Thai Times

Current AI Seeks to Build an Open Global AI Infrastructure Outside Big Tech Control

Backed by governments, foundations and technology partners, the nonprofit aims to create open artificial intelligence infrastructure that preserves languages, protects community data and expands access to AI beyond commercial platforms. ...

Singapore Considers Lower Taxes for Fund Managers as Hong Kong Intensifies Talent Contest

The city-state is examining tax and operating-cost relief for investment firms after Hong Kong proposed broader exemptions on carried interest and performance fees.

US Retaliates Against Iran After Two American Troops Killed in Jordan

American forces struck Revolutionary Guard units and military infrastructure after an Iranian missile-and-drone assault killed two US service members, left another missing and intensified a widening confrontation over the Strait of Hormuz.

Bank of Asia BVI Enters Court-Supervised Liquidation After Regulators Find It Insolvent

The offshore bank ceased normal operations after a prolonged capital shortfall, failed rescue efforts and an estimated balance-sheet deficit of at least nineteen million dollars.

Proposed U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Pact Could Permit Limited Uranium Enrichment Under International Safeguards

A draft cooperation framework would open Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear market to American technology while potentially allowing sensitive fuel-cycle activities under negotiated restrictions, but no final agreement has been signed or su...

Why Kentucky Fried Chicken Became KFC—and Why the False Explanations Persist

The 1991 rebrand was a calculated effort to modernize the chain, broaden its menu identity and soften the increasingly unfashionable association with fried food—not a response to state licensing demands or genetically altered chickens. :...

Ukrainian Drones Strike Wildberries Warehouses Deep Inside Russia

Attacks on logistics centres in the Tambov and Moscow regions killed eight people, while Kyiv said the facilities supplied restricted components for Russian drone production—a claim not independently substantiated.

Brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate Who Turned "Toxic Masculinity" Into a Brand Arrested in Miami as Britain Seeks Their Extradition

Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested by federal authorities in Miami as British prosecutors seek their extradition to face dozens of charges, including rape and human trafficking for sexual exploitation. The brothers deny the allegation...

Reported CIA Mission Helped Clear the UAE’s Path to Advanced US AI Chips

Veteran intelligence officer Jonny Gannon was reportedly sent to investigate G42’s Chinese connections, then helped the Emirati technology group address security concerns that had threatened its access to American computing power.

Artificial Intelligence Capital Fuels Markets While Governments and Regulators Face Mounting Strategic Tests

Global investment is concentrating around artificial intelligence, driving financial markets, reshaping corporate strategy and intensifying competition between governments, even as regulatory and governance challenges emerge across Asia.

China’s Moonshot’s Kimi K3 Narrows the Gap With Anthropic Through Scale, Openness and Lower Cost

The Chinese start-up’s new open-weight model posts competitive coding and agentic results against leading American systems, challenging the assumption that frontier artificial intelligence remains confined to a small group of United Stat...

Gold and Cash Seizure Puts Indonesia’s Senior Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Under Investigation

Police found seventy-four kilograms of gold and hundreds of billions of rupiah during raids linked to Febrie Adriansyah, intensifying concern that rival law-enforcement institutions are using corruption cases against one another.

The Ledger Will Not Trust on Faith

Artificial-intelligence agents can reconcile accounts, pursue anomalies and draft reports, but finance will accept autonomy only when every action remains visible, reversible and humanly accountable.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Visits China Seeking Investment and Support on Cambodia Border Tensions

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s first official China visit secured investment commitments from Chinese companies including Changan Automobile, while President Xi Jinping offered to help facilitate talks between Thailand and Cambodia...

Thailand Extends Migrant Worker Permits Until 2027 to Support Key Economic Sectors

The Thai government has extended legal work and residency arrangements for migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam until December 2027, aiming to prevent labor shortages in manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and tourism as...

