Latest News for Expats in Thailand

Every day I round up the Thailand news that actually affects those of us living here: visas, tax, banking, healthcare, cost of living, transport, and the digital systems you deal with day to day. The newest stories sit at the top, and older ones drop off after a couple of weeks.

Jump to: November 14 · November 10 · November 7 · November 6 · November 5 · November 4 · November 3 · November 2 · Week of November 2 · Week of October 26 · Week of October 19 · Week of October 12 · Week of October 5 · Week of September 28

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November 14, 2026

Red Line’s THB40 daily fare cap extended to end of 2027

The Red Line’s daily fare cap was due to run out on 30 November. On 13 November the State Railway of Thailand board approved keeping it until 31 December 2027: THB40 a day for general passengers, THB30 for students. It’s a ceiling, so if your rides that day cost less, you pay the actual fare.

If you tap in with a Visa or Mastercard contactless card, December works exactly as it does now. From 1 January 2027 you’ll need to register that card in the Paotang app to get the discount, then choose between the daily cap and the new THB17-45 integrated fare.

Nothing official says yet whether foreigners can complete the Paotang registration, so I’d hold off planning a commute around it until that’s clear. Our guide to getting around Bangkok covers the alternatives.

Sources: The Nation, Thairath English

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November 10, 2026

Hotels and licensed bars can now sell alcohol on Buddhist holy days

The holy-day alcohol ban has five exemptions now. A new Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee notification hit the Royal Gazette on 6 November and took effect on 7 November: international airport terminals, licensed entertainment venues and hotels registered under Thai hotel law can keep selling on those days.

Everyone else stays dry on Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asalha Bucha, and the start and end of Buddhist Lent. The last two exemptions depend on lists that still have to come out: bar-type places in tourist areas the health minister designates, and big national or international events on an official list. Venues that do serve must screen customers, so I’d carry ID on those nights.

Sources: The Nation, Bangkok Post, Royal Gazette

High tides put Bangkok riverside areas on flood watch until mid-November

Another round of high tides is pushing up the Chao Phraya. The Navy’s Hydrographic Department expects water near Royal Thai Navy Headquarters to reach 1.70 to 2.00 metres above mean sea level between 7.30am and 1.30pm each day until 16 November, and 1.80 to 1.90 metres around Phra Chulachomklao Fort until 17 November.

The risk sits with riverside and canal-side communities outside the flood walls. If you drive Sukhumvit, Suksawat or Rama II roads, plan around the morning high-tide hours. If you’re thinking about where to rent next, our list of flood-free Bangkok neighborhoods helps. The DDPM hotline is 1784, or LINE @1784DDPM, 24 hours a day.

Sources: The Nation, Hydrographic Department, Royal Thai Navy

Arsenic in the Sai River cuts tap water in 14 Mae Sai villages

If you live up near the Myanmar border in Chiang Rai, check your tap. The Provincial Waterworks Authority cut supply to 60% on 5 November after raw water from the Sai River showed arsenic above the standard and turbidity of 14,000 NTU. Supply to 14 villages in Mae Sai and Wiang Phang Kham subdistricts is back to about 80%, with no date yet for full service.

Arsenic in the river hit 28 times the standard in early August and still averages 0.012 to 0.017 mg/L. Health officials tell people in Mae Sai, Pong Pha, Si Mueang Chum, Wiang Phang Kham and Ko Chang subdistricts not to drink or cook with river water and to skip local fish and other aquatic animals. Bottled water is the safe call for now (more on drinking water in Thailand).

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Sources: The Nation, Chiang Rai Provincial PR Office, Department of Disease Control

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November 7, 2026

Inflation hits 3.90% in October as fuel prices jump 29%

Headline inflation reached 3.90% in October, the Commerce Ministry’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office reported, with fuel up 29.18% on a year ago. Core inflation, which strips out fresh food and energy, was only 1.58%, so this is mostly about what you pay at the pump.

It spreads from there. Transport costs rose 10.93%, covering motorbike taxis, songthaews, vans and air-conditioned buses as well as fuel, and ready-made food is up 4.06%. Electricity went the other way: the September to December tariff is 3.86 baht a unit, down from 3.95. If you’re budgeting for next year, our cost of living guide is a good place to sanity-check your numbers.

The Bank of Thailand held its policy rate at 1.00% on 28 October and calls the rise temporary and supply-driven. It expects headline inflation to average 2.1% this year and 1.3% in 2027.

Sources: The Nation, Trade Policy and Strategy Office, Bank of Thailand

Health ministry warns Super El Niño could worsen PM2.5 haze through May

The Ministry of Public Health has warned that a “Super El Niño” could make next year’s PM2.5 season worse, especially in 40 high-risk provinces including Bangkok. It wants particular vigilance from now through May, with about 16 million vulnerable people in mind: anyone with respiratory, allergy or heart conditions, young children, pregnant women and older adults.

The ministry’s “Safe Zone” app shows dust-free rooms and pollution clinics in real time, and the clinics also run online through telemedicine. In Bangkok, Governor Chadchart Sittipunt says vehicles that aren’t on the “Green List” will face entry limits during the haze season, which runs until March. If you have kids or a lung condition, now is the time to sort out an air purifier and masks, before the bad days arrive.

Sources: Bangkok Post, Department of Health

Air cargo backlog at Suvarnabhumi delays inbound shipments

Waiting on an air freight delivery? A failure in the AOT Cargo Clearhouse system, which stopped showing shipment status and storage locations, has left Thai Airways’ cargo warehouse at Suvarnabhumi badly backlogged. Reports cite more than 1,000 cargo lots awaiting release and 700 to 800 pallets waiting to be unpacked.

