Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has pledged a nationwide crackdown on narcotics, crime syndicates, and mafia-style figures, calling the drug crisis a pressing threat to national security.

AI and Robots Ventures Co (ARV), a subsidiary of PTT Exploration and Production Plc, is using artificial intelligence technology to grow its business by offering Bedrock data analytics software to state agencies, which handles a range of tasks from tax collection to disaster prevention.

The government’s domestic tourism co-payment scheme is likely to provide only modest support to the sector, which is weighed down by Thailand’s weak economic outlook, according to Kasikorn Research Center (K-Research).

US President Donald Trump’s administration plans to restrict shipments of AI chips from the likes of Nvidia Corp to Malaysia and Thailand, part of an effort to crack down on suspected semiconductor smuggling into China.

Thailand has yet to conclude negotiations with the United States on reciprocal tariffs but has gained “valuable insights” that will guide the development of a revised proposal, Deputy Prime Minister Pichai Chunhavajira said on Friday.

A number of Thai hotels, including large groups such as Dusit, have decided to temporarily pause sales linked to the government’s domestic tourism subsidy scheme because of back-end malfunctions in the system.