The Thailand Tourism Authority (TAT) is organizing the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2026 to stimulate visitor spending during the mid-year period. TAT Governor Thaapanee Kiaatpaibuul emphasized that TAT is collaborating with both government and private sectors to drive Thailand's tourism industry as a vital mechanism for creating and distributing income to the people continuously, improving quality of life and promoting sustainable growth while showcasing Thailand's charm to international audiences. The focus is on quality tourism that generates revenue and distributes opportunities to tourist destinations throughout the country.

Based on statistics from 2023-2024, foreign tourists allocated 15-20% of their total spending to shopping and souvenirs, ranking third after accommodation and food and beverages. The primary markets with the highest purchasing power include the People's Republic of China, Singapore, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Australia, India, South Korea, and Hong Kong respectively.

Therefore, the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2026 project has been prepared to offer discounts and special privileges in both major cities and tourist destinations to foreign visitors from June to August 2025, coinciding with the Green Season. Main activity areas include Bangkok, Chon Buri (Pattaya), Chiang Mai, Udon Thani, Phuket, and Songkhla (Hat Yai).

The initiative aims to boost spending and support the "Unforgettable Experience" campaign by creating memorable experiences for tourists while promoting Thai charm through Thai brand products and supporting Thai designers. The offerings cover fashion, crafts, jewelry, and eco-friendly products made from recycled materials, providing a premium shopping experience that is accessible to all.

Nat Kruttsutr, TAT Deputy Governor for Goods and Tourism Business, stated that the preparatory meeting with business operators aims to invite participation in the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale project to stimulate spending and travel among foreign tourists, targeting both nearby and distant markets with strong growth.

The project establishes Thailand's image as a shopping destination and delivers truly memorable Thai travel experiences. Previous years' campaigns have successfully attracted and stimulated tourist spending effectively. Data from 2024 showed circulation revenue exceeding 700 million baht during the project period, with 92.92% tourist satisfaction and 98.67% willing to recommend the activities. The top five participating nationalities were Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, the People's Republic of China, and India, while the top five benefits sought included accommodations, restaurants, activities and travel packages, shopping venues, and health and beauty services.

For 2025, TAT is shifting the project concept from "Discount-driven" to "Discovery-driven," presenting Thai brand identity and advantages in both products and services, particularly community products, crafts, and environmentally friendly goods. The authority is developing creative tourism experiences that connect local stories through designed product and service routes tailored to different tourist groups and creating shopping routes recommending shopping destinations and lifestyle areas nationwide.

Trade between Taiwan and Thailand rose by 47.8% in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs, marking a new high in bilateral economic relations.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand (TECO) said Taiwan is strengthening its role in Thailand's industrial and technology sectors through investment and talent development initiatives.

Since the launch of the "Taiwan-Thailand Tech Talent Service Platform" in late 2025, TECO said it has expanded recruitment and training programmes aimed at supporting Taiwanese businesses operating in Thailand.

In the first quarter of 2026, TECO and Taiwanese companies organised recruitment seminars at vocational colleges in Bangkok, Pathum Thani and Chonburi, reaching more than 3,000 students.

Taiwan has also established "International Talent Circulation Bases" in northern and northeastern Thailand under its INTENSE Programme, expanding technical training opportunities beyond Bangkok.

TECO said it is also working with printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturers and Thai industrial estates to improve employment pathways for Thai graduates.

According to data from Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Thailand's Board of Investment (BOI), Taiwan ranked as Thailand's fourth-largest trading partner and sixth-largest source of foreign investment.

In 2025, Taiwanese investment in Thailand totalled 131 projects worth 273.5 billion baht, mainly in electronics, ICT and PCB-related industries.

Educational exchanges also continued to grow, with nearly 2,000 Thai students studying in Taiwan in 2025, up 5% from the previous year.

Peter Lan, TECO's representative in Thailand, said Taiwan-Thailand cooperation is shifting from traditional manufacturing toward AI and smart technology industries.

"Taiwan is not just here for trade and investment; we are committed to local talent cultivation," he said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Supa Jumsai na Ayudhya announced that her visit to Washington, D.C. on May 4-5, 2026 aimed to promote economic cooperation, trade, and investment between Thailand and the United States, Thailand's most important economic partner. She participated in key activities and held comprehensive discussions with both U.S. government and private sector representatives. The visit demonstrated the Thai government's commitment to strengthening economic ties with the U.S. across all dimensions—trade, investment, and public-private cooperation—with Thailand ready to collaborate closely with all sectors of the U.S. to drive sustainable and concrete economic outcomes.