Thai Airways added staff, equipment and Wi-Fi points from 1 November and is clearing shipments that arrived before 23 October first. A notice dated 3 November put clearance at five to seven days, but there’s no firm date for the whole backlog. If you’re shipping belongings to Thailand by air right now, ask your forwarder how they’re handling it.

Sources: The Nation, The Nation

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November 6, 2026

Petrol and gasohol down THB1 a litre from 6 November

Pump prices dropped this morning. The Oil Fuel Fund Committee cut petrol and gasohol by THB1 a litre and B7 diesel by 75 satang, effective 6 November.

The new prices: B7 diesel THB41.79, petrol THB49.33, Gasohol 95 THB39.84, Gasohol 91 THB39.47 and E20 THB31.80 a litre. B20 stays where it was. If you’re tracking the cost of owning a car here, fuel is the biggest line, so it’s a small but welcome break.

Diesel would have fallen further, but the fund trimmed its B7 subsidy by 96 satang to THB2.37 a litre at the same time. The B20 subsidy also drops, by THB1.45 to THB3.91 a litre.

Sources: The Nation, Oil Fuel Fund Office

Flu cases are up, and H1N1 is almost all of them

If half your office is coughing, there’s a reason. The Department of Medical Sciences says 122 of the 581 samples it tested in October came back positive for flu, and 115 of those (94%) were Influenza A(H1N1).

One H1N1 subclade has been climbing since June and is now the dominant strain. The good news is that lab checks found no mutations linked to resistance to oseltamivir, the usual antiviral. If you’re behind on this year’s flu jab, our vaccinations guide is a good place to start.

Sources: Bangkok Post, Thai PBS

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November 5, 2026

Arrival e-gates at Suvarnabhumi now open to 33 nationalities

Automated passport control for arrivals at Suvarnabhumi now takes passports from 33 countries and territories. The list covers South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UAE and 24 European countries, including the UK, France, Germany and Italy. US passports aren’t on it.

The Immigration Bureau says the gates are for visa-exempt arrivals and e-visa holders. You fill in your Thailand Digital Arrival Card as usual, and you get an email if you’re eligible. If you’re flying back in on a retirement or work extension, I’d still plan on the regular booth, since the order only names those two groups.

Don Mueang and Phuket are next, with no date given yet. Since the soft launch on 18 September, daily use has climbed from 744 to 2,125 passengers.

Sources: Bangkok Post

Suvarnabhumi taxiway E21 closed until 8am Friday

A damaged stretch of taxiway E21 at Suvarnabhumi stopped an Emirates A380 on its way to Dubai on Tuesday night, and it had to be towed clear. The central runway, 02R/20L, closed for 13 hours of overnight repairs and reopened at 8am on 4 November.

Taxiway E21 stays shut until 8am on Friday 6 November while the new surface cures, and planes are using nearby E19 in the meantime. The airport says it can handle the traffic without further disruption, though this is the second pavement problem in a week after a China Airlines jet got stuck on 28 October and five flights ran about two hours late. If you’re flying out this week, I’d leave a little extra slack anyway.

Sources: Bangkok Post, Thai PBS World

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November 4, 2026

Chiang Mai cuts 108 flights around Yi Peng, 21 to 28 November

If you’re flying in or out of Chiang Mai around Yi Peng this year, check your booking again. Airlines have cancelled 108 flights, moved another 80 and added 105 special flights across 21 to 28 November, so the sky stays clear while the lanterns go up.

The province has asked airlines not to fly on 24 November from 10:00 to 12:00, and on both 24 and 25 November from 19:00 to 01:00 the next morning. That shrinks the airport’s day from about 20 hours to 12. None of the reports say how rebooking works, so I’d ask your airline directly if you booked months ago.

The airport wants passengers there two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international ones. If you’re thinking of skipping the plane, our car rental guide for Chiang Mai covers the road option.

Sources: Khaosod English, Radio Thailand Chiang Mai, Bangkok Post

Excise tax on imported EVs jumps to 35% from 1 January

The Cabinet approved on 3 November a rise in excise tax on imported electric cars to 35% from 1 January 2027. Fully imported battery EVs currently pay 10% and range-extended EVs pay 15%.

It hits cars from brands with no production in Thailand and no locally made parts. EVs already built here aren’t the target. If you’ve been eyeing an imported model, the window before the new rate is about eight weeks, though the ministerial regulation still has to appear in the Royal Gazette. Our guide to buying a car in Thailand covers the paperwork for foreigners.

Sources: Royal Thai Government, The Nation, Bangkok Post

Storms and hail for upper Thailand, heavy rain in the South, 5 to 9 November

The Thai Meteorological Department expects thunderstorms, gusty winds and possible hail across upper Thailand from 5 November, starting in the Northeast and then moving through the North, the Central region including Bangkok, and the East. Rain then builds in the South from 7 to 9 November, with a risk of flash floods and runoff.

Waves in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand could top 2 metres during storms, so check before any island ferry. The cool season may not properly arrive until mid-November.

Sources: The Nation, Bangkok Post, Thai Meteorological Department

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November 3, 2026

Flood alert for Chon Buri and Rayong as dams fill up

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation has told people in low-lying parts of Chon Buri and Rayong to watch for flash floods, runoff coming off forested hills and waterlogged roads. If you live in or around Pattaya or Rayong, this is the week to keep an eye on the alerts.

The reservoirs are the worry. Bang Phra dam in Chon Buri is close to full, and Nong Pla Lai in Rayong has already gone past its storage capacity. High tides through 5 November also slow drainage near rivers and the coast.

More rain is coming: thundershowers, gusty winds and isolated heavy rain are forecast for upper Thailand from 5 to 7 November, with heavy showers also expected to hang around Bangkok and the Central region. I’d move the car to higher ground early and keep our flash flood safety checklist handy.

