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HONG KONG – Visa-free travel abroad and free toll roads at home are expected to fuel a surge in travel by Chinese citizens during an extra-long holiday starting this week, in what analysts call a boon for the service economy.

Total trips outside mainland China are forecast to reach between 8 million and 8.4 million – more than double the 3.8 million recorded for the holiday in 2024 – according to travel marketing and technology company China Trading Desk on Monday.

Demand is “surging” for visa-free destinations such as Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, the firm said. Long popular with Chinese tourists, all three have scrapped visa requirements since the coronavirus (Covid) pandemic.

Russia has also seen a rise in bookings by Chinese citizens following the introduction of a visa exemption rule in September, according to Fliggy, Alibaba Group Holding’s travel platform. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.

South Korea, a perennially popular spot for Chinese travellers, rolled out visa-free entry for tour group members on Sept 29 – a move that could have an “impact”, business consultancy Dragon Trail International said in a Sept 23 travel sentiment report.

The annual holiday, dubbed “golden week”, will last longer than usual this year. Coinciding with both the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day, it runs from Oct 1 to 8.

The extended break will give travellers a head start and the chance to “cleverly” combine annual leave with the holiday, Fliggy said.

Airlines, hotels, car rentals and packaged tours are attracting more business as a result, Fliggy said. China’s US$41.1 billion hospitality market is expected to continue growing through 2030, according to market research firm Mordor Intelligence.

A growing number of overseas travellers can also enter China visa-free under measures aimed at stimulating the economy. But many may delay visiting the country until after Oct 8 to avoid crowds and higher prices, said Steven Zhao, chief executive of China Highlights, an online travel agency.

Still, free toll roads and expanded train services, especially during the holiday, should attract more domestic tourists than last year, Zhao said.

China has waived road tolls during public holidays since 2012 to spur travel and consumption. Self-driving trips, including those with rented cars, are expected to hit 1.87 billion this year – nearly 80% of the total, according to domestic media outlets.

Meanwhile, railway authorities are adding extra capacity through high-speed lines and night trains. More than 90 million tickets had been sold on the official online booking platform as of Sunday.

Long-distance tours within China are up 53% while car rentals have increased 93% over 2024 levels, according to Fliggy. Hybrid trips, which combine tourism and family visits, are also expected to increase.

“Notably, multi-destination travel is thriving, particularly among high-speed trains and a combination of flights and trains,” the firm said in a statement, noting that domestic tourists have a preference for theme parks, sporting events and cultural experiences this year.

Chinese spenders are “under-consuming big time” amid economic uncertainty but are making exceptions for travel – especially older generations eager to learn about other countries, according to independent economist Andy Xie.

“That’s life – before you die, you’re supposed to do these things,” Xie added.

Despite the near-term outlook for China’s tourism industry looking promising, the world’s second-largest economy remains burdened by a lingering property crisis, unemployment and trade tensions with the United States.

SYDNEY – Australian Rules football has started games with a centre bounce for more than 130 years, but from next season it will be ditched because umpires are finding it too hard to master the skill.

The country’s most popular spectator sport, similar to Ireland’s Gaelic football, traces its roots back to 1858 when spherical or oval balls were first used.

Since 1887, field umpires have been required to bounce the ball at the start of each quarter, rather than throw it in the air. A centre bounce after each goal was introduced four years later.

But mastering the skill has become a barrier for prospective umpires, according to Australian Football League (AFL) executive manager Greg Swann on Wednesday.

“The centre bounce has long been a part of Australian Football tradition, but as the game has evolved, there are several areas which will benefit from allowing umpires to simply throw the ball up at the restart,” he said in a statement outlining the change.

“Currently, umpire pathways are being narrowed by the requirement of the bounce.

“It is a difficult skill to execute, and we believe is preventing some of our best umpiring prospects from progressing any further in the AFL pathway despite having elite decision-making skills.”

The new rule will bring the men’s game in line with the women’s — the AFLW — where the ball has been thrown up rather than bounced since its inception in 2017.

Australian Rules is regularly played in front of packed stadiums, with 100,000 fans watching the grand final last weekend at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Brisbane Lions defeated the Geelong Cats to retain their title.

In the trial over the fatal shooting of former Cambodian MP Lim Kimya, the victim’s wife on Tuesday demanded the maximum penalty against the defendant.

Ana Lim Ani, the French wife of the 73-year-old politician, appeared in court as the plaintiff in the case. She detailed her loss to the court.

Lim Kimya was allegedly shot by Ekkalak Phaenoi, the defendant, in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district on Jan 7 of this year.

To celebrate spooktacular Halloween, Central Pattana unleashes 13 haunted houses featuring Thai ghosts at 13 Central shopping centres, nationwide.

