Central Department Stores, part of Central Retail, is reinforcing its position as a premier shopping and lifestyle destination for international travelers by launching the SHOP & WIN campaign at Central Chitlom and Central World. The campaign runs from now through August 31, 2026, welcoming foreign visitors arriving for the summer season with full shopping experiences and prize giveaways. Visitors can enjoy a complete one-stop shopping experience at Central Department Stores featuring diverse product categories including fashion, beauty, watches and jewelry, home furnishings, small appliances, luggage, and mother-and-baby items from both Thai and international brands. The stores also offer culinary experiences ranging from authentic Thai cuisine and street food to Michelin-guide restaurants, international dining, and halal options, all delivered with world-class Thai hospitality. Visitor-friendly services include VAT refunds, hotel delivery, and translation support. The SHOP & WIN campaign is designed to attract and drive foot traffic from international tourists to Central Department Stores while boosting spending, enhanced by The 1 Expat membership perks for an even richer experience. Throughout July and August, shoppers can collect exclusive merchandise and rewards including the new CENTRAL BABY CEE plush keychain, gift cards worth 100 baht, Bangkok-themed tote bags, travel sets, canvas bags, and elephant-patterned apparel. Lifestyle rewards from partner brands include movie tickets from Embassy Diplomat Screens, Alipay souvenirs, and a one-night stay at Park Hyatt Bangkok. Foreign customers with receipts and a passport can claim prizes from a lucky draw box at the customer service desk—one receipt equals one entry. The 1 Expat members enjoy additional benefits, including one free souvenir without requiring a receipt, by redeeming a coupon through The 1 app and presenting it at participating store customer service desks. The campaign runs through August 31, 2026 at Central Chitlom and Central World, or while supplies last.

Bangkok Bank and its subsidiaries reported net profit of 20.492 billion baht for the first half of 2025, down 16.2% compared to the same period last year, with net interest income falling 12.4% due to the bank's interest rate reductions, resulting in a net interest margin of 2.46%.

Loan expansion remained a supporting factor for the bank's revenue, partially offsetting the impact of lower rates. Fee and service income improved thanks to continued growth in bancassurance and mutual fund services, along with increased securities commissions from capital market conditions and trading activity. However, other operating income declined.

Operating expenses decreased 6.5%, reflecting proper cost management alongside continuous operational efficiency improvements, bringing the cost-to-income ratio to 47.1%. Expected credit losses totaled 17.435 billion baht, down from the previous year as a result of the bank's consistently cautious reserve provisioning policy.

Bangkok Bank continued its prudent and careful business approach while maintaining appropriate levels of financial stability, liquidity, and capital. As of June 30, 2025, the bank's total loans stood at 2.678 trillion baht, up 2.7% from year-end, driven by corporate and foreign business lending. The impaired loan ratio remained manageable at 3.3%, while the loan loss reserve coverage ratio remained strong at 306.3% due to the bank's continued conservative provisioning practices.

Deposits as of June 30, 2025 totaled 3.212 trillion baht, up 0.5% from year-end, with a loan-to-deposit ratio of 83.4%. The bank's total capital ratio, Tier 1 capital ratio, and Common Equity Tier 1 ratio stood at 21.4%, 16.9%, and 16.9% respectively, all exceeding the Bank of Thailand's minimum requirements.

BANGKOK — Thailand's Cabinet has approved a draft ministerial regulation to remove the red-whiskered bulbul, also known as the "Nok Krong Hua Juk" songbird, from the country's protected wildlife list, paving the way for wider breeding and commercial development.

Deputy Government Spokesperson Lalida Prertwiwatana said on Tuesday that the Cabinet approved the principle of the draft regulation proposed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

The move would remove the red-whiskered bulbul from the list of protected non-aquatic wildlife species, where it is currently listed as a protected bird under item No. 576. The government said the change aims to support breeding, increase captive populations and develop the bird as an economic animal that can generate income for breeders.

Under the current regulations, owners, breeders and traders of red-whiskered bulbuls are required to obtain official permits and meet legal requirements, which have limited wider breeding and expansion, Lalida said.

She added that changing the bird's status would allow people to breed and propagate the species more easily, helping increase captive populations and reducing reliance on catching birds from the wild.

The government also said the move would support local traditions, particularly in southern Thailand, where bird keeping and singing competitions are part of community culture.

The Wildlife Conservation and Protection Committee has approved the removal of the red-whiskered bulbul from the protected list, while instructing the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to closely monitor wild populations.

If the bird's population declines or faces risks to its survival, authorities will reconsider restoring its protected status, Lalida said.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment previously opened a public consultation on the draft regulation between 11 and 25 February 2026. Lalida said most respondents supported the proposal, while relevant agencies raised no objections and viewed it as a way to create economic value for breeders.

"The change aims to balance support for local livelihoods and community economies with natural resource conservation," Lalida said, adding that the government would promote responsible breeding while continuing to monitor wild populations to prevent ecological impacts and illegal capture.

The government announced cabinet meeting results addressing public demands to review welfare card eligibility criteria, a major current issue. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul noted that public feedback shows many struggling people fail the screening despite genuine need for help—such as those registered as owners of defunct vehicles still in records, or students advancing their education whose true circumstances don't match current criteria. The prime minister acknowledged gaps in welfare card screening rules. He stressed that citizens should not have to approach the state or wait for appeals; government agencies must instead proactively reach out to communities, conduct surveys, listen, and solve problems so deserving people don't fall through the system. He assigned the Interior Ministry to coordinate with provincial governors and local agencies to urgently survey those who failed screening but merit assistance, and submit data to the Finance Ministry for quick review. The Transport Ministry must accelerate updating vehicle registration databases, reduce citizen burdens in scrapping defunct registrations, and fast-track legal and regulatory amendments. The Finance Ministry must urgently review screening criteria to align with fact and current hardship, identify rules that exclude the deserving, and propose improvements to cabinet. The prime minister's recognition of public concerns and directive for proactive government action on welfare card screening is appropriate, with focus on updating data to reflect true circumstances, especially vehicle and motorcycle ownership rules—currently a severe problem. Without fixes, millions of citizens risk being left out. Additional affected groups include out-of-school students under the Education Ministry and vulnerable populations under the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, numbering hundreds of thousands. The hope is for more proactive government work to close loopholes and help people comprehensively and accurately.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanpraphas announced on July 21 that the government is rushing to hold a meeting this week to review criteria and conditions for a revised state welfare card program, with cabinet approval targeted for July 27. The initiative aims to help genuinely disadvantaged citizens, as public complaints have revealed that many unqualified applicants were receiving benefits. The Finance Ministry has identified 2.3 million additional eligible recipients who meet all new criteria.

During the review process, authorities discovered serious fraud involving approximately 20,000 to 30,000 cases where citizens' personal data was misused to register them as company directors without their knowledge, and fraudsters used their names to open stock trading accounts. Ekniti emphasized that genuine victims of this fraud will receive full assistance and benefit restoration, while perpetrators will face legal action. He stressed that companies using villagers' names as employees or board members of shell companies operated by business groups will be held accountable.

Ekniti outlined the welfare card program's principles, developed in consultation with the Interior Ministry, noting that the government will deploy officials to help affected communities. He reassured citizens that truly disadvantaged people have nothing to worry about and will receive full government support. The welfare card complements other assistance programs including elderly pensions of 600-1,000 baht monthly and disability benefits, all of which remain unchanged. The revised welfare card program will specifically target those with no existing welfare benefits.