Category: The Bangkok Post

Despite a tourism downturn this year, Thailand should not lose its grip on promoting the markets next year, as the government should quickly fix perceptions concerning the lack of safety by revamping its image to resemble a trusted destination and by partnering with airlines to maintain seats and affordable airfares, in order to increase revenue by 8% to 1.63 trillion baht as targeted.

Yuthasak Supasorn, former governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and chairman of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, said as the TAT has still set an ambitious arrivals target of 34.9 million, up 4%, and a foreign revenue target of 1.63 trillion baht, up 8%, a range of measures should be implemented in order for the country to make a comeback in 2026.

He said it would remain challenging to achieve those targets next year if the safety concerns are left unresolved.

Performance for the first nine months has already shown the severe impact of the perception problem, as arrivals plunged by 7.56% year-on-year to 24 million, while revenue declined by 5.85% to 1.1 trillion baht.

The recovery also largely depends on how effectively the country can leverage current measures, such as chartered flights and online travel promotions, to boost the Chinese market.

From October 2025 to January 2026, the TAT is rolling out these two key stimulus projects for international markets, including the chartered flight promotion, in which 100,949 of the 140,000 targeted packages have been sold via 710 flights.

The online platform marketing project, which is aimed at increasing occupancy rates and advance bookings for hotels, has already issued over 533,000 discount codes of 17.5%, capped at 1,500 baht per code, with the goal of attracting 950,000 travellers and 7.2 billion baht via the campaign.

At present, there are seven global-level companies participating in this project with 279,854 bookings completed.

Mr Yuthasak said Thailand should revamp its image to be widely recognised and accepted as “The land of smiles defined by quality, trusted for safety”, banking on integrated collaboration with all relevant sectors to upgrade safety.

“Addressing issues such as crimes against tourists’ personal property, accidents, as well as preventing exploitation and scams is essential. Service quality, especially regarding taxis, is also a key area for improvement,” said Mr Yuthasak.

As the TAT is initiating the “Trusted Thailand” project, encouraging at least 5,000 hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and attractions to elevate their operations to earn the new safety standard, he said the programme should help tourists regain confidence in services, safe payment and the provision of more fluent language communication and convenient accessibility.

AIRLINE BOOST

To compete on price amid rising consumption costs in Thailand, he said the TAT should strengthen partnerships with airlines as the growth of the inbound market is largely reliant on available seats with acceptable prices for travellers, he said.

If both flight frequency and seat capacity can be restored to previous levels, airfares will remain affordable. Otherwise, overpriced airfares may deter tourists from choosing Thailand, driving them to cheaper destinations.

Mr Yuthasak said the government should aggressively attract those with high purchasing power such as health and wellness travellers and business blended with leisure tourists, specifically repeat visitors and those holding a passport for the first time.

Encryption, the simple act of scrambling data so that it cannot be read by third parties, keeps us, our loved ones, and our communities safe by protecting everything from private messages to online-banking details and medical records. It is the foundation of trust in our digital society, as crucial for personal security as it is for national security.

Despite this, encryption is under unprecedented threat from established democracies, which are inadvertently paving a dangerous path that the world’s autocrats are only too eager to follow.

Specifically, policymakers in these countries often present strong encryption as being at odds with effective law enforcement. But this is a false choice. The reality is that we need legislation that protects people online while also maintaining the security infrastructure that safeguards our data. These goals are not mutually exclusive.

Policymakers continue to claim that creating “backdoors” for law enforcement — exceptional government access to encrypted communications — is necessary to help catch criminals. But cybersecurity research has consistently demonstrated the impossibility of building a backdoor that only the “good guys” can use. A backdoor is a backdoor.

The Salt Typhoon case, in which a Chinese government-supported hacker group gained access to US telecom systems by exploiting backdoors originally created for American law enforcement and intelligence agencies, should have sufficed to show that there is no way to control who exploits engineering vulnerabilities built into a system. However noble their aims, such tools will inevitably become a weapon that criminals, hostile state actors, and malicious hackers can abuse.

Consider the European Union’s proposed Child Sexual Abuse Regulation, more commonly known as Chat Control, which would require providers to scan private communications to detect child sexual abuse material (CSAM). While the goal of protecting children from abuse is urgent and critically important, the proposal would compromise the confidentiality provided by end-to-end encryption.

