• Krabi, Hua Hin lead staycation surge/Thailand’s private hospitals under pressure/Bacterial Infections Claim Over 100 Lives/Electricity firm lost 280 million baht
• THE IRAN WAR: US Missile Strikes Escalated
• ECONOMY: Thailand shelves land bridge/US tariff impact on Thailand/World reacts to Trump’s new tariffs/Exports, FDI lift Thailand/Thai exports rise 20.8%/Thai-EU FTA opens doors/Plan to rebuild Thai fisheries
• TOURISM: Thailand’s sex industry and criminalization costs/2.45-billion-baht tourism boost/Temple rule bars women/Phuket hotels targeted
• THAILAND EXPERIENCE: Alley That Feeds Old Bangkok
• FOREIGNERS BEHAVING BADLY/Thai woman confronts loud Italian tourists
• HUA HIN TRANSPORT and LINKS

Krabi, Hua Hin lead Thailand’s staycation surge

Thailand’s coastal destinations are witnessing a significant rise in staycation bookings, with Krabi leading the charge, according to recent data from Traveloka. Krabi’s bookings have more than doubled year on year, followed by Hua Hin with an increase of over 80%, Pattaya at around 65%, and Phuket nearly 60%.

Staycation bookings across Thailand on Traveloka have surged by over 70%, reflecting a growing inclination for brief escapes that align with modern, flexible lifestyles. This change is driven by factors such as flexible work arrangements and a heightened focus on well-being, making short breaks an attractive option to recharge without the extensive planning or cost of long-haul travel. Continued … 

Premium public care puts Thailand’s private hospitals under pressure

Thailand’s private hospital sector is facing a new source of competition as the government expands premium services at public hospitals, putting pressure on mid-tier operators that rely on domestic self-pay and insured patients.

The Department of Medical Services (DMS) has launched 16 premium clinics across public hospitals and specialist institutes, most of them in Bangkok, offering faster access to specialist care for higher-income, privately insured and foreign patients. Continued … 

Rainy Season Bacterial Infections Claim Over 100 Lives

Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) has issued an urgent public health warning following a surge in bacterial infections linked to the rainy season, with combined fatalities from leptospirosis and melioidosis surpassing 100 since the start of the year.

Health officials have highlighted farmers, elderly residents, and individuals working in direct contact with soil or standing water as the primary risk groups, with the highest infection rates concentrated in the southern and northeastern regions. Continued … 

Electricity firm lost 280 million baht in stolen power to organized crime bitcoin mining gang

Thailand has uncovered one of its biggest suspected cryptocurrency power theft operations after investigators seized 1,900 bitcoin mining machines. Detectives uncovered more than B280 million in stolen electricity and have launched a widening hunt for the financiers behind the organized criminal network.

The sweeping DSI-PEA investigation, presented on Thursday by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, exposed a sophisticated high-voltage bypass system that had been operating for more than a year. This triggered a customs probe into imported mining equipment and raised the prospect of further prosecutions as detectives examine financial records, seized devices and explore possible links to public servants. Continued … 

US Missile Strikes Escalated Against Iran as Oil Prices Soar Above $100

The United States has launched a sustained barrage of missile strikes against targets across Iran, prompting retaliatory bombardment of American bases in neighbouring Arab states and driving global crude oil prices above $100 a barrel.

US President Donald Trump threatened to intensify military action, warning that Washington is “locked and loaded” to target Iranian energy infrastructure, key bridges, and nuclear sites. However, he simultaneously signaled a willingness to pursue diplomatic negotiations to resolve the crisis, stating that a “smarter strategy is to make a deal”. Continued … 

Thailand shelves Land Bridge plan after study

Thailand’s proposed land bridge connecting the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea has effectively been shelved after a government study found it offered low commercial viability and carried high financial and environmental risks.

Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas announced the outcome at Government House yesterday, following the final meeting of the committee appointed to examine the project. Asked directly whether the plan had been dropped, Ekniti replied: “You could say that.” Continued … 

US tariff impact on Thailand remains limited amid export exemptions

Global trade-policy tensions have returned to the fore as the United States presses ahead with protectionist measures to safeguard its interests and supply chains. The latest action invokes Section 301, a law that allows the US to take retaliatory trade action against trading partners.

The measure targets forced-labour issues and covers more than 60 trading partners. The move places direct pressure on free trade through tariffs and other barriers, raising production costs and forcing further adjustments across global supply chains. Continued … 

World reacts sharply to Trump’s new tariffs as countries weigh retaliation

After US President Donald Trump announced new import tariffs of 10%-12.5% on around 60 countries and territories, including Thailand, over alleged failures to prevent forced labour in supply chains, governments around the world have reacted sharply.

Most countries have rejected the allegations as baseless and unreasonable. However, responses vary on whether they will retaliate against the United States. Continued … 

Exports, FDI lift Thailand’s 2026 growth forecast to 2.5%

Thailand’s Finance Ministry has raised its 2026 economic growth forecast to 2.5% from the 1.6% projected in April, after exports, private investment and household consumption performed more strongly than expected.

