at a hospital. Public access had been restricted and stricter enforcement of safety standards ordered at the construction site.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 10, 2026 12:58 UTC
EC needs to do better
EC needs to do betterThe election on Sunday has finally ended, albeit with mixed reactions. Several of these blunders were so serious that the EC secretary-general had to apologise to the public twice and promised to do better on the main polling day. Without doubt, EC officials had to cope with an enormous workload, as they were tasked with handling both the election and the constitutional referendum. Senior EC officials continued to deny wrongdoing until they could no longer do so. The EC needs to examine complaints carefully, and where there are grounds for irregularities, it must launch investigations swiftly.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 10, 2026 12:32 UTC
Australian PM 'devastated' by violence at rally against Israel president's visit
Law enforcement hit protesters and members of the media, including AFP, with pepper spray in rarely-seen violent scuffles in Sydney's central business district. Asked about the scenes, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told local radio he was "devastated" to see the violence. New South Wales police have said they arrested 27 people at the rallies, including 10 for assaulting law enforcement, and have confirmed they deployed pepper spray against the crowd. "His visit will lift the spirits of a pained community," said Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the community's peak body. Israel has "categorically" rejected the inquiry's report, describing it as "distorted and false" and calling for the body's abolition.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 10, 2026 03:00 UTC
US athletes using Winter Olympics to express Trump criticism
US athletes using Winter Olympics to express Trump criticismTeam figure skating gold medallist Amber Glenn defended her right to speak out, saying politics affects everyonePARIS (FRANCE) - The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics is in danger of developing into a Cold War between the athletes and US President Donald Trump with several competitors voicing criticism of his administration. The fatal shootings of two protesters by federal officers in Minneapolis last month sparked outrage in the United States. "Hunter Hess, a real Loser, says he doesn't represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics." Glenn, who identifies as pansexual and bisexual, took issue with those who questioned the legitimacy of athletes voicing their opinions. On one side was inscribed "Go Team USA" and on the other: "Apologies to the world for our bad behaviour.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 10, 2026 02:55 UTC
Will Thailand's election deliver a stable government?
Will Thailand's election deliver a stable government? Bhumjaithai leader and caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reacts at the party headquarters on the day of the general election on Sunday. Although Bhumjaithai lacks an outright majority, its 193 seats give Mr Anutin plenty of bargaining power. Clearing away one obstacle, the People's Party said on Sunday it would not form a competing alliance. The size of Bhumjaithai's win consolidates power to enable better governance if Mr Anutin can manage Thailand's stuttering economy and balance the interests of big business groups and powerful institutions.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 10, 2026 02:41 UTC
Russia invites young Thais to attend festival this year
Russia invites young Thais to attend festival this yearRussia has invited young people in Thailand and other countries to apply to the International Youth Festival 2026, which aims to bring together participants aged 35 or younger. Russia previously hosted such festivals in Moscow in 1985, when it was part of the Soviet Union, and in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi in 2017. More recently, a government-run World Youth Festival was held in the Sirius federal territory from Feb 29 to March 7, 2024, drawing about 20,000 participants from 190 countries, according to Russian officials. Following that event, President Vladimir Putin approved a long-term plan for Russia to host regular youth gatherings, including a World Youth Festival every six years starting in 2030, an International Youth Festival every six years beginning in 2027, and smaller annual thematic events. The International Youth Festival 2026 is scheduled to take place in Ekaterinburg from Sept 11 to 17.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 10, 2026 02:12 UTC
AI chatbots give bad health advice, research finds
"Despite all the hype, AI just isn't ready to take on the role of the physician," study co-author Rebecca Payne from Oxford University said. People using the AI chatbots were only able to identify their health problem around a third of the time, while only around 45% figured out the right course of action. Communication breakdownThe researchers pointed out the disparity between these disappointing results and how AI chatbots score extremely highly on medical benchmarks and exams, blaming the gap on a communication breakdown. Unlike the simulated patient interactions often used to test AI, the real humans often did not give the chatbots all the relevant information. One out of every six US adults ask AI chatbots about health information at least once a month, the researchers said, with that number expected to increase as more people adopt the new technology.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 10, 2026 02:05 UTC
New plan to secure gold shops
New plan to secure gold shopsThe police have pledged to step up security measures in a bid to prevent robberies at gold shops across the capital, as surging prices in recent weeks resulted in increased interest from criminals. The pledge was made following a meeting between senior officials from the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) and representatives from the Gold Traders Association, as well as individual gold shop operators. Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, deputy national police chief overseeing cybercrime suppression, said out of the 1,129 gold shops in Bangkok, 435 are classified as highly secure or "green" outlets. Meanwhile, 547 are rated medium-security or "yellow" and 147 are considered low-security ("red"), with limited safeguards and unsafe locations. The measures include improved physical security protocols to reduce opportunities for theft, such as additional CCTV surveillance and ordering shop staff to be more vigilant while on duty.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 10, 2026 01:21 UTC
BJT tops recount in Pathum Thani
Election Commission (EC) officials hold a press briefing to clarify the recount of advance and overseas ballots in Pathum Thani's Constituency 7, which was prompted by complaints from students observing the vote count process. The clarification followed widespread confusion on social media, where claims circulated that Bhumjaithai had initially led but was overtaken by the PP after the recount. After negotiations lasting more than six hours, officials agreed to conduct a new count, allowing students to participate under supervision. Pian Marasri, head of the political investigation at Pathum Thani's EC office, said his office had received complaints that election staff prevented public observation. Provincial officials forwarded the case to the central EC, which approved the recount.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 10, 2026 01:20 UTC
Thailand reconsiders its foreign policy
Bhumjaithai PartyThai foreign policy was elevated to a high priority on the policy platforms of many political parties during Sunday's general election. During the campaign, numerous debates focused on foreign policy -- something that was rare in previous electoral contests. For the time being, only the Bhumjaithai Party and the People's Party (PP) are seriously pushing their foreign policy agendas. To understand the present dynamics of Thai foreign policy, it is important to briefly recap developments under the short-lived Anutin administration. Whatever form Thai foreign policy takes, a sense of national survival runs deep among diplomats and policymakers.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 10, 2026 00:31 UTC
The case of the disappearing senior generals
The case of the disappearing senior generalsArmies can be used against both against foreigners abroad and against citizens at home, but the two roles require quite different equipment and tactics. Slowly at first, but now in a rush, the senior command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has been purged of its highest-ranking generals. It's not like Stalin's great purge of Soviet generals in 1937-38, just before the Second World War, when at least 780 generals were shot. The Chinese generals are not being executed, although many are ending up in jail. Speaking of which, have you noticed how many American generals have been removed from office in the past year?
Source:Bangkok Post
February 10, 2026 00:31 UTC
From conflict to shared prosperity
From conflict to shared prosperityA file photo dated June 1, 2015, shows brisk cross-border trade between Thailand and Cambodia, before fighting erupted in 2025. BloombergThe news from the front line, the border between Cambodia and Thailand, has a depressing familiarity. In both cases, I did not go where there was a significant risk of being caught up in conflict or violence. The Cambodia-Thai border conflict illustrates how tourism requires peace. There are many factors affecting tourism in both countries, but the border conflict was undoubtedly one of them.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 10, 2026 00:31 UTC