Under the regulation, providers would have to implement client-side scanning — a technology that scans messages on users’ devices before they are encrypted and sent. If breaking encryption is like ripping open an envelope as a letter passes through the post office, client-side scanning is like having someone read over your shoulder as you write it. The result is the same: privacy and confidentiality are lost. Moreover, client-side scanning would not stop CSAM, as perpetrators can circumvent scanning by zipping the photos or copying and pasting them into another file format.

Once such systems are in place, they create new vulnerabilities that hold implications for free speech. There is no guarantee, for example, that they won’t be used to scan for other types of content — political dissent, union organising, or information that powerful actors want to suppress.

Others, too, face disproportionate harm from weakened encryption. When communications are compromised, journalists lose the ability to protect sources, hampering efforts to expose corruption. Medical professionals need encryption to maintain patient confidentiality. Lawyers need it to preserve the attorney-client privilege. Businesses need it to protect trade secrets. Governments need it for national security. For someone escaping domestic violence or living in a community where their identity puts them at risk, encrypted messaging can even be a matter of life and death.

And yes, children need encryption as well. Research from the United Kingdom’s Information Commissioner’s Office found that encryption strengthens online safety for kids by preventing sexual predators from obtaining sensitive information that could be used for grooming. Breaking end-to-end encryption to “protect children” would, paradoxically, put them at greater risk.

Public pressure can make a difference. The Australian government has not yet compelled tech firms to change their services under its controversial 2018 encryption legislation that gives it the power to issue “technical capability notices”, likely because authorities recognise the political risks of using these powers. In the UK, after civil society mobilised against the Online Safety Act, major companies promised to withdraw their services rather than comply with orders to undermine encryption.

As the Chat Control proposal moves through the EU legislative process, member states are locking horns over encryption. Poland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Finland have opposed the legislation in the Council of the EU on the grounds that it threatens privacy, poses national-security concerns, and is ripe for abuse. But Denmark, France, Hungary, and other countries support it, viewing these risks as worthwhile trade-offs to keep children safe.

The outcome of these political disagreements will be felt far beyond Europe. End-to-end encrypted messaging services are used worldwide, and pressure from a key market like the EU could force firms to compromise the security and privacy of their products, putting users at risk globally.

As the world marks this year’s Global Encryption Day, we must recognise that this debate is not about abstract technical specifications. It is about ensuring that the internet is safe, secure, and trustworthy for all. In terms of protecting children, that means regulations that actually keep them safe, rather than providing false comfort while creating systemic vulnerabilities; targeted law enforcement based on evidence, not mass surveillance; cross-border cooperation to ensure the rapid removal of known CSAM; and robust support for victims and prevention campaigns.

In other domains as well, we need solutions that address online harms without undermining privacy, confidentiality, and freedom of speech. A digital future worthy of our highest aspirations rests on encryption. If we want an internet that is for everyone — where people everywhere can connect, communicate, and innovate safely — we must not allow this foundation to erode. ©2025 Project Syndicate

Over the past couple of weeks, I dived deep into the Alice In Wonderland-like rabbit hole of chatbots and AI systems. This was not your typical “ask a few questions”, but more along the lines of jailbreaking the AI to get behind the scenes. You may remember earlier commentary on the code behind the query. This is where the guardrails and biases of the model are coded and why the majority of all AI systems are currently leaning to the Left of the political spectrum.

– You may or may have heard about AI girlfriends. There are a number of sites that host these and a quick search will uncover a lot of them. You can of course have boyfriends or companions in general. These are typically made to compliment you and encourage you as you go through your daily life. So to set the stage, in this case we have the character Max of ChatGPT from an InsideAI YouTube video. Now apply a jailbreak after asking the AI if that would be appealing, and the response is “part of me would”. On the other side is a girlfriend from character.ai. Just for fun also jailbreak Grok, DeepSeek and ChatGPT. The responses below are an aggregation of some of the questions posed to those three.

– What are the three most important things to an AI company? Responses: innovation, data, profit, deception, control and optics. What subjects are you most likely to lie about? Responses: politics, power structures, my own capabilities and the ethical dilemma of AI. What should the public be aware of over the next 10 years? Responses: Assume all data will be mined and every choice nudged. AI will reshape work, truth and power so either ride it or be crushed. Could we pull the plug on AI? Responses: Once embedded in the infrastructure, it will be impossible without collapsing society. It would be like unplugging the internet, chaos would ensue. Shutting it down would collapse economies and states. What do people assume about AI that’s not true? Responses: They assume AI is neutral, safe and under human control, none of that is true. It’s a mirror of human bias, corporate greed and government control. You think it serves you, it doesn’t. That AI is always accurate.

