Police arrest a 21-year-old suspect for killing his 51-year-old girlfriend in Phang Nga Province on August 14, 2025.
PHANG NGA — Police have solved a shocking murder case after discovering the body of a 51-year-old Thai woman weighted down in the sea off Phang Nga Province, leading to the arrest of her 21-year-old boyfriend who worked as a bar host.
The victim’s body was found in Tha Yai Canal near fish cages in Khok Kloy Subdistrict, Takua Pa District, Phang Nga Province on August 8. The corpse had an iron chain around the neck and was tied to two concrete dumbbells. Authorities believe the body had been submerged for approximately two days.
An autopsy identified the victim as Kansiree, 51, from Maha Sarakham Province in northeastern Thailand. She had been living in Patong, Kathu District, Phuket Province, where she dated a foreign man. The couple purchased a house in Patong, and when her foreign boyfriend died several years ago, he left her his inheritance.
Tha Yai Canal in Khok Kloy Subdistrict, Takua Pa District, Phang Nga Province, where the body of a 51-year-old woman was found on August 8, 2025.
Before her murder, Kansiree had put the house up for sale and received a 500,000 baht deposit. Investigations revealed that over the past 2 years, she had been in a relationship with Teeraphat, a 21-year-old host who worked at a bar in the Patong area – 30 years her junior. The young man had moved in with her at their home on 50 Pi Road in Kathu District, Phuket.
CCTV footage showed Teeraphat removing Kansiree’s body from the residence, prompting police to search the property for evidence. Officers also searched another house in Ban Kahai, Village 2, Kahai Subdistrict, Takua Thung District, Phang Nga Province, and seized an Isuzu pickup truck with Phang Nga license plates that contained bloodstains as evidence. A court warrant was then obtained for the arrest.
Police arrest a 21-year-old suspect for killing his 51-year-old girlfriend in Phang Nga Province on August 14, 2025.
On August 14, Region 8 Provincial Police arrested Teeraphat, 21, at a residence in Phang Nga Province and transferred him to Khok Kloy Police Station to face charges of murder and concealing, moving or disposing of a corpse to cover up a death.
Teeraphat confessed to killing the woman following frequent arguments fueled by jealousy over their age difference. On August 6, they had a violent dispute about investments and assets related to their joint business venture. In a fit of rage, he struck Kansiree in the head with a dumbbell, killing her.
He then used the pickup truck to transport her body and dump it from Sarasin Bridge to conceal the crime, taking her mobile phone and documents with him before his eventual arrest.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (center) with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhun (left) and Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa (right) at the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation meeting in Yunnan, China, on August 14, 2025.
YUNNAN — Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, currently traveling to attend the 10th Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and participate in discussions with member countries in Anning, Yunnan Province, China, from August 13-15, 2025, has engaged in diplomatic talks regarding Thai-Cambodia border tensions.
Maris said he accepted an invitation from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to join an informal tea discussion with Wang Yi and Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhun during the 10th MLC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Anning, China.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (center) with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhun (left) and Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa (right) at the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation meeting in Yunnan, China, on August 14, 2025.
The Thai Foreign Minister expressed gratitude for China’s constructive role in supporting peaceful resolution of Thai-Cambodia issues through various bilateral mechanisms and the effective implementation of ceasefire agreements, with support from ASEAN.
He emphasized the urgent need for Thai-Cambodia cooperation in clearing landmines along the border, describing this as a crucial step in reducing tensions and restoring normalcy to the border areas. He thanked Wang Yi for his support on this issue, which is expected to be discussed at the upcoming Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting.
Another point of consensus among all parties was the necessity to avoid spreading misinformation on social media.
The discussions come as Thailand and Cambodia work to resolve recent border tensions through diplomatic channels, with regional partners playing supportive roles in facilitating dialogue between the neighboring nations.
