A ฿30 Million Scratch Card Scam. "Blessed by a Monk." Bought for 30 Baht. Sold for 99. It Ran on Facebook for Three Years.

🌡️ Weather: 27-33°C (81-91°F). TMD warns of heavy to very heavy rain across Thailand from October 18-25. A new monsoon trough is shifting over the country. Flash flood risks are returning.

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THAI POLICE BUSTED A ฿30 MILLION SCRATCH CARD SCAM. THE CARDS WERE "PERSONALLY BLESSED BY A MONK." THEY WERE BOUGHT FOR 30 BAHT AND SOLD FOR 99.

The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau arrested three suspects on October 17 after tracing more than ฿30 million in transactions linked to a Facebook page selling fake blessed scratch cards. The cards bore the image of Luang Pu Sila Sirichanto, a respected monk and former abbot of Wat Phra That Muen Hin in Kalasin province. Sellers claimed the cards had been personally blessed by Luang Pu Sila. They had not. The alleged operator was arrested in Phayao province, with additional raids carried out in Bangkok. Investigators traced payments from the Facebook page to a company bank account and found more than ฿30 million in revenue generated over more than three years of scratch card sales.

The business model was simple and brilliantly cynical. The operation had been running for more than three years through a Facebook page. One of the arrested suspects told police he had been purchasing Luang Pu Sila scratch cards through an online shopping platform for 30 to 40 baht each, reselling them on Facebook for 99 baht with promotional offers. The margin was two to three times the purchase price. The marketing was the monk's image and the claim of a personal blessing. In a country where amulets, blessed objects and spiritual commerce are a multi-billion baht industry, the scam exploited a cultural practice that millions of Thais take seriously. The ฿30 million total over three years suggests the operation had thousands of buyers who believed they were purchasing something spiritually authentic. They were purchasing a 30-baht card with a 99-baht price tag and a fake blessing.

Bottom line: Bought for 30 baht. Sold for 99 baht. Marketed as "personally blessed by a monk." ฿30 million in three years. Three arrests. The scam sat on Facebook for years before the CCIB shut it down. In the same week Thailand launched a global anti-fraud blueprint at the IMF meetings, a scratch card operation running on faith and Facebook generated more money than most small businesses in the country.

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THERE ARE NOW 280 INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS IN THAILAND. FEES ARE RISING 5%. AND NEW SCHOOLS ARE OUTPACING ENROLLMENT.

Thailand now has approximately 280 international schools, and the number keeps climbing. New school openings are outpacing enrollment growth across the country, creating a competitive environment that should theoretically benefit families but is instead producing a market where fees keep rising even as supply expands. Bangkok international school fees are forecast to increase about 5% for the 2026-27 academic year. For families already paying ฿500,000 to ฿1 million or more per year per child, a 5% increase is not a rounding error. It is tens of thousands of baht added to an already significant household expense.

The growth in international school numbers reflects two forces. First, Thailand's expat population continues to expand, driven by remote workers, LTR visa holders and the regional headquarters of multinational companies. Second, Thai families with means are increasingly choosing international schools over the Thai education system, which adds domestic demand to the mix. The result is a market with more options but not necessarily more affordable ones. The schools opening are not budget alternatives. They are competing at the mid-to-premium tier, which means the supply increase is not creating downward price pressure where families need it most. For expat parents making school decisions for the 2027-28 academic year, the message is clear: start researching early, compare fees across institutions and factor in the 5% annual increase when budgeting for the next three to five years. The bill is going up.

Bottom line: 280 international schools. Fees rising 5%. New schools outpacing enrollment. The international school market in Thailand is growing but not getting cheaper. If you have kids in international school or are considering one, the financial planning starts now. That 5% compounds year over year, and nobody is forecasting a decrease.

