Latest from Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
an hour ago
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Why tourists baulk
Why tourists baulk Re: "Israeli market poised to contract amid war", (Business, June 21). Thailand has been frequently in the news of late regarding its tourism drop-off. The stated reasons are only part of the story. Setting aside food and some hotel prices, Thailand has one of the world's lowest inflation rates, but you may not know this as a tourist, as its currency is strong. China's outbound tourism is down just about everywhere, while many Europeans are staying home due to their ongoing wars, poor economies, and inept politicians. Japan is "in just now" in part due to its depreciating currency of late, despite, in my opinion, rather difficult-to-navigate public transport, bland food (fish and mostly white rice), and no garbage bins. Paul A Renaud Who comes next? Re: "Don't rush censure bid, BJT told", (BP, June 26). I, too, feel that PM Paetongtarn gravely lacks the expertise necessary to lead us, but before we kick her out, who's a better alternative? We should ensure we're not jumping from the frying pan into the fire. For example, 99 leading Thai economists, including former central bank governors, wrote an open letter opposing her 10,000-baht digital wallet handout, citing issues like the recovering economy and a fiscal multiplier below one. Poor results from the first two tranches of the handout supported the opponents' arguments. Who would have the vision and expertise to do better than Ms Paetongtarn, and what would they have done with the funds? Being constructive in our criticism would be very persuasive in convincing MPs that Ms Paetongtarn could have done much, much better and should exit the stage. Burin Kantabutra Calm before creed Re: "Analysis: US military pulled back into Middle East wars", (World, June 22). Like Hamas, Iran's disdain for peaceful coexistence with Israel needs to be contained. But when US President Donald Trump's Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth boastfully proclaims regarding his country's allegedly pre-emptive attack on Iran that "We give glory to God" (Pentagon briefing, June 22), he sounds as nutty as Iran's theocratic leaders in same vein as thuggish as Zionists claiming Israel has a divine right to all of Palestine, and too disturbingly like Osama bin Laden following his vile terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on Sept 11, 2001. Pope Leo XIV's prompt response urging peaceful resolution and respectful tolerance sounds more like what Christianity and its fellow Abrahamic religions should aspire to, rather than their habitual warmongering lust of many centuries for violence and suppression. Felix Qui Rainbow overkill Re: "Gender recognition law next big step", "Srettha bangs drum for LGBTQ+ rights", & "Thailand records 4.24% drop in foreign visitors", (BP, June 25). You know, as an older gay man, when I picked up a copy of the Bangkok Post which had been closed in haste and placed back on the newspaper rack at a popular straight expat pub where I read the Post everyday over a beer, I couldn't help but notice that on page one there was a big "gay" news story, and then on page 2 there were more "gay" news stories... ...as in gay, gay, gay, and by the way, did I mention the word "gay"? I noticed that families are starting to choose other countries instead of Thailand. My tourist neighbourhood has few tourists of any sexual orientation, and is now on the brink of financial collapse as tourism crashes despite a month-long LGBTQ+ push. ...my, what a "dimming rainbow"?
