Editor: Expat News will be traveling next week, July 12-16. We wil try to keep you up to date on the news during this time, but our reports may be fewer and at a different time. We will return to full service next Friday, July 17.

• Phuket teen rocks AGT/Top 5 Beachfront Pool Villas in Hua Hin/Hua Hin videos/Airport rail deal faces review/CP Group confirms rail commitment/DSI Raids Nominee Networks/Bangkok underground tunnel problems/Four monks missing/Thailand’s heroin trafficking network
• ECONOMY: Price Hikes Hit Lunch Staples/Consumers upbeat, businesses cautious/IMF raises Thai GDP forecast/Foreign film boom
• TOURISM: Thailand Needs to Soak Its Own Rich/Ministry restructure a tourism priority/China Tourist Numbers Still Trail/New Sadao checkpoint/Luxury cruise line debut
• THAILAND EXPERIENCE: Thailand’s Automatic Rice Planting Machine/Thai Craft Heritage Being Redesigned/Witchcraft lands in Bangkok
• HUA HIN TRANSPORT and LINKS 

Phuket teen Nene Royal transforms from shy girl to rock star on AGT

(Editor: This article also includes a video of the entire performance – and it is not something you want to miss, even if you don’t like the song selection. This Thai girl is talented! Today’s moment of pure joy.)

When the 15-year-old girl from Phuket introduced herself to the four judges of America’s Got Talent, she looked shy, almost overwhelmed, and admitted it was her first time performing on a stage of that scale.

But the moment she struck the opening chords of The Cranberries’ Zombie, the room changed. The audience roared, the judges leaned in, and Nene Royal was no longer the nervous newcomer. She had transformed into a young rock star in full command of the stage. Continued … 

Top 5 Beachfront Pool Villas in Hua Hin For a Luxury Escape

Sometimes, you just need to pack a bag, leave the traffic behind, and head straight to where the waves hit the sand. Hua Hin has lately become the ultimate spot for this exact kind of escape. It offers a slower, calmer rhythm than other beach towns, making it a favorite for quick weekend getaways.

If you want to wake up to the ocean breeze and step directly from your bed into a private pool, a beachfront villa is the only way to go. Here is a curated look at the top five luxury beachfront sanctuaries in the area that deliver total privacy and coastal bliss. Continued … 

Try These Thai Seafood Dishes in Hua Hin

If you are looking for great and tasty seafood where tourists don’t go to then this is the place to go. It is one of my favorites in Hua Hin. Bring your best translator along as there is no English script menu but that means that great Thai dishes are going to be served. Video … 

Is Hua Hin Soi 94 the new heart of city’s nightlife?

Take a walk through Soi 94, Hua Hin’s fastest-growing entertainment zone. While Soi Bintabaht is the classic choice, Soi 94 offers a massive variety of themed bars, live music venues, and some of the friendliest spots in town. Explore the entire length of the street after dark, checking out the bar scene, the local “bar girl” culture, and why so many expats and tourists are choosing this area over the town center. Video … 

Airport rail deal faces July 15 review after eight-year delay and 21.8-billion-baht investment

Thailand’s long-delayed high-speed railway linking Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports is heading toward a crucial review on July 15, after more than eight years without construction beginning and combined public and private investment exceeding 21.8 billion baht.

The project has remained stalled since the invitation to tender was issued on May 30, 2018. Its progress has been held back by prolonged negotiations over revisions to the public-private partnership agreement, including requests by the private concessionaire for relief following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Continued … 

CP Group confirms rail commitment after PM warns against unilateral withdrawal

PMAnutin Charnvirakulhas insisted that the three-airport high-speed rail project must continue under its existing agreement, warning that a private concessionaire cannot unilaterally terminate a contract with the state.

His remarks followed reports that a company within CP Group had submitted a letter to the State Railway of Thailand seeking to end the contract for the rail link connecting Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports. Continued … 

DSI Raids Nominee Networks in Surat Thani

Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI), together with the Ministry of Justice and multiple government agencies, announced yesterday the results of coordinated raids at five locations on Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, as part of an investigation into suspected nominee companies allegedly used by foreign nationals to own land and operate restricted businesses.

