‘Recession’ a concern, says Thai business group
Thailand’s exports are projected to contract this year. “We are concerned about an economic recession,” said Kriengkrai Thiennukul, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries and a member of the JSCCIB. Poj Aramwattananont, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and another JSCCIB member, urged the government to monitor gold trading, which can influence foreign exchange rates. In the second quarter of 2025, Thailand’s household debt-to-GDP ratio tallied 86.8%, limiting borrowers’ ability to access new credit and prompting banks to tighten lending criteria. Payong Srivanich, chairman of the Thai Bankers’ Association and a JSCCIB member, said the military strikes in Latin America have raised concerns about global investment flows.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 07, 2026 13:47 UTC
Trump: US reaches deal for $2bn in Venezuelan oil
Listen to this articleCrude oil drips from a valve at an oil well operated by the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, in the Orinoco belt, near Morichal in Monagas state. (Reuters File Photo)Caracas and Washington have reached a deal to export up to $2 billion worth of Venezuelan crude oil to the United States, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, which would divert supplies from China while helping Venezuela avoid deeper oil production cuts. Trump has said he wants interim President Delcy Rodriguez to give the US and private companies “total access” to Venezuela’s oil industry. “Trump wants this to happen early so he can say it is a big win,” an oil industry source said. Venezuelan government officials and PDVSA, the Venezuelan state-owned oil company, did not provide comment.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 07, 2026 09:43 UTC
Merkle sees room for crypto recovery in second half
Merkle sees room for crypto recovery in second halfListen to this articleCrypto assets recorded a negative annual return in 2025. "This shift reflects a structural change in crypto markets," said Mr Thanalop. According to Merkle, crypto assets closed 2025 with negative annual returns, compounded by a major liquidation event on Oct 10 that drained liquidity from the system. Historically, crypto markets have shown a positive correlation with small caps, suggesting they could benefit indirectly from this rotation, noted Merkle. "We expect a gradual shift away from short-term, momentum-driven digital asset speculation towards projects with clearer fundamentals.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 07, 2026 09:32 UTC
Bethell’s maiden century gives England hope in final Ashes Test
Bethell’s maiden century gives England hope in final Ashes TestListen to this articleEngland’s Jacob Bethell celebrates reaching his first Test century on day four of the fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday. (Photo: AFP)SYDNEY - Rock-solid Jacob Bethell plundered a chanceless maiden Test century Wednesday as England reeled in Australia then built a tenuous 119-run lead to leave the fifth and final Ashes Test on a knife edge. Remarkably, it was not just Bethell’s maiden Test ton but the only one he has scored in red-ball cricket, with his previous best 96 against New Zealand. Stokes edged Webster to Smith in the slips with Brydon Carse doing the same off Boland on 16. But the Australia skipper did not last long, nicking a fuller length delivery from Josh Tongue to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 07, 2026 08:31 UTC
Vietnamese caught in Japan's illegal worker crackdown
(Photo: AFP)TOKYO — For a decade, Vietnamese worker Minh did tough jobs like sandblasting ships and welding steel, helping address rapidly ageing Japan's dire labour needs. Of the roughly 450,000 technical interns in Japan as of June, just under half were from Vietnam and worked across agriculture, construction and food processing. "Without foreign workers like us, there is no way Japan's economy can function," the 30-year-old said. That, along with dwindling salaries in real termsand higher living costs, has seen resentment towards foreign workers swell. Yoshimizu said that "some technical interns are stuck in conditions that they just have to flee".
Source:Bangkok Post
January 07, 2026 08:05 UTC
Thai headline inflation remained negative
Thai headline inflation remained negativeListen to this articleShoppers browse through clothes and other products at a night market in the Ram Intra area of Bangkok. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)Thailand's headline inflation remained negative in December 2025, but core inflation was in line with expectations, the Commerce Ministry reported on Wednesday. Headline inflation stood at -0.28% year-on-year last month, compared to a forecast -0.34% in a Reuters poll. Core inflation, which does not include goods in the energy and fresh food categories, stood at 0.59%, versus the 0.69% Reuters poll forecast. On Wednesday, the Bank of Thailand (BoT) said the country's economy is facing challenges, including a sustained decline in competitiveness, with exports expected to be negatively affected by US tariffs.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 07, 2026 07:21 UTC
Man arrested for posing as police officer to dupe Thai woman in the US
Man arrested for posing as police officer to dupe Thai woman in the USListen to this articleThe 29-year-old suspect reads the arrest warrant, as Crime Suppression Division police arrest him for posing as a police officer in Krabin Buri. (Photo: Central Investigation Bureau)A 29-year-old man has been arrested in Prachin Buri after he was accused of posing as a police officer and extorting money from a US-based Thai woman by falsely linking her to a money-laundering case, causing her to lose almost 200 million baht. Deputy Crime Suppression Division commander Pol Col Pongpanot Chukaew apprehended Yongyut in front of a house in the Hat Nang Kaeo sub-district of Krabin Buri on Tuesday. The arrest came after Jenjira (surname withheld) filed a complaint with investigators at the Technology Crime Suppression Division 2 (TCSD 2). Shortly later, a man posing as a police officer contacted her via the Line app, accusing her of being involved in a money laundering case.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 07, 2026 07:21 UTC
Innovation drives new era of farming
