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State Railway Sues CP Consortium for 13.3B THB
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is suing the CP Group-led Asia Era One consortium for 13.3 billion baht because of the stalled three-airport high-speed rail project. It is asking for a 10.67 billion baht payment for investment rights that was due in 2021 in addition to 2.66 billion baht in interest. The SRT is also trying to get a billion baht apiece from project guarantors Bangkok Bank and Siam Commercial Bank. Asia Era One has been trying to get out of the 224 billion baht contract, saying its lenders no longer consider the project viable. The railway authorities have been unmoved by this sad tale say the consortium needs to honor the deal. The line was meant to open in 2023, but as things stand today, it’s unlikely it could be put into service until 2031 at the earliest.
Read more: Bangkok Post
Cabinet Approves 10.5B THB for Flood Relief
The cabinet has approved 10.5 billion baht in flood relief, in addition to the 5 billion plus baht that’s already been disbursed. The new approval includes a raft of solutions including debt payment suspensions, cheap loans, tax relief and customs duty exemptions. Water is going down in most areas but still remains in parts of Bangkok and 22 other provinces. The floods resulted in the deaths of 80 people and directly impacted about 1.8 million. With more rain expected for the East and South over the next several weeks, southern reservoirs that are more than four-fifths full are getting ready for early discharge.
Read more: Reuters (relief package), Nation Thailand (cabinet measures), Thai PBS World (flood toll), Asian News Network (reservoir releases)
Finance Minister Shelves 1,000 THB Departure Tax
Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas has shelved a 1,000-baht tax that was being considered for every international departure. He’s keen to protect tourism as the busy fourth quarter approaches, and says that economic uncertainty and rising airline costs related to the Middle East war are weighing heavily. He made no mention that the idea was ill-advised to begin with. Boosters of the tax, who apparently did not understand how price impacts demand, claimed that it would raise 45.9 billion baht, but travel agents, who better understand price sensitivity, said it could cost the tourism industry up to 150 billion baht a year. The separate 450-baht entry fee remains unchanged.
Read more: Bangkok Post (tax decision), Nation Thailand (tourism concerns), Khaosod English (industry estimates)
Finance Ministry Wants 30% Tax on Imported EVs
The Finance Ministry will ask the cabinet to triple the excise tax on fully imported EVs to at least 30 percent beginning on New Year’s Day, 2027. Locally assembled cars would require a lower tariff, particularly any that are built with substantial local content. Auto industry representative Suwat Supakandechakul came out in opposition to a grace period because he fears a rush of “panic” buying, and fears that struggling import brands could quit the market. Buyers are anyways expected to be aggressive buyers going into the upcoming Motor Expo out of a fear of price increases.
Read more: Thai Enquirer
PM Courts Thammanat's Party Ahead of No-Confidence Debate
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is courting Thammanat Prompao's Kla Tham Party ahead of an expected no-confidence debate. Kla Tham’s 58 MPs would give the coalition a commanding 350 seats. Anutin insists his friendship with convicted drug-trafficker Thammanat has “nothing to do with politics,” but his appearance in a group photo at a Kla Tham MP's birthday party in Parliament suggests otherwise. The government wants four days for the no-confidence debate starting October 27; the opposition thinks that five days would be more appropriate.
Read more: Thai Enquirer
FM Asks China to Ease Up on Scam Warnings
Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow is asking the Chinese Embassy to soften its travel warnings to avoid/ prevent what he says is a needless panic. The embassy has been warning Chinese nationals about fake job offers after several people went missing, with some of them reportedly detained or lured to the Myanmar border. Tourism Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul is asking for a formal explanation as well since says he says the warning is going to (or already is) hurt(ing) Chinese visitor numbers.
Read more: Nation Thailand (diplomatic response), Thai PBS World (missing travelers)
Oppo MP, Ex-Poll Official on Sedition Charges
People's Party MP Parit Wacharasindhu and former election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn are two of eight people facing charges including sedition and “membership of a secret society.” The case is based on an alleged attempt to decode ballot barcodes during a Bangkok election rerun in February. Observers reportedly photographed marked ballots to test whether it was possible to use the codes to reveal individual votes, a privacy concern that’s already been at the center of several legal challenges. The sedition and secret society charges come with up to seven years in prison, but the Justice Ministry is weighing if if makes sense to send the case to the Department of Special Investigation.
Read more: Prachatai English
Bitget Plans to Buy Loss-Making Crypto Exchange Weeks After Breach
Bitget is planning to buy licensed crypto exchange GMO-Z.com Cryptonomics not long after a breach that the company says impacted about $388 million in assets. GMO Internet and its local subsidiary are unloading nearly all their shares for an undisclosed price. The exchange lost 74.16 million baht from operations in 2025, and the deal will close on October 31 if regulators give their blessing.
Read more: Crypto News
Customs Inspects Every Scrap Container, Proposes Import Ban
Customs officers have been opening every container that’s been declared to contain metal scrap so that they can find any electronic waste that’s been hidden too densely for X-ray scanners to see. Scrap steel, aluminum and copper imports were reported at 2.76 million tonnes from January through September; the Customs Department seized 10,029 tonnes of illegally imported electronic waste in the fiscal year ending in September and has sent more than half of that total back to where it came from. The department wants a see ban on ferrous, copper, aluminum and rubber scrap imports.
Read more: Bangkok Post (inspection drive), Metal (import figures)
Commerce Ministry Nominee Checks Extends to Waste Companies
The Commerce Ministry is looking into another 44 waste companies in Prachin Buri after earlier checks found four firms that are believed to have been using local nominee shareholders. The inquiry began after media reports made claims of pollution and nominee ownership at an area electronic waste recycling factory. Provincial officials have sent evidence about the first four firms, including their suspected nominees' financial transactions, to law enforcement. Nationwide, 2,863 waste businesses reportedly have foreign shareholders.
Read more: Nation Thailand
Minister Orders Patch to PHP Flaw
Higher Education Minister Yodchanan Wongsawat has ordered universities and medical school hospitals to patch a newly found PHP flaw, and has told them to put patient records and student databases first. The recently discovered bugs could let attackers take control of unpatched systems. The Personal Data Protection Committee is telling organizations to install updated (patched) PHP versions, review logs and to implement their breach procedures if they discover that data may have leaked. No local breach has been confirmed as of press time.
Read more: Nation Thailand (patch order), Bangkok Post (flaw discovery)
Gov’t Holds Cambodia to Six Maritime Measures
The government says Cambodia needs to run all six confidence building measures proposed by the Hague conciliation commission to completion rather than just picking the convenient ones. The measures call for restraint and an end to “misleading” public statements. Officials say the Permanent Court of Arbitration has not set a date for a third meeting, which is likely to take place in Kuala Lumpur.
Read more: Nation Thailand (government position), UA News (conciliation process)
AWC Inks Chiang Mai Tram Deal
Asset World Corp has signed a wide-ranging Chiang Mai development agreement that will be centered on a tram service to be named “Chiang Mai Tram by Lannatique.” Local officials (apparently bereft of any historical context) are claiming that it will be the country's first. No announcement have yet documented andy of the expected costs, routes or timelines.
Read more: Business Insider Markets
That's all for this week, thanks for reading. Your voice matters to us. Feel we're missing something? Have additional sources to suggest? Don't hold back- hit reply and tell us what you think.
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