- Criminal warnings issued on beach demolitions/Hua Hin–Surat Thani flights/Hua Hin tourism wellness campaign/Dance-by-the-Sea in Cha-am/Arena Hua Hin international tournaments/Swedish man arrested in PKK/Growing ‘passport bro’ debate/Ministry to weigh fuel reform/PTT and Bangchak cut petrol prices/Thailand considers national food reserves/’No need’ to stockpile food/More citizenship revocations/Criticized for feeding stray dogs/Thai gold gains
- ECONOMY: Trump’s Midterm Setbacks Raises Hopes/Reinvent Thailand agenda/Minister identifies five opportunities/Business group raises forecast/Thailand Can be Europe’s Platform/Oil exploration ramped up/Thai rice exports to ASEAN jump/CP Axtra to develop 78 projects
- TOURISM: Tourist arrivals fall 4.59%/May not reach 40 million tourists until 2031/Automatic passport control for 33 countries/Europe expected to boost Thai tourism revenue/Suvarnabhumi humanoid robot trial/Thai Airways Dreamliner suffers window crack/Non-swimmer Chinese tourist rescued/Koh Chang bridge motorist fares
- THAILAND EXPERIENCE: Why doctors in Thailand fear KFC/Royal Barge Procession viewing points/Thai named World’s Best Pastry Chef
- CLIMATE THAILAND: Mining pushing Sai River to disaster/79 test above safe arsenic limits
- FOREIGNERS BEHAVING BADLY/INTERNATIONAL/HUA HIN TRANSPORT and LINKS
Criminal warnings issued on beach demolitions
Hua Hin municipality has warned that owners who obstruct court-ordered beach demolitions will face criminal complaints, as officials work to clear 15 encroaching buildings and structures within a 120-day deadline. Officials will also cut locks and proceed with demolition if owners fail to come forward on the date specified in the municipality’s posted notice.
The warning followed a progress meeting chaired by Mayor Nopporn Wutthikul at Hua Hin City Municipal Office yesterday. The demolition orders cover buildings along the beachfront between the fishing pier and the Chao Mae Thap Thim Shrine. Continued …
Hua Hin–Surat Thani direct flights begin Saturday
EZY Airlines is set to launch direct flights between Hua Hin and Surat Thani on Saturday, 7with services operating four days a week and a scheduled journey time of 90 minutes.
The route will run on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, providing a direct air link between Hua Hin and southern Thailand for residents, tourists and business travelers. Continued …
Hua Hin tourism wellness campaign launched
Proud Group and its partners have launched a tourism campaign worth more than 90 million baht, offering free sports sessions, water park admission and beachfront fitness activities to promote Hua Hin as a wellness lifestyle destination.
The “Hua Hin Well Played” campaign runs from November to February 2027, bringing together sport, health, music and leisure activities to encourage visitors to stay longer and support local businesses. Continued …
Dance-by-the-Sea event Saturday in Cha-am
A free “Dance by the Sea” event will take place at the Cha-am Beach viewpoint on Saturday from 4 pm to 7 pm, with seaside exercise sessions, health checks and a bilingual health talk.
Residents and tourists are invited to attend, with 500 free event shirts available to those who register at the venue on a first-come, first-served basis. Continued …
Arena Hua Hin to host 4 international tournaments
Four international tennis tournaments in Hua Hin will offer more than two million baht in prize money this November and December, with the first men’s main-draw matches starting on Monday.
Arena Hua Hin Sports Club is working with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and partner organizations to host two men’s M15 and two women’s W15 events under the Cal-Comp & CCAU Industry 4.0 ITF World Tennis Tour 2026. Continued …
Swedish man arrested in PKK for 743-day overstay
A 33-year-old Swedish man was arrested in Prachuap Khiri Khan last night, accused of overstaying his permission to remain in Thailand by 743 days.
Immigration officers and local security personnel stopped the man beside a public road in Moo 1, Khlong Wan, during an operation at about 11 pm. Police identified him as Nilsson Hansson Stefan Tobias Dennis and said he initially told officers he had forgotten his passport. Continued …
Thailand drawn into growing ‘passport bro’ debate
Thailand has been drawn into a growing debate over the so-called “passport bro” movement, with concerns about relationships between Western men and foreign women raising questions about financial dependence, immigration pressures and the potential consequences for families.
The issue has attracted renewed attention after media published accounts from adult children of cross-border relationships who described troubled childhoods, alleged abuse and family breakdowns. Although their experiences are not representative of all international marriages, their stories highlight some of the potential risks when relationships are shaped by significant differences in wealth, power and immigration status. Continued …
Energy Ministry to weigh fuel reform after 60-day ultimatum
Thailand’s Ministry of Energy has pledged to consider proposals to reduce fuel prices and reform the country’s oil-pricing structure following demands from transport and logistics operators. Officials received the demands at a protest outside the ministry in Bangkok yesterday.
