Archive

Opening Prime Locations: "Hot sellers and slow movers" Sukhumvit condos surge as Chinese buyers return Prachachat · 1d ago

Bangkok's real estate market is undergoing significant spatial redistribution driven by BTS/MRT expansion and rising land/construction costs. Q2 2026 data shows overall supply of 214,083 units worth ฿1.35 trillion across Bangkok and 5 surrounding provinces, with a 52-month absorption cycle. High-growth zones include Sukhumvit (condos +138.6% YoY, 5.2% monthly absorption, 16-month sellout) and Rama 9–Ratchada CBD. Chinese buyer activity rebounded strongly, making Sukhumvit the top zone for foreign condo transfers. However, warning signs persist: Nong Chok district faces 88-month sellout cycles and crisis-level absorption at 1.1%.

Bangkok Declares 50 Districts as Disaster Areas; Governor Chatchai Orders Shelters and Accelerates Water Drainage Prachachat · 1d ago

Bangkok Governor Chatchai Sirithaponthum chaired an emergency meeting on September 26 to coordinate flood response across all 50 districts. Seven priority measures were announced: declaring all 50 districts as disaster areas, surveying vulnerable and bedridden patients, establishing temporary shelters in schools, managing sandbag supplies, coordinating traffic and rescue vehicles, accelerating water drainage and hygiene, and integrating data across agencies. This enables faster aid distribution and coordinated evacuation efforts during the ongoing flood emergency.

Mercedes-Benz Backs Government's EV Tax Reform, Calls for Fairness and Industry Development Prachachat · 1d ago

Mercedes-Benz CEO Christian Schell supports Thailand's planned EV tax restructuring, citing the company's commitment to local manufacturing and technology investment. Mercedes-Benz produces EVs (Electric CLA and Electric GLC) and high-voltage batteries at its Thonburi factory in Thailand. The company plans to launch the all-new Electric GLC priced under ฿3.7 million in Q4 2026 or at Motor Expo 2026, with deliveries starting in Q1–Q2 2027. The CEO emphasizes that fair tax policies support industry development and competitive neutrality across global automotive brands.

Thailand Braces for 2-Year High Oil Crisis; Treasury Discusses Hundred-Billion-Baht Loan to Bolster Oil Fund Prachachat · 1d ago

Thailand's Cabinet approved a 3-year energy crisis management plan (2569–2572) and new oil fund framework to handle three scenarios: price spikes above 30 baht/litre, volatility exceeding 10 USD/barrel within a week (raised from 5), and fuel shortages. The oil fund faces a liquidity crisis with a ~95-billion-baht deficit growing by 700 million daily, expected to hit 100 billion by late September/early October. The Treasury is considering a royal decree-backed 100+ billion-baht loan guaranteed by state banks (Krung Thai, Kasikornbank) to shore up the fund. Officials warn consumers to prepare for 2 more years of high prices as the Middle East recovers. Meanwhile, the government has drawn on refineries 7 times (28 billion baht) and is exploring increased domestic biofuel blending to reduce crude oil dependency.

Microsoft Updates Copilot with Integrated Chat, Code, and Agent in Single App Blognone · 1d ago

Microsoft has consolidated its AI capabilities into a unified Copilot app with three main sections: Home (chat and collaboration features including Office integration), Code (built on GitHub Copilot technology), and Autopilot (AI agents). The company also introduced FinOps for AI to help organizations manage AI spending efficiently. Home and Code updates are rolling out to Frontier customers now, while Autopilot enters preview this month and Code becomes available to Microsoft 365 Premium and Pro users later this year.

Anutin Showcases Thai Market at New York Stock Exchange, Attracts Major U.S. Business Investment Prachachat · 1d ago

Thai PM Anutin rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange during a UN visit (22–24 September 2026), positioning Thailand as a stable investment destination with ready infrastructure and access to 700 million ASEAN consumers. He led a "Thailand Roadshow" featuring government officials, business leaders, and capital market representatives to attract U.S. investment, while also addressing peace, border issues with Cambodia via bilateral channels, and cyber-crime cooperation at the UN General Assembly.

