• Oil tanker crew member rescued/Thai gasohol 91–95 phase-out/Microsoft outage eases/Gambling law overhaul/Schoolchildren toss live grenade
• ECONOMY: Thailand’s $46.5 Billion Wellness Economy/Thailand’s foreign condo market/28% growth in investment/Nvidia Leadership Shock Tests Thailand/Thailand’s ‘low-altitude economy/Oversight for digital platforms
• TOURISM: Chiang Mai and Yi Peng Festival/Tourists spend crypto in baht
• THAILAND EXPERIENCE: My unforgettable Thailand adventure
• CLIMATE THAILAND: Norway court rules against oil producers/Household recycling ‘won’t fix crisis’/Toxic river contamination threatens local economies/Nuclear energy shift puts coal and gas at risk
• INTERNATIONAL/HUA HIN TRANSPORT and LINKS 

Sunk oil tanker crew member rescued, 5 still missing

A crewman from the fishing fuel tanker Venus 14 has been rescued by a fishing boat following the vessel’s sinking in the Gulf of Thailand off Prauchuap Khiri Khan. Five other crew members remain missing after the vessel went down on Wednesday, about 28 nautical miles off the coast.

The Royal Thai Navy and the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center (Thai-MECC) are continuing a sea and air search for those still unaccounted for. Continued … 

Thai gasohol 91–95 phase-out raises 70-billion-baht annual tax question

Thailand would need to address vehicle compatibility and the future of an estimated 70.3 billion baht in annual tax receipts before withdrawing gasohol 91 and 95, according to an analysis by Krungthep Turakij. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul challenged reports of a phase-out on Wednesday, insisting that any proposal must be supported by detailed information.

The estimated 70.3 billion baht represents excise and municipal taxes collected from the two fuel grades at the consumption levels cited in the report. The figure does not establish the net revenue loss from a switch to other fuels, which would depend on replacement sales and the tax rates applicable when any transition takes place. Continued … 

Microsoft outage eases after over 24 hours with no full recovery timeline

Microsoft was still working toward full recovery of Outlook, Teams and related services early today, Thai time, after more than 24 hours of worldwide disruption, with no confirmed timetable for complete restoration.

Microsoft’s incident update at 5 am Thai time reported sustained recovery but said engineers were monitoring delayed emails and remaining service problems before declaring the incident resolved. Continued … 

Thailand seeks views on gambling law overhaul

Thailand’s government has opened a public consultation on a proposed overhaul of the Gambling Act, with comments accepted through the central legal system until Dec. 9. The Interior Ministry’s Department of Provincial Administration is revising the Gambling Act BE 2478 (1935), a law that has been in force for more than 90 years.

Deputy government spokeswoman Ploythale Laksmeesangchan said yesterday that the existing law needs updating to reflect social changes and increasingly varied, complex forms of online and electronic gambling. Continued … 

Schoolchildren toss live grenade around before teachers intervene

Pupils at a school in Kalasin were caught throwing a grenade around after finding it Thursday. Teachers intervened before police bomb disposal officers were called in.

The incident was reported at at a school in Lam Nong Saen subdistrict, Nong Kung Si district. The pupils had found the object outside a teacher’s accommodation and apparently did not realize it was dangerous. Continued … 

Wellness Institute Releases New Data on Thailand’s Fast-Growing $46.5 Billion Wellness Economy

The Global Wellness Institute (GWI), a leading research and educational resource for the global wellness industry, has released new data revealing that Thailand’s wellness economy reached $46.5 billion in 2025, continuing several years of strong growth. The new figures were released during the 20th anniversary Global Wellness Summit in Phuket.

According to GWI’s latest research, Thailand’s wellness economy grew by 8.8% in 2025, following increases of 11.6% in 2024, 16.9% in 2023 and 15.3% in 2022 (with these exceptionally high growth rates reflecting a period of economic recovery after the pandemic-driven decline in 2020 and 2021). Thailand now ranks as the world’s 26th largest wellness economy and ninth largest in the Asia-Pacific region. Continued … 

Russian buyers rank second by value in Thailand’s foreign condo market

Foreign demand for condominiums in Thailand remains under pressure, with ownership transfers down 12.7% in the first nine months of 2026.

Yet, the slowdown masks a shift in the buyer base: demand from China, long the dominant market, has fallen sharply, while Russian, Indian and Western buyers are expanding their presence, bringing Chon Buri and Phuket to prominence. Continued … 

BoI reports 28% growth in investment in third quarter

The Board of Investment (BoI) has reported a 28% year-on-year increase in the value of actual investment by promoted projects in the third quarter of 2026, bringing the total for the first nine months to 796.5 billion baht.

The government has prioritized monitoring actual investment after projects receive approval, which provides a clearer picture of progress and investment activity in the economy, BoI Secretary-general Narit Therdsteerasukdi said yesterday. Continued … 

Nvidia Leadership Shock Tests Thailand’s $27-billion AI Infrastructure Ambitions

A governance crisis at artificial intelligence chipmaker Nvidia has triggered sharp volatility across global semiconductor equities and digital asset markets, raising critical questions for Thailand’s rapidly expanding digital infrastructure and semiconductor supply chains.