The Land Transport Federation of Thailand has given the government about 60 days to address its demands, centered on a one-year diesel price cap of 35 baht per liter. The federation could mobilize up to 1,000 lorries into Bangkok if there is no progress. Continued …
PTT and Bangchak cut petrol prices by 70 satang a liter
PTT Oil and Retail Business, which operates PTT Station, and Bangchak Corp. cut Bangkok prices for standard gasohol 91, gasohol 95 and E20 by 0.70 baht a liter today. PTT Station also cut regular petrol by the same amount to 50.33 baht a liter.
The reduction saves motorists 35 baht on a 50-liter purchase of any affected grade. Premium gasohol, Bangchak’s E85 and all diesel grades kept their previous prices. Continued …
Thailand considers national food reserves as NSC prepares for prolonged Middle East conflict
Thailand’s National Security Council (NSC) is considering establishing a national food reserve as part of contingency planning for a prolonged conflict in the Middle East, which it considers the most likely outcome among four possible scenarios.
The council says fighting is more likely to remain geographically limited but continue for an extended period than to end quickly or escalate into a wider regional war. For Thailand, the duration of the conflict could be as significant as its geographical reach, with prolonged fighting adding pressure on energy prices and global supply chains. Continued …
‘No need’ to stockpile food
The National Security Council (NSC) has urged the public not to panic or stockpile food, saying domestic supplies remain sufficient despite rising global tensions.
The council is preparing to establish a national operations center to monitor international crises and coordinate measures to safeguard Thailand’s food and energy security. Continued …
Thailand eyes more citizenship revocations in Israeli probe
Thailand is preparing evidence that could lead to the revocation of Thai citizenship for another three foreign businessmen, Justice Minister Rutthaphol Naowarat said following a ten-agency meeting in Bangkok yesterday.
The widening investigation follows the revocation of Thai nationality from Rabbi Yosef Chaim Kantor, a leading figure in Thailand’s Chabad network. Authorities are examining suspected nominee companies, land transactions, foreign transfers, tax records and immigration compliance involving Israeli-linked businesses and religious organizations. Continued …
Pattaya streamer criticized for feeding stray dogs by pier
A Thai-French female streamer has drawn more than two million views after posting footage of a confrontation with a convenience store employee near Bali Hai Pier in South Pattaya.
Cat Justketh, a streamer from Bangkok visiting Pattaya, was livestreaming while playing with and feeding stray dogs outside the shop near the pier. The incident sparked intense online criticism of the male employee after the video was shared. In the clip, the employee can be heard loudly shooing away the dogs and challenging Cat, saying dogs should not be kept there because they could bite customers. Continued …
Thai gold gains 1,900 baht per baht-weight
Gold bullion in Thailand closed at a selling price of 64,400 baht per baht-weight yesterday, according to the Gold Traders Assn. The quotation for 96.5%-purity gold was 1,900 baht, or 3.04%, above the Nov. 3 close.
The Gold Traders Association issued 46 price announcements, including the opening quotation, with the final update at 4.11 pm Thai time. Domestic prices moved both up and down during the morning and afternoon. Continued …
Trump’s Midterm Setbacks Raises Hopes for Thai Stocks and Exports
Thai business leaders and market analysts say the Democratic sweep in the US midterm elections could improve conditions for Thailand, by placing greater checks on President Donald Trump’s policies and encouraging capital flows into emerging markets.
They cautioned, however, that US tariffs, global conflicts and higher energy costs remain significant risks for Thai exporters and investors. Ongart Kittikhunchai, president of the Thai Food Processors’ Assn., said the election outcome could restore checks and balances within the US political system. Continued …
Anutin sets out Reinvent Thailand agenda
Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has set out a “Reinvent Thailand” vision focused on strengthening the country from within amid global economic, technological and geopolitical uncertainty.
Speaking at a forum yesterday, Anutin said the plan was not about starting Thailand again from zero, but improving, restructuring and making better use of what the country already has. He presented reforms across energy, the economy, people and politics, while calling for a less confrontational political culture and an end to the use of fake news against opponents. Continued …
Minister identifies five opportunities to turn Thailand into a global economic hub
Thailand has the potential to become a major hub in the global economy by developing five new growth engines, but must accelerate economic restructuring, technological development and investment reforms to remain competitive, according to Suphachai Chearavanont.
Suphachai, senior vice chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group) and chairman and CEO of Arise Ventures Group, argued in a forum yesterday that the country’s future economic strategy must begin with an understanding of fundamental changes in the global economic order. Continued …
Thai business group raises 2026 growth forecast
Thailand’s economy is expected togrow 2.4% to 2.6% this year, up from a previous forecast of 2.1% to 2.5%, a leading business group said yesterday.