Investigators said they uncovered luxury villa developments, land holdings and corporate structures worth billions of baht linked to the probe. The first target was a Chinese-owned luxury villa development in Bo Phut. The project covers more than 14,000 square meters and was found to include 15 land plots totaling 97 rai, 3 ngan and 88.4 square wah, with an estimated land value of 1.567 billion baht. Continued … 

Bangkok underground tunnel causes subsidence and cracks in buildings and roads

A widening underground engineering emergency beneath one of Bangkok’s busiest intersections has forced evacuations, road closures and round-the-clock repairs after a leaking Purple Line MRT tunnel triggered ground subsidence and fresh cracking around Wongwian Yai, reviving memories of the capital’s 2025 sinkhole disaster.

Although a minister says subsidence has slowed and engineers expect to seal the leak within 12 days, residents remain displaced and businesses are closed as investigators race to stabilize the ground and determine what caused the crisis. Continued … 

Four monks missing after bamboo raft breaks up in Surat Thani

A search operation has been launched for four Buddhist monks who vanished after a bamboo raft carrying 12 monks broke apart while drifting along a canal in Kaengkrung National Park in Surat Thani province on Thursday night.

Park officials, local community leaders, villagers and rescue workers yesterday joined forces to search for the missing monks after the incident in Khlong Mui, located within Bang Yuan forest of Kaengkrung National Park, which stands in Vibhavadi district of the southern province. Continued … 

Police in Thailand and Laos moving to take out heroin trafficking network

The arrest of Thai airline hostess Meena in Melbourne has exposed what investigators now believe is only the outer edge of a far larger international heroin trafficking syndicate stretching from Laos through Thailand to Australia and Taiwan.

As Thai authorities widen their investigation, secure four new arrest warrants, make another arrest, and intensify cross-border operations with Laos, police say those caught so far were merely couriers, while the organization’s leaders remain at large, prompting an increasingly aggressive hunt for the network directing one of the region’s most sophisticated heroin smuggling operations. Continued … 

Price Hikes Hit Lunch Staples as Thai Workers Face Living Cost Crunch

Thailand’s urban workforce is facing an escalating squeeze on disposable income as the price of popular ready-to-eat meals climbs across the country, driven by stubborn energy costs and transport inflation.

A market survey conducted by the Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO), under the Ministry of Commerce, revealed that prices have been adjusted upward for 438 items across seven staple one-dish meals — including fried rice, noodles, and the ubiquitous Pad Kra Prow (basil stir-fry). The increases affect 28.5% of all surveyed items. Continued … 

Consumers upbeat, businesses cautious

Consumer confidence rebounded for the first time in four months in June, supported by falling oil prices and the implementation of the “Thai Chuay Thai Plus” (Thais Help Thais) co-payment scheme, according to the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC). The consumer confidence index (CCI) tallied 50.7 in June, according to a survey by the UTCC’s Center for Economic and Business Forecasting.

Meanwhile, the Thai Chamber of Commerce confidence index (TCC-CI), based on a survey of 369 business operators nationwide, was 41.4, down 0.3 points from May and roughly three points below the level recorded before the Middle East conflict began, at 44.5 in February. Continued … 

IMF raises Thai GDP growth forecast

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has upgraded Thailand’s GDP growth forecast to 1.9% from 1.5%, supported by the government’s stimulus measures.

According to the IMF’s World Economic Outlook Update released on Wednesday, the uptick reflects the emergency fiscal measures and is supported by robust technology-related exports and investment. The lender also raised its 2027 growth forecast for Thailand by 0.1 percentage points to 2.2%. Continued … 

Foreign film boom spurs national revenue

Thailand generated just over 4.025 billion baht from foreign film productions during the first half of this year, with 302 overseas projects filmed across the country. The figures reinforce its position as a leading production hub in Asia and put it on course to set another annual revenue record.

