• Phetchaburi Half Marathon/Danish ambassador to visit Hua Hin/Heart rate guidelines while exercising/Fuel prices down/Thai fuel prices to stay high/Illegal meatball and Vietnamese pork/Are Thais ready for retirement?
• THE IRAN WAR: US-Iran ceasefire signed/Thai hotels see Q4 recovery/Asia markets temper Iran deal optimism
• ECONOMY: Thai financial institutions warned/Thailand condo transfers to foreigners/Anutin unveils chip hub vision/Warning over worsening economy
• TOURISM: New flight routes spark international interest
• THAILAND EXPERIENCE: Tourism killed Thailand’s most famous bay/These Street Foods Are a Must-Try
• CLIMATE THAILAND: Over 150,000 new EVs/Thailand urged to put nature on national balance sheet/Nearly half the world’s children exposed
• FOREIGNERS BEHAVING BADLY/INTERNATIONAL/HUA HIN TRANSPORT and LINKS 

Phetchaburi Half Marathon set Sunday

The Phetchaburi Half Marathon on Sunday at Chao Samran Beach will feature a 21km half marathon (790 baht), 10km mini marathon (690 baht), and 5km race (590 baht). A VIP category priced at 1,500 baht will allow participants to compete across distances. Registration has now closed. More information … 

Danish ambassador to visit Hua Hin Thursday

The Danish Embassy in Thailand has announced that Danish Ambassador to Thailand Danny Annan will host an informal gathering for Danes in Hua Hin on Thursday. The event will take place from 2 pm to 4 pm at Ferior Interior in Hua Hin and is open to all Danes in the area. No registration is required.

The gathering is an opportunity to ask questions, share experiences, and meet fellow Danes. The event will be conducted in Danish. – scandasia.com

Keep heart rate guidelines in mind while exercising

Dear Doctors: I’m a 55-year-old man, and I have been active all my life. I know target heart rates are based on age and was surprised that my heart rate while running is often between 150 and 195. Should I slow down a bit?

Dear Reader: Target heart rate refers to a rough guideline for how fast your heart should beat during exercise. We say “rough” because it is based on a one-size-fits-all formula. While target heart rate can be a useful tool for assessing safety and progress during exercise, it should not be viewed as absolute. Continued … 

Fuel prices down 1-1.20 baht a liter

Fuel prices dropped by 1 to 1.20 baht per liter at PTT Oil and Retail Business (OR) and Bangchak Corp. petrol stations nationwide this morning.

At 5 am, prices fell by 1.00 baht per liter for diesel and 1.20 baht per liter for petrol. The price of premium gasohol 95 (GSH95 premium) remained unchanged. Continued … 

Thai fuel prices to stay high until Q4

Domestic oil prices in Thailand are expected to remain elevated until the final quarter of this year, even though global crude benchmarks have eased and the US is set to sign a peace deal with Iran this Friday to end nearly four months of conflict in the Middle East.

An Energy Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, warned that Thai motorists will continue to face high costs at the pump despite international developments that could stabilize oil markets. Continued … 

Thai FDA warns over 20 illegal meatball and Vietnamese pork loaf brands

The Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA), together with the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD), the Department of Livestock Development, and the Pathumthani Provincial Public Health Office, raided and shut down a major illegal processed-meat factory in Lam Luk Ka district, Pathum Thani. Inspections found that the factory was producing food that was substandard and illegal.

Officers seized more than 20 brands of meatball and moo yor (Vietnamese pork loaf) products, 10,416 bags in total, as well as machinery and raw materials, with the total damage value put at more than B7 million. Continued … 

Are Thais ready for retirement?

Reflecting on data from Thai households, it is evident that a significant portion of individuals over 50 years old have low incomes, accounting for about 42% of Thai households. This indicates a lack of readiness for retirement in Thai society.

Therefore, they must rely on income outside the household, such as government grants. Income that is not in the form of money (or inherited items) results in a low financial buffer in the event of an emergency or reduced income. This is a major risk for the Thai economy going forward, both in terms of household fragility and fiscal burden. Continued … 

US-Iran ceasefire signed but key details still unclear

US President Donald Trump said yesterday the United States and Iran had signed a preliminary agreement to end the Gulf war, although key details have yet to be made public and both sides say a permanent truce still needs to be negotiated.

The agreement would extend a fragile ceasefire announced in April by another 60 days and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had effectively blocked after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran in February. Continued … 

Thai hotels see Q4 recovery hopes after US-Iran deal calms oil and flight concerns

Thailand’s hotel industry is hoping the planned US-Iran peace agreement will help restore travel confidence, ease pressure on fuel prices, and support a recovery in foreign tourist arrivals during the fourth-quarter high season.

The expected signing of the agreement on June 19, together with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, has lifted sentiment across the global tourism industry after more than three months of Middle East conflict, energy-price volatility, and disruption to air travel. Continued … 

Asia markets temper Iran deal optimism

Asian stocks inched up today after ‌rallying on the previous session on news of a peace deal between Iran and the United States, as investors turned their focus to several central bank decisions, including an expected rate hike from the Bank of Japan.

Early trading in the region followed a familiar pattern, with markets settling into a more measured tone on Gulf developments as the initial excitement over the preliminary agreement between Washington and Tehran began to fade. Continued … 

Thai financial institutions warned of above-average AI fraud risks

Thai financial institutions may face higher-than-average risks from AI-driven fraud as artificial intelligence reshapes financial crime and makes scams faster, more automated, and harder to detect, according to a new survey by BioCatch.