Innovation drives new era of farmingListen to this articleTen outstanding farmers, including three award winners, strike a pose at the "Rak Ban Kerd Farmers of the Year 2025" awards. Mr Tharaphong (third from right), Mr Santisuk (second from left) and Mr Apichat (third from left) each received an award during the event. A new generation of Thai farmers is harnessing innovation and research to develop high-value, environmentally friendly products, allowing family-owned farms to achieve both profitability and sustainability. Our foundation has developed an e-book featuring 200 successful cases of farmers using technology, with the aim of building a network that helps newcomers reduce risk." According to Peeraphan Korthong, director-general of the Department of Agricultural Extension, there are 558,553 smart farmers registered with the department, of which 252,333 individuals are categorised as young smart farmers.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 07, 2026 06:35 UTC
Bhumjaithai makes poll pledge on B40 electric train fare
Listen to this articleA 40 baht daily fare is already operating successfully on Red and Pur ple lines in Bangkok, says Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Bhumjaithai deputy leader and acting transport minister. A 40 baht daily pass would offer unlimited rides. Under the plan, Bhumjaithai would repurchase concessions through the Mass Rapid Transit Authority to help subsidise fares. Another option would allow private investors to take part in shareholding, which could later be used as collateral for loans. Instead, the party is proposing a zoning-based fare structure to support subsidisation.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 07, 2026 06:34 UTC
England lose Crawley as they battle to save final Ashes Test
England lose Crawley as they battle to save final Ashes TestListen to this articleMitchell Starc, right, celebrates trapping Zak Crawley lbw in the first overSYDNEY - Mitchell Starc removed Zak Crawley before England recovered to reach 80-1 at lunch on day four of the fifth and final Ashes Test, still trailing Australia by 103. The England captain limped off clutching what appeared to be his groin while bowling the third over of the day and did not reappear. Australia lead the series 3-1 and have already retained the Ashes, with England desperate for another morale-boosting win after victory in the previous Test at Melbourne. But the Australian skipper did not last long, nicking a fuller length delivery from Josh Tongue to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith. Scott Boland suffered a golden duck, edging Will Jacks to Harry Brook in the slips to leave Webster unbeaten on 71.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 07, 2026 06:31 UTC
Siam Society unveils 10-day Shanxi expedition
Siam Society is holding a study trip to Shanxi, one of China's most historically significant regions, from April 6-15. Owing to its strategic position between China's northern frontiers and the Central Plains, Shanxi province has played a crucial role in Chinese history for more than two millennia. It continues to Mount Wutai (Wutaishan), one of China's four sacred Buddhist mountains, where participants will study major monasteries, including Foguang Temple and Nanchan Temple, where the earliest surviving Tang-Dynasty wooden temples in China are preserved. The programme then proceeds to Pingyao, a Unesco-listed Ming–Qing city illustrating late-imperial urban planning and the origins of China's early banking system and concludes in Taiyuan, the provincial capital, with visits to Jinci Temple, Shanxi Museum and other key monuments synthesising Shanxi's political, religious and artistic development. The fee is 101,000 baht (96,000 baht for members) excluding air tickets.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 07, 2026 06:30 UTC
Hit, replace, no penalty: rules explained
Hit, replace, no penalty: rules explainedListen to this articleIf your ball hits another player's ball on the fairway, your ball is played as it lies, and the other player replaces their ball to its original spot with no penalty to either player. If your ball, played from off the green, hits another ball on the green and goes in the hole then it counts. You play your ball as it lies (in the hole), and the other player replaces their ball on its original spot with no penalty, as your ball was considered an "outside influence". Mickelson (obviously not too impressed on how he was playing) ran after his ball and hit it while it was still in motion on the green. Mickelson wound up making 8, but was also awarded a 2-stroke penalty for playing a moving ball, which brought his score for the hole to a 10.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 07, 2026 06:05 UTC
Policy standstill key economic risk in 2026
Amid all the uncertainty in politics and policy, growth disappointed in the third quarter of 2025, falling by 0.6% from the previous quarter. At its December meeting, the Bank of Thailand kept a neutral tone even as it cut the policy rate to 1.25%. Similar to the May 2023 election, the largest risk to Thailand's economic outlook in 2026 is a policy standstill. Further de-escalation of US-China trade relations could also pose a downside risk to the economy in 2026. The real policy rate would likely remain positive, mitigating any potential build-up in household debt.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 07, 2026 05:53 UTC
Agency steps up digital citizen push
Agency steps up digital citizen pushListen to this articleThe Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) is rolling out its ETDA Digital Citizen (EDC) network across 15 provinces nationwide to create a regional trainer network that will include at least 2,000 additional trainers. The project aims to disseminate digital knowledge to 60,000 people in communities by the end of 2026. According to the 2026 budget, ETDA's roadmap under the Regional Digital Trainers Network model aims to add 2,000 more digital trainers to the system, expanding the network to organisations in all regions. Mr Chaichana said the project aims to transfer knowledge to a target group of up to 60,000 people this year. The project's four training courses this year include the ETDA Digital Citizen Plus, aimed at building digital literacy in many key areas such as digital identity, digital communication and security.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 07, 2026 05:36 UTC
Why does Trump want the US to control Greenland?
U.S. President Donald Trump reasserted on Monday (January 5) that his country needs Greenland for national security reasons, and said a newly appointed special envoy would "lead the charge," drawing sharp criticism from Denmark and Greenland. Why is he pushing to take control of Greenland? Diane To takes a look.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 07, 2026 05:33 UTC