Phuket flags water alert, pins hopes on rainy season
Phuket flags water alert, pins hopes on rainy seasonBangtao Beach, a popular destination on Phuket. Phuket governor Nirat Pongsitthaworn said the island had 12 million cubic metres of raw water remaining in three reservoirs, which was only slightly more than half of their full capacity. Mr Nirat said this would carry them over until the end of June, feeding water treatment plants that distribute the water to consumers. Hopefully, by then the rainy season would have arrived to refill the reservoirs. The Southern Meteorological Centre on the Andaman Coast forecast is for this year's rainy season in the South to start around April 20 or early May at the latest.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 24, 2026 06:40 UTC
Vietnam Airlines to suspend some routes as jet fuel risks rise
Vietnam Airlines to suspend some routes as jet fuel risks riseAn Airbus A350 plane of Vietnam Airlines. (Photo: @VietnamAirlines X account)Vietnam Airlines will temporarily suspend flights on some domestic routes as jet fuel shortages and rising fuel prices caused by the conflict in the Middle East start to impact the nation’s air travel. The national flag carrier will cut around 23 flights per week from April 1 over tightened supplies of jet fuel, according to a statement from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam. It also called on the government to offer more support to airlines, including further reductions in environmental protection tax and aviation fuel taxes. Around 70% of Vietnam’s jet fuel is imported, primarily from China and Thailand.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 24, 2026 06:38 UTC
Vietnam, Russia sign nuclear power deal
Vietnam, Russia sign nuclear power dealRussian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Director General of Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom Alexei Likhachev take part in a signing ceremony of an agreement on cooperation in the construction of a nuclear power plant on the territory of Vietnam, in Moscow, Russia, on Monday. (Photo via Reuters)HANOI — Vietnam, Russia signed an agreement on the construction of the Southeast Asian nation’s first nuclear power plant as Hanoi moves to bolster energy security amid Middle East disruptions that are disrupting global fuel supplies. During the trip, Russia’s largest liquified natural gas (LNG) producer Novatek also signed a preliminary deal to supply Vietnam, news website Tass reported Monday. Vietnam had been pushing Russia to accelerate the development of the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power plant, which it’s seeking to have online before the end of 2031 at the latest. Vietnam and Russia have extensive energy cooperation ties going back decades, including joint ventures between PetroVietnam and Russian state-owned firms including Zarubezhneft and Gazprom.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 24, 2026 05:12 UTC
Thailand’s imports surge on gold shipments, outpace exports
(Photo: Apichart Jinakul)Thailand’s inbound shipments soared while exports growth slowed, even before the conflict in the Middle East began disrupting global trade and raising costs. Imports jumped 31.8% in February from a year earlier, accelerating from 29.4% in January, and exports moderated to 9.9% from 24.4%, Commerce Ministry data showed Tuesday. In the first two months of this year, exports grew 18.9% and were seen rising for the full year, the ministry said in a statement. With imports outpacing exports for a fifth straight months, Thailand recorded a trade deficit of US$2.83 billion. Higher demand for machinery and other capital goods as well as gold imports contributed to the surge in inbound shipments, while agricultural commodities weighed on exports, Natiya Suchinda, deputy head of the ministry’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office, said in a briefing Tuesday.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 24, 2026 04:30 UTC
Villagers defend abbot after porn found in his burnt residence
Villagers defend abbot after porn found in his burnt residenceInvestigators reported finding pornographic material and a sex toy among the ruins of the abbot's quarters. The fire on Sunday happened while the abbot, Phra Khru Weera Thammaruchi, was away attending a religious ceremony. During the post-fire inspection, officials recovered several damaged items from the debris, including what were described as porn magazines and a female sex toy. The temple grounds remained quiet on Monday, the burnt-out abbot's quarters cordoned off with police tape. Another resident echoed those doubts, describing the abbot as a well-regarded young monk with no history of misconduct.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 24, 2026 04:18 UTC
Eight people arrested in Brazil for 'brutal' attack on capybara
Eight people arrested in Brazil for 'brutal' attack on capybaraWounds are seen on the muzzle of a capybara under care at the Center for Wildlife Animal Recovery of Estacio de Sa University in Rio de Janeiro, BrazilRIO DE JANEIRO (BRAZIL) - Rio de Janeiro police said Monday they had arrested eight people for brutally beating a capybara -- the world's largest rodent whose chill demeanor has inspired countless memes online in recent years. Resembling a giant, gentle guinea pig, the shaggy, light brown capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is often seen roaming in the Brazilian city, particularly near streams and lagoons. "It is an act of extreme cruelty toward a creature that posed absolutely no threat...yet was deliberately attacked nonetheless," he added. The attackers -- including two minors -- were identified through CCTV footage and arrested on Saturday, police said in a statement. The capybara, a 65-kilogram (143-pound) male, was taken to the Wildlife Care Center (CRAS) at the private Estacio University in southwestern Rio.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 24, 2026 04:17 UTC
International field gathers for Tour of Thailand 2026
