Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthummaphand reported that bilateral talks with three senior U.S. officials—Susie Wiles (White House Chief of Staff), Howard Lutnick (U.S. Commerce Secretary), and Rick Switzer (U.S. Deputy Trade Representative)—took place July 15–16, 2025 in Washington, D.C. The primary objective was to accelerate the Thailand-U.S. Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) negotiations and address Section 301 investigations while strengthening economic and investment cooperation. Suphajee stated that discussions went well and reiterated Thailand's status as a dependable Southeast Asian partner, noting that Thailand has pushed forward and shown flexibility on U.S. requests within existing legal and policy frameworks. The U.S. side thanked Thailand for its clear intent to expedite negotiations and commended efforts to balance trade, though the U.S. requires additional time to review Thai proposals, narrow gaps, and align expectations. Thailand remains committed to protecting national interests by leveraging investment issues and increased imports of U.S. goods, consistent with a Joint Statement agreed in July 2024 aimed at reducing the bilateral trade deficit.

Suphajee outlined ongoing ART progress, noting that Thailand has carefully considered U.S. demands and proposed mutually beneficial solutions. She emphasized that each country has different contexts, legal frameworks, and public policies, so success cannot be measured by a single standard but rather by whether both sides achieve their shared objectives based on mutual benefit. She also discussed Section 301 investigations currently targeting Thailand on two counts: structural excess production capacity and the absence of forced-labor import bans. The U.S. uses these as tools to drive tariffs against various countries following a Supreme Court ruling that found the President's emergency tariff authority unconstitutional. The U.S. is currently reviewing final investigation results, with preliminary tariffs set at 12.5 percent for 46 countries lacking forced-labor import bans, and 10–14 percent for countries with such laws or that conclude ART deals with the U.S. The U.S. is also investigating the excess capacity case, with tariff rates expected to be announced.

A foreign female tourist was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver on Thepkrasattri Road in Phuket's Koh Kaew subdistrict early on July 20, 2569. At 4:45 a.m., Pol. Lt. Col. Nattharee Pichit Chai Nitimeth, an investigator with Phuket City Police Station, received a report of a fatal pedestrian hit-and-run. Officers, a forensic pathologist from Vachira Phuket Hospital, and emergency rescue teams rushed to the scene, where they found the victim, a foreign woman, lying on her back in the middle of the road with a crushed skull and heavy bleeding. Officers found no identification documents on the body, only a mobile phone and a wallet. An initial autopsy was conducted before the body was transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital. Police are reviewing CCTV footage to track down the vehicle responsible and pursue charges.

Bangkok, 20 July 2026 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and UOB Thailand today launched “UOB x TAT Travel Thailand Together”, a domestic tourism campaign running from now until 30 September 2026. Linked to TAT’s “Feel All the Feelings” campaign, the collaboration offers hotel privileges, credit card benefits and traveller rewards designed to encourage journeys across Thailand and direct spending towards tourism businesses and local communities.

Mr. Nithee Seeprae, TAT Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications, said, “This collaboration brings together practical travel benefits and TAT’s nationwide destination network to encourage Thai travellers to explore more of the country. By connecting ‘Feel All the Feelings’ with relevant cardholder privileges and traveller rewards, TAT and UOB are supporting tourism businesses, generating spending in local economies and creating further opportunities for domestic travel throughout the campaign period.”

UOB Thailand’s credit card data for the first half of 2026 show that domestic travel and hotel spending remained among the top five spending categories for its cardholders, reflecting continued demand for travel within Thailand. The campaign responds to this demand with benefits designed around domestic journeys.

Ms. Suporntip Pongsachamnankit, Head of Credit Card Products, Card Payments & Unsecured Products Personal Financial Services, UOB Thailand, said , “Domestic travel and accommodation continue to be among the key spending categories for UOB credit cardholders, reflecting the sustained momentum of Thailand’s tourism sector driven by domestic purchasing power. Leveraging our data capabilities, financial products, and extensive network of privileges and partnerships, we have developed this campaign to help our customers enjoy greater value when traveling within Thailand, while contributing directly to spending flows to entrepreneurs, hotels, and tourism-related businesses in local communities.”

Under the “UOB x TAT Travel Thailand Together” campaign, UOB credit cardholders can enjoy exclusive travel benefits for domestic travel within Thailand by redeeming UOB Rewards Points for 15 per cent cashback on direct hotel accommodation payments made to participating hotels in Thailand. This offer excludes bookings made through online travel agencies (OTAs). In addition; cardholders can receive exclusive “UOB x Snoopy” premium collection gifts:

Receive a Snoopy tumbler with a minimum spending of THB 1,000.

Receive a 20-inch luggage suitcase with spending of THB 50,000 or more/slip.

To participate, cardholders must register through the UOB TMRW App or via SMS. These privileges are available from now until 30 September 2026.

From now until 30 September 2026, travellers who register for Buddy Rewards online at 1672 or at participating TAT activity booths may receive campaign souvenirs from TAT and UOB.