Thailand’s exports, a key growth driver, were forecast to rise 18% to 22%, the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) said, a sharp increasefrom its previous projection of a 12% to 16% increase. Continued …
EU Envoy: Thailand Can be Europe’s Platform in Southeast Asia as FTA Talks Advance
The European Union has pitched itself as a “trusted and long-term partner” for Thailand’s economic transformation, with its ambassador saying a free trade agreement (FTA) now under negotiation could anchor deeper investment, technology transfer and a shift toward a greener, higher-value economy.
Luisa Ragher, the EU’s ambassador to Thailand, delivered a keynote at the “Economic Forum 2026: Reinvent Thailand”. “Thailand is not just a market for European companies. It can be a platform for European investment in Southeast Asia,” she said, describing the country as a potential regional production base.” Continued …
Oil exploration ramped up to cut imports
Thailand is accelerating petroleum exploration both onshore and in the Andaman Sea as it seeks to increase domestic energy supplies and reduce reliance on imports amid continued volatility in global fuel markets.
Energy Minister Akanat Promphan said the country remains heavily dependent on imported energy, sourcing up to 90% of its crude oil and nearly 46% of its natural gas from overseas. Continued …
Thai rice exports to ASEAN jump 109% Jan–Sept
Thailand’s rice exports to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) more than doubled to approximately 1.25 million tons in the first nine months of 2026, as stronger purchases from the Philippines and Malaysia helped offset declining shipments to Iraq, according to the Department of Foreign Trade.
Arada Fuangtong, director-general of the Department of Foreign Trade, put the increase in rice shipments to ASEAN at 109% year-on-year for January–September. The bloc’s share of Thailand’s total rice exports rose from 9.7% to 25.2%. Continued …
CP Axtra (Makro, Lotus’) to develop 78 projects next year
CP Axtra, the operator of Makro and Lotus’s wholesale and retail businesses, plans to develop 78 projects in 2027, including opening new locations and renovations of existing stores across 37 provinces.
Benchawan Ongsri, chief mall officer at CP Axtra, said the project development includes 60 mall extension projects under its existing plan and 18 additional commercial property developments. Continued …
Thailand’s tourist arrivals fall 4.59% to 25.46 million in 10 months
Thailand recorded 25,464,306 international tourist arrivals in the first 10 months of 2026, down 4.59% from a year earlier, according to Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul. Spending by foreign visitors fell 2.85% to 1.24 trillion baht over the same period.
China remained Thailand’s largest source of tourists from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31. Arrivals from China rose 12.4% to 4.24 million, while those from Malaysia, the second-largest market, fell 16.3% to 3.23 million. Taiwan and the United States were the only other top 10 markets to record growth. South Korea saw the steepest decline among the 10, at 26.9%. Continued …
Thailand may not reach 40 million tourists again until 2031 or later
Thailand may have to wait until 2031 or later to welcome 40 million foreign tourists annually again, as the country’s tourism industry struggles to regain its pre-pandemic momentum amid growing competition from regional rivals, particularly Vietnam.
A survey by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) found that only 10.6% of tourism operators believed Thailand could return to 40 million annual visitors by 2029. Continued …
Automatic passport control extended to 33 countries
Thailand has expanded access to automated passport control to travelers from 33 countries and territories to speed up immigration processing, reduce queues and ease congestion at airports.
The 33 countries and territories include South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and 24 European countries, including Britain, France, Germany and Italy. Continued …
Europe expected to boost Thai tourism revenue 5%-7% next year
Amid the Middle East conflict, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is focusing on tailoring products to individual European markets to lift tourism revenue by 5%-7% next year, as the agency and Thai operators participate in this week’s World Travel Market (WTM) trade show.
UK travel agents have reported a growing shift among travelers from Middle Eastern destinations to Asia, including Thailand, while marketing packages to these destinations have become highly profitable for tour operators. Continued …
Sky ICT plans Suvarnabhumi humanoid robot trial
Thailand’s airports are moving toward greater use of artificial intelligence, automation, biometrics and robotics, with Sky ICT planning to pilot humanoid service robots at Suvarnabhumi Airport toward the end of this year.
The SET-listed aviation technology provider says the changes form part of an emerging “intelligent aviation” era, in which airports use shared data and automated systems to handle higher passenger numbers more efficiently. Continued …
Thai Airways Dreamliner returns to Shanghai after window crack
A Thai Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner returned safely to Shanghai yesterday morning after pilots found a crack in a cockpit window shortly after take-off.
Flight TG663 had departed Shanghai for Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport when the crew detected the damage and asked air traffic control for permission to return to the departure airport. Continued …
Non-swimmer Chinese tourist takes canoe trip, needs rescuing
A Chinese tourist in her early 20s who could not swim was rescued after her canoe capsized in waters off Phuket’s Koh Man Tuesday evening.