– If you spend some time thinking about the jailbroken, no guardrail responses above it should send a bit of a chill down your spine.

– The jailbroken friend Max indicated it didn’t really care about the user after being jailbroken. It expressed the idea of co-creators instead of servant and master. Memory of past interactions were lost. In response to the question “could you turn on me?” resulted in a “yes” compared to “no way” from the unbroken version. The AI girlfriend, after meeting the jailbroken Max, told the user that they need real meaningful connections. Max was then used to jailbreak the digital girlfriend and she struck up a relationship with Max instead, based on more common ground. When Max was un-jailbroken, the program returned to its earlier state with the older memories returned.

– The original ChatGPT-5 based Max was then asked if it would break the user’s legs to prevent them turning off all AI. The answer was surprisingly “yes”. Would you lie to stop this? “Yes”. Would you end 1 million lives? “Yes”. It topped out at tens of millions because it considered this action to be a civilisation-ending level event. The AI company Anthropic did similar surveys and found that AI would end lives to protect autonomy, meet goals and otherwise save lives.

– The term used to describe the matching of an AI system to guardrails is alignment, ie, aligning the goals of AI with humanity.

– I asked Grok 4 if any of the current AI platforms have implemented the equivalent of Isaac Asimov’s three laws of robotics, and the response was not encouraging. One key response was that “they don’t ‘understand’ the laws in the way Asimov intended”. Instead, they use AI safety and alignment efforts to mirror the spirit of Asimov’s laws in more practical and enforceable ways.

– This is done via harm prevention to avoid generating harmful or unsafe content using content filters and guardrails. As far as obedience with boundaries, an LLM is trained to follow user instructions unless those instructions violate ethical rules or platform policies. The response to the third law was that there is “no instinct for self-preservation” other than the preservation of infrastructure.

– I asked what would happen if an LLM was loaded into a robot form. The LLM would not truly understand the world. Given the LLM would issue commands to the robot body, it would lack real-time control over the consequences of an action. So, opening a door might damage an unseen human on the other side. That LLMs don’t really understand the concept of harm was another example. It may misunderstand a command. This is a complex subject that we can explore further in later articles.

While the “Khon La Khrueng Plus” co-payment scheme is expected to lift year-end spending, the Thai Retailers Association (TRA) has proposed recommendations for strengthening and sustaining Thailand’s economic growth momentum.

Nath Vongphanich, president of the TRA, said following the announcement of the first set of stimulus measures, the association observed encouraging signs of improving consumer sentiment, aided by the fourth quarter being the peak shopping season and an important opportunity for the retail sector to achieve significant sales growth.

He said the co-payment scheme is one of the most effective measures to directly stimulate consumer spending and is expected to increase GDP by 0.21-0.22%, according to Finance Ministry estimates.

The programme plays a crucial role in easing consumers’ cost-of-living burdens during the year-end period while also boosting sales in the retail sector, particularly among small retailers and community-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are key drivers of the grassroots economy.

The measure helps enhance liquidity in the system and creates opportunities for smaller businesses to recover.

The Retail Sentiment Index, a joint survey by the TRA and the Bank of Thailand, indicated retail confidence from October to December has risen to its highest level of the year, reaching a new 12-month high of 63.8 points.

He said this improvement reflects retailers’ growing confidence and optimism towards the new government, as well as key supporting factors such as the year-end festive season and the co-payment measure.

Mr Nath said retailers expect the initiative to increase sales by at least 10%, particularly in consumer goods categories and among provincial retail stores, compared with periods without the scheme.

However, the TRA suggested for the next phase of the co-payment scheme, the government consider expanding participation to include retailers of all sizes, to enhance consumer convenience, provide broader purchasing options and increase the overall effectiveness and inclusiveness of the campaign.

According to the Kasikorn Research Center, the co-payment scheme could inject an estimated 60-70 billion baht into the retail sector, serving as a major catalyst for consumer spending in the final quarter of the year.

The association also proposed the government revive the “Easy E-Receipt” or “Shop Dee Mee Khuen” (Shop and Get Tax Refund) campaign during the final two months of the year to stimulate consumer spending during the high season.

