Category: The Bangkok Post

The new 30-day limit for visa-free stays in Thailand has been formally announced and will take effect on Sept 15 for visitors from 60 countries.

The Royal Gazette published the announcement signed by Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Monday. The change will take effect 15 days after publication.

The cabinet earlier this year decided to reduce visa-free stays from 60 days to 30 days for visitors from many countries in response to growing concerns that the system was being abused.

The 60 countries covered by the new regulation are:

Australia

Austria

Bahrain

Belgium

Bulgaria

Bhutan

Brunei

Canada

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Fiji

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

Indonesia

India

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Japan

Jordan

Kuwait

Kyrgyzstan

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Malaysia

The Maldives

The Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Oman

The Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Qatar

Romania

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

Slovak Republic

Slovenia

South Africa

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Taiwan

Turkey

Ukraine

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

United States

If visitors from these countries arrive by land, their visits are limited to twice a year – a move intended to cut down on ‘visa runs’ used by foreigners to extend their stays in Thailand.

Exemptions to this rule will apply to visitors from Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and other countries that the interior minister specifies.

The Royal Gazette announcement also said that visa-free stays of up to 15 days would be allowed for nationals of two countries: Seychelles and Mauritius.

As well, visitors from Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia will be eligible for visas on arrival at immigration checkpoints.

Thailand for many years had allowed nationals of 56 countries to stay without a visa for 30 days. In July 2024, the exemption was increased to 60 days and eligibility expanded to 93 countries.

However, authorities said the system was being abused, with an increase in illegal activity by foreigners taking advantage of longer stays in the country.

Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow wants to further extend the fence long the border with Malaysia to help curb smuggling of untaxed goods and drugs.

Mr Sihasak, also a deputy prime minister, said before Tuesday’s mobile cabinet meeting in the border province of Songhkla that he would propose the additional construction for consideration at the meeting.

The proposal was among measures discussed at a recent public hearing on resolving problems in the southern border provinces, he said at the International Convention Centre, Prince of Songkla University in Hat Yai district, Songkhla.

‘Thailand and Malaysia already have a fence. This is about extending it to prevent illegal activities, including drug trafficking and smuggling of goods,” Mr Sihasak said.

Security agencies also needed to identify the root causes of the violence in the region and the people orchestrating it.

“Security is important because it affects confidence and economic activity in the southern border provinces,” he said.

– Community engagement important –

Mr Sihasak stressed the need to improve intelligence gathering to ensure it is accurate and shared among the appropriate agencies to ensure timely decision making.

He highlighted the importance of community work in ensuring this.

“We need to know what is going on,” he said. “If our community engagement had been better, we could have responded more promptly” to past incidents, the minister said.

Community engagement was not a short-term task but required working with younger generations to ensure they saw opportunities for employment and economic advancement, he said.

“We must seriously focus on economic development because three southernmost provinces need better infrastructure and stronger road and rail links to Malaysia,” said Mr Sihasak.

The minister said he would travel to meet his Malaysian counterpart on Sept 6 to follow up on and expand areas of cooperation previously discussed by the two countries’ leaders.

Asked about discussions on Aug 31 on improving intelligence coordination, Mr Sihasak said Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has stressed the need for closer cooperation among agencies to ensure timely decisions.

“We will have a better early-warning system. Most importantly, we must prevent incidents like those on Aug 22-23 from happening again. Such incidents affected the confidence of residents, investors and business operators in the area,’ he said.

Asked about the burning of a backhoe in Yarang district of Pattani on Monday night, Mr Sihasak said he was aware of it. Authorities needed to look into how matters could be improved.

Asked whether the ongoing attacks were the result of officials’ complacency, Mr Sihasak said authorities now know what needs to be done to improve the situation.

Regarding his coming talks with the Malaysian foreign minister and whether there would be progress on appointing a facilitator for a southern peace dialogue, Mr Sihasak said he planned to take Thanat Suwannanon, director of the National Intelligence Agency and head of the southern peace dialogue team, with him.

Mr Sihasak said he wanted Mr Thanat to join the discussions and become acquainted with senior Malaysian government officials.

Asked whether safe zones in the southern border region should be expanded, Mr Sihasak said the proposal was already part of the government’s strategy.

The plan included safe areas along the border in 14 districts, under the supervision of the government’s Southern Border Provinces Development Strategy Committee, which is tasked with addressing problems in the far South and is chaired by the minister.

A drunken, unruly Indian tourist was left unconscious, vomiting on the ground during an altercation in a carpark near a popular seafood restaurant in the early hours of the morning.

