- EZY Airlines flights from Hua Hin/Hua Hin Heroes Charity Golf/Saga Tailor Pro-am Tour/Provinces face doctor shortages/Heavy rain in 30 provinces/Flooding persists in 15 provinces/Eleven Dead After Rohingya Boat Sinks/Five Buffalo killed in Collision
- ECONOMY: Ministry unveils 5-point action plan/Thai Exports Hit $60.25 Billion/Economic zones sees 54.8-billion-baht investment
- TOURISM: Why Tourism Is Struggling/Alcohol law shoots foreign tourism in foot/Tour bus overturns, 12 foreign tourists injured/Phuket Airport Expansion Delay
- THAILAND EXPERIENCE: Bangkok’s clean streets, empty souls
- CLIMATE THAILAND: Earth hits hottest level in 125,000 years/‘Bangkok Solar City’/EV battery recycling investments
- FOREIGNERS BEHAVING BADLY
- HUA HIN LINKS
EZY Airlines expects to launch new flights from Hua Hin in December
EZY Airlines has plans to start flights linking Hua Hin with Bangkok, Phuket, Surat Thani and Hat Yai in December.
Ticket prices, flight schedules, and the day the service will begin have not been announced. The airline expects to use Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX aircraft, with seating capacity of 10 to 12 passengers.
More information via Line @EzyAirlines or at www.ezyairlines.com.
Saga Tailor Pro-Am winners announced
The new season of SAGA TAILOR Pro-Am Tour held its first two tournaments in August and October with rounds at Black Mountain Golf Club. James Lithiby claimed top spot in the professional division with a score of 71, followed by PGA of Sweden professional Jorgen Persson (72), and John Stembridge (77). Andy Harris twon the amateur division with a 74, with Martyn Howett (79) second, and Tosh Duckworth (82) third.
Upcoming rounds: Nov. 11 – Majestic Creek (Course 2); Nov. 25 – Lake View (Course 1AB); Dec. 9– Lake View (Course 2CD); and Dec. 30– Majestic Creek (Course 3).
59 Provinces face doctor shortages, 12 hit critical red level
While 52 regional and general hospitals across Thailand face shortages of specialist doctors in six key disciplines, the Public Health Ministry is preparing a four-pronged plan to resolve the crisis — focusing on workforce expansion, higher pay, added benefits, and legal reform.
The Public Health Ministry will boost manpower, benefits, and pay incentives to fix doctor shortages in 59 provinces, where 661 positions remain vacant in community hospitals. Continued …
Low-pressure system brings heavy rain to 30 provinces across Thailand
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has forecast continued heavy rainfall and thunderstorms across 30 provinces, as a low-pressure system remains over western Thailand. In its 24-hour forecast, the department said rainfall in the upper part of the country will lessen, but isolated thunderstorms are still expected, particularly in the north and Myanmar border areas.
Thunderstorms will cover 40% of the southern eastern area, especially in Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat. Minimum temperatures will be 23–24°C, with highs of 31–34°C. Southwesterly winds will blow at 15–30 km/h. Continued …
Flooding persists in 15 provinces, mostly in Central Plains
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported this morning that flooding continues in 15 provinces, most of which are in the Central Plains. Parts of nine central plain provinces were inundated. They were: Continued …
Eleven Dead After Rohingya Boat Sinks Near Thai-Malaysia Border
Eleven people have been confirmed dead after a boat carrying members of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya community capsized near the Thailand–Malaysia border, authorities said. Around 70 people are believed to have been on board the vessel, which sank near the southern Thai island of Ko Tarutao. Malaysian and Thai authorities have recovered 11 bodies so far, including two children.
Malaysian officials said another boat carrying around 230 passengers remained unaccounted for. Thirteen survivors, mostly Rohingya, have been rescued, and search operations are continuing in the waters off Langkawi. Air assets from both countries have been deployed to support the maritime search. Continued …
Five Buffalo killed in Collision With Vehicle in Uthai Thani
A vehicle collided with a herd of buffalo yesterday on the Uthai Thani–Thanamoioi Road in Uthai Thani province. The crash resulted in five buffalo deaths and injuries to two others. The driver escaped with minor injuries and two following vehicles were also damaged in the chain collision.
Emergency services found three damaged vehicles and several buffalo dead alongside the road, after a pickup driver had lost control, hit roadside barriers, and overturned into a water ditch. The herd consisted of seven buffalo standing on the road, which had poor lighting, as the streetlights had failed. Continued …
Ministry unveils 5-point action plan to improve Thais’ life
The Ministry of Interior has launched an initiative titled “Mahadthai Thum Thun Thee (Interior Ministry expedites now): Action 5”, aimed at delivering swift improvements to the quality of life for Thais through five key measures.
The first measure focuses on economic relief by reducing household expenses and increasing income. Key actions include subsidies for electricity and water bills for low-use households, promotion of community solar power, and support for One Tambon One Product (OTOP) development. The ministry will also expand the Khon La Khrueng Plus co-payment scheme, and speed up land land surveys and title deed issuance. Continued …
Thai Exports Hit $60.25 Billion as FTA Utilization Fuels 8.4% Growth
Thailand’s exports have shown robust growth in the first eight months of the year, driven largely by the effective utilization of its free trade agreements (FTAs), the Ministry of Commerce has confirmed.
