Bangkok Post - April 22, 2025

In this issue

April 22, 2025

Investigators turn focus on elevator shaft walls

The decision to reduce the thickness of the walls of the elevator shafts at the new State Audit Office (SAO) building contributed to the building's collapse, according to Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong.

2 mins

Pope Francis dead at 88

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican said in a video statement yesterday, ending an often turbulent reign marked by division and tension as he sought to overhaul the hidebound institution.

2 mins

Majesties to pay visit to Bhutan

His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana will pay a state visit to the Kingdom of Bhutan from April 25 to 28, the Royal Household Bureau has announced.

2 mins

Pheu Thai pushes casinos, amnesty

Pheu Thai lawmakers have been instructed to promote the casino-entertainment complex and political amnesty bills in their constituencies during the parliamentary recess period, in a bid to ensure the bills can pass without a hitch.

1 min

Arms deals tied to US tariff talks

Whether Thailand buys more weapons from the United States depends on the outcome of upcoming trade talks with US officials, according to Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.

1 min

Senate panel pushes to raise quake aid

A Senate committee on budgeting is looking to submit a proposal to increase compensation for victims of the March 28 earthquake.

1 min

Department says adviser sacked after viral video

Siranudh “Psi” Scott, a marine conservationist, has been removed from his position as an adviser at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) over allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

1 min

Opposition vows PM legal action

The opposition yesterday vowed to proceed with legal action against Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in three alleged ethical misconduct cases, which it grilled the premier over in the recent no-confidence debate.

1 min

Fatal bus crash operator told to speak up

The Transport Ministry has ordered the operator of the ill-fated bus which crashed into two lorries killing seven people and injuring 53 others in Prachin Buri yesterday to issue a public response and warned it could face legal consequences, according to Deputy Transport Minister Surapong Piyachote.

1 min

Possibility of changes to cabinet ruled out

The ruling Pheu Thai Party has dismissed the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle anytime soon, saying the party is focused on the new budget bill for fiscal year 2026, which starts Oct 1.

1 min

Over 13m meth pills seized in North

About 13.2 million methamphetamine pills have been seized in two separate operations against drug smugglers in the North, the Justice Ministry and Narcotics Suppression Bureau announced in a press conference yesterday.

1 min

New law targets data thieves

A new cybercrime law, which took effect on April 13, will help manage cybercrime issues at their source by preventing personal data from being used in criminal activities, according to the Personal Data Protection Committee (PDPC).

1 min

Ministry defends Thai Pavilion costs

The Ministry of Public Health has defended spending 900 million baht on setting up the Thailand Pavilion at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, saying the exhibition has received much praise and criticism has been treated as constructive feedback.

1 min

UN calls for sustainable goals unity

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Unescap) has called for regional cooperation to promote sustainable and inclusive urban development.

1 min

Scams spreading like 'cancer'

Asian crime syndicates behind the multibillion-dollar cyberscam industry are expanding globally, as raids in Southeast Asia fail to contain their activities, the United Nations said in a report yesterday.

2 mins

Russia launches missiles, drones as Easter ceasefire ends

Russia launched missiles and drones targeting Ukraine early yesterday, waking up Kyiv and the eastern half of the country, hours after the one-day Easter ceasefire declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin came to an end.

2 mins

Alito criticises decision to ‘hastily’ block removals

US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito criticised the court majority for “hastily and prematurely” blocking the Trump administration from deporting a group of Venezuelan migrants with an emergency ruling in the early morning hours of a holiday weekend.

1 min

Pentagon boss 'shared war plans again'

Hegseth 'must resign in disgrace': Senator

2 mins

First wheat shipment since Assad's ouster

Syrian authorities said a wheat shipment arrived on Sunday at the country's Mediterranean port of Latakia, the first since the December ouster of former president Bashar al-Assad.

1 min

Gaza paramedics’ killing a ‘mistake’

IDF denies trying to conceal the event

2 mins

Indians battle illnesses in polluted town

Rapid industrialisation erodes safeguards, writes Tora Agarwala

2 mins

Ex-leader faces charges over 'rebel support'

The Democratic Republic of Congo government will initiate legal proceedings against former president Joseph Kabila for allegedly supporting Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in the country's mineral-rich east.

