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 a day: July 2 · June 29 · June 22
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July 2, 2026
Heavy rain triggers flood and landslide warnings through July 5
If you are anywhere in the north, the east, or down the Andaman coast this week, keep an eye on the sky. The Thai Meteorological Department has warned of heavy to very heavy rain across much of the country through July 5, with a real risk of flash floods and runoff near hills and low-lying areas.
Phuket already saw roads flood on July 1, and the warning stretches across provinces from Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son down to Krabi and Trang. Out at sea, waves in the upper Andaman are running 2 to 3 metres, so any ferry or island trip is worth double-checking before you set off.
The usual rainy-season habits apply: give yourself extra time and take it slow if you are riding a motorbike on wet roads. Flooding here usually drains within a few hours once the rain eases, but that first hour of a downpour is when most accidents happen.
Sources: Thai Meteorological Department, Khaosod English
Week of June 29, 2026
A Bangkok election result, a crackdown spreading north to Chiang Mai, and Thailand picking up a global number two retirement ranking. Here is what matters this week.
This Week at a Glance
- Chadchart won a second term as Bangkok governor on Sunday, taking up to 75% of the vote.
- The nominee-business crackdown has reached Chiang Mai, with 6,551 companies under investigation nationwide.
- Forty-three provinces are on flood and landslide watch through July 3, Bangkok included.
- Thailand’s nine-month anti-scam campaign seized 24 billion baht and cut online crime cases by 69%.
- Thailand ranked second in the world for retirement abroad, with the joint-highest healthcare score in the index.
1. Chadchart wins Bangkok governor election by a landslide
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt won a second term on Sunday with 53 to 75% of the vote depending on which exit poll you read. His nearest rivals conceded early. It was a big result for anyone living in Bangkok because Chadchart ran almost entirely on city management, with flooding and traffic at the centre of his platform.
If you are in Bangkok or Pattaya and were confused by the dry bars this past weekend, that was the standard election alcohol ban running from 6pm Saturday to 6pm Sunday. It is lifted now.
Sources: Khaosod English, The Nation
2. Nominee crackdown reaches Chiang Mai, Phuket property market rattled
What started as targeted enforcement on Koh Phangan has now spread to Chiang Mai. A task force of 188 officials moved through the city this week, finding unlicensed hotels, ghost companies registered at addresses with no physical office, and businesses using Thai nominees to hold assets on behalf of foreigners. Authorities are now looking at 6,551 companies nationwide and have launched separate action against 140 accountants who helped set up nominee structures.
In Phuket, property lawyers and agents are reporting deals stalling as buyers who relied on nominee setups pause or pull back. If your business or property is held through a Thai company, it is worth getting a legal review right now, whether that means restructuring toward a properly registered company or finding another arrangement.
Sources: Bangkok Post, Thai Examiner, The Nation
3. Monsoon puts 43 provinces on flood watch through July 3
Thailand’s disaster agency has placed 43 provinces under flood and landslide alerts through July 3, covering the North, Northeast, Central region, East coast, and the Andaman coast. Bangkok and the surrounding area are included. Tropical Storm Mekkhala is tracking toward Taiwan and will not hit Thailand directly, but the moisture it has pushed into the region is intensifying the existing monsoon.
If you live near a river, on a hillside, or on a street that floods easily, keep an eye on local alerts. The Andaman coast faces additional rough seas with waves forecast at two to three metres. If you ride a motorcycle, this is the season to slow down and give yourself extra braking distance on wet roads.
Sources: The Nation, The Nation
4. Nine-month scam crackdown: 24 billion baht seized, crime down 69%
The government this week released results from its nine-month campaign against online scam gangs and cross-border call centres. Reported online crime cases dropped 69.2%, financial losses fell 87.3%, 122,840 fraudulent websites were shut, and 300,000 suspicious phone numbers were blocked. Around 29,000 suspects were arrested, including more than 70 high-level gang leaders.
Separately, nine people were arrested in an operation called Cut Down Scam 2 targeting personal data trafficking, with losses linked to the ring estimated at over 2 billion baht. A new regional intelligence-sharing system called SHIELD is also being rolled out this month, connecting Thailand with 10 or more partner countries to tighten coordination across borders.
Sources: The Nation, Asian News Network
5. Thailand ranked second best country in the world to retire abroad
Thailand placed second in this year’s global retirement index, scoring 77 out of 100, just one point behind the Philippines. It recorded the joint-highest healthcare score in the entire index alongside Spain and France, with Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket all cited for their internationally recognised private hospital networks. On health insurance requirements, Thailand scored a perfect 20 out of 20.
That top health insurance score reflects the mandatory conditions built into the Non-Immigrant O-A retirement visa, which requires cover of at least $100,000 per policy per year. If that requirement feels steep, the Non-O visa gets you the same retirement pathway without the mandatory insurance condition.
Source: Daily Mail
Week of June 22, 2026
Here’s what actually happened this week that touches life here. Skim the ones that apply to you.
This Week at a Glance
- Immigration is checking for physical cash on entry: 10,000 THB per person or 20,000 THB per family, and a banking app screen may not cut it.
- The Cambodia land border is still shut, so a ground-level border run there is off the table.
- Flash-flood warnings cover June 21 to 26 across the North, Northeast, East and South.
- Private hospital deposits keep climbing, 50,000 to 200,000 THB upfront for planned procedures, so check what your insurance covers.
