Bangkok Post - May 05, 2025

In this issue

May 05, 2025

Parliament's renovation budget request comes under scrutiny

Parliament has come under intense scrutiny after it requested hundreds of millions of baht in additional budget for renovations when many Thais are still grappling with economic hardship.

1 min

PM hints at 'secret' tariff deal with US

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has admitted that a secret deal with the United States over trade tariffs is a possibility.

2 mins

PM slams critics of casinos

Accuses rivals of sowing confusion

2 mins

Twist in Nong Cartoon crash saga

Victim's Mum faces agonising decision in lengthy fight for justice which has yet to pay off.

4 mins

Raids catch cosmetics smugglers

The Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) recently raided five warehouses in Bangkok, confiscating more than 34,000 counterfeit branded perfumes smuggled from China, with a street value of 4.3 million baht.

1 min

UN role can spur rights push

Thailand urged to adopt standards in keeping with UNHRC promotion, writes Poramet Tangsathaporn

3 mins

NCDs burden healthcare, cut economic growth

The Department of Health Promotion (DHPS) has raised concerns over the nation's dietary habits, highlighting the risk of Thais picking up non-communicable diseases (NCDs) due to excessive consumption of sweet, salty and fatty foods.

2 mins

ADTEB calls for clarity on expiring digital TV licences

The Association of Digital Television Broadcasting (ADTEB) has aired concerns surrounding the expiry of digital TV licences, urging clarity on regulatory plans and calling for the continued use of the 3500MHz spectrum for broadcasting.

1 min

'Slow-moving' SAO probe upsets PM

90-day deadline for modelling 'too long'

2 mins

Trans people 'still lack protection'

Absence reflects deep-rooted prejudice, writes Poramet Tangsathaporn

3 mins

Somsak backs push to prescribe herbs

Govt suggestion 'not a mandate', he says

2 mins

President holds press conference for 15 hours

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu addressed a press conference for nearly 15 hours, his office said yesterday, claiming it broke a previous record held by Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.

1 min

PM basks in win, vows ‘orderly' govt

Australia’s left-leaning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese basked yesterday in his landslide election win, promising a “disciplined, orderly” government to confront cost-of-living pain and tariff turmoil.

2 mins

Island nation's ruling party wins election landslide

Voters have handed Singapore's long-time ruling party a landslide election victory, offering Prime Minister Lawrence Wong a clear mandate to navigate the trade-oriented Southeast Asian nation through economic upheaval sparked by looming US tariffs.

2 mins

Kashmir clash triggers past horrors

Locals bear brunt of unresolved conflict

2 mins

Paramilitary strikes using suicide drones

Sudanese paramilitaries yesterday struck Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast, the army said, in the first attack on the seat of the armyaligned government in the country’s two-year war.

1 min

Kidnapped dad of crypto firm boss released during police raid

French police mounted a weekend raid to free a man who had been kidnapped in Paris to force his crypto-millionaire son to pay a ransom, prosecutors said, adding that four people were arrested.

1 min

7 Iranians among 8 nabbed for 'terrorism offences'

British police yesterday said eight people, including seven Iranian nationals, were arrested in two separate counterterrorism probes.

1 min

Israel calls up its reservists

'Tens of thousands' needed for offensive

2 mins

Manila bishops defend papal frontrunner

The Philippines’ governing body of Catholic bishops has issued a rare statement on clerical sexual abuse, defending Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle on the issue days before the opening of a conclave to elect a new pope.

1 min

Nation returns to polls after annulled vote

Polls opened in Romania yesterday in a rerun of November's annulled presidential election, with a far-right candidate again expected to win the first round.

1 min

Musk wins vote to establish Starbase city

Poll shows 97.7% back the project

2 mins

Abuse of nuns: one of the Catholic Church’s last taboos

With reports of sexual assaults rising, the future pope will have to address the issue, writes Agnès Pedrero

2 mins

Charm alone is not enough

Thailand's tourism industry, long regarded as one of the kingdom's economic crown jewels, is showing signs of severe fatigue.

2 mins

Lesser spotted leopards in peril

ENDANGERED SPECIES

3 mins

Bolsonaro coup attempt won’t land him in jail

Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's former president and Trump clone, is facing trial for encouraging a plot that would have restored him to power after he lost the 2022 election, but it is unlikely that he will ever end up in court.

3 mins

US-Ukraine minerals deal is heavy on symbolism

US President Donald Trump's minerals deal with Ukraine is a big symbolic win for both sides.