Until Oct 31, “Thailand’s Halloween Fest 2025” is held under the concept of “House Of Horror: One House, Every Kind Of Monster” and offers special activities and promotions throughout the month.

At CentralWorld, visitors can expect a fancy parade, trick-or-treating, mini concerts, face-painting as well as costumes and accessories for everyone to dress up and immerse themselves in Halloween festivities.

Thirteen haunted houses with 13 concepts at 13 Central shopping centres nationwide are as follows:

Central Rama 3 hosts “The Haunted Farm” until Oct 18.

Brave “The Ward – The Haunted Hospital” at Central Udon until Oct 31.

Experience immersive horror “Nightmare District” at Central Hatyai from Oct 9-31.

Central Pinklao hosts “Unleash The Fear” from Oct 11-31 where visitors must survive five scary rooms.

For an extended Halloween, Central Ayutthaya’s “Scream House” awaits brave souls from Oct 15-Nov13.

Central Mahachai’s haunted house summons all spooky Thai ghosts from Oct 16-Nov 2.

Brave Central Salaya’s “Haunted School” from Oct 21-Nov 3.

“The Cursed 4th Floor” haunts Central Suratthani from Oct 21-29.

Central Si Racha stands out with a Japan-inspired haunted house. “Yurei Night – The Legend Of A Haunted Night In The Edo Period Of Japan” runs from Oct 22-31.

“Freeze – The Ghost Freezer” at Central Rayong challenges the brave ones to survive the nerve-wracking horror of an abandoned building from Oct 23-26.

Another extended Halloween takes place at Esplanade Ratchada from Oct 24-Nov 16. Experience horrors through all senses with “Art Meets Fear”.

Central Ladprao debuts its first haunted house, “Haunted Passage, The Cursed Tunnel”, from Oct 27-31.

The brave little ones are invited to join the inflatable “Halloween – Haunted House Maze” at Central Chanthaburi from Oct 31-Nov 2.

At CentralWorld, there are other Halloween-inspired activities to enjoy. On Oct 31, dress up in adorable ‘Little Monster’ costumes and enjoy trick-or-treating with candy and treats distributed throughout the shopping centre. From Oct 25-31, join Halloween workshops on the sixth floor. Find mini concerts on the first floor. Lastly, brave ‘The Haunted Gallery’ where Thai folklore and Japanese yokai culture are unleashed through the lens of various artists.

The other activities include Central Ramindra’s Halloween yoga on Oct 4, Central Udon hosts “Monsters On The Race” on Oct 26, while Central Korat hosts a Halloween run where participants run away from ghosts on Oct 31. Expect spooky parades at 20 Central branches nationwide! Spooky workshops take place at 28 Central branches nationwide. Some Central host Halloween-inspired markets, too!

Lastly, new Central X members who meet spending conditions at participating shops and F and B outlets between Oct 10-31 at Central shopping centres nationwide (except Central Rattanathibet and Central Krabi), receive a movie ticket from SF Cinema or Major Cineplex.

SURAT THANI – Nine students on a field trip received minor injuries when their chartered bus sideswiped a car and then veered off the highway in heavy rain in this southern province on Tuesday.

The crash occurred on Highway 44 (Surat Thani-Krabi) near kilometre marker 117+200 in Kanchanadit district about 4pm, Kanchanadit Rescue reported.

The double-decker bus was carrying 37 students and two teachers from Na San School in Surat Thani. They were travelling back from a field trip to Khanom district in Nakhon Si Thammarat, about 100 kilometres from the school.

The bus crew comprised the driver and two assistants.

Rescuers said it was raining at the scene. The bus had run off the road and into some trees before coming to a halt. It did not overturn.

Three boys and six girls, aged between 11 and 12, had complained of arm and leg pain after the crash and were taken to Kanchanadit Hospital.

A grey sedan was stopped nearby. It had damage to its front left side. Two passengers also sustained minor injuries, rescuers said.

Police said it appeared there was a small collision after which the bus driver lost control and the bus veered off the rain-soaked road.

The investigation was continuing.

Kasikorn Asset Management (K-Asset) has emerged as a market leader in Thailand’s mutual fund industry, capturing more than half of total net inflows this year-to-date to drive its assets under management (AUM) close to 1.8 trillion baht.

Executive chairman Win Phromphaet said the company captured inflows of 134 billion baht this year, representing about half of the entire industry’s inflows. The increase was driven primarily by fixed-income funds, which attracted strong demand amid persistently high interest rates.

By year-end, total inflows could reach 170 billion baht, pushing K-Asset’s AUM beyond the 2-trillion-baht milestone, he said.

K-Asset sees signs of stabilisation for Thai equities over the next six months, supported by a rebound in GDP growth and a bottoming out of corporate earnings revisions.