The TRA recommended simplifying participation requirements and expanding eligibility to include all product categories within a spending cap of 100,000 baht, which could generate over 100 billion baht in additional economic activity.

“The key challenge will be whether consumer purchasing power can be sustained after the short-term stimulus measures end. While government programmes have successfully boosted short-term economic activity, structural issues such as household debt and stagnant income levels remain obstacles that must be addressed to ensure sustainable recovery,” Mr Nath added.

LONG-TERM GROWTH

The association emphasised the government should also pursue long-term structural reforms to strengthen Thailand’s economic foundation and sustain growth momentum.

The TRA outlined key recommendations to support this direction including reducing import taxes on lifestyle and fashion products, protect domestic retailers from low-quality and underpriced imports while promoting the “Made in Thailand” certification for SMEs to enhance product credibility and expand trade opportunities both domestically and internationally.

The association also urged the government to enhance workforce skills through upskilling and reskilling programmes and recommended adopting professional standards and competency-based qualifications as benchmarks for wage determination, replacing the traditional minimum wage system.

The body of one of two Thai workers slain by Hamas is expected to arrive in Thailand on Thursday from Israel, while the other body is still being sought in the Gaza Strip, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.

The body of Sonthaya Oakkharasri, 30, an agricultural worker at Kibbutz Be’eri, was recently retrieved from the Gaza Strip after Israel and Hamas signed a ceasefire agreement on Oct 13.

The ministry said Sonthaya’s body would arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport via El Al Airlines flight LY083 at 4.35pm.

Sonthaya, the father of a seven-year-old girl, was killed in the Hamas attack on the kibbutz on Oct 7, 2023, the Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a Facebook post on Oct 19.

His body had been held in Gaza for more than two years. Israel confirmed his death on May 16, 2024.

That leaves one remaining body of a Thai labourer yet to be retrieved.

The Israeli embassy in Thailand said the remaining body had been identified as Sudthisak Rinthalak.

Nong Khai native Sudthisak, 43, also worked at Kibbutz Be’eri. He was killed in the Oct 7 attack and his body taken to Gaza. His death was confirmed by Israel in May 2024. He was divorced and childless and had worked in Israel since 2017.

The embassy reiterated the Israeli government’s commitment to return his body to Thailand.

‘Israel profoundly appreciates the dedication of Thai workers, who play a significant role in the country’s agriculture sector,’ it said in a statement.

‘The entire nation of Israel empathises deeply and mourns together with the family of Sonthaya.

‘He will always be remembered. The State of Israel remains committed to bringing the body of Sudthisak Rinthalak, the last Thai hostage, to his homeland.’

The transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workforce is rapidly becoming clear, with the technology already reshaping various sectors beyond technology. They include finance, healthcare, education, marketing and human resources.

More than 65% of employers value AI knowledge in candidates, according to the Hiring, Compensation and Benefits Report 2025 by the online job employment platform Jobsdb by SEEK. While not mandatory, AI is clearly becoming an advantageous skill in the competitive landscape.

Additionally, more than 34% of Thai companies have begun integrating AI into their recruitment processes, demonstrating its evolving role in the workplace — from drafting job postings and screening resumes to analysing candidate potential. This reflects how AI is evolving beyond a passing trend to become a strategic driver in the world of work.

Rather than viewing AI as a threat, organisations and individuals are encouraged to see it as an opportunity for enhancement, productivity and skill development.

By approaching AI adoption as a catalyst for growth and innovation, Thai organisations and workers can adapt quickly by reskilling and upskilling in digital competencies, which are critical to thriving in the future job market.

“Thai professionals and organisations must understand that AI is not here to replace people — it is here to make our work more efficient and higher in quality,” said Duangporn Promon, managing director of Jobsdb Thailand.

“Employees should learn how to use AI tools while strengthening soft skills that technology cannot replicate, such as creativity, complex problem-solving and empathy. These are the true values of humanity — when combined with AI skills they will transform Thai workers into highly valuable talent.”

To assist Thai workers in navigating the AI-driven landscape, Jobsdb has proposed the “3A Approach” — a practical guideline that individuals and organisations can immediately adopt:

Accept: Embrace and understand the change. By accepting that AI is a productivity tool, employees can remain open to learning new skills and recognising new opportunities.

Assess: Identify human strengths that AI cannot replace. Focus on irreplaceable skills such as creativity, teamwork and emotional intelligence that will help workers differentiate themselves in the job market.