Thailand and Cambodia Establish UN-Backed Maritime Talks Over Gulf of Thailand Resources

Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to create a five-member conciliation commission under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to address overlapping maritime claims and possible joint offshore energy development, with the p...

Passenger Bound for Germany Refused to Sit Beside a Woman on a Plane — Then Slapped a Flight Attendant

A twenty-nine-year-old German citizen of Turkish origin allegedly invoked Islamic Sharia law to reject his assigned seat, struck a crew member and later insulted police officers after landing in Düsseldorf.

Ukraine’s Leadership Rift Spills Into the Streets as Protesters Target Army Chief

The dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has exposed a dispute over military modernization, battlefield command and presidential authority, prompting rare public demonstrations against General Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Ukrainian Drone Barrage Kills Eight and Strikes Russian Logistics Network

Warehouses operated by Russia's largest online retailer burned in coordinated attacks that Kyiv said targeted supply routes for drone and navigation components.

Thailand Expands State Welfare Card Program to Cover 18.8 Million Vulnerable Citizens Under New Rules

The Thai Cabinet approved revised eligibility criteria for the 2026 State Welfare Card program, allowing more low-income citizens and farmers to qualify by excluding agricultural debt and parental deductions from income assessments to ea...

Thai Prime Minister Begins China Visit to Secure Technology Partnerships With Major Chinese Firms

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is meeting Chinese leaders and technology executives from companies including Huawei, Alibaba and AgiBot during a multi-city state visit aimed at expanding cooperation in robotics, e-commerce and digita...

Thailand Approves Nearly Two Billion Dollars in New AI and Advanced Electronics Investments

The Thailand Board of Investment approved one point nine nine billion dollars in new projects focused on artificial intelligence, advanced electronics and digital infrastructure, including a six hundred eighty-eight million dollar Nestlé...

Thailand Leads Global Cross-Border E-Commerce Growth as Businesses Adopt Artificial Intelligence Tools

New digital commerce data shows Thailand has become a leading market for frequent cross-border online shopping, with more than sixty-three percent of domestic online merchants using artificial intelligence to improve fulfillment and deli...

Vietjet Thailand Expands Udon Thani Hub With New International Connections Across Asia

Vietjet Thailand launched new flight networks from Udon Thani International Airport connecting travelers to Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam through Bangkok, strengthening tourism and business links for northeastern Thailand.

Thailand and European Union Push to Complete Free Trade Agreement Negotiations by Year-End

Thai leaders said negotiations with the European Union are accelerating toward a possible conclusion by the end of the year, with the agreement expected to expand market access for Thai agricultural and industrial exporters.

Thailand Board of Investment Opens Chengdu Office to Attract Chinese Technology and Manufacturing Companies

Thailand has expanded its investment promotion network in China with a new office in Chengdu, aiming to attract companies from Sichuan province by highlighting Thailand’s workforce, investment incentives and role as a regional ASEAN manu...

Thailand Emerges as Southeast Asia’s Fastest-Growing Electric Vehicle Market With Rising Battery Demand

A study by King Mongkut University of Technology Thonburi and German development agencies found that battery electric vehicles reached a twenty-three percent adoption rate in Thailand, with domestic battery demand expected to increase si...

Thailand Tourism Revenue Nears Eight Hundred Billion Baht as Foreign Arrivals Accelerate

Thai tourism authorities reported strong growth in international visitors during the summer season, with Chinese and European travelers driving more than seven hundred eighty-two billion baht in spending as Thailand targets more than thi...

Thailand Revises Southern Landbridge Plan to Speed Up Chumphon and Ranong Port Development

The government has adjusted the Southern Landbridge infrastructure strategy after consultations with business groups, prioritizing railway and port upgrades linking Chumphon and Ranong to strengthen logistics capacity and industrial grow...

Thailand Approves Nearly Two Billion Dollars in New AI Infrastructure and Electronics Investments

The Thailand Board of Investment approved one point nine nine billion dollars in new projects from Japanese and Taiwanese technology companies, including GPU server infrastructure and advanced printed circuit board manufacturing faciliti...

