Nakhon Si Thammarat is preparing to welcome UNESCO World Heritage status for Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahaviharn, which would be Thailand's sixth cultural World Heritage site. On July 13, 2025, Thiwali Angkhinan, chair of the parliamentary committee on religion, art, and culture, visited Nakhon Si Thammarat to oversee management planning for the heritage site following its UNESCO nomination.

The meeting brought together provincial officials, senior monks, and government representatives to discuss systematic site management, including tourist access points, souvenir retail, visitor centers, guided tours, traffic control, parking, signage, waste management, public facilities, and revenue systems for future international visitors.

The committee also received presentations on the temple's 1,000-year Buddhist history, artistic and architectural significance, and cultural value to southern Thailand. Thiwali expressed pride that if UNESCO approves the nomination, Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahaviharn would become the first cultural World Heritage site in southern Thailand and the sixth nationwide. She emphasized that the recognition would showcase the site's historical, artistic, and architectural value to the world while requiring balanced management between conservation and development through cooperation from all stakeholders—the temple, local government, the Fine Arts Department, schools, and communities. Thiwali affirmed confidence that Nakhon Si Thammarat residents could become a model for preserving Thailand's World Heritage sites while promoting cultural tourism and passing the legacy to future generations.

On July 13, 2025, at Phaholyothin Police Station, Pisanu Nimmian, 31, came to file a daily report regarding his girlfriend Tatsanai, 31, who suffered severe burns in a fire at a beer bar in Ladprao. Before the incident, his girlfriend had arranged to meet friends from her clinic workplace at the bar and invited him along, but he chose to stay home caring for their two children. He drove her to the bar around 9 p.m., intending to pick her up later. On his way back, his car tire blew out near the Ladprao intersection, so he called a mechanic to change it. While waiting, his child asked where their mother was, and he told them he would go pick her up soon. Later, he received a call asking if he was Tatsanai's boyfriend and informing him that his girlfriend's phone was missing and asking him to come to the scene. When told she had been caught in a fire, he rushed there immediately. Upon arrival, he saw flames and thick black smoke. His girlfriend ran out of the bar with her head on fire, and people helped beat out the flames before she collapsed in front of the establishment. Pisanu explained that his girlfriend was familiar with the venue and knew which way to escape, but the exit was very small, forcing her to run through the flames. When she spoke to him at the hospital, she tearfully asked him if she would still be beautiful, and he assured her that he would accept her completely and only wanted her to come home safely with their children, saying belongings didn't matter as long as she was safe. He later told her that entertainment venues should have more emergency exits with clear signage, noting that both the entrance and exit were dangerously small. Regarding reports that fire exit doors were locked to prevent customers from leaving without paying, he said if true, it would be inexcusable to prioritize payment over people's lives and safety. He expressed concern about not knowing which agency to contact for assistance, as his girlfriend has no social security insurance and is currently using emergency medical coverage limited to 72 hours. He worried about what would happen if her condition did not improve by then, as doctors say she remains in critical condition with burns covering her arms, legs, face, and back. Her hair was burned off during her escape and doctors needed to shave her head and treat the wounds. Visits are restricted due to infection risk. Their two children keep asking for their mother, and he can only tell them she is still working and that he will pick her up soon. On the previous night, Pisanu met with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt to request assistance and filed a complaint at the police station.

TTB is stepping up its comprehensive support for salaried workers, rolling out a debt resolution model that directly addresses financial problems and introducing a "debt coaching" program to strengthen financial knowledge and discipline among borrowers. The bank is also advancing risk-based pricing—setting loan interest rates based on borrower risk levels—to reward those with good repayment records and creditworthiness, and incentivize financially disciplined customers.

On July 13, TTB's Chief Executive Officer Thakorn Piyanphand said household debt remains a critical challenge affecting the quality of life and potential of Thailand's salaried workers, who form an important economic engine of approximately 12.5 million people, or roughly 30% of the total labor market. Main causes include family care responsibilities, rising living costs, economic conditions, and unexpected events that impact financial status.

TTB believes sustainable debt solutions require more than burden reduction; they must help borrowers regain financial discipline and manage their finances independently over the long term. The bank has therefore begun developing comprehensive support solutions, especially for salaried workers, through a debt resolution model combining debt restructuring with behavior change.

Debt Coach Program: Volunteers Helping People Escape Debt

The "debt coach" program was first piloted with TTB employees, starting with financial health checks through the ttb financial health check tool to assess risk and analyze individual financial behavior, then design tailored support aligned with each group's debt level.

From the green group—those with strong financial status—to the yellow group showing early warning signs, the orange group facing debt burden and negative liquidity, and the red group in financial crisis unable to repay regularly. Support is targeted and designed to create sustainable results.