3 mins

'14th floor saga' paints a bad picture

One big question still lingering in the mind of many people in this country for more than a year now is: “Was former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra really suffering from a life-threatening sickness that justified his being treated on the 14th floor of the Police General Hospital for six months without spending one day behind bars to serve his one-year prison term?”

3 mins

Williams sets up world title showdown with Zhao

Three-time winner Mark Williams booked his place in this year’s World Snooker Championship final with a hard-fought 17-14 win over Judd Trump at the Crucible Theatre on Saturday.

1 min

Nuggets rout Clippers to advance

Denver to face top seeds Thunder next

2 mins

Scheffler eight ahead in Texas

Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler made a closing birdie in near-darkness to seize an eight-stroke lead after Saturday’s third round of the PGA Tour's CJ Cup Byron Nelson tournament.

2 mins

Ryu clings to two-shot lead at LPGA Black Desert C'ship

South Korea’s Ryu Hae-Ran, who has led the Black Desert Championship since the opening round, takes a two-stroke lead into the final round after posting a four-under-par 68 on Saturday in Ivins, Utah.

2 mins

Stowers hits grand slam, lifts Marlins past Atlanta

Kyle Stowers turned around a 102-mph fastball for a walk-off grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning as the Miami Marlins rallied to defeat the Athletics 9-6 on Saturday afternoon.

1 min

Leipzig put Bayern and Kane's party plans on hold

Bayern Munich and Harry Kane's German Bundesliga title party was delayed by at least a day after RB Leipzig’s Yussuf Poulsen scored a stoppage-time equaliser in a 3-3 home draw on Saturday.

1 min

‘Like a dream,’ says Sabalenka after third Madrid Open crown

World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka said her sensational form this year is “like a dream” after defeating Coco Gauff 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) on Saturday to win her third Madrid Open title.

2 mins

Barca on track after rallying win

Barcelona moved a step closer to the La Liga title as they came from behind to beat already-relegated Real Valladolid 2-1 on Saturday to extend their lead on rivals Real Madrid.

2 mins

Napoli’s ‘big step’ towards silverware

Napoli remained three points clear at the top of Serie A on Saturday after a hard-fought 1-0 win at Lecce while title rivals Inter Milan beat Verona by the same score ahead of their Champions League semi-final showdown with Barcelona.

1 min

Al Ahli down Kawasaki to bag Asian title

Star-studded Saudi club dominates final

2 mins

Mun gatecrashes Maekyung Open with thrilling triumph

Korean Mun Do-Yeob won the Maekyung Open after a sensational back nine birdie-fest saw him shoot a sizzling bogey-free eight-under-par 63.

2 mins

Arsenal told to use 'rage' of shock loss against PSG

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta hoped to carry positive momentum into Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg at Paris St Germain but instead called on his players to harness their rage from Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by Bournemouth.

1 min

Alvarez eyes Crawford's scalp after Scull victory

Star unifies super middleweight titles

2 mins

Call for ministers to do their job

With a range of external factors weighing on the Thai economy, some business leaders are pushing for a cabinet reshuffle to revive the country's prospects

5 mins

Foreign investment to be liberalised with shakeup of law

The Commerce Ministry plans to simplify business registration by removing 10 service businesses from List 3 of the Foreign Business Act, aiming to increase investment in the country.

1 min

Call for major rethink of economic policy

Economists slam lack of direction

4 mins

Thai firms urged to adopt agentic AI

The adoption of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) globally and in Thailand will equip businesses with the ability to understand consumers in several situations, enabling them to make intelligent decisions.

1 min

NBTC preps standards for online scam guideline

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is preparing additional standards as a guideline for telecom operators to comply with the new emergency decree on the prevention and suppression of cybercrime, which went into effect on April 13.

2 mins

Tata Steel bullish on ductile rebar

Earthquake spikes interest in product

1 min

Recruiters put focus on GenAI skills

Some 97% of Thai employers are willing to offer higher salaries to candidates who have micro-credentials, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (GenAI), according to Coursera’s Micro-Credentials Impact Report 2025.

1 min

TOA Paint planning to tap alternate product segments

SET-listed TOA Paint (Thailand) aims to sustain sales this year via repainting and new product segments amid global economic uncertainty and a sluggish domestic economy.

1 min

Scam decree touts shared responsibility

Individuals need to follow best practices or they can be found fully liable, writes Somruedi Banchongduang

3 mins

J&T Express advances green logistics

A sustainable network is meant to enhance operational efficiency and minimise environmental impact, writes Suchit Leesa-nguansuk

4 mins

Indonesia’s cloves under threat

Colonial powers once sought to wipe out cloves grown by locals on the eastern Indonesian island of Ternate to safeguard their monopoly over the prized crop. Today farmers say the gravest threat to their plants is climate change.