Police were called to the scene, outside the Marine Seafood restaurant in Nong Prue, Bang Lamung district, about 4.20am on Tuesday. Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Pattaya rescue volunteers also responded.

Raval Devang Dharnisthkumar, 48, was found lying unconscious and covered in vomit, with fellow tourists trying to help him. He was given first aid at the scene before being taken to hospital, according to police.

Panaporn Obun, 58, a fried-insect vendor witnessed the incident. He said the man had been staggering around the area drunk and appeared to be looking for trouble before heading to a nearby car park.

Pornchai Nakthae, 36, who was on duty at the car park, said the man had tried to pull a customer’s car away before he intervened. He said the man then punched him in the face, and he punched him back.

A motorcycle taxi driver stepped in and pushed the intoxicated man, who fell to the ground and remained there, vomiting and unconscious until emergency responders arrived.

The police investigation was continuing.

The problems with reforming education may lie less in a lack of research, funding or expertise than in a failure to get evidence into policy and the classroom, the Equitable Education Fund (EEF) says.

Bridging those gaps was the purpose of the Thailand Education Research Association (Thera), launched recently during the Thailand International Conference on Education Research 2026 in Bangkok.

The association was co-founded by the EEF, the Office of the Education Council and academics from leading Thai universities, with its secretariat housed at the EEF.

It is a national platform on which researchers, policymakers, universities and funding agencies can coordinate their work, align research with national priorities and turn evidence into policy and classroom practice.

‘Thailand has no shortage of education research,’ said Sahawarat Polahan director of the Equitable Education Research Institute at the EEF.

‘What it lacks is a system that connects research to the people who need it most, while also connecting Thai researchers to the world.’

Education research in Thailand has often taken place in separate institutional and disciplinary silos. University studies may not reach policymakers, and policy decisions do not always draw on the best available evidence.

Thai researchers have also had limited access to international networks, comparative data and global debate about which education policies work and which do not.

As a result, the country invests heavily in education without fully harnessing its research to drive reform, Mr Sahawarat said.

Thera also opens a pathway for Thailand to join the World Education Research Association (Wera), a global network representing more than 700,000 researchers in over 40 countries. Membership would give Thai researchers greater access to international networks, comparative studies and global policy discussions.

Wera president Joe O’Hara and former president Mustafa Yunus Eryaman took part in the launch event.

Mr Sahawarat said stronger connections were becoming more urgent as artificial intelligence reshapes labour markets, demographic change leaves some areas with empty classrooms and others overcrowded, and the skills students will need remain hard to predict.

‘Education systems that cannot translate research into timely and scalable action will fall behind – not gradually, but rapidly,’ he said.

‘Thailand cannot build a resilient education system without a resilient research ecosystem to support it,’ he said. ‘And it cannot build that ecosystem in isolation from the world.’

The magnificent Thi Lo Su waterfall in Umphang district reopened to the public on Tuesday after being closed for two months to allow natural rehabilitation – but only for four-wheel-drive vehicles.

The management of Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary announced the reopening of the multi-tier waterfall, which is 500 metres wide and 250 metres high, the sixth biggest waterfall in Asia.

The announcement said the road to the waterfall is 25 kilometres long, consisting of concrete and dirt sections and visitors must be in four-wheel-drive vehicles with high clearance.

Cars, vans, motorcycles and conventional pickup trucks are prohibited from going to the waterfall.

The fashion designer John Galliano has agreed to cancel a planned exhibition of his work that was to kick off New York’s fabled Met Gala in 2027, following criticism from donors and political leaders over his past antisemitic remarks.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British designer jointly announced on Monday that they had decided not to proceed with ‘John Galliano: Horizons’, the Costume Institute’s planned spring 2027 exhibition.

The retrospective was set to explore more than four decades of Galliano’s career, from his 1984 Central Saint Martins graduate collection to his work at Givenchy, Dior and Maison Margiela.

Galliano does not currently hold a title at any luxury fashion house, but is collaborating in a two-year creative partnership with the fast-fashion brand Zara.

The exhibition planned for 2027 would have been only the third Costume Institute retrospective dedicated to a living designer.

The announcement of the exhibition on July 31 was met with mixed reaction from fans and critics in the fashion world.

Galliano certainly has magical creativity when it comes to his designs, but the concerns about his part behaviour have haunted him in recent years. (Story continues below)

Galliano, who was dismissed from Dior in 2011 after making antisemitic and racist remarks during an altercation at a cafe in Paris, said he remained accountable for the harm caused by his past behaviour.

