The Transport Ministry is preparing to submit a cabinet proposal to reinstate duty-free shopping at Suvarnabhumi Airport's arrival area and plans to negotiate with King Power Duty Free. Transport Deputy Minister Siripong Angskul said Thai Airports Authority has forwarded the matter to the Office of Fiscal Policy for consideration, with a cabinet proposal to follow. The ministry's rationale has shifted; rather than aiming to boost domestic consumption as originally intended, the duty-free zone is now seen as providing passenger amenities and retail services to reduce wait times and enhance the travel experience during immigration processing. Deputy Managing Director Sirotom Duangrat of Thai Airports Authority said the previous cabinet decision to eliminate duty-free shopping across six airports failed to achieve its goal of increasing domestic spending or improving national revenue. The authority submitted its assessment to the fiscal office on August 11, 2025. Should the cabinet approve the proposal, Thai Airports Authority will negotiate with King Power Duty Free regarding the arrival area duty-free space and revenue sharing terms, though the allocated space may be smaller than before due to other passenger service facilities already in place.

On August 18, Dr. Krichpaka Boonfeung, director of the National Innovation Agency under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, announced the Startup Thailand: Global Startup Hub 2026 programme. The agency will provide comprehensive startup support through four main mechanisms: GROOM (preparation), GRANT (funding), GROWTH (expansion), and GLOBAL (international scale). The strategy focuses on creating a global startup hub to help businesses scale sustainably into international markets, emphasizing the importance of understanding foreign business ecosystems, regulations, and finding large-organization partners to mentor and promote innovation solutions both domestically and abroad.

This year, the NIA prioritizes startups in high-potential technology sectors including AI, IoT, semiconductors, EV and mobility, energy technology, and climate tech and sustainability. Thirty companies have joined the programme, supported by a comprehensive platform, intensive workshops, and company-specific consulting. The core initiative is business matching, enabling proof-of-concept testing with national organizations. Over 60 business pairings have been discussed this year, with several already underway—including collaborations between Sampathai Pibul Company with startup Alive Loop, Thai Post with startups Scamtify, Klola, and Bot and Life, and PTT Gas Group with Nisha Carbon and Simply.

Dr. Krichpaka noted that private-sector investment in startups far exceeds the government's research and development budget of approximately 19 billion baht, making business matching a gateway to significant funding sources. Next year, the NIA plans to engage major listed companies to propose challenges for startups to solve while expanding into 12 foreign markets: six ASEAN countries (Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam), three Asian markets (Japan, China including Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and Taiwan), Saudi Arabia in the Middle East, and the United States and African regions for agricultural technology opportunities. International expansion will be coordinated through the Foreign Ministry to ensure company safety.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Thailand should avoid being forced to choose sides amid growing geopolitical rivalry, arguing that countries should instead maintain strategic autonomy by building diverse partnerships.

Speaking at the Lowy Institute in Sydney on Tuesday, Anutin outlined Thailand's approach to a changing international order, saying stronger regional cooperation, strategic autonomy and economic resilience were key to navigating global uncertainty.

"Not choosing sides does not mean having no choices," Anutin said, stressing that strategic autonomy meant maintaining the ability to make independent decisions and work with a range of partners based on national interests.

He said Thailand and Australia, as middle powers, could play a greater role in shaping how power is exercised in the region, even if they could not determine the global balance of power.

ASEAN Remains Thailand's Strategic Anchor

Anutin said regional institutions would become increasingly important as reaching consensus at the global level becomes more difficult.

For Thailand, ASEAN remains a "strategic anchor" that has helped transform Southeast Asia from a region marked by division and mistrust into one focused on dialogue, cooperation and greater integration.

He said ASEAN must strengthen its unity and centrality while developing greater capacity to set its own agenda and respond effectively to regional challenges.

On Myanmar, Anutin said Thailand continues to support ASEAN's Five-Point Consensus while pursuing calibrated re-engagement to maintain channels for dialogue and encourage concrete progress.

He welcomed Myanmar authorities' recent decision to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to meet detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, saying Thailand had consistently pushed for such access.

On Cambodia, Anutin said Thailand remained committed to resolving disputes peacefully through dialogue and agreed bilateral mechanisms while maintaining ASEAN unity.

Not Choosing Sides, But Creating More Options

Anutin said strategic autonomy should not be interpreted as isolation or neutrality on every issue.

Instead, he said countries should diversify their partnerships so they have more options and are less vulnerable to pressure to align with another country's interests.

Thailand and Australia should also expand cooperation through minilateral arrangements focused on specific issues, he said, citing efforts to combat cybercrime and transnational crime.

Anutin and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are scheduled to sign a joint statement on cooperation against transnational crime in Canberra.

Building a More Resilient Economy

Anutin also called for deeper economic integration between Thailand and Australia to strengthen resilience and reduce excessive dependence on any single market or supply source.

