AWOL

Thailand’s major oil retailers disagree with a government order for them to triple their reserves to ensure a sufficient supply for motorists during the war in the Middle East.

SINGAPORE – Asian energy buyers are scrambling to find alternatives as the Iran war creates unprecedented supply disruption, but the region has ​limited longer-term options to reduce its heavy reliance on Middle Eastern oil.

Bitcoin has rebounded to top US$70,000 despite escalating conflicts in the Middle East, diverging from most major assets including gold, as global investors move aggressively into US dollars, says digital asset fund manager Merkle Capital.

Thailand faces closer scrutiny over products falsely claiming “Made in Thailand” status that are exported to the US, following a surge in Thai exports to the American market over the past year.

The Election Commission (EC) has submitted written responses to 30 police questions as part of an investigation into allegations that several individuals photographed ballot papers and attempted to decode ballot barcodes during a recent re-poll in Bangkok.

War in the Middle East could seriously affect Thai tourism this year, with a 25% decline from the 2026 target being the worst-case scenario if the fighting extends beyond three months, prompting officials to target short‑haul tourists to fill the gap.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered a stepped-up effort to secure more oil and gas after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz cut off access to about half of Thailand’s regular supply.

The global surge in memory prices has lifted computer costs in Thailand by 10-20%, while artificial intelligence (AI) server costs have climbed significantly, with some key components such as memory nearly doubling in the first quarter.