‘After much reflection and discussion with The Met and all those involved, I have decided, with great sadness, that it is best for the exhibition not to take place at this time,’ he said in a statement on Monday.

‘I remain fully accountable for the pain caused by my words in the past, particularly the hurt I caused to the Jewish and Asian communities, and I remain deeply sorry for it.’

Galliano also said he did not want the controversy surrounding him to overshadow the Costume Institute.

He referenced the rehabilitation that followed his 2011 conviction by a court in Paris, noting his ‘deepest gratitude to all those who have guided, supported and accompanied me throughout these fifteen years of sobriety and recovery from alcoholism and addiction.’ (Story continues below)

Anna Wintour, a longtime supporter of Galliano and the lead chairperson of the Met Gala, backed the decision while continuing to praise his creative legacy.

‘John’s decision to ask the Museum to postpone the exhibition devoted to his work is very courageous and a measure of the man he is,’ Wintour said. ‘I believe this is the right decision, and both he and the Museum have my full support.’

The cancellation comes as Galliano’s legacy remains divided between his extraordinary influence on modern fashion and the lasting consequences of his 2011 remarks.

The Met is expected to announce further details about its spring 2027 Costume Institute exhibition and the Met Gala at a later date.

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the nonprofit Anti-Defamation League, said on X that showcasing Galliano’s work was ‘the wrong move at the wrong moment’.

‘With antisemitism at crisis levels, the Met honouring John Galliano at this moment was misguided, and even Galliano ultimately recognised what the Met should have done from the start,’ Greenblatt said.

Six extraordinary timepieces transform rare decorative crafts into tiny scenes of the natural world, pushing centuries-old artisanal techniques to microscopic proportions.

Vacheron Constantin has turned its attention to the animal kingdom for its latest Métiers d’Art collection, where creatures from the skies, seas and wild landscapes are brought to life in extraordinary miniature.

Titled ‘Tribute to the Animal Kingdom’, the collection comprises six concept watches, each created in collaboration with a master artisan specialising in a different rare decorative craft. Falcons, manta rays, an octopus, a tiger, a crocodile and an imaginary serpent become the subjects of six intricate dials, each demonstrating just how far traditional craftsmanship can be pushed.

The project forms part of the maison’s ‘One of Not Many’ Crafts Programme, an initiative dedicated to preserving and developing rare horological skills by encouraging artisans to explore new techniques and applications.

Here, the challenge was particularly demanding. Each watch measures 42mm in diameter, while the space between the dial and the protective sapphire crystal is less than 4mm. Crafts that would ordinarily be performed on a much larger scale therefore had to be reimagined for an almost impossibly small canvas.

The collection takes flight with Woodenwings by Anna Le Corno, featuring a falcon soaring through layers of intricate wood marquetry. Crafted from 12 wood species, the falcon is hand-carved and sculpted to capture the intricate texture of its plumage. Three marquetry techniques bring depth and movement to the piece, including a bespoke ‘feather-by-feather’ method for its wing.

Glassoctopus by Simone Crestani depicts a transparent octopus drifting through a nocturnal underwater landscape. Rising just 3.5mm from the dial, the creature was sculpted from tiny glass rods using specially developed tungsten tools. More than a year of development went into perfecting the miniature sculpture.

In Oraygami by Anja Midori, miniature manta rays appear to float across a deep-blue dial. Measuring just 5-10mm, each ray was folded from hand-coloured Japanese paper using only fingers, fingernails and a toothpick. Some early pieces took up to six hours to complete.

Tigerbroidery by Laura Baverstock brings a tiger to life through gold and silk embroidery. Gold wires measuring less than 1mm form the animal, while 10 shades of silk create depth in its eyes. The intricate dial took approximately 210 hours to complete.

Papercroc by Marianne Guély transforms cotton paper into an all-white crocodile moving through a snowy landscape. Embossing, laser cutting and hand assembly create its sculptural depth, with bespoke tools used to reproduce the creature’s scales and surrounding foliage.

Feathersnake by Julien Vermeulen imagines a serpent coiling through a fantastical landscape, its form rising just 3mm above the dial. More than 200 tiny feather pieces, sourced from seven Lophophore feathers, were assembled over approximately 250 hours to create its dimensional form.

A man believed to be in his 30s died in a fall from a moving escalator at a shopping centre near Asok intersection in Bangkok on Monday night.

Emergency services were called to Terminal 21, near the BTS Asok station and the MRT Sukhumvit station, about 9.48pm, where a man was reported to have fallen from the fourth floor to the ground floor.