The ministry now expects gross domestic product to expand within a range of 2.0% to 3.0%, according to Vinit Visessuvanapoom, director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office and a ministry spokesperson. The new projection is slightly more optimistic than the Bank of Thailand’s June forecast of 2.3%. Continued … 

Thai exports rise 20.8% in June thanks to industrial goods

Exports surged 20.8% year-on-year to US$34.7 billion in June, driven by strong demand for industrial goods such as electronics, smartphones, electrical appliances, and automobiles and auto parts, says the Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO).

Exports of industrial products expanded by 25.1% in the month, marking the 27th consecutive month of growth. Conversely, agricultural and agro-industrial product exports declined by 6.5%, though certain categories such as rubber, sugar, canned and processed seafood, pet food, and processed chicken posted growth. Continued … 

Thai-EU FTA opens doors, but Thailand must raise its standards

Thailand is stepping up efforts to strengthen economic ties with Europe by racing to finalize the free trade agreement with the European Union by the end of 2026 the Thai-EU FTA. Experts say, however, that Thai businesses doing trade with the bloc need to prioritize the traceability of their exported goods.

Thai trade representative Werapong Prapha describes the Thai-EU FTA as a catalyst to increase Thailand’s competitiveness, particularly against other ASEAN nations that already have such deals with the EU. This includes eliminating tariff barriers on some Thai exports, particularly agricultural products. Continued … 

Cabinet approves plan to rebuild Thai fisheries

The Cabinet has approved a 12.76-billion-baht fisheries management plan targeting the recovery of aquatic resources, tighter controls against illegal fishing and stronger competitiveness for Thailand’s seafood industry by 2027.

The Fisheries Management Policy and Plan for 2023-2027, proposed by the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, will serve as a common framework for state agencies involved in managing and developing the country’s fisheries. Continued … 

Thailand’s sex industry and criminalization costs

Thailand’s sex industry is illegal under the 1996 Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act, but an analysis on Thursday argues that it remains deeply embedded in the country’s tourism economy, supporting hotels, bars, restaurants, taxis and other businesses.

For foreigners living in or visiting Thailand, the issue is relevant well beyond the country’s red-light districts. Nightlife spending by overseas visitors can flow through many ordinary tourism services, while the criminal status of sex work leaves workers without many of the protections, healthcare routes and welfare support available to formally registered employees. Continued … 

Thailand to roll out a 2.45-billion-baht tourism boost

Thailand plans three tourism-boosting schemes: a 1.75-billion-baht co-payment program covering hotels, restaurants, and attractions nationwide; 200-million-baht domestic airfare discounts for 400,000 seats; and a 500-million-baht international flight initiative targeting 487,000 visitors. All require Cabinet and committee approval before implementation, expected late 2026.

The Thai Travel Thai Plus initiative is a co-payment scheme designed to cover all 77 provinces, spanning a wide range of tourism services such as hotels, restaurants, attractions, OTOP shops, spas, one-day tours, car and boat hire, and public transport. Continued … 

Chiang Mai Silver Temple rule bars women from Ubosot

Wat Sri Suphan, Chiang Mai’s Silver Temple, has drawn international criticism after a foreign tourist highlighted a rule allowing only men inside its Silver Ubosot, despite women also being required to buy entry tickets.

The tourist’s photograph of the English-language sign was shared on X and had attracted more than 4.5 million views by yesterday. Women are permitted to walk around the outside of the building and view its interior, but cannot enter. Continued … 

Phuket hotels targeted in illegal business checks

Thai authorities have inspected and arrested operators at three Phuket hotel sites accused of operating without construction permits and hotel business licenses, as the government widens its crackdown on illegal hotels and suspected nominee ownership.

The inspections, announced yesterday, followed instructions from Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul for agencies to tackle influential figures, foreign “gray capital” groups and unlawful business operations. Continued … 

The Alley That Feeds Old Bangkok

By 5:30 in the morning, the Trok Mor alley in Old Bangkok is already awake. Metal shutters rattle open one by one. A woman arranges bundles of holy basil and Chinese celery beneath a bare light bulb while another vendor lays out bitter beans and kitchen herbs on a wooden table.

Deeper inside the lane, a cleaver lands against a chopping block, followed by a mouthwatering piece of roasted red pork. Steam curls from a pot of fish maw soup as office workers, monks with alms bowls and elderly neighbors begin weaving past one another with quiet familiarity. Continued … 

Thai woman confronts loud Italian tourists on train

A Thai woman and a group of Italian tourists were involved in a heated argument aboard a train after she complained that they were making too much noise, according to a video shared on TikTok. The video shows the tourist group talking loudly and shouting inside the carriage, prompting the Thai woman, who filmed the exchange, to take out her phone and record them. Continued … 

Italian Embassy Page Targeted After Skytrain Row Involving Italian Teenagers

A viral altercation involving a group of noisy Italian exchange students on Bangkok’s BTS Skytrain has triggered a massive online backlash, culminating in thousands of Thai social media users targeting the official Facebook page of the Italian Embassy in Bangkok. Continued … 

• French man shot after knife attack on Bangkok police – Continued … 

• Saudi man held over meth and cocaine in Phuket – 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