ttb launches collaborative financial management programmes for eateries
Power of growthBy combining real sales data from POS systems with payment data received through ttb accounts, sales can be transformed into growth opportunities. ttb aims to be a financial partner for Thailand’s restaurant ecosystem by seamlessly connecting in-store sales, payments and banking services. This allows restaurant owners to gain clearer insights into their business and access financial services more easily, helping Thai restaurant businesses become stronger and achieve long-term sustainable growth. The goal is to transform Wongnai POS into a “restaurant operating system” that connects front-of-house operations, back-office management, financial services and accounting within a single integrated platform. These programmes help merchants better understand their businesses, improve management and leverage technology including AI to analyse data and expand their operations effectively.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 12, 2026 14:05 UTC
Klatham MP granted bail in online gambling case
Klatham Party MP Chonnaput Naksua arrives at the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road on Thursday, escorted by DSI officers after a three‑hour interrogation. The court later approved his release on 1‑million‑baht bail in the online gambling investigation. The Criminal Court on Thursday released Klatham Party MP Chonnaput Naksua on 1-million-baht bail, with a ban on travel abroad, while investigators continue to gather evidence on his alleged links to an online gambling ring. The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) had brought the Songkhla MP to court to seek his detention following a three-hour interrogation. Mr Chonnaput arrived at DSI headquarters with his lawyer at about 11am to answer allegations of organising illegal online gambling and money laundering.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 12, 2026 13:21 UTC
People’s Party apologises for breach of members’ data
Apichart JinakulThe People’s Party has apologised for a data breach after it collected members’ laser ID codes, exposing them to identity theft and scam risks from misuse of personal data. According to the post, an initial examination found that the breach affected data used for membership applications. Last month the party insisted that the personal data including laser ID numbers of its members that it collected were secure. “The party sincerely apologises for what has happened and acknowledges the concerns of all members,” the statement said. “We recognise that protecting members’ personal data is critically important, and the trust of our members is our highest priority.”
Source:Bangkok Post
March 12, 2026 13:05 UTC
Battery tax proposal to bolster competitiveness
Battery tax proposal to bolster competitivenessA new battery tax structure is expected to help strengthen Thailand's competitiveness in the energy storage industry, according to the Excise Department chief. The objective of the new battery tax structure is to support Thailand's energy transition towards clean energy and to promote the country's targeted industries. Under the proposal, excise tax rates would vary according to a battery's energy storage capacity, or energy density per weight, and its life cycle. "In addition, the new tax structure will enhance the competitiveness of domestically produced battery energy storage systems, or electrical devices capable of storing energy and supplying it to other devices, compared with imported products." The new battery tax structure is included in the medium-term fiscal framework for 2027-30, a master plan for the government's financial, fiscal and budgetary planning, aimed at guiding tax revenue management in line with fiscal policy objectives.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 12, 2026 12:38 UTC
Large fuel stash found in secret site
Large fuel stash found in secret siteAuthorities in Tak's Mae Sot district inspected a suspected fuel hoard of nearly 30,000 litres near the Thailand-Myanmar border following reports from villagers. The inspection followed a complaint from residents in tambon Mahawan, who alerted their village headman to a building where fuel was thought to be stored secretly. At the site on Highway 1090, on the inbound side toward Mae Sot, officials found a large number of 200-litre fuel drums, several of which were filled. At the time of the inspection, fuel hoses were being connected to transfer diesel into two nearby square storage tanks. When they opened 46 more drums, they found 9,200 litres of biodiesel, bringing the total amount of fuel discovered at the site to 26,800 litres.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 12, 2026 11:52 UTC
Chinese man jailed for phishing scam
(Photo: supplied/ Wassayos Ngamkham)A Chinese man has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison for running a phishing scam in which Thai and foreign victims were tricked into entering their credit‑card details through fraudulent links. The suspect later used the stolen information to purchase valuables online and convert them into cash, authorities said. His arrest followed victims’ complaints of phishing, a scam in which attackers deceive individuals into revealing sensitive information or installing malware such as viruses, worms, adware or ransomware, Pol Lt Gen Panumas said. After obtaining victims’ information, Mr Yupeng purchased gold and mobile phones through online platforms before exchanging them for cash. Non‑custodial wallets are typically more complex and more difficult to trace compared with wallets held on conventional exchanges, he said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 12, 2026 11:47 UTC
Are Thai women truly equal?
Are Thai women truly equal? Interviews with farmers often show that many women see themselves as equal partners in household and farm decisions. Unlike in some parts of the world, there is little open resistance to women pursuing education, careers, or leadership roles. Much of the way gender equality is measured today reflects what might be called formal equality. But until lived equality catches up with formal equality, the question remains: Are we truly equal or just empowered?
