- New sponsor: Prime Burger/Hua Hin massage training/Marbles hit vehicles in PKK, Phetchaburi/Thailand’s 40 restricted jobs/Thailand’s public holiday phenomenon/Thai Airways Appoints First Female Pilot
- ECONOMY: Inflation set to top 5%/Bank of Thailand offers more cheerful view/Samui and Phangan boom/New Crisis Facing Thai Real Estate/Thai-US trade, tariff talks/Thailand’s Strategic Tightrope/THAIFEX 2026 trade value/Thailand’s egg monopoly
- TOURISM: Thailand passes 14 million foreign tourists/Pride Festivals Drive High-Value Tourism
- THAILAND EXPERIENCE: Animal tourism: Is it ethical?
- CLIMATE THAILAND: Industrial standard for solar rooftops//Thailand Targets 50% EV Output/Energy reality trumps rhetoric
- INTERNATIONAL/HUA HIN TRANSPORT and LINKS
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Hua Hin opens massage-training program
A Thai massage training program has opened in Hua Hin as part of Prachuap Khiri Khan’s push to develop wellness-related services, including alternative medicine, spa treatments, and Thai massage.
The project was initiated under the province’s wellness economy policy. The training program has received 207,872 baht in funding from the province’s 2026 integrated administration budget. Continued …
Warning issued after glass marbles hit vehicles in PKK, Phetchaburi
Road users have been warned to beware of glass marbles being fired at vehicles, as a delivery truck passing through Prachuab Kriri Khan before dawn yesterday was hit, and after several vehicles were similarly struck in Phetchaburi.
In the warning, a photo showed the windshield on the driver’s side shattered by a glass marble, possibly fired by a slingshot. The incident took place at 4.10 am in Khao Khan Kratai, Ao Noi subdistrict, Prachuap Khiri Khan. Continued …
Thailand’s 40 restricted jobs foreigners cannot freely take up
As debate over foreign workers and employment in Thailand continues to draw public attention, labor-related agencies are highlighting the list of occupations legally restricted for non-Thai nationals.
The rules fall under Thailand’s foreign labor framework, including the Foreigners’ Working Management Emergency Decree BE 2560 (2017) and its 2018 amendment. The law sets out work that foreign nationals are either fully prohibited from doing or may carry out only under specific conditions. Continued …
Thailand’s public holiday phenomenon
The first week of June is off to a somewhat unproductive start. Unless you are a self-motivating powerhouse with productivity bursting out at the seams, starting the week on Monday, June 1, with a public holiday (a substitute for Visakha Bucha), makes it a bit harder to assess your Google calendar and plan for deep work. It’s even harder when today is also a public holiday to celebrate Queen Suthida’s birthday.
Thais have long been conditioned to enjoy almost monthly public holidays, endlessly bookmarking their weeks with random mid-week off days and gap days, where going back to their desks for one day just seems slightly redundant. Continued …
Thai Airways Appoints First Female Pilot in 66 Years History
Thai Airways International marked a historic milestone yesterday when a female pilot operated a commercial flight for the national carrier for the first time in its 66-year history.
Pannathorn Tangrungruangchai, known as “Bam”, served as the airline’s first female first officer on flight TG564 from Bangkok to Hanoi. The flight was operated on an Airbus A320-200. Thai Airways said this was the first time a woman had served as a pilot for the airline since it began operations 66 years ago. Continued …
Inflation set to top 5% this year amid surge in oil imports
The Bank of Thailand expects headline inflation to peak at 5.2% in October this year, driven by rising oil imports and the government’s subsidy measures.
Speaking at the Governor Connect event yesterday, central bank governor Vitai Ratanakorn said the government’s 400-billion-baht emergency loan decree, together with surging oil imports, and supply shortages caused by prolonged war in the Middle East, are the main factors pushing up inflation in Thailand. Continued …
Bank of Thailand offers more cheerful view of the economy
Thailand’s central bank has delivered a markedly mBore optimistic assessment of the economy, raising its 2026 growth forecast as a 400-billion-baht government stimulus program and unexpectedly strong exports offset global uncertainty.
The upgrade comes even as policymakers expect inflation to briefly exceed 5%, driven by energy costs, El Niño-related pressures, and stronger domestic demand. Yet, the Bank of Thailand is dismissing stagflation risks, keeping its policy rate unchanged and forecasting export growth of up to 13%, reflecting growing confidence that the economy can sustain momentum despite an increasingly volatile international backdrop. Continued …
Samui and Phangan boom as 61-billion-baht property investment hub
The property markets on Koh Samui and Koh Phangan are entering a major turning point, shifting from tourism destinations into Thailand’s new “investment hub” after receiving continuous support from foreign investment and rising purchasing power among international investors.
This has driven strong growth in both the residential market and land prices over the past one to two years. Phattarachai Taweewong, director of research and communications at Colliers Thailand, said the current growth direction of Samui and Phangan resembles the expansion of Phuket’s property market around five years ago. Continued …
Drowning, Not Crashing: The New Crisis Facing Thai Real Estate
The Thai real estate sector is facing a quiet but catastrophic crisis, described by industry experts as a “slow-motion tsunami” driven by chronic economic stagnation and an aging population.
According to warnings from Pipat Luengnaruemitchai, managing director of Kiatnakin Phatra Securities, unlike the abrupt shock of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, Thailand is currently confronting a far more insidious danger. Continued …
Speed urged in Thai-US trade, tariff talks
The Ministry of Commerce has been ordered to accelerate negotiations with the United States on trade and tariff issues, aiming to reach a conclusion swiftly to safeguard Thailand’s export sector.