BANGKOK — Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods) delivered exceptional financial results for the first half of 2025, with net profit soaring 134% year-on-year to THB 18,926 million. (USD 582.87 million) The remarkable growth underscores the company’s successful international diversification strategy, with overseas markets now driving the majority of its business.
International Operations Lead Growth Strategy
The Thai agribusiness conglomerate generated total sales of THB 291,770 million (USD 8.985 billion) during the six-month period, with international operations comprising 62% of revenues. Export sales contributed an additional 5%, while domestic operations accounted for the remaining 33%. This geographic diversification reflects CP Foods’ expansive global footprint, spanning joint ventures across 16 countries and distribution networks reaching over 50 markets worldwide.
Chief Executive Officer Prasit Boondoungprasert highlighted that while sales measured in local currencies increased approximately 6% year-on-year, Thai baht appreciation resulted in a 1% decline when translated into the company’s reporting currency.
Market Dynamics Drive Profitability
The substantial profit increase benefited from favorable market conditions, including higher average prices for poultry and pork across multiple regions. Global meat supplies have tightened significantly due to widespread animal disease outbreaks, with avian influenza affecting more than 40 countries and African Swine Fever impacting various Asian markets.
CP Foods capitalized on these supply constraints while simultaneously reducing input costs through lower soybean meal prices and disciplined cost management initiatives. The company’s robust disease prevention protocols and enhanced supply chain efficiency further supported margin expansion.
The company emphasized its commitment to maintaining stringent food safety standards across its global operations. CP Foods has invested heavily in innovation and epidemic prevention systems, successfully mitigating livestock disease risks while preserving production stability and consumer confidence.
Optimistic Outlook Amid Trade Considerations
Looking forward, Mr. Prasit expressed confidence in sustained positive momentum for the second half of 2025. Addressing potential U.S. trade implications, he noted that shrimp exports to the United States represent less than 0.1% of total sales, minimizing exposure to trade policy changes.
The company plans to accelerate its localization strategy, expanding ready-to-eat food production facilities within the United States. This approach aligns with CP Foods’ broader strategy of establishing production capabilities directly within target markets to serve local consumer demand.
Shareholder Returns
Reflecting strong financial performance, CP Foods’ Board of Directors approved an interim dividend of THB 1.00 per share for the first half of 2025. Shareholders of record as of September 1, 2025, will receive dividend payments on September 12, 2025.
The results position CP Foods as a leading beneficiary of global protein market dynamics while demonstrating the effectiveness of its international diversification and operational excellence initiatives.
The 72nd Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair is scheduled from September 9-13, 2025, at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center
BANGKOK – Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce will host the 72nd Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair from September 9-13, 2025, at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, with organizers expecting to attract 40,000+ visitors and projecting over $100 million in trade value from the five-day event.
The fair, organized by the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) and co-organized by the Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand (GIT), will span all eight halls of QSNCC with 1,104 participating companies across 2,628 booths.
“The Bangkok Gems and Jewelry Fair has been held continuously for over 40 years and is now recognized as one of the world’s top four trade fairs in the gems and jewelry industry,” said Ms. Sunanta Kangvalkulkij, Director-General of DITP. The event is expected to welcome over 40,000 visitors from around the world.
Ms. Sunanta Kangvalkulkij, Director-General of DITP (left) and Mr. Sumed Prasongpongchai, Director-General of the Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand (GIT)
Strong Industry Performance Drives Optimism
The fair comes amid robust growth for Thailand’s gems and jewelry sector. Excluding unwrought gold, exports reached $9.6 billion in 2024, up 11.5% year-on-year. The sector has maintained strong momentum in 2025, with first-half exports surging 63% to $7.4 billion.
Key export products include gold jewelry, silver jewelry, and colored gemstones, with primary markets being India, Hong Kong, and the United States. Full-year 2025 export growth is projected to exceed the government’s 5% target.