Supa Jumsai stated that she participated in the SelectUSA Investment Summit 2026 as part of "Team Thailand+" alongside Panapriay Pahittanakul, advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, and Poj Aramwattananont, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade of Thailand. The coordinated effort among the Commerce Ministry, Foreign Affairs Ministry, and Thai Chamber of Commerce, supported by leading Thai businesses, aimed to promote Thai investment in the U.S., particularly in sectors where Thailand has competitive advantages such as energy, processed agriculture, and advanced technology industries. This reflected Thai private sector confidence in the U.S. economy and Thailand's role as an important investment partner.

During the summit, Supa Jumsai met with U.S. Department of Commerce representatives, who responded positively and expressed readiness to facilitate Thai private sector investment in the United States. She also met with representatives from several U.S. states including Texas and Utah, which offer significant investment opportunities in energy, technology, and future industries, all expressing willingness to welcome Thai investments moving forward.

Supa Jumsai noted that the participation of leading Thai private enterprises from the energy, petrochemical, food, and electronics sectors reflected Thailand's plan for continued investment expansion in the U.S. Current Thai investment in the U.S. exceeds $17 billion with a growing upward trend. The summit also provided opportunities for Thai businesses to connect with U.S. business partners and government agencies to expand cooperation in supply chain and target industries. Following the SelectUSA Investment Summit, Supa Jumsai met with the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council (USABC), presenting Thailand's vision and inviting U.S. businesses to invest in Thailand. She emphasized Thailand's economic policies aimed at enhancing competitiveness, restructuring the economy for the future, and promoting target industries such as food innovation and the digital economy, sectors that offer potential for strengthening supply chain linkages between Thailand and the U.S.

U.S. private sector representatives expressed interest in expanding cooperation and investment in Thailand in sectors with mutual potential and support, including food technology and innovation, tourism and hospitality, and partnerships to enhance supply chain resilience.

At 2:00 PM on May 7, 2025, at Bang Lamung Police Station, Paveena Hongskul of the Paveena Hongskul Foundation for Children and Women, accompanied by Janchira Thaibandit from Chachoengsao Provincial Police Region, brought Joy (pseudonym), age 24, to meet Lt. Col. Sarawut Nuchanatro, Bang Lamung Police Chief, to request help locating her biological 3-year-old daughter. The child was placed with a caregiver named Vichuda, or "Som," age 32, from birth. Som allegedly swapped the biological child and returned a different child to Joy when the girl was just 5 months old. Police have arrested Som, who was sentenced to imprisonment at the lower court and later released on bail pending appeal. However, Joy remains unaware of her biological daughter's whereabouts. Som has remained silent about the child's location, claiming a Myanmar couple took the child away. Joy's biological mother, an individual known as "Ann," recently contacted Joy asking what to do next, prompting a request for police investigation.

Joy recounted that in 2022, she became pregnant unplanned and had a conflict with her boyfriend, so they separated. Wanting to keep it from her family, she consulted a friend who introduced her to Som, who lived in a rental room with her husband and four children in Bang Lamung, Chachoengsao. Som claimed to love children and agreed to adopt Joy's daughter. Joy moved in with Som for about 20 days and gave birth on October 6, 2022. Initially wanting to give the child up for adoption, Joy agreed to pay Som 8,000 baht monthly for childcare while she worked in construction in Chachoengsao, living at the work site.

After one month, Som told Joy that a Myanmar couple wanted to raise an infant (as they had no biological children) and offered 20,000 baht, but Joy refused. She continued paying Som for childcare and visited occasionally. When the child turned 5 months old on March 1, 2023, Som suddenly brought the baby to Joy, claiming it was temporary, but never returned. Joy then left the child with her mother in Chachachoengsao before resuming work.

Paveena stated that she has coordinated with Maj. Gen. Ponphan Vongmanetest, Chachoengsao Provincial Police Commander, and assigned Lt. Col. Sarawut to urgently pursue two leads: locating the Myanmar couple Som claimed gave the child to, and finding "Ann," the woman who contacted Joy claiming to be the child's biological mother. If evidence confirms the child was sold, it would constitute human trafficking charges against the Myanmar couple. Most recently, Ann called Joy asking what to do next, prompting a request for police investigation into the facts.