Campaign details, privileges, conditions, and registration information are available on the UOB Thailand website at https://go.uob.com/3PCRzO0 and 1672 Travel Buddy.

The post TAT and UOB launch “Travel Thailand Together” campaign appeared first on TAT Newsroom.

Virulya Wongchan, candidate number 5 for the employer-side Social Security Committee and representative of the Social Security Development Team (SSD), has proposed measures to enhance transparency in social security fund management through Mark-to-Market investment disclosure—reporting investment values at current market prices—alongside nine reform initiatives designed to improve fund efficiency, reduce employer burden, and strengthen confidence among workers and employers.

Drawing from over 14 years of business experience starting from zero, Virulya observes that Thai entrepreneurs, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), face rising costs in wages, financing, and social security contributions. "For employers, month-end is an expense, not income," Virulya stated. "We want to see social security as a mechanism that supports businesses while effectively protecting workers, because when businesses survive, employees gain security too."

Since employers continuously contribute to the social security fund, they should have a voice in shaping fund direction and access to adequate performance data, Virulya argues, promoting the concept that "employers should have rights, not just obligations."

The nine proposed reforms include: (1) reducing contribution rates to ease burden during economic slowdown; (2) promoting a 300,000-million-baht low-interest loan program for business liquidity; (3) increasing employer benefits aligned with contributions; (4) establishing nationwide employer assistance centers; (5) studying reduced rates for SMEs; (6) studying direct employer access to fund capital; (7) studying solutions for outstanding contributions and fairness for closed businesses; (8) studying contribution rates adjusted by business size; and (9) enhancing fund transparency through investor-friendly quarterly reports on returns, risk, investment allocation, fees, and performance.

On governance, Virulya proposes that the social security fund disclose Mark-to-Market valuations alongside book values, with quarterly reporting of returns, risk, investment composition, fees, and performance results to enable workers, employers, and the public to monitor fund management continuously. "The social security fund is a large fund built from employer, employee, and state contributions. Disclosing asset valuations at current market value increases transparency, builds confidence, and elevates governance to international standards," Virulya said.

The employer-side Social Security Committee election will be held on 27 September 2025, with the SSD fielding all seven candidates.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul completed his official visit to China on July 20, 2025, with a highlight being discussions with senior Chinese leaders at the Great Hall of the People and the witnessing of 15 cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding to elevate Thai-Chinese collaboration across multiple sectors.

During the morning, the Prime Minister and his delegation visited Tiananmen Square to lay wreaths at the Monument to the People's Heroes, then proceeded to the Great Hall of the People for discussions with Zhao Leji, chairman of China's National People's Congress. Chinese Premier Li Qiang gave an official reception to the Thai Prime Minister at the North Hall, where an honor guard was inspected before full bilateral talks aimed at strengthening strategic cooperation between the two nations.

Following the discussions, both leaders witnessed the signing of 15 cooperation documents in the Hebei Hall, covering security, economy, trade, technology, science, education, health, agriculture, media, and industrial supply chain linkages. Key agreements included financial information exchange cooperation to combat money laundering and transnational crime, public health cooperation, aquaculture quarantine protocols for Thai exports to China, rural water management, hydropower, irrigation, nuclear fusion collaboration, Beidou navigation satellite applications, higher education cooperation, joint space exploration laboratories, industrial and supply chain cooperation, intellectual property enforcement, and artificial intelligence education initiatives.

Media cooperation agreements were signed between Thailand's Public Relations Department and China's Xinhua News Agency, People's Daily, and Chinese national media groups to promote news and information exchange. In the afternoon, the Prime Minister visited Alibaba Group's Beijing headquarters for a digital innovation briefing, paid respects at the Yonghe Temple (Lama Temple), then departed Beijing airport at 4:00 PM, arriving at Bangkok's Air Force 2 airfield at approximately 7:40 PM.

A well-known shadow puppet theater owner died in a tragic collision when his pickup truck slammed into the back of a 10-wheeled truck stopped at a red light on the evening of July 19 in Ban Khai District, Rayong Province. Police from Ban Khai Station responded to the scene at 22:30 to find a white pickup severely crushed and wedged beneath the cargo truck, which was loaded with chicken crates. Officers discovered the body of a man, approximately 60 years old and identified as the owner of a prominent local shadow puppet troupe. Rescue personnel used specialized cutting tools to extract the victim from the wreckage.

Investigators determined that before the accident, the victim had been conducting a shadow puppet performance at a local temple and was driving his pickup truck carrying equipment back to his residence, with his son following on a motorcycle. At the Bang Buthorn traffic light intersection on Highway 3574, the 10-wheeled truck was stopped at the red signal preparing to enter Rayong city when the victim's pickup collided with it at high speed, causing his immediate death.

Police documented the scene and collected evidence, taking the truck driver in for further questioning at the station to determine the exact cause of the accident and to proceed with legal proceedings. The victim's body was sent to Ban Khai Hospital for autopsy pending collection by relatives for religious rites.