Hua Hin Loy Krathong plans/Yemeni conman arrested in Hua Hin/Expect a warmer cold season/Hospitals struggling/Thai Gold Expert Warns of Severe Correction/Bangkok curbing smoking/ECONOMY: 99-Year Foreign Leasehold Rights/TOURISM: Event to woo 100,000 Indians/Koh Samui Wellness and Sports Destination/Phuket airport forecasts 16 million passengers/THAILAND EXPERIENCE: Doi Inthanon Plunges to 11∘C/CLIMATE THAILAND: Data centers included in clean power pilot/Imported Solar Panels Save Lives/INTERNATIONAL/HUA HIN LINKS
Hua Hin Loy Krathong 2025 plans under way
Preparations for this year’s Loy Krathong activities in Hua Hin are under way after Deputy Mayor Bussaba Choksuchart chaired a planning meeting yesterday. The meeting focused on coordinating operations, safety, traffic management and public services to ensure the festival proceeds smoothly and creates a welcoming atmosphere for residents and visitors.
Loy Krathong, marked nationwide on the night of the full moon in the 12th lunar month, sees people float krathongs — decorative banana-leaf vessels often carrying candles, incense and flowers — on bodies of water as an expression of thanks and a symbolic gesture for good fortune. Continued …
Yemeni conman arrested in Hua Hin for Bt1.15-milion foreign-exhange scam
Police have arrested a 43-year-old man in Hua Hin after he pulled off a brazen scam at foreign exchange booths six times in just nine days. Yemeni national Nabil Mohammed Yahya Zaid stole a total of Bt1.15 million by convincing tellers he had already deposited the foreign currency required for each transaction.
Authorities say the operation was carefully planned and that Zaid likely had an accomplice. A Kenyan man has been arrested in connection with the case. Police are now analyzing the technical details of the scheme and have warned foreign exchange tellers to double-check every transaction before handing over cash. Continued …
Expect a warmer cold season this year
The cold season in Thailand is forecast to arrive at the end of this month, which is about two weeks later than normal. The weather will not be as cold as last year, according to the Meteorological Department.
The season is expected to last until the end of February and the average low temperature in the northern and northeastern regions is forecast to be 21 degrees Celsius, which is about one degree higher than the normal average. Continued …
Hospitals struggling under Gold Card debt
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has confirmed that hospitals nationwide are owed large sums under the Gold Card scheme, prompting urgent talks on government action.
His comments came after Mongkutwattana Hospital in Bangkok announced the suspension of outpatient services for Gold Card patients due to unpaid medical bills exceeding 110 million baht. “The NHSO owes nearly every hospital in the country. Their financial management must improve,” he said. Continued …
Thai Gold Expert Warns of Severe Correction as Prices Surge
Thailand’s gold market is experiencing unprecedented euphoria, as prices have surged past 60,000 baht per baht weight, but industry experts are warning that the rally shows dangerous signs of excess that could precede a sharp correction.
Teerarat Jutavarakul, managing director of InterGold Trade, told the “Thailand Economic Outlook 2026: Out of the Trap” seminar hosted by Krungthep Turakij yesterday that gold has become the “talk of the town”, as prices have climbed more than 40% in baht terms this year — an increase of roughly 20,000 baht since January that he described as extraordinarily unusual for a single year. Continued …
Bangkok steps up push to curb smoking in public
Bangkok is stepping up the enforcement of its public smoking ban to better protect residents and tourists from the dangers of secondhand smoke.
Prof Dr Prakit Vathesatogkit, a health expert and member of the National Tobacco Products Control Committee, yesterday stressed that cigarette smoke is among the most harmful indoor air pollutants. And while Thailand has had anti-smoking laws since 1992, enforcement in Bangkok remains inconsistent, he added. Continued …
Property Sector Seeks 99-Year Foreign Leasehold Rights
Thailand’s property sector is calling for legislative reform to extend foreign leasehold rights to 99 years, arguing that the change represents the critical “fuel” needed to inject foreign direct investment into an economy hobbled by crippling household debt and exhausted growth engines.
Speaking at the “Thailand Property New Landscape Opportunity” panel discussion at the Thailand Economic Outlook 2026 seminar hosted by Krunthep Turakij yesterday, industry leaders painted a stark picture of an economy struggling to achieve even 2% GDP growth this year, with traditional drivers failing across the board. Continued …
Event expected to woo 100,000 Indians
Indian tourism operators remain confident in Thailand as a top destination, with the country planning to host the “Grand Diwali Celebration” next week, aiming to draw at least 100,000 travelers, while annual arrivals are expected to reach a record high of 2.5 million.
Puneet Kochhar, director of Kochhar Travel, an outbound tour company based in Delhi, said while some northern Indian tourists prefer to stay at home during the festival, other markets still plan to travel during this period, such as the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. Continued …
Koh Samui Emerges as Asia’s New Integrated Wellness and Sports Destination
Koh Samui is entering a new era as one of Asia’s most dynamic integrated wellness and sports tourism destinations. Moving beyond its identity as a luxury island escape, Samui is embracing global trends that merge wellbeing, active living, and performance — redefining how travelers experience health and connection.
Thailand continues to lead Asia’s wellness economy, with tourism as its driving force. From yoga retreats and spa resorts to medical clinics and longevity centers, the country’s wellness offerings are expanding rapidly. At the center of this growth, Koh Samui is emerging as a destination where tropical serenity meets transformative wellness and sports innovation. Continued …
Phuket airport forecasts 16 million passengers this year
Phuket International Airport expects to welcome more than 16 million passengers this year, driven by rising international arrivals and new direct flight routes from Europe and Asia, said airport director Monchai Tanode.
He said during China’s Golden Week from Oct. 1-8, passenger traffic rose by 60% compared with last year. The airport handled 228 flights, averaging 29 a day, with 34,375 passengers or 4,297 per day – about 65% of pre-Covid figures. Continued …
Thailand’s Doi Inthanon Plunges to 11∘C as Cold Snap Arrives Early
Holidaymakers are flocking to Thailand’s highest peak, Doi Inthanon, after an unexpected cold snap saw temperatures plummet to a frosty 11∘C yesterday. The early arrival of the chill, coupled with thick, persistent fog, has delighted tourists looking to get away ahead of a planned long weekend.
Chiang Mai is officially experiencing the cold earlier than anticipated. Yesterday the temperature at the summit of Doi Inthanon dropped rapidly, creating what the authorities termed a “heaven for fog lovers.” Continued …
Data centers included in clean power pilot
Foreign data center operators eager to expand their businesses to Thailand can start buying clean power under the state’s direct power-purchase agreement (PPA) scheme in December of this year, says the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
Authorities are keen to launch a pilot direct PPA scheme because it facilitates trade between power companies and their clients, which is a key factor for investors considering development of data centers in Thailand. Continued …
Imported Solar Panels Save Lives and Cut Billions in Climate Costs
As debates over clean energy supply chains intensify, new research led by Professor Gang He (GC/Baruch College, Earth and environmental sciences/public affairs) demonstrates that imported solar panels have provided far more than affordable electricity: They have also protected public health and the environment.
“Global supply chains have helped make solar power affordable,” He said. “But what’s often missed is how these imports also clean the air, protect health, and reduce climate damages. These are benefits that extend well beyond electricity prices.” Continued …
What we know about the new Gaza deal
US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire in Gaza, after days of indirect talks in Egypt. Qatar, which helped broker the deal along with Egypt, the United States, and Turkey, said the deal was the “first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid”. Continued …
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