Google Adds Live Avatar to Gemini 3.8 Live Conversational Model Blognone · 1d ago

Google has released Live Avatar capability for its Gemini 3.8 Live real-time conversational AI model, enabling video-based voice interactions with animated avatars that sync mouth movements to speech output. The feature combines reasoning capabilities for handling complex commands without conversational lag and is currently available exclusively to Gemini Enterprise customers for customer service, advisory, and brand-customized avatar implementations.

Trump-Xi Summit Closes with AI Oversight Talks; US Draws EU Into Strategy Against China's Trade Deficit Prachachat · 1d ago

Trump and Xi concluded a strategic summit (23–25 September), extending trade truce by two months to 10 January 2027 and positioning for further talks in Shenzhen (APEC, 18–19 November) and Miami (G20, 14–15 December). Both leaders framed competition as "constructive," with AI governance under ongoing discussion. US also coordinating with EU on China's trade surplus and manufacturing overcapacity; Section 301 investigation may trigger tariff increases, with downstream impact on Thailand and other trade partners.

Court upholds ruling disqualifying NBTC chairman Bangkok Post · 1d ago

Thailand's Central Administrative Court upheld the disqualification of NBTC chairman Dr Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck, ruling that his paid hourly work at state-run Ramathibodi Hospital (January–April 2022) violated eligibility rules under the Frequency Allocation Act, which prohibits state employees from serving as NBTC commissioners. The court rejected arguments that his role was independent practice, finding he maintained actual ties to the state agency. This removes a key regulator overseeing Thailand's telecom and broadcast sectors.

Court to rule on ballot barcodes Bangkok Post · 1d ago

Thailand's Constitutional Court will rule Monday on whether barcodes and QR codes on election ballots violate the secret ballot principle. A former election commissioner outlined four possible outcomes ranging from declaring the ballots constitutional to ordering a fresh general election. The case stems from complaints that the codes could identify voters and compromise ballot secrecy. The ruling carries major political implications for Thailand's electoral integrity.

True Quantum Advances to Digital Twin Testing for Telecommunications Network The Story Thailand · 1d ago

True Corporation is moving quantum computing from theory to practice via Quantum Club Thailand, partnering with US-based qBraid to provide cloud-based quantum hardware access without requiring billion-baht capital expenditure. The first testbed uses digital twin simulation to optimize True's telecom network operations—a complex multi-variable problem involving frequency allocation, base stations, user density, and disaster events—integrating quantum-inspired optimization alongside existing rule-based and AI management systems. Success here could reduce network power consumption while maintaining service quality, positioning Thailand's tech infrastructure for quantum readiness before the technology reaches mainstream adoption.

Trade deficit balloons for the first 8 months Bangkok Post · 1d ago

Thailand's trade deficit expanded to $37.8 billion in January–August 2026, driven primarily by a $62.7 billion deficit with China, though exports grew 24.3% year-on-year to $34.6 billion. Electronics and semiconductor-related products led both import and export flows. High oil prices, geopolitical conflicts, and tariff uncertainty may pressure future shipments and reduce orders, while AI and infrastructure investment abroad is currently supporting export growth.

PTT eyes $5bn low-carbon industrial hub Bangkok Post · 1d ago

PTT Plc is launching "I-Spark," a $5 billion initiative through 2035 to transform Map Ta Phut in Rayong into a low-carbon industrial hub. The project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 9 million tonnes CO₂ equivalent annually, combining renewable energy, hydrogen, ammonia, energy storage, and carbon capture technologies. Three development areas will support infrastructure, knowledge platforms, and trading systems; the hub expects to attract manufacturers seeking verified low-carbon solutions and carbon-neutral supply chains, boosting Thailand's industrial competitiveness in export markets.