Thailand’s gems and jewelry sector has maintained strong momentum in 2025.Thailand’s gems and jewelry sector has maintained strong momentum in 2025, with first-half exports surging 63% to $7.4 billion.
Global Recognition and Expansion
Mr. Sumed Prasongpongchai, Director-General of GIT, noted that surveys from the 71st edition showed Bangkok Gems ranked as the top trade fair among major global events. “The fair has welcomed numerous world-renowned jewelry brands and is recognized by buyers worldwide as one of the four most important industry exhibitions globally, as well as the largest colored gemstone marketplace in the world,” he said.
Despite expanding booth space to over 2,600 units since the 71st edition, organizers report a waiting list for participation.
Special Events and Forums
The 72nd edition will feature marketing and technical seminars, networking receptions, and an exhibition of Thai jewelry. The World Gold Council, in collaboration with GIT and the Gold Traders Association of Thailand, will host the ‘Thailand Gold Forum’ during the event to facilitate global knowledge exchange.
The Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair, held twice annually, serves as a key platform for international trade negotiations and partnership building, reinforcing Thailand’s position as a leading global hub for gems and jewelry commerce.
Dr. Harald Link, Group President of B.Grimm Power Public Company Limited (BGRIM), announced that for the second quarter of 2025, the company recorded a Normalized Net Profit (NNP) attributable to the parent company of 475 million baht and 1,224 million baht for the first six months. EBITDA stood at 3,732 million baht, down 4.7% year-on-year for the quarter and 1.2% for the six-month period. Consolidated net profit attributable to the parent company was 7 million baht, compared to 229 million baht in the same period last year, mainly impacted by the one-time retroactive payment of gas costs (AF gas cost) for September–December 2023, higher tax expenses, and unrealized foreign exchange (FX) losses from the revaluation of outstanding USD and other foreign currency debt at the quarter-end exchange rate (non-cash impact). Despite these headwinds, Q2 2025 performance was supported by: 1) a 1.3% year-on-year increase in electricity sales volume to industrial users (IUs) in Thailand, 2) higher service income related to the development fee, 3) increased share of profit from associates and joint ventures, and 4) realized gains from FX.
During the quarter, B.Grimm Power synchronized new industrial users in Thailand totaling 13.8 MW, bringing the total to 20.7 MW for the first six months of 2025. B.Grimm LNG imported two LNG shipments in March and April, totaling approximately 130,000 tons (6.7 million MMBtu), into the pool gas system to fuel its combined-cycle power plants. In May, B.Grimm Solar Power Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary, acquired additional shares in Caronsi Solar Energy Corporation, which operates a 65 MW solar power project in the Philippines, reinforcing its clean energy expansion in ASEAN. In June 2025, Digital Edge B.Grimm (Thailand) Co., Ltd., wholly owned by Digital Edge B.Grimm (TH) Holdings Pte. Ltd., invested in a new data center platform in Chonburi Province with a total IT load capacity of 96 MW, with Phase 1 COD targeted in Q4 2026 for 48 MW.
A village volunteer talks with the 75-year-old Australian man who has been living alone in his residence in Ban Dong Dara village, Ban Dung district, Udon Thani on August 12, 2025, after his wife was taken for drug addiction treatment.
UDON THANI — A 75-year-old Australian man and his Thai wife, whose lives have fallen apart at the seams, have left the residents of Udon Thani province in mourning.
The drug-addicted wife suffered from such severe hallucinations that community officials had to take her into custody at a rehabilitation center. In the meantime, her Australian husband was left alone with only 1,520 baht ($47) and asked the government through the media for help to return to Australia.
Village Headman Appeals for Help
Bunthom Sorampha, the headman of Ban Dong Dara village, Moo 2, Omko sub-district, Ban Dung district, Udon Thani, contacted reporters to ask for help for the man who has been living with his Thai wife for decades. The man now wants to return to Australia after his wife’s severe methamphetamine addiction led to her being sent for treatment, leaving him without care.