Bangkok Post
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
Cybercrime moves up the agenda
There has been no shortage of commentators ready to hail the decision of former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen to leak his recent conversation with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra as a diplomatic "masterstroke". The leak has called into question the survival of the Thai coalition government, with the Bhumjaithai Party having already withdrawn from the coalition. Many in Thailand are horrified by the deferential tone adopted by the young prime minister when speaking with Hun Sen and are demanding Ms Paetongtarn step down. According to the idea of the "masterstroke", Hun Sen has weakened a troublesome foreign government. Cambodians, so the argument goes, will now be willing to rally behind him in his defence of Cambodian interests. In fact, regardless of Ms Paetongtarn's political fate, Hun Sen's move could backfire. Destabilising the government of Thailand, which has historically been the major US ally in the region, is not a move likely to divert US attention away from cybercrime in Southeast Asia. More broadly, destabilisation of other governments is not part of Hun Sen's playbook. He has moved into uncharted territory with the leak. For decades, Hun Sen has sought to present himself as standing for internal stability. He has been a devout adherent of the Asean principle of non-interference in the affairs of other member states. But cybercrime in the region is inherently an international problem, and can't be dealt with using such an approach. Internal Cambodian crackdowns have failed to produce convincing results. A series of high-profile compound raids were focused on Sihanoukville in 2022. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the raids simply resulted in the compounds being moved to more remote Cambodian locations. The deterioration of the relationship between Thailand and Cambodia this year, and the border clashes which have resulted, should be seen in the context of Thailand's need to ensure that organised cyber-scam activity in the region is minimised or eliminated. The issue was identified by the prime minister when she took office in August 2024. Tourism in Thailand has yet to recover to its pre-Covid level. Chinese tourists in particular have been staying away in the knowledge that Thailand is often a transit destination for people being trafficked into cyber-slavery in Cambodia or Myanmar. The case of the well-known Chinese actor, Wang Xing, who flew to Bangkok in January for what he thought was an acting job, was a key trigger for increased Chinese public awareness. Wang Xing ended up trapped in a cyber-scam compound in Myawaddy in Myanmar. Though he was soon released, the publicity in China led to a rush to cancel planned trips to Thailand. The Thai Monetary Policy Committee said in May that safety concerns among Chinese tourists were the main reason for lower tourist arrivals. Thailand, as Southeast Asia's largest tourist destination, cannot go on like this. Something has to change. Ms Paetongtarn's best hope of survival now lies in adopting a hardline approach to the problem of cybercrime in the region. She has responded to the leak by committing herself to destroying the gangs that run the cyber-scam compounds. Any new Thai government will be under pressure to adopt a stance that is at least as tough. A meaningful crackdown on the scammers is impossible without addressing the issue of Cambodian government complicity. The Cambodian government denies that it allows cyber-scam compounds to operate. Still, Ly Yong Phat, a member of the ruling Cambodian People's Party central committee, was sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury in 2024 over the issue. Prime Minister Hun Manet's cousin, Hun To, is a director of Huione Pay, targeted by the US for its alleged role in laundering cyber-scam receipts. The globalisation of the cyber-scam issue means Ms Paetongtarn can hope to rally significant international support for a crackdown. Gone are the days when the cyber-scam compounds ran solely on the forced labour of the Chinese victims of human trafficking. The compounds now seek to recruit young job seekers who speak English, from whatever country they can be found. The financial victims of the increasingly sophisticated scams are global. Billions of dollars are being stolen each year, with an estimated 150,000 people trapped in Cambodian compounds. Despite the scale of the organised crime, non-Chinese international awareness of the issue, until now, has remained limited. Hun Sen has released the genie of the cyber-scam issue out of the bottle and into the international political arena. There's no way to put it back. No one has an incentive to cover up organised cybercrime, except the perpetrators and facilitators. Ms Paetongtarn's days as prime minister may be numbered, but Hun Sen may have set in motion a train of events that will weaken his own family regime. David Whitehouse is a freelance journalist in Paris. He is author of 'In Search of Rwanda's Génocidaires: French Justice and the Lost Decades'. He is a co-writer of 'We Didn't Start the Fire: My Struggle for Democracy in Cambodia', an autobiography of Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy.
Bangkok Post
2 hours ago
- Business
- Bangkok Post
PTT, Centrica ink LNG deal
National oil and gas conglomerate PTT Plc is strengthening its position as a liquefied natural gas (LNG) trader in Southeast Asia, with its latest move paving the way to sell LNG to a British multinational energy firm. PTT not only buys LNG under long-term purchase contracts to ensure Thailand has sufficient fuel for power generation, but it also sells the gas overseas to rack up revenue. The company recently signed a heads of agreement for long-term LNG sales to Centrica LNG Co, scheduled for delivery in 2028, said Jaturong Worawitsurawatthana, senior executive vice-president overseeing international trading at PTT. Known as HoA, heads of agreement serves as a roadmap for negotiations and helps parties ensure they are on the same page regarding key aspects of a deal. Under the HoA, subsidiary PTT International Trading Pte will supply LNG to Centrica for a 10-year period across a range of destinations in Asia, based on a delivered ex-ship (DES) basis. DES is used for pricing and delivery management, where a seller is responsible for LNG until it has been made available to a buyer on board the ship at a destination. "With this agreement, PTT is moving to become a major LNG trader in Southeast Asia," said Mr Jaturong. The collaboration secures PTT International Trading's first long-term LNG sales contract outside Thailand, aligning with the company's international growth ambitions. PTT previously announced it signed a long-term purchase contract to buy 2 million tonnes of LNG from Alaska to avoid LNG price fluctuations in the spot market and address the trade imbalance with the US.