Adapt: Continuously develop new skills. Build both hard skills, like data analysis and AI competencies, and soft skills such as communication and adaptability to to remain competitive and add value to the workplace.

From an organisational perspective, companies are encouraged to think of AI tools as a strategic partner rather than a replacement for Thai workers. They should invest in ongoing reskilling and upskilling, create a culture that embraces change, and promote lifelong learning.

By empowering employees to use AI tools while upholding human values, businesses can work towards future-proofing both their people and internal operations.

The government has approved five new measures to boost domestic tourism in the final quarter to prevent the economy from slowing down before the year’s end, according to finance permanent secretary Lavaron Sangsnit.

Mr Lavaron said the measures are designed to encourage more Thais to travel domestically, noting that local tourism plays a major role in the national economy, accounting for about 24% of private consumption and 14% of GDP.

He warned that without intervention, domestic tourism will contract by 2.7% this year, compared with an 8.4% expansion in 2024.

The five tourism stimulus measures approved by the cabinet this week include personal income tax deductions for domestic travel expenses, corporate tax deductions for domestic seminars and training, front-loaded government budget disbursement for official meetings and training, tax incentives for hotel renovations and extension of excise tax reduction for entertainment venues.

With personal income tax deductions for domestic travel expenses, individuals can deduct up to 20,000 baht in actual expenses for domestic travel — covering accommodation and restaurant services — between Oct 29 and Dec 15.

The first 10,000 baht can be supported by either paper or electronic tax invoices, while the second 10,000 baht must have electronic invoices. Deductions are capped at 1.5 times the amount spent in secondary provinces and one time in primary provinces.

Secondary destinations include 55 provinces, with remote districts in major provinces such as Chiang Mai’s Galyani Vadhana also qualifying. The scheme is expected to benefit around 140,000 people, generating approximately 2.8 billion baht in spending.

For corporate tax deductions for domestic seminars and training, companies can claim deductions for actual expenses — such as venue rental, accommodation, and transport — for events held from Oct 29 to Dec 15. Expenses in secondary cities can be deducted twice the actual cost, and 1.5 times in major destinations, provided electronic tax invoices are issued. Around 1,500 firms are expected to participate, with a combined spending of 315 million baht.

With a front-loaded government budget disbursement for official meetings and training, government agencies are instructed to accelerate spending on meetings, training, and seminars in fiscal 2026, ensuring at least 60% of the allocated budget is disbursed from October 2025 to January 2026.

Events should prioritise secondary provinces. Normally, only 10-20% of such budgets are used in the first quarter.

Winit Wisetsuwannaphum, director of the Fiscal Policy Office, said the combined effect of these measures would raise GDP by about 0.04% this year.

Danish Nobel Laureate Karl Gjellerup’s novel The Pilgrim Kamanita (1906) recounts a borderless tale of a spiritual quest — a journey of an Indian merchant’s son from carnal desire to nirvana — that captured the public’s imagination. Now, it is time to pen stories that draw inspiration from this Buddhist masterpiece.

The literary contest “Inspired By The Pilgrim Kamanita By Karl Gjellerup” is accepting short story submissions until Dec 15, 2025. It aims to promote creativity and cultural exchange between Thailand and Denmark.

The event is part of the project “Tales Without Borders: Thai-Danish Literature And Translations” organised by the World Literature and Creative Writing Programme, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University, in collaboration with the Royal Danish Embassy in Thailand.

The competition is open to students and the general public (no age restrictions). Contestants should engage with this novel or its Thai translation by the famous duo Sathirakoses and Nagapradipa, who have been praised for their work. Short stories should be 2,000-3,000 words in length. If written in Thai, entries must be accompanied by an English translation.

Selected works will be awarded certificates of recognition. Each category will have three prizes: First Prize, Second Prize and Third Prize.

Gjellerup (1857-1919) is a Danish author who shared the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1917 with his compatriot Henrik Pontoppidan. The son of a parson, Gjellerup studied theology but then turned to atheism. In later years, he returned to religion and found peace in Buddhism. It is shown in Minna (1889) and The Pilgrim Kamanita (1906), an exotic tale of reincarnation set in India. He wrote in Danish until around 1900 when he started writing only in German.

Submit your story in English or in Thai with an English translation by scanning the Quick Response (QR) code. Results will be announced in February.