K-Asset projects the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) index to finish in a range of 1,300-1,340 points this year.

“While structural challenges, such as demographics, competitiveness and governance, still weigh on long-term growth, near-term sentiment is improving thanks to fiscal stimulus, reduced political risk and tax incentives,” said Mr Win.

He said interest rate policy will remain a key driver for stock market growth. K-Asset expects Thai policy rates to decline by 50 to 75 basis points (bps) over the next 12 months, with the upcoming Monetary Policy Committee meeting on Oct 8 proving pivotal. If rates are cut later than expected, such as in December, the market could respond positively, with each 25-bps cut potentially lifting the SET index by around 40 points, said Mr Win.

K-Asset continues to recommend high-dividend equities, particularly in the banking and energy sectors. The six largest banks and two smaller players offer dividend yields of about 8%, while major energy firms are delivering 6.3-6.5%.

“Historically, dividend-focused stocks have consistently outperformed the broader market,” he said, adding a new government and proactive policies on household debt are expected to further benefit these sectors.

Despite slow economic growth, dividend stocks remain a stable source of income. Average total returns from Thai equities are projected at 5% annually, with dividends contributing around 4%, noted K-Asset.

“Dividend-paying equities can help balance portfolios, generate consistent income, and protect value in a low-growth environment,” said Mr Win.

Long-term bonds have offered yields of 8-10% in 2025, making them particularly attractive to investors wary of the sluggish performance of domestic equities. However, K-Asset expects yields to normalise over the next 6-12 months.

“Bond yields could fall to around 3-4% once the interest rate downcycle takes hold. Investors should adjust their portfolios according to their risk appetite,” said managing director Wajana Wongsupasawat.

With bond returns likely to soften, there may be opportunities to diversify into other risk assets, including foreign equities and fixed income abroad, he said.

The government’s revenue collection for the first 11 months of fiscal 2025 fell short of its target by 34.1 billion baht due to lower collections than projected from auto excise tax, corporate income tax, and value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods.

According to the Finance Ministry’s report, government revenue collection from October 2024 to August 2025 totalled 2.50 trillion baht, which was 46.8 billion baht or 1.9% higher than the same period the previous year, but still 1.3% below the target.

The shortfall was mainly attributed to weaker auto excise tax collections as the government offered tax incentives to promote the use of electric vehicles, while tax payments from the purchase of internal combustion engine vehicles were less than expected.

In addition, corporate income tax and VAT collected from imported goods were below target due to increased use of free-zone privileges and changing economic conditions.

However, revenue collected by other government agencies and remittances from state-owned enterprises exceeded projections.

Government revenues come from five main sources: the three tax-collecting departments, remittances from state enterprises, and contributions from other agencies such as the Treasury Department.

For the first 11 months of this fiscal year, all three tax departments collected amounts below their targets.

The Revenue Department collected 2.01 trillion baht, down 1.3% from its target, while the Excise Department amassed 489 billion, 11.8% less than its target, and the Customs Department collected 104 billion, a dip of 7.1% from its goal.

State-owned enterprises remitted 169 billion baht to the government for the period, 13.9% above target, while other government agencies contributed 203 billion baht, 26.8% above target.

Government revenue before tax refunds and VAT allocations to local administrative organisations, as required under the Fiscal Decentralization Act, amounted to 2.98 trillion baht. After these deductions, the government’s net revenue was 2.50 trillion baht.

A source at the Finance Ministry who requested anonymity said government revenue as a percentage of GDP has been steadily declining. In fiscal 2015, the percentage was 16.1%, declining to a projected 15% for fiscal 2025.

For fiscal 2026, the estimate is 14.6%, underscoring the need for fiscal reforms of both revenue and expenditure to ensure long-term fiscal sustainability, the source said.

The Bank of Thailand estimates the government’s 66-billion-baht stimulus package will contribute roughly 0.2% to GDP growth.

Chayawadee Chai-anant, assistant governor for corporate relations at the central bank, said the package including the “Khon La Khrueng” (half-half) co-payment scheme is expected to raise nominal GDP by about 0.4%, with the contribution to real GDP growth closer to 0.2%.

“The stimulus will have a limited impact on GDP as the measures are focused mainly on increasing consumption rather than creating employment. Moreover, a portion of the spending is likely to be for imported goods,” she said.

Even so, the package should help improve public confidence. If the co-payment scheme stimulates spending among higher-income groups, it could provide a greater boost to domestic consumption, said Ms Chayawadee.

The regulator reported Thai economic conditions softened in August compared with the previous month, mainly due to weaker agricultural and industrial output, which weighed on trade and freight transport services.