Source:Bangkok Post
March 12, 2026 11:28 UTC
Interest rate cuts have uneven impact for retail borrowers
Retail borrowers have begun to benefit from a series of policy rate cuts over several months. Slow adjustmentIn the policy rate transmission process, bank lending rates typically decline by about half of the total policy rate cut. For example, when the policy rate is reduced by 0.25 percentage points, lending rates may fall by 0.125 percentage points. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the new loan rate declined by 0.1 percentage points, while the effective interest rate dropped by 0.68 percentage points. For corporate borrowers, new loan rates fell by 1.35 percentage points and effective interest rates by 0.72 percentage points.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 12, 2026 10:56 UTC
Fear, boredom for Filipino sailors stuck in Hormuz strait
More than 6,000 waiting for all-clear but determined not to sail until it is safeMany Philippine sailors are still waiting for the green light to pass through the now-deadly shipping lane. A series of Iranian strikes have effectively closed the strait, which carries 20% of world oil and gas supplies, plunging the global energy economy into crisis. “Those whose contracts are about to end… they really want to go home,” he said of his fellow sailors. Judy Domingo, president of the 50,000-strong United Filipino Seafarers union, told AFP she had taken hundreds of calls from concerned sailors bottled up in the strait, with food supplies one of the immediate concerns. “Let’s just pray this US-Iran war ends soon so every ship trapped here is able to get out safe.”
Source:Bangkok Post
March 12, 2026 10:41 UTC
Public alerted to influenza risk as cases expected to rise in 2026
Public alerted to influenza risk as cases expected to rise in 2026A woman is given a free influenza jab at a municipality-sponsored event in Nonthaburi in January 2026. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)Public health authorities have alerted the public to stay vigilant against influenza as more than 130,000 cases have been reported since January, with the total this year expected to rise from last year. The three age groups with the highest cases were: 5-9 (26,806 cases), 0-4 (16,992 cases) and 10-14 (20,812 cases). He said influenza cases typically increase early in the year and peak around mid‑year, following seasonal patterns. In 2025, Thailand recorded 1,194,342 cases and 129 deaths, and current surveillance suggests that influenza cases in 2026 may surpass last year’s numbers, Dr Montien said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 12, 2026 10:38 UTC
Built To Build rules out price hikes despite soaring oil costs
Built To Build rules out price hikes despite soaring oil costsMr Sutee says the company can manage the impact of rising oil prices on housing development. However, if prices rise above $120 per barrel and persist for more than three months, home construction prices may need to be revised. "Higher oil prices could raise construction costs by 5-7%, which would translate into an increase of roughly 3% in house prices," he said. The group expects to generate 900 million baht in sales this year, up from 800 million baht in 2025, which declined from 900 million in 2024. Of total sales last year, half came from houses priced between 2-9 million baht, while units priced 10-20 million baht comprised 20%, with the remainder homes priced 20 million baht and above.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 12, 2026 09:50 UTC
Chat commerce gains ground
Chat commerce gains groundMs Prae says Thailand and the Philippines are the first two countries in which Meta is introducing Business AI on Messenger. Meta recently introduced Business AI on Messenger in Thailand, an AI agent that helps businesses engage with customers and build stronger relationships. Business AI is aimed to become its new revenue source, apart from online ads. On Tuesday, Line Thailand introduced its chat package for SMEs to enable them to leverage chat commerce. Instead of sounding like a robotic script in a chatbot, Meta Business AI learns and adopts the specific style and tone of voice of individual brands, said Ms Prae.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 12, 2026 09:38 UTC
Thai authorities rebut claims of huge Israeli presence
Pol Maj Gen Choengron Rimpadee (centre), spokesman for the Immigration Bureau, discusses the presence of Israelis in Thailand during a briefing at Immigration Division 2 in Samut Prakan province on Thursday. (Immigration Bureau photo)Immigration police have come forward to rebut claims circulating on social media that hundreds of thousands of Israelis have settled in Thailand. There are no irregularities with verified arrival and departure figures for Israeli nationals, Immigration Bureau officials said on Thursday. “Regarding the arrivals and departures, there have not been any abnormal stays,” Pol Maj Gen Choengron said. Last year Thai authorities stepped in to combat anti-Israeli backlash in Pai in Mae Hong Son, a favourite destination of Israeli travellers.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 12, 2026 09:35 UTC
Thai Airways to raise ticket prices by 10-15%
Thai Airways to raise ticket prices by 10-15%Thai Airways International will raise ticket prices by 10% to 15% to offset surging fuel costs. Most of the carrier’s flights to Europe this month reached about 90% of seat capacity, the airline said on Wednesday. THAI will raise the fuel surcharge further if oil prices continue to climb, the chief financial officer said. “Passengers planning to travel should secure their tickets as soon as possible before fares rise further,” she said. Carriers have responded by raising fares and fuel surcharges, testing travellers’ willingness to absorb higher ticket prices even as international travel demand remains resilient.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 12, 2026 09:02 UTC
Beijing-Pyongyang train service resumes after six years
Beijing-Pyongyang train service resumes after six yearsA passenger train from Beijing is seen arriving at the Pyongyang railway station in 2014. (Photo: Clay Gilliland via Wikimedia Commons)BEIJING - The first passenger train service between Beijing and Pyongyang was set to leave China’s capital on Thursday, ending a six-year gap, as China moves to shore up cross-border infrastructure and rebuild ties with its neighbour. China and North Korea are “friendly neighbours” and a cross-border passenger train service facilitates people-to-people exchanges, a foreign ministry spokesperson told reporters on Thursday. Restricted ticketsThe service linking the capitals will operate four days a week in both directions, running on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, China’s railways said in a notice. Tickets, restricted to business visa holders, were sold out for Thursday’s trip, but those for March 18 were still available, a Beijing travel agency said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 12, 2026 08:21 UTC