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• PKK 2025 tourism/Hua Hin Heroes raises 2.1 million/Hua Hin students and sex education/Samui sea bridge set for 2029/To arrest plunging birth rate
• ECONOMY: Economy tops public wish list/Longstay Visa: To Attract Foreign Investment/Leveling the e-commerce playing field
• TOURISM: Call for police reform/Chiang Mai airport traffic/Pattaya Beach targets homeless
• THAILAND EXPERIENCE: Evolution of the ‘ghost’ expat/Spa package in Bangkok/Chiang Mai food tour/Discover Kaeng Ko’s sunken temple
• FOREIGNERS BEHAVING BADLY/INTERNATIONAL/HUA HIN TRANSPORT and LINKS 

PKK 2025 tourism: 10.7 million Thai visitors, 760,000 foreigners

Prachuap Khiri Khan public-private committee members were told that the province welcomed more than 11.4 million visitors in 2025, as officials opened their first meeting of 2026 with a detailed review of tourism performance.

According to figures presented at the meeting, Prachuap Khiri Khan recorded 11,474,581 visitors between January and December 2025, an increase of 1.4% compared with the previous year. Of these, 10,712,737 were Thai nationals, while 761,844 were international visitors. Continued …

Hua Hin Heroes Charity Golf Cup 2026 raises 2.1 million baht for local children

Hua Hin students subject of sex education training

Hua Hin City Municipality has stepped up its sexual health education efforts ahead of Valentine’s Day, holding a campaign on sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention for local secondary school students.

On Thursday at the Hua Hin City Municipality Office, Nopporn Wutthikul, mayor of Hua Hin City Municipality, presided over the opening of a project focused on the prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections and AIDS among at-risk groups. The program was organized for teachers and Year 7 students (Mathayom 1), with four sessions involving a total of 400 participants from Tessaban Ban Hua Hin Demonstration School, Tessaban Ban Bo Fai School, and Hua Hin Wittayakhom School. Continued …

74-billion-baht Samui sea bridge set for 2029, 400-billion-baht economic boost

The Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) has unveiled the final study results for the proposed 74-billion-baht Samui Expressway project, a 37.4-kilometer route linking the mainland to Koh Samui via a 22-kilometer sea bridge.

The four-lane expressway will begin at Highway 4142 in Don Sak district, pass through Khanom district in Nakhon Si Thammarat, and connect to Highway 4170 on Koh Samui. Its centerpiece is a cable-stayed bridge spanning 22 kilometers across the Gulf of Thailand, with a clearance of at least 50 meters to allow large vessels to pass in line with international standards. Continued …

Thailand pushes to arrest plunging birth rate

Authorities are launching a new push to address Thailand’s collapsing birth rate, now the lowest in 75 years, with a focus on ensuring that every pregnancy is safe, voluntary, and fully supported.

Thailand is facing a severe demographic crisis driven by a sharp decline in births, said Dr. Amporn Benjapolpitak, director-general of the Department of Health, at a press conference yesterday. The trend, she warned, poses long-term risks to the country’s economic growth, social structure, labor force, welfare system, and public health. Continued …

Economy tops public wish list

Addressing economic problems tops the public’s wish list for a new government led by the Bhumjaithai Party, with measures to reduce the cost of living ranking highest among expectations, according to a KPI poll released yesterday.

Economic issues were identified by 38% of respondents as the top priority for the new administration, ahead of social problems at 32.3% and political issues at 29.7%. The survey, conducted by King Prajadhipok’s Institute, polled 2,000 people aged 18 and over nationwide between Jan. 30 and Feb. 2. Continued …

Longstay Visa: A Move to Attract Foreign Investment and Boost Tourism Cities

Thailand Longstay has partnered with Sansiri to promote the Longstay Visa, offering foreign nationals the opportunity to purchase condos worth 3 million baht or more, and secure long-term residence rights. This collaboration aims to stimulate the economy in key tourist cities across Thailand.