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul Secures New China Agreements on AI, Infrastructure and Clean Energy Cooperation

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and leading technology executives in Beijing and Shanghai, securing commitments to expand railway connectivity through Laos and China while deepening coopera...

The Ten World Cup Finals That Defined Football History

From Pelé’s emergence in Sweden and Uruguay’s shock at the Maracanã to Zidane’s final act and Messi’s triumph in Qatar, these matches set the standard awaiting Argentina and Spain in the 2026 final.

Smartphones Are Getting More Expensive, Sales Are Collapsing, and Even Apple Admits: "Prices Will Rise"

Surging memory prices, soaring demand for artificial intelligence hardware and supply chain disruptions are driving smartphone prices higher while analysts forecast the steepest annual market contraction on record.

The Monaco Bombing Has Become a Test of Ukraine’s Intelligence Accountability

Thailand Tourism Sector Remains a Key Economic Focus as Industry Demand and Policy Issues Continue

Thai Rath’s economic coverage continues tracking Thailand’s tourism sector, including visitor demand, industry conditions, and policy discussions, reflecting the importance of tourism as a major source of economic activity and foreign ex...

Thailand Investors Follow Artificial Intelligence and Global Technology Trends as Market Interest Expands

Thai Rath’s business coverage highlights growing interest among Thai investors in artificial intelligence, global technology companies, and emerging market opportunities as international technology competition continues shaping investmen...

Thai Rath Finds No Major Breaking Economic or Policy Development in Latest Thailand Coverage

The latest Thai Rath coverage cycle contains no single dominant business, government policy, or strategic economic story that clearly rises above other developments, with recent homepage attention focused largely on general news, lifesty...

For 36 Years, He Scammed About 300 Luxury Hotels — Until He Was Caught

Indian police arrested 69-year-old Bingson John after he allegedly left a luxury hotel without paying his bill and stole a laptop, bringing a decades-long series of suspected hotel scams to an end.

Thailand Gold Prices Hit Record High as Government Launches Eight Billion Baht Digital Bond

Domestic gold prices climbed to a record high on July 18, with gold ornaments reaching 64,850 baht per baht-weight amid strong global safe-haven demand and currency movements. As higher gold prices reshape household investment decisions,...

Thailand Tightens State Welfare Screening as Eligible Recipients Fall to 9.51 Million

Thailand's Ministry of Finance said 9.51 million people qualified for the 2026 State Welfare Card, while 9.31 million applications were rejected under a stricter digital verification system. The new individual-based assessment cross-chec...

Thailand Leads 153-Business Delegation to China to Attract Artificial Intelligence and Clean Energy Investment

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Deputy Prime Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas led a delegation of 153 senior executives from leading Thai companies, including CP Group, Amata and major commercial banks, to Chengdu to promote investm...

Advanced Manufacturing and Tourism Drive Thailand’s Next Phase of Growth

Foreign investment is increasingly concentrated in advanced manufacturing, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure, while tourism authorities are combining stimulus measures, long-stay visa programs, and de...

Thailand Leads Global Cross-Border E-Commerce Adoption, DHL Report Finds

A DHL eCommerce study found Thai consumers make more weekly international online purchases than any other market surveyed, highlighting rapid adoption of artificial intelligence-enabled retail tools and reinforcing Thailand's appeal for ...

Destination Thailand Visa Drives Growth in Long-Term Foreign Remote Workers and Digital Nomads

Thailand's Destination Thailand Visa is attracting increasing numbers of high-income remote workers and technology professionals through a five-year multiple-entry framework that requires financial qualification and encourages longer-ter...

Koh Samui Named World’s Best Island in International Travel and Leisure Rankings

Koh Samui achieved the highest reader score in a major global travel survey, surpassing destinations including Bali and the Maldives, prompting fresh government commitments to improve infrastructure and strengthen sustainable tourism man...