• Thailand’s Healthcare Expansion Strategy/Health warning over fatal tick-borne virus/Covid-19 cases on the rise/Lisa hits big time in US/Lisa showcases Thai food and drinking culture
• THE IRAN WAR: Real shipping squeeze may still be ahead
• ECONOMY: Thai household debt nears 800,000 baht/Anutin-Trump talks unconfirmed/Thailand’s MICE Capability in the Global Spotlight/Taiwan firm to build 10-billion-baht smart warehouse
• TOURISM: PM orders quick deportations/THAI Airways launches Da Nang route
• THAILAND EXPERIENCE: Thailand Ecotourism Is Now Third in ASEAN
• CLIMATE THAILAND: Tiger Conservation in Thailand Shows Results/Thailand’s plan to open forests to industry/The Green Money Problem
• FOREIGNERS BEHAVING BADLY/HUA HIN TRANSPORT and LINKS 

Thailand’s Healthcare Expansion Strategy

Thailand’s Public Health Ministry is implementing a comprehensive strategy to enhance healthcare accessibility and attract international patients. The initiative includes establishing a health marketplace that centralizes public and private healthcare services, alongside a data and access initiative linking national health databases to improve service delivery and inform policy decisions.

The ministry will also upgrade i-Claim, the insurance reimbursement system for private claims at public hospitals. By targeting affluent Thai patients, foreign visitors, and overseas governments, particularly from neighboring regions like South Asia, Bhutan, and the Maldives, Thailand aims to generate sustainable revenue for its health system. A key proposal involves making medical visas more flexible to match individual treatment durations, while incorporating electronic appointments, advance referrals, and immigration data integration to streamline the patient experience and ensure security. Continued … 

Health warning issued over fatal tick-borne virus after two deaths

Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) has issued a warning regarding a severe fever linked to Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS), a potentially fatal tick-borne viral infection, following three reported cases and two deaths in the country this year.

DDC Director General Dr. Montien Kanasawat revealed that this year up to yesterday, the country recorded three cumulative cases and two fatalities, representing a 66.7% mortality rate. Most infected individuals were over 50 and had a history of raising pets, handling dogs or cats, being bitten by ticks, or crushing ticks directly with their bare hands. Continued … 

Covid-19 cases on the rise, health officials say

Covid-19 infections in Thailand are on an upward trend, with an average of 15,000 new cases reported each week over the past four weeks, according to the Department of Disease Control (DDC).

Health officials are urging the public to keep track of disease outbreaks and health risks associated with the rainy season and changing weather conditions, while taking appropriate preventive measures to reduce illness and severe disease. Continued … 

Thai star Lisa hits big time in US

Thai superstar Lalisa “Lisa” Manobal has taken Thailand deeper into the American mainstream with her latest global hit. “SaWaDiKa” entered the United States Billboard Hot 100 at number 69 before Lisa joined Jimmy Fallon in New York on Wednesday.

The provocative Bangkok-shot video smashed 70.8 million YouTube views in 24 hours and passed 100 million within two days. Meanwhile, its tuk-tuks, Muay Thai, neon nightlife and raunchy fashion present an unmistakably Thai backdrop to Lisa’s accelerating US career. Continued … 

LISA brings Thai food and drinking culture to Jimmy Fallon show

LISA brought a taste of Thailand to American late-night television while promoting her latest single, “SaWaDiKa”, on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. During the closing segment of the show, the Thai K-pop star introduced host Jimmy Fallon to some of her favourite Thai food and drinks, including som tam and Thai beer.

LISA recommended som tam, or spicy green papaya salad, and encouraged Fallon to try dried shrimp and fresh chilli — ingredients commonly found in the dish. Continued … 

Stress shows real shipping squeeze may still be ahead

Shipping costs are being driven by a combination of geopolitical tensions, severe weather events, and capacity constraints in critical maritime corridors. Conflicts in the Middle East, specifically involving Iran, have caused shipping standstills in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing vessels to seek alternative and often more expensive routes.

Simultaneously, the El Nino weather pattern has triggered a severe drought in Panama, leading the Panama Canal Authority to restrict daily vessel transits and reduce maximum drafts, which creates significant bottlenecks and increases costs.

These disruptions are compounded by rising fuel prices and increased demand for priority passage through limited channels. For example, a single tanker recently paid a record US$5.3 million to secure a priority transit slot through the Panama Canal to avoid drought-related delays.

Furthermore, the ongoing conflict between the US and Israel and its impact on Iran has pushed more traffic toward the Panama Canal as a fallback for energy shipments. These logistical pressures, alongside broader shifts in trade routes like the emergence of the Arctic as a secondary corridor, are placing sustained upward pressure on global freight demand and costs. – Bangkok Post

Thai household debt nears 800,000 baht, highest in 17 years

Average household debt in Thailand has risen to nearly 800,000 baht, reaching its highest level in 17 years, according to a 2026 survey by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC).

