Some 1,000 flights to Thailand cancelled amid Mideast war
Some 1,000 flights to Thailand cancelled amid Mideast warAn airplane docks at Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan province on Feb 17. Somchai PoomlardSince war erupted in the Middle East late last month, about 1,000 Thailand-bound flights have been cancelled, according to Aeronautical Radio of Thailand. According to president, carriers in the region have cancelled about 1,000 flights to Thailand. About 600 of the flights were destined for Suvarnabhumi airport while 400 were scheduled to arrive at Phuket airport. The discontinued journeys constituted about three percent of all incoming flights during the period.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 08:57 UTC
EC urged to respect due process in Senate collusion case
He made the comment after reports emerged that another subcommittee had voted to clear all 229 suspects in the high-profile election collusion case, prompting calls for the commission to disclose its reasoning. The case file will now be submitted to the full seven-member EC board, which has 90 days to decide whether to endorse the panel’s conclusion, which would result in the case being closed. Pol Lt Gen Khamrob said the case had already exceeded the EC’s one-year deadline for adjudication, but was now suddenly being accelerated at a politically sensitive moment as a new government is being formed. Pol Lt Gen Khamrob accused the EC of failing to act despite regulations requiring action when there are grounds to suspect a subcommittee member may lack political neutrality. Those named in the EC investigation include 138 current senators and 91 others comprising Bhumjaithai executives, members and their associates.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 08:56 UTC
PTTEP to Launch AAA-Rated USD & THB Debentures
PTTEP to Launch AAA-Rated USD & THB DebenturesBangkok, 18 March 2026 – PTTEP plans to issue new debentures in two currencies: Digital USD Debentures, marking Asia’s first fully digital USD-denominated debenture offering for retail investors via the Pao Tang application, and THB Debentures tailored for institutional and high-net-worth investors. Chanamas Sasnanand, Executive Vice-President, Finance and Accounting Group of PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP), stated that the issuance of both Digital USD and THB debentures offers investors an opportunity to participate in the company’s continued growth. The offering is a collaborative effort between PTTEP and Thailand’s leading financial institutions, including Krungthai Bank, Bank of Ayudhya, KASIKORNBANK, and Siam Commercial Bank. The debentures will be offered in two categories as follows:1.Digital USD DebenturesThe 5-year digital USD debentures will be offered to retail investors. These are long-term, registered, unsubordinated, and unsecured digital debentures with a debenture holders’ representative.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 07:47 UTC
Two Thai islands win five-star rating
Two Thai islands win five-star ratingKoh Kradan beach in Trang province and Bileh Beach on Koh Hong in Krabi, below, have been awarded the highest five-star rating in the 'Beach Star' environmental assessment programme. (Photos courtesy of TAT)Koh Kradan in Trang province and Bileh Beach on Koh Hong in Krabi received the highest five-star rating for 2025 under the "Beach Star" environmental assessment programme. The results showed that 10 beaches achieved environmental quality ratings ranging from very good to excellent, or 4.5 to five stars. The department said these beaches demonstrated an outstanding environmental quality and could serve as models for sustainable beach management in Thailand. They are Maya Bay, Krabi; Khao Kalok Beach, Prachuap Khiri Khan; Chao Mai Beach, Trang; Laem Son Beach, Koh Adang, Satun; Koh Mai Phai Beach, Krabi; Laem Tanot Beach, Krabi; Sam Phraya Beach, Prachuap Khiri Khan; and Yong Ling Beach, Trang.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 07:26 UTC
Iran vows revenge for Larijani as Trump says war may end soon
The attacks followed Iran confirming the assassination of its security chief, Ali Larijani, in an Israeli strike. The United States said it dropped 5,000-pound bunker-buster munitions on Iranian missile sites near the Strait of Hormuz late on Tuesday. Anwar Gargash, a top adviser to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, said Iran miscalculated by firing upon Arab states in the Gulf. He signalled the UAE may be willing to help secure the Hormuz strait. “This is the responsibility not only of the United States, but of countries in Asia, countries in the region, countries in Europe,” he said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 07:21 UTC
Brazil starts to restrict minors' access to social media
Brazil starts to restrict minors' access to social mediaA student uses her mobile phone at a public school in Planaltina, Brasilia. (Photo: AFP)BRASíLIA — Brazil began implementing new measures on Tuesday to restrict minors' access to social media and prevent them from viewing violent or illegal content. A law regulating children's use of social media was approved last year after a scandal involving the alleged sexual exploitation of minors on Instagram, and comes into effect this week. The hyper-connected nation of 212 million people joins several other countries seeking to protect children from addictive social media algorithms. Some, like Australia, have outright banned access, while others require stronger age verification measures or parental consent.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 07:03 UTC
Constitutional Court accepts petition over barcodes, QR codes on ballots
The barcodes and QR codes on ballots could violate secret voting rules. Social media users observed that both the green constituency ballots and the pink party-list ballots carried printed barcodes and QR codes. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)The Constitutional Court has accepted a petition to rule on whether the use of barcodes and Quick Response (QR) codes on ballot papers in Thailand’s Feb 8 general election violated the constitution. One key issue under scrutiny is the inclusion of barcodes and QR codes on ballot papers, which petitioners argue may raise constitutional concerns. On March 13, the Ombudsman petitioned the Constitutional Court to rule on whether the use of barcodes and QR codes violated the constitutional requirement that voting be conducted directly and by secret ballot.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 06:49 UTC