- Dengue season is ramping up, so clear standing water around your place and use repellent.
1. Immigration is checking for physical cash at the border
Immigration officers have started actually checking proof of funds when you land, something most of us never used to think about. For a general visit the baseline is 10,000 THB per person or 20,000 THB per family, and for some visa categories it doubles to 20,000 per person or 40,000 per family.
The part that catches people out is that they now want to see real money. A balance on your banking app has been waved away as not enough on its own, so cash in hand, whether baht, dollars, euros or pounds, is what satisfies them.
You probably won’t get stopped, but if you fly in and out it’s worth keeping some notes on you. It’s a cheap way to skip an awkward conversation at the desk.
Sources: Travel And Tour World, Thaiger
2. The Cambodia land border is still closed
If a Cambodia border run is part of your routine, cross it off for now. Every official land crossing between Thailand and Cambodia has stayed shut since the conflict flared in June 2025, and while the ceasefire is holding, it’s fragile and the crossings haven’t reopened to normal traffic.
That means the old Cambodia hop for a quick visa reset isn’t an option on the ground. You’ll need to fly out, or pick a different neighbour for your run.
Whatever you decide, check your embassy’s security alerts before you go anywhere near that border.
Sources: U.S. Embassy Thailand, Wikipedia
3. Flash-flood warnings run through June 26
The southwest monsoon is in full swing, and the weather service has flagged 21 to 26 June for isolated heavy rain across the North, upper Northeast, East and South. The real danger isn’t the rain itself, it’s water building up fast enough to cause flash floods and overflows.
If you live near foothills, waterways or low-lying ground, keep an eye on local alerts and don’t leave anything valuable where water collects. Bangkok gets rain most days this month too, so expect the usual streets to flood briefly after the big downpours.
Source: Thai Meteorological Department
4. Private hospital deposits keep climbing
Thai private hospitals keep asking for bigger deposits before they’ll treat you. A planned procedure now typically wants 50,000 to 200,000 THB upfront, and major surgery can run as high as 800,000 THB. Even a single night in a premium private room in Bangkok or Pattaya is 28,000 to 52,000 THB before any treatment.
If you hold an O-A or O-X retirement visa you’re already required to carry insurance, but plenty of people are underinsured for what these places actually charge.
This is a good week to pull up your policy and check two things: your inpatient limit, and whether the hospital bills your insurer directly or makes you pay and claim back. Sorting that out now beats discovering the gap at the admissions desk.
Sources: Pattaya Mail, Thaiger
5. Dengue season is ramping up
Dengue climbs every wet season, roughly June through October, and Bangkok and other built-up areas are the usual hotspots. The mosquitoes that carry it don’t need much to breed: a clogged drain, a plant saucer, a forgotten bucket, a puddle on a building site.
So walk around your place and tip out anything holding water, and keep repellent handy in the evenings. There’s no specific cure for dengue, and it can genuinely knock you flat, so don’t shrug off a sudden high fever, body aches or a rash. Avoiding the bite is the whole game.
Sources: Chiang Rai Times, Nation Thailand
6. The baht is sitting near 33 to the dollar
The baht has drifted to around 32.88 to the dollar as of 19 June, a touch weaker over the past month. Nothing dramatic, but it’s a slightly friendlier rate for anyone moving money in from abroad than we’ve seen lately.
If you’ve been sitting on a transfer or waiting to top up a Thai account, this is a reasonable window. A multi-currency service like Wise usually beats the spread you’ll get at the bank counter.
Sources: Trading Economics, Bank of Thailand
7. The THIM app still doesn’t do your 90-day report
There’s been plenty of buzz about Thailand’s THIM app handling immigration tasks from your phone, but don’t get ahead of it. As of early June it still isn’t doing the 90-day report, and that feature is pencilled in for Phase 2 around October.
So keep filing your 90-day report the way you always have, whether that’s in person, by mail, or through the existing online system. Your window is 15 days before to 7 days after the due date, and missing it means a 2,000 THB fine plus hassle on your next extension.
Sources: Thailand Starter Kit, Thai Law Online
8. Cannabis is still prescription-only
A year on from the reclassification, cannabis flower is still a controlled herb, and buying it legally means getting a PT 33 prescription from a licensed Thai practitioner. The free-for-all is well and truly over: roughly 40% of the shops that opened during the boom have already closed.
If you use it, the casual walk-in-and-buy era is gone. Go through a licensed clinic and you’ll stay on the right side of the rules.
Sources: Cannabis For Thailand, Terms.law
9. Thailand’s first virtual banks launch this year
Thailand’s first virtual banks are due to go live around mid-2026: three app-only banks backed by big names like SCB X and TrueMoney, running entirely through your phone with no branches.
It’s early days, and the terms for foreigners aren’t confirmed yet, so there’s nothing to act on today. It’s worth watching, though, because app-first banking could eventually spare us the branch-by-branch paperwork grind that opening an account currently involves.
Source: Chiang Rai Times
10. PromptPay is now the default way to pay
PromptPay, Thailand’s QR payment system, is now running around 75 million transactions a day, and shops, markets and taxis increasingly expect it. Once you’re set up, it’s the single biggest day-to-day convenience upgrade you’ll get here.
If you have a Thai bank account, link PromptPay to it. Paying becomes a quick scan instead of a hunt for cash, and transfers between people land instantly and for free.
Sources: The Finest Thai, Wise