Bangkok is preparing to expand its early childhood development centers to accept infants as young as 3 months old, addressing urban society's need for quality childcare and accelerating early child development from infancy.

On July 20, 2025, at the Din Daeng District Office, Sanon Wang Saangbun, Bangkok's Deputy Governor, chaired a learning exchange forum to gather feedback on the proposed Bangkok Regulation on Early Childhood Development Centers. Participants included administrators from the Social Development Office, Din Daeng District officials, and teachers from early childhood centers.

Sanon explained that the forum was designed to give frontline teachers the opportunity to contribute ideas and help shape new regulations that align with real conditions—rather than having rules imposed unilaterally by government. He stressed that effective regulations should emerge from collaborative input across all sectors, enabling more efficient early childhood care.

Bangkok currently has 239,413 children aged 0-6 years, with birth rates declining steadily. However, many children—particularly those aged 0-3—still lack access to quality care because most parents work full-time and there are insufficient childcare facilities. This leaves many young children without proper early developmental opportunities.

Sanon emphasized that early childhood development must begin in infancy because waiting until children are 4-5 years old may be too late for effective developmental support. The new regulations aim to address this gap by allowing early childhood centers to accept children from 3 months old, expanded from the previous age range of 2-6 years. The regulations will also set appropriate care standards for each age group and adjust caregiver-to-child ratios to suit younger children.

Additionally, Bangkok plans to support extended service hours at these centers to accommodate working parents with nonstandard schedules, while ensuring caregivers receive fair compensation for work outside standard office hours.

Sanon noted that Bangkok currently operates 258 early childhood centers, but only 39 can use city budget funds for facility improvements due to land-use restrictions. The city is coordinating with landowners—including temples, the Treasury Department, the National Housing Authority, and private sector entities—to enable ongoing center development.

Bangkok is also implementing quality-improvement measures including dust-free classrooms, proactive child development screening and assessments, professional development for caregivers, educational support to enhance qualifications, free-play activities, reading programs, and toy-lending services to promote proper early childhood development.

Sanon outlined three main pillars of the new regulations: expanding access to early childhood services, improving the quality of childcare, and supporting parents. The regulations will broaden budget-support criteria to cover materials, utilities, operational costs, and caregiver compensation, enabling centers to deliver quality care that meets current urban society's needs.

Bangkok welcomes all suggestions from childcare teachers and is committed to refining the regulations for maximum benefit and shared progress.

BEIJING, China — Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said Cambodia's decision to pursue compulsory conciliation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has undermined bilateral trust and made negotiations over the two countries' land border increasingly difficult.

Speaking in Beijing on Monday, Sihasak said Thailand had proposed during a meeting between the two countries' leaders on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Cebu that all outstanding issues be resolved through bilateral dialogue to build mutual trust.

Instead, he said, Cambodia chose to move forward with compulsory conciliation over maritime boundary disputes rather than engaging in direct talks first.

"At this point, it has effectively closed the door to discussions on the land border. That makes things much more difficult," Sihasak said.

He noted that UNCLOS provides several dispute-settlement mechanisms, including voluntary conciliation, and said compulsory conciliation should not have been pursued before both sides had exhausted bilateral negotiations.

Sihasak welcomed China's offer to facilitate dialogue between Thailand and Cambodia if needed, but stressed that border issues should ultimately be resolved directly between the two countries.

"We appreciate China's goodwill, but this is a matter that Thailand and Cambodia must discuss directly," he said.

He added that China could play a constructive role by encouraging Cambodia to honor the commitment made in Cebu to resolve disputes through bilateral dialogue while maintaining a neutral position.

Sihasak also said Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had conveyed Thailand's appreciation to Chinese President Xi Jinping for Beijing's neutral approach to Thai-Cambodian relations.

However, he expressed concern over Cambodian media coverage of China's delivery of tanks to Cambodia, saying the reports came at a sensitive time when the ceasefire remains fragile and could further complicate relations between the two neighbors.

On Chinese investment in Thailand, Sihasak said Thailand welcomes quality, sustainable investment that complies with Thai law. While acknowledging that so-called "grey businesses" represent only a small portion of overall Chinese investment, he said such activities have affected public sentiment and urged China to address the issue.

Five men claiming to be narcotics officers from Chiang Mai Region 33 allegedly abducted an elephant handler and left him severely injured on a roadside. All five have surrendered, with a sergeant rank officer heading the operation and denying the charges. On July 20, 2025, more than 100 residents from Pang Chang village in Mae Taeng district, members of the Karen ethnic minority, gathered at the Chiang Mai Provincial Police Office with the victim's wife to demand justice. The wife wept as she submitted a formal complaint to Lt. Col. Yutthana Kaenjanchon, the provincial police commander. Yutthana disclosed that the victim remains hospitalized with severe injuries and cannot yet provide a statement.

Chiang Mai provincial police determined that the perpetrators were five officers from Region 33's narcotics task force, led by a sergeant. Two officers have already confessed, and three others submitted their intent to surrender today. Investigators have questioned witnesses and the victim's family. Initial charges of "abuse of authority" have been filed, with additional charges pending the victim's statement and further evidence. The case will also be referred to the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

The accused officers deny wrongdoing, claiming they were performing legitimate duties and that the victim fell from their vehicle and was not seriously injured at the time. They stated they transported him to the location where he was found. However, no other witnesses have yet corroborated their account. Investigators await the victim's statement to establish the facts.

The victim's wife tearfully described her husband as the family's sole breadwinner, now uncertain how she and their children will survive financially. She has submitted letters requesting help from Chiang Mai's ruling party parliamentarians and appealed directly to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul for justice. She also filed a separate request for aid from the ruling party representatives in the province, calling for fairness toward the Karen ethnic community.

Thailand's Government Public Relations Department (PRD) has taken a major step forward in international media cooperation, signing three Memorandums of Understanding with some of China's most influent...

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