The straightforward conditions for obtaining the visa allow foreign nationals to purchase a condo for 3 million baht or more, granting them the right to apply for the Longstay Visa. This not only sells prime locations in tourist cities like Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Pattaya, but also offers “long-term residency rights.” Continued … 

Leveling the e-commerce playing field

The Trade Competition Commission of Thailand (TCCT) has issued new guidelines for the Trade Competition Act of 2017, expected to be published in the Royal Gazette next month, aiming to curb unfair trade practices and prevent monopolistic behavior in multi-sided platform businesses, with a focus on e-commerce.

The guidelines are slated for reconsideration by the board next week after revisions, and should be published in the Royal Gazette in March. The guidelines were originally scheduled to be introduced in October 2025. Continued …

Call for police reform to boost tourism

Tourism operators are urging the government to reform law enforcement and regulation, as businesses and tourists suffer from worsening bribery issues, hampering the nation’s tourism reputation.

Thailand’s score in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index fell one point to 33 out of 100 points, while its global ranking was down nine places to 116th. Chinnawat Udomniyom, president of the Phuket Boutique Accommodation Consortium, said the poor corruption score was a mirror of tourism concerns in Phuket, such as bribery and a lack of law enforcement against criminals. Continued …

Chiang Mai airport traffic reaches post-Covid peak

The number of daily passengers using Chiang Mai Airport as reached a new post-pandemic high, underlining the city’s status as a tourist hub in northern Thailand.

A record 36,554 passengers used the airport on Thursday, said General Manager Karant Thanakuljeerapat. Airports of Thailand has said the average daily number of travelers at the northern hub is around 35,000. Continued …

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Pattaya Beach operation targets homeless and beggars

Pattaya City officials carried out an operation along Pattaya Beach Thursday to regulate homeless people and others staying overnight in the area, while urging the public to stop giving money to beggars.

The operation took place at Pattaya Beach in Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, led by Deputy Mayor Damrongkiat Pinijkarn, with teams from the Department of Social Development and Welfare, the Social Welfare Office, Pattaya City Administration, and related agencies. Officials patroled the full length of Pattaya Beach to monitor the situation and identify homeless people and others sleeping in the city’s key tourist area. Continued …

The evolution of the ‘ghost’ expat

There is a type of foreigner in Thailand most tourists never notice. They don’t hang out in sports bars, don’t argue online about beer prices, and don’t complain that “Thailand isn’t what it used to be.” You won’t find them on Soi 6 or Walking Street, and if you do pass them somewhere local, you might not even realize they’re foreigners at all.

They aren’t hiding from the law. They aren’t antisocial. And they’re not trying to prove anything. They’re avoiding something else entirely: predictability.

At some point, many long-term foreigners get tired of the same loop. You meet another expat and, without meaning to, both of you fall into the same script. Where are you from? How long have you been here? What do you do? Why Thailand? After repeating this conversation hundreds, then thousands of times, it starts to feel less like socializing and more like maintenance work.

For some people, the solution isn’t isolation. It’s changing the environment completely. They stop going to “foreign-friendly” places. Breakfast isn’t eggs and bacon in a Norwegian café anymore. It’s khao tom in a local shop with plastic chairs. What many foreigners dismiss as “Thai style” becomes normal — not as a performance, but as a way to mentally step out of the bubble and reset.

One of my close friends is a good example. I’ve known him for years through management work in the industry — and no, that doesn’t mean working in bars. He’s lived here long enough to build a real life. Thai wife. Thai daughter. University degree earned locally, by choice. He speaks, reads, and writes Thai fluently. His professional and social circles are almost entirely Thai.

He consciously avoids places where he’ll have to interact with other foreigners. Not out of arrogance. Not because he thinks he’s better. Simply because he’s bored. There’s nothing new to exchange. The references are different, the rhythm is different, and the conversations feel like reruns.