TTB has since expanded the program to partner organizations, with over 144,000 salaried employees now assessed. Results show average financial health is good, with 53% in the green group, only 3% in critical red status, 31% in the early-warning yellow group, and 13% in the serious orange group.

Sustainable debt solutions require financial advisors. TTB created the "debt coach" role—volunteers from among TTB employees with financial knowledge and good financial health (green group status). All coaches undergo screening, knowledge tests, and intensive training to ensure standardized advisory quality.

Currently over 110 debt coaches have advised more than 560 employees, improving participants' liquidity. A survey found 56% restored positive net cash flow within one year of receiving coach guidance. The bank aims to expand to 1,000 cases this year and scale the model across partner networks.

Risk-Based Pricing: Rewarding Those Who Pay Well and Have Good Credit

Meanwhile, TTB promotes financial discipline among Thai people. Early 2024, TTB broke new ground using risk-based pricing to set loan interest rates that match borrower risk levels and credit scores from credit rating companies.

Bangkok, 13 July 2026 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) welcomed more than 2,000 top achievers from Flight Centre Travel Group’s (FCTG) worldwide network during Flight Centre Global Gathering: Bangkok 2026, held from 10 to 12 July. TAT’s support for the event reinforces Thailand’s position as a preferred destination for global travel distribution and international business events.

Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT Governor, said, “Flight Centre Global Gathering: Bangkok 2026 places Thailand before high-performing travel professionals who influence destination choices across international markets. This supports TAT’s Value over Volume direction and our ‘Healing is the New Luxury’ approach by highlighting Health and Wellness Tourism alongside culture, gastronomy, Thai hospitality, and responsible travel, creating meaningful experiences, wider economic value, and lasting benefits for local communities.”

As FCTG’s flagship annual event, the 2026 edition brought together high-performing frontline team members, sales consultants, executives, support staff, and business units from markets worldwide. Bangkok’s selection as the host city reflects Thailand’s strong air connectivity, event readiness, hospitality standards, and extensive tourism network, while positioning the kingdom directly in front of travel professionals who help shape international travel demand.

TAT Sydney Office led TAT’s support for the event, working with FCTG and public- and private-sector partners to shape delegate experiences that present Thailand as a high-quality tourism destination. Registration and welcome activities at Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park and Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit introduced delegates to Thai cultural experiences, including Nuat Thai, a traditional Thai massage inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2019, as well as interactive activities.

The 10 July programme also included the Flight Centre Sponsor Networking Lunch at Baan Dusit Thani, connecting more than 500 Flight Centre executives, global partners, and Thai tourism operators for business exchange and sustainable tourism product presentation.

The main conference programme opened on 11 July at UOB Live, followed by the Global Awards Dinner and related events at Impact Arena. The wider programme also included Flight Fest at Asiatique The Riverfront.

TAT and its partners also organised curated Bangkok tours in Bang Rak, Yaowarat, and Talat Noi, as well as a visit to Rajadamnern Stadium for Muay Thai. Responsible tourism elements were incorporated into the day tour programme, with part of the registration proceeds to be donated to the National Elephant Institute under Royal Patronage, Thai Elephant Conservation Center, Lampang Province.

Flight Centre Global Gathering: Bangkok 2026 is projected to generate approximately 262 million Baht in tourism revenue. Beyond its immediate economic contribution, the event strengthens Thailand’s visibility in long-haul markets, particularly Australia, and deepens relationships with global travel sellers who play an important role in promoting Thailand to international travellers.

The post TAT supports Flight Centre Global Gathering Bangkok 2026 appeared first on TAT Newsroom.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanpong revealed that the Connect the Dots working committee is tracking progress on a financial data-sharing system among relevant agencies to improve efficiency in handling transactions, money laundering, and underground money flows, while strengthening prevention against new financial crimes, particularly international scammer networks.

The committee will link agency data to enable efficient tracking, analysis, and use of financial information through cooperation among the Finance Ministry, Bank of Thailand (BOT), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) to reduce regulatory gaps in the financial system.

"Originally we considered creating a Data Hub, but now we think a Data Exchange system—which establishes data-sharing protocols between agencies—may be faster and allow real-time financial data connectivity," Ekniti said.

The Finance Ministry prioritizes transparency and confidence in Thailand's capital market and will accelerate checks and repairs of system weaknesses to reassure investors and the public. The ministry will also investigate the Supapon Pimpongse case in detail with the SEC secretary, who attended the meeting, following Supapon's involvement in securities trading data for True Corporation worth over 300 million baht filed via SEC Form 246-2.

Ekniti stated that investigating this issue is crucial for building confidence in Thailand's capital market, which the Finance Ministry regards highly in advancing transparency and governance in the stock market system. The ministry has directed relevant agencies to urgently close any regulatory loopholes.

Additionally, the committee will discuss tax approaches for specific businesses, particularly tax collection on gold trading, which is under study and impact assessment.