- Hua Hin Ban Krut tourism rally/Hua Hin videos/Scottish Hua Hin resident in motorbike crash/Thailand’s medical doctor crisis/Push to help regional airports/The Rise of Plai
- THE IRAN WAR: A Strategic Win for China
- ECONOMY: Thailand must act swiftly/Living costs may stay high/Nationwide nominee crackdown/Chambers Urge Corruption Curb/Data center industry touts benefits/Harness full potential of AI/Bangkok’s ultra-wealthy population/Cannabis industry on the brink
- TOURISM: Seaplane takeoff grounded
- THAILAND EXPERIENCE: 2,000-year-old burial site in Phetchaburi
- CLIMATE THAILAND: Thailand’s Energy Reform/Thai village finally seeing the light
- FOREIGNERS BEHAVING BADLY/HUA HIN TRANSPORT and LINKS
Hua Hin Ban Krut tourism rally this weekend
The Hua Hin Ban Krut Tourism Rally will take place Saturday and Sunday, with organizers inviting drivers, travelers and car enthusiasts to join a two-day route through Prachuap Khiri Khan. The event is being organized by the Prachuap Khiri Khan Tourism Industry Council and tourism partners under the theme “Drive along the two seas and discover the charm of Prachuap Khiri Khan.”
The rally will follow a route from Hua Hin to Ban Krut, covering about 120 kilometers. The starting point will be Sundance Beach Club 19 Rai in Hua Hin, with the rally finishing at Ban Krut Beach in Bang Saphan district. Continued …
What Does it Cost to Live in Hua Hin?
If you’ve ever wondered what it really costs to live in Hua Hin, this in-depth video breaks down everything you need to know after nearly two years of real-life experience living in Hua Hin. From rent and utilities to groceries, transportation, and healthcare, this guide is packed with valuable insights for expats, retirees, digital nomads, and anyone considering moving to Thailand. Video …
Soi 80 Walking Street
Welcome to Soi 80. Full of bars, street food, live music and a vibrant nightlife atmosphere – whether you’re planning a trip to Hua Hin or just curious about Thai nightlife. Video …
Hua Hin Walking Street Soi 94 city athmosphere at night
This Hua Hin walking tour captures the unique city ambience after dark, offering an experience for those who love to explore the local Thai food scene, live music, bars, restaurants and more. Video …
Scottish Hua Hin resident ‘may never walk again’ after motorbike crash
A Scottish man involved in a head-on motorbike crash in Thailand has been told he may never walk again. Darren Cummins, who has lived in the country for more than a decade, says he was T-boned by another driver at around 100km/h (60mph) during a crash on Saturday, June 13.
The Scot says the other driver was “traveling in the opposite direction” and “suddenly decided to u-turn directly across all three lanes”, leaving him with no time to react. The 34-year-old, originally from Falkirk, moved to Thailand in October 2015, and lives in Hua Hin. Continued …
Thailand’s brewing medical doctor crisis
The recent call by more than 1,200 doctors urging the government to halt the approval of new medical degree programs proposed by Rajabhat universities must prompt policymakers to examine a more fundamental question than whether Thailand needs more medical schools.
Thailand’s healthcare crisis cannot be solved simply by a simplistic law of demand and supply. Expanding medical schools without addressing the structural weaknesses of the public health system risks treating the symptoms rather than the disease. Continued …
New push to help regional airports grow
Deputy Transport Minister Phattrapong Phattraprasit has instructed Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (Aerothai) to develop an upgraded air traffic-management system to support the growth of the country’s regional airports and strengthen tourism links across Thailand’s lower northern provinces.
Phattrapong said the initiative aims to modernize aviation infrastructure and improve airport services through the adoption of advanced technology. He said the plan would help turn secondary provinces into stronger tourism destinations while boosting local economies. Continued …
The Rise of Plai: How an Ancient Thai Root Became a Modern Pharmaceutical Heavyweight
In the rapidly expanding global wellness economy, the line between traditional folklore and modern biochemistry is becoming increasingly blurred. Nowhere is this pharmaceutical evolution more apparent than in Thailand, where a humble, subterranean root belonging to the ginger family has quietly staged a medical revolution.
Once relegated to rural kitchen gardens and traditional massage clinics, the medicinal plant Plai has undergone a massive state-backed transition into mainstream clinical practice. Continued …
How Trump’s Middle East War Handed China a Strategic Win It Never Asked For
Some foreign policy failures don’t make headlines or appear in casualty counts or ceasefire agreements. They surface months later, buried in a consultancy report no one in the White House was eager to read. Last week, the geopolitical research firm Asia Group confirmed what should have been clear from the beginning: the biggest winner of Donald Trump’s Middle East war isn’t the United States, Israel, or even Iran — it’s China.
The bare facts are stark enough to make the point on their own. After the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, killing Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, in the process, Tehran responded by effectively shutting down the Strait of Hormuz. That single act of retaliation choked off a waterway carrying roughly 80% of the region’s oil exports and nearly 90% of its liquefied natural gas, almost all of it bound for Asia. Continued …
Finance minister: Thailand must act swiftly to avoid crisis
Thailand must act quickly to stem its mounting current account deficit before it spirals into a current account crisis, says Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas. Ekniti said that while the government’s emergency borrowing decree would increase public debt, the loans are necessary to accelerate Thailand’s transition from fossil fuels to clean and renewable energy.
“If we fail to act now, we risk facing one crisis on top of another,” he wrote, citing the fact that, after Thailand was hit by soaring oil prices in April and May, the country’s current account, which had traditionally remained in surplus, swung into a deficit of nearly 500 billion baht over the past two months. Continued …
Thai inflation past peak but living costs may stay high
Thailand’s inflation rate is showing signs of moving past its sharpest point, as production costs and global oil pressure begin to ease, but households may still face a more lasting rise in daily living expenses.
