• Visa exemption no longer covers work/Ring of steel protects USS Abraham Lincoln/Lisa’s new ‘SaWaDiKa’ music video/Heavier rain forecast
• THE IRAN WAR: Trump calls Iran conflict ‘small potatoes’
• ECONOMY: Thai SMEs face falling sales/Agreement on core terms of US trade deal/Thailand pauses 166 data center projects/Thailand must Weigh Data Center Boom/Checks on illegal foreign work/Widening Chinese trade gap/China’s Expanding Influence in Thailand
• TOURISM: Thai AirAsia gives over-60s priority/Phuket foreign arrivals rebound
• CLIMATE THAILAND: Thai power plan outlines four scenarios
• FOREIGNERS BEHAVING BADLY/INTERNATIONAL/HUA HIN TRANSPORT and LINKS 

Thailand’s visa exemption no longer covers work

Thailand is about to remove work from what a visa-exempt visitor is allowed to do. Under the framework taking effect on Sept. 15, entering without a visa covers tourism and nothing else.

The distinction matters more than it sounds. The 60-day exemption being retired had space in it for business trips and short work activity, and plenty of visitors used that space. Continued … 

Ring of steel protects USS Abraham Lincoln, as huge security operation polices US sailors on shore leave

Thailand has mounted a huge security operation across coastal Chonburi as the USS Abraham Lincoln brings around 5,000 sailors and Marines ashore. About 3,000 are expected in Pattaya during the five-day visit after more than 200 days at sea and Middle East operations.

Checkpoints guard Laem Chabang Port as Royal Thai Navy personnel, police and port security lock down access around the carrier. Pattaya has been carved into policing zones covering hotels, beaches, malls, nightlife districts and tourist attractions. Extra patrols, rapid-response teams and organized transport are deployed, while Koh Larn is watched by more than 280 CCTV and 42 AI facial-recognition cameras. Continued … 

Inside the Bangkok locations in Lisa’s new ‘SaWaDiKa’ music video

Thai superstar Lisa, Lalisa Manobal, released the music video for her latest single, “SaWaDiKa”, yesterday, showcasing Thai identity through Muay Thai, tuk-tuks, Chula kites and energetic choreography.

Video 

The video surpassed 1 million views within just one hour of its release. But beyond the music, fashion and choreography, another element has captured attention — the locations. Continued … 

Heavier rain forecast across Thailand and Bangkok

Thailand is forecast to become wetter from September 8–10, with isolated very heavy rain expected in Bangkok and surrounding provinces, the lower North, lower Northeast, Central region, East and the South’s west coast, according to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD).

For the south’s east coast: Sept. 5–7 — thunderstorms across 30%–40% of the region. Sept. 8–10 — thunderstorms across 40%–60% of the region, with isolated heavy rain. Continued … 

Trump calls Iran conflict ‘small potatoes’ and defends Vance’s position that it’s not a ‘war’

President Donald Trump yesterday said the conflict in Iran is “small potatoes” as he defended Vice President JD Vance for asserting that months of on-and-off attacks in the Middle East are not a “war.”

Asked during an Oval Office exchange about Vance’s comments made a day earlier, Trump said U.S. strikes on Iran are now “intermittent” and “a lot of people don’t call it a war.” The conflict has cost U.S. taxpayers more than $37.5 billion and left 18 U.S. service members dead. Continued … 

Thai SMEs face falling sales, bad debt and tight credit

Thailand’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are struggling to maintain cash flow as sales weaken, customers take longer to pay and banks tighten lending, prompting calls for further government support.

TMBThanachart Bank’s SME Insight 2026 survey found that businesses were reporting average sales declines of 4%–5%. The resulting pressure on working capital was compounded by an increasingly evident tendency among trade customers to delay payments. Continued … 

Thailand reports agreement on core terms of US trade deal

Thailand and the United States have reached agreement on the main terms of a reciprocal trade pact, with Washington offering assurances on tariff competitiveness while negotiators work to resolve the remaining details, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun said.

Suphajee announced the progress yesterday following talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Deputy US Trade Representative Rick Switzer in Washington. Continued … 

Thailand pauses 166 data center projects to rewrite rules

Thailand has ordered a temporary pause on 166 data center projects while government agencies draw up nationwide standards governing resource use, locations, safety and economic benefits. It covers 49 projects under construction and 117 awaiting permission from various agencies.

Four subcommittees have been given one month to prepare the new criteria. The government intends to continue attracting investment while ensuring that projects generate jobs, income and technological benefits for Thailand, rather than simply providing space for servers. Continued … 

Thailand must Weigh Data Center Boom Against National Resource Costs

Thailand must move past the binary debate of either welcoming data center investment unconditionally or shutting the door entirely, and instead establish rigorous regulations, clear data visibility, and a strategy that treats the sector as a shared national investment.

