- PKK included in foreign property ownership probe/Developer touts Hua Hin/Public broadcasts to be quieter/Hua Hin school conducts shooter drill/Former Hua Hin Crossfit coach dies/Petrol and diesel rise/Fire death toll rises to 41/Flash floods across Nan’s Pua/Thailand will not allow SpaceX full ownership/Thai actress named ‘most beautiful woman’/Nene Royal heads to US/Nene Royal videos/Times Square campaign rallies support for Nene/10 doctors a shift still cannot keep up
- ECONOMY: New bad debts rise/Foreign business approvals rise
- TOURISM: Video of Thailand tourists being swept away by flood waters
- THAILAND EXPERIENCE: Thai farmers battle elephant raids
- HUA HIN TRANSPORT and LINKS
PKK included in foreign property ownership probe looking at condos in 16 provinces
Thailand’s crackdown on foreign control of property is expanding, with 36,277 foreign-linked legal entities now under scrutiny over land ownership nationwide. The probe is concentrated in 16 major provinces and has already moved from nominee company abuses into land, villas and 30-year leases using surreptitious arrangements.
Condominium ownership is next, as the Department of Business Development (DBD) prepares to trace shareholders, bank funding and the real source of investment to facilitate condominium ownership, sometimes involving multiple units. Suspected nominee structure abuses face forced land sales, fines of up to B1 million and prison terms of up to three years. Continued …
Developer touts Hua Hin as future wellness destination
Wisut Janwatanakul, senior assistant vice president of condominium project development at Sansiri Public Co, stated the real estate market in Hua Hin is expected to grow significantly in 2026, transitioning into a global wellness and medical tourism destination, which is a key driver for the luxury real estate market and long-stay accommodations.
This trend, he says, is transforming Hua Hin from a weekend getaway into the “Capital of Health and Longevity” in Southeast Asia, alongside the benefits of large-scale government transportation infrastructure development. Hua Hin is becoming a full-fledged wellness destination, collaborating with leading healthcare facilities and wellness resorts such as The Barai, Chiva-Som Hua Hin Wellness Resort, and the launch of the high-end CHEVALA Wellness Hua Hin center, and Hua Hin Health Park, which includes a comprehensive medical center.
Furthermore, Janwatanakul says, the Hua Hin real estate market is significantly supported by comprehensive transportation networks, including the opening of the M82 expressway (Bang Khun Thian – Ekachai – Ban Phaew) in August and the Rama 3 – Dao Khanong – Western Ring Road expressway, set to open in Q4, which will reduce travel time from Bangkok.
Additionally, the upgrade of Hua Hin Airport (HHQ) with expanded runways and security tunnels to accommodate international direct flights aims to establish it as a central aviation hub connecting Singapore, Taipei, Shanghai, and Kuala Lumpur.
The southern dual-track railway project, spanning 421 kilometers from Nakhon Pathom to Hua Hin and Chumphon, is now fully operational, he adds,reducing travel time to the south by 2-3 hours. The development of the high-speed rail station in Hua Hin or high-speed rail (Bok Fai) connects rail, land, and air transport, allowing train travel from Bangkok to Hua Hin in just 1.5 hours. – terrabkk.com
Hua Hin’s public broadcasts to be quieter
Hua Hin Municipality is reducing the volume of its public announcement system and changing its broadcasting schedule following concerns from residents about disruption.
After a meeting to review the municipality’s wireless public address network, officials agreed to reduce the volume at certain locations to what the municipality described as more appropriate levels, while also introducing a revised timetable for broadcasts. Continued …
Sign of the times: Hua Hin school conducts active shooter drill
Hua Hin Municipality has held an active shooter drill at Khao Phithak Municipal School, training teachers, staff and students in how to respond to an armed attack on school grounds. The training took place yesterday.
Officers from Hua Hin Police Station provided instruction on active shooter incidents and the “Run, Hide, Fight” approach, which sets out steps people can take to protect themselves during an attack. Continued …
Former Hua Hin Crossfit coach dies in Bangkok Hydrox event
Leroy Saunders, a well-known figure in Thailand’s CrossFit community and a former head coach in Hua Hin, has died after collapsing during the Hyrox Bangkok 2026 competition.
The 41-year-old South African lost consciousness during the event at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center last Thursday. He was resuscitated at the venue and taken to hospital, where he died. Continued …
Petrol and diesel rise by 0.85 baht per liter
PTT Oil and Retail Business Plc (OR) and Bangchak Corporation Plc (BCP) raised retail prices for petrol, gasohol and diesel by 0.85 baht, or 85 satang, per litre from 5am on Wednesday (August 19, 2026).