The survey found that 84% of banking executives worldwide view AI agents as a major vulnerability that could be exploited by financial criminals over the next 12 months. Continued … 

Thailand condo transfers to foreigners fall across key measures

The Real Estate Information Center (REIC) of Government Housing Bank has released data on transfers of condominium ownership to foreign nationals nationwide in the first quarter of 2026, showing that the overall market continued to face pressure from economic conditions both in Thailand and overseas.

Transfers fell across all dimensions, including the number of units, transfer value, and usable area. The data showed that in the first three months of 2026, condominium ownership transfers to foreign nationals totalled 3,241 units, down 17.3% from the same period a year earlier. Continued … 

Anutin unveils chip hub vision

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has unveiled a plan to position Thailand as ASEAN’s hub for advanced chip manufacturing, with the goal of producing “Made in Thailand” semiconductors by 2050.

Anutin has signed an order creating the National Semiconductor and Advanced Electronics Policy Committee as part of the government’s efforts to expand the semiconductor industry. Continued … 

Warning over worsening economy in next 6 months

Tisco Financial Group expects the global economy to face mounting challenges in the second half of 2026, warning that stagflation risks, elevated energy prices, and geopolitical tensions could create a more volatile environment for investors.

Paiboon Nalinthrangkurn, chief executive of Tisco Securities, said higher-for-longer interest rates, slowing economic growth, and ongoing geopolitical conflicts are likely to weigh on financial markets and corporate earnings, making portfolio diversification increasingly important. Continued … 

New flight routes spark growing international interest

Krabi International Airport is attracting growing interest from international airlines, with new routes from Finland and Scandinavia expected to strengthen tourism and support local development, the Ministry of Transport says.

Deputy Transport Minister Phattrapong Phattraprasit said the ministry is advancing its Airport for Regional Development policy, which aims to position regional airports as key drivers of economic growth, tourism, and connectivity beyond Bangkok. Continued … 

Tourism killed Thailand’s most famous bay. Here’s how it was brought back to life

It’s just past 7 a.m. on a February morning in Maya Bay, several weeks after authorities reopened what is one of Thailand’s most popular tourist attractions to the world for the first time since June 2018 following a massive rehabilitation program.

A lone tourist walks along the shore, the towering limestone monoliths appearing to float over the surface of the water, their bases eroded by millions of years of lapping salt water. In the distance, blacktip sharks swim through the bay, their fins breaking the surface. Continued … 

Visiting Thailand? These Street Foods Are a Must-Try

This video catalogs signature Thai street foods and explains their ingredients and regional contexts, offering a concise culinary overview. Dishes include Pad Thai with rice noodles, egg, tamarind, fish sauce, and toppings, and Pad Kra Pao served over rice with a fried egg.

The segment also covers Som Tam from Isaan, Khao Soi associated with Chiang Mai, and boat noodles once sold from Bangkok’s canals. Additional items feature Moo Ping pork skewers glazed with coconut cream, chicken or pork satay with peanut sauce, and desserts such as khao niao mamuang and kluay tod. Video … 

Over 150,000 new EVs to take to Thailand’s roads this year

About 153,000 new electric vehicles (EVs) are predicted to appear on the roads of Thailand this year, prompted mainly by the ongoing energy crisis triggered by the prolonged conflict in the Middle East.

TMBThanachart Bank’s economic assessment center, known as TTB Analytics, made the projection this week, saying that the figure, which is also boosted by more affordable and stable domestic EV prices, is about a 28.5% year-on-year increase. Continued … 

Thailand urged to put nature on national balance sheet for green growth

The World Bank Group is supporting Thailand’s use of natural capital accounting (NCA) as a tool to help policymakers balance economic growth with environmental protection. NCA measures the stocks and flows of natural assets and translates them into data that can be used alongside existing national accounting systems.

By accounting for resources such as water, land, forests, and energy, as well as environmental impacts including air pollution, the framework can help governments make better decisions on development, investment, and conservation. Continued … 

Nearly half the world’s children exposed to three or more climate risks: Unicef

More than one billion children face at least three overlapping climate hazards, the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) warned yesterday, while highlighting the disproportionate impact in some regions of the world.

For the report, the UN agency cross-referenced data showing where the roughly 2.4 billion children on the planet live with the geographic distribution of the eight most common climate impacts. They are coastal flooding, river flooding, drought, tropical storms, heat waves – at least three days above a high temperature threshold, which varies by country – extreme heat, wildfires, and sandstorms. Continued … 

Muay Thai teacher uses martial arts skills in bloody street fight with Western foreigner

A street confrontation in Phuket has erupted into a dramatic battle involving a foreign tourist wielding a metal pipe and a Thai Muay Thai instructor who responded with an ancient Krabi-Krabong sword after suffering a fractured eye socket. Continued … 

• Surat Thani Orders Probe Into Foreigners With Thai IDs – Continued … 

• Chinese Fraud Suspecnabhumi Airportt Arrested at Suvararnbhumi – Continued … 

• Brit Faces 10-Year Turkey Drug Sentence After Thai Trip – Continued … 

• South Korean Fraud Suspect Arrested in Bangkok – Continued … 

Britain announces sweeping social media ban for under-16s

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said yesterday he would ban social media sites for under-16s and impose restrictions on gaming and livestreaming platforms, in some of the world’s most far-reaching online restrictions to date. Video … 

US B-52 bomber crashes in California, killing all eight crew

A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed shortly after take-off from Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert, killing all eight people aboard, Reuters reported, citing Air Force officials. Continued … 

Hua Hin Links and Transport

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