Fears grow after early vote
Similar levels of participation were reported in many provinces, with a wide range of problems reported across the country, including errors in addressing envelopes raising fears that ballots could be misallocated or invalidated. Other issues included incomplete or missing candidate lists, the disappearance of candidate leaflets, outdated QR code data and confusion among officials. In some cases, voters were initially denied their right to vote despite their names appearing in the system. Rukchanok Srinork, a PP list candidate, said candidate lists were missing from notice boards in several provinces. When questioned, some EC officials reportedly told voters that the party's candidates had been disqualified, a claim she said was untrue.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 02, 2026 22:06 UTC
Dr Suphat's dismissal 'unfair'
Dr Suphat's dismissal 'unfair'Members of a civil network wear personal protective equipment while submitting a petition at the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission against Dr Supat Hasuwannakit's recent dismissal for his purchase of Covid-19 test kits in 2021. The CSC says serious doubts remain over the fairness and completeness of the disciplinary process that led to his removal from public service. Dr Suphat was dismissed for alleged serious misconduct linked to the procurement of Covid-19 ATKs and the mobilisation of rural doctors to conduct mass testing in Bangkok during the 2021 pandemic. The coalition raised four key demands, including a call for a fresh investigation on the grounds that Dr Suphat was not given a full opportunity to provide an oral defence, as stipulated under civil service law. They argued that the inquiry process was incomplete, casting doubt on the legality and legitimacy of the dismissal order.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 02, 2026 22:05 UTC
Sakda denies link to viral audio clip
Sakda denies link to viral audio clipListen to this articleSakda VicheansilPolitical tensions have escalated following the circulation of an audio clip allegedly featuring a voice similar to that of Deputy Interior Minister Sakda Vicheansil of the Bhumjaithai Party. Lawyer Pattharapong Supaksorn has submitted a formal petition to the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, calling for an investigation into the audio clip, along with other video clips of political conversations currently circulating online, due to concerns over their legality. The disputed audio clip went viral late on Saturday. Mr Sakda has denied responsibility for the clip and filed a police complaint in Kanchanaburi against those who released and circulated the recording. He added that he would talk to Mr Sakda about the matter when he had a chance.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 02, 2026 22:05 UTC
Poll pledges 'not sustainable'
Poll pledges 'not sustainable'Listen to this articleThe Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) said the campaign pledges reported to the Election Commission by five major political parties taking part in the election on Sunday could place an unsustainable burden on the country's finances. TDRI researchers, led by economist Somkiat Tangkitvanich, reached the conclusion after assessing the estimated cost, sources of funding and implementation risks of the pledges, using the information provided to the EC by the parties. In addition, the TDRI study said several parties appear to have underestimated the true costs of their proposals. Such approaches, the TDRI warned, still create fiscal liabilities and are often not properly accounted for under existing fiscal discipline laws. The study warned that large-scale campaign spending could heighten fiscal risks, potentially leading to credit rating downgrades and limiting the country's ability to address long-term challenges such as its ageing population and climate change.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 02, 2026 22:05 UTC
Bad Bunny: the Puerto Rican phenom on top of the music world
Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio's career is barely a decade old, but it's marked by historic milestones that have broken barriers for Latin and Spanish-language music. Bad Bunny was the first -- and remains the only -- Spanish-language artist to ever receive an Album of the Year Grammy nod. That set foreshadowed the history lesson in Puerto Rican music Bad Bunny would soon give with "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos," which he promoted with a hometown concert residency. But more recently, he has joined Puerto Rican protests and spoken out against US President Donald Trump's policies. And all those sociopolitical layers come packaged in eminently danceable form: it's hard to attend a Bad Bunny show and resist the urge to twerk.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 02, 2026 19:02 UTC
Thai border trade drops due to spats with Cambodia
Trade with Cambodia, Myanmar plungesTrade with Cambodia accounted for 92 billion baht, leading the drop with a 47.3% fall, followed by a 7.4% dip in trade with Myanmar, which totalled 193 billion baht. Thai trade with Malaysia increased 2.8% to 315 billion baht, while bilateral trade with Laos rose 2.4% to 293 billion baht. Transit trade flourishesThe department said total transit trade last year reached a record 1.04 trillion baht, a 24.4% surge from 2024. Transit trade with China was 608 billion baht, a 26.7% jump, and topped transit trade by value, followed by Singapore and Vietnam. Fresh durians led all Thai exports in transit trade, followed by hard disk drives (HDD).
