Iranian jet fuel keeps Myanmar bombers flying
By the time the warplane swooped over Vanha and bombed the school, Myanmar’s air force had already received huge quantities of Iranian jet fuel. Reuters could not confirm whether the warplane that struck Vanha was flying on Iranian jet fuel. An analyst who tracks Iranian shipping also confirmed some jet fuel deliveries. “The UK condemns human rights violations by the Myanmar military, including airstrikes on civilian infrastructure,” the Foreign Office spokesman said. Only days earlier, Reef had made another covert delivery to Myanmar, unloading nearly 15,000 metric tons of jet fuel, according to the documents and satellite images.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 27, 2026 15:52 UTC
Election Commission reviewing promises worth trillions
(Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)Political parties have put trillions of baht on the table as the Election Commission released details of 527 campaign policies submitted by 51 parties contesting Thailand’s general election on Feb 8. They focus largely on water management, estimated at 400 billion to 550 billion baht, land reform, estimated at 35-48 billion, and agricultural development, estimated at 120 billion baht. They include the drafting of a new constitution, quality-of-life improvement projects worth 130 billion baht a year, and labour reskilling programmes estimated at 20 billion baht per year. Its proposals include the Khon La Krueng Plus co-payment scheme, an electricity subsidy scheme estimated at 63.4 billion baht and a defence volunteer force estimated at 22.7 billion baht per year. Other parties submitted fewer policies including the United Thai Nation Party with 21 and the Palang Pracharath Party with three.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 27, 2026 15:21 UTC
AI and the future of education
AI and the future of educationListen to this articlePupils attend a class at a children's computer coding training centre in Beijing, China, on Nov 8, 2019. From this perspective, education -- and especially higher education -- plays a more important role than ever. Students need to understand the underlying concepts and logic, rather than mastering every step of the execution. Some argue that AI itself will reduce the need for formal education by providing information and personalised guidance on demand. If AI is to benefit society, we will need more, not less, investment in education.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 27, 2026 12:36 UTC
Vietnam auto manufacturer to set up $130m EV battery plant with China's BYD
Vietnam auto manufacturer to set up $130m EV battery plant with China's BYDListen to this articleA battery is about to be installed on a electric car at a BYD assembly line in Shenzhen, China, on May 25, 2016. (File photo: Reuters)HANOI — Vietnam auto manufacturer Kim Long Motor said on Tuesday that it was partnering with China's BYD (Build Your Dreams) to develop a US$130 million plant to produce batteries for commercial electric vehicles (EVs) in central Vietnam. Under the agreement, Kim Long Motor will fund the construction of the facility, while BYD will provide comprehensive technical and technological support, the company said in a statement. The plant will be on a 4.4 hectare plot of land and will have a capacity of 3 gigawatt-hours per year, Kim Long Motor said in a statement. The plant will produce batteries for commercial vehicles, including buses, trucks and minibuses.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 27, 2026 12:03 UTC
Bangkok cat cafe accused of animal cruelty
Bangkok cat cafe accused of animal crueltyListen to this articleSome of the cats at the now-closed Just Cat Cafe in Bang Khen district of Bangkok where the owner is accused of animal cruelty. (Photo: Bang Khen district office)The owner of a cat cafe in Bang Khen district of Bangkok has been accused of animal cruelty after a video shared online showed him hitting the felines and throwing one against a wall. The man has since closed the business, the Just Cat Cafe, and agreed to go through legal procedures, according to district officials who inspected the premises on Monday. Netizens who said they had been to the Just Cat Cafe attested that many cats there suffered from a skin fungus, ringworm, which is encouraged by poor hygiene. The Watchdog Thailand Foundation said on Facebook on Monday that it had filed a complaint with Bang Khen police against the business.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 27, 2026 11:19 UTC
US formally withdraws from Paris climate accord
US formally withdraws from Paris climate accordListen to this articleUS President Donald Trump visits a Ford production center in Dearborn, Michigan, on Jan 13. (Photo: Reuters)The United States on Tuesday formally withdrew from the Paris climate accord, the key international framework for combating global warming, in line with President Donald Trump's declaration a year ago. Earlier this month, Trump said the US plans to withdraw from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, adopted in 1992, which has provided the legal foundation for the Paris accord. Trump's retreat on climate cooperation and multilateralism will likely mean considerable time would be needed for the US to rejoin the accord under a new US administration. The accord, adopted in 2015 and entering into force the following year, has been ratified by nearly 200 countries and regions.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 27, 2026 11:15 UTC
Thailand tops global infidelity rates people admit to
A recent analysis of global infidelity rates shows marked differences between countries, with some nations reporting significantly higher proportions of married individuals admitting to having been unfaithful to their partners - and Thailand tops the list. Across Europe, several countries also record notable infidelity rates. France, Norway and Belgium are among other countries with relatively high proportions of respondents reporting infidelity, with figures above 40% in many cases. Rates decline gradually in other nations, including Spain, Finland, the United Kingdom and Canada, all around mid-30%. Experts note that such statistics reflect self-reported behaviour and should be interpreted with caution, as definitions of infidelity can vary widely across cultures and surveys.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 27, 2026 10:38 UTC
Thai Finance Ministry maintains 2026 growth forecast at 2.0%