Sources: The Nation

Big buyers now have 45 days to pay small suppliers

A Trade Competition Commission rule on payment terms between SMEs and large companies or major retailers kicked in on 2 November. Big buyers now have to pay within 45 days for general goods, manufacturing and services, and within 30 days for farm products.

They also can’t change credit terms or contract conditions without good reason or with less than 60 days’ notice. If you run a registered Thai company that supplies bigger firms, you can complain through the TCCT’s e-Complaint system at tcct.or.th, and the form takes a passport number as well as a company registration number. Unfair trade practices can draw fines of up to 10% of revenue.

Sources: Royal Thai Government, The Nation, TCCT

Taobao (Thailand) director arrested over unlicensed yuan exchange

Police arrested a director of Taobao (Thailand) Co Ltd in Bangkok on 1 November, acting on a tip from the Bank of Thailand. Two websites in the company’s name offered yuan exchange, transfers into Alipay and wallet top-ups for buying on 1688, Taobao and Tmall, all without a licence.

Investigators say more than THB170 million went through five linked bank accounts in a year, and two of the accounts were tied to cybercrime cases. If you top up through a third-party agent to shop from China, check the provider on the Bank of Thailand’s BOT License Check first.

Sources: The Nation

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November 2, 2026

THB100 travel vouchers go on sale from 15 December, and foreign residents are included

The Tourism Authority of Thailand is preparing a “100 Baht, Travel Across Thailand” campaign for Thai travellers and foreign residents. The government announced it on 1 November. Vouchers will sell for THB100 online in eight Tuesday rounds between 15 December and 9 February 2027, and they only work for travel or services from Monday to Thursday.

THB100 is the voucher price, so don’t assume everything on offer costs that, and it isn’t a cash handout. Each operator will set its own conditions.

TAT hasn’t said where to buy, or what counts as a foreign resident, so I can’t tell you yet whether a retirement visa or a work permit will get you in. The government has asked people to wait for the official details before paying anyone, and I’d do the same.

Sources: The Nation, Bangkok Post, Thairath

Bangkok cannabis shop raided after family hospitalised by jellies that look like kids’ sweets

Police and FDA officials searched a cannabis shop on Banthat Thong Road this weekend and seized 90 unregistered packs of cannabis jellies with no Thai label. A couple from Chanthaburi had complained that they passed out after eating them, and that their 2-year-old son appeared dull and had probably swallowed a small amount. Thai PBS reports the family was rushed to an emergency ward and put on a ventilator.

The packaging was designed to look like children’s sweets, which is the part to take home if you have kids here. A 26-year-old employee was arrested and told police she had sold them at THB80 each for over a year, including to foreign tourists. The jellies have gone for testing, and our cannabis guide covers where the rules stand.

Sources: Bangkok Post, Thai PBS World

Myanmar air strike damages about 17 buildings at Mae Sam Laep in Mae Hong Son

A Myanmar military strike on 31 October hit a Karen National Union position across the Salween River, and blast and fragments damaged about 17 homes and public buildings on the Thai side. Thai officials inspected Mae Sam Laep on 1 November and listed the health centre, a child development centre, the tourist service centre, a mosque, a temple and a church among the damage.

If you were planning a Salween boat trip, services at Mae Sam Laep are temporarily suspended and riverside shops have closed. The Air Force also flew two F-16s over Mae Sot on 1 November and warned residents to expect loud aircraft noise.

Sources: The Nation, Khaosod English

Weekly Roundups

Week of November 2, 2026

A new cash rule at bank branches and a nationwide search for overstayers are the two stories most likely to touch you directly this week. Fuel got cheaper, the Bank of Thailand wants to retire SMS codes, and anyone living near the river in Bangkok should keep an eye on the tides.

1. Big cash deals at a bank branch now come with questions

Bank of Thailand Notification 57/2569 took effect on 1 November. If you handle THB5 million or more in cash at a branch, in one transaction or within a day, you now need ID, which means your passport, and you have to say where the money came from and what it is for. Withdrawals of that size have needed a stated purpose since 1 April.

The rule covers cash deposits, buying, selling or exchanging foreign banknotes, buying a cashier’s cheque or draft with cash, exchanging baht notes, and paying cash for insurance or investment products. Transfers, crossed cheques and app banking are outside it, so money that reaches you by wire is unaffected.

If you are buying a condo with cash, I would take the sale agreement, your bank statements and proof of how the money entered Thailand. A bank can decline a transaction it cannot get an explanation for, but the BOT says that is not an account freeze. Our guide to Thai bank accounts covers what banks ask foreigners for day to day.

Sources: Bank of Thailand / Bank of Thailand FAQ

2. Immigration is searching for more than 10,000 overstayers

On 20 October Immigration Bureau commissioner Pol Lt Gen Nopasin Poolsawat ordered divisions nationwide to pursue more than 10,000 suspected overstayers. The number is an estimate of the group they are looking for, not an arrest total, and no breakdown by province or nationality has been published. Hua Hin Today reports the bureau says the campaign is continuing nationwide.

If your stay is in order, the only thing to do is check the date on your latest stamp or extension. The normal fine is THB500 a day up to THB20,000, but being arrested is treated differently from turning yourself in, so get advice before you go to an office if you think you have overstayed. Our overstay guide covers the penalties.

Sources: Thai Examiner / Hua Hin Today

3. Your bank’s SMS codes could be on the way out

The Bank of Thailand is taking comments until 6 November on revised draft rules for digital banking security. These are not in force. Banks and other providers would have to stop using one-time codes sent by SMS or email for transfers, cash withdrawals and raising your transfer limit, and move them to a registered app, a token or a passkey. Credit card and loan providers are covered as well.