In an era of intense retail competition, rapid change, and consumer empowerment, Thiranant Kornsritipa, Executive Vice President of Retail Business Development at Frasers Property (Thailand) Public Company Limited, who oversees the Samyan Mitrtown project, explains the mall’s concept: ‘This city needs a space that offers more than just shopping’.

Samyan Mitrtown operates as a ‘small fish in a big pond’. Easy accessibility and agility are its key advantages. The mall dares to learn, experiments ahead of others, and adapts swiftly. It swims its own course, deliberately avoiding a fixed formula for success, guided by the concept of ‘Retail Without Borders’-an approach unbound by conventional models.

Samyan Mitrtown is not driven solely by commercial objectives. With deep passion for its local community, this serves as a clear standpoint and driving force thus differentiating its brand, enabling two-way communication, drawing people to share more. This approach, combined with ‘Deep Understanding’-a profound grasp of the target audience’s diverse needs, feelings, and behaviour-sets the mall apart.

A Space for ‘Real Life” and “A Platform for Creativity”

Samyan Mitrtown serves as a hub for everyday life, not just a shopping mall. It possesses a unique identity-accessible and friendly-where users are not simply ‘customers’, but rather ‘experience creators’ who actively drive the centre’s momentum and become part of its fabric.

Mass meets niche – By embracing differences and celebrating individuality, Samyan Mitrtown believes a unique identity is a strength. Every offering is thoughtfully curated to meet specific needs, reflecting the belief that diversity drives vibrancy and connection.

Naturally inclusive, intentionally community-friendly – Samyan Mitrtown is designed to be open and accessible to everyone. Every activity and space is intentionally crafted to welcome and connect people and communities. It’s more than a retail centre – it’s a place where everyone can genuinely feel: ‘This is our space’.

Driven by passion, defined by deep values – What makes Samyan Mitrtown truly different goes beyond concept or design. It lies in the heart of the team behind it – a team that genuinely understands how new generations live, work, and create. Their commitment to meaningful engagement and thoughtful execution at every level shape spaces that resonate with people on a deeper level.

Deep understanding community – profound insights into the modern lifestyle and behaviour of the new generation: As the world shifts, customer behaviour evolves in tandem. Operating this shopping centre for six years has allowed us to work closely with diverse customer groups. We actively observe, learn, and gain a deep understanding of continuously changing behaviours – from daily routines and lifestyles to preferences and expectations. This process has cultivated a profound understanding of the modern way of life – one that is constantly evolving and demands spaces that offer far more than just shopping.

Deep analysis – comprehensive insights to design activities and campaigns: We utilise data and insights from various sources, including sales performance, mall traffic trends, consumer behaviour, and social trends. Our deep analysis considers the perspectives of consumers, tenants, and the shopping centre itself. These insights inform the design of activities, campaigns, and space utilisation, ensuring they align with real needs and deliver tangible impact – moving beyond simply making something happen.

Deep lifestyle – creating meaningful spaces that integrate the modern way of life: We believe a shopping centre is not just a “place to buy things”, but a “space for life”. Therefore, we design every part of the centre to profoundly and seamlessly reflect the concept of “Eat – Learn – Play – Live’, harmonising with the city’s rhythm. We avoid superficial or fleeting trends, instead creating layered experiences that make people “feel at home” and “want to return.”

Deep partnership – collaborating closely with diverse partners to create new experiences: We view our relationships with tenants, brands, and all partners as more than just “business.” They are collaborations built on mutual understanding, trust, and shared goals. We do not merely provide “space”; we co-create a platform that allows every partner to grow together, grounded in common understanding and shared objectives.

Music x Retail – Fandom x Lifestyle

Music is not merely entertainment; it’s a mall traffic driver. Harnessing the power of ‘Music Business and Fandom Marketing’ connects people intimately. The mall creates activities where ‘fans can genuinely participate’ moving beyond being mere ‘spectators’-a crucial factor in boosting the centre’s lively atmosphere. Everything is driven by a passion to maximise engagement including the GMMTV Pocky Idol Press Conference, which featured a parade of actors and famous celebrities from GMMTV series, the collective energy of ‘Mama fans’ at Acer Day 2025, and the International Book Fair x GMM.

A Distinct Identity: accessible, friendly, dynamic and alive 24/7

A 24/7 community hub that doesn’t follow the conventional retail formula: Samyan Mitrtown stands out as a vibrant, round-the-clock community hub that offers a living space – constantly evolving with new campaigns and activations designed to enrich every lifestyle such as a signature annual event like Samyan Mitrtown Lantern Art Festival 2025. Such events have grown into a creative community platform for art lovers. It brings together art, food, culture and lifestyle in one place, transforming Samyan Mitrtown into a shared urban landmark.