The board of directors of MCOT Public Company Limited unanimously appointed Prof. Dr. Veerasak Purivirojkul, rector of Chulalongkorn University and chairman of the Association of University Administrators of Thailand (AUAT), as the new chairman of MCOT on May 7, 2025.

The board expressed confidence in his broad vision and expertise in modern AI-driven communication strategy, which will serve as a critical mechanism to help MCOT navigate changing consumer behavior and compete effectively with foreign platforms.

Prof. Dr. Veerasak is a distinguished scholar combining academic expertise with international-level business management experience. He holds degrees from leading Thai universities Chulalongkorn and Thammasat, a master's degree from Yale University, and a doctorate from Oxford University. He has worked with global organizations including IBM, P&G, and Hakuhodo.

Currently, he serves as chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning (ASAIHL) and chairman of the ASEM LLL Hub, both internationally recognized organizations. He also pioneered the establishment of Chula XL (Extension and Lifelong Learning), a new college integrating knowledge across all disciplines and systematically connecting with people of all ages to support social and labor market changes.

With his comprehensive experience spanning both academia and media business, his appointment is seen as a crucial turning point for MCOT's adaptation to a new era, elevating the national broadcaster's role to serve as "a mechanism for creating learning opportunities" and "a true driving force for society."

Upon taking office, Prof. Dr. Veerasak announced an urgent policy to revitalize the business by transforming Channel 9, MCOT HD, and all affiliated media into a "Learning Station" that integrates all platforms to develop professional skills and knowledge for Thais of all ages, while creating sustainable economic opportunities for the nation.

Prof. Dr. Veerasak is the second university rector to serve as MCOT board chairman. The first was Prof. Surapol Nitikraipetch, former rector of Thammasat University, who served in the position from 2008 to 2011.

A new phenomenon is emerging in the real estate market as Sansiri reports that over the past two months, dividend-receiving stock investors have increasingly turned to purchasing townhouses as investments to build wealth through tangible assets. The developer emphasizes properties in the 15–20 million baht price range for rental income generation, with Sansiri's townhouse projects offering rental yields of 7–9% annually—significantly higher than bank interest rates. The hottest locations are Bangkok Kriteadium and Rama 9–Suvarnabhumi zones, which benefit from proximity to international schools and airports, attracting diverse foreign tenants.

Phattharapring Karun, marketing director for Sansiri's townhouse projects, revealed that this interesting trend has become clearly visible over the past two months. Investors receiving dividend payments are increasingly purchasing residential real estate to generate ongoing rental income, viewing it as a way to build wealth through tangible assets with greater certainty than stock market investments.

"These investors are taking their dividend payments and purchasing assets to rent out for continuous income," Phattharapring explained. "Beyond owning the property itself, they also receive regular rental cash flow."

These investors primarily focus on the 15–20 million baht price range. Sansiri's townhouse projects offer average rental yields of 7–9% annually. For example, with a monthly mortgage payment of approximately 3,500 baht per million baht borrowed, rental rates can reach 5,000–6,000 baht monthly, clearly demonstrating strong investment returns.

The highest rental rates are found in the Bangkok Kriteadium and Rama 9–Suvarnabhumi zones, benefiting from proximity to international schools and Suvarnabhumi Airport. Primary tenants are expatriates conducting business or enrolling their children in schools, with increasing nationality diversity covering European, Asian, and other regional groups, rather than concentrating in a single demographic as in the past.

Phattharapring also revealed Sansiri's 2025 business plans: the company plans to launch 17 new townhouse projects worth 25 billion baht combined, spanning Bangkok and two other provinces, featuring single detached homes, duplexes, and townhomes to meet diverse market demands.

Beyond direct sales teams, Sansiri also utilizes real estate agents as sales channels, particularly in areas with strong rental and investment potential, attracting greater agent participation.

Regarding sales performance for the first four months of this year, Sansiri's average monthly townhouse sales reached 2 billion baht. The first quarter saw particularly strong response from four newly launched projects, with all first phases selling out completely, including two Narasiri projects (Narasiri Borommarat Chinnada and Narasiri Victor) and two Anasiri projects (Anasiri Rama 5–Sirinthorn and Anasiri Srinakarin–Praeksa 2), signaling positive market sentiment.

"The company has set a 2025 sales target of approximately 21 billion baht, with an average monthly sales rate of around 2 billion baht. By the end of the first quarter, cumulative sales reached approximately 8 billion baht, remaining on track with our targets," Phattharapring stated.