Thailand’s economy softened in the third quarter of 2025 but showed early signs of recovery towards the end of the quarter, led by a surge in exports, a rebound in manufacturing, and rising foreign tourism receipts, according to the Bank of Thailand (BoT). Domestic demand remained moderate, with private consumption and investment growing slowly, while structural challenges continued to weigh on medium-term growth.

A Discord community linked to the game Roblox was found encouraging minors to harm themselves and share images of injuries. The Facebook page Drama-addict reported that a follower shared a story about a child who plays Roblox joining the group and subsequently showing unexplained injuries. Investigations revealed that the group also circulated pornographic content among members. Multiple parents later reported similar experiences, suggesting that more Thai children may have joined these harmful communities.

Singapore police have seized financial assets exceeding S$150 million (US$115 million) in connection with alleged fraud and money laundering by Chen Zhi, founder of Cambodia’s Prince Holding Group, a conglomerate with operations in real estate, finance, and online services across Asia. The seized assets include six properties, bank and securities accounts, cash, a yacht, 11 vehicles, and multiple bottles of liquor.

Julapun Amornvivat, Chiang Mai MP and former deputy finance minister, has been elected the 9th leader of the Pheu Thai Party. He was the only candidate, receiving 354 votes with 15 abstentions. He succeeds former party leader and prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who resigned following the Constitutional Court’s ruling in the Hun Sen audio case, which removed her from office. Her departure aims to shield party MPs and candidates from potential legal and political challenges ahead of the next general election.

The Royal Thai Army has admitted that ultranationalist activist Guntouch “Gun Jompalang” Pongpaiboonwet provided Level 4 ballistic plates to frontline units, as questions mount in Parliament over the military’s resource management and transparency. Army spokesperson Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree said the donation was verified to have been made to both Border Patrol Police and ranger forces. The confirmation followed a post on Guntouch’s Facebook page which shared a document issued by a government agency requesting 250 Level IV armor plates for troops stationed along the Thai–Cambodian border.

October 31, 2025 Political News Today, Pheu Thai is holding an extraordinary party meeting to elect its new leadership and executive board. Two key candidates, Chaturon Chaisang and Julapun Amornvivat, have been announced, but Julapun is expected to be chosen as the party leader. Meanwhile, Chaturon is expected to be named the party’s prime ministerial candidate for future elections. Sorawong Thienthong is likely to be promoted to deputy party leader, while Prasert Chanruangthong, a former deputy prime minister and former minister of digital economy and society, is expected to return as secretary-general.

Thailand must take immediate, tangible measures to tackle international scam networks, freezing illicit funds, closing scam bases, and ensuring accountability for public officials suspected of links to the operations, People's Party MPs stressed in a parliamentary session. The calls come as losses from scams continue to grow, both domestically and globally. Chutipong Phiphopphinyo, MP for Rayong, emphasized that more than 1.1 million scam cases have been recorded in Thailand, causing over ฿115 billion in damages, yet only 1.43% are handled by the Central Investigation Bureau while 86.82% remain at local police stations.

Thailand is preparing to host an international seminar on transnational cybercrime, while MPs and police are calling for comprehensive domestic measures to tackle scammers, money laundering, and gray capital. Recommendations include enforcing international and domestic MOUs with clear timelines, establishing 24/7 operational monitoring centers, reforming banking and telecom regulations, defining leadership roles, setting KPIs with public reporting, immediately blocking fraudulent transactions, and holding high-profile figures accountable.

Deputy Prime Minister Thammanat Prompao and former Deputy Finance Minister Vorapak Tanyawong skipped a lower house Committee on National Security meeting meant to clarify their links to people under investigation for scam operations in Cambodia and Thailand. Thammanat admitted knowing Benjamin Mauerberger, a South African adviser to Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen linked to a $1.5 billion Chinese-Cambodian money-laundering network under investigation by the U.S.

Songkhla MP Chonnaphat Naksue of the Kla Tham Party has denied claims linking him to scam operations. The allegations, originating from former deputy police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn as part of a broader investigation into online scam networks, also accused his mother and friends of using their bank accounts as mule accounts to transfer illicit funds — a claim Chonnaphat rejected as misleading.

Tomorrow, October 31, is the day that hundreds of members of the Pheu Thai party are going to make a decision on who their leader will be as the country heads closer to a general election in the next couple of months. Pheu Thai party, which is the second-largest political party in the current parliamentary session, saw its leader – Paetongtarn Shinawatra – resign from the position on October 22, citing the necessity of stepping down because her signature for the MPs to contest the next polls could be used against the party to petition and possibly derail it from elections, as well as its ability to form the next government.

The Finance Ministry has raised its 2025 GDP growth forecast to 2.4% from 2.2%. Fiscal Policy Office Director-General Winit Wisetsuwannaphum said the revision reflects government year-end stimulus measures expected to boost domestic consumption in Q4 2025, alongside continued strong export performance. Private consumption is projected to grow 3.0% (range 2.5%–3.5%), supported by programs such as “Khon La Khrueng Plus.” Export value in U.S.

October 30, 2025 Economic News Yesterday in the Republic of Korea, Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul spoke about his informal discussion with U.S. President Donald Trump following a special APEC leaders’ dinner. He said the two sides discussed reducing U.S. import tariffs, with the agreement now awaiting final approval before signing. Anutin said he had asked President Trump to support more favorable trade terms for Thailand, to which Trump agreed and promised to instruct the U.S.