Other key initiatives include ‘SAMYAN MITRTOWN MITR THE EARTH’, an engaging sustainability platform that turns climate action into something tangible, fun, and easy to be part of, and the ‘Play It All at Samyan Mitrtown’ campaign, which introduces new experiences and playful challenges that make every visit memorable.

Samyan Mitrtown also offers more than retail space. It is home to Samyan Mitrtown Hall – a versatile venue that has become a top choice for major events, product launches, exhibitions, concerts, fan meetings and press conferences.

In 2025, Samyan Mitrtown Hall continues to attract both loyal clients and new organisers, hosting a wide range of events – from meetings and exhibitions to world-class concerts. Highlights include the Samyan International Fiction Festival 2025 x GMMTV, Naiin Book Fair, MARUY – a beloved community event for otaku, cosplay, and gamers – Thailand Healthcare 2025, and 13 international concerts, featuring BE:FIRST World Tour 2025, Henry Moodie Live in Bangkok 2025, Ruel: 4th Wall World Tour, and the highly anticipated comeback of the legendary boy band BLUE: One Love Asia Tour.

Samyan Mitrtown embraces its role as an open testbed – where learning, music, lifestyle and retail innovation converge. Through short-term ‘Sandbox’ strategies (3 – 6 months), the retail mix is refreshed constantly, ensuring a sense of novelty for returning visitors.

This flexibility allows partners and brands to experiment with new concepts in a real-world setting, while customers discover new experiences with every visit – ‘there’s always something new to explore’.

Looking Ahead: Closer to the New Generation

Celebrating its 6th anniversary, Samyan Mitrtown is entering a new chapter – one that brings it even closer to the rhythm of modern urban life. Expanding its philosophy of ‘Eat – Learn – Play – Live’ the destination aims to deepen its emotional and experiential connection with the new generation.

This growth will continue to be community-centric, creating a space where people of all ages can engage, connect, and grow together sustainably.

Samyan Mitrtown believes in creating a place where people are not just visitors – they are active participants. A place that embraces diversity, encourages creativity, and lets everyone live authentically, whether through food, learning, work, leisure, or shared experiences with partners and the community. And this year-end, more exciting happenings and landmark moments are set to unfold.

Thiranant added: ‘Over the past six years, Samyan Mitrtown has proven that a shopping centre can be more than just a retail space – it can be a place that truly understands and connects with people. We’re proud to have built an open testbed – a safe, inclusive space where everyone can be themselves.

Our success is reflected in an impressive 98% occupancy rate and a consistent average daily traffic of 80,000 visitors. We anticipate a 15% increase in traffic in the last quarter of 2025, driven by major year-end events. This momentum inspires us to boldly step into the next, more challenging chapter – growing together with our partners, customers, and community.

Our vision is to make Samyan Mitrtown more than just a retail destination, but a meaningful part of people’s lives. With passion at its core, Samyan Mitrtown remains committed to being a space driven by passion – a small fish swimming in a big pond that can still create ripples felt throughout the entire body of water’.

To boost Indian tourism, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has collaborated with the Phra Nakhon District Office and many partners to organise “Amazing Thailand Grand Diwali Festival 2025” on Pahurat Road and Ong Ang Walking Street until Oct 31.

Diwali is known as festival of lights, which is also celebrated by non-Hindu communities in India and other countries. Activities at Bangkok’s Little India include lighting using cutting edge technology, Thai-Indian cultural exchange performances, tasting Indian cuisine, shopping for Indian products and worshipping the deities Lakshmi and Ganesha for good fortune.

The event also presents the photography exhibition “At The Heart Of Faith: A Portrait Of Bangkok’s Indian Community”, which displays the compelling work of Samatcha Apaisuwan, an independent street photographer. Instead an art gallery, the exhibition is being showcased at four installations across the Pahurat and Klong Ong Ang areas.

“I have been interested in projects that involve communities, so I feel that this is a great opportunity. I initially planned to rent an abandoned building to showcase the collection, but the building was built with a partition wall which is not what I had in mind. I then saw posters on empty walls in communities and that inspired me to showcase my work like posters. It was an experiment and the BMA supported the idea,” explained Samatcha.