Excise Department considers clawing back EV subsidies from non-compliant importers Bangkok Post · 1d ago

Thailand's Excise Department is preparing administrative procedures to recover EV subsidies from importers who fail to meet domestic production requirements under the government's EV support scheme (EV3). The first phase requires participating companies to produce domestically a 1:1 ratio of locally-built vehicles for each CBU import by December 31, 2024 (or 1.5:1 if extended to December 31, 2025). Eligible vehicles receive subsidies of 70,000–150,000 baht depending on battery capacity. The department will verify facts and pursue case-by-case enforcement, including imposing interest at 7.5% annually on recovered amounts, to protect public funds and ensure scheme compliance.

Microsoft Overhauls Copilot with Launch of Home, Code, and Autopilot to Keep Work Running 24/7 Techsauce · 2d ago

Microsoft launched three new Copilot products—Home (unified chat/task dashboard), Code (low-code app creation), and Autopilot (24/7 AI agent)—designed around two core principles: keeping humans in control of their workflow and ensuring organizations retain ownership of business knowledge. The rollout emphasizes trust (identity/security/cost tracking via ITOps, SecOps, FinOps), intelligence (contextual data + execution scope + model system for vendor independence), and organizational autonomy through custom evaluation frameworks and model switching capability.

DHH Turns to Rust Despite Disliking It, Says Manual Code Writing No Longer Makes Economic Sense Blognone · 2d ago

DHH, creator of Ruby on Rails, signaled a major shift in development economics at Rails World 2026: manual code writing is becoming obsolete as AI-driven development takes over. He illustrated this with his own pivot—using Rust for HEY's backend despite disliking the language, because AI can write it without developer overhead. This mirrors how photography displaced traditional portraiture but enabled new creative forms. Thai SMEs and tech teams should prepare for AI-first development workflows where language choice matters less than AI productivity and where developer costs shift from coding to oversight and optimization.

Google Releases Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS Voice Generation Model Supporting Over 100 Languages Blognone · 2d ago

Google has launched Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS and Flash-Lite TTS, text-to-speech models supporting 100+ languages with 2,000+ voice options. The models enable high-quality speech synthesis with natural prosody, intonation control, and voice cloning from 30-second samples. Flash TTS ranks first in Hume AI's voice quality benchmark; Flash-Lite TTS offers a lower-cost alternative while remaining highly competitive. Available now across Google AI Studio, Gemini API, Enterprise, Notebook, and Google Vids—relevant for Thai SMEs building multilingual voice applications, content production, and customer-facing services.

Motorola Launches Signature 27 with Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 Chip Blognone · 2d ago

Motorola unveiled its flagship Signature 27 smartphone featuring Qualcomm's top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 processor. Key specs include a 50MP main camera with Sony Lytia sensor, 200MP periscope zoom (100x), Bang & Olufsen audio, improved thermal management, and Google Gemini AI integration. Pricing and full specifications remain unreleased; launch expected within 2026. Relevant for Thai tech enthusiasts tracking premium device capabilities and AI feature adoption.

YouTube Music Adds AI-Powered Ask Music Feature and Weekly Podcast Summary Blognone · 2d ago

YouTube Music is rolling out two new AI features: Ask Music (an AI chatbot for querying 300M+ songs, discovering artists, and creating playlists) and Your Podcast Lineup (Premium feature that auto-summarizes subscribed podcasts as audio digests). Both will launch globally soon. Relevant for SMEs in music/media tech and consumer entertainment sectors looking at AI-driven content curation trends.

YouTube Adds Custom Feeds Feature and New Tab for Personalized Video Recommendations Blognone · 2d ago

YouTube is rolling out two new features: Custom Feeds, a new Home tab that lets users create personalized video feeds based on specific queries (e.g., "ASMR music", "long documentaries"), launching soon in the US; and Ask YouTube, an AI-powered Q&A tool that answers questions about video content and recommends related videos based on products featured in clips. These features enhance content discovery and user engagement for content creators and viewers alike.