He was found unconscious and not breathing, with severe injuries.

Witnesses told Lumpini police the man had been standing alone on the escalator, descending from the fourth floor. About halfway down he suddenly grabbed at the handrail and then plummeted to his death on the floor below. The impact of his landing startled other shoppers.

No other details were known. Police are investigating.

Plans have been put into motion by the government to build two major bridges in the nation’s southern region with an aim to improve transport connectivity, support tourism and stimulate local economic activity.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Monday witnessed the signing of construction contracts for the projects in Hat Yai district of Songkhla.

He was joined by Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin. Stephen N Ndegwa, incoming World Bank country director for Thailand and Myanmar, also attended.

The Songkhla Lake bridge has been planned to link tambon Koh Yai in Krasae Sin district of Songkhla with tambon Chong Thanon in Khao Chaison district of Phatthalung.

The approximately 7-kilometre link will cost 4.604 billion baht and is expected to shorten the journey between the locations by about 80km, cutting travel time from around two hours to 10 minutes.

The two-lane bridge will have 4-metre-wide traffic lanes and 2.5-metre-wide shoulders on both sides. Its main structure will include a cable-stayed section with a maximum span of 140 metres, while the connecting sections will use prestressed concrete box girders.

The design will incorporate elements inspired by Manora, a traditional southern Thai performing art, to reflect the local identity and encourage tourism.

The Department of Rural Roads and the World Bank have also joined hands to implement protections of the Songkhla Lake ecosystem, conserve Irrawaddy dolphins and restore relevant habitats.

The second project, Koh Lanta bridge, will connect Koh Klang with Koh Lanta Noi in Krabi at a cost of 1.781 billion baht.

The 2.24-kilometre, two-lane bridge will be 13.5 metres wide. Its main section will use a cable-stayed design with a maximum span of 200 metres, while the remaining sections will use prestressed concrete box girders constructed using the balanced cantilever method.

Both projects are scheduled to take 1,080 days with completion expected in 2029. Seventy percent of the 6.385-billion-baht cost for the undertakings is to be financed by World Bank loans, while the remaining 30% will come from the state budget.

Deputy Prime Minister Phiphat said the projects would improve people’s quality of life, lay the foundations for sustainable economic growth and strengthen Thailand’s competitiveness.

Meanwhile, Mr Anutin on Monday confirmed that the first off-site cabinet meeting of 2026, scheduled for Tuesday in Songkhla, will consider major development initiatives covering social and economic issues as well as disaster preparedness.

He chaired a workshop outlining 96 projects for five southern provinces, worth a combined more than 13 billion baht.

Mr Anutin said the mobile cabinet meeting would consider proposals gathered by the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council. The aim is to ensure policies reflect the needs of communities in Songkhla, Satun, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.

In late July, Internet Dialogue on Law Reform (iLaw) Director Yingcheep Atchanont presented evidence alleging that nine Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) figures, including party leader and Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, manipulated the 2024 Senate election.

Since then, Mr Yingcheep has drawn both praise and criticism, but has vowed to continue his exposé and urged the Election Commission (EC) to take legal action against those implicated.

If the commission fails to act, he warned, he will publish all the evidence online by the end of this month, amid growing scrutiny over whether the EC will recommend legal action against all 229 suspects involved.

How did it all start?

In 2024, the EC was preparing to hold an election for a new 250-member Senate to replace the chamber appointed by the now-defunct National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), whose term expired that year.

EC secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee admitted it was “the most complex” contest of its kind in the world. The election was divided into several levels, with selections across 20 professional groups, double the 10 used for the previous chamber.

At the district level, three successful applicants in each professional group would advance, or 60 candidates across the 20 groups in each district.

A provincial intra-group election would then narrow the field to two candidates per group, or 40 across 20 groups in each province, leaving 3,080 candidates from 77 provinces nationwide.

At the national level, the 3,080 candidates would enter an inter-group election. The 10 candidates receiving the highest number of votes in each group, or 200 across the 20 groups, would become senators.

Collusion risks

When the rules were announced, critics raised concerns that they could enable collusion, including through the lack of clear definitions for some professional groups.

Parit Wacharasindhu, spokesman for the People’s Party (PP) — then the Move Forward Party (MFP) — said at the time that cross-voting could result in candidates from different professional groups being unable to properly assess the qualifications and credentials of those they were voting for.

A major concern centred on the election’s vulnerability to manipulation by organised groups.