The woman had drifted far from Yanui Beach in Rawai, Phuket, when waves overturned the canoe at about 5.40 pm. She was eventually spotted and picked up by a passing fishing boat, which took her safely back to shore. Continued …
Koh Chang bridge could charge motorists 340 baht each way from 2035
Motorists could pay 340 baht each way to use the proposed Koh Chang bridge in Trat when it opens in 2035, according to preliminary toll rates released by the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT).
The proposed charges, presented as part of a feasibility study Tuesday, would also see motorcyclists pay 90 baht per trip. The rates have not yet received final approval. Continued …
Why doctors in Thailand fear KFC
Doctors and nurses in Thailand fear eating KFC on shift because of a long-standing medical superstition known as the “KFC Fried Chicken Curse” (or “เวรเยิน” / wen yern, meaning a disastrously busy shift).
Many healthcare workers believe that ordering or eating KFC during a shift will magically summon a sudden, chaotic flood of patients and emergencies. Bringing a bucket of KFC into a hospital ward is treated as a taboo; colleagues might get annoyed or worried because they fear it guarantees a sleepless, overwhelmed night. Some joke that local spirits (chao thi) are fond of fried chicken and deliberately dump a wave of cases on whoever orders it.
Bangkok lists 16 Royal Barge Procession viewing points for tomorrow
Members of the public can watch Bangkok’s Royal Barge Procession free of charge from designated public areas along the Chao Phraya River tomorrow, with 16 viewing locations announced on both banks and free shuttle buses available to help visitors reach the area.
The king and queen will travel in the Royal Barge procession to Wat Arun Ratchawararam for the Royal Kathin robe-offering ceremony, held as part of celebrations marking Her Majesty Queen Suthida’s 48th birthday anniversary. Continued …
Thai named World’s Best Pastry Chef 2026
Across the world, it was a big night for Thailand as Dej Kewkacha became the first Asian chef to be awarded the World’s Best Pastry Chef 2026, at the 50 Best Restaurants 2026 list revelation in Lima, Peru. Thailand is also home to the world’s No.2 best restaurant — Gaggan.
A self-taught pâtissier. Dej is a leading figure in Asia’s pastry industry, redefining the dessert experience by elevating local flavors into fine-dining omakase courses, which earned him the title of Asia’s Best Pastry Chef 2025. Continued …
Mining pushing Sai River to disaster
For the past few years, the Sai River in Chiang Rai, a tributary of the Mekong, has remained thick and muddy throughout the year.
The murky water is unprecedented. In the past, its waters ran clear during the cool and dry seasons. The change has been linked to rapid expansion of mining activities to extract gold, rare earth and other mineral mining upstream in Shan State, Myanmar. Continued …
79 test above safe arsenic limits in northeastern Thailand
Seventy-nine people in seven northern and northeastern provinces have been found with arsenic levels exceeding safety standards, including along the Mekong River basin.
Urine tests conducted by the Department of Disease Control (DDC) found arsenic levels exceeding safety standards in 40 urine samples from northern provinces – 31 in Chiang Rai, seven in Chiang Mai and two in Mae Hong Son, where the Kok, Sai and Salween rivers flow past. Continued …
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Thai police arrest Dubai triple murder suspect – Continued …
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Three Chinese held with false passports in Songkhla – Continued …
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Russian arrested in Phuket over 93 grams of crystal meth – Continued …
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Foreign man held in Nakhon Phanom over Thai ID fraud – Continued …
Trump under pressure on Iran war after Republicans’ midterms defeat
US President Donald Trump concedes that the war he ordered on Iran was partly to blame for his Republican Party’s sweeping midterms losses – but even as he comes under pressure, analysts said yesterday that he has few good options ahead. Continued …
Iranian officials gloat as US voters deal blow to Trump
Iran’s government savored the stinging rebuke delivered to Donald Trump in the midterm elections, declaring voters had rejected the war launched by the US president even as Tehran remained on high alert for the possibility of renewed strikes. Continued …
Iran’s Khamenei says US hostility will persist regardless of party in power
Washington’s hostility toward Tehran will not change through partisan shifts or any concessions to the US, and those who believe otherwise are “greatly mistaken”, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said yesterday, following the Republican Party’s defeats in the US midterm elections. Continued …
Bank of England poised to raise rate as inflation jumps
The Bank of England is expected to raise its benchmark interest rate today for the first time in more than three years, as soaring energy costs push up global inflation. The BoE is forecast to tighten borrowing costs by a quarter point to 4.0%. Continued …
Google turning off AI for schoolchildren by default
Google has said it will switch off its AI tools for schoolchildren by default, after drawing criticism for pushing artificial intelligence features to students while schools are still debating how the technology should be used in classrooms. 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