Another acquaintance of mine comes from a very different background. He’s a social person, a nightlife guy. But he left Soi 6 and Walking Street years ago. These days you’ll find him in KTVs, Ran Lao venues, or snooker clubs. When asked why he avoids places with lots of foreigners, his answer is simple: “They’re predictable. I already know every question they’re going to ask. Only the order changes.”

There’s an old idea — often linked to linguistic theory — that the language you think in shapes how you perceive reality. Whether or not that theory is perfectly accurate, something definitely shifts when your daily life runs in a different language. When you work, joke, argue, and think in Thai, your social frequency changes. The foreigner-heavy environment starts to feel loud, repetitive, and oddly flat, like background noise you can’t turn off.

Sometimes I see this most clearly while working in Thai or Asian adult venues far from tourist zones. Occasionally you’ll notice another foreigner there — quiet, composed, almost invisible. They don’t socialize. They don’t explain themselves. At most, there’s a brief glance and a subtle nod when passing someone similar.

That nod says everything. “I see you.”

“I know why you’re here.”

“No need to talk.”

Is this loneliness? Usually not. It’s curated solitude. A conscious narrowing of social input. For these people, choosing Thai style isn’t a pose or an aesthetic. It’s the final step of stopping being a guest and simply existing in the environment they chose.

The real Thailand, for many of them, doesn’t begin with fluency or paperwork. It begins exactly where English signage stops being useful.

So the question isn’t whether this is healthy or unhealthy. The real question is simpler: have you ever caught yourself avoiding a place purely because there were too many foreigners there? And did that realization surprise you — or feel inevitable? From Pattaya Unfiltered 

Spa package in Bangkok: How to pick the right one

Bangkok is famous for many things – incredible street food, stunning temples, and a wellness scene that draws visitors from around the world. With so many spas scattered across the city, finding the right spa package in Bangkok can feel overwhelming.

But don’t worry. A little know-how goes a long way in helping you discover an experience that truly fits your needs. Before scrolling through endless spa menus, take a moment to check in with yourself. Are you dealing with tension headaches from too much screen time? Feeling mentally drained after a busy week? Or maybe you just want to treat yourself to something special? Continued …

Chiang Mai food tour: Must-try eats, street food, hidden cafes

Embark on a vibrant food tour through Chiang Mai. Discover the best places to eat while sampling local northern Thai food, from charming cafes serving iced coffee and Thai iced tea to bustling street stalls offering classics like mango sticky rice, pad Thai, and roti.

Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or simply a food lover, this travel guide showcases Chiang Mai’s diverse food scene, highlighting delicious dishes such as Khao Soi, papaya salad, spring rolls, and coconut ice cream. Find out what makes Chiang Mai a top food destination and get tips for your own food adventure. Video …

Discover Kaeng Ko’s sunken temple and giant rain tree in Lamphun

Embark on a serene boat ride to uncover the hidden Lanna civilization at Kaeng Ko, located in the Mae Ping National Park, Lamphun province. Witness the marvel of the submerged temple and the giant rain tree in the river, a stunning sight visible only for a short time each year.

Amidst the tranquil Kaeng Ko reservoir, within the Mae Ping National Park, this area has become a popular destination for tourists. The ancient Wat Ban Kao, once a spiritual center for local communities and the birthplace of Kruba Chaiyawongsa Pattana, now rests submerged under water since the construction of the Bhumibol Dam in 1955. Continued …

• Korean Man Caught With 410 Live Animals at Airport – Continued …
• Pattaya Hotel Worker Stops Foreign Couple Over Public Indecency – Continued …
• Austrian Cocaine Suspect Held in Sattahip – Continued …
• Two Chinese Arrested in Pattaya Drug Chemicals Raid – Continued …

US military preparing for potential weeks-long operations against Iran

The US military is preparing for the possibility of extended operations lasting weeks against Iran, if President Donald Trump orders an attack, according to two US officials. This raises the stakes significantly in the ongoing diplomatic efforts between the US and Iran. Continued …

Hua Hin Links and Transport

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