PAO official, wife linked to gambling
PAO official, wife linked to gamblingListen to this articleThe Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) has found evidence directly linking a Kalasin provincial councillor and his wife to an online gambling network, as officers race to locate the couple. "That allowed us to expand the case and uncover a major gambling network in Kalasin," he said. He said financial analysis later revealed Mr Patthanun and his wife were central figures. The couple later attempted to obscure the money trail after Mr Patthanun entered local politics last year, forcing police to revisit transactions dating back to 2019. The Criminal Court issued warrants on Monday for Mr Patthanun and his wife on charges including organising illegal online gambling and money laundering.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 22:59 UTC
Sena puts focus on affordable housing
Sena puts focus on affordable housingListen to this articleMs Kessara says Sena will further introduce Pre-LivNex, an upgraded version of the LivNex programme this year. This year, Sena will launch eight projects worth 10.7 billion baht, comprising seven condo projects and one housing project. A majority of six projects will be in the affordable segment, priced 1–2.5 million baht per unit, worth 4.1 billion baht in total. Ms Kessara said Sena had already secured the largest market share of 20% in Bangkok for condos priced 1–2 million baht. This year, Sena is targeting revenue of 10.6 billion baht, including 9.3 billion baht from the real estate business, about 339 million baht from the service and management business, and around 1 billion baht from the renewable energy business.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 22:50 UTC
DSI nails more than 3,300 special cases
Listen to this articleAltogether 3,325 special cases have been closed with total prevented damages exceeding 730 billion baht, including several high-profile cases involving corporate fraud, transnational crime, drug trafficking, and bid rigging, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said. The DSI says completed cases comprised 1,198 economic crime cases, preventing losses of 538 billion baht; 580 cybercrime and intellectual property cases, preventing more than 19 billion baht in damages; 473 consumer protection and environmental cases, preventing 44 billion baht in losses; and 1,074 international and special crime cases, preventing 137 billion baht in damages. Total damages exceeded 14 billion baht. The DSI also pursued cases involving foreign nominee shareholding in Phuket, recommending prosecution of eight corporate and individual suspects under the Foreign Business Act. Authorities further dismantled a transnational scam network operating through more than 100 front companies and 2,000 fraudulent websites, using over 500 mule accounts to launder money, with total losses exceeding 2 billion baht.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 22:03 UTC
Growth to hit new depths
Rapid population ageing is also reducing labour supply and domestic purchasing power, further weighing on growth prospects. GDP growth slowed to around 2.1 to 2.2% last year and is expected to drop further to about 1.5 to 1.6% this year. As a result, fiscal year 2026 and 2027 budgets may be postponed to the extent that government spending contributes almost nothing to GDP growth. However, this remains below Thailand's estimated potential growth of 2.7% and well short of the 3.5 to 5% achieved in earlier decades. Without decisive action to lift investment and productivity, the governor cautioned, economic growth is likely to remain structurally subdued.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 22:03 UTC
Anutin says polls not final verdict
Anutin says polls not final verdictListen to this articlePrime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Progressive Movement chairman Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, who was helping the People’s Party, had a brief but friendly chance encounter during campaign visits in Ayutthaya on Wednesday. Bhumjaithai PartyBhumjaithai Party leader and prime ministerial candidate Anutin Charnvirakul on Wednesday dismissed opinion polls suggesting his party is running neck and neck with the People's Party (PP), saying the true test of public support will come on Feb 8, election day. Speaking during a campaign visit to Chaoprom market in Ayutthaya's Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district, Mr Anutin addressed his chance encounter with Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, a key campaign figure for the PP. Asked whether images of the two shaking hands signalled a possibility of future political cooperation, Mr Anutin said they were acquainted and had always greeted each other politely. Mr Anutin said the handshake gesture merely reflected mutual goodwill, shared patriotism and a common desire to work for the benefit of the country and its people.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 22:03 UTC
Mahidol laureates call for global focus on public health
(Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)Recipients of the Prince Mahidol Award 2025 have called for global cooperation to strengthen public health security amid geopolitical uncertainty and conflict. The two American honourees — Professor Dr Walter C Willett (public health) and Dr Terry Dean King (medicine) — attended the award ceremony on Wednesday in Bangkok. The war in Ukraine, he said, has disrupted the global supply of sunflower oil, a kitchen staple, while the US withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) has posed challenges to global health security. It requires regional and global cooperation to limit the impacts by strengthening and empowering public health systems,” he said. “Thailand has made great advances in public health and medicine due to the prince’s efforts,” he said.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 21:21 UTC
Assets seized in online gambling case
Suspect confirmed to be sister of notorious ‘Minnie’Listen to this articleA police officer takes photos of assets seized from an online gambling network during a search at a house in Bangkok on Wednesday. (Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham)Police have seized assets worth more than five million baht in a follow-up investigation into an online gambling network during a search at a luxury house in Bangkok. Pol Maj Gen Siriwat Deepor, commander of Cyber Crime Suppression Division 1, said the operation is part of an expanded investigation into an online gambling operation known as Ufinance11. The network was found to have about 57 million baht in circulation each month, or an estimated 680 million to 700 million baht a year, he said. Ms Saowalak was later confirmed to be the sister of Thanyanant, also known as “Minnie”, a key suspect in several online gambling cases, in which some police officers have also been implicated.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 20:52 UTC
High-tide alert for seven provinces from Jan 31-Feb 4
High-tide alert for seven provinces from Jan 31-Feb 4Listen to this articleA man manoeuvres a boat along a road that was flooded when water levels in the Chao Phraya River rose sharply at the Nonthaburi Clock Tower pier and overflowed sandbag barriers on Nov 11, 2025. (Bangkok Post file photo)Low‑lying communities along major rivers in seven provinces have been warned to brace for possible impact from exceptionally high tides expected between Jan 31 and Feb 4. Sections of Sukhumvit Road, Suksawat Road and Rama II Road may also face short‑term flooding during peak tide hours. The agency added that saltwater intrusion may affect tapwater production and water quality for both household use and farming. Authorities in all seven provinces have been urged to maintain close monitoring and prepare mitigation measures throughout the high‑tide period.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 19:35 UTC
'Animals in a zoo': Players back Gauff call for more privacy
'Animals in a zoo': Players back Gauff call for more privacyListen to this articleIga Swiatek has backed calls for more privacy during tournaments. "The question is, are we tennis players, or are we animals in the zoo where they are observed even when they poop, you know?," she said. It would be nice also to, I don't know, have your own process and not always be observed. "I don't think it should be like that because we're tennis players," she said. People have something to talk about, but for us I don't think it's necessary."