The financial figures exceed half of the total investment recorded throughout last year, reflecting continued confidence among international content producers in Thailand as a regional production base, she said. Continued … 

Thailand Needs to Soak Its Own Rich, Not Just Wealthy Tourists

Thailand’s government has decided, like Japan and others, that the quality of the tourists it attracts is far more appealing than the quantity. After receiving just 33 million foreign arrivals to the Kingdom this year, far below the record 40 million it recorded in 2019, Thailand is betting that a smaller number of more wealthy tourists can generate the same amount of revenue.

It is seeking to attract them, in part, by providing “meaningful experiences” for the rich in the form of golf resorts, wellness retreats, fine dining, and luxury packages. Thailand is suffering not only from a decline in tourism volume, as a strong baht, a rising Vietnam, and an ugly transnational crime problem have hampered interest, but also from the fact that its solution to the problem is a loser, as there are other wealthy people to “soak” right at home. Continued … 

Ministry restructure a tourism priority

Once the Bhumjaithai Party assumed government leadership earlier this year, one of its key tourism priorities was to restructure the Tourism and Sports Ministry, creating a dedicated Sports Ministry and merging the Tourism and Culture ministries.

This proposal is not new, raised by previous governments to promote tourism and sports more effectively. There are several approaches to managing and developing the tourism industry that depend on a strategic vision and long-term objectives. Continued … 

China Tourist Numbers Still Trail in Thailand

Thailand’s tourism sector continues to feel the impact of a sharp decline in Chinese visitors, despite China regaining its position as the country’s largest source market in 2026. Between Jan. 1 and July 4, Thailand welcomed 16,210,890 foreign visitors, down 3.1% year on year, generating 782.57 billion baht in tourism revenue, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

China accounted for 2,654,728 arrivals during the period, ahead of Malaysia with 2,109,956, followed by India with 1,239,023, Russia with 1,022,483 and South Korea with 596,673. In one recent summer week, Continued … 

New Sadao checkpoint linking Malaysia opens today

A new Sadao checkpoint compound and road linking southern Thailand and northern Malaysia has been slated to open for users today after the prime ministers of both nations officiated its launch yesterday.

The new, larger checkpoint is located about six kilometers east of the present office in Sadao district of Songkhla. Construction began in 2016 with a budget of 1.5 billion baht and an aim to ease congestion for trucks, cars and buses at the border. The checkpoint connects Songkha with Kedah state through the Bukit Kayu Hitam checkpoint. Continued … 

Luxury cruise line debuts in Thailand

Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, one of the world’s leading ultra-luxury travel and cruise brands, has officially launched its brand in Thailand for the first time through a strategic partnership with World Travel Designer (WTD), a specialist in luxury travel marketing and distributor of leading global cruise brands.

The partnership aims to capture the growing demand among Thailand’s high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), whose travel preferences are shifting beyond traditional luxury toward exclusive, meaningful experiences that cannot easily be found elsewhere. Continued … 

Thailand’s Automatic Rice Planting Machine

Thailand’s automatic rice transplanter can plant rice seedlings with incredible speed and precision. This smart farming technology helps farmers save time, reduce labor, and increase efficiency. Video … 

 

How Thai Craft Heritage is Being Redesigned for Foreign Lifestyles

For centuries, the identity of Thai textiles and handicrafts has been explicitly clear: vibrant, multi-colored regional weaves, intricate gold ornamentation, and complex motifs. These are not merely everyday materials but historic cultural artefacts reflecting local wisdom passed down through generations. Yet, a hard truth has loomed over the loom.

Without adapting to the shifting habits of modern consumers, these ancient practices risk fading into obsolescence. Enter the Sustainable Arts and Crafts Institute of Thailand (SACIT). Continued …

Glastonbury-style witchcraft lands in Bangkok

Voralapa “Pyn” Lochaya, a “green witch” and Destiny Matrix coach, says witchcraft is a lifestyle rooted in the five elements and herbal healing.

After studying Thai, Chinese and Yunani herbal medicine and training in Glastonbury, she’s opening a “witch shop” in Thailand to promote healing, astrology and a new, less fearful view of witchcraft. Video …

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