Red flags in Hua Hin/Waghor Super Mini Marathon/Thailand Flood Crisis/Thaksin Ordered to Pay Tax Bill/Easing ride-hailing registration/Illegal Villa Still Operating on Samui
- ECONOMY: Economy ‘Stuck in a Rut’/Economy risks falling behind ASEAN/Thailand upbeat on exports/Chinese metropolis fuels trade boom/Tariff impact on GDP/Food shops benefit from co-payment scheme/Data center services to earn Bt14.2 billion
- TOURISM: The uncrowded, affordable alternative to Koh Samui/Businesses Welcome Eased Alcohol Rules/AirAsia X plans long-haul European routes/Warning After Henna Disaster/Pattaya gives foreign tourists what they want/Thai airlines target China tourist surge/Thailand links with Chinese payment giants/Court overturns rule allowing foreign pilots
- THAILAND EXPERIENCE: Is Life Getting Better for Thais?/Follow these 6 unspoken rules
- INTERNATIONAL/HUA HIN LINKS
‘No swimming’ red flags out in Hua Hin
Hua Hin authorities have banned swimming along the main beach after red flags were raised today following warnings of strong winds and rough seas in the Gulf of Thailand.
According to the Meteorological Department’s forecast for Nov. 17-23, the Gulf is experiencing waves of 2–3 meters as the northeast monsoon strengthens and an easterly wind surge moves across the south. The system is expected to bring heavy to very heavy rainfall to parts of the southern provinces and hazardous sea conditions throughout the week. Continued …
Waghor Super Mini Marathon set for Sunday
The Waghor Super Mini Marathon 2025 will take place on Sunday at King Mongkut’s Science Park at Waghor in Prachuap Khiri Khan. The event aims to promote local tourism while raising scholarship funds for three schools in the area: Ban Waghor School (Friendship 72), Ban Khlong Wan School, and Ban Nong Hin School.
The event offers four categories: Super Mini Marathon (14 km) – Bt550; Fun Run (5 km – Bt450 THB; Family Beach Run (3.5 km) – Bt350; and Fancy Run (5 km) – Free entry. Continued …
Thailand Flood Crisis: Northern Runoff Slows, But 13 Provinces Remain Submerged
Although northern runoff in the Chao Phraya River Basin is slowing, allowing authorities to actively drain floodwater, 13 provinces remain submerged.
The number of affected households has slightly increased due to large amounts of stagnant “field water” trapped in low-lying areas, even as main river levels recede. Continued …
Supreme Court Orders Thaksin to Pay 17.6-Billion-Baht Tax Bill
The Supreme Court has ordered Thaksin Shinawatra to pay 17.6 billion Thai baht in taxes, fines, and fees relating to the sale of Shin Corp. shares in 2006. This overturns the earlier decisions by Thailand’s Central Tax Court and the Special Appeals Court, which had sided with Thaksin, previously canceling the Revenue Department’s tax assessment due to illegality.
The origins of this case trace back to a 2017 tax assessment by the Revenue Department, demanding payment from Thaksin following the sale of Shin Corp. shares. In 2023, Thaksin managed to initially win his case in both the Tax Court and Appeals Court. However, the Revenue Department challenged these rulings, leading to the Supreme Court’s recent reversal. Continued …
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Ministries agree to ease ride-hailing registration
The Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry and Transport Ministry have reached an agreement to ease some of the burden drivers face when registering to provide a service via ride-hailing platforms.
The move follows a request from a group of drivers for support regarding this matter from both ministries. DES Minister Chaichanok Chidchob said the two ministries reached a conclusion to respond to the eight requests regarding the easing of the registration process. Continued …
Illegal Villa Still Operating Despite Demolition Orders on Samui
“Citizens for Samui,” a local civic group, reported yesterday that a luxury villa project in Bo Phut, Koh Samui, Surat Thani, continues to operate despite repeated demolition orders.
The project had previously been ordered for demolition under the Building Control Act, B.E. 2522, with deadlines first set for October 2019. Authorities had placed official notices and barriers to prevent occupancy, but the site remains open to guests. Continued …
Thailand’s Economy ‘Stuck in a Rut or Falling Off a Cliff,’ Warn Senior Officials
Senior Thai policymakers have issued stark warnings about the country’s economic trajectory, with the deputy prime minister describing Thailand as either “stuck in a rut” or potentially “falling off a cliff.”
Veerathai Santiprabhob, chairman of the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) and former Bank of Thailand governor, quoted Ekniti Nitithanprapas, deputy prime minister and finance minister, who stated last month that “Thailand’s economy is facing a stuck situation or may be falling off a cliff.” Continued …
TDRI warns Thai economy risks falling behind ASEAN
The Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) has warned that Thailand is at risk of being overtaken by its ASEAN neighbors if the country fails to reform its economic model, stressing the need to develop “Good Jobs” and overhaul the nation’s production system to boost competitiveness.