The following retail prices apply in Bangkok and exclude local maintenance tax. Petrol: 46.68 baht per liter; Super Power Gasohol 95: 47.79 baht per liter (OR); SUPER POWER X petrol: 49.79 baht per liter; Gasohol 98+: 48.44 baht per liter, (Bangchak); Gasohol E85: 28.63 baht per liter (Bangchak); Gasohol 95: 37.69 baht per liter; Gasohol 91: 37.32 baht per liter; and Gasohol E20: 32.69 baht per liter. Continued …
Bangkok pub fire death toll rises to 41
Two customers who had been receiving treatment for severe injuries after the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao fire in Bangkok have died, raising the confirmed death toll to 41.
Police working on the case at Metropolitan Police Division 2 said the latest victims were a male customer treated at Rajavithi Hospital and a female customer treated at Taksin Hospital. Both had been critically injured in the blaze on the night of July 12. Continued …
Flash floods cut major roads and inundate homes across Nan’s Pua
Flash floods swept through Pua district in Nan province early today, inundating homes, damaging farmland and cutting major roads after more than 110 millimeters of rain fell overnight.
Reports received at around 6 am indicated that heavy rain had continued throughout the night in Phu Kha subdistrict, a forested headwater area. The Doi Phu Kha National Park office recorded more than 110 millimeters of rainfall, triggering rapid runoff and flooding across several parts of Pua. Continued …
Why Thailand will not allow SpaceX full ownership of Starlink operations
Thailand’s refusal to allow SpaceX to wholly own a satellite telecommunications business has returned to the spotlight as the government moves to build the country’s space economy and update its laws to accommodate rapidly changing technology.
The government is seeking to create a framework that would allow foreign satellite operators, including Starlink, to provide services in Thailand. However, it remains firm that SpaceX cannot hold 100% ownership of a Thai telecommunications operation. Continued …
Thai actress named ‘most beautiful woman’
Popular Thai actress Sirilak Kwong, also known as Lingling Kwong, has made waves internationally after The Netizens Choice Magazine officially announced its 2026 rankings. She secured a double crown by winning two titles in the same season, backed by a huge number of votes from fans worldwide through its website, app and social media platforms.
The highlight was Lingling’s first-place finish in the “Most Beautiful Woman Alive 2026” ranking after receiving more than 22 million votes. Lingling also took first place in the “Most Beautiful Thai Actresses 2026” ranking. Continued …
Nene Royal heads to US with family for AGT live show
Thai teenage singer Nene Royal flew to the United States with her family today to compete in the Live Show round of America’s Got Talent on Aug. 25, asking Thais around the world to cheer her on and vote.
Nene Royal, whose real name is Rattikarn Amlai, 16, departed Phuket International Airport with her father Narong Amlai, mother Aom and younger brother. The family flew Bangkok Airways from Phuket to Suvarnabhumi Airport before continuing to the United States, where Nene will take the stage in the upcoming America’s Got Talent live show. Continued …
(Editor: Yes, I am totalled enthralled with this Thai musical prodigy. Her talent is unmistakeable, even if you don’t care for some of the music she performs.)
Times Square campaign rallies Thai support for Nene Royal at AGT
Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group) is taking messages of support for Thai musician Nene Royal to New York’s Times Square as the 16-year-old prepares for a crucial live appearance on America’s Got Talent (AGT) Season 21.
The campaign brings together photographs and messages from Thai supporters, which are set to appear on a giant LED display at one of New York’s best-known landmarks. CP invited fans to submit photographs and messages of encouragement on social media from Aug. 14–16, with 100 images selected for the Times Square display. Continued …
ER doctor says 10 doctors a shift still cannot keep up
A doctor working in a Thai hospital emergency room says the department has been overwhelmed for the past two to three months. Even with more than 10 doctors rostered on the morning shift, the team cannot examine patients fast enough.
The doctor set out the daily staffing in an online post, alongside photographs of patients lying on trolleys. The post gives the roster as more than 10 doctors on the morning shift, eight on the afternoon shift and four overnight. Continued …
New bad debts rise as high costs and weak demand strain Thai firms
Thailand’s commercial banking system is facing an increase in new non-performing loans, reflecting continued financial pressure on businesses despite a slight decline in the overall NPL ratio during the second quarter of 2026.