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 19:01 UTC
NikeSkims releases rift satin starring Lisa
NikeSkims releases rift satin starring LisaPhoto: NikeNot long after choosing K-pop superstar Lalisa “Lisa” Manobal of Thailand as its brand ambassador, Nike has released the first look at the brand’s NikeSkims “head-to-toe system of dress” debut. “The NikeSKIMS collection is so comfortable and light that I feel confident wearing it everywhere — from rehearsals to travelling or even relaxing at home. Crafted to fit every curve, while allowing for functional layering, this spring collection introduced five apparel collections made by five different material collections: Matte, Stretch Knit, Ribbed Seamless, Weightless Layers and Woven Nylon. Although this is not the first time we have seen Nike utilising the iconic “tabi-toe” in their footwear, the NikeSkims Rift Satin marks the first time we are seeing a full-satin upper with a sole as thin and flexible on the “rift” model. The NikeSkims Spring 2026 Collection is set to launch on Feb 5, in select retailers and online.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 18:50 UTC
Backlash as Australia kills dingoes after backpacker death
Backlash as Australia kills dingoes after backpacker deathListen to this articleDingoes have been implicated in the death of a young Canadian woman on the Australian island of K'gari. (Photo: AFP)SYDNEY — Australian authorities have sparked a backlash by killing a group of dingoes linked to the death of a young Canadian woman on an island in the country's east. The euthanisation programme has stirred debate about how to manage the local population of dingoes, a sandy-coloured canine believed to have first arrived in Australia 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. They're just being wild animals, doing wild things," Crowther told Agence France-Presse (AFP). News of the dingoes' euthanisation was "heart-wrenching", he told Australian media, adding however that he recognised it may be necessary for safety because of the pack's behaviour.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 18:38 UTC
US ouster of Maduro nightmare scenario for Kim: N. Korean ex-diplomat
US ouster of Maduro nightmare scenario for Kim: N. Korean ex-diplomatListen to this articleLee Il-kyu, a former North Korean diplomat stationed in Cuba, who defected to South Korea in November 2023, poses for a photo during an interview with AFP in Seoul. But the ex-diplomat, who defected to the South in November 2023, told AFP that Maduro's ouster will now spark panic among North Korea's security-obsessed leadership. Being denied opportunities after refusing to bribe a superior was the final straw, he told AFP. Cuban authorities would have been obliged to hand him over to North Korea -- a death sentence. Such an outcome would be unthinkable in North Korea.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 18:12 UTC
Tiny Caribbean island wins climate change case
The effects of climate change have made life on Bonaire “unbearable”, according to some of its 27,000 residents. (Photo: AFP)THE HAGUE - The Netherlands “insufficiently” protects its tiny Caribbean territory of Bonaire from climate change, a Dutch court ruled on Wednesday in a potentially landmark environmental justice ruling. The government had argued it was an “autonomous task” of the local authorities to develop a plan to counter the ravages of climate change. “Climate change is not a distant threat for us,” Bonaire farmer Onnie Emerenciana told judges. The ICJ opinion, requested by the United Nations, aimed to clarify international law as it relates to climate change.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 18:05 UTC
Three Chinese nationals linked to scam gang arrested
Three Chinese nationals linked to scam gang arrestedListen to this articlePolice arrest three Chinese men with alleged links to online scam syndicates in Myanmar during a raid on a room in Chom Thong district, Bangkok on Tuesday. (Photo: Central Investigation Bureau)Three Chinese men suspected of links to online scam syndicates have been arrested in Chom Thong district of Bangkok after they fled Myanmar. Police move in to enter a rented room in Chom Thong district, Bangkok where three Chinese suspects were hiding after fleeing Myanmar. (Photo: Central Investigation Bureau)The CSD’s sub-division 2 had been instructed to track down the suspects.Investigators later confirmed that three men had rented accommodation at a dormitory in Chom Thong district. During questioning, they allegedly admitted they had previously worked for scam syndicates operating in Myanmar.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 16:56 UTC
Thailand’s skiing siblings return home for Winter Games
Italy-born Karen and Mark Chanloung prepare for third OlympicsListen to this articleMark and Karen Chanloung are expected to carry Thailand’s flag at the opening ceremony on Feb 6 on behalf of the country’s small group of Winter Games competitors. At the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, however, they will be representing Thailand, a tropical nation with little tradition but growing ambitions in winter sport. The cross-country skiing siblings, born to an Italian mother and a Thai father, were raised in Gressoney-La-Trinité in Italy’s Aosta Valley. The siblings are also expected to carry Thailand’s flag at the opening ceremony on Feb 6 on behalf of a small group of competitors. “The Thai winter sports federation is a young organisation working with athletes who start from very basic levels and need years to become internationally competitive,” he said.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 28, 2026 16:01 UTC