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: October 9 · October 8 · October 7 · October 5 · Week of October 5 · Week of September 28 · Week of September 21 · Week of September 14 · Week of September 7 · Week of August 31

Advertisement: Looking for expat health insurance in Thailand? Cigna Healthcare offers plans built specifically for expats worldwide. Get a free quote here.

On the Radar: Rule Changes Not Yet Live

Changes that have been announced but are not in effect yet. We re-check these every week so you do not act on a rule that has not actually landed. Last reviewed October 5, 2026.

  • Cannabis for medical use only: Cabinet approved the bill on 22 September and it now goes to the House of Representatives. It still has to pass Parliament and reach the Royal Gazette, so current rules apply until then, and existing shop licences can run until 2028 at the latest.
  • THIM immigration app: still only handles the arrival card. The Immigration Bureau says queue booking, extensions and 90-day reporting are planned but has given no date, so keep filing those the usual way.
  • THB450 arrival fee: proposed. The public hearing closed on 28 September and the draft goes back to the committee and then Cabinet. Target start is early 2027, air arrivals first, and it is still unclear whether long-term visa and work-permit holders will be exempt. Nothing to pay yet.
  • THB45 Bangkok rail fare cap: targeted for 1 January 2027, with anything over THB45 refunded within three working days. It still needs legislation and deals with the operators, so treat the date as a target.
  • Tax on foreign income you remit: the proposed exemption (bring it in the same or next year and pay no tax) is still a draft and stalled ahead of the election. The 2024 rule that taxes remitted foreign income is what is live, so plan around that.
  • Electricity tariff: the September rate caps the first 200 units at THB3 a unit and brings the average to about THB3.89, and it lands on your mid-October bill, so check the per-unit figure when it arrives. The separate tiered hike for homes over 400 units is still parked.
  • Tougher nominee-business law: enforcement is live and widening, and details of more than 100,000 foreign-linked companies have now gone to 43 embassies. The stricter legal definitions and higher penalties are still only proposed.
  • Excise tax on imported EVs: a rise from about 10% to around 30% for fully imported EVs was agreed in principle on 10 September, but no final rate or start date has been published.

October 9, 2026

IMF-World Bank week shuts Queen Sirikit and gives Bangkok banks a day off on 16 October

The IMF and World Bank Group annual meetings run from 12 to 18 October at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, and the venue has now confirmed it’s closed to the public from 11 to 18 October, reopening on the 19th. Expect security checkpoints and roads closing on and off for motorcades around Ratchadaphisek, Sukhumvit, Rama IV and Asok Montri. If you’re anywhere near Asok that week, I’d take the MRT or BTS.

Friday 16 October is a special holiday in Bangkok for government staff and banks, so bank branches will be closed, though ATMs and mobile banking keep working. Bangkok government officials also work from home on 12, 14 and 15 October, and the 13th is a nationwide public holiday anyway. Agency heads can keep essential and pre-booked services running, but I’d call ahead before planning any government office visit in Bangkok that week.

Offices outside Bangkok keep normal hours apart from the 13th. Private companies set their own arrangements, so check with your employer.

Sources: The Nation, Royal Thai Government, The Nation (QSNCC closure)

Petrol and diesel up another THB0.75 a litre

PTT Station and Bangchak raised petrol, gasohol 91, gasohol 95 and standard diesel by THB0.75 a litre from 5am today, the second rise of that size in a week after the 2 October increase. PTT petrol now sits at THB50.43 a litre.

E20, B20 and the Super Power fuels haven’t moved. Our cost of owning a car guide has the rest of the running costs.

Sources: The Nation

October 8, 2026

Draft law would charge THB1,000 every time you fly out of Thailand

The Revenue Department has opened public comment, until 29 October, on a draft Departure Tax Act. It would charge travellers of every nationality THB1,000 each time they leave Thailand by air, so residents and long-stayers would pay it too. Leaving by land or sea stays exempt for now.