In contrast, the tourism sector improved, supported by both domestic and foreign visitors. Seasonally adjusted foreign arrivals rose 2.8% month-on-month in August to 2.6 million. Tourism income also increased by 2.7% in August, up from 1.1% growth in July. The tourism recovery was driven by short-haul visitors from China, Japan and South Korea off for their school summer break as well as long-haul arrivals from Germany and Russia. Revenue from foreign tourism after seasonal adjustment edged up, in line with the arrival uptick.

Merchandise exports to the US grew 5.5% in August, slowing from 9.7% in July and the first deceleration since the US import tariff was implemented. Exports of electronic products eased slightly after several months of strong growth, noted the central bank.

Exports are expected to continue slowing in the third quarter, though a contraction will depend on global trade conditions and the impact of US tariffs on each country, she said.

Following criticism over proposals to use the central bank’s foreign reserves to establish a sovereign wealth fund, Ms Chayawadee said the structure of reserves varies by country. For Thailand, borrower reserves are relatively high, making it essential for the regulator to maintain a solid buffer against potential capital outflows. She said the central bank remains open to hearing different viewpoints.

Speaking at a ThaiPublica seminar, Supavud Saicheua, chairman of the National Economic and Social Development Council, said Thailand holds excessive foreign reserves amounting to roughly 9 trillion baht, which is kept idle instead of being put to productive use.

He said the IMF assesses Thailand’s international reserve adequacy ratio at 237%, well above the benchmark of 193%.

Bangkok police arrested a British man with about nine kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine, also known as ‘ice’, in his hotel room on Tuesday.

Bangkok police chief Pol Lt Gen Sayam Boonsom said that an informant tipped police who then arrested Wilson Allaway, 23, in a room on the fourth floor of Le Fenix Sukhumvit Hotel on Sukhumvit 11 Road in Watthana district on Tuesday.

Police found a total of 9.15kg of crystal meth in 10 tea bags in the room.

According to Pol Lt Gen Sayam, the suspect said he received the drug from another Briton known only as ‘Snoopy’. The latter paid him 20,000 baht to deliver the drug to buyers.

The recurring failure to maintain a quorum during the debate on the Clean Air Bill highlights a fundamental lapse in the primary duty of members of parliament.

The long-awaited legislation, initiated by citizen groups demanding action against the worsening PM2.5 pollution back in 2022, was stalled yet again last week.

The House session, which was debating the bill’s content article by article during its second reading, collapsed due to an insufficient number of members being present, resulting in a lack of quorum.

The following blame game reveals an unusual political situation. The arrangement has deepened the political feud between the former coalition leader, the Pheu Thai Party, and the swing vote, the People’s Party.

The government, led by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul from the Bhumjaithai Party, is operating as a minority coalition, commanding only 146 MPs. It only managed to secure the premiership through an agreement with the main opposition People’s Party, with conditions including demands for Mr Anutin to pave the way for a constitutional rewrite and dissolve parliament in four months.

Consequently, the Bhumjaithai-led minority government finds itself in a difficult position to reliably summon the required quorum to pass legislation.

The recent collapse of the Clean Air Bill deliberation attests to the precarious political situation and how partisan manoeuvring can supersede the public interest.

Pheu Thai has taken a heavy beating following the failure. After all, the party’s Chiang Mai MP Jakraphol Tangsuthitham chairs the bill’s drafting committee. More importantly, the party’s core base in the North is composed of people who have suffered most from the seasonal haze and PM2.5 pollution over the past many years.

Sadly, only a few Pheu Thai MPs were present during the Clean Air Bill debate. News reports indicated that only 27% of its total 140 MPs attended the session — a stark contrast to the 90% attendance from the People’s Party and 80% from the Bhumjaithai Party.

Mr Jakraphol has publicly urged all parties to cease blame-shifting and join forces to ensure the law is enacted, establishing a basic human right, holding polluters responsible, and providing funds to provide medical treatment and compensate those affected.

However, other Pheu Thai figures and supporters have adopted a more belligerent stance. Pheu Thai continues to argue that maintaining the quorum is the government’s duty. It also holds a somewhat simplistic position that if Mr Anutin could command 331 votes to secure the premiership, he should be able to control the same number of MPs when it comes to passing essential legislation.

However, these arguments fail to hold against the gravity of the PM2.5 problem, which is set to return this winter. Air pollution is a non-partisan issue that affects every citizen and must be addressed with urgent and sincere action.

This is no time for politicking. The duty to attend parliamentary sessions and facilitate the legislative process is shared by all MPs, regardless of their political party affiliation or whether they are in the government or the opposition. Any MPs who neglect this duty and fail to defend the public interest have fundamentally failed in their role and deserve to be publicly called to account.