Michelin Just Rated Thailand’s Hotels. Only 6 Got Its Highest Honor.

🌡️ Weather: 26-30°C (79-86°