American siblings thank Thai man for Vietnam War kindness
American siblings thank Thai man for Vietnam War kindnessListen to this articleThe three siblings reunited with Uncle Poon. "He invited me to have meals with his family," Uncle Poon said. An Unexpected ReturnFor 53 years, the Butland siblings never forgot the man who protected them. Mark considers Uncle Poon like his father's older brother, the driving force behind their search despite the odds that Uncle Poon might have already passed. They did not even know Uncle Poon now goes by "Kwang" instead of "Poon" but praised the unchanged Thai hospitality.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 10:27 UTC
Trump irks gun rights groups with stance on Pretti killing
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday (January 27) said Alex Pretti, the man fatally shot by a federal agent during a confrontation in Minneapolis, should not have been carrying a gun or fully loaded magazines, comments that put him at odds with gun rights groups and some Republicans.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 05:50 UTC
Atomic scientists set 'Doomsday Clock' closer to midnight than ever
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists set the clock to 85 seconds before midnight, the theoretical point of annihilation. The Chicago-based nonprofit created the clock in 1947 during the Cold War tensions that followed World War Two to warn the public about how close humankind was to destroying the world. "No matter the government, a shift towards neo-imperialism and an Orwellian approach to governance will only serve to push the clock toward midnight." It was the third time in the past four years that the scientists moved the clock closer to midnight. "In terms of nuclear risks, nothing in 2025 trended in the right direction," Bell said.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 05:50 UTC
French ex-senator found guilty of drugging lawmaker
French ex-senator found guilty of drugging lawmakerListen to this articleThe accused ex-senator Joel Guerriau arrives in court for his trial. (Photo: AFP)PARIS — A French court Tuesday found a former senator guilty of drugging a woman lawmaker with ecstasy with intent to sexually assault her, and sentenced him to four years in prison, of which 18 months must be behind bars. French prosecutors had sought a four-year prison sentence for the former senator, who described the drugging of his friend of 10 years as an accident and called himself an "idiot". Josso described soon feeling unwell with a racing heart rate, and she left hurriedly before going to hospital. But he also said that Guerriau had no criminal record and had "devoted part of his life to the functioning of French democracy".
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 05:50 UTC
Japan asks fishermen to avoid disputed islands, fearing China clash
Some Japanese officials have been discreetly urging fisherman and local politician Hitoshi Nakama, and his peers, to steer clear of the remote island outcrops known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China to avoid escalating a diplomatic clash with Beijing, according to Nakama and three other people with knowledge of the requests.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 05:36 UTC
Japan's Olympic ice icons inspire new skating generation
Japan's Olympic ice icons inspire new skating generationListen to this articleYuzuru Hanyu won Olympic men's singles gold twice and attracted a devoted following of fans. Japan's first Olympic figure skating medal came when Midori Ito won silver at the Albertville Games. Her coach, Machiko Yamada, said Ito proved to Japanese skaters that international success was possible. Ice PrinceIto was the first in what became a long line of Japanese skating stars, but two in particular transcended the sport. Sakamoto, a three-time world champion who will retire after this season, says such fierce competition keeps Japanese skaters on their toes.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 05:02 UTC
2 tourists killed in separate traffic accidents
2 tourists killed in separate traffic accidentsListen to this articlePolice are at the scene of the Pattaya accident. (Photo: Amporn Sangkaew)PATTAYA/PHUKET — Chinese and Turkish nationals were killed in separate traffic accidents in the tourist destinations early Wednesday morning. In Pattaya, Li Borui, 40, was crushed to death by a Mitsubishi Pajero driven by his friend, Tian Hangyu, 36, at about 5am. In Phuket, 23-year-old Turkish national Yunus Acar was killed when his motorcycle collided with a van on Patak Road in Muang district at 12.35am. Wit, the 58-year-old van driver, said the victim rode straight onto the road from his hotel and turned right before the collision.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 05:02 UTC
Where have all the doctors gone?