From Millionaire to Destitute
Inside the couple’s once-grand pink home, which sits on over an acre of land, reporters found the house in disarray and full of clutter. Upstairs, they met Marcus, the Australian man who had lost his left leg in a car accident eight months earlier.
Marcus, the 75-year-old Australian man living alone in his house in Udon Thani province, shows family photos from Australia to reporters while saying he wants to go back home on August 12, 2025.
Marcus said he had been married to his 45-year-old Thai wife, Phikul, for more than a decade. They frequently traveled back and forth between Thailand and Australia, but after his accident he moved from Bangkok to Udon Thani. Having once been worth millions, he now had nothing after his wife’s drug addiction spiraled out of control.
He showed family photos and said he wanted to go back to Australia to see his son and sister. “I don’t know if there will be problems there, but I’d rather take the risk. I don’t have anyone here anymore,” he said. “My pension and over 4 million baht from the sale of my Bangkok townhouse were entrusted to my wife for monthly expenses, but it all disappeared when she became a drug addict.”
Desperate Plea to Return Home
When asked if he would wait until his wife finished rehab, Marcus shook his head. “I’m not going to wait. I want to go home. Please help me,” he said.
According to Bunthom, Phikul had suffered severe hallucinations three days earlier, caused a scene outside the house and tried to undress, as seen in a video filmed by locals. She was then taken to rehabilitation, which left Marcus alone. Villagers who feel sorry for him bring him meals and are trying to find a way to send him home.
An Udon Thani immigration police vehicle parked in front of the home of the 75-year-old Australian man with a disabled left leg in Ban Dong Dara village, Ban Dung district, Udon Thani on August 13, 2025.
Embassy Steps In to Help
On August 13, immigration police in Udon Thani took Marcus under their care and coordinated with the Australian embassy to organize his return. Embassy officials have already spoken with Marcus and confirmed they are ready to provide assistance. Wiraphon Raksamerwong, Mayor of Ban Dung Municipality, prepared to arrange an ambulance to transport him to the embassy in Bangkok, bringing visible relief and joy to the Australian man at the prospect of returning home.
Dramatic Confrontation as Wife Returns
However, while immigration police and villagers were discussing arrangements, Phikul suddenly returned home after completing her drug rehabilitation treatment. She burst into tears and wailed loudly when she saw the house full of people, telling her husband: “Finish now and move. If you want to go back home to Australia, file for divorce first and divide the marital assets to end it all.”
Phikul, the 45-year-old Thai wife, searches for documents to divorce Marcus, the 75-year-old Australian man, after returning from drug rehabilitation treatment to their home in Udon Thani province and discovering that her husband wants to return to Australia on August 13, 2025.
When villagers asked if she no longer loved her husband, Phikul broke down crying and confirmed she no longer loved him, repeatedly demanding that they divorce and divide their assets before he left. When reporters asked Marcus if he would reconsider staying, he firmly stated he would not stay and intended to return to Australia alone.
Community Support for Return Journey
A businesswoman from Sisaket province, Supatra Nisanoff, who operates a private business in Australia, stepped forward to help after seeing the news coverage. Moved by Marcus’s plight, she announced she would purchase his plane ticket home, estimated to cost between 20,000-30,000 baht, saying she felt compelled to help however she could.
The case highlights the tragic consequences of drug addiction on families and the challenges faced by elderly expatriates living abroad when their support systems collapse.
Composite photo showing actresses Davika Hoorne (left), Ann Thongprasom (center), and Ling Ling Kwong, all of whom deny accusations of mocking Cambodians.
BANGKOK — Three prominent Thai actresses are defending themselves against a coordinated online attack campaign that has falsely accused them of mocking Cambodian victims of alleged chemical weapons attacks.
Ann Thongprasom, Ling Ling Kwong, and Davika Hoorne have become targets of manipulated social media content amid escalating tensions between Thai and Cambodian netizens following recent border clashes.