Airlines and ticket agents would collect it with the fare. The draft caps the rate at THB5,000 per departure and lets the ministry set the actual figure by regulation, so THB1,000 is a starting point, not a promise. Children aged two or under, transit passengers who stay airside and on-duty crew are exempt.

This is a proposal, not law. If it passes, it takes effect 180 days after publication in the Royal Gazette, and tickets bought before then aren’t taxed. It would sit on top of the THB1,120 international passenger service charge AOT has added to fares since 20 June.

Sources: The Nation, Daily News, TAT Newsroom

Heavy rain forecast for Greater Bangkok from Saturday to Monday

The Meteorological Department expects heavy rain in Greater Bangkok from Saturday 10 to Monday 12 October, with thunderstorms and hail possible from Friday through Tuesday as the rainy season winds down. It starts in the lower Northeast and the South on Friday and reaches Bangkok, the Central Plains and the East on Saturday.

Recommended Insurance for Thailand Expats

Cigna logo

With Cigna Global, you get a health insurance plan specially customised for Thailand expats. Here's EXACTLY what you get:

  • Annual coverage of 35,000,000 THB
  • Choices of hospitals, including Bumrungrad Hospital and Bangkok Hospital
  • Full coverage for cancer treatment, ICU, and transplants
  • Flexibility to create your own plan
  • Tailored medical support
  • Direct billing
  • Fast claim processing
  • Worldwide emergency coverage
  • Global network of more than 2 million healthcare providers
Advertisement

If your soi floods easily, I’d move the car to higher ground on Friday night and plan weekend trips around the BTS and MRT. Our flash flood safety guide covers what to do if the water comes up fast.

Sources: Bangkok Post

October 7, 2026

Hospitals told to stock a week of medicines before more rain in the South

The Ministry of Public Health has ordered hospitals to keep at least seven days of medicines, drinking water and oxygen, plus 10 days of food, ahead of more rain forecast for the South next week. Dr Sophon Iamsirithaworn, deputy permanent secretary for public health, said the order follows the forecast and lessons from last year’s Hat Yai floods.

Some care is already disrupted. A ministry survey of 157 healthcare facilities in 23 flood-hit provinces found 88 working normally, 14 partly closed and 55 temporarily closed. If you live in the South and take regular medication, I’d pick up a refill now and call ahead before heading to a clinic or hospital.

The ministry also warned about leptospirosis from floodwater: wash thoroughly after wading, check for cuts, and see a doctor for a high fever, headache, red eyes or jaundice. Don’t use appliances that have been soaked when you get home. Our flash flood safety guide covers the rest.

Sources: Bangkok Post

Egg exports cut by up to half to keep supply at home after floods

The Commerce Ministry’s Internal Trade Department has asked egg exporters to delay shipments by two to three weeks and cut volumes by 30 to 50 percent, so more eggs stay on the domestic market while flood damage hits supply. Exporters have agreed.

Some small shops have already raised egg prices, and the department says it is checking whether their costs actually went up. It’s also asking people not to stock up. If you spot a shop overcharging, the department takes complaints on the 1569 hotline.

Sources: Ministry of Commerce, Bangkok Post

October 5, 2026

Flood-damaged cars get repair discounts, and 50 health facilities are shut

If your car sat in floodwater, the Department of Land Transport has lined up 29 carmakers and service centres to help. Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Sunday the deal covers up to 30% off spare parts, up to 40% off labour and free vehicle inspections. I’d get the inspection done first, and check what your car insurance covers before paying for anything.

Free parking at eight MRTA sites, including the parking buildings at Khu Khot, Min Buri and Bang Yai, now runs until 9 October. Don Mueang airport has also opened its Cargo Warehouse 4 area as free parking for people living in flood-risk areas.

Healthcare is the bigger worry outside Bangkok. Flooding has hit 141 healthcare facilities in 18 provinces and forced 50 to suspend services, Public Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr Somlerk Jeungsmarn said on Sunday, with water still up in 25 provinces. Call ahead before going in for a refill or a check-up.