The draft also tells providers to stop putting links in SMS and email messages unless you asked for one, and it sets face scans in apps for transfers of THB50,000 or more, for every THB200,000 transferred in a day, and for raising your daily limit by THB50,000 or more. Most of it would start 30 days after publication in the Royal Gazette, and no date has been set. For now I would just make sure your bank’s app works on your current phone.

Sources: Bank of Thailand hearing / Draft rules (Thai PDF)

4. Diesel is down THB1, and E20 and B20 are cheap until January

Cabinet cut excise tax on E20 and B20 from 28 October to 27 January, and both dropped to THB33.50 a litre at OR and Bangchak. On 29 October PTT Station and Bangchak also cut diesel by THB1 to THB42.54 and gasohol 91 and 95 by 50 satang, which puts Gasohol 95 at THB41.54 and Gasohol 91 at THB41.17 on Bangchak’s Bangkok price list.

That makes E20 about THB8 a litre cheaper than Gasohol 95, and B20 about THB9 cheaper than regular diesel. Check your manual before you switch. Our gas stations guide explains the grades.

Sources: The Nation / Royal Thai Government

5. High tides and storms keep Bangkok on flood watch

The Office of the National Water Resources has put eight provinces on watch for high-tide flooding through 4 November: Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Songkhram and Chachoengsao. Easterly winds are pushing seawater up the river mouths, and communities outside flood walls face the biggest risk, along with parts of Sukhumvit, Suksawat and Rama II roads.

Weather stays unsettled through 6 November, with thunderstorms and isolated heavy rain. If you live near the river, I would move your car and anything valuable off the ground floor this week. Our flood cleanup and insurance guide covers what you can claim if the water does get in.

Sources: Khaosod English / The Nation

Coming up this week

• Until 29 November, Bangkok: Performative Art Project #15 at BACC
• Until 28 February, Bangkok: Bangkok Art Biennale 2026: Angels and Mara
• 3 to 29 November, Bangkok: Amazing Thailand Grand Diwali Festival 2026
• 3 to 4 November: Half Moon Festival, Koh Phangan (3 November)
• 3 to 4 November, Bangkok: Russian Seasons by Moiseyev Ballet
• 4 November, Bangkok: AustCham Thailand November Sundowners
• 6 November, Pattaya: Multi-Chamber Briefing and Connecting EEC (Pattaya)
• 6 to 7 November, Hua Hin: Glamping Festival 2026, Hua Hin
• 6 to 7 November, Pattaya: Pattaya International Jazz Festival 2026
• 6 November, Bangkok: Royal Barge Procession 2026

See all events

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Week of October 26, 2026

The departure tax is on hold and the nominee crackdown now has a December deadline, which covers most of this week’s money and property questions. Flood victims got a tax break that cannot be claimed yet, the checked-bag rule turns out to cover domestic flights, and traffic police have been told to stop taking cash.

1. The THB1,000 departure tax is on hold

On 22 October Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said the ministry will probably not go ahead with the departure tax for now, to keep tourism moving through the fourth quarter. The draft would have charged THB1,000 on every air departure regardless of nationality, so residents flying home or travelling for work would have paid it too.

This is a minister’s statement, not a withdrawal. The Revenue Department’s consultation still lists comments until 29 October, and the separate THB450 arrival fee for foreigners is a different project that has not been dropped. There is nothing to pay today, and I would ignore any website that claims to collect either charge.

Sources: The Nation, Khaosod English, Revenue Department

2. Nominee land investigations now have a December deadline

On 19 October Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered the Department of Lands and provincial governors to conclude high-risk nominee land cases by December 2026, force the sale of land found to be held illegally, and check buyers so it cannot pass to another nominee. Investigators are told to follow the money rather than stop at the names on the title deed. Government figures list 1,397 entities holding 2,360 plots worth about THB14 billion.

Two days later police raided 12 locations in Pattaya worth about THB800 million, identifying 54 Thais and 31 foreigners. Nothing has been confiscated so far, but a Lands official warned that illegal holdings could face forced sale within 180 days.

A condo bought in your own name under the foreign quota is the legal route and is not the target. If your house or land sits in a Thai company whose Thai shareholders never put in real money, our property lawyer Q&A on the crackdown is the place to start, and I would speak to a lawyer before December.

Sources: The Nation, Thai Examiner

3. The flood repair tax break is approved but not claimable yet

On 20 October Cabinet approved a personal income tax exemption for flood repairs: up to THB100,000 for a home, condo or other property, and up to THB30,000 for a car or motorbike. The damage must have happened between 15 May and 31 December 2026 in an officially declared disaster area. Tenants qualify for the property break, and for vehicles you must own it or be buying it on hire purchase.

The resolution sets no nationality condition, but it still needs a ministerial regulation and a Revenue Department notice before anyone can claim, and neither had appeared by 26 October. Keep every receipt and photo in the meantime.

Bangkok’s separate flood cash aid has been extended to 30 November, but it requires a Thai national ID card and a PromptPay account linked to it, which rules out most foreigners. Our flood clean-up and compensation guide covers what you can claim instead.

Sources: Royal Thai Government, Bangkok Post, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration

4. The checked-bag rule covers domestic flights too

On 25 October the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand confirmed that the rule in force since 16 October, which lets screeners open a suspicious checked bag without the owner present, applies to domestic flights as well as international departures. It does not apply when you land, because the airport you board at does the screening.

Power banks are the banned item the authority finds most often. In one domestic case the zip was cut because the bag had no TSA lock, and an inspection notice was left inside. Every battery belongs in your hand luggage, and the authority suggests photographing your bag’s contents before you close it.