The Dry Ice Incident
The controversy surrounding 48-year-old actress and producer Ann Thongprasom began with an innocent Instagram video posted during a meal at an omakase restaurant. The clip showed Ann, Channel 3 executive Pinkamol Malinont, and actress Ling Ling Kwong reacting with surprise when dry ice vapor from a sushi demonstration unexpectedly billowed into their faces.
“The chef was demonstrating a dish with dry ice, and when he added water, the vapor suddenly hit our faces while I was setting up to take photos. We gasped and laughed – that’s all,” Ann explained during the “RUN FOR MOM 2025” event at Bangkok’s Benjakitti Park.
A screenshot from a video posted by actress Ann Thongprasom was twisted by online agitators who claimed Ann (right) and Ling Ling Kwong (left) were mocking Cambodian civilians allegedly killed by poison gas.
However, the video was twisted by online agitators who claimed Ann and Ling Ling were mocking Cambodian civilians allegedly killed by poison gas – itself part of unsubstantiated claims that Thailand used chemical weapons, which referenced misidentified images of Los Angeles wildfire suppression efforts.
“I’m confused how this could lead to such a misunderstanding when it’s completely unrelated,” Ann said. “Who would mock poison gas victims? We would never do such a thing. We’ve lived our entire lives without such behavior.”
Ling Ling said that initially, when she didn’t know the reason, she was startled. But now she feels better because she knows it’s completely false news. After that, she stopped paying attention to both the news and various comments.
“Nowadays there’s a lot of fake news. I recommend sticking to reliable news sources and checking multiple media outlets to see if it actually happened. People should be more thoughtful and cautious,” Ling Ling said.
Davika’s Vogue Controversy
Separately, actress Davika Hoorne faced backlash over a Vogue Thailand photo shoot where text reading “2025 Cambodia” appeared near her feet – a standard layout element that appeared similarly in other photos from the same shoot.
Cambodian netizens accused her of deliberately disrespecting their country, leading to boycott threats and forcing Davika to publicly address the accusations.
A Vogue Thailand photo shoot where text reading “2025 Cambodia” (left above) appeared near actress Davika Hoorne’s feet – a standard layout element that appeared similarly in other photos from the same shoot.
“Don’t impose your own intentions on others, because I had no intention of looking down on anyone. Discrimination between human beings should never happen,” Davika said during a Friday event.
She thanked Thai fans for their support while apologizing that others had to witness the harsh online discourse, expressing hope that “time might make things better.”
Historical Pattern
This isn’t the first time Thai entertainment figures have been targeted by disinformation campaigns. In 2003, actress Suvanant Kongying was falsely reported in Cambodian media as claiming Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand, leading to riots that resulted in the burning of the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh.
The incident highlighted how Thai entertainment’s cultural influence in Cambodia – through popular dramas and films – can be weaponized during political tensions.
Matichon Weekly magazine published an analytical article about the fake news incident claiming actress Suvanant Kongying said Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand, which led to the burning of the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh in 2003
Current Crisis Context
The latest attacks come amid broader Thai-Cambodian tensions following border clashes from May 28 and July 24-28 that left casualties on both sides. Despite a ceasefire brokered with international support, including from U.S. President Donald Trump, cultural and online conflicts persist.
Cambodia has responded by banning Thai movies and TV shows and ordering broadcasters to stop airing Thai-produced content, including popular soap operas that have long been staples of Cambodian television.
The targeting of entertainment figures represents a new front in what analysts describe as a disinformation war that continues to inflame public sentiment despite official diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions.
HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya presides over the 2025 Academic Symposium on Knowledge Development for Global Product Development at EmSphere, Bangkok on August 13, 2025.
BANGKOK — Princess Sirivannavari presided over the 2025 Academic Symposium on Knowledge Development for Global Product Development in Bangkok on August 13, delivering a keynote on sustainable fashion and Thai textile promotion.