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Pattaya motorcycle taxi drivers swapped their orange vests for blue. The iconic orange vests that have identified Pattaya's motorcycle taxi drivers for years are being replaced with blue ones under a new regulatory framework. The color change is designed to distinguish officially registered drivers from unlicensed operators. If you are visiting Pattaya and looking for a motorcycle taxi, the official color is now blue. The change is part of a broader push to formalize the motorcycle taxi system and reduce scams targeting tourists. Whether the color of the vest changes the behavior behind it remains to be seen.

Heavy rain is forecast for Bangkok and most of Thailand from October 18-25. The TMD issued a warning for heavy to very heavy rain as a new monsoon trough shifts over the country. The South and East are being hit first, with risks spreading to Bangkok and other regions from October 21. Flash flood warnings are in effect. This is the first significant rain system since the October 9-13 storm that ended before the IMF meetings. If your neighborhood flooded in September, watch the drainage situation closely this week.

Thailand has paid ฿5.2 billion in flood relief and is seeking ฿10.5 billion more. DDPM director-general Nirat Pongsittaworn confirmed the figures on October 17. The government has disbursed relief through the Government Savings Bank and is now asking Cabinet to extend the budget so payments can continue. Over 2.1 million people across 20 provinces and Bangkok remain affected. The money is moving, but it is not moving fast enough for the families still waiting.

A woman who registered the "NENE ROYAL" trademark has spoken out, and the government is investigating. The Department of Intellectual Property ordered an explanation of the July 22 trademark filing. A northern Thai woman filed to trademark the name of the 16-year-old AGT champion before Nene's September win went global. Whether it was opportunistic or coincidental, the DIP is now reviewing the application. The trademark question is the unsexy legal subplot to the Nene Royal story, but it determines who profits from the name going forward.

☕ SPOT OF THE DAY

WALLFLOWERS CAFE, RESTAURANT & BAR (SOI NANA, CHINATOWN)

Wallflowers sits in a renovated heritage shophouse on Soi Nana in Bangkok's Chinatown district. This is not Sukhumvit Nana. This is the other Nana: the quieter, older, more interesting one where heritage buildings are being turned into cafes and bars instead of being demolished. Wallflowers operates on three levels. The ground floor is the cafe: specialty coffee, edible flower-topped cakes that change daily, and a vintage interior filled with plants, spiral staircases and photo-worthy corners on every level. The upper floors serve western-fusion dishes like Wagyu Beef Ramen and Ka-Pow Fried Rice with Kurobuta Pork alongside the cafe's signature cakes and desserts. The top level is a rooftop bar (Wallflowers Upstairs) that opens at 5:30PM with cocktails, a DJ spinning vinyl and views over the old Chinatown rooftops.

The 4.3-star rating across 2,372 Google reviews at ฿200-1,000 is the score of a place that does three things at once and does all of them well enough to keep people coming back. "A hidden floral escape in Bangkok's Chinatown," one reviewer wrote. "The cakes are exquisite, beautifully decorated with edible flowers and full of flavor." Another said "we came in the afternoon for coffee and food, then stayed long enough to see the upstairs turn into a bar in the evening." A third called the Dark Beer Cake "amazing." There are also cats roaming between the floors. On a Monday when the IMF delegates have left and Bangkok belongs to the residents again, Wallflowers is the cafe that rewards the walk into old Chinatown with three experiences in one building: morning coffee, afternoon cake, evening cocktails. Opens 10AM.

→ Check their menu and find them here ←

Insider tip: Come for coffee and cake in the afternoon, then stay as the rooftop bar opens at 5:30PM. The Dark Beer Cake and the Carrot Cake are the two that regulars swear by. The Last Word cocktail is the bartender's pick upstairs.

📍 31-33 Soi Nana, Pom Prap, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok 10100
📞 094 671 4433
🕐 Opens 10AM Monday, closes midnight. Rooftop bar from 5:30PM.
⭐ 4.3 stars (2,372 Google reviews) | ฿200-1,000
🌐 linktr.ee/wallflowersth

Always check opening times before heading out.

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