Following a meeting of the government’s newly established Data Center Policy Committee, prominent economist and policy advisor Santitarn Sathirathai cautioned that the multi-billion-baht inflow from global technology giants demands a balanced appraisal of physical resources against long-term economic gains. Continued … 

Thailand steps up checks on illegal foreign work

Thailand has ordered agencies to intensify inspections of foreign workers and the businesses employing them, warning of substantial fines, possible prison terms and deportation for breaches of work permit rules.

Deputy government spokesperson Patdarasm Thongsaluaykorn said oyesterday authorities had been told to take a proactive approach against employers, companies and workers who break employment laws. Continued … 

Widening Chinese trade gap cannot be ignored as it distorts economic data

Thailand’s trade deficit with China has surged to US$55.13 billion, alarming even the Thai-Chinese business community. Imports from China jumped 38.5%, while the bilateral deficit widened 59.3% in seven months.

Yet, record exports and giant data-center investments are masking a far weaker domestic economy. The government now wants Chinese-backed factories to use more Thai materials, components and workers as growth slips toward 1.5% to 2%. Continued … 

China’s Expanding Influence in Thailand

China’s global influence campaign has been particularly evident in Southeast Asia, including Thailand. Historically, the Thai public and many elites have had relatively warm views of China. However, Beijing has launched a multitude of efforts to expand its influence within Thailand’s society and politics.

China’s effort to shape perceptions, build dependencies, and extend its reach across foreign societies is one of the defining strategic undertakings of the 21st century. In Southeast Asia, that campaign is executed with particular persistence. And in Thailand — a country whose government has welcomed Chinese investment, whose infrastructure is increasingly built on Chinese technology, and whose history is largely free of colonial-era grievance toward Beijing — the effects are both deep and, in some dimensions, quietly contested. Continued … 

Thai AirAsia gives over-60s priority check-in

Thai AirAsia has introduced special services for passengers aged 60 and over on all domestic flights, including priority check-in, early baggage delivery and complimentary adjacent seating where available.

The benefits also extend to one traveling companion, the airline said. Passengers must show their identification card at the check-in service counter to receive the privileges, with no additional charge. Continued … 

Phuket foreign arrivals rebound, but hotels face pressure

Phuket’s foreign arrivals by air rebounded in July, with more than 379,000 travelers recorded as the impact of the Middle East conflict eased, according to Travel Link data.

The recovery offers encouragement for the island’s tourism businesses ahead of the fourth-quarter high season. However, hotel operators say weaker consumer spending, rising competition and growing room supply will limit both occupancy and price increases. Continued … 

Thai power plan outlines four scenarios, tariffs up to 4.58 baht by 2050

Electricity tariffs in Thailand could reach 4.11–4.58 baht per unit in 2050 under four scenarios in the draft Power Development Plan, as planners weigh the cost of integrating renewable energy and capturing carbon emissions.

Average retail tariffs over 2027–2050 are projected at 3.83–3.89 baht per unit, depending on the scenario chosen. These period-wide averages are lower than the projected rates at the end of the plan. Continued … 

• South Korean ‘Lucky Nine’ suspect held in Thailand – Continued … 

• Singapore fugitive held in Bangkok over poison plot – Continued … 

• Chinese man held over alleged illegal clothing trade – Continued … 

• Chinese men and Thai woman held in Bangkok vape raid – Continued … 

Africa bigger, US smaller: UN adopts new map

The United Nations General Assembly voted yesterday to adopt a new world map that makes the African continent bigger while shrinking North America and Europe, drawing ire from Washington. Aimed at “a more accurate representation” of continental landmasses, the resolution was supported by 164 countries, while the United States voted against it and six other states abstained. Continued … 

Former Twitter team launches Twitter.now with AI fake-news checks

Former Twitter employees have launched a new social media platform called Twitter.now, featuring an automated artificial intelligence (AI) system designed to detect misinformation and fake news, alongside the revival of the iconic blue bird logo and signature blue-and-white theme amid an ongoing trademark dispute with X Corp. Continued … 

Workers reeling as VW cuts open door to factory closures

The day after Volkswagen management, shareholders and unions agreed to cut a total of 100,000 jobs over the coming years, automotive workers said yesterday they were feeling a mix of fury and disappointment. The 10-brand group, which apart from its namesake also includes the likes of Skoda, Audi, Seat and Porsche, said late Thursday it would cut an additional 50,000 jobs, bringing total planned reductions to 100,000. Continued … 

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