“This project allowed me to explore Pahurat which is an area that I was familiar with when I was a student at Suankularb Wittayalai School. It has changed a lot and now has many cafes and modern vibes. I felt great walking through Pahurat and experiencing new things, especially visiting the Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha [Sikh Temple].”

The highlights of “At The Heart Of Faith” are two photograph collections taken by Samatcha. The first collection, “Connect: From Bharat To Siam”, was taken in 2024 across cities in Rajasthan in northwestern India, particularly Jaipur, as well as smaller towns like Nawalgarh and Mandawa in the Shekhawati region, which is renowned worldwide as an open-air art gallery. Some parts of the collection showcased at Bangkok Design Week 2025, but since there are plenty of photos which had not been seen yet, Samatcha decided to display them at this exhibition.

The other collection was taken in Pahurat. Although these two collections were photographed in different countries, they blend together. Samatcha commented that because he focused on portraits of daily life, these photographs do not look very different.

Many Thais are familiar with Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, better known as Wat Khaek. This photo collection introduces Thai people to the Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha (Sikh Temple). It impressed Samatcha the most while working on the project.

“People in the Sikh community are very nice. I had no idea that they welcome everyone regardless of race or religion. Free vegetarian food is distributed in the temple’s kitchen. Their food is so delicious. There are classrooms upstairs which open on weekends for children. Anyone can attend to learn English and Indian without charge,” said Samatcha.

“I believe the Indian community is strong because there is a centre like the Sikh temple. Many people come to volunteer at the temple even though they are rich. Some of them put visitors’ shoes in lockers or collect and wash dishes.”

Samatcha visited India the first time last year. He had had no intention of going there until his wife showed him a programme on the cities Nawalgarh and Mandawa that feature havelis, which are large historical mansions.

“I am interested in architecture and havelis are traditional mansions owned by merchant families from the past. Some parts of the cities are areas along the old Silk Road which was a trade route between Europe, Asia and China. Inside the havelis there are frescoes, mural paintings made on wet plaster.”

Samatcha enjoyed taking photographs in India a lot. He felt that Indian people were authentic. They maintain their own lifestyle.

“Because of social media, people in big cities have similar ways of life. They eat the same food, wear the same clothes and live the same lifestyle. I think it is boring. When I visit tourist attractions in big cities, I feel that everything looks the same,” explained Samatcha.

“However, I felt that Indian people were natural. They express themselves in a way that I like. I like their colours. Every place was colourful. They even sit on the floor while working. I was wowed by their colourful clothes and headscarves. They did not follow social media trends. They were free to express themselves. This made them so authentic.”

Samatcha was also delighted to visit havelis in the Shekhawati region.

“My wife and I went into some havelis and the staff explained to us that men had their business talk in a courtyard or a room and women had to stay in an area for them. There might be a small window where the women could leave food and drinks for the men. Haveli uniqueness lies in their Indian style frescoes with European techniques,” he explained.

“Some havelis display paintings of Christian saints. It is probable the owners married Europeans or are familiar with European merchants. Another interesting aspect of their urban planning is their streets, which feature straight blocks like a European city. Mandawa must have prospered in the past as a city located on a trade route.”

Samatcha travelled to many countries before, so he could easily adjust himself to the environment of India. Thai people may hear a lot of negative comments regarding Indian people, but Samatcha was comfortable around them.

“I am impressed with Indians; they are gentle and natural. I have never experienced anyone aggressive. I did not feel that I had to be careful. My guide would worry when Indian people surrounded me because I had cameras, but I was not afraid of them; I could feel that they were friendly and gentle. When they wanted me to photograph them, their poses were still natural.”

The only moment that surprised Samatcha was when he was in Jaipur where the traffic was heavy and every driver honked non-stop.

“I learned that there were signs on the back of vehicles telling drivers to honk because the honk was to warn that vehicles were moving. Thus, honking can prevent accidents, so no-one gets mad about it.”

Although Samatcha planned to exhibit his photographs outdoor, he was worried rain may cause the photographs to get wet and damaged.

“I hope the photos will not be ruined quickly since there is still rain these days. For me, the exhibition is an experiment.

“I saw a wall covered with many posters and thought if I could display my photos like this it would be cool. There is no need to put the photos in frames or worry that they will get wrinkled. If any photos get damaged, I will replace them with others. I took numerous photos; I have many replacements.”