Sources: Bangkok Post

Thai Airways is back to its normal flight schedule

Thai Airways returned to normal operations on Saturday 3 October, after the Bangkok floods left passengers and bags stranded. Transport Minister Phiphat said the airline had processed all stranded passengers and aimed to get delayed baggage back to everyone by Saturday night.

If your bag still hasn’t turned up, chase it with the airline now rather than waiting for it to appear.

Sources: Bangkok Post

Weekly Roundups

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.

This Week at a Glance

  • Heavy rain returns to Bangkok on 5 and 6 October, eases on 7 and 8 October, then comes back from 9 to 13 October.
  • Registration for the THB5,000 to THB9,000 flood payment opened on the Thang Rath app, but it pays to a Thai national ID.
  • The state household disaster insurance went live on 1 October and does not cover areas declared before that date.
  • Petrol, gasohol and diesel went up THB0.75 a litre on 2 October.
  • Details of more than 100,000 foreign-linked companies have gone to 43 embassies as the nominee checks widen.

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

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

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.

This Week at a Glance

  • Floods hit 25 provinces and all 50 Bangkok districts, with at least eight deaths, and the heavy rain is forecast to ease from 29 September.
  • Government offices in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan closed on 28 and 29 September, while banks were asked to stay open.
  • Both Bangkok airports kept running, but Eastern Line trains, Saen Saep boats and Khao Yai National Park were shut down.
  • GSB and GHB offer three-month repayment holidays in declared disaster zones, and the state disaster insurance starts on 1 October.
  • The THIM app still only handles the arrival card, with no date for 90-day reporting or extensions.

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

Plus more on the events page. See all events.

Week of September 21, 2026

This was a week of costs and rules landing at once. Pump prices climbed for the third time this month while the government began unwinding the fuel subsidy, revised emergency-care rules redrew who pays your hospital bill after 72 hours, and the weight-loss pens many people buy over the counter now need a prescription. Bangkok also put real numbers on its THB45 train fare cap, and the Revenue Department signalled it is coming for online sellers.

This Week at a Glance

  • Petrol, gasohol and diesel rose another THB0.85 a litre on 15 September, and the transitional support holding diesel down expires on 24 September.
  • Revised emergency-care rules set what a hospital must do in your first 72 hours and hand the bill back to you after that.
  • Injectable GLP-1 weight-loss pens became specially controlled drugs on 15 September and now need a doctor’s prescription.
  • Bangkok’s THB45 rail fare cap is targeted for 1 January, with anything over THB45 refunded within three working days.
  • The Revenue Department is using data analytics to bring online sellers and content creators into the tax net.

1. Pump prices rose again as the fuel subsidy starts to unwind

Anyone who drives has felt it. Petrol, gasohol and diesel all went up THB0.85 a litre on 15 September, the third rise this month, leaving diesel around THB40.69 and gasohol 95 at THB39.94. What matters more is the direction of travel. The Oil Fuel Fund is roughly THB80 billion in deficit and could reach THB100 billion by October, and the transitional support that has kept diesel down expires on 24 September.

No new price ceiling has been set, so I would plan for pump prices to keep drifting up rather than settle. If you run a car or a motorbike as your main transport, this is the kind of line worth checking against your own monthly cost of living instead of assuming last year’s figure still holds.

Sources: Nation Thailand, Nation Thailand

2. New emergency-care rules cover your first 72 hours in hospital

The Cabinet approved revised rules for critical emergency patients on 15 September. A hospital now has to treat a genuine emergency immediately, cannot make that treatment conditional on payment, and must keep treating you until you are out of danger or 72 hours have passed. The 72-hour clock starts at the first hospital and does not reset if you are transferred.

The catch is what happens after those 72 hours, when the bill moves to your statutory health fund, the responsible agency, or you, and any motor-accident, health or life cover you hold is expected to pay first. You can contest a triage decision within 90 days, and if the appeal agrees you qualified, the hospital refunds what it charged. It is a plain reminder of why decent private health cover earns its place here.