The new Labor Protection Bill, designed to reduce working hours and expand leave entitlements for workers, is set to enter its second and third readings in the next parliamentary session in December. Members of the People’s Party, who proposed the draft, say the bill aims to enhance job security and improve the quality of life for workers nationwide. Jarat Khumkhainam, MP for Chonburi Constituency 8 and the bill’s proposer, said the committee held its 8th joint meeting on October 28, exchanging views extensively.

Thai lawmakers and experts have voiced strong concerns over rare earth mineral policies and a recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with the United States, citing environmental risks, lack of transparency, and potential geopolitical consequences. Fair Party list-MP Kannavee Suebsang warned that while Thailand does not produce rare earths, raw minerals like tin can be processed into rare earths. Communities in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai have already suffered from cross-border pollution caused by rare earth mining in Myanmar, including arsenic contamination affecting rivers such as the Kok, Ruak, Sai, and Mekong, which flow through multiple provinces and four countries.

Chiang Mai Municipality is under scrutiny after floral sculptures for this year’s Yi Peng Lantern Festival were first painted black and later removed entirely following a public backlash. The decision to repaint the city’s vibrant, floral-themed decorations black was intended as a mourning tribute to HM Queen Sirikit, who passed away last Friday. The Yi Peng Festival, which coincides with Loy Krathong on November 5, is a traditional Lanna-rooted event celebrated annually with illuminated floral displays, lanterns, and cultural performances.

The Thai Army has said it will repatriate 18 Cambodian prisoners of war only after Cambodia demonstrates concrete progress on four agreed measures: withdrawing heavy weapons from the border, demining operations, combating transnational crime, and managing border regions. Partial implementation has already begun. On October 26, symbolic tank withdrawals took place following the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, where the new peace agreement was signed.

October 29, 2025 Political News Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has signed appointments for three subcommittees to combat technology-related crimes. The 1st, chaired by Justice Minister Pol. Lt. Gen Rutthaphon Naowarat, will focus on cracking down on technology-related offenses, including crimes involving illicit funds and money laundering, while monitoring offenders and coordinating with relevant agencies. The 2nd, led by Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob with Prime Minister’s advisor Pol.

The Senate’s bloc vote appears to have struck again, this time targeting Senator Nantana Nantavaropas, who was found guilty of a serious ethical violation over remarks deemed demeaning toward a fellow senator who was a pork vendor. The chamber also agreed to forward the case to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for further legal action. The current Senate majority is under scrutiny following a probe into alleged vote-rigging in the 2024 Senate selection process, reportedly involving 138 sitting senators and 91 members and associates of the ruling Bhumjaithai Party.

Thai Herbal Hong Thai Co., Ltd. said that only a specific batch of the Hong Thai Herbal Inhaler Formula 2, batch 000332, has failed safety standards due to microbial contamination, and that other products and formulas are not affected. The affected batch, produced on December 9, 2024, with an expiry date of December 8, 2027, was found to exceed acceptable limits for Total Aerobic Microbial Count, Total Combined Yeasts and Mould Count, and Clostridium spp., according to laboratory tests conducted at the Department of Medical Sciences.

Thailand’s top women’s singles badminton player, Pornpawee “Mew” Chochuwong, ranked world No. 6, will rejoin the national team for the 33rd SEA Games, scheduled in Thailand from December 9 to 20, 2025. Pornpawee had initially pulled out of the competition on October 27, citing dissatisfaction with the Badminton Association of Thailand’s (BAT) management. Her concerns included incomplete allowances, lack of support from certain officials in the sports development division, and having to cover most of her training and travel expenses herself.

The government and main opposition continue to expect the House of Representatives to be dissolved in January, with the next general election scheduled for late March, coinciding with the first referendum on rewriting the 2017 junta-drafted constitution. Deputy Prime Minister in charge of legal affairs Borwornsak Uwanno said the timeline remains on track. People’s Party spokesperson Parit Wacharasindhu, a member of the parliamentary committee vetting the charter amendment bill ahead of its second reading, said the House must be dissolved by January 31, 2026, to allow for the referendum and general election.

The People's Party and a former finance minister have raised concerns over the recently signed Joint Statement on the Framework for an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade between Thailand and the United States, highlighting the scale of commitments, concessions on rare earths, customs reforms, and digital trade, while stressing the need to protect domestic interests and ensure fairness. Veerayooth Kanchoochat, deputy leader of the People’s Party, pointed out that Thailand’s commitments are substantially larger than those of neighboring countries.

China has signaled readiness to cooperate with Thailand on rare earth minerals, even as Thailand moves forward with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the United States on critical minerals—a deal that has drawn criticism over potential economic, political, and environmental risks. Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun emphasized that the MOU, reviewed and approved by a special Cabinet meeting and the Council of State, carries no legal obligations, can be cancelled by either party, and does not force Thailand to choose sides geopolitically.

October 28, 2025 Political News Thailand has proposed hosting a regional summit to address scam center operations. Following the 28th ASEAN Plus Three Summit, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the government offered to host a joint meeting with China, Japan, and South Korea to coordinate regional efforts against technology-related crimes. Relevant agencies have been instructed to move forward with the initiative.