International field gathers for Tour of Thailand 2026Participants compete in last year's Tour of Thailand in Sa Kaeo province. A large field of 20 teams from 12 nations has assembled in Nong Khai for the Tour of Thailand, with the men's elite event beginning on Tuesday and running until March 29, followed by the women's competition from March 31 to 2 April. The opening ceremony took place this morning at the HRH Princess Sirindhorn 60th Anniversary Plaza, presided over by Nong Khai governor Saransak Srikrueneth. "Both the Thailand Continental Cycling Team and the national squad are fully prepared. The women's elite event will comprise three stages, totalling 297.1 kilometres, all within Nong Khai province.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 24, 2026 04:17 UTC
People rush for shelter as Hezbollah rocket hits Israeli town
Journalists and security officers rushed for shelter in the Israeli border town of Kiryat Shmona on Monday (March 23) as a Hezbollah rocket hit a hill above the town shortly after a visit by President Isaac Herzog.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 24, 2026 03:51 UTC
New York jet collision adds to strain at airports amid ICE deployment
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Monday (March 23) that New York's LaGuardia Airport would operate on reduced capacity for "some time" after two pilots died in a runway accident that shut the airport. The incident further strained a U.S. air-travel system already hobbled by personnel shortages and rising fuel costs.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 24, 2026 03:48 UTC
ICE agents deployed to US airports amid staffing gaps
U.S. immigration agents began deploying at more than a dozen U.S. airports on Monday to aid security screening as staffing absences by unpaid airport security officers have caused massive delays. The nation's 50,000 TSA airport security officers are not getting paid due to the partial government shutdown.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 24, 2026 03:43 UTC
Oil shock hits supermarket transportation in the South
Oil shock hits supermarket transportation in the SouthA petrol station in Krabi warns motorists of fuel shortages. The petrol shortage is causing headaches for MAI‑listed Mother Marketing, the operator of the Mother Supermarket chain in southern Thailand, prompting the company to urge the government to resolve the issue urgently. Ekkapong Chokchaiwitut, chief executive of Mother Marketing, said the petrol shortage in southern Thailand has intensified. Last week, some petrol stations capped refuelling at 500-1,000 baht per vehicle. Mr Ekkapong urged the government to tackle the petrol shortage urgently, noting that many stations have posted fuel shortage notices or are experiencing long queues.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 24, 2026 03:10 UTC
US deploys immigration agents to airports amid shutdown chaos
US deploys immigration agents to airports amid shutdown chaosFederal law enforcement agents, including some with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, stand inside Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey. The move places Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel -- already under intense scrutiny after fatal shootings linked to immigration operations -- in highly visible roles at crowded transport hubs across the country. At Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where fliers have experienced some of the longest waits, travelers voiced hopes that ICE agents would be able to bring some order to the disruption. Against that backdrop, the airport deployment has taken on outsized significance, highlighting the increasingly blurred lines between immigration enforcement and domestic security roles. Democrats have pushed to reopen most of DHS while demanding new limits on immigration enforcement, while Republicans have resisted those conditions.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 24, 2026 02:42 UTC
Pitchamon falls short once again
Pitchamon falls short once againPitchamon Opatniputh plays a shot. For Pitchamon, the 2023 world junior champion, Sunday was her second loss in a final this year. The Thai had targeted her first Super 300 title in her second final at this level. She was beaten by Tomoka Miyazaki in the Super 300 Taipei Open last year. The BWF World Tour will head into a break and will return with the Toyota Thailand Open between May 12 and 17.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 24, 2026 02:16 UTC
Communications market set to hit B800bn
Fixed broadband usage is projected to grow by 7.29% annually, while domestic mobile internet usage is expected to expand at a faster pace of over 11% per year. On average, users spend around six hours per day on mobile internet and five hours on fixed broadband. In this evolving landscape, data centres and AI are fast becoming the backbone of Thailand's digital economy. Among all segments, Mr Trairat said the data centre market stands out as a critical pillar of Thailand's digital economy. In 2025 alone, the Board of Investment approved 11 data centre projects with a combined investment value of 209 billion baht.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 24, 2026 02:00 UTC
Oil price spike threatens to cut Thai GDP growth, raise inflation
Oil price spike threatens to cut Thai GDP growth, raise inflationA rise in global oil prices poses a growing risk to Thailand's economic outlook, with Tisco Financial Group warning that a 10% increase in crude from a baseline of US$72 per barrel could trim GDP growth by 0.3-0.4 percentage points, while lifting inflation by about 0.8%. However, escalating tensions in the Gulf region, now leading to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for more than 20% of global oil shipments, have emerged as a critical turning point, he noted. The surge in oil prices is also placing a heavy burden on Thailand's Oil Fuel Fund, which is currently subsidising diesel prices by around 20 baht per litre. The company emphasised that maintaining prudent risk management and close monitoring of global developments would be key to preserving financial stability amid an increasingly uncertain external environment. Under this strategy, Tisco aims to deliver consistent returns to shareholders while balancing risk management amid an increasingly complex economic environment and rising expectations for responsible finance.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 24, 2026 01:53 UTC