A SURGE in visitors from the Gulf countries in July saved the beleaguered Thai tourism sector from what would have been an unmitigated disaster. A few weeks of relative calm in the Gulf allowed flights to operate more or less normally, leading to a spectacular surge in arrivals during the so-called
Analysis
Analysis – AI race redraws Asian air cargo, replacing e-commerce as growth engine
By Julie Zhu and Lisa Baertlein, Reuters, and published by Yahoo!News HONG KONG/LOS ANGELES: The global race to build artificial intelligence is redrawing Asia’s air cargo map, prompting airlines to redesign networks around growing semiconductor manufacturing hubs as cross-border e-commerce loses momentum. Unlike the post-pandemic parcel boom, demand tied to AI infrastructure is underpinned
Read moreOECD lists Colombia as first country to build Culture of Peace Through Tourism
THE concept of Facilitating a Culture of Peace Through Tourism is all set to hit mainstream after being prominently highlighted as a major part of the Colombian Tourism Development Strategy in the latest OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2026 report. Released on July 1, the flagship OECD biennial report lists the formerly drugs-infested South
Read moreEx-FBI agent reveals: ‘Why do fugitives go to Thailand’
THE revamping of the visitor visas and crackdown on nominee companies are a part of the Thai government’s efforts to rebalance the positive benefits of tourism vis a vis the negative impact on national security. A book by former FBI agent John Schachnovsky published in December 2025 reveals one reason for
Read moreUN proclaims 2027-2036 as ‘Decade of Peace for Future Generations’, US casts sole vote against
THE United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed the period 2027-2036 as the International Decade of Strengthening of Peace for Future Generations. In a move that should shock and shame every American citizen, the United States was the ONLY country to vote against the resolution which was passed on June 25 with
Read moreAnalysis: From Pride month to Pride economy – economic opportunities for Thailand
AS MANY countries around the world including Thailand celebrate Pride month in June with this being about acceptance and equality plus focusing on the work of LGBTQ+ people, this is seen as more than just an event as globally the LGBTQ+ purchasing power exceeds 160 trillion baht per year, and Thailand has the opportunity
Read moreAnalysis: Thai farm debt crisis deepens in early test for Anutin’s government
By Orathai Sriring and Panarat Thepgumpanat, Reuters, and published by Yahoo!News AHEAD of Thailand’s February general election, politicians often came to court voters like 69-year-old rice farmer Chaon Taiupok in Ayutthaya, about 80km (50 miles) north of the capital, Bangkok. “Once they won and formed the government, they disappeared,” said Chaon, who is struggling
Read moreAnalysis: Most Thais have given up on buying a home, 56% not doing so for 5 years
WITH INCOME growth lagging expenses over 56% of Thais now have no plans to buy a home in the next five years while being additionally dissuaded by high housing prices, according to an analysis by SCB EIC’s Economic and Business Research Centre published by PPTVHD36 this evening (June10). With purchasing power remaining sluggish in
Read moreFeature: Interest-wise, Thais may root for West Ham survival
By Thai Newsroom Reporters WHETHER ONE OF Thailand’s novel tourism campaigns to raise arrivals from overseas would be more or less successful could probably depend on Sunday’s pivotal phenomenon in a place so literally far away that one might probably deem it irrelevant. West Ham United are waging their final battle at London Stadium
Read moreForeign Ministry taps Young Gen Thai- Muslim talent to build peace tourism
– THREE creative videos made by Young Gen Thai-Muslims have been conferred awards by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for promoting Thailand as a Muslim-friendly destination. The masterfully created, scripted and directed videos are now readymade marketing tools well-suited for campaigns to attract Muslim visitors from Asean, the Islamic world and the
Read moreAs global military spending grows, Travel & Tourism faces a perilous future
THREE major travel industry events are due to be held simultaneously in Bangkok today (April 29): [=] The Skift Asia Forum [=] The Travel Daily Media Global Summit Bangkok – 2026 [=] The Thailand MICE X-Change 2026 The programmes and events of all three were finalised months ago. In many ways,
Read moreVeteran US journalist laments the Lost Horizons of Asia and America
LIFETIME journalists often call it a day with a book to recap their adventures, record their memories and, most importantly, leave a learning-curve legacy for future generations. Veteran newsman Denis Gray, former Bangkok Bureau chief of the Associated Press, has done just that. His autobiography, Lost Horizons, is a captivating history
Read moreThais hit by scam calls and SMS 173 million times in 2025
DATA collected by Whoscall application shows that the number of scam phone calls and fake SMS messages Thais received in 2025 totalled 173 million, rising 3.16 percent year-on-year even as the global total of fraud calls dropped, PPTVHD36 said today (Mar. 18). Gogolook (Thailand) Co., Ltd., provider of this useful app, mentioned new scam
Read morePositioning Thailand as a “Middle Path” leader for a New Tourism Era
THE world is entering a dangerous and risky period of instability and insecurity. The rules-based order is eroding. Conflicts and geopolitical tensions have weakened international trust and highlighted the limits of traditional power leadership. Under the Trump presidency, the United States has squandered its strategic advantage and lost the moral high
Read moreMore Bangkok residents now opting for second-hand housing
A CLEAR shift has emerged in the Bangkok property market with residents increasingly opting for second-hand housing as reflected in a 1.5-fold increase in this segment’s transfer value, from 27% in 2020 to 38% in 2025, PPTVHD36 said today (Feb. 25). Research by Krungthai Compass shows that there are three key factors driving second-hand
Read moreAs the next crisis looms, Travel & Tourism faces a failure of leadership
IN MY 45 years of reporting on Thai, Asean and Asia-Pacific Travel & Tourism, I have covered multiple crises. Three of the most devastating were the 1997 financial crisis, the 2004 tsunami and the 2020-2022 Covid pandemic. Each left a swathe of destruction, with Travel & Tourism being particularly badly hit.
Read moreUS Supreme Court ruling on Trump tariffs boosts global economic growth: Academic
THE US Supreme Court ruling that a law President Donald Trump relied on to impose tariffs does not authorise the president to do so will have a positive impact on global economic growth in terms of the volume and value of world trade with Asian economies, including Thailand, benefiting, a respected Thai academic said
Read moreDomestic sales of pickup trucks seen plunging to lowest level in over two decades
Research by ttb analytics and published by PPTVHD36 AUTOMAKERS are facing a sharp slide in domestic sales of pickup trucks this year with the expected total of 171,000 units being a 24-year low and a contraction of 7% year-on-year, PPTVHD36 said yesterday (Jan. 22). ttb analytics, an economic analysis centre, said the drop in
Read moreIsraeli visitors to Thailand plummet as ‘Unwelcome’ signs come out
THE Israel-Palestine conflict has had a direct impact on visitor arrivals from Israel to Thailand in 2025 and will impact Thai travel & tourism well into 2026 and beyond. Visitor arrivals from Israel to Thailand plunged from 45,182 in Sept. 2025 to 28,773 in November 2025, just a little higher than 26,797 visitors in
Read moreThais affected by risk of country becoming ‘global money laundering hub’
By Thai Rath Money WITH Thailand now facing a risk of becoming a global money laundering hub due to multiple loopholes that facilitate the flow of grey money this inevitably impacts the economy and national confidence with ordinary Thais directly and indirectly vulnerable to this gray money cycle. The following are the key ways
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