Sources: Nation Thailand

3. Weight-loss pens now need a prescription

From 15 September, the injectable GLP-1 medicines sold as weight-loss pens, including semaglutide and liraglutide, are specially controlled drugs. A pharmacy can only sell them against a doctor’s prescription, and a pharmacist has to be the one to dispense them. The FDA pointed to people using them for weight loss with no medical assessment, along with counterfeits and products of unknown origin.

If you already get yours through a doctor, nothing changes for you. What has ended is buying them off the shelf, and you can check any box’s serial number in the Track and Trace menu on the FDA website before you trust it. If you bring your own supply in from abroad, our guide to bringing medicine into Thailand covers the paperwork.

Sources: Nation Thailand, Bangkok Post

4. Bangkok’s THB45 train fare cap gets a mechanism

Officials filled in how the THB45 fare cap will work on 17 September, with a target start of 1 January. You will pay the normal distance fare at the gate, and anything above THB45 comes back to you within three working days through the Pao Tang app or the card you tapped in with. The boarding fee is capped at THB17, and there is no second boarding fee when you change lines.

The new gates will accept contactless credit and debit cards as well as Mangmoom cards. Two things are still open: whether a foreign card without Pao Tang receives the refund, and whether the 1 January date holds, since the legislation and revenue-sharing talks with the line operators are not finished. Treat it as a target rather than a promise. Our guide to getting around Bangkok has the current fares in the meantime.

Sources: Bangkok Post, Royal Thai Government

5. The Revenue Department is targeting online sellers

The Revenue Department is widening its push to bring online sellers and content creators into the tax net, leaning on data analytics to match trading income to the people earning it. If part of your income comes from selling online or from content, assume it is more visible than it used to be.

Two related moves are already in force. The duty exemption on imported parcels under THB1,500 is gone, so cheap overseas orders can now attract duty, and vehicle excise tax has been restructured around carbon dioxide emissions. A THB1,000 outbound travel tax on Thai nationals is still only under discussion. If you are unsure whether any of this reaches you, start with whether you need to file a Thai tax return at all.

Sources: Bangkok Post

Coming up this week

Plus more on the events page. See all events.

Week of September 14, 2026

This was the week the visa rules everyone had been watching finally bit. From 15 September the visa-exemption stay drops to 30 days, and the same day Sri Lanka comes off the visa-free list. The rest of the week was about pressure being applied: a nationwide cross-check of who really owns the land inside Thai companies, the first two uses of the new deportation rule, and tougher work-permit inspections. Fuel kept climbing too, though the government is quietly holding diesel down.

This Week at a Glance

  • The visa-exemption stay drops from 60 days to 30 on 15 September, land-border entries are capped at twice a year, and Sri Lankan passport holders lose visa-free entry entirely.
  • A permanent cross-check of the company and land registries has flagged 36,277 foreign-linked firms holding land and 7,082 holding condos, and high-nominee-risk registrations have fallen 81.77% in a year.
  • Thailand’s new deportation rule was used for the first time, twice on Koh Samui, both on the vague public-order ground.
  • Work-permit inspections are stepping up nationwide, and 27 occupations stay completely closed to foreigners.
  • Petrol rose again on 9 September, but the government has extended a THB2.40 cut to the wholesale diesel price through 31 October.

1. The visa-exemption stay drops to 30 days on 15 September

The change we have been flagging for weeks is now locked in. Four Interior Ministry announcements gazetted on 31 August take effect on 15 September, cutting the visa-free stay from 60 days to 30 for 60 countries and territories, including the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Japan and all 27 EU states. The same package removes Sri Lanka from the exemption list entirely, so Sri Lankan passport holders now need an e-Visa before they travel.

The part that reshapes daily life is at the land borders, where the 30-day exemption can generally be used no more than twice a calendar year. If you have been hopping across a border to reset your stay, that habit no longer works, and the fix is a proper visa rather than another run. Anyone holding an actual visa, whether retirement, marriage, Non-B, DTV, LTR or Privilege, is untouched, and if you entered before 15 September you keep the stay you were given. Our guide to border runs walks through what still works.