Source:Bangkok Post
February 02, 2026 18:51 UTC
Snapchat blocks 415,000 underage accounts in Australia
Snapchat blocks 415,000 underage accounts in AustraliaListen to this articleSnapchat says teens may be skirting a social media ban in Australia. (Photo: AFP)SYDNEY — Snapchat has blocked 415,000 accounts under Australia's social media ban for under-16s, the company said Monday, but warned some youngsters may be bypassing age verification technology. Platforms including Snapchat, Meta, TikTok and YouTube must stop underage users from holding accounts under the legislation, which came into effect on Dec 10, 2025. Australia's eSafety online regulator reported last month that tech giants had already blocked 4.7 million accounts, delivering "significant outcomes". As of the end of January, Snapchat said it had blocked or disabled 415,000 Snapchat accounts in Australia belonging to under-16s.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 02, 2026 18:41 UTC
Tough-talking right-winger elected Costa Rica president
Tough-talking right-winger elected Costa Rica presidentListen to this articleCosta Rica's presidential candidate of the Sovereign People party, Laura Fernandez, shows a ballot before voting at the Julian Volio Llorente school polling station during the presidential election. afpSAN JOSÉ - Right-wing political scientist Laura Fernandez won Costa Rica's presidential election on Sunday by a landslide, after promising to crack down hard on rising violence linked to the cocaine trade. With 81.24 percent of polling stations counted, the political heir of outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves had 48.94 percent of the vote compared to 33.02 percent for Ramos. She added that she would "fight tirelessly" to ensure Costa Rica "continues on the path of economic growth, freedom, and above all, the progress of our people." Fernandez insists that she is committed to upholding Costa Rica's democratic tradition.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 02, 2026 17:51 UTC
OpenAI launches Prism AI to revolutionise scientific research
OpenAI has unveiled Prism, a new artificial intelligence tool designed to support scientists and researchers by streamlining research workflow and scientific writing, allowing users to spend more time developing new ideas and less time on technical hurdles. Prism is a cloud-based workspace platform focused on research writing and collaborative scientific work. Its core strength lies in the direct integration of ChatGPT’s GPT-5.2 model, which offers advanced mathematical and scientific reasoning, into a document-editing environment built specifically for research tasks. As a result, Prism is positioned not as a conventional chatbot, but as an intelligent editor capable of understanding the complex structure and logic of academic research papers. Photo: OpenAI.comPrism also offers context-aware reasoning through GPT-5.2 Thinking, enabling the AI to understand an entire research paper, including complex equations and references to previous experimental results.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 02, 2026 16:41 UTC
Arsenal scoop $2m prize for winning Fifa Women's Champions Cup
Arsenal scoop $2m prize for winning Fifa Women's Champions CupListen to this articleArsenal won the first ever Women's Champions Cup on Sunday. (Photo: AFP)LONDON - Arsenal scooped the biggest financial prize in women's club football history by beating Corinthians 3-2 after extra time to win the inaugural Fifa Women's Champions Cup on Sunday. The European champions edged out the challenge of the Brazilian underdogs thanks to Caitlin Foord's winner to collect a $2.3 million payout. That is nearly four times the 500,000 euros ($590,000) Arsenal received for winning last season's Champions League. However, Corinthians shocked US champions Gotham FC in Wednesday's semi-finals and pushed Arsenal all the way in front of over 25,000 at the Emirates Stadium.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 02, 2026 15:31 UTC
Iguanas fall from trees in Florida as icy weather bites southern US
Iguanas fall from trees in Florida as icy weather bites southern USListen to this articleA cold-stunned green iguana lies on the ground on Sunday in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo: AFP)WASHINGTON - Iguanas stunned by cold temperatures dropped from trees in usually balmy Florida on Sunday as icy conditions blasted southern US states, dumping nearly a half-meter of snow in some areas and whipping up high winds that caused traffic chaos. The heaviest snows were reported in North Carolina -- a state that rarely sees snow other than in its highest elevations. Videos posted on social media showed the stunned creatures on sidewalks after falling from trees in southern parts of the state. About 158,000 customers remained without power Sunday, mostly in the south, according to poweroutage.us, with Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida and Louisiana hardest hit.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 02, 2026 15:13 UTC