Thailand and Australia have had a free trade agreement since 2005, with bilateral trade reaching about A$32 billion in 2025.

He said the two countries should continue strengthening economic ties.

Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited Canva's headquarters in Sydney on August 18, 2026, to discuss ways to strengthen Thailand's creative economy and connect Thai creators with global consumers. He met with Canva co-founder and COO Cliff Obrecht, Southeast Asia CEO Willix Halim, and regional executive Pakapol Tangtongchin to explore collaboration opportunities.

Anutin highlighted Thailand's skilled talent, distinctive identity, and rich cultural assets as key strengths that could be developed into high-value products and intellectual property for global markets. He noted that global platforms like Canva could help Thai design and culture reach worldwide audiences while generating income for local creators.

The two sides discussed strategies to feature more Thai designs and cultural elements on Canva's platform, enabling Thai creators to earn from their work while reaching international users. Canva aims to grow its Thai creator base from approximately 190 to 1,000 by 2028.

Canva is also expanding partnerships with Thai agencies including the Department of Business Development and the Digital Economy Promotion Agency to enhance SME skills in design, digital technology, and AI. The company is working with the Ministry of Education to provide Thai youth with access to modern economy tools and skills.

Anutin invited Canva to establish a legal entity in Thailand and expand its operations, bringing international talent to work alongside Thai professionals to facilitate knowledge transfer and strengthen the country's technology and creative ecosystem. He encouraged Canva to collaborate with the Board of Investment on investment opportunities, skills development, and workforce strengthening programs for Thailand's SMEs.

On August 18, 2025, the NBTC held its fourth forum on promoting Thai radio broadcasting, presenting opportunities and future directions for the sector. Thanphan Rayajaroen, the NBTC's director of radio affairs, explained that the meeting aimed to clarify the agency's approach to developing Thailand's radio industry and to update stakeholders on the status of local radio stations entering the licensing system, as well as criteria and procedures for approving digital DAB+ radio networks. The forum also served as a platform for information exchange between the NBTC and broadcasters. Following the successful transition of radio stations to the licensing system by the end of 2024, the agency is now pursuing policies to promote Thai radio toward international standards and sustainable social and economic development.

The NBTC outlined five key agenda items: First, the status of frequency allocation according to the FM radio frequency plan shows that of 3,346 allocated FM frequencies (839 community and public, 2,507 commercial), 2,435 have been licensed (570 community and public, 1,865 commercial), leaving 991 frequencies available. Currently, 2,328 stations have been licensed (570 community and public, 1,788 commercial), with 107 stations still pending approval. Second, signal interference testing results from 95 stations seeking frequency verification showed that 34 stations in sparse areas can use remaining frequencies, but of 61 stations in dense areas, only 7 passed verification while 54 could not. The NBTC will use the remaining frequencies to revise the FM radio plan and issue new licensing calls by year's end.

Third, the agency is launching the NBTC Radio Quality Award to promote high-quality broadcasting through positive regulation, with selections made nationwide across community, public, and commercial categories, and awards given at district, regional, and national levels; applications open in September with results announced in November. Fourth, the NBTC is promoting the formation of groups among licensees in accordance with relevant announcements.

Knight Frank Thailand released its latest Hotel Market Research report on August 18, 2024, indicating that Thailand's hotel market is shifting from competing on occupancy volume to competing on revenue quality and the ability to generate additional value from tourists. This transformation is particularly evident in Bangkok and Phuket, where new supply is clearly targeting the luxury and upscale hotel segments.

Bangkok is set to add approximately 17,590 rooms, representing 16.7% of current operating stock. Of the new hotels under development, about 80% are in the luxury and upscale categories. In 2025 alone, approximately 7,635 new rooms are scheduled to open, continuing the focus on upper-market segments. As of mid-2024, Bangkok had a total of 105,038 hotel rooms, with approximately 65% in the luxury and upscale groups.

Phuket shows a similar trend, with 47,195 total rooms at mid-2024, of which about 58% are luxury and upscale. Of the new rooms scheduled to enter the market between 2024 and 2026, approximately 89% fall into the luxury and upscale categories.

Despite the shift toward luxury hotels, the market faces challenges. Bangkok luxury hotels saw average daily rates increase by only 0.6% year-on-year to 7,010 baht, while upscale hotels experienced a 4.4% decline to 4,197 baht. Price pressure stems from increased branded hotel supply and consumers' ability to easily compare rates online. Phuket has maintained pricing better overall, with market ADR up 5.3% to 7,117 baht despite occupancy declining 3.2 percentage points.

Hotel operators are diversifying revenue streams beyond room rates, including food and beverage, wellness, events, lifestyle experiences, and branded residences within resort projects to enhance profitability and project viability. However, being in the upper-market segment does not guarantee sustained high returns.