- Why are Pattaya Soi 6 and Soi 7 off-limits/US sailors begin exploring Pattaya/HIV and AIDS still lurk/Rayong newborn found alive/Thailand’s friend-for-hire services
- THE IRAN WAR: Iran war is not a war, US VP Vance says
- ECONOMY: Thai FTA use hits 1.57 trillion baht/Thailand exempts seven services/Bangkok’s 34 data centers raise concerns/Disaster cover for 30 million households/Thailand’s Bet on AI and Semiconductors
- TOURISM: Thailand sends a message to ‘bad’ foreigners/Thailand Risks Losing Wellness Crown
- THAILAND EXPERIENCE: September royal barge rehearsals/Thailand’s ‘Jurassic Park’/Three Decades of Chocolate Craftsmanship
- HUA HIN TRANSPORT and LINKS
Why are Pattaya Soi 6 and Soi 7 off-limits to US Navy personnel after dark?
Personnel from the USS Abraham Lincoln have reportedly been prohibited from entering Pattaya Soi 6 and Soi 7 after sunset as part of safety rules imposed during the aircraft carrier’s port call in Chonburi.
Pattaya Soi 6 is located in northern Pattaya, connecting Pattaya Beach Road with Pattaya Second Road. It is regarded as one of the city’s most distinctive entertainment districts. The street, which stretches for only a few hundred meters, is lined on both sides with around 60 to 70 small beer bars. Continued …
US sailors on leave begin exploring Pattaya
Hordes of US sailors were up early yesterday as they set out to explore this tourist city on their second day of shore leave. They began their explorations on Wednesday night, with many making a beeline for the famous Walking Street to soak up the atmosphere.
The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group arrived in the eastern province of Chon Buri early Wednesday for a five-day rest and relaxation stop for 5,000 personnel who had been aboard their vessels for 286 days with only one other port call, last December in Guam. Continued …
HIV and AIDS still lurk behind the neon signs of Thailand’s sex industry
Behind the neon signs of Thailand’s vast nightlife industry, HIV remains a deadly and deeply entrenched threat. Prostitutes and customers increasingly arrange paid sex through websites, applications and private messages. They then meet inside hotels, rented rooms or homes, bypassing medical checks once imposed through established sex venues.
UNAIDS estimates that 620,000 people nationwide now carry HIV, while almost 60,000 may remain undiagnosed. Thailand’s infection rate is twice the American level and four times that across the European Union. Meanwhile, 10,217 AIDS-related deaths were projected for 2025, alongside 8,862 new infections. Continued …
Rayong newborn found alive in bin after cries heard
A newborn boy was rescued from a rubbish bin in Rayong after residents heard him crying from inside a black plastic bag. Police examined evidence and nearby CCTV footage to try to trace the person who left the baby at the site.
The child was found yesterday in the Song Phi Nong community, on Soi Phongdee off Suan Pa Sirikit Road, Choeng Noen, Mueang Rayong district. Continued …
Thailand’s friend-for-hire services grow in Bangkok
Friend-for-hire services are gaining ground in Thailand, with people paying companions to join trips, take photographs or take part in activities.
The emerging trend reflects a changing Thai social landscape, including an aging population and more unmarried people, although there are no official figures for the sector. Providers say demand has risen in recent years as more people live alone, lifestyles change and social media raises the appeal of shareable experiences. Continued …
Iran war is not a war, US VP Vance says
US Vice President JD Vance said yesterday he would not categorize the Iran war as a war, despite continuing clashes with Tehran six months after the start of the conflict.
Vance’s comments came amid growing signs that President Donald Trump is trying to draw a line under the conflict that has bogged down his administration. Continued …
Thai FTA use hits 1.57 trillion baht
Thailand’s use of trade preferences under free trade agreements reached US$48.069 billion, or approximately 1.57 trillion baht, during the first six months of 2026, rising 7.3% from the same period last year. The Department of Foreign Trade (DFT) reported that preferential treatment was claimed on 80.8% of the value of eligible exports between January and June.
Arada Fuangtong, director-general of the DFT under the Ministry of Commerce, described the figures as evidence that Thai exporters were using FTAs to strengthen their competitiveness. Continued …
Thailand exempts seven services from foreign licenses
Thailand has formally removed the foreign business license requirement for seven specified service activities, under a new ministerial regulation published by the Royal Gazette yesterday.