Sources: Bangkok Post, The Nation

5. Traffic police have been told to show their faces and stop taking cash

On 25 October Assistant National Police Chief Pol Lt Gen Nithithorn Chintakanont said a written order has gone to every police unit in the country. Officers dealing with motorists must be in uniform and remove masks, sunglasses and full-face helmets so you can identify them, and minor offences start with a warning before progressive fines.

Fines can no longer be collected at the roadside: the officer has to direct you to pay later through official channels, and taking bribes is explicitly banned. Wrong-way driving, red-light running, drink-driving and street racing get no leniency, and our guide to driving in Thailand covers the rules you are most likely to be stopped for.

Sources: Bangkok Post

Coming up this week

• Until 29 November, Bangkok: Performative Art Project #15 at BACC
• 23 October to 1 November, Bangkok: Baanlaesuan Fair Living Festival 2026
• 23 October to 1 November, Bangkok: Book Expo Thailand 2026
• 26 October, Bangkok: FCCT Panel: Thailand’s Nominee Crackdown
• 26 October to 1 November, Bangkok: Wat Banthat Thong Festival: “Pacha Taek”
• 27 October to 1 November, Phuket: PRU 10th Anniversary: The Gathering
• 27 October to 1 November, Bangkok: SongCraft Craft Drinks Festival at centralwOrld
• 27 October: Full Moon Party, Koh Phangan (October)
• 28 October to 1 November, Bangkok: One Oktoberfest 2026 at One Bangkok
• 28 October, Bangkok: James Suckling Great Wines World Bangkok 2026

There is more on the calendar, including Jason Mraz (29 October), the Bangkok Art Biennale opening (29 October) and the Scenic Half Marathon in Chiang Mai (1 November). See all events.

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Week of October 19, 2026

The rain comes back this week, just as eastern Bangkok was starting to dry out. Anyone flying should know about the new checked-bag rules, and two travel discounts launched with the fine print saying they are for Thai nationals. Thai Airways promised automatic compensation for its baggage backlog, and Immigration was told to step up checks on foreigners.

1. Heavy rain returns to Bangkok from 21 October

The Thai Meteorological Department issued a seven-day warning on 19 October. The South and East get rain first, through 20 October, and from 21 to 25 October it spreads to Bangkok, the Central region, the lower Northeast and the upper South, with heavy to very heavy downpours in places. Waves in both seas could top three metres in thunderstorms, so I would check conditions before any island boat trip.

The timing is bad for eastern Bangkok. On 17 October the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation still counted about 196,000 affected households in Lat Krabang, Nong Chok and Min Buri, even though water levels were falling. If you are dealing with damage, our flood clean-up and compensation guide explains what you can claim and from whom.

Relief is further off than usual. The department’s seasonal forecast has the cool season starting about a week late and running milder, with Bangkok lows of 19 to 21°C from mid-November.

Sources: The Nation, The Nation via The Star, The Nation

2. Airport security can open your checked bag without you

New Civil Aviation Authority rules took effect on 16 October. If screening staff have reasonable grounds to suspect a prohibited item in a checked bag, they can open it without the passenger present. The search is video recorded and a Notice of Baggage Inspection goes inside the bag.

The lock you use now matters. A TSA-approved lock is opened with a master key and locked again, but any other padlock, strap or zip can be cut, and you cannot claim compensation for the damage. Seized items are not returned, and power banks and spare lithium batteries are banned from checked bags, so they belong in your hand luggage.

Sources: Airports of Thailand

3. Two new travel discounts are aimed at Thai nationals

Seven domestic airlines started offering THB500 off each regular-priced flight on 15 October with the code FLYTODOM, for bookings until 15 December and travel until 15 January 2027. TAT describes it as a discount for Thai travellers, and Bangkok Airways asks for a Thai ID number at booking and the ID card at check-in. Each airline sets its own terms, but I would not count on it with a foreign passport. Our domestic flights guide covers the regular fares.

The Transport Ministry also wants to extend the THB40 all-day fare on the Purple Line and the Red Line beyond 30 November, through to December 2027, and will take it to Cabinet in November. The Bangkok Post reports that the current offer is restricted to Thai nationals using EMV contactless cards.

The fare scheme foreigners can use is the THB45 cap per trip across Bangkok’s electric train lines, which is designed to take foreign contactless cards. The ministry is preparing to ask Cabinet for up to THB5.8 billion to fund it for a year from 1 January 2027, so it is still a target rather than a done deal.

Sources: TAT News (Thai), Bangkok Airways via ThaiPR.NET, Bangkok Post

4. Thai Airways promises compensation without a claim

Thai Airways now says 20,000 to 25,000 bags were delayed at the peak of its Suvarnabhumi backlog, with more than 200 flights affected. On 14 October its board decided that affected passengers should receive compensation even if they never filed a complaint, and the airline is paying to send delayed bags on any carrier that serves the passenger’s destination.

The package itself has not been decided, and extra Royal Orchid Plus miles are one option under discussion. If you bought essentials while you waited for your bag, keep the receipts, because any reimbursement depends on evidence.

Sources: The Nation, Thai Examiner

5. Immigration steps up checks on foreigners

Police arrested a Portuguese woman at a cookery class in Phuket on 13 October. She could only show a photo of her passport on her phone, and a biometric check showed an overstay of 1,807 days. Police say the Immigration Bureau commissioner has ordered intensified checks on foreigners suspected of immigration violations.

Overstaying is a criminal offence under the Immigration Act, with up to two years in prison, a fine of up to THB20,000, or both. I would check the date on your latest stamp or extension and carry your passport, or at least a clear copy of the photo page, visa and entry stamp. Our overstay guide covers what an overstay costs you.