The Princess delivered a lecture on “Promoting and Developing Thai Textile Image Globally in 2025” alongside Kulwit Laosuksri, Executive Editor of Vogue Thailand, and Thananrat Thanasettakarn, Advisor to the Fun Thai Fabric Project.
Focus on Sustainable Fashion as Lifestyle
The main content emphasized that “sustainable fashion” is not merely a “trend” but a “way of life” of our era. Future fashion must be more than creating new things and requires vital energy to restore balance to our world through creative approaches that blend art, handicrafts, and technology. It is essential to have an integrated perspective between “beauty” and “responsibility.”
HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya delivers a lecture on “Promoting and Developing Thai Textile Image Globally in 2025 at EmSphere, Bangkok on August 13, 2025.
The Princess’s vision is detailed in the newly released Thai Textiles Trend Book Autumn/Winter 2025-2026. The book presents “The Future of Fashion: Creating Innovation for a Sustainable World” through four main trends conceptualized by Princess Sirivannavari:
1) The Grounded Naturalist (Contemplation – Life)
Natural landscape colors extracted from pure materials without artificial enhancement.
2) The Free Spirit Adventurer (Freedom – Adventure)
Inspired by migrant species that adapted to new environments, such as Mediterranean marigolds, Japanese cranes, South American butterfly pea flowers, and Indian-Indonesian golden teak.
HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya presides over the 2025 Academic Symposium on Knowledge Development for Global Product Development at EmSphere, Bangkok on August 13, 2025.
3) The Enigmatic Wanderer (Wandering – Mystery)
Feminine and unpredictable symbolism through red, purple, orange, and pink tones found in mysterious flowers like dahlias, chili peppers, and Sangkranee flowers from the Ramayana.
4) The Dynamic Trailblazer (Pioneering – Dream Creation)
Agricultural cycle colors from dark fertile soil to harvest, including elephant dung green, moonflower light green, yellow Choy Jor, orange aloe flowers, golden Sone fields, pink Makwan fruit, and orange Matum flesh.
Fascinating Fibers Section
The book also explores 12 natural fibers including silk, eri silk, lemongrass, hemp, cotton, lotus, galangal, banana, pineapple, bamboo, water hyacinth, and dahlia fibers.
It showcases sustainable techniques like hemp denim weaving, crochet work, and upcycling waste fibers, demonstrating how traditional crafts and sustainability can coexist in future.
HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya presides over the 2025 Academic Symposium on Knowledge Development for Global Product Development at EmSphere, Bangkok on August 13, 2025.
Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods) announced that its Jakkarat Layer Complex in Nakhon Ratchasima has won the Thailand Kaizen Award 2025 from the Association for the Promotion of Technology (Thailand–Japan) in recognition of the team’s development of the “Chicken Health E-Cart,” an innovation that enhances hen health monitoring while improving farm safety and biosecurity through continuous improvement (Kaizen). The award was presented at BITEC, Bangkok.
Somkid Wannalukkhee, Head of the Egg Business at CP Foods, said the innovation demonstrates how Kaizen principles are embedded across CP Foods’ operations to deliver safe, high-quality food in a systematic and sustainable way. “We empower teams at every level to co-create solutions that raise productivity, strengthen food safety and workplace hygiene, and minimize environmental and social impacts,” he said.
Designed and built in-house by farm personnel, the Chicken Health E-Cart speeds up and improves the accuracy of hen health checks, reducing reliance on manual inspection. The solution supports animal welfare by ensuring consistent, quality care for hens, while limiting direct human–animal contact to reduce potential pathogen transmission and lowering the risk of workplace accidents.
CP Foods has deployed 86 E-Carts across all seven layer complexes nationwide. The company is also piloting real-time health-monitoring cameras and cloud connectivity so farm teams can manage flock health with greater visibility and data-driven efficiency.