1 min

US aid cuts strain response to crises

The US slashing foreign aid risks piling pressure on already acute humanitarian crises across the globe, a World Health Organization official said on Sunday, also warning against withdrawing from the UN agency.

2 mins

Earth needs real action

Today, countries across the globe mark Earth Day, an annual event aimed at demonstrating their commitment to protecting the environment.

2 mins

Global South will pay for trade war

S President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs have unleashed economic chaos, roiling stock and bond markets and triggering panic around the world, especially in lower-income countries that rely heavily on exports to the United States.

3 mins

How the HBO show ‘The White Lotus’ ran aground

Crashing waves and flying spray have been the most consistent visual motifs in Mike White's HBO hit The White Lotus, which just wrapped up its third (and by general agreement, weakest) season with a bloody denouement at the Thailand outpost of its titular resort.

4 mins

Asean's strategy against US tariffs

On April 2, President Donald Trump's so-called \"Liberation Day\" quickly morphed into \"Solidarity Day\" for all 10 members of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

3 mins

Environment on the up as world prospers

As we celebrate Earth Day today, it's tempting to believe that the world is on the brink of environmental collapse. We are constantly inundated by dire predictions of climate catastrophe and warnings about the planet's imminent destruction. But this is misleading. Rather than panic, we should take a moment to appreciate the remarkable progress we've made in improving the environment — and acknowledge that a key factor is prosperity.

3 mins

Alcaraz's respect for Nadal grows after tough stretch

Carlos Alcaraz believes fatigue contributed to the leg issue that troubled him in his Barcelona Open final defeat and the Spaniard said the gruelling nature of Europe’s claycourt swing gave him even more reason to marvel at Rafael Nadal’s success.

2 mins

Thunder struck! OKC smash Grizzlies

LOS ANGELES: Oklahoma City Thunder destroyed the Memphis Grizzlies 131-80 in the most lopsided game-one win in NBA playoff history on Sunday as reigning champions Boston, Cleveland and Golden State opened the post-season with victories.

2 mins

It's sweet sixteen for Thomas

Justin Thomas won for the 16th time on the PGA Tour, yet it felt different on Sunday in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

2 mins

Lindblad claims first title in just third LPGA start

Swedish LPGA rookie Ingrid Lindblad kept her cool to hold on to the lead and win the LA Championship at El Caballero Country Club on Sunday for her maiden victory on the tour.

2 mins

Reds post football score with 24 runs against O’s

BALTIMORE: Austin Wynns piled up six hits and six RBIs while Noelvi Marte stroked a grand slam to highlight his five-hit, seven-RBI day as the Cincinnati Reds ripped the hosts Baltimore Orioles 24-2 on Sunday afternoon.

1 min

Ancelotti hails team effort, Valverde kick sinks Athletic

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti praised his team’s character after their hard-fought 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, keeping their La Liga title hopes alive while responding in the best possible way to their Champions League exit.

1 min

Leverkusen's Bundesliga hopes all but over after St Pauli draw

HAMBURG: Reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen slipped up with a 1-1 draw at St Pauli on Sunday to drop eight points behind leaders Bayern Munich as their slim hopes of defending the Bundesliga title were all but ended.

1 min

Lewy blow to Barca's quad bid

Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski was diagnosed with a hamstring injury on Sunday and is set to miss the Copa del Rey final and Champions League semi-final according to Spanish media reports.

1 min

Inter's title plans remain unchanged, says Inzaghi

Inter Milan must not lose focus after dropping points in a late loss at Bologna on Sunday, said coach Simone Inzaghi after the champions let their advantage at the top of the standings slip.

1 min

Trent lauds 'special' Liverpool moments

LONDON: Trent Alexander-Arnold refused to quash speculation he will leave Liverpool for Real Madrid at the end of the season after scoring the winner in a 1-0 victory at Leicester City on Sunday.

2 mins

Sorenstam set to inspire at Blue Canyon

Swedish golfing icon Annika Sorenstam will make her way to Thailand to support and inspire junior golfers participating in her namesake tournament — Annika Invitational Asia at Blue Canyon Country Club this week.