Thanavath Phonvichai, president of UTCC and chief adviser to the Center for Economic and Business Forecasting, said yesterday that household debt remained a structural problem for the Thai economy requiring urgent attention. Continued … 

Anutin-Trump talks unconfirmed ahead of Sept 21–27 US visit, as Thailand targets 19% tariff

No official date has been confirmed for tariff and trade talks between Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and US President Donald Trump ahead of Anutin’s Sept. 21–27 visit to the United States.

Commerce Minister Suphajee said discussions between Anutin and Trump had previously been proposed for Sept. 17 or 18. Thailand wants officials to clarify the proposed Thailand-US Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) as fully as possible before preparing briefing material and proposals for talks between the leaders. Continued … 

Gastech Puts Thailand’s MICE Capability in the Global Spotlight

Thailand is aiming to be more than a destination for global events, it wants to become a trusted MICE gateway connecting the world with Asia.

As Bangkok hosts Gastech 2026, TCEB says the event gives Thailand an opportunity to demonstrate its ability to deliver complex, world-class events and build confidence among international investors and industry leaders. Continued … 

Taiwan firm to build 10-billion-baht smart warehouse in Thailand

Ally Logistic Property (ALP) selected the Eastern Economic Corridor for its Omega 1 Bangna smart warehouse to access its logistics route project, which offers a business model known as infrastructure-as-a-service. This model allows tenants to utilize integrated automated warehouses without the high upfront costs or the need to own their own storage facilities.

The Omega 1 Bangna facility is expected to be the largest in Asia for the Taiwan-based provider, representing a 10-billion-baht investment. By utilizing this automated system, logistics operators can increase productivity by up to 35% compared to conventional warehouses. The facility is designed to offer more than 160,000 pallet positions and features high-end 4.0-level automation to reduce picking errors and associated costs. – Bangkok Post

PM orders quick deportation of errant foreigners

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, in his capacity as the interior minister, has ordered provincial governors and district chiefs to act quickly to deport foreigners who commit offenses and take advantage of Thais.

Anutin issued the order yesterday during a video conference with provincial governors, district chiefs and administrative officials nationwide to discuss policy implementation in the last quarter of this year. Continued … 

THAI Airways launches Da Nang route

Thai Airways will operate the new Bangkok-Da Nang service with 41 flights per week. The service is scheduled to begin on Dec. 1.

This expansion is part of a broader initiative by Thai Airways to increase frequencies on various Southeast Asian, European, and Chinese routes. Other planned service increases include 12 weekly flights to Hanoi-Bangkok and 7 weekly flights to Vietnam-Bangkok, alongside expanded operations to destinations such as Munich, Zurich, and Paris. – Bangkok Post

Thailand Ecotourism Is Now Third in ASEAN

An international report has named Thailand ecotourism to be the third best destination in ASEAN and the 33rd best in the world. This report praised Thailand’s forests, islands, and marine areas. The report stated Thailand’s ecotourism ranks third.

Cambodia was listed as the best ASEAN ecotourism destination, and the 17th best in the world. Laos was listed as the 22nd best ecotourism destination in the world. Continued … 

 

Tiger Conservation in Thailand Shows Results

According to new data, Thailand has recorded an increase in its wild tiger population to between 179 and 223 animals. At the last count in 2022, the estimated number was only 148 to 189 individuals.

Thailand is thus the first country in Southeast Asia to have successfully increased its national tiger population,” says Axel Krumsiek, head of the Asia division at WWF Germany. Elsewhere in the region, tiger populations are declining, and in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, tigers have become extinct over the past 25 years. Continued … 

Inside Thailand’s controversial plan to open forests to industry

Government plans to liberalize forest use have sparked fears that Thailand’s pristine natural landscapes will be opened to industrial activities, including waste disposal. The Cabinet this month approved in principle a draft regulation allowing the commercial and industrial use of larger forest zones – including national reserves. If enacted, the scope of permitted activities will be expanded from the current 10 categories to 16.

The new additions would allow forestland to be allocated not just for waste-management operations but also solar and wind farms, telecommunications towers, and various economic, social and security development projects. Continued … 

The Green Money Problem: Why Thailand’s Small Firms Can’t Get In

Thailand has built much of the machinery of sustainable finance — a taxonomy, disclosure rules, transition loans and a coming climate fund. What it has not yet solved is who can afford to use it.

That was the central tension at the second panel of the Nation Visionary Club Roundtable, where a World Bank economist, a Bank of Thailand official, and representatives of two of the country’s largest commercial banks described a system in which the cost of proving environmental performance excludes precisely the businesses that make up most of the economy. Continued … 

• 15 arrested as Japanese call-centre scam mansion raided – Continued … 

• Omani man held with 22 live animals at Suvarnabhumi – Continued … 

• Chinese man held in Chiang Mai over 238m baht money laundering – Continued … 

Hua Hin Links and Transport

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