Stories from Bangkok · Thailand

The Thai government has tasked agencies to finalize a new electricity pricing design for residential solar rooftop users by June. The policy aims to promote efficient and economical electricity use from solar energy. The design must comply with existing energy business laws and policies. Officials will present the study results to the Energy Regulatory Commission soon. The mandate includes a mechanism for the state to purchase excess electricity generated by these systems. This measure aims to support the expansion of solar energy usage among households. This decision follows a resolution to facilitate the sale of surplus power back to the grid. The measure aims to support renewable energy production and fundamental energy stability.

A major software upgrade to One UI 8.5 is expected to be released early next month. The update will reportedly include several new features similar to the recent S26 release. The announcement was made during a broadcast in Thailand.

A Buddhist temple in central Thailand was defrocked after testing positive for methamphetamine. Police recovered more than 4 million methamphetamine pills from a car and a monastery.

The Thai government will kick off a nationwide program on May 1 to help citizens access affordable products. The program aims to distribute goods through approximately 946 established points across Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian, with over 100 points already operational. This initiative is a collaboration between the Ministry of Finance and the National Development Bureau, focusing on distributing goods and supporting producers to ensure timely, quality, and sufficient product supply nationwide. The program aims to make goods accessible near residents' homes, with a focus on consumer products. Producers are encouraged to supply timely, quality, and sufficient quantities of goods. Approximately 946 distribution points have been established across Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian provinces, with over 100 more points being activated.

Thailand is adjusting electricity tariffs due to rising costs of imported Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) driven by Middle East instability. This initiative is part of a national energy agenda discussed during a cabinet meeting. The plan also includes promoting solar energy usage. The measure covers 23 million households and aims to manage costs for various consumer groups. The adjustment includes a reduction of up to 3 baht for certain segments. The initiative aims to support various social groups during the current period. The price decrease is reported to be up to 20%, with rates not exceeding 3 baht for certain segments. The reduction is intended to alleviate the burden of high electricity costs for citizens. The government is also managing a 200 billion baht budget related to energy and subsidies. The announcement follows information released by the Thai government.

The Thai government is evaluating the development of a new western port to facilitate cargo exports. This project aims to reduce congestion and pressure on the existing Laem Chabang port. Officials noted that establishing this western port would provide benefits to the country's logistics and trade capabilities. The move is intended to streamline the movement of goods out of the Laem Chabang area. The potential benefits of the new port include increased industrial capacity and improved economic efficiency for the country.

Diesel costs in Thailand have risen above 50 baht per liter, which is approximately 1.41 USD. This price represents nearly double the cost paid by many trawlers at the start of the year. Each fishing trip consumes up to 1,000 liters of fuel. Larger trawlers traveling hundreds of kilometers offshore often stay at sea for weeks. Reportedly, trawlers are not allowed to travel to sea half of the time. Diesel prices for fishing trawlers in Thailand have nearly doubled compared to the start of the year, reaching approximately 27 Thai baht per liter. The price surge follows the start of the war in Iran. Rising fuel prices are impacting the entire supply chain of Thailand's multi-billion dollar fishery industry.

Law enforcement authorities have frozen $580 million in cryptocurrency assets linked to scam networks operating in Southeast Asia.

Diesel prices in Thailand have risen above 50 baht per litre, approximately 1 USD 27, nearly doubling costs from the start of the year. Reportedly half of Thailand's fishing fleet of 9,000 vessels have remained in ports since March. Each fishing trip can consume up to 1,000 litres of fuel. Larger trawlers often travel hundreds of kilometres offshore for weeks at a time. Approximately half of Thailand's 9,000-vessel fishing fleet has remained in port since March. Fishery is a multi-billion dollar industry in the country, with government data indicating around 7 billion US dollars worth of seafood products are exported worldwide. Fishermen report difficulty managing costs as oil prices remain high while product prices remain low. The grounding is linked to fuel costs and challenges including labor laws, pollution, and overfishing.

A TikTok creator, Valentin Sébron, reportedly deleted his account and videos after gaining millions of views due to his physical resemblance to the King of Thailand. The creator stated he felt compelled to remove the content following the controversy. A Thai TikTok user reportedly lost their job following the deletion of their account. The account deletion occurred after images were compared to a prominent personality. A human rights NGO has described the situation as an injustice. The incident has sparked debate among Thai social media users regarding the responsibility of those who modified the images. The dismissal has reportedly caused widespread incomprehension among many users. Valentin Cébron of RFI reported the incident from Bangkok. A TikTok user was reportedly dismissed from their position in an abusive manner in Bangkok.