Yet paradoxically, the health system is experiencing a growing shortage of doctors -- particularly in public and community hospitals. The core issue is not how many doctors Thailand trains, but how the system treats them once they enter practice. This strain is most visible in public hospitals, particularly at the community level. The result is a vicious cycle: fewer doctors lead to heavier workloads, which in turn drive more doctors to withdraw or leave. Public and teaching hospitals shoulder the cost of training doctors, exposing them to complex cases, long hours, and steep learning curves.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 04:50 UTC
Amid Ukraine war fallout, fearful Chechen women seek escape route
Amid Ukraine war fallout, fearful Chechen women seek escape routeListen to this articleThe Muslim-majority region in the North Caucasus mountains is one of the most conservative and closed places in Russia. He has sent thousands of men to fight on the front in Ukraine -- a war that rights groups say has worsened condition for women in Chechnya. "The reasons for everything are the 'sheitan'," Asil told Agence France-Presse (AFP), referring to the Arabic word for devil. Asil told AFP the level of fear in Chechnya has intensified with people worrying about being reported for comments about the invasion. But Asil still believes there are "good Chechen families" and hopes that one day -- after the war and Kadyrov rule -- women will have more rights.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 04:40 UTC
Thai Oil maintains flagship project
Thai Oil maintains flagship projectListen to this articleAn aerial view of the oil refinery complex operated by Thai Oil in Chon Buri's Si Racha district. Thai Oil Plc, the country's largest oil refinery by capacity, is pressing forward with its flagship Clean Fuel Project (CFP) despite a significant delay that has pushed the commercial operation date to the third quarter of 2028. In April 2025, Thai Oil terminated its contract with a joint venture of international firms after they failed to pay subcontractors despite receiving full payment. Thai Oil hired Foster Wheeler, a global engineering and construction firm, to complete the remaining work, which was roughly 97% complete as of June last year, according to Bandhit Thamprajamchit, chief executive and president of Thai Oil. Thai Oil will also conduct a feasibility study on the application of naphtha, a byproduct from CFP, in the non-oil business, said Mr Bandhit.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 04:21 UTC
Public given chance to delay electricity bill payments
Public given chance to delay electricity bill paymentsListen to this articleA tangle of overhead telecom and broadcast cables close to a pedestrian bridge in the Rangsit area of Pathum Thani province. Normally bills must be settled within a month to avoid suspension, but under the new scheme payments can be postponed. The project, branded "People's Happiness: Extended Electricity Bill Payment", applies to meter readings taken between Dec 14, 2025 and April 13, 2026. As of November 2024, the MEA reported 4.37 million electricity users, with nearly 3.96 million households making up the majority. In a separate development, the MEA announced plans to tackle Bangkok's notorious tangle of overhead telecom and electricity cables.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 04:21 UTC
Thais off to brilliant start in futsal Asian Cup quest
Thais off to brilliant start in futsal Asian Cup questListen to this articleThailand's Muhammad Osamanmusa celebrates after scoring against Lebanon. Thailand began their AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 campaign with a composed 2-0 victory over Lebanon in Group B at the Jakarta International Velodrome on Tuesday, underlining their credentials as one of the tournament favourites. Lebanon threatened sporadically on the counter, with Thai keeper Nuttapong Yeemarep forced into a diving stop from captain Mustafa Rhyem. "The score of 2-0 for me is not important, but the important thing is that we did not concede a goal and got three points." Thailand will face Kuwait on Thursday, with kick-off scheduled for 5pm at the Jakarta International Velodrome.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 04:20 UTC
Local Japanese companies upbeat for the first half
Local Japanese companies upbeat for the first halfListen to this articleMr Abe, centre, says Japanese companies in Thailand want to see a weaker baht. Mr Abe said Japanese companies are looking to expand their exports to growing markets such as India, Indonesia and Vietnam. Japanese companies identified the top challenges for corporate management as sluggish domestic demand, severe competition with other companies, rising total labour costs and exchange rate fluctuations. Japanese companies want to see a weaker baht," he said. To support business operations in Thailand, Japanese companies are urging the government to implement consumption stimulus measures, address elevated household debt and improve tax refund and tax audit procedures.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 04:20 UTC
Fiscal Policy Office trims 2025 GDP growth forecast to 2.2%
Fiscal Policy Office trims 2025 GDP growth forecast to 2.2%Listen to this articleThe Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) cut its GDP growth forecast for 2025 to 2.2% from 2.4%, while maintaining its 2026 projection at 2%, supported by tourism and private sector investment. For GDP in 2026, growth is expected to be driven by the tourism sector, with foreign arrivals projected at 35.5 million, up 7% from 32.9 million visitors last year. Second, the exchange rate is projected to average 32.9 baht per dollar in 2025, and 32 baht per dollar in 2026. Fifth, government consumption last year was projected at 3.16 trillion baht, down 1.9% year-on-year, while 2026 spending is expected to rise to 3.25 trillion baht, up 2.7%. Public investment spending in 2025 is estimated at 1.14 trillion baht, up 7.3% year-on-year, while 2026 spending is projected at 1.13 trillion baht, down 1.5%.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 04:17 UTC
Whoop device ban at Australian Open raises discontent
Whoop device ban at Australian Open raises discontentListen to this articleIva Jovic of the United States in action during her quarter final match against Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, on Tuesday. (Photo: Reuters)MELBOURNE — Aryna Sabalenka said the Australian Open should reconsider its policy on banning wrist-worn fitness trackers after several players were told to remove the devices before coming onto court. "The reason why I was wearing that on court, because we received the email that we got approval from the ITF to wear this device," Sabalenka told reporters on Tuesday. "The whole year we are wearing -- on WTA tournaments, all the tournaments I play -- we wear Whoop. "The Australian Open is involved in ongoing discussions on how this situation could change."
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 04:11 UTC