The Bank of Thailand (BOT) said the banking system remained stable, with strong capital buffers and high liquidity, even as Thailand’s uneven, K-shaped economic recovery continued to affect some SMEs and households through weaker incomes, higher costs and subdued purchasing power. Continued …
Foreign business approvals in Thailand rise 26%, with investment up 37%
The Department of Business Development (DBD) reported a total investment of B219 billion by foreign businesses approved to operate in Thailand during the first seven months of 2026, up 37% from the same period in 2025. Singapore recorded the highest investment value at B61.1 billion, followed by Japan at B45 billion and China at B38.6 billion.
Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, director-general of the DBD under the Ministry of Commerce and secretary to the Foreign Business Commission, said 736 foreign investors had been granted permission to invest in and operate businesses in Thailand under the Foreign Business Act 1999 during the first seven months of 2026. Continued …
Thailand tourists swept away by raging flood waters
Video captured the moment flash floods swept away tourists near the Mae Sa Waterfall. Park officials say they alerted visitors to the rising water, but the flood came too quickly for some to escape. Video …
Thai farmers battle elephant raids to protect crops, livelihoods
Agriculture looks very different as you travel around the world, but uncertainty is something every farmer deals with. In Minnesota, farmers prepare for drought, storms, volatile markets and wildlife ravaging their crops.
A group of American college students recently learned that farmers and villagers in Thailand must also contend with local wildlife but on a much grander scale. Continued …
Hua Hin Links and Transport
Calendar of events/Airport schedule/Bangkok airport bus schedule/Hua Hin-Pattaya bus schedule/Air pollution index map/90-day online report/driver’s license/Market Village and Bluport cinemas/Emergency numbers
Tourism in Prachuap Khiri Khan and Phetchaburi continues to show resilience, with stronger foreign visitor revenue and higher per-person spending helping offset softer domestic demand and wider economic pressures.
Thailand ranks third of 31 destinations for expats on the InterNations Expat Insider 2026 survey, behind Panama and Mexico. The survey ran from Feb. 1 to March 31 this year, drawing about 7,786 respondents of 162 nationalities across 31 countries.
A single night in a private room at Bangkok Hospital can run past 25,000 baht before any treatment is added to the bill. Most expats assume their health insurance handles that kind of cost without a second thought. But the truth is, the exclusions section of the policy, the part almost nobody reads past the first page, is often where that assumption falls apart.
The Commerce Ministry recently discovered that there have been irregularities in the registration of 35 companies in four districts of northeastern Sakon Nakhon province, with unwitting Thai villagers used to set up these 100% Chinese-owned nominee firms while 14 were totally Thai owned but none were conducting any business at all at their registered addresses.
Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas recently unveiled a new economic plan aimed at steering Thailand toward a high-income nation, but experts have flagged obstacles that need immediate attention.
Thailand will send a technical team to the United States from Aug. 27 to 29 for further negotiations on an agreement on reciprocal trade, or ART, before policy-level talks led by Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun.
Eight Thai industrial groups responsible for US$52.23 billion in exports to the United States in 2025 could face more intensive checks on product origin and manufacturing processes as Washington steps up enforcement against illegal transshipment.
The White House has accused more than 40 countries, including Thialnd, Canada, Mexico, Japan and EU member states, of helping China evade US tariffs by rerouting exports through lower-tariff jurisdictions — a practice it labels “The Great Transshipment Scam”.
Thailand’s property market is increasingly looking to foreign buyers, as slowing economic growth, high household debt and tighter lending conditions put pressure on domestic purchasing power.
Thailand plans to restructure automotive excise taxes by offering lower rates for vehicles produced domestically and charging more on fully built imports from companies without manufacturing investment in the country.
AOT studies fast-track services, return of arrival duty-free shops
Chiang Mai Waterfall closed after tourists swept away
Four Spanish tourists injured by falling tree at Ayutthaya temple
A prominent Thai plastic surgeon has publicly urged people not to take everything in the Australian 60 Minutes investigation into Thai cosmetic surgery at face value, saying he has been contacted by a surgeon connected to one of the featured cases who told him the reality was not as the program presented it.
Where one lives in Thailand strongly determines how easily one can see a doctor. The agricultural sector suffers the most, with farmers making up 45.5% of all poor households. This is largely because gross farm incomes fluctuate wildly with weather and market prices.