Sources: TAT Newsroom, Nation Thailand

2. The property nominee crackdown now has real numbers

On 4 September the Commerce and Interior Ministries agreed to permanently link the company registry, the land registry and provincial records and keep cross-checking them, rather than run one-off sweeps. The first pass flagged 36,277 foreign-linked companies holding land, across more than a million rai, plus 7,082 holding some 76,840 condo units, concentrated in Bangkok and the tourist provinces.

The pressure is already showing in the numbers. The government says high-nominee-risk company registrations fell from 894 in August 2025 to 163 a year later, a drop of 81.77 percent. Being on the list is not an accusation, and plenty of these are genuine joint ventures, but investigators can now trace former shareholders and who actually funded each purchase. If you own a condo in your own name under the Condominium Act’s 49 percent foreign quota, that is the legal route and it is not the target; if your property sits inside a company, this is the year to make the structure genuinely clean. Our guide to the nominee crackdown covers where the line falls.

Sources: Bangkok Post, Thai Examiner

3. The new deportation rule got its first two uses

The deportation regulation that took effect on 28 August was used for the first time this week. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed orders against an Israeli national on 5 September and a French national on 7 September, both after minor convictions on Koh Samui.

What stands out is that neither order used the regulation’s list of serious criminal grounds. Both leaned on the separate, undefined ground of conduct “contrary to public order, good morals or public welfare.” Both are orders rather than confirmed removals, and no re-entry ban has been reported in either case. The point worth knowing is that there is a right of appeal to the Prime Minister within seven days of being notified, under the 1956 Deportation Act, so an order is not the final word.

Sources: Nation Thailand, Bangkok Post

4. Work-permit inspections are stepping up

The Department of Employment says it inspected 888,620 foreign workers this fiscal year and prosecuted 5,330, and it is pushing the checks harder. Nothing in the law changed; the enforcement intensity did. Twenty-seven occupations stay completely closed to foreigners, including driving for hire, tour guiding, traditional Thai massage, hairdressing and street vending.

Your work permit covers one named job with one named employer, so doing work outside what is written on it is treated the same as having no permit at all, with fines from THB5,000 to THB50,000 plus deportation and a two-year ban. Separately, the company running the e-WorkPermit platform is in a payment dispute with the government on top of a processing backlog, so if you have a renewal in the pipeline, do not leave it to the last week. Our guide to the work permit sets out what a valid permit actually covers.

Sources: Nation Thailand, Hua Hin Today

5. Petrol rose again, but diesel is being held down

Anyone who drives felt the second pump rise in a week. Petrol and gasohol went up again on 9 September, putting gasohol 95 at THB39.09 a litre, up THB1.40 across the two increases. Diesel went the other way: the government has extended a THB2.40-a-litre cut to the wholesale, ex-refinery price through 31 October, using refinery excess profits to stop diesel climbing with it.

That is a cap at the wholesale level, not a discount at the pump, so it holds the line rather than lowering what you pay. August inflation also hit a three-month high of 2.53 percent on fuel and food, so it is worth checking these lines against your own cost of living each month, especially if you live on foreign income.

Sources: Nation Thailand, Nation Thailand

Coming up this week

Plus more on the events page. See all events.

Week of September 7, 2026

The visa story people have been asking about for months finally landed this week. The 60-day exemption is gazetted and its last day is 15 September, and the embassies handing out the Destination Thailand Visa are quietly asking for more paperwork. The rest of the week was the ordinary run of rainy-season life here: heavier fuel bills, flooded roads up north, and a fresh wave of Covid that is wide but not severe.