1 min

Rayong survive, Nongbua relegated in T1 drama

Nongbua Pitchaya became the third team to be relegated after losing to Port in Thai League 1 action on Sunday night.

1 min

Piastri hits the heights

JEDDAH: Oscar Piastri left Jeddah the new world championship leader after another statement win in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

2 mins

The beautiful game: Pope Francis' passion for football

His predecessor loved Mozart, but Pope Francis's passion was football, for him “the most beautiful game” and also a vehicle to educate and spread peace.

2 mins

Call for new instant VAT refund scheme

The Thai Retailers Association (TRA) wants the government to introduce an instant VAT refund scheme for tourists and set up a free-trade-zone sandbox in tourist destinations such as Phuket, with the aim of positioning Thailand as an Asean shopping hub.

2 mins

Thailand faces lower tourist numbers

Spending ratio to take centre stage

2 mins

Thai rice exports fall 30% as Trump tariff fears grow

Rice exports dropped by 30% year-on-year in the first quarter to 2.1 million tonnes, an industry association said.

1 min

Treasury targets massive increase in revenue growth

The Treasury Department is aiming for a leap in its revenue growth, targeting a 20% increase in 2026, compared to the current average annual revenue growth rate of 3%.

2 mins

Thailand faces hit from US-China trade war

Global tensions likely to affect Thai trade

2 mins

Banks post marginal profit growth in Q1

The banking industry reported marginal growth in net profit for the first quarter of 2025, primarily due to lower net interest income (NII), aligning with a contraction in loans.

2 mins

Foreign condo purchases see 6.8% decline in value

Condo transfers to foreign buyers in Thailand rose by 0.86% last year, but the total value declined by 6.8%, reflecting concerns over a weakening global economy that may face additional pressure from the US's tariff policies.

2 mins

Court drops SPCG case against PEA

The Central Administrative Court has dropped a lawsuit filed by solar farm developer SPCG Plc which requested compensation of 3.7 billion baht from the state-run Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) for its subsidiary due to the cancellation of the subsidiary's right to develop and operate a solar farm to supply power to the PEA.

1 min

T3 Technology to revolutionise Malaysian homes with IoT deal

T3 Technology is speeding up Malaysia’s smart home revolution “Own the Household” in a landmark telecom deal.

3 mins

Alliance looks to AI data platform to boost healthcare sector

The National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (Nectec), the Department of Medical Services and Mahidol University and alliances have introduced a Medical AI Data Platform for data sharing and building artificial intelligence (AI) models to assist physicians in making a diagnosis.

3 mins

Brother targeting 7% growth in sales

Brother Commercial (Thailand) Limited is focusing more on corporate and government projects, including the medium-sized enterprise segment, aiming to achieve 7% sales growth in the 2025 fiscal year, despite prevailing economic challenges.

2 mins

Krabi tour operators seek bribe probe

Krabi Tourism Association has urged the relevant authorities to investigate allegations concerning cases allegedly involving park officials collecting bribes from tour companies, as this issue, which has been circulated widely on social media, could harm the province's tourism sector.

2 mins

NBTC okays draft of spectra auction plan

The board of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has unanimously approved the draft of the plan to auction four spectrum bands.

2 mins

EV firms face driverless-tech crackdown, launch Tesla ‘killers'

More than 70 Chinese and international automotive brands will showcase more than 100 new or refreshed models at the Shanghai auto show this week, intensifying already cutthroat competition in the world’s premier market for electric vehicles and hybrids.

4 mins

China finding alternatives to US farmers

Likely to look more to Brazil, Argentina

5 mins

US beef off menu as trade war hits Beijing's US-style eateries

At Home Plate BBQ, an American-style restaurant in Beijing, staff are reprinting menus. The US-China trade war means American beef, once the star ingredient, will soon be off the table.

2 mins

Is this the end of impulse shopping?

The chief executive of QVC Group, David Rawlinson II, on tariffs, TikTok, and other threats to the company's future.

7 mins

China stops imports of US LNG, customs data show

China’s purchases of US liquefied natural gas plunged to zero in March after a sharp decline in the previous two months, as the trade war between the two biggest economies alters shipping routes.