Theerasak “Pop” Saksritawee spends up to eight hours every day swimming, hiking and filming dugongs near Phuket. Now, he’s warning the animals may soon disappear from one of the few places outside Australia that they gather. 
Bangkok’s floating markets: Where trade still floats
Australia’s New South Wales state will begin a major gun buyback on November 2, offering owners up to A$1,000, or about US$700, for each eligible rifle or handgun surrendered. The federal government passed legislation in January establishing a gun buyback, strengthening checks on firearm license applicants and introducing measures against hate-related conduct. 
Alma Ronen has been fighting in the Israeli military nearly constantly for more than two years. Spending her Saturday not in uniform but in a T-shirt and jeans, she would like to enjoy a coffee outside – and resents that her more religious compatriots think otherwise. 
US President Donald Trump said he was “not happy” about US participation in joint military exercises with close ally South Korea and is scaling back the drills aimed at deterring rival North Korea that start today. 
Cocaine addiction rehab in Thailand spans budget value centers to five-star clinics, and the right fit depends on price, location, and clinical need. Clinicians treat cocaine dependence through the mind, not a prescription pad, which raises the stakes on choosing well. The wrong center wastes money and momentum, while the right one separates a person from triggers and rebuilds the brain’s reward system.
Walking Naresdamri Road: The Heart of Hua Hin
TrueMoney, Southeast Asia’s leading fintech platform under Ascend Money, has rolled out Thailand’s first inclusive “tap-to-pay” digital financial service. “The move is part of a strategy designed to make contactless payments more accessible for consumers,” said Monsinee Nakapanant, co-president of Ascend Money.
Thailand, a country of 67 million inhabitants, has an elderly population of more than 12 million people, and growing, with medical needs that require highly trained staff. This is straining the capacity to meet the needs of this age group and is negatively impacting health services that provide increasingly sophisticated medical services.
The government has insisted cannabis is “not freely available” in Thailand, reiterating that cannabis buds are strictly regulated and may only be bought or sold with a valid medical prescription.
U.S. And Iran Escalate Strikes Across Mideast
Thailand’s policy of cutting retail fuel prices is coming under growing pressure, as renewed confrontation between the United States and Iran drives global oil prices higher and raises fresh concerns over supplies from the Middle East.
A majority of Thais surveyed credit the government’s “Thai Chuay Thai Plus” co-payment scheme with effectively easing their daily financial burden, though more than half use their monthly allowance within the first two weeks of the month, according to a recent poll by the King Prajadhipok’s Institute (KPI).
Vendors struggle despite aid plan
Thailand could face a significant blow to exports if proposed US Section 301 tariffs take effect after July 24, according to Pachara Naripthaphan, a member of the Securities and Exchange Commission board.
People’s Party deputy leader Sirikanya Tansakun has strongly criticized the stricter eligibility criteria for the state welfare card program, arguing that the tighter screening process has excluded many genuinely poor people from receiving assistance.
Nearly 40% of hotels report a sharper decline in guest numbers than expected last month due to the Middle East conflict, prompting them to offer deeper discounts while cutting costs to stay afloat.
Thailand has asked Japan to support four new water-management projects aimed at improving flood prevention, including measures for the flood-prone Chao Phraya River basin, as the Southeast Asian nation seeks to strengthen resilience against increasingly frequent extreme weather.
The past week saw tensions mount among Thais who are becoming increasingly alarmed about China’s growing influence and role in Thailand. Four issues have emerged that patriotic Thais should, at the very least, be concerned about and contemplate within the larger context of Sino-Thai relations.
Leading Chinese companies have shifted their investment plans in Thailand to data centers, the manufacturing industry’s intelligent transformation, and new energy opportunities amid rising land and labor costs and stricter compliance requirements in the country, as well as global tariff shocks.
Suvarnabhumi arrivals face 2-3 hour immigration queues
Thailand is considering a B2.45-billion tourism stimulus package that could offer 500,000 travel co-payment entitlements, discounts on 400,000 domestic airline seats and support for international flights.
Gastronomy Tourism Tipped to Spread Wealth Beyond Bangkok
Dubai carrier flydubai is pressing ahead with its expansion in Thailand, doubling its daily flights to Bangkok from tomorrow as travel demand between the UAE and Southeast Asia continues to climb despite recent geopolitical uncertainty.
Why Isan Cuisine Is Part of Thailand’s Wellness Food Conversation
Koh Samui named world’s best island
The Future of Krabi’s Quiet Luxury