(Photo: Kanana Katharangsiporn)Thailand's economy is expected to grow 2.0% this year, the Finance Ministry reported on Tuesday, maintaining its previous forecast. The Thai economy has been struggling with the appreciating baht, US tariffs, high household debt, a border conflict with Cambodia and political uncertainty ahead of elections in early February. Foreign tourist arrivals are expected to reach 35.5 million this year, the ministry said, maintaining a previous forecast. The ministry also forecast headline inflation at 0.3% this year, compared with a previous forecast of 0.5%. Headline consumer prices dipped 0.14% in 2025 compared to a year earlier.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 27, 2026 10:31 UTC
Commerce Minister Suphajee declares assets of B307 million
Commerce Minister Suphajee declares assets of B307 millionListen to this articleCaretaker Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun delivers a keynote speech at a seminar "Mission to Win for the Game Changer" in Bangkok on Monday. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)Caretaker Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun and her husband reported combined assets worth 307.7 million baht when she took office in September last year, according to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). She reported annual income of 40.1 million baht, comprising salary and bonuses of 13.4 million baht, board meeting allowances of 8.9 million baht and, and retirement-related income of 17.7 million baht. Her annual expenditure totalled 9.07 million baht, including living expenses of 1.1 million baht, support for her mother amounting to 1.5 million baht, child-related expenses of 360,000 baht, salaries for a personal secretary and driver totalling 1.8 million baht, donations and merit-making of 3 million baht, and annual family travel expenses of 1 million baht. As for her husband, Mr Preethayut, who serves as chief executive officer of Lifespan Care Co, declared assets worth 27.6 million baht.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 27, 2026 10:08 UTC
Democrat Party remains dominant in Nakhon Si Thammarat
(Photo: Abhisit Vejjajiva Facebook account)The Democrat Party will cement its dominance in Nakhon Si Thammarat at the general election, leaving major rivals Bhumjaithai and the People's Party far behind in the battle for second place, according to a Nida Poll released on Tuesday. The Pheu Thai Party was well behind with a mere 2.25%. Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva came first with a 51.45% approval, far ahead of Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Chanvirakul, with only 16.40%, and People’s Party chief Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, 14.34%. Pheu Thai candidate Yodchanan Wongsawat was left in the laggard group of "other choices" which also comprised Klatham Party frontman Capt Thamanat Prompow and Thai Sang Thai Party chief Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan. One-horse race in Nakhon Si Thammarat?
Source:Bangkok Post
January 27, 2026 09:22 UTC
No signs of Nipah found in arrivals from risk areas
Fever is an initial symptom of Nipah virus infection, which has a high fatality rate as there is no effective treatment method or vaccine yet. “The transmission of Nipah virus is not like that of Covid-19. Health authorities have earlier stressed that unlike Covid, Nipah virus is not airborne but can be transmitted through contact with bodily fluids. Nipah virus was first discovered in Malaysia in 1998 and there have been small outbreaks in Bangladesh and India. Thailand has never found a Nipah virus case, the health minister said.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 27, 2026 09:18 UTC
Thai man wanted for 1996 murder extradited to US
Woravit Mektrakarn, 58, was wanted in connection with the death of one of his employees at the noodle business he owned in Ontario, California in 1996. Garcia was last seen on Nov 23, 1996, when he was believed to have met Mr Woravit to receive a final payment under an undisclosed financial agreement. In April 2024, he was apprehended under an alias and in disguise by Thai police in Bangkok at the request of the United States. Mr Woravit was extradited to the United States and escorted to San Bernardino by the US Marshals Service on Jan 16 this year. On Jan 22 Mr Woravit was arraigned on a charge of murder and pleaded not guilty.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 27, 2026 08:20 UTC
EU and India agree on ‘mother of all’ trade deals
(Photo: AFP)NEW DELHI - India and the European Union announced Tuesday the “mother of all deals”, a huge trade pact to create a market of two billion people, reached after two decades of negotiations. “A mother of all deals,” Modi said on Tuesday in the capital New Delhi, where he met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa. ‘Highest level of access’Bilateral trade in goods reached 120 billion euros (69 billion) in trade in services. Von der Leyen said she expected exports to India to double, and that the EU would “gain the highest level of access ever granted to a trade partner in the traditionally protected Indian market”. The choice of strategic partnership, dialogue and openness,” von der Leyen wrote on social media.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 27, 2026 08:16 UTC
Senior PEA officials exposed in crypto mining corruption scandal
Justice Minister Rutthaphon Naowarat announced the results of an operation targeting an illegal crypto mining network and state officials at multiple levels at a media briefing. DSI director-general Pol Maj Yutthana Pradam, PEA governor Mongkol Treekitjanon and representatives of other agencies were also present. The officers seized 3,642 crypto mining rigs and uncovered key evidence linking the operations to financiers and state officials. (continues below)Bundles of cash seized by investigators from the Department of Special Investigation during searches at the residences of high-ranking PEA officials. The PEA officials implicated in the scheme had been suspended from duty and a disciplinary committee had been set up to investigate the accused officials, the PEA governor said.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 27, 2026 07:39 UTC
Foreign tourists visiting Thailand seen at 35.5 million in 2026
Foreign tourists visiting Thailand seen at 35.5 million in 2026Listen to this articleTourists pose for photos at Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan temple, or the Temple of Dawn, in Bangkok, Thailand, on Jan 17, 2026. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)Thailand's Ministry of Finance reported on Tuesday that it has kept its forecast for foreign tourist arrivals this year unchanged at 35.5 million. The number of foreign visitors to Thailand dropped by 7.2% to 32.97 million last year. In 2019, before the coronavirus (Covid) pandemic, Thailand had a record of nearly 40 million foreign visitors. The ambitious forecast includes 9 million Chinese visitors, compared with only 4.4 million in 2025.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 27, 2026 06:47 UTC