Government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said after the cabinet meeting yesterday that Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has noted the US has already concluded trade agreements with major economies, including the European Union, Japan, and South Korea, leaving Thailand with limited time for negotiations, as the current tariff measures expire around July 24. Continued …
Thailand’s Strategic Tightrope Between China, the US, and ASEAN
Ask a senior Thai official which country Thailand considers its most important strategic partner, and you will receive a carefully constructed non-answer — a fluent recitation of Thailand’s commitment to balanced relationships, multilateral frameworks, and ASEAN solidarity.
Ask the same question to a Thai business executive, and you will likely get a more direct response: it depends entirely on what you are trying to do. That gap between diplomatic language and commercial reality defines Thailand’s position in 2026 better than any policy document.Thailand is simultaneously China’s most economically integrated ASEAN partner, the United States’ oldest treaty ally in Southeast Asia, and an active architect of the ASEAN multilateral system. Continued …
THAIFEX 2026 trade value beats target at 136.54 billion baht
THAIFEX – ANUGA ASIA 2026 generated more than 136.54 billion baht in trade value, surpassing its 130-billion-baht target and reinforcing Thailand’s ambition to become a global food trade hub, the Commerce Ministry said.
Sunanta Kangvalkulkij, director-general of the Department of International Trade Promotion, said the event had created a new milestone for Thailand’s food industry after drawing more than 158,000 visitors and business participants from around the world. Continued …
Cracking open Thailand’s egg monopoly
In economics, few indicators of food security are as simple – and as powerful – as the price of eggs. Affordable, accessible, and nutritious, eggs should be the most democratic source of protein in any society. Yet in Thailand, a single egg tells a far more complex story – one of market power, distorted incentives, and a system that may no longer serve the public interest.
Over the past two decades, Thailand’s egg industry has undergone a profound transformation. What was once a sector consisting of smallholder farmers has gradually evolved into a vertically integrated system, where large firms control the supply chain – from breeding stock and feed production to distribution and retail. Continued …
Thailand passes 14 million foreign tourists as Malaysia arrivals surge
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports said yesterday that Thailand recorded 14,032,649 foreign tourists from Jan. 1 to May 31. The figure was down 2.3%, while foreign visitor spending generated about B679.274 billion.
The top five source markets for foreign tourists traveling to Thailand were: China — 2,318,312 people; Malaysia — 1,737,938 people; India — 1,056,729 people; Russia — 946,732 people; South Korea — 539,848 people. Continued …
How Pride Festivals Drive High-Value Tourism Beyond Parades
Pride celebrations have evolved from simple parades to major economic drivers through tourism. For example, the NYC Pride March attracts millions, boosting local tourism, though as an open-access event, spending per attendee is limited.
In contrast, ticketed Pride-specific festivals — such as circuit parties and music festivals — generate higher per-capita spending. These festivals have transformed many Pride events into multi-day experiences that attract global tourists and create significant economic impact. Continued …
Animal tourism: Is it ethical?
Animal tourism has been on the rise with Robert-Irwin wannabes snapping pics and selfies with wildlife. It’s adorable, it’s curated, and it’s exploitative. Although traveling to observe or interact with wildlife isn’t always at the creature’s expense, many experiences exploit animals for profit.
Some companies have noticeably removed sales for captive wild animal entertainment, yet continue to promote exploitative wildlife tourism through images on their website. Though the opportunities to see and interact with wild animals abound in many destinations around the world, it is important to recognize which experiences prioritize animal welfare, and which contribute to significant animal suffering and disturbance by operating only for human entertainment. Continued …
Industrial standard planned for solar rooftop power systems
The Industry Ministry plans to announce an industrial standard for solar rooftop panels and related equipment within three months. Industry Minister Varawut Silpa-archa said at Government House yesterday he would accelerate the introduction of an industrial standard to ensure the safety of the increasing number of households switching to home solar power.
He planned to impose the new standard no later than September. He said the standard would apply to solar rooftop panels, direct-current circuit breakers, fuses and wiring for solar power systems, lithium batteries to store power from solar rooftops, combiner boxes, and MC4 solar cable connectors. Continued …
Thailand Targets 50% EV Output by 2035
Thailand has set a target for electric vehicles (EVs) to account for 50% of total car production by 2035, as officials warn that more than 110,000 workers could face disruption from the industry transition.
The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) said in its first-quarter 2026 social conditions report that Thailand’s EV sector is expected to continue expanding. Between 2026 and 2028, new registrations of electric passenger vehicles are forecast to reach 125,000 units annually, representing average yearly growth of 3.8%. Continued …
Energy reality trumps rhetoric on climate
As the world pursues decarbonization, the concept of a “just transition” has become ubiquitous, particularly when describing the shift away from fossil fuels in emerging and developing economies.
But decarbonization is not always the product of a planned emissions-reduction pathway. In fact, with the cost of renewables continuing to fall, many emerging and developing countries now see phasing out fossil fuels as a matter of economic survival and energy security. Continued …
Russian drones, missiles pound Ukrainian cities in major attack
Russian drones and missiles pounded Ukrainian cities such as Kyiv and Dnipro early yesterday, killing at least 10 people and wounding about 100, authorities said, following days of warnings about Moscow’s plans for a major assault. Video …
Super El Niño threat raises heat and drought warnings
The World Meteorological Organization has warned that El Niño conditions are likely to develop in the coming months, raising concerns that global weather patterns could become more extreme at a time when the planet is already under pressure from human-driven climate change. Continued …
Trump-Netanyahu relationship under growing strain
They went to war together against Iran, but Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu’s relationship is under strain after the US president reportedly called the Israeli premier “crazy.” Trump unleashed a profane tirade over the phone at Netanyahu over Israel’s threats to bomb the Lebanese capital Beirut, fearing it would undermine talks with Tehran, according to media reports. Continued …
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