Bangkok Post
2 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Bus fire probe exposes DLT
The outcome of the investigation into the tragic bus fire last year, which claimed the lives of 20 students and three teachers, is disgraceful -- but hardly surprising. The probe's conclusion, released by the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on Tuesday, reveals the shocking, systemic corruption in the vehicle safety inspection carried out by the Department of Land Transport (DLT). The probe accuses six individuals -- officials at the DLT Sing Buri branch, owners of the bus belonging to Sing Buri-based Chinnaboot Tour, and engineers at a third-party safety audit company. They are accused of colluding to fabricate evidence that they obtained permits to allow a substandard CNG-bus on the road. That particular bus had 11 tanks containing compressed natural gas (CNG). Yet, only six of the 11 CNG tanks installed on the bus were registered by the DLT, while the others were not. The NACC probe focused on whether the DLT let this vehicle on the road. The probe found that the whole CNG system on this bus had never been inspected properly. The result was the heartbreaking tragedy. The substandard bus caught fire on Oct 1 last year on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road. The bus was taking students from a school in Uthai Thani on a field trip. The graftbusters accused a DLT official at the Sing Buri office of dereliction of duty and malfeasance. This official did not even look at the bus or CNG gas system -- the probe states that this official simply issued a permit that approved the six CNG gas tanks and related system. The probe also found that an engineer at a third-party company issued the safety guarantee without checking the bus's CNG gas system at all. It is shocking that the bus's GPS tracking system showed the owner never sent the bus to a third-party company. That begs the question as to whether the whole DLT inspection system is reliable enough to ensure safety. With systemic corruption, it would not be a surprise at all if all substandard public buses and vans got official permits to ply the roads. Last year, right after the tragic accident, the DLT reportedly ordered all 13,426 chartered buses using CNG tanks to be inspected within 60 days. Yet that inspection was done in a frantic manner. With public attention subsiding, the issue of safety inspections on public vehicles has been forgotten. The Transport Ministry briefly imposed a temporary ban on the use of buses using CNG tanks to take students on trips pending proper safety measures from the DLT. These measures were not enough. Responsible governments and policymakers must make sure every vehicle inspection conducted by the DLT and third-party auditing companies are checked to ensure transparency and law compliance. The latest probe shows the owner of the problematic bus was not averse to using false serial numbers for gas tanks to apply for the permits. In reality, it is known that owners of sub-standard public and commercial buses can evade the law by giving tea money to third-party auditors and DLT officials. With that said, the transport ministry also needs to use more safeguards, such as the use of digital data to track the serial numbers of vehicle components, to prevent fraud. Without sincere efforts to improve transparency, sub-standard buses will continue to be a danger on our roads.