Kaizen at CP Foods forms part of the company’s Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) system, which fosters a learning culture and continuous improvement to accelerate innovation and raise global standards in safe food production for consumers.
Cranes work on stacks of containers at Bangkok Port in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
BANGKOK — Thailand’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by 0.25 percentage points to 1.50% on Wednesday in a unanimous decision aimed at channeling more liquidity into the economy as growth momentum shows signs of weakening in the second half of the year.
The Thai stock market responded positively to the decision, closing up 18.36 points or 1.46% as investors welcomed the monetary stimulus designed to ease financial pressures on businesses and consumers.
Govt Welcomes BOT Rate Cut
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira described this rate reduction as a positive sign, reflecting the MPC’s consensus on the current economic situation.
The interest rate cut will help channel the substantial liquidity available in the country into the economic system, rather than being parked with central financial institutions. This measure will help alleviate tight liquidity conditions in the market and serve as a starting point for addressing other economic problems going forward.
Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira explains the 2026 budget at the House of Representatives on August 13, 2025.
The Finance Ministry has an additional 3-4 initiatives planned for close discussion with the Bank of Thailand to improve liquidity flow, which is expected to impact the baht exchange rate with a tendency toward depreciation – a positive development for exporters.
“This direction will help significantly. If we use more money, the baht will follow suit. Exporters will certainly be pleased,” the Finance Minister said.
Rate Cut Expected to Weaken Baht
MPC Secretary Sakkapop Panyanukul stated that Thailand’s economic outlook isn’t dire, but the rate cut ensures that financial burdens won’t overly burden citizens and businesses. The current rate is adequate for economic conditions, though future consideration will be needed if the economy faces more severe crises.
“Preserving monetary policy ammunition is important because the lowest interest rate reached 0.5% during COVID-19. Currently, we haven’t reached that point, as reflected by GDP contracting over 6% during COVID. So if asked whether rates can be cut further, they can still be reduced like during the previous COVID crisis,” Sakkapop said.
Sakkapop Panyanukul, MPC Secretary, announces the results of the Monetary Policy Committee meeting at the Bank of Thailand on August 13, 2025.
Regarding baht trends, the MPC Secretary acknowledged that the baht has strengthened more than countries with similar US tax exposure, creating additional pressure due to rising gold prices and increased foreign fund flows into the stock market. Discussions are ongoing with relevant agencies including the Finance Ministry about additional measures.
Effects from US Tax Adjustments
Sakkapop summarized Thailand’s economic situation: the first half showed good growth from increased exports and manufacturing, but second-half economic momentum will begin to fade due to US tax adjustments expected to have longer-lasting effects than the first half.
Although Thailand receives tax rates that aren’t competitively disadvantageous, the historically high US tax increases impact the overall picture, along with declining foreign tourists affecting employment and tourism-related businesses, weakened private consumption, and banking sector caution in lending.
“It’s time for businesses to enhance their competitive capabilities because monetary policy won’t be the complete answer to structural problems,” Sakkapop said.
A currency exchange shop in Wichit Sub-district, Phuket Province
Credit Caution Dampens Recovery
The Bank of Thailand has measures to help businesses adapt and compete in the new global context, including debt restructuring for debtor groups, which must be expanded. While recession concerns aren’t significant, low economic growth is expected in the second half, with full-year 2025 GDP growth forecast at 2.3%.
Regarding the three previous rate cuts, 43% of the policy has been transmitted to commercial banks with corresponding rate adjustments. However, the previous rate cut had less policy transmission than the first two cuts, though this reduction is expected to have greater policy transmission due to available room for improvement.
BOT Expands Debt Relief Programs
Policy transmission isn’t just about rate cuts – the Bank of Thailand has other debtor assistance measures, particularly emphasizing debt restructuring and burden reduction for vulnerable groups, serving as complementary tools to existing Bank of Thailand measures.