This Week at a Glance

  • The 60-day visa exemption is now gazetted and ends on 15 September, dropping to 30 days for 60 countries and territories, with land-border entries capped at twice a year.
  • The London and Los Angeles missions now want a police clearance certificate for a DTV, on top of proof of permanent residence.
  • Regular diesel and B20 rose THB0.75 a litre on 2 September, and petrol and most gasohol grades rose THB0.60.
  • The TMD warned of heavy rain and flash floods across the North and Northeast from 4 to 7 September, with the Mekong provinces watching river levels climb.
  • Covid cases are rising again, but the health department says the current strain spreads more easily without causing worse illness.

1. The 60-day visa exemption is gazetted and ends on 15 September

The change we have been telling you to watch the Gazette for is now real. Four Interior Ministry announcements were published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August and take effect 15 days later, so from 15 September the visa-free stay drops from 60 days to 30 for 60 countries and territories, including the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Japan and all 27 EU states. Mauritius and Seychelles get 15 days.

The part that changes daily life most is buried in the fine print. At land checkpoints you can generally use the 30-day exemption no more than twice a calendar year, which closes the old habit of hopping across a border to reset your stay. If that is how you have been staying in Thailand, read our guide to border runs and plan a proper visa instead. Anyone holding an actual visa is untouched, and if you enter before 15 September you keep the full stay you were given.

Sources: TAT Newsroom, Nation Thailand

2. The DTV now wants a police certificate at more embassies

If you are planning a Destination Thailand Visa, the document list is getting longer, one mission at a time. London updated its checklist on 31 August to require a police clearance certificate issued within the last six months, on top of proof of permanent residence, across all three DTV tracks. Los Angeles did the same on 1 September, asking for an FBI criminal certificate issued within three months.

It is not a single nationwide rule yet. The Ho Chi Minh City consulate still asks only for a document showing where you are, with no criminal record check at all, so what you need genuinely depends on where you file. Read the page of the embassy you will actually apply through in the week you apply, not a checklist from a month ago. If you already hold a DTV, none of this reaches you, and our guide to the DTV tracks the current picture.

Sources: Royal Thai Embassy, London, Royal Thai Consulate-General, Los Angeles

3. Fuel prices went up at the pump

Anyone who drives felt this one. From 5am on 2 September, PTT and Bangchak raised regular diesel and B20 by THB0.75 a litre, and petrol and most gasohol grades by THB0.60. After the rise, gasohol 91 sits around THB37.92 and regular diesel around THB39.14 a litre.

It is a small move on its own, but pump prices feed straight into transport and delivery costs, so it is one of the lines worth keeping an eye on in your monthly cost of living.

Sources: Nation Thailand

4. Heavy rain and flash floods hit the North and Northeast

The rainy season is at full tilt. The Thai Meteorological Department warned of heavy to very heavy rain and flash floods across the North and Northeast from 4 to 7 September, driven by a monsoon trough over the upper part of the country. Along the Mekong, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Nakhon Phanom and Mukdahan were watching river levels rise by up to nearly five metres, enough to put low-lying ground on the bank under water.

Bangkok was not in the main warning zone, but if you had a road trip north or northeast over the weekend, the low-lying routes were the ones to avoid. Our flash-flood safety guide covers what to actually do when the water comes up fast.

Sources: Thai Meteorological Department, Nation Thailand

5. Covid is climbing again, but not getting worse

The Department of Disease Control logged 99,691 Covid cases and 15 deaths between January and the end of August, a fatality rate of 0.02 percent. The dominant Omicron subvariant spreads more easily but has not caused more severe illness, and fourteen of the fifteen deaths were people over 60 with underlying conditions.

Flu is doing the rounds at the same time, so the usual rainy-season respiratory season applies. If you are older or higher-risk, the sensible move is to skip crowded, poorly ventilated rooms where you can, and know where you would go if you needed care. Our overview of the healthcare system here is a good starting point.

Sources: Nation Thailand

Coming up this week

Plus more on the events page. See all events.

Week of August 31, 2026

A week that was all about tightening the rules for foreigners. A new deportation procedure went live, the Destination Thailand Visa got harder to get and riskier to misuse, and the long-running arrival fee opened a door for us to comment. On the money side, VAT was locked in for another year.