The regulation, titled the Ministerial Regulation Prescribing Service Businesses Not Requiring Permission for Foreigners to Operate Businesses (No. 5) B.E. 2569, was signed by Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun. It was issued under the Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (1999). Continued …
Bangkok’s 34 data centers raise concerns over resource use and safety
The siting of a data center in central Bangkok near Praram 9 Hospital, along with concerns among nearby communities about a data center in Hua Mak storing several hundred thousand liters of fuel, has prompted questions about how such facilities can be located in the capital.
Chaichanok Chidchob, minister of Digital Economy and Society, said in an interview that data centers in Bangkok were located in areas where they were not permitted. Bangkok Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt, meanwhile, announced that he had ordered a halt to new data center permits in Bangkok and that urban-planning law and the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process would be reviewed. Continued …
Thailand backs disaster cover for 30 million households
Thailand’s Cabinet has approved in principle a national disaster insurance system intended to cover around 30 million households against floods, windstorms and earthquakes.
The proposed scheme would provide household protection for the three specified hazards, with payments structured differently according to the type of event. Continued …
Thailand’s Bet on AI and Semiconductors Tests Asia’s Next Growth Cycle
Asia still accounts for roughly half of global GDP on a purchasing-power-parity basis, and multilateral forecasters expect that share to keep inching up even as headline growth rates cool. The World Trade Organization sees Asia-Pacific trade growth slipping to 3.8% in 2026 from 4.1%, and the Asian Development Bank’s most recent outlook points to a similar moderation across the region.
None of that changes the underlying story: Asia remains the world’s principal growth engine. What has changed is that the opportunity is no longer automatic. It has to be seized, through reform, positioning, and the willingness to move before the window narrows. Thailand and its ASEAN neighbors offer one of the clearer test cases for how that plays out on the ground. Continued …
Thailand sends a message to ‘bad’ foreigners
Thailand has introduced its first official deportation regulation, creating a clearer process for removing foreign nationals who break the law.
The rules also cover conduct deemed contrary to public order, good morals, or public welfare. With Thailand cracking down on transnational crime while pursuing “quality tourism,” the regulation has sparked questions about exactly how those powers will be used. Video …
Thailand Risks Losing Wellness Crown Without Rule Reform
Thailand’s ambition to become a global hub for wellness tourism and preventive healthcare is being held back not by a shortage of talent or infrastructure, but by regulation that has failed to keep pace with a rapidly evolving industry, according to senior executives and experts who spoke at the Bangkok Business Summit 2026 yesterday.
Speaking on a panel titled “The Future of the Human-Centric Economy: Leveraging Tourism, Wellness and Healthcare”, held under the summit’s theme “Reinvent Thailand, Resilient ASEAN”, four prominent voices from medicine, hospitality, neuroscience and landscape design converged on a single message: Thailand has the ingredients for a world-class wellness economy, but bureaucratic constraints are preventing it from realizing that potential. Continued …
Thai Navy schedules four September royal barge rehearsals
The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) will conduct four minor rehearsals for the 2026 Royal Barge Procession in September, with the royal barges due to begin moving from the Rama VIII Bridge area at 3 pm and finish at Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan.
The sessions will be used to practice the ceremonial formation for His Majesty the King’s river journey to present royal Kathin robes. TheRoyal Barge Procession and royal Kathin robe-offering ceremony will take place on Friday, Nov. 6. Continued ….
Thailand’s ‘Jurassic Park’ shines light on dinosaur evolution
A dinosaur statue stands guard outside a temple, a hint at the ancient giants buried deep in the earth below making up northeastern Thailand’s “dinosaur rush”.
Researchers have found a trove of dinosaur fossils across the region, which holds the country’s richest deposits, offering insight into the creatures that roamed the planet millions of years ago. Continued …
Gallothai: Three Decades of Chocolate Craftsmanship
Since 1993, Gallothai has been one of Thailand’s leading chocolate manufacturers, blending Belgian craftsmanship with the character of Thai ingredients and terroir. The company has offices in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket, and has spent the last 33 years handcrafting chocolates and pastries that blend Belgian expertise with locally sourced Thai ingredients.