The Trade Policy and Strategy Office, or TPSO, said the headline consumer price index for June stood at 102.85, up 2.42% from the same month last year. The rate marked a third consecutive month of annual increase, although the pace began to slow. Headline inflation for the first six months of 2026 averaged 1.08%. Continued …
Anutin orders nationwide nominee crackdown amid EEC land concerns
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered police and relevant agencies to inspect suspected nominee landholdings nationwide, following concerns over Chinese-linked capital acquiring large plots in the Eastern Economic Corridor to develop illegal industrial estates.
Anutin rejected claims that illegal industrial estates could be operating in the EEC, saying any such development would require official approval, utility systems and compliance with multiple legal conditions before it could proceed. Continued …
Foreign Chambers Urge Thailand to Curb Corruption
Thailand must strengthen anti-corruption efforts, improve law enforcement and reform regulations to restore investor confidence and maintain its competitiveness, according to Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand (JFCCT) Chairwoman Vibeke Lyssand Leirvag.
She said foreign investors closely assess a country’s anti-corruption record before making investment decisions, with concerns over transparency, regulatory uncertainty and inconsistent enforcement causing some existing and prospective investors to reconsider expanding or relocating operations in Thailand. Continued …
Data center industry touts economic benefits
Thailand’s data center industry is seeking to recast concerns over resource strain as an economic opportunity, arguing that Thailand’s unused power capacity can be converted into investment, tax revenue and a new industrial growth engine if the government moves quickly and ensures more benefits stay in the country.
According to the Thailand Data Center Assn., the sector’s direct GDP contribution could rise from about 0.93% to 2.47% over five years, supported by roughly 2 trillion baht in capital inflows, significant fiscal revenue and wider private sector spillovers. Continued …
Thai businesses urged to harness full potential of AI
True Corp. is urging businesses to look beyond artificial intelligence as a standalone technology and instead combine AI with data-driven human insights to better understand increasingly complex consumer behavior and strengthen their competitiveness in the digital economy.
Speaking at the company’s recent “Human Insights in the AI Era” forum, Oliver Kittipong Veeratacha, True’s chief brand officer, said businesses are entering an environment where customer journeys are becoming more fragmented as AI becomes embedded across every stage of consumer decision-making. Continued …
Bangkok sees ultra-wealthy population expand rapidly
Bangkok is emerging as Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing hub for ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) individuals, reinforcing Thailand’s appeal as a destination for global wealth despite persistent economic and geopolitical uncertainty.
According to wealth intelligence firm Altrata’s World Ultra Wealth Report 2026, Thailand was home to 2,090 UHNW individuals in 2025, including 1,210 primary residents in Bangkok. Continued …
Cannabis industry on the brink, huge seizures worldwide
Thailand’s landmark cannabis revolution is on the brink of collapse after Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the architect of Asia’s first cannabis decriminalization policy, warned he is prepared to recriminalize the drug and shut down the industry following a wave of major international cannabis seizures linked to Thailand.
Backed by senior Bhumjaithai Party legal adviser Supachai Jaisamut’s insistence that the party only ever intended cannabis for medical use, the intervention signals the gravest threat yet to the 2022 reforms, as organized trafficking networks, collapsing prices, stalled legislation and mounting international pressure drive the government toward a historic policy reversal. Continued …
Seaplane takeoff grounded by regulations
While Thailand holds the potential to lead the regional seaplane market due to its tourism resources, it faces regulatory challenges that have delayed development, says aviation operator Siam Seaplane.
“Thailand has recorded strong demand for seaplane services, but the industry developed slower than regional competitors such as Vietnam and Indonesia,” said Worakanya Siripidej, chief executive of Siam Seaplane. Continued …
What a 2,000-year-old burial site reveals about ancient Phetchaburi
What began as the accidental discovery of a bronze drum beneath a rice field has become one of Thailand’s most significant archaeological excavations in recent years.
Months after archaeologists broke ground at the Don Yai Thong archaeological site in Ban Don Phlap, Ban Lat district, Phetchaburi, the picture emerging from the excavation is no longer about a single artefact. Instead, it tells the story of an affluent prehistoric community connected to regional trade networks stretching from present-day Vietnam to India some 2,000 years ago. Continued …
Thailand’s Energy Reform: Supercharging Our Way to a Future-Forward Economy?
Countries laser-focused on attracting the next wave of investment may soon find that tax breaks and affordable labor may not be enough to keep investors engaged. The new criteria for raising funds may very well be in the energy space, and more specifically, which country has clean, stable, and scalable energy, with credible governance to ensure that the landscape is ready for future industries.
For Thailand, this makes the latest sweeping energy policy reforms more significant than the passing headlines about 3-baht tariffs or short-term cost reductions. The real question here is the future-forward industries at stake, those fueling Thailand’s regional ambitions. Continued …
After years in darkness, this Thai village is finally seeing the light
“Do you see those flowers?” the driver asked as our vehicle wound slowly along a narrow hillside road. He pointed to rows of chrysanthemums stretching across the slope, their outlines fading in the late afternoon light. “They need light at night,” he said.
“What happens if there isn’t any?” “No light, no flowers.” It was a simple explanation, but one that perfectly captured life in Huay Nam Rin. Continued …
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South Korean Drug Smuggler Held in Bangkok – Continued …
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Indian Duo Caught With Zombie Vape Drug at Suvarnabhumi – 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