- Canadian tourist drowns off Khao Takiab/Outpatient mental health clinic opens/Pool villa project in Pranburi/Hua Hin Championship Road Race/Social Media Ban for Under-16s/Bomb and Arson Attacks in South
- ECONOMY: Import Duties on Low-Value Goods/Sector backs low-value goods tax hike/Thailand’s Cannabis Crossroads/US bans seafood imports from Vietnam
- TOURISM: 400-Baht Omelet at Thai Floating Market/Tour speedboat hits trawler, tourist killed/French tourist killed in Phuket/British-Australian Man Found Dead
- THAILAND EXPERIENCE: Captive elephants still suffering
- CLIMATE THAILAND: Rooftop solar safety a priority/400,000 tons of e-waste a year/Biomass Plant Still Operating Amid Illness Fear/Thai Honda debuts local electric motorcycle
- HUA HIN LINKS
Canadian tourist drowns while swimming off Khao Takiab
The body of a Canadian tourist has been found off the coast of Sam Roi Yot, three days after he went missing while swimming in rough sea conditions near Khao Takiab Temple.
Police said the man, aged 63, entered the sea in the Khao Takiab area of Hua Hin on Jan. 7 while traveling with two friends. He was swept away by strong waves and failed to return to shore. Continued …
The Hub Hua Hin outpatient mental health clinic opens
A leading luxury drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Hua Hin is set to expand its services with the opening of a new outpatient mental health clinic in the city. Diamond Rehab Thailand, fully licensed by the Thai Ministry of Public Health and founded by Theo de Vries and his wife, Panwadee de Vries, will begin offering outpatient counseling and psychological services at The Hub Hua Hin from January.
The move marks the first time the center has formally opened its services to the local community, with a clear focus on mental health support, as well as the early stages of addiction. Continued …
The Chatt launches pool villa project in Pranburi
The Chatt Hua Hin–Pranburi Pool Villa has been launched by Chatt Asset Co., featuring 78 Thai-style homes on a 43-rai site with a total investment value of more than 1 billion baht.
The project was officially launched Friday by Thanapat Phatsarueang, managing director of Chatt Asset Co., together with the company’s executive management team. The project is located on Soi Wang Phong 12 (Ban Nong Hoi) in Pranburi district, Prachuap Khiri Khan province. Continued …
Hua Hin Championship Road Race March 1
The Hua Hin Championship Road Race 2026 will take place on Sunday, March 1, bringing competitive and recreational cyclists to the roads around Huay Mongkol for a full day of racing and touring in the Hua Hin area.
Organized by the Hua Hin Cycling Club, the event will start and finish at Wat Huay Mongkol and is expected to attract riders from across the region. Two main categories will be offered: an 80-kilometer competitive road race and a 40-kilometer non-competitive touring ride. Online registration is open until Jan. 31 at 11.59 pm, or until all available places are filled. Continued …
Thailand Considers Social Media Ban for Under-16s
Thailand is debating a potential social media ban for those under 16, inspired by Australia’s recent implementation. The Online Safety Amendment Bill in Australia restricts access to platforms like TikTok and Instagram to tackle digital addiction and harmful content.
The move aligns with an Ipsos survey, showing 87% of Thais favor a ban on under-14s, the highest globally. However, issues like enforcement and data protection pose challenges. Critics urge that bans should cover not only social media but also dating and gaming platforms to fully shield children. Continued …
Bomb and Arson Attacks Hit 11 Fuel Stations in Southern Thailand
A coordinated wave of bombings and arson attacks struck 11 PTT petrol stations across three southern Thai provinces in the early hours yesterday, causing widespread property damage but no reported casualties.
The incidents, which also affected convenience stores at some sites, prompted immediate security lockdowns as authorities moved to secure the areas and assess the damage. Continued …
Thailand Plans to Hike Import Duties on Low-Value Goods
The Customs Department in Thailand is considering a significant increase in import duty rates on low-value goods. The Customs Department deems the current variable rates, averaging around 10%, insufficient to ensure fair competition with domestically produced goods. There are plans to increase the rate to up to 30% in order to establish a more equitable market.
With imported products largely avoiding corporate income tax, domestic businesses face unfair competition, according to Phantong Loykulnanta, director-general of the Customs Department. He noted that most low-value goods are purchased online, sending revenue overseas. Continued …
E-commerce sector backs low-value goods tax hike
E-commerce entrepreneurs support the Customs Department’s suggestion to raise the import duty rate on low-value goods to promote fairer competition between domestically produced goods and imported products, according to Paul Srivorakul, group chief executive of aCommerce, a Southeast Asia e-commerce enablement company.
“Thailand must protect its local businesses and manufacturers from structurally unfair competition, especially from China,” said Srivorakul. Continued …
Thailand’s Cannabis Crossroads: A Return to Medical Rigour Reshapes a Budding Industry
Thailand’s experiment with cannabis liberalization is undergoing a profound and contentious recalibration. The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) is advancing a new draft ministerial regulation designed to impose stringent oversight on the sector, a decisive pivot away from the largely unregulated commercial free-for-all that emerged post-2022 and back towards a strictly medical framework.