Sources: Thai Examiner

Coming up this week

• Until 29 November, Bangkok: Performative Art Project #15 at BACC
• 19 October: Half Moon Festival, Koh Phangan
• 21 October, Bangkok: Royal Barge Procession 2026: Full-Dress Rehearsal
• 22 to 25 October, Bangkok: Bangkok Illustration Fair 2026
• 22 October, Bangkok: BCCT Joint Breast Cancer Awareness Charity Evening
• 23 October, Bangkok: TAKASE TOYA Asia Tour 2026 “∞” in Bangkok
• 23 October, Bangkok: Akuma No Ko: Ai Higuchi Live in Bangkok
• 23 October to 1 November, Bangkok: Baanlaesuan Fair Living Festival 2026
• 23 to 25 October, Bangkok: LYKN REFLEXION CONCERT
• 23 October to 1 November, Bangkok: Book Expo Thailand 2026

There is more on the calendar, including the American Fair Bangkok (23 to 25 October), The Ritual Festival in Chiang Mai (24 to 25 October) and the Saucony BKK 10K (25 October). See all events.

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Week of October 12, 2026

Bangkok spends this week hosting the IMF and World Bank, which means two bank holidays and a lot of closed roads. The bigger story for anyone who travels is money at the border: a draft THB1,000 departure tax went out for comment while the THB450 arrival fee moved a step closer to Cabinet. Fuel rose again, and the THB45 rail fare cap is still pencilled in for January.

1. IMF week brings two bank holidays and road closures to Bangkok

More than 15,000 finance ministers, central bankers and delegates are in Bangkok for the IMF and World Bank Group Annual Meetings at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center from 12 to 18 October. Tuesday 13 October is already a nationwide public holiday. Cabinet has added Friday 16 October as a special holiday for government offices and banks in Bangkok, and Bangkok civil servants work from home on 12, 14 and 15 October.

ATMs and mobile banking keep running on the 16th, and private employers set their own arrangements, so check with yours. If you have a visit to an immigration or district office booked this week, I would call ahead first. Agency heads can keep essential services open, but nobody has promised it.

Police have asked drivers to avoid sections of Ratchadaphisek, Sukhumvit around Nana, Asok and Phrom Phong, Rama IV, the Benjakitti Park area and the roads in from the airports until 18 October, because delegate motorcades will hold up traffic. QSNCC is closed to the public from 11 to 18 October, and gatherings near it, One Bangkok Forum and 22 delegate hotels are banned until 20 October. The MRT and BTS are the easiest way through, and the traffic line is 1197.

Sources: The Nation, Royal Thai Government, The Nation

2. A draft law would tax every air departure at THB1,000

The Revenue Department is taking public comments until 29 October on the principles of a new Departure Tax Act. It would charge travellers of every nationality THB1,000 each time they leave Thailand by air, collected by airlines and ticket agents with the fare. The Act would allow up to THB5,000 per departure, and land and sea crossings are exempt at first.

Thailand already has a 1983 departure tax decree, but it only covered Thais and foreign residents and has not been collected since 1991. This draft widens it to everyone. If it is enacted, it takes effect 180 days after Royal Gazette publication, and tickets bought before then are not taxed.

It is a proposal, not law. The Thai Hotels Association has written to the Revenue Department opposing it, estimating that with the THB1,120 airport passenger charge and the proposed THB450 arrival fee, a foreign traveller could pay about THB2,570 a trip. If you rely on visa runs or fly home often, this is one to watch, but there is nothing to act on yet.

Sources: The Nation, Amarin TV, Khaosod English

3. The THB450 arrival fee is moving toward Cabinet

On 9 October Deputy Prime Minister Suphajee Suthumpun told agencies to set out clear rules for how the THB450 fee on foreign arrivals will be collected and spent before it goes through further consultation and on to Cabinet. She said the money should go toward tourist safety, insurance for foreign visitors and attractions that lack funding. The plan still starts with air arrivals, sometime in 2027.

What residents want to know is still unanswered. Nothing published says whether work-permit holders, long-stay visa holders or returning residents pay. The collection method is open too, and one of the options is through the digital arrival card. There is no start date, so treat any site naming one as wrong.

Sources: Khaosod English, Thansettakij

4. Fuel up another THB0.75, and egg exports cut after the floods

PTT Station and Bangchak raised petrol, gasohol 91, gasohol 95 and standard diesel by THB0.75 a litre from 5am on 9 October, the second rise in a week. Bangchak’s Bangkok list now has Gasohol 95 at THB41.44, Gasohol 91 at THB41.07 and diesel at THB42.94. E20 is unchanged at THB35.69, so if your car takes it, switching saves almost THB6 a litre and makes a real dent in the cost of living.

Flood damage has also pushed up egg and vegetable prices. The Internal Trade Department asked egg exporters to cut exports by 30 to 50% and delay shipments by two to three weeks to keep more supply at home, and they agreed. If a shop is clearly overcharging, report it to the 1569 hotline.

Sources: The Nation, Bangchak, Ministry of Commerce

5. The THB45 rail fare cap is still aimed at 1 January

Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on 10 October that the ministry is speeding up a common ticketing system for Bangkok’s electric trains, targeting 1 January 2027. You would pay a THB17 entry fee once and no more than THB45 a trip, however many lines you use. The MRTA would run the central system and Krungthai Bank would split the fares between operators.

For foreigners, the useful detail is that it is meant to accept EMV contactless cards, so a foreign Visa or Mastercard should work at the gates. The Green Line, which still runs on Rabbit cards, is the line they need to bring in before launch. It is a target date, not a done deal, so keep your Rabbit card topped up for now.