1 min

Nintendo faces a trade war test with its launch of Switch 2

Nintendo's Switch became a source of much-needed escapism during pandemic restrictions. Now, the Japanese video game company faces the harsh reality of a brutal trade war as it launches its successor device.

3 mins

Fire hazard spurs recall of 400,000 phone chargers

More than 400,000 Casely wireless phone chargers were recalled on Thursday over concerns that they could pose a fire hazard, officials said.

1 min

Tariff deal talks to dominate IMF-World Bank meetings

Hundreds of global finance leaders will descend on Washington this week, each with a singular mission: Who can I talk with to cut a trade deal?

3 mins

World markets slump on tariff concerns

Markets yesterday continued to reverberate from US President Donald Trump's trade war, with Japan stocks slumping, the US dollar continuing to lose ground and oil prices slipping.

2 mins

Vietnam mogul's jail time cut to 30 years

A Vietnamese property tycoon who was jailed for life in a $17-billion money laundering case had her sentence cut to 30 years on appeal yesterday after she claimed what happened was “an accident”.

2 mins

China sends back second Boeing 737

A second Boeing jet intended for use by a Chinese airline was heading back to the US yesterday, flight tracking data showed, in what appeared to be another victim of the tit-for-tat bilateral tariffs launched by President Donald Trump in his global trade offensive.

1 min

Anti-Powell push spurs US assets sale

The sell-America trade gathered momentum yesterday on concern that US President Donald Trump will act upon his threat of firing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

3 mins

THE FAKE BOOKSHOP

An exhibition in a historic shophouse provokes thought on society and mental health through satire

4 mins

Thailand's first online classic car auction platform launches

Collins Auction presents Thailand's first online classic and collectable car auction platform which will go live from Saturday to May 3.

1 min

NUDE PHOTOS OF DEAD SINGER SPARK ROW IN JAPAN

A Japanese record company is facing a backlash after announcing it would release a CD by a deceased singer that will include nude photographs of her taken privately.

1 min

TV show Black Mirror returns to its roots in new season

The much-anticipated British television series Black Mirror returns to Netflix for a seventh season, promising to immerse fans once again in its iconic, dystopian worlds replete with futuristic technology.

2 mins

North America moviegoers embrace Sinners over Easter weekend

North American moviegoers feasted on Warner Bros’ vampire thriller Sinners as it debuted to an estimated US$45.6 million (1.5 billion baht) over the Easter holiday weekend, analysts said on Sunday.

1 min

Judge denies Sean 'Diddy' Combs push to delay trial by two months

The US judge in the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs for sex trafficking and other charges denied last week the music mogul's bid to delay his trial by two months, saying he had ample time to prepare.

1 min

STAR WARS SERIES ANDOR BACK FOR FINAL SEASON

If Andor — which returns now for its second and final season — has been received as one of the very best Star Wars TV series, thatis largely thanks to the grittier, more adult approach taken by its creator Tony Gilroy.

2 mins

Do healthy breakfast cereals exist?

Q: I love cereal, but sometimes it seems nutritionally no better than dessert. Are healthier options available? And if so, how can I find them?

3 mins

THINK BIG

10 small things neurologists wish you'd do for your brain

5 mins

Starting a new life together, with wellness top of mind

Kara Ladd-Blum said she was \"pushed into the wellness world\" after being diagnosed in 2016 with synovial sarcoma, a rare form of cancer affecting the body's soft tissues.

4 mins

Live longer, spend less

Five science-backed longevity ‘hacks’ that don’t cost a fortune

5 mins

SHOOTING STAR

Isabela Merced is ready to slay (and not just zombies)

4 mins

Hania Rani's music is tranquil. Please don't call it 'soothing'

When Polish musician Hania Rani released her first solo album, Esja, in 2019, she knew it was a modest debut. Its subtle piano compositions were moody but pared down, and she worried that its serene atmosphere might limit its mainstream appeal.

3 mins

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Bangkok Post is the leading English-language daily newspaper in Thailand and has the longest history of any newspaper in existence in the country. The Bangkok Post targets well-educated decision makers, including top executives and high-ranking government officials. The Bangkok Post was established by a group of American and Thai journalists and the first issue was launched on August 1, 1946 with only four pages. Now the Bangkok Post publishes about 60 pages a day.

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