The Department of Foreign Trade (DFT) reported that the total value of FTA privilege use between January and August 2025 reached $60 million USD. This figure represents a year-on-year expansion of 8.4%, reflecting a high overall utilization rate of 80.7%. Continued …
Decade of Thailand’s special border economic zones sees 54.8-billion-baht investment
The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) reported steady progress in developing Thailand’s 10 designated special border economic zones, with combined private and industrial investment now reaching 54.82 billion baht since the initiative began in 2015.
The 10 targeted provinces include Tak, Sa Kaeo, Mukdahan, Trat, Songkhla, Nong Khai, Nakhon Phanom, Kanchanaburi, Narathiwat, and Chiang Rai. Continued …
Why Thailand’s Tourism Is Struggling
Thailand, once an undisputed leader in Asia’s tourism sector, is currently experiencing a slowdown. Experts have pointed to a mix of factors, including widespread concerns about scams and a major earthquake that struck earlier this year, causing a temporary dip in tourist arrivals. However, the country’s tourism industry is actively working on strategies to recover and regain its top spot in the region.
The slowdown in Thai tourism has been attributed to multiple causes, primarily stemming from external factors that have significantly affected travel patterns. A noticeable decline in Chinese tourists, who previously made up around 20% of total arrivals, has been identified as a key reason for this decline. Continued …
Alcohol law shoots foreign tourism in foot
Thailand’s foreign tourism industry, already reeling from a 7.2% drop in arrivals this year, is facing a fresh crisis. This year’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, introduced by the previous government to liberalize alcohol sales, has backfired. The law lacks secondary or local regulations but imposes steep fines on drinkers finishing their drinks outside permitted hours. T
his week, Australia warned its citizens traveling to Thailand, while other Western nations voiced concerns. Foreign tourism operators say the confusion is already hurting the opening of the high season and blame the law for subdued spending. Continued …
Tour bus overturns on Lampang–Chiang Mai highway, 12 foreign tourists injured
A tour bus carrying foreign tourists overturned yesterday on the downhill stretch of the Lampang–Chiang Mai highway, about two kilometers from the Mae Tha border area in Lamphun Province, injuring 12 people, according to the Highway Police.
The bus was carrying 38 foreign passengers when it veered off the road and flipped over. Two people sustained serious injuries, while 10 others suffered minor injuries. Rescue teams rushed the injured to Hang Chat Hospital in Lampang. Continued …
Phuket Airport Expansion Delay Threatens Tourism Growth
Phuket’s tourism industry is under pressure as delays in the Phuket International Airport Phase 2 expansion raise fears of a capacity bottleneck. Thaneth Tantipiriyakij, president of the Phuket Tourist Assn., warned that the island could face major challenges in meeting rising passenger demands as the project drags on further.
The airport’s expansion was originally scheduled for completion between 2028 and 2029, but projections now suggest it may not be ready until 2031. By that time, Phuket’s passenger handling capacity is expected to need an increase to at least 25 million annually, up from the current 18 million, to sustain growth. Continued …
Bangkok’s clean streets, empty souls
Banthat Thong used to be a neighborhood, not a concept. You could live here and find everything: restaurants, bookstores, hardware shops, clinics, banks – even a place to have your shirts made. It was one of those streets where life unfolded upstairs and business happened downstairs. Today, it is something else entirely.
Over the past few years, the you-know-who institutional landlord has transformed Banthat Thong into a curated “food street.” Old tenants running small, non-food shops saw their leases end and rents rise beyond reach, their spaces taken over by cafés and themed restaurants. What was once a living neighborhood has become a commercial strip run by operators who come for profit, not place – leaving little sense of belonging or responsibility. Continued …
Earth hits hottest level in 125,000 years
A new report led by researchers from Oregon State University and Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) has found that 2024 was likely hotter than any period since the last Ice Age, which ended about 125,000 years ago.
The team tracked 34 “vital signs” of the planet — including global temperature, greenhouse gas levels, ice loss, and sea-level rise — to assess the Earth’s health. The findings expand on a framework first introduced in 2020, now endorsed by nearly 15,800 scientists worldwide who have declared a global climate emergency. Continued …
‘Bangkok Solar City’ to drive the capital toward clean energy
Bangkok Gov.Chadchart Sittipunt officially launched the “Bangkok Solar City” initiative on Saturday, marking a major step toward transforming the capital into a low-carbon city powered by clean and sustainable energy.
Chadchart highlighted Bangkok’s natural advantage — sunlight — as an abundant, free, and renewable source of energy that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As a major urban and economic hub for transport, commerce, communications, and tourism, Bangkok faces mounting challenges from rising energy consumption and carbon emissions, which contribute to the ongoing climate crisis, he said. Continued …
Ministry seeks to attract EV battery recycling investments
The Industry Ministry is calling for investment in electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling in order to deal with a surge in scrapped batteries, as well as to grow the EV battery production and supply chain.
Industry Minister Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said Thailand lacks a domestic battery recycling plant, meaning used EV batteries have to be shipped abroad for processing. Continued …
- Brit jailed over 19-million-baht Thailand cannabis run at Dublin airport – Continued …
- Police Raid Chinese Scam Gang Using AI Fraud Tactics – Continued …
- Police Seize 49 Slot Machines, Detain Thai & Chinese Suspects – Continued …
- Chinese man caught with 1,000 SIM cards in border bust – Continued …
- Ukrainian and Azerbaijani Arrested for Illegal Work on Koh Phangan – Continued …
- French Man Arrested for Serial Thefts at Don Mueang Airport – Continued …
Hua Hin Links
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