Bangkok Post
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
A 'dangerous' July for the Shinawatras
The Hun Sen effect -- caused by a controversial private telephone call recording between Cambodia's de facto leader and Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra -- has thrown Thai politics into disarray. Ms Paetongtarn is in treacherous waters as calls for her resignation grow. Her opponents are to gather today in a bid to throw her out of office. The telephone conversation, believed to have been leaked by the Cambodian former prime minister Hun Sen, cast Ms Paetongtarn in a very bad light. Questions about her leadership, or lack thereof, are getting louder and louder, while public trust in her is rapidly eroding. Due to her limited experience, she was not an ideal leader from the start. Although the 38-year-old prime minister is trying to fight back by switching into tough mode, public confidence in her continues to dip. To flex her political muscles, PM Paetongtarn has instructed authorities to target call centre scams at the border town of Poipet that have for a long time harmed innocent people. The decision reportedly hit Cambodian leaders hard as it's believed that those behind the scam operation are supporters of the Hun family. The fact is, Ms Paetongtarn could have declared a war against scammers along the Thai border long ago, but chose not to. Critics say she let family ties between her family and Hun Sen's affect the decision. With the telephone recording controversy, it's clear that her leadership is in crisis. Pheu Thai's popularity had already nosedived after it dumped the then Move Forward Party (MFP) and chose to instead form a coalition with parties under the ex-junta's control. Suffice it to say, July won't be summer time for Ms Paetongtarn and Pheu Thai, as they will be facing many challenges. There are quite a few scenarios that are likely to cripple Ms Paetongtarn, with slim chances of her continuing as government leader. Among them: lawfare, largely based on the Hun Sen effect, through independent agencies; a no-confidence censure pushed by friend-turned-foe Bhumjaithai, which remains uncertain as it requires consent from other opposition parties; rising calls for her to resign, which she is choosing to ignore, and calls for a house dissolution. A coup has been ruled out, at least for now. Demonstrations against her by groups of opponents, ie, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), and even ex-red shirt leaders, who are united in this cause, may not directly result in her removal from office. But it could be fuel for lawfare against her. Ms Paetongtarn's fate hangs in the balance as petitions against her are filed with the National Anti-Corruption Commission and Constitutional Court. In particular, the Senate petitioned the charter court, as it regarded her call with Hun Sen as disrespectful to the rule of law and a breach of ethics. The charter court is to convene on July 1 to consider the case. There is widespread speculation that the court will accept the petition. Yet, it remains to be seen if it will suspend her from duty at this stage. Most political pundits believe so. Jaran Pakditanakul, a former charter court judge, is confident that Ms Paetongtarn has little chance of surviving politically. The clip saga speaks volumes about the conflicts of interest between the two families, and shows Ms Paetongtarn has no ability to handle national crises. If the court accepts the petition and Ms Paetongtarn is suspended during the probe, it is likely that the government and public administration will be handled by Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, according to an analysis by Mr Jaran. Even though the prospective charter court's action, mentioned by Mr Jaran, may be deemed contentious lawfare, it is preferable to a military coup, which would see the country regress politically. The following is a likely scenario if the court accepts the case against Ms Paetongtarn and suspends her from duty. Mr Phumtham would become acting PM. This could happen in around 1-2 months when the court hands down a ruling. If the court does ditch Ms Paetongtarn, the House of Representatives will vote for a new PM and, under the present circumstances, Chaikasem Nitisiri -- Pheu Thai's third prime ministerial candidate -- stands a high chance of replacing her, but only if he is fit enough to take care of the country. Mr Chaikasem, 76, is reported to have health problems. It could be said that lawfare -- considered by many as a kind of coup by independent agencies -- is the favourable option by the old guard to attack their enemies. Look at what happened to the FFP and MFP. Yet, there is a chance Ms Paetongtarn may survive the lawfare. If so, it would mean the Shinawatras have another deal with the old guard, which may be pleased with the "civilian-cum-military government" now that Pheu Thai is allowing the men in green to have a mandate in handling border issues. At the same time, it's understandable that Pheu Thai will never accept a House dissolution as an option, as it is now in a disadvantaged position, with declining popularity as a result of its poor performance in running the country over the past two years. The party is experiencing a big headache in forming a new coalition as prospective partners are optimising their cabinet seat demands, and Pheu Thai has to accommodate them as a paper-thin majority is too risky. All in all, July is set to be a dangerous month for both Ms Paetongtarn and Thaksin. For Thaksin, the court is expected to hand down its ruling on the 14th floor saga -- his extended hospitalisation to avoid imprisonment. Given all the circumstances, this could be a turning point for Thai politics as the Shinawatra family is politically vulnerable.
