Govt prepares co-payment scheme to ease living costs
The government plans to launch the "Khon La Khrueng" co-payment scheme to help ease the rising cost of living, with rollout expected after it delivers its policy statement to parliament.

Fuel support starts April 1
The government will roll out targeted fuel subsidies for the transport sector from April 1, Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has confirmed, as operators grapple with mounting costs and looming freight rate increases.

Bangkok Airways to raise domestic airfares by up to 20%
SET-listed Bangkok Airways plans to increase domestic airfares by 15-20% from April 1 to counter rising fuel costs and a 3% decline in second-quarter forward bookings, and may negotiate with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) to extend the airfare ceiling if operating costs continue to soar.

Thailand mulls windfall tax on oil refineries
The Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) has acknowledged it is studying the feasibility of introducing a windfall tax on refinery businesses in Thailand.

Oil climbs, stocks fall as markets see no end to war
LONDON - Oil prices rose and stocks fell Friday as initial optimism over US President Donald Trump's decision to again delay his deadline for strikes on Iran's energy assets faded.

France calls Olympic gender test ‘a step backwards’
PARIS - France on Friday called the International Olympic Committee’s new policy on gender testing to determine eligibility to compete in women’s events a “step backwards”, but other countries welcomed the move.

‘Humanitarian catastrophe’ risk rising in Lebanon
GENEVA - Nearly a month into the Middle East war, Lebanon is facing a deepening humanitarian crisis that now risks teetering over into a catastrophe, the United Nations refugee agency warned Friday.

Tehran accuses US of ‘calculated’ assault on school
GENEVA - Iran’s foreign minister on Friday branded a deadly strike on an Iranian school on the first day of the Middle East war as a “calculated” US assault.

Project Hail Mary: Two friends, one universe
I never imagined that Sign of the Times could fit so perfectly and hauntingly into a sci-fi film about the end of the world. Like the song, Project Hail Mary (2026) is a slow burn, visually spectacular and, importantly, a moving story simply about a relationship bound by world-ending...

Free electric coaches ease travel costs in Chiang Rai
CHIANG RAI - Chiang Rai municipality has launched a free electric coach service to help residents cope with rising fuel prices and limited supply, with the vehicles running throughout the day on routes that cover key areas of the northern city.