THAI.NEWS - Thailand Breaking News

Thailand’s dream of a China-backed high-speed rail cutting across the country has hit another stalled stretch — and this time the new transport minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, is the one left holding the timetable. What began with a glittering groundbreaking at Chiang Rak Noi, Ayutthaya, in December 2015 has yet to become the transformative travel lifeline officials promised. Ten years after the spade-first ceremony, the project is still idling in parts — a saga of contracts, culture, and corporate tug-of-war. Phase 1, the Bangkok–Nakhon Ratchasima route, is the chunk everybody watches. It’s planned to sprawl 253 kilometres with a budget of 179.41 billion baht. On paper there are 14 contracts to stitch the line together — but only two are fully complete. Ten contracts are moving forward, albeit slowly. And two? They’re not just behind schedule; they’re stalled and sticky enough to need ministerial attention. The first roadblock is Contract 4‑1,…

There are goodbyes that sting and then there’s the farewell Thai Airways quietly announced this week: the end of an era for its first class cabins. Once the crown jewel of the carrier — gracing flagship Airbus A380s, iconic Boeing 747s and long-serving Airbus A340s — first class is now shrinking to a memory, confined to just three Boeing 777-300ER aircraft before its eventual retirement. For decades, Thai Airways’ first class was synonymous with unhurried luxury: room to stretch, plush seating, discreet service and, on a few notable occasions, use for royal travel. But luxury that can’t pay its own way becomes an indulgence airlines can no longer afford. The hard truth: sustaining a premium product for a tiny subset of travellers meant keeping expensive ground services, bespoke catering and specialist crew training in operation for a vanishing customer base. “The scale simply isn’t sustainable,” an industry analyst said, bluntly…

SCB Rewrites Its Playbook: Fewer Branches, Smarter Tech, and a Dash of Reinvention Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) is steering its retail operations into new waters. Faced with rising household debt and a financial sector increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence, the venerable Thai bank has restructured its retail arm into a unified consumer banking division — a move that folds branches, retail services and staff under one roof. It’s less a cut-and-paste change and more a deliberate remake: leaner branches, smarter tech, and a focus on services that customers actually want. CEO Kris Chantanotoke sums it up plainly: customers prefer digital-first experiences, and SCB is racing to meet them there. The bank has about 18,000 employees and 651 branches today, but the blueprint for the next decade points to a much smaller physical footprint and a reduced headcount. Kris predicts major Thai banks that now employ roughly 18,000–19,000 people will likely…

Early on the morning of September 13, a routine ride home turned into a nightmare near Indy Market in Dao Khanong. What began as a chase between groups of youths erupted into gunfire, leaving a 15‑year‑old boy — known only by the pseudonym “Ae” — fighting for his life in a Bangkok hospital. Social media footage of the pursuit and the moment he was struck spread quickly online, deepening the anguish for his family and igniting fresh public anger over teenage gang violence in the capital. Ae’s mother, 35‑year‑old Amara, described the frantic hours that followed. She said she had spoken to her son just after midnight; he sounded fine and reassured her he was safe. Later, when calls went unanswered, her fear grew. “Around 1 a.m., a friend called to tell me he had been shot,” Amara recalled, still visibly shaken. When she arrived at the hospital, doctors told…

Phuket is steering toward a splashy new chapter in island travel. On 12 September, a long-discussed boat taxi service for the west coast moved from idea to ink when senior officials signed a Memorandum of Understanding at Phuket Provincial Hall — a practical step that could make commuting across Phuket as breezy as a sea breeze. The MoU was signed by Atthaphon Charoenchansa, director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), alongside Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat. Also on hand were Therdthai Kwanthong, director of the DNP’s Protected Area Management Office 5, Natchapong Pranit, director of the Phuket Marine Office, plus representatives from other government agencies and private-sector partners. The message was clear: this project aims to broaden transport choices, ease gridlock and give visitors — and locals — a faster, greener option for getting around. A 40-minute shortcut across paradise The pilot run is ambitious and…

Chalermchai Sri-on, the long-serving face of Thailand’s Democrat Party, quietly handed in a letter that rippled through the nation’s political waters: he has stepped down as party leader, citing health issues that have curtailed his ability to steer the ship. The resignation, submitted to the Election Commission’s political party registrar on September 12, came with a candid note — at 60 years old, Chalermchai concluded he could no longer perform his duties at full capacity and feared his condition might end up doing more harm than good for a party already navigating choppy seas. Born in the peaceful coastal province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chalermchai’s career is the kind of slow-burn political saga that’s become increasingly rare. First elected to the House of Representatives in 2001, he climbed the ranks steadily and most recently served as minister of agriculture and cooperatives in former Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government from 2019…

Chaos broke out at Central Westgate in Bang Yai, Nonthaburi, on the evening of September 12 when a shopping trip took a traumatic turn. According to eyewitnesses and police statements, a woman discovered a man allegedly using an iPad to film beneath her skirt. Staff were alerted, security responded, and what followed was a frantic escape attempt that ended with the 21‑year‑old plunging from the mall’s fourth floor to the ground below. The scene, eyewitnesses say, was instantly terrifying. People shouted, children were hurried away, and the cacophony of alarmed shoppers filled the multi‑level complex. “People were screaming and crying,” one witness told reporters, describing the raw shock that rippled through the crowds as the man fell. Mall security quickly cordoned off the area while bystanders recorded what they could on their phones — adding another layer of urgency as police raced to secure evidence and comfort distressed customers. Police…

This morning’s early calm was briefly rattled when the Earthquake Observation Division registered a 3.6-magnitude quake off the northern coast of Sumatra — a little tremor that managed to send mild shudders into parts of northern Thailand. Happily, the shaken-but-not-stirred report is simple: no injuries, no damage, and no reason to panic. The jolt struck at 4:27 a.m. local time on September 13, centred in Indonesia’s northern Sumatra at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres. The epicentre sat roughly 367 kilometres southwest of Satun’s Mueang district — distant enough that southern Thailand never faced a tsunami or significant risk. Still, the event wasn’t an isolated blip. The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) noted that, alongside the offshore quake, a couple of smaller local tremors were recorded closer to home. In the predawn hours — when most of us are sharpening snores rather than wits — Mae Hi subdistrict in Pai district,…

The sleepy riverside calm of Ban Aen was shattered on September 12 when locals making their usual rounds along the Ping River stumbled upon a grim and unsettling sight: a decomposed body floating near the bank. The discovery, made in Ban Aen village in Ban Aen subdistrict of Doi Tao district, Chiang Mai, prompted an immediate response from local rescue teams and police and has left the tight-knit community searching for answers. Rapid response, limited answers Rescue groups—including the Dewarit Metta Tham Chiang Mai Rescue Association, the Disaster Response Club of Amphoe Yom Thong, and Hod Rescue—rushed to the scene alongside officers from Doi Tao Police Station. Teams retrieved the remains, which were found face down in the water. Authorities say the advanced state of decomposition suggests the woman had likely been in the river for several days, making visual identification and an initial determination of cause of death impossible…