Thailand video news | Thailand’s tourist numbers dip as Vietnam closes the gap, Foreigner filmed taking offerings from Phuket spirit houses

Thailand's tourist arrivals dropped 3.19% in the first seven months of 2026, while neighboring Vietnam saw a 13.8% increase, according to the latest figures. Vietnam's growth was fueled by a more lenient visa policy, additional flight connections, and strong visitor numbers from Europe, the Americas, and Oceania. Thailand's visitor count remains higher by nearly 4.6 million, but its visitor target has been revised downward to between 30 and 34 million for the year.

In Khon Kaen's Phu Pha Man district, seven sinkholes up to five meters deep have emerged due to underground rock fractures, prompting emergency measures and potential disaster zone designation. Customs officials in Thailand seized a shipment of trading cards and matcha powder from Japan, citing documentation issues and unpaid duties worth over 3.2 million baht.

In Roi Et, police confiscated assets totaling over 93.3 million baht from a livestock farm suspected of laundering drug money, implicating a man named Niphon. Meanwhile, Thai law enforcement is seeking two gold robbers who fled the country after stealing approximately 13 million baht worth of jewelry from a shop in Chiang Rai. Finally, a foreign tourist in Phuket was captured on CCTV removing food and a drink from a spirit house, sparking online debate regarding potential theft versus cultural misunderstanding.