For Thailand, the upheaval arrives at a pivotal juncture for its domestic technology and manufacturing sectors. According to Board of Investment (BOI) and industry figures, Thailand approved 88 AI and data center projects valued at roughly $27 billion (900 billion baht) in the first half of 2026 alone, with nearly one gigawatt of compute capacity under active construction by major operators, including TikTok, Bridge Data Centers, and Gulf Energy. Because global hyperscalers rely heavily on Nvidia’s graphics processing units to outfit these facilities, prolonged strategic uncertainty or product roadmap delays under interim leadership could slow capital expenditure deployments across the Eastern Economic Corridor Continued … 

Drones at heart of ‘low-altitude economy’

Growing drone use is creating opportunities in transport, healthcare and emergency services, as Thailand prepares to develop its low-altitude economy, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT).

Expanding the use of unmanned aircraft could make the low-altitude economy a driver of the aviation industry, CAAT Director-general ACM Manat Chavanaprayoon said yesterday. Continued … 

TCCT focusing on price structure oversight for digital platforms?

The Trade Competition Commission of Thailand (TCCT) is focusing on price structure oversight to ensure fair competition and prevent unfair trade practices within the digital economy. The regulator aims to prevent platforms with significant market power from implementing unjustified fee increases or discriminatory practices that could harm small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and consumers.

The proposed guidelines focus on the overall fee structure rather than setting fixed price ceilings, aiming to promote transparency in how platforms charge for services like sales commissions, advertising, and payment processing. By requiring platforms to justify their fees and provide clear, non-discriminatory disclosure, the TCCT seeks to address concerns regarding market dominance and the potential for platforms to restrict seller choice, such as by tying them to specific logistics providers. Furthermore, the oversight is intended to ensure that fee changes are communicated in advance, preventing sudden increases that could impact business stability or consumer pricing. – Bangkok Post AI

Chiang Mai Airport gears up for Yi Peng Festival, 35,000 passengers expected daily

Chiang Mai International Airport is preparing to welcome tourists for the 2026 Yi Peng Festival, with passenger numbers expected to reach 35,000 per day. The airport is arranging staff and resources to handle the expected increase in travelers.

Yi Peng is a traditional festival in northern Thailand. The festival features the release of sky lanterns into the night sky, fireworks displays, and colorful lanterns decorating temples and homes. These activities reflect Lanna culture, beliefs, and traditions. Visitors can also experience traditional activities and local celebrations that showcase the unique charm of
northern Thailand. Continued … 

Thailand app lets tourists spend crypto in baht

Foreign visitors to Thailand can use the new WORPT app to convert cryptocurrency into baht and pay at shops and restaurants using the country’s widely used QR-code payment system.

The service does not require tourists to hold a Thai bank account. Instead, users convert their crypto holdings into baht before making purchases through barcode scans. Continued … 

Holy Weed and Ant Bites: My unforgettable Thailand adventure

“Have you gone to take Holy Weed?” That became the running joke among my colleagues and me after we stumbled upon a cannabis shop bearing the intriguing sign, “Holy Weed”, on our first day in Bangkok. Coming from Nigeria, where cannabis is prohibited, we found the sight amusing. Little did we know that this seemingly ordinary discovery would become one of the most enduring jokes of our trip.

We had traveled to Thailand to cover the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. We expected economic debates, press briefings, interviews and long hours of reporting. But beyond the conference halls, Thailand offered a fascinating mix of unexpected discoveries, exciting adventures and important lessons about tourism. Continued … 

Norway court rules oil producers must account for emissions from burning their oil

Norway’s Supreme Court yesterday ruled that three oil licenses granted by the government in the North Sea were invalid since their emissions impact had not adequately been accounted for.

The court agreed with climate campaigners, who challenged the validity of the licenses, arguing that the environmental impact assessments had not considered the emissions from burning the oil after it had been extracted. Continued … 

Household recycling ‘won’t fix crisis’

Household recycling is considered insufficient to solve Thailand’s waste crisis because it fails to address the broader responsibility required for effective management. Experts suggest that the country needs to move toward a circular economy model that shifts responsibility beyond cash-strapped local authorities to include government, consumers, and manufacturers.

The scale of the problem is significant, with Thailand generating approximately 72.72 million tons of waste annually. While household efforts are a part of the solution, experts warn that a comprehensive transition to a circular economy is necessary to replace the traditional take-make-take model. Furthermore, issues such as the contamination of recyclables with wet waste and the limited capacity of local authorities to collect separated waste present major hurdles to effectiveness. – Bangkok Post AI

Toxic river contamination threatens local economies beyond fisheries

Toxic contamination in Thailand’s freshwater rivers is threatening the livelihoods of 44,731 fishing households across four provinces, with potential economic consequences extending to agriculture, tourism, public health and food security.

The Kasikorn Research Center has called for urgent action to stop pollution at its source and restore affected ecosystems, cautioning that prolonged contamination could cause economic and social damage that would be increasingly difficult to quantify. Continued … 

Asia’s nuclear energy shift puts coal and gas at risk

Asia dominates the construction pipeline for both new nuclear power plants and renewable energy capacity, setting the stage for a potential erosion in fossil fuel use in power generation across the region.

Asian nations are home to 73% of all new reactors currently being built, according to data from Global Energy Monitor (GEM), accounting for 66 gigawatts (GW) of the global total of 91 GW moving through construction. Continued … 

US airspace now ‘opened up’, no cyberattack

The United States yesterday lifted an hours-long ground stop at the nation’s airports, with top officials explaining that the disruption was due to old equipment and not a cyberattack or sweeping Microsoft outage. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told a late-night briefing at the White House that US airspace was now “opened up”, while warning it would take time for the travel chaos to clear. Continued …. 

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