Saen Saep boat fares rising by one baht this week
Saen Saep boat fares rising by one baht this weekPassengers prepare to board a boat at Wat Sribunruang pier along Saen Saep canal in Bangkok. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)Fares for the Khlong Saen Saep boat service in Bangkok will go up by one baht this week, its operator announced on Wednesday. In response to heightened costs, fares are being adjusted upward by one baht, rising from 11–21 baht to 12–22 baht, depending on distance. The managing director said the company has long absorbed rising costs and sustained losses currently running into tens of thousands of baht per day. By increasing diesel prices, the boat service has seen its costs jump.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 06:37 UTC
Tehran rejects de-escalation after Israel kills Iranian security chief
Iran says an Israeli strike killed its top security chief, triggering retaliation and escalating a war already shaking global energy markets. It all comes as U.S. President Donald Trump clashes with allies over the Strait of Hormuz and the resignation of his top counterterrorism official.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 06:29 UTC
Eastern Congo begins mass measles vaccination for 260,000 children
A measles vaccination campaign led by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) began Tuesday (March 17) in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where hundreds of children were immunized on the first day as health workers carried out mass inoculations across hospitals and health centers in Goma. MSF medical team leader Monique Diarra warned that immunization gaps continue to drive transmission in vulnerable communities.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 06:29 UTC
2 held after scam hub flight
2 held after scam hub flightThai authorities in Sa Kaeo province have detained two Chinese nationals who fled a suspected call-centre scam compound in Poipet, Cambodia, as officials intensify efforts to curb cross-border crime along the eastern frontier. They were stopped and detained near Border Patrol Point 11 in Ban Dong Ngu, Pa Rai subdistrict. They were taken to ranger headquarters at the Khlong Luek border checkpoint for questioning. Speaking through an interpreter, the men said they had been lured to Cambodia with promises of work but were instead forced to join a call-centre scam operation targeting victims in Thailand and abroad. One of the men said he had been held for nearly three months before seizing an opportunity to escape when a guard left his post.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 05:38 UTC
Netanyahu hopes strikes on Iran will lead to uprising and regime change
Netanyahu hopes strikes on Iran will lead to uprising and regime changePrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, left, and US President Donald Trump stand outside Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on Dec 29, 2025. Beyond that, the Israeli military has been heavily bombing the security forces that have quashed wave after wave of anti-government protests in Iran. Some former Israeli military officials dismissed Netanyahu’s strategy as unrealistic, arguing that Iran’s internal security services are too deeply entrenched and powerful. Netanyahu has said that Israel’s air campaign has delivered “crushing blows” to Iran’s security apparatus and will create “optimal” conditions for Iranians to oust their government. During his tenure, he said, the Israeli security establishment never seriously considered regime change, believing that it was an unrealistic outcome.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 05:38 UTC
Panel puts pay hike on hold
Panel puts pay hike on holdThe tripartite wage committee has unanimously agreed that now is not the right time to consider a minimum wage increase, citing uncertainty over the economic fallout from the war in the Middle East and the need to closely monitor energy prices. Labour permanent secretary Pol Lt Col Wannapong Kotcharak, who chaired the third meeting of the 22nd Wage Committee on Tuesday, said the panel reviewed nationwide reports on economic conditions. A scheduled agenda item to revisit the minimum wage was deferred because members agreed that multiple uncertainties warranted extreme caution. "As a result, the meeting unanimously resolved not to consider a wage increase at this time," Mr Wannapong said. The committee meets next on April 21 to discuss broader wage policy, but an immediate minimum wage review is off the table.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 05:35 UTC
'We will wait for each one': Ukrainians greet POWs with tears and cheers
'We will wait for each one': Ukrainians greet POWs with tears and cheersPrisoner swaps are one of the only areas of cooperation between Moscow and Kyiv. Now liberated, it is the gateway for freed Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) heading home. From the windows, out peered the emaciated faces of the newly freed Ukrainian prisoners, heads shaved and wounds visible. Gladka and the others stood with tears in their eyes, waving their hands and gripping giant Ukrainian flags. 'Until the end'Driver Andriy, 53, is one of the first Ukrainian faces many of the freed soldiers see as they clamber onto his bus.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 05:27 UTC
Rising costs, empty tanks
Even more ironic is his reassurance that the country faces no risk of an energy shortage, repeating claims that oil reserves have been augmented to 95 days. Most economists and analysts predict energy costs are set to soar. The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) has already warned that rising energy prices and a potential downturn in tourism could push Thailand's GDP down to 1.3–1.6%. Consoling assurances that energy reserves are sufficient will not earn public trust if citizens continue to see "no petrol" signs at gas stations and the cost of living continues to rise. A long-term strategy that acknowledges the grim reality of Thailand's geopolitical position is urgently needed -- one based on action, not optimism alone.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 18, 2026 04:50 UTC