Days before the national-level vote, Mr Yingcheep warned on Facebook that political dynasties known as “Ban Yai” (Big Houses) could intervene in the process.

“Ban Yai can form alliances and even coerce independent candidates … to ensure their candidates secure seats in the final round of the election,” Mr Yingcheep said.

Despite the controversy, the EC proceeded with the election under the previously announced rules, with the new senators announced on June 26, 2024.

Of the 200 successful candidates, more than 150 were found or alleged to have ties to the Bhumjaithai Party (BJT), earning them the nickname “Blue Senators”.

The remainder comprised a mix of independents and those regarded as “new blood” senators.

Investigation ensued

In February 2025, Pol Col Tawee Sodsong, then justice minister, announced that the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) had been ordered to investigate allegations of criminal offences under the Criminal Code related to collusion in the Senate election.

The announcement followed a petition by a group of unsuccessful Senate candidates, later dubbed the “reserve senators”, who alleged that the election fraud claims centred on the group of “Blue Senators” linked to the Bhumjaithai Party (BJT).

Among them was Pol Maj Gen Kamrob Panyakaew, who criticised the EC for moving too slowly in responding to complaints about alleged irregularities in the Senate election.

On March 6, 2025, the DSI board agreed to investigate the alleged collusion. However, the 18-member board voted to investigate only allegations of money laundering, while the EC was looking into possible violations of Senate election law.

A joint investigation committee comprising the DSI and EC was later established as the 26th Investigative Subcommittee.

Two months later, on May 9, 2025, the EC and DSI said 53 senators were implicated in the vote-rigging probe. Six were summoned for further questioning: Alongkot Vorakee, Chokchai Kittithanesuan, Jirasak Chookhwamdee, Pibulat Haruehanprakan, Wuttichart Kalyanamitra and Phisut Rattanawong.

The DSI also said about 1,200 suspects were under investigation for alleged money laundering linked to the collusion case.

In July that year, the 26th Investigative Subcommittee recommended legal action against 229 people, including 138 serving senators and 91 others affiliated with BJT, including party executives and people linked to associated networks.

Overwhelming evidence

Amid the fast-changing political landscape between 2025 and 2026, little progress in the Senate election collusion case had been reported.

However, Mr Parit, now chief opposition whip, began releasing further evidence of the alleged collusion online around June this year. The material points to links between a group of senators, BJT and bribery connected to the Senate election two years earlier.

The evidence included a video clip showing former BJT MP Supachai Phosu speaking at a celebration for Sittikorn Khongyot, who was appointed a senator in August 2024.

In the clip, Mr Supachai referred to Mr Sittikorn as being part of the “blue faction”, an apparent reference to BJT.

Another piece of evidence concerned a money trail during the Senate election period totalling 860,000 baht, which allegedly linked Yanee Sifa, a member of the Amnat Charoen Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO), to EC officials.

Other evidence included a video recorded at a hotel in Rangsit on June 25, 2024, a day before the national-level vote. Witthaya Khampuang, mayor of Phon Sa municipality in Nong Khai, was identified as one of those appearing in the video and was heard telling others to “do it for those above”.

Mr Witthaya later admitted he appeared in the footage. However, he said “those above” referred to the EC, while “doing it for those above” meant complying with the EC’s procedures and timetable.

What next?

The developments culminated in Mr Yingcheep’s disclosure of a call log involving a Senate candidate from Ang Thong, Prime Minister’s Office Minister Paradorn Prissananantakul and BJT list MP Korawee Prisananantakul.

The call was allegedly made at the election venue during a period when the use of mobile phones was prohibited.

Mr Yingcheep then urged the EC to take legal action against the 229 suspects allegedly linked to the collusion case by the end of August.

If it failed to do so, he warned that he would publish all the evidence online for public scrutiny.

On Tuesday, the DSI filed a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division over the leaking of documents related to the case.

PP leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut later said the move amounted to an attempt by the DSI to pursue a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) against those who had exposed the alleged collusion to the public.

BJT, meanwhile, expressed concern over the leaked evidence and called on the EC and related agencies to ensure fair treatment for those implicated in the vote-collusion case, despite the alleged links between some of the 229 suspects and the party.

On Thursday, the EC filed criminal cases against 1,767 senators whose qualifications were found to have failed to meet election requirements.

Opposition whip Mr Parit questioned why the EC had taken two years to act.

He also noted that four of the seven election commissioners had been appointed by senators elected in 2024.

The EC held a meeting on the collusion case on Aug 28 as previously scheduled. It is expected to vote on whether to submit the case to the Supreme Court on Sept 14.