That craftsmanship has made Gallothai the go to chocolate and pastry solution for a wide range of industries. Hotels, bakeries, patisseries, airlines, cafés, retailers and food businesses throughout Thailand and the wider region turn to Gallothai as their partner for chocolate and pastry made to order at any scale. 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 cinemas/Emergency numbers
The Kite and Art Festival Prachuap Khiri Khan will take place at Saran Withi Pier today and tomorrow, bringing two evenings of kite displays, art, and family-friendly activities to the seafront.
Ren Lexander, PhD, gave a timely talk, “Taking Stock in Uncertain Times: What Global Shifts Mean for Us in Thailand,” at a meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club. He invited his audience to “take stock” of the rapidly changing global situation. Although the current Middle East conflict is less than two months old, its ripple effects are already being felt worldwide.
Thailand will officially enter the rainy season today, but with less rain than usual in the forecast, the Meteorological Department announced yesterday.
Thailand’s Transport Ministry has given ride-hailing platforms one month to improve passenger safety measures or risk license suspension, as new rules are prepared for app-based taxi services. The planned measures include requiring drivers to hold public driving licenxes, installing CCTV cameras in vehicles, and providing passenger insurance coverage.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul criticized corrupt officials in Phuket for facilitating land encroachment at Freedom Beach, describing the actions as “disgusting”. The Freedom Beach encroachment case gained national attention after People’s Party MP Chaloempong “Sam” Saengdee claimed he received death threats while investigating illegal occupation on Freedom Beach and surrounding land under the Khao Nak Kerd National Forest in Kathu district.
The Thai baht is projected to depreciate further, potentially reaching 33.50 per US dollar this week. This forecast follows a recent testing of a nine-month low at 33.04 on Monday. The primary driver for this expected weakening is the heightened uncertainty stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, which is bolstering the US dollar as a safe-haven asset.
Thailand’s private sector has warned that corruption remains a structural crisis undermining the business environment, after a new survey found nearly nine in 10 businesses see graft as an obstacle and, for the first time, identified state agencies with the highest alleged bribery risks.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul arrived on Koh Phangan on Wednesday as hundreds of police, DSI investigators and land officials launched one of Thailand’s biggest crackdowns on suspected illegal foreign business networks, raiding companies and land plots amid allegations of nominee ownership, hidden foreign control and proxy shareholders across the island’s tourism economy.
Geoeconomics of Thai ‘land bridge’
Thailand’s visa-free entry for nationals of 93 countries is set to be cut from 60 days to 30 days after government officials confirmed plans to end the policy introduced in July 2024. The proposal, confirmed by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Foreign Ministry, is expected to go to Cabinet next week, and an official start date will be announced after approval.
Flag carrier Thai Airways International (THAI) plans to add European flights, yet still maintain proactive fuel cost and route network management amid short-term concerns about spillover impacts from the war in the Middle East and geopolitical tensions.
Erawan-Wasserfall: Thailand’s Seven-Tiered River Escape
Just north of Bangkok along the Chao Phraya River, Nonthaburi has quietly become one of Thailand’s most practical destinations for short stays. Whether you are in town for business meetings, a family visit, a medical appointment, or a weekend away from the capital, choosing the right place to stay can shape your entire experience.
The government has ordered the Office of the Consumer Protection Board to urgently investigate unsafe solar rooftop installations linked to fire risks and consumer losses exceeding 500,000 baht, following complaints about substandard equipment and improper electrical work.
Electric vehicles are selling faster across Southeast Asia than at any point in history. Thailand is manufacturing them at scale. Vietnam has produced a homegrown brand bold enough to challenge in global markets. Indonesia is betting its vast mineral wealth on becoming the world’s battery supplier. By nearly every headline metric, the region’s clean transport revolution is on track.
Vilhelm Academy: Western qualifications for Hua Hin-based students
Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with visiting US President Donald Trump at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday, as both leaders sought to set a new direction for relations between the world’s two most powerful countries. Xi said the world was facing changes unseen in a century, with the international situation marked by volatility and turbulence. 
Russian forces launched waves of missiles and drones at Kyiv and several other Ukrainian regions for a third consecutive day yesterday, killing at least nine people, including a 12-year-old girl, according to Ukrainian officials.