3 mins

Tourism and exports boost HK’s growth

ECONOMIC DATA

2 mins

Volvo turns to Chinese owner Geely

CEO: Geely offers a 'unique opportunity'

3 mins

Futures Focus

The SET50 Index closed last week at 776.89 points, an increase of 35.37 points, or 4.77% from the previous week.

1 min

Gold eases back amid hopes for US-China trade talks

Gold recorded its second consecutive weekly loss as easing trade tensions between the US and China and a strong US jobs report kept pressure on prices.

1 min

Oil Market Outlook

Oil prices slumped amid speculation about a second large production increase from Opec+, adding to concerns about rising global supplies that have dragged down crude prices this year.

2 mins

Bitcoin upside seen amid tariff turmoil

Bitcoin surged past gold and tech stocks alike in April, rekindling the debate over whether the largest cryptocurrency serves as a refuge from market turmoil such as the anxiety triggered by sweeping US tariffs.

1 min

Tidal wave of change headed for US

American consumers are not yet seeing much evidence of the drastic changes President Trump has made on trade. But they are on their way, writes Ana Swanson from Washington

6 mins

Trump vs Toyota? Why American cars are a rare sight in Japan

With their sleek curves and chrome grilles, the classic American cars on sale at Yosuke Fukuda's yard ooze California cool but on Japanese roads new US vehicles are a rare sight, much to President Donald Trump's annoyance.

3 mins

UNBOXING ART TOYS

An exhibition at TCDC sees local artists blending Thai culture and stories into collectable figures

4 mins

K-DRAMA SPIN-OFF TAKES THAILAND BY STORM

Here are the latest updates from the world of South Korean showbiz. Resident Playbook, a spin-off of the medical drama series Hospital Playlist, is currently one of top five most watched TV series on Netflix Thailand. Meanwhile, BiBi, a popular performer, will hold her first concert in Thailand.

1 min

MUSIC PROJECT AIMS TO SEND THAI TALENT ABROAD

Thai artists will have a chance to take their music global under the Music Exchange 2025 project which is holding an open call until May 22.

1 min

Sean 'Diddy' Combs confirms he rejected plea offer ahead of trafficking trial

Sean “Diddy” Combs confirmed last week that he rejected prosecutors’ offer for a plea deal, paving the way for the hip-hop mogul to go to trial this week on sex trafficking charges.

1 min

Actors George Clooney, Sarah Snook and Sadie Sink get Tony nominations

George Clooney, Mia Farrow, Sarah Snook and Sadie Sink all picked up Tony nominations last week as Broadway began its celebration of an unusually starry season.

2 mins

Artist behind Donald Trump portrait says he hopes it brings peace

A Russian artist who painted a portrait of Donald Trump that was given to the US president by Vladimir Putin says he never suspected his work would become an instrument of Russia-US diplomacy.

1 min

Russell Brand due in court to face sex charges

British actor and comedian Russell Brand appeared in court last week after being charged last month with rape and multiple counts of sex assault in cases relating to four separate women more than two decades ago.

1 min

KARDASHIAN ROBBERY SUSPECT SAYS HEIST WAS ONE 'TOO MANY'

At the Paris trial of 10 people accused of robbing Kim Kardashian at gunpoint in 2016, a defendant who wrote a book about the jewellery heist last week said he regretted participating while one of his co-accused denied any involvement.

1 min

Aston pumps DBX to 717bhp to outpunch Purosanque

Aston Martin has launched a faster and lighter flagship S variant of the DBX SUV, cranking the power to 717bhp to make it the most powerful non-electrified SUV on the market.

2 mins

BOLD EV RETHINK FOR RANGE ROVER VELAR

The Range Rover Velar will undergo a radical makeover next year, with electric power and a genre-bending new body shape that will depart from its traditional SUV roots.

5 mins

Hamm hams up the sale

Is Friends & Neighbors a big watch ad?

4 mins

New York cool

A stunning new pool in Central Park helps heal old wounds

5 mins

Read all stories from Bangkok Post

Bangkok Post Newspaper Description:

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.

Space does not allow a full display of the list of awards we have received over the past 60-plus years. Bangkok Post was originally the leading English newspaper in Thailand.

Bangkok Post provides you with breaking news, local news, business news, op-ed, lifestyle features and much more