Sources: Bangkok Post

Coming up this week

• Until 17 October, Bangkok: Bangkok International Festival of Dance & Music 2026
• Until 29 November, Bangkok: Performative Art Project #15 at BACC
• Until 13 October, Chiang Mai: The 5th Jazz & Wine at One Nimman
• Until 18 October, Bangkok: J-Licious Vegetarian Food Festival at ICONSIAM
• Until 18 October: Thailand Craft Beer Week 2026
• Until 18 October, Phuket: Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2026
• Until 13 October, Bangkok: The Weeknd: After Hours Til Dawn Tour, Bangkok
• 12 October, Phuket: CanCham Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner, Phuket
• 13 October, Bangkok: FCCT: A Conversation with EU Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis
• 14 October, Bangkok: Skål Bangkok Networking Luncheon (October)

There is more on the calendar, including the American Fair in Chiang Mai (16 to 18 October) and the Pattana Triathlon in Pattaya (17 to 18 October). See all events.

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Week of October 5, 2026

The floods ran the week again. Bangkok started to drain, the money help opened up (mostly for Thai ID holders), and the weather department has a second round of heavy rain lined up through 13 October. Away from the water, fuel went up again and the nominee checks reached foreign embassies.

1. More heavy rain is forecast for Bangkok until 13 October

The Meteorological Department has heavy to very heavy rain in places across Bangkok, the Central region, the East and the upper South on 5 and 6 October. Bangkok gets a breather of scattered storms on 7 and 8 October. Then a fresh push of high pressure from China brings more rain to the East, the Central region, Bangkok and the South from 9 to 13 October, again heavy to very heavy in places.

The timing is bad because the canals are still close to full and the ground is saturated, so even a short storm can flood low-lying sois. On 4 October Governor Chadchart said water in Rom Klao and Lat Krabang had fallen 50cm, and he does not expect a repeat of last week. Nationally, 27 provinces were still flooded on 4 October, with water rising in Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Ang Thong, Suphan Buri and Chachoengsao.

If you live in the east of the city or near a canal, I would plan for one more wet week and keep the car on high ground. Our monsoon and flash-flood safety guide covers what to do before and after water gets in.

Sources: Thai Meteorological Department, Thai Post, Nation Thailand

2. Flood cash aid opens on the Thang Rath app, paid to a Thai ID

Registration for the government flood payment opened on the Thang Rath app on 2 October, and 702,217 households had signed up by 3 October, 343,545 of them in Bangkok. It pays THB9,000 per household if your main home flooded and was damaged, or stayed under water for more than seven days. It pays THB5,000 if floodwater surrounded your home, high-rises included, and you could not live normally for more than seven days.

It covers flooding from 15 May to 30 September in declared zones, and you can also apply through your local administration office. The money goes to PromptPay linked to a Thai national ID, and Bangkok’s separate BMA scheme asks for a national ID and house registration.

Nothing published says a foreigner without a Thai ID can claim. If your Thai partner is on the house registration, they are the one who should apply.

Sources: Nation Thailand, Nation Thailand

3. The state disaster insurance is live, but not for last week’s flood

The government’s free household disaster insurance took effect on 1 October and runs until 1 October 2027, with the state paying the premium. It pays up to THB10,000 upfront for flood damage, or THB5,000 for a storm or earthquake, then up to THB90,000 more after an assessment, to a maximum of THB100,000 per household.

It only pays in assistance zones declared from 1 October onwards, and areas declared before then stay under the old compensation rules. It covers homes and their fixtures, not offices or shops, and you will need to register your details and a bank account to get paid.

For renters with a clear lease, the government says the first payment and the claim for damage to the building are assessed separately for the tenant and the owner. No announcement mentions nationality, so whether foreigners qualify is still unconfirmed, and I would treat your own home or contents policy as the real protection.

Our flood cleanup and compensation guide walks through the claims you can make.

Sources: Government Public Relations Department, Department of Local Administration

4. Fuel goes up another THB0.75 a litre

OR and Bangchak raised petrol, gasohol and diesel by THB0.75 a litre from 5am on 2 October. In Bangkok that leaves Gasohol 95 at THB40.69, Gasohol 91 at THB40.32, E20 at THB35.69 and regular diesel at THB42.19, while premium grades did not change.

It is the second diesel rise in nine days after 24 September, and provincial pumps differ slightly because of local tax. If you are budgeting for a car, our cost of owning a car breakdown shows where fuel sits against everything else.

Sources: Nation Thailand, Bangchak

5. Details of 100,000+ foreign-linked companies go to 43 embassies

The Department of Business Development has sent 43 embassies details of more than 100,000 Thai limited companies with foreign directors or shareholders, covering 48 nationalities and grouped by foreign shareholding. Director-General Poonpong Naiyanapakorn said being on the list does not mean a company has broken the law, and nobody has said what the embassies are expected to do with it.

Separately, about 2,100 firms show structures that point to possible nominee links, and more than 10,000 are under closer review. If you hold a house or land through a Thai company, make sure the Thai shareholders put in real money and the paperwork shows it. Our nominee crackdown guide explains what counts, and a condo in your own name under the foreign quota is not the target.

Sources: Thai Examiner

Coming up this week

• Until 17 October, Bangkok: Bangkok International Festival of Dance & Music 2026
• Until 11 October, Bangkok: Bangkok Climate Action Week 2026
• 6 to 7 October, Bangkok: Avenged Sevenfold: Asia Tour 2026 in Bangkok
• 7 October, Bangkok: BCCT Breakfast Briefing with the British Ambassador
• 7 October, Bangkok: AustCham Thailand October Sundowners
• 7 to 11 October, Bangkok: art bangkok 2026: The First Chapter
• 8 October, Bangkok: BCCT Insight: Foreign Investment and Property Ownership in Thailand
• 8 to 13 October, Chiang Mai: The 5th Jazz & Wine at One Nimman
• 10 to 18 October, Phuket: Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2026
• 11 to 13 October, Bangkok: The Weeknd: After Hours Til Dawn Tour, Bangkok

With rain forecast all week, check with the organiser before you head out. See all events.