Central Park’s Global Design Talks Bring World-Class Vision to Bangkok Design Week 2026
Central Park’s Global Design Talks Bring World-Class Vision to Bangkok Design Week 2026Uncover nine behind-the-scenes design stories from world-class architects and designers, tracing the creative journey from master plan to real-life useBangkok – Central Pattana invites the public to Central Park for “Design Talk: Designing the Future of Bangkok,” a design dialogue gathering the project developers, master planners, architects, and global designers behind Dusit Central Park to share perspectives on future-ready urban development. Design Talk will be held on Saturday 31 January 2026 from 13:00 hrs to 15:30 hrs at At Work, 6th floor, Central Park. Speaker snapshot:The stage brings together the full spectrum of minds behind Dusit Central Park, from Central Pattana and Dusit Thani teams sharing their city-making philosophy under the concept “Here for Bangkok,” to master planners shaping a multi-use urban-scale development. Central Pattana, in collaboration with Bangkok Design Week 2026, invites the public to experience urban design that connects people, ideas, and everyday living at Central Park and centralwOrld-inspiring change towards a more sustainable Bangkok. More information, please visit: Facebook fan page: Central Pattana, Central Park Bangkok and centralwOrld#CPNxBangkokDesignWeek2026 #CentralPattana #Imaginingbetterfuturesforall #centralwOrld #CentralParkBangkok #เซ็นทรัลพัฒนา #เซ็นทรัลเวิลด์ #เซ็นทรัลพาร์ค
Source:Bangkok Post
February 02, 2026 15:02 UTC
Grammy Awards 2026 highlights
The Grammy Awards returned for their 68th year, once again taking over the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles for the annual telecast. Here is a roundup of the major moments from the 2026 Grammy Awards. Gesaffelstein (Photo: Reuters)Gesaffelstein’s Red Carpet LookGesaffelstein delivered what may go down as the shortest acceptance speech in Grammy history. Steven Spielberg (Photo: Reuters)Steven Spielberg Achieves EGOT StatusSteven Spielberg officially entered elite territory this Sunday, completing the coveted EGOT. With his Grammy win for Best Music Film for Music by John Williams, the legendary filmmaker became one of only 21 artists in history to earn an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 02, 2026 14:51 UTC
Japan, Thai police to discuss measures against human trafficking
Japan, Thai police to discuss measures against human traffickingListen to this articleRelatives of the girl (second and third from the right) file their complaint at the Royal Thai Police office in Bangkok in November 2025. (Photo supplied)Japanese police plan to dispatch senior officials to Thailand to discuss measures against human trafficking after a then 12-year-old Thai girl was forced to engage in sex work in Tokyo, Japanese police officials said on Monday. In November, a man running a massage parlour in Tokyo was arrested for allegedly illegally employing the girl. A Thai woman who used to manage the private-room massage parlour was also arrested in January for allegedly acting as a broker. Thai police arrested the girl's mother in December on suspicion of human trafficking and other offenses, and the girl has returned to Thailand after she was taken into protective custody in Japan.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 02, 2026 14:35 UTC
Eight of 19 suspects in Narathiwat gold heist linked to petrol‑station bombing
11 of 19 held over gold heist are young and have clean records, say policeListen to this articleArmed robbers ransack showcases as they steal gold from a shop in the Big C mall in Sungai Kolok district, Narathiwat, on the night of Oct 5, 2025. (security camera screenshot)NARATHIWAT — Eight of 19 suspects in last year’s high‑profile armed robbery of a gold shop have prior security‑related offences and are also linked to the bombing of a PTT petrol station in Chanae district last month. Earlier this month, a special investigative team announced progress in the investigation after extensive forensic and intelligence work. Police said subsequent background checks on the 19 suspects showed 11 are young with no criminal records, while eight have extensive records tied to security offences. Some of those eight are also implicated in the petrol‑station bombing on Jan 11.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 02, 2026 14:05 UTC