TDRI Presiden Somkiat Tangkitvanich said during the annual seminar, “Reimagining Thailand’s Development Model”, that the Thai economy has entered a prolonged period of “chronic slow growth” lasting more than three decades. Thailand, once capable of expanding 7% per year, is now growing at only about 2%, placing it near the bottom of Asia — ahead of only Japan. Continued …
Thailand upbeat on exports to US
Businesses and economists are optimistic that the US will not be tough on trade negotiations with Thailand following Bangkok’s suspension of its peace accord with Cambodia, saying US President Donald Trump is feeling domestic pressure to lower taxes to ease rising inflation.
Burin Adulwattana, managing director of Kasikorn Research Center (K-Research), said Trump is expected to lower taxes on additional imported items to avoid the impacts of high tariffs on US consumers. Continued …
Southern Chinese metropolis fuels China-Thailand trade boom
A shipment of fresh Thai coconuts glided into Shenzhen’s Shekou container terminal and was swiftly cleared by customs before reaching supermarket shelves across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, while robotic arms at BYD’s assembly line completed the final touches on new energy vehicles (NEVs) bound for the bustling streets of Bangkok.
This seamless exchange epitomizes the deepening trade ties between Shenzhen and Thailand, with trade volume hitting 92.82 billion yuan (about 13.1 billion U.S. dollars) in the first 10 months of 2025, a 4.4% year-on-year increase, cementing Shenzhen’s position as China’s top city in trade volume with Thailand. Continued …
Council warns of tariff impact on GDP growth
The Thai economy must brace for the impact of the US’s reciprocal tariff policy, according to the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), which projects next year’s GDP growth will slow to 1.7%, down from an estimated 2% this year.
For 2026, the NESDC expects Thailand’s economic growth to be lower than this year, largely due to the effects of America’s tariff measures, which are expected to weigh on global trade volume. Global trade is projected to expand only 2.3% in 2026, while global GDP is projected to grow 2.8%. Continued …
Food shops get benefit boost from co-payment scheme
Food shops participating in the Khon La Khrueng Plus co-payment scheme and completing the government’s online delivery upskilling program will be eligible to receive benefits of up to 2,000 baht if they secure at least five delivery orders during the campaign period, deputy government spokeswoman Lalida Prertwiwatana said.
She said that the co-payment scheme is designed not only to ease living costs and stimulate economic activity, but also to help small food vendors expand into the rapidly growing online delivery market. Continued …
Data center services to earn Bt14.2 billion in 2026
Thailand’s data center service business is projected to post 14.2 billion baht in revenue in 2026, marking a 9% increase from the estimated 13.1 billion baht in 2025.
The Thai data center service business has experienced an annual total revenue growth rate of 11.1% over the past five years, primarily fueled by demand from the private sector, which accounts for roughly 95% of the need for data storage services in Thailand, said Theeraphoom Vuthipramote, a researcher at K-Research. Continued …
The uncrowded, affordable alternative to Koh Samui for winter sun
Gazing out of the train window at fields filled with palm trees, I daydreamed about wandering along Hua Hin’s four-mile-long, pale beach, feeling sand crunch beneath my feet as the sun set.
I’m not sure how I ended up going straight from the train to an ice bath, but then wellness is a growing attraction in Hua Hin. I let out a sigh of relief as Katie, my spa therapist at The Standard hotel, said my five Baltic-cold minutes were complete, and that I could thaw out in the sauna. Continued …
Thai Businesses Welcome Eased Alcohol Rules, See Boost for Tourism
Thailand’s private sector expects tourism to benefit from a government decision to relax alcohol restrictions, even as health officials warn of potential risks.
The National Alcohol Beverage Policy Committee on Nov.13 approved lifting the ban on drinking between 2 pm and 5 pm and extending on-premise alcohol service by one hour past midnight. The new rules are expected to take effect within 15 days. The move follows lobbying from business groups and pressure from opposition parties. Continued …
Low-cost carrier AirAsia X plans new long-haul European routes
Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia X, which recently launched flights to Istanbul, is planning to establish more long-haul routes to Europe sometime next year, its CEO Benyamin Ismail said yesterday.