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Week of September 28, 2026

This was the week the rain won. Days of downpours from 24 September flooded 25 provinces and every district of Bangkok, the Cabinet closed government offices for two days, and trains, canal boats and Khao Yai went down with them. The one story with no water in it is a status check on the THIM immigration app.

1. Floods reach 25 provinces and all 50 Bangkok districts

The disaster department’s count at 6am on 27 September put flooding in 25 provinces, with 174,803 households and 545,022 people affected. Bangkok adds another 52,000 households across all 50 districts. At least eight people have died: five in Sa Kaeo, two in Chanthaburi and one in Saraburi.

Bangkok’s flood came from the sky rather than the river. Parts of the city took over 300mm of rain from 24 September, and the worst of it sits in the east and along the canals:

• Eastern districts: Lat Krabang, Nong Chok and Min Buri.
• Canal-side homes: along the Saen Saep, Lat Phrao, Prawet Burirom and Prem Prachakorn canals, which are still full.
• Roads still flooded on 28 September: Ramkhamhaeng, Sena Nikhom, Srinagarindra, Lat Phrao, Ngam Wong Wan, Nakkila Laem Thong, Sihaburanukit, Nuan Chan and part of Phetchaburi.

Upriver it is a slower flood. Water from the north pushed Chao Phraya Dam releases to 1,850 cubic metres per second on 26 September, flooding low-lying land outside the embankments in Ayutthaya. Water was still rising in Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Suphan Buri and Sa Kaeo, and falling in Samut Prakan, Chanthaburi and Saraburi.

The Meteorological Department expects only scattered thunderstorms in Bangkok from 29 September to 3 October, and City Hall needs two to three dry days to drain. My read is that most Bangkok main roads clear by around 30 September or 1 October, the canal-side sois take longer, and the river provinces drag into October. Keep 1555 (Bangkok), 1784 (disaster department) and 1669 (medical) handy, and our flood safety guide covers what to do before and after water gets in.

Sources: Nation Thailand, Nation Thailand, Thai Meteorological Department

2. Flood holiday closes government offices in Bangkok and three provinces

At a special meeting on 27 September, the Cabinet made 28 and 29 September special holidays in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan. It covers government agencies, and private employers decide for themselves. Offices with essential duties or pre-booked appointments can still open, so I would call ahead before any immigration office visit.

The Bank of Thailand asked commercial banks to serve customers as normal on both days. Still, KBank, SCB and GSB closed 113 locations between them on 27 September, so check your branch first or use the app. Eight expressways stay toll-free until midnight on 29 September.

Sources: Nation Thailand, BBC Thai, Nation Thailand

3. Airports stay open as trains, boats and Khao Yai shut down

Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang kept operating with some delays, though Thai Airways had a baggage backlog of six to ten hours. Saen Saep canal boats and van routes heading east were suspended.

On 26 September the State Railway cancelled several Eastern Line services, including commuter trains to Chachoengsao, and both Red Line routes stopped for safety checks after a fault. Khao Yai National Park is closed indefinitely after floodwater washed away the bridge to the Haew Narok Waterfall viewpoint. The SRT hotline is 1690.

Sources: Thai Enquirer, Nation Thailand, Thai PBS World

4. Payment holidays for flooded borrowers, and state disaster insurance from 1 October

If you borrow from GSB or GHB and your home, residence or workplace is in a declared disaster zone, you can pause repayments for three months at 0% interest, or six months at GHB if the property is uninhabitable. GHB also offers repair loans up to THB300,000 at 1% to 1.99% a year, and GSB has emergency loans up to THB20,000.

The state disaster insurance runs from 1 October 2026 to 1 October 2027, with flood payouts from THB10,000 up to THB100,000 per home per event. It will not cover floods before 1 October, cover is tied to homes under civil registration, and the death benefit is for Thai nationals only. Nobody has confirmed whether foreign-owned condos or renters qualify, so your own home or contents insurance is still your real protection.

Sources: Nation Thailand, Nation Thailand

5. The THIM app still only handles the arrival card

Immigration Bureau commissioner Pol Lt Gen Panumas Boonyalug said on 26 September that the THIM app currently gives access to the Thailand Digital Arrival Card, which you can still file on the bureau’s website. Queue booking, certificates of stay, visa extensions, 90-day reporting and visa on arrival are planned, with no date given.

Until the app actually offers it, I would keep filing your 90-day report and extensions the usual way.

Sources: Bangkok Post

Coming up this week

• Through Oct 17, Bangkok: Bangkok International Festival of Dance & Music 2026
• Through Nov 29, Bangkok: Performative Art Project #15 at BACC
• Sep 28, Bangkok: FCCT: Foreign Ground, Land, Law and Belonging in Thailand
• Sep 29-Oct 3, Bangkok: World Gourmet Festival 2026
• Oct 1-4, Bangkok: Thailand Mobile Expo 2026
• Oct 2-3, Pattaya: International Tattoo Amazing Fest Pattaya 2026
• Oct 2, Bangkok: Royal Barge Procession 2026: October Rehearsal
• Oct 2-3, Bangkok: 808 Festival 2026
• Oct 2-4, Koh Samui: Samui Oktoberfest 2026
• Oct 3-11, Bangkok: Bangkok Climate Action Week 2026

Plus more on the events page. See all events.