This Week at a Glance

  • Thailand’s new deportation regulation took effect on 28 August, standardising how foreigners who break existing law are removed.
  • Several embassies now want proof of permanent residence for a DTV, and six instructors were arrested on Koh Tao for working on one without a permit.
  • The 60-day visa exemption is still 60 days: the cut to 30 is approved but not yet gazetted.
  • The THB450 arrival fee opened for public comment until 28 September, and foreigners can respond.
  • The 7 percent VAT rate was locked in by royal decree through 30 September 2027.

1. The new deportation rule is now in force

The Prime Minister’s Office Regulation on Deportation took effect on 28 August. It creates no new offences. What it does is give the state one faster, standardised procedure for removing foreigners who break laws that were already on the books, or whose conduct is judged contrary to public order or good morals.

Two of the six grounds reach ordinary residents rather than career criminals: working without a permit, and running a business without the right licence. That is the same ground the nominee-company campaign has been working through all month. If your visa is valid, your work permit matches what you actually do, and your company is properly licensed, nothing here changes for you. If one of those has drifted, this is the year to fix it.

Sources: Government Public Relations Department, Nation Thailand, Bangkok Post

2. The DTV got harder to get and riskier to misuse

Two things shifted for the Destination Thailand Visa. At the application stage, several Thai embassies now want proof of permanent residence in the country where you apply. The Royal Thai Embassy in London, for one, has required proof of permanent residence in the UK, Ireland or a British Overseas Territory since 31 August, so check your own embassy before planning to apply from a third country.

Once you are here, the visa still does not cover paid work for a Thai business. Immigration arrested six foreign scuba instructors on Koh Tao on 20 August, all on DTVs, for teaching without work permits. Genuine remote work for overseas clients is fine; local paid work is not, and it carries a fine of THB5,000 to THB50,000 plus deportation. Our guide to the DTV covers what the visa does and does not allow.

Sources: Royal Thai Embassy, London, Divernet, Bangkok Post

3. The 60-day visa exemption is still 60 days, for now

The change people keep asking about has not happened yet. The Cabinet approved cutting visa-free entry from 60 days to 30 for most nationalities, with 15 days for a couple of countries, but the Interior Ministry announcements only take effect 15 days after they appear in the Royal Gazette, and that has not been published.

Until it is, you still get the full 60 days on arrival, and anyone already in the country keeps their current balance. If you rely on visa-free entry or the occasional border run, watch the Gazette over the next few weeks rather than assuming either rule.

Sources: TAT Newsroom, Nation Thailand

4. You can comment on the THB450 arrival fee until 28 September

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has opened an online public hearing on the proposed THB450 fee on foreign arrivals, and it takes answers from foreigners as well as Thais. It closes on 28 September. The questionnaire asks whether you agree with the rate, which collection method you prefer, and whether the draft’s definition of a foreign tourist works, with a free-text box at the end.

The fee is still a proposal, earliest start early 2027, air arrivals first. Nothing published says whether long-stay visa holders, work-permit holders or permanent residents would be exempt, and one collection method under discussion is the Thai Digital Arrival Card that every foreign arrival already submits. If it might ever reach your re-entries, this is the month to say so.

Sources: Bangkok Post, law.go.th public hearing, Nation Thailand

5. The 7 percent VAT rate is locked in through 2027

A royal decree published in the Royal Gazette on 23 August keeps the reduced VAT rate at 7 percent until 30 September 2027. It takes effect on 1 October 2026, the day the current rate would otherwise expire, so there is no gap and nothing changes at the till.

The statutory rate under the Revenue Code is actually 10 percent, and the government has trimmed it back to 7 by decree every year since 1999. This is simply the latest renewal, and it holds one of the more predictable lines in the cost of living here.

Sources: Royal Gazette, Revenue Department, Nation Thailand

Coming up this week

Plus more on the events page. See all events.