AirAsia X began flying direct to Istanbul from Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 14. The route marked a return to Europe for the airline, which underwent a corporate restructuring after its operations were hit hard during the Covid-19 pandemic. Continued …
American Tourist Issues Warning After Henna Disaster in Bangkok
An American tourist, Nick Nayersina, has issued a stark warning after his holiday in Bangkok took a painful turn due to a black henna face tattoo. The impromptu decision during a night out with friends led to a severe allergic reaction, causing blistering and oozing on his face, which may result in permanent scarring.
Nayersina was unaware that black henna, unlike traditional henna, contains chemicals harmful to the skin. Black henna is popular for its dark pigment, resembling a real tattoo. However, it contains paraphenylenediamine (PPD), a chemical legal in hair dye only under strict conditions. When applied directly to the skin, PPD can cause severe burns and infections. Continued …
Pattaya gives foreign tourists what they want, not what they can keep
Few places blur the line between fantasy and reality quite like Pattaya. Beneath the glow of neon bars and the gentle sway of palm-lined beaches, foreign tourists often feel they’ve stepped into a world where affection is abundant and romance seems just a conversation away.
But as visitors lean into the warmth of Thai hospitality, a deeper question lingers: are these connections signs of genuine long-term love, or simply carefully crafted moments designed to give tourists the happiness they want while they’re here? Continued …
Thai airlines target China tourist surge amid Japan tensions
Although the airline sector has been suffering from sluggish tourism and a declining number of Chinese arrivals since the beginning of the year, Thailand should still have a robust high season during the fourth quarter, as well as opportunities for more Chinese demand, following China’s warning to its citizens to not visit Japan.
Tensions between China and Japan have escalated, fueling a sharp drop in Japan’s retail and tourism stock pricing, as China issued a travel warning over visits by its citizens to Japan, after the Japanese prime minister commented about the possible use of military force in any Taiwan conflict. Continued …
Thailand links with Chinese payment giants for cross-border QR PromptPay
Thailand’s NITMX has teamed with UnionPay, Alipay, and WeChat Pay to enable seamless cross-border QR PromptPay payments for Chinese tourists and boost digital-payment connectivity with Asia.
National ITMX Co. (NITMX), Thailand’s national payment infrastructure operator and the country’s designated interbank transaction management and exchange, has entered into a strategic partnership with three of China’s largest payment providers, UnionPay International, Ant International (via Alipay under the Alipay+ system), and Tenpay Payment Technology (operator of WeChat Pay). Continued …
Court overturns Labor Ministry rule allowing foreign pilots to fly in Thailand
Thailand’s Administrative Court has ruled to annul a Labor Ministry announcement that authorized foreign pilots to operate flights within the Kingdom, finding the decision to be an unlawful exercise of ministerial discretion.
The decision, issued yesterday, arose from a lawsuit brought by the Thai Pilots Assn. and its president against the Labor Ministry and other government bodies. The court’s order annuls the ministry’s announcement allowing foreign nationals to serve as flight crew on wet-leased aircraft operating within Thailand. Continued …
Is Life Getting Better for Thais?
Thailand has seen a dramatic transformation from its agricultural roots to a bustling industrialized nation over the past five decades, with marked improvements in healthcare, education, and living standards. Despite these advancements, many Thais nostalgically recall a simpler, safer past.
While this nostalgic sentiment is strongest among Baby Boomers and Gen X, the younger generations, like Gen Z, are more open to today’s opportunities for innovation and progress, though they too hesitate to declare the present superior. This nuanced perspective, balancing heritage with the demands of modernity, significantly impacts Thai society and consumption patterns. Continued …
If you follow these 6 unspoken rules in Thailand, locals will go out of their way for you
I spent three weeks in Thailand a few years back, and within the first two days, I realized something important: the guidebooks tell you what to see, but they rarely tell you how to actually connect with people.
There’s this moment I remember vividly. I was at a small street food stall in Chiang Mai, attempting to order pad Thai with my terrible Thai pronunciation. The vendor smiled, corrected me gently, and then spent the next 10 minutes teaching me how to say it properly. By the end of the week, she was saving me the best spot at her cart and throwing in extra spring rolls.That wasn’t luck. That was the result of understanding something deeper than tourist etiquette. Continued …
UK toughens asylum system with radical overhaul
The UK government yesterday unveiled dramatic changes to its asylum system, including drastically cutting protections for refugees and their children, seeking to stem a wave of irregular migrants that has fueled rising anger on the far-right. Continued …
China warns people to avoid travel to Japan amid spat
Chinese airlines have recorded about 491,000 cancellations of tickets to Japan since Saturday – roughly 32% of their total bookings to the typically popular destination – after Beijing advised citizens to avoid traveling there amid a diplomatic spat. Continued …
Hua Hin Links
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Q3 GDP up 3% y/y, above forecast
US, China and India trade imbalances an opportunity for Thailand