This shift, while framed as a necessary correction to safeguard public health, is causing significant industry consolidation, widespread business closures, and heated public debate. Continued …
US bans seafood imports from Vietnam, opening door for Thai exporters
Effective Jan. 1, the export of fishery products from 12 major Vietnamese fishing grounds to the United States has been officially suspended.
This disruption follows a formal decision by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to deny “comparability findings” for these regions, citing failure to meet the rigorous standards of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Continued …
Tourist Shocked by 400-Baht Omelet at Thai Floating Market
Thai authorities on Friday inspected a restaurant at the famous Damnoen Saduak Floating Market after a tourist’s social media post complaining about exorbitant food prices went viral, including a plain omelet priced at 400 baht and a large fried rice dish costing 1,400 baht.
The post described a family trip to the popular tourist destination in Ratchaburi province where the customer said they were shocked by the prices and dissatisfied with the quality of the food. The writer said the dishes contained only eggs and vegetables and no meat, and claimed the portion sizes did not justify the cost. Continued …
Tour speedboat hits trawler, tourist killed, off Krabi coast
A tour speedboat collided with a trawler near Koh Khai-Koh Phi Phi in Krabi province yesterday, injuring 22 people, one of whom later died. The speedboat, which overturned, was carrying 55 people, including a crew of three.
According to the regional marine office in Phuket, the speedboat was operated by A Timer tour company and was a Kornvich Marine 888 of 23.8 gross tonnage. It was carrying three boat crew, two guides and 50 tourists who were mostly Russians. Continued …
French tourist killed by Thai driver in Phuket
A 51-year-old Thai man was arrested Saturday afternoon in Phuket after a violent road crash killed a French tourist and seriously injured another, police said. The impact sent French national Loic Vincent Fontaine airborne before he slammed to the ground with catastrophic injuries, and he later died at Vachira Phuket Hospital.
The driver of the Volvo was identified, and witnesses at the scene said he appeared intoxicated. Police said the car was traveling at dangerously high speed when it smashed into several vehicles, leaving widespread damage. Continued …
British-Australian Man Found Dead on Yacht Off Phuket
A 70-year-old British-Australian national has been found dead aboard his private yacht anchored off the coast of Phuket, prompting a police investigation and forensic examination to determine the cause of death.
The body was discovered in the early Saturday afternoon after concerns were raised by a friend when the man could not be contacted. Authorities believe he had been dead for at least one to two days before he was found. Continued …
Captive elephants still suffering in Thailand, but new report finds some hope
Most elephants used in Thailand’s tourism industry continue to suffer in captivity, according to new World Animal Protection research. Nearly two in three captive elephants are still living in poor conditions, despite some limited progress since the last assessment in 2019.
Elephants continue to endure short chaining, inadequate diets, dirty living conditions, lack of veterinary care, and forced tourist interactions, including riding, washing, and shows. The research assessed 236 tourism venues housing 2,849 elephants across Thailand between February 2024 and January 2025. Continued …
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Rooftop solar installment safety a priority
Contractors for rooftop solar installation must register with the Council of Engineers Thailand to enhance consumer confidence on safety, according to the Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT).
Techatat Buranaaudsawakul, chairman of the Electrical Engineering Department at the EIT, encouraged contractors to register, undergo annual inspections and demonstrate that systems can deliver expected economic performance. Continued …
Thailand awaits new law to manage over 400,000 tons of e-waste a year
Thailand needs a new law to help it handle around 400,000 tons of electronic waste a year — including used mobile phones — by recycling the waste for valuable materials, the Pollution Control Department (PCD) said.
The PCD said Thailand is accelerating efforts to push forward a draft Electrical and Electronic Equipment Waste Management Act (WEEE) based on theeExtended producer responsibility (EPR) principle, which would require producers to share responsibility for taking back end-of-life products for recycling. Continued …
Unlicensed Phrae Biomass Plant Still Operating Amid Illness Fear
A biomass fuel factory in Phrae province has been found to be operating without a required health hazard license, despite ongoing complaints that pollution from the site has caused illness among dozens of nearby residents.
Authorities confirmed the factory remains open while scientific tests are carried out, even as more than 30 villagers have been diagnosed with respiratory problems linked by locals to emissions from the plant. Continued …
Thai Honda debuts local electric motorcycle model
Thai Honda, a leading manufacturer and distributor of motorcycles and multipurpose engines, has unveiled its first electric motorcycle in Thailand, marking a major step in the company’s strategy and positioning the country as a key export hub. The new model, UC3, was designed by a Thai engineer and is scheduled for production at Thai Honda’s local factory.
The company plans to begin exports to Vietnam later this year, according to Daiki Mihara, executive in charge of motorcycle and power product electrification at Honda Motor, the parent company of Thai Honda. Continued …
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