-
Thailand
TOPIC
 / location

Thailand

Related Topics:
Thailand
Thailand
The latest news, in-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion about Thailand.
Capital
Bangkok
Head of State
King Maha Vajiralongkorn
King Maha Vajiralongkorn
Head of Government
Paetongtarn Shinawatra
Paetongtarn Shinawatra
Tourists ride on elephants at Mason’s Elephant Park and Lodge, Bali, Indonesia. Photo: Dave Smith
Indonesia

‘Cruellest’ practice: Elephant rides banned in Bali parks over welfare concerns

Asian countries, such as Cambodia and India, have ended commercial elephant rides due to the same concerns.

Cambodia

Fear of Thai border action steers Cambodia towards UN law of sea after 43 years

videocam
Science

Nipah virus outbreak in India sparks worry in China before Lunar New Year

videocam
Hong Kong tourism

Blackpink lifts mainland Chinese arrivals in Hong Kong to January weekend record

Hotel and retail industry leaders say authorities should explore more cultural tie-ups to promote the Hong Kong brand, heritage.

Blackpink fans gather at Kai Tak Stadium on Saturday. Photo: Elson Li
Asia housing and property

The View | Why Thailand, India and Japan’s hotel sectors deserve a closer look

Thailand’s resilience in the face of an eventful 2025, India’s uneven boom in branded hotel supply and Japan’s record visitor numbers amid a row with China are deserving of attention.

videocam
Asia elections

Thailand’s Pita hopes to rise again through reformist People’s Party successor

The former leader was blocked from leading government and banned from politics after his party stunned the ruling elite in 2023.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
SCMP Highlights

Thailand’s Chinese weapons haul, Blackpink in Hong Kong: 5 weekend reads

From a rapid rise in solo living to Blackpink shows with a Hong Kong flair, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

Fans of Blackpink take pictures with the billboards on the way to Kai Tak Stadium on January 24, 2026. Photo: Elson Li
Animals

Endangered leopard sharks return to Thai waters in landmark rewilding push

The spotted sharks have sharply declined in the wild over the past decade due to overfishing and habitat loss.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese carmaker BYD chases 24% export growth with new models, more showrooms

Shenzhen-based company expects to sell 1.3 million cars this year outside mainland China.

Banking & finance

Exclusive | Singapore Exchange hints at deeper ties with HKEX: can yuan business open doors?

SGX CEO also hopes to launch an international board with Nasdaq later this year and expand cross-trading schemes with mainland China.

Loh Boon Chye says connectivity is the new architecture for capital markets. Photo: Enoch Yiu
China's military weapons

Why Thailand, a US treaty ally, is stocking up on Chinese weapons

Bangkok’s recent purchases of Chinese military hardware include tanks, missiles and ships, while a submarine deal is back on track.

21
The Royal Thai Army is expected to add around 20 new Chinese-made VN-1 armoured vehicles to its existing fleet of more than 100. Photo: X
2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict

Letters | When conflicts disrupt education, societies lose

Readers discuss education for crisis-affected children, how Donald Trump is reshaping global politics, and the truth about Europe.

China trade

Vietnam grabs bigger slice of China’s durian market as Thailand loses ground

Vietnam’s exports of the pungent fruit to China rose by US$500 million in 2025 as the country emerges as a serious rival to Thailand.

videocam
South Korea

73 South Koreans repatriated from Cambodia face online scam probe

Arriving in handcuffs, the suspects allegedly scammed fellow South Koreans out of US$33 million.

videocam
Police officers escort South Koreans allegedly involved in scam operations in Cambodia at Incheon International Airport on Friday. Photo: Reuters
Crime

3 children accused of setting man on fire in Thailand for a video

The suspects, aged just nine to 15, allegedly doused the sleeping man in liquid and filmed him as the flames erupted.

An incident involving three children who allegedly set a man on fire under a bridge in Prawet, Bangkok, on Monday was caught on video. Photo: Facebook
Artificial intelligence

‘So fake’: viral Lisa image for Thai tourism fuels AI concerns

The image of K-pop star Lisa Manobal framed against blooms of the Red Lotus Sea has sparked a meme wave and debate about AI in creative work.

Viral stories

Thai woman dates twin brothers at once, gets family support, sparks mixed reactions

Three-way relationship sees twins sleep with woman ‘in the middle’; pregnancy would see DNA test applied to identify biological father.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Cathay Pacific

Passenger numbers for Hong Kong’s Cathay go sky high with 27% increase

Cathay Pacific Airways and budget arm HK Express carried more than 36 million passengers in 2025 on the back of tourist growth.

A Cathay Pacific aircraft takes off at Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: Sam Tsang
Food and Drinks

Your Hong Kong weekend drinks guide for January 22-24

It’s guest shifts galore as The Aubrey and Lobster Bar – and Macau’s Wing Lei Bar – host top mixologists from across Asia.

US-Asean relations

Foot in the door or trap? Risks of Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ for Southeast Asia

Nations are likely to try to avoid early commitment while steering clear of outright rejection to minimise US retaliation, analysts say.

videocam
Viral stories

‘Not a gym’: Thai temple warns tourists not to do yoga, climb ancient rocks at place of worship

Officials at scared mountainside sanctuary threaten to close shrine to visitors permanently; online observers decry disrespect to Buddhism.

A temple in Thailand has warned tourists against doing sports like acro-yoga and climbing, and indulging in inappropriate behaviour at the site. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Thaiger
United States

Opinion | Why isn’t Trump learning from past foreign policy mistakes?

From Venezuela and Iran to Greenland and Canada, US interventions and threats risk spillovers and retaliation – as history shows.

Illustration: Craig Stephens
Donald Trump

Allies tepid on joining Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ as countries study invites

Some leaders sign on to the Trump-chaired body, but initial reaction from two key allies, France and Canada, was lukewarm.

7
Asean

Feathered fortunes, sky-high stakes: inside Asia’s richest pigeon race

In eastern Thailand, 5,000 pigeons brave predators and exhaustion in a gruelling sprint for a US$2 million purse.

Cambodia

Ruling Thai party vows to end Cambodia conflict, close scam hubs if it wins poll

Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Bhumjaithai’s second candidate after Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, believes his party has popular support.

videocam
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi (centre) looks on as Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow (right) shakes hands with Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn during a meeting in China’s Yunnan province on December 29, 2025. Photo: Agence Kampuchea Presse/AFP
Asean

Visa suspension tests US priorities in Southeast Asia

The move reflects an ‘America first’ policy approach and treats certain allies in the region as ‘strategically insignificant’, analysts say.

videocam
Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand are among countries affected by the United States’ 75-country visa suspension. Photo: TNS
Crime

Man found guilty of involuntary manslaughter of San Francisco Thai grandfather

The 2021 killing of Vicha Ratanapakdee, 84, sparked a national movement against anti-Asian-American violence.

2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict

Token gesture? Why US is spending US$45 million on Thai-Cambodian border war

Washington is looking to reposition itself as the main peacemaker in Southeast Asia following Beijing’s mediation successes, analysts say.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement