Thailand Tightens Work Restrictions for Visa-Exempt Visitors Starting September 15

Thailand is about to remove work from what a visa-exempt visitor is allowed to do. Under the framework taking effect on Sept. 15, entering without a visa covers tourism and nothing else. The distinction matters more than it sounds. The 60-day exemption being retired had space in it for business trips and short work activity, and plenty of visitors used that space. Thailand’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are struggling to maintain cash flow as sales weaken, customers take longer to pay and banks tighten lending, prompting calls for further government support. TMBThanachart Bank’s SME Insight 2026 survey found that businesses were reporting average sales declines of 4%–5%. The resulting pressure on working capital was compounded by an increasingly evident tendency among trade customers to delay payments. Thailand and the United States have reached agreement on the main terms of a reciprocal trade pact, with Washington offering assurances on tariff competitiveness while negotiators work to resolve the remaining details, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun said. Suphajee announced the progress yesterday following talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Deputy US Trade Representative Rick Switzer in Washington. Thailand has ordered a temporary pause on 166 data center projects while government agencies draw up nationwide standards governing resource use, locations, safety and economic benefits. It covers 49 projects under construction and 117 awaiting permission from various agencies. Four subcommittees have been given one month to prepare the new criteria. The government intends to continue attracting investment while ensuring that projects generate jobs, income and technological benefits for Thailand, rather than simply providing space for servers. Thailand must move past the binary debate of either welcoming data center investment unconditionally or shutting the door entirely, and instead establish rigorous regulations, clear data visibility, and a strategy that treats the sector as a shared national investment. Following a meeting of the government’s newly established Data Center Policy Committee, prominent economist and policy advisor Santitarn Sathirathai cautioned that the multi-billion-baht inflow from global technology giants demands a balanced appraisal of physical resources against long-term economic gains. Thailand has ordered agencies to intensify inspections of foreign workers and the businesses employing them, warning of substantial fines, possible prison terms and deportation for breaches of work permit rules. Deputy government spokesperson Patdarasm Thongsaluaykorn said oyesterday authorities had been told to take a proactive approach against employers, companies and workers who break employment laws. Thailand’s trade deficit with China has surged to US$55.13 billion, alarming even the Thai-Chinese business community. Imports from China jumped 38.5%, while the bilateral deficit widened 59.3% in seven months. Yet, record exports and giant data-center investments are masking a far weaker domestic economy. The government now wants Chinese-backed factories to use more Thai materials, components and workers as growth slips toward 1.5% to 2%. China’s global influence campaign has been particularly evident in Southeast Asia, including Thailand. Historically, the Thai public and many elites have had relatively warm views of China. However, Beijing has launched a multitude of efforts to expand its influence within Thailand’s society and politics. China’s effort to shape perceptions, build dependencies, and extend its reach across foreign societies is one of the defining strategic undertakings of the 21st century. In Southeast Asia, that campaign is executed with particular persistence. And in Thailand — a country whose government has welcomed Chinese investment, whose infrastructure is increasingly built on Chinese technology, and whose history is largely free of colonial-era grievance toward Beijing — the effects are both deep and, in some dimensions, quietly contested. Thai AirAsia has introduced special services for passengers aged 60 and over on all domestic flights, including priority check-in, early baggage delivery and complimentary adjacent seating where available. The benefits also extend to one traveling companion, the airline said. Passengers must show their identification card at the check-in service counter to receive the privileges, with no additional charge. Phuket’s foreign arrivals by air rebounded in July, with more than 379,000 travelers recorded as the impact of the Middle East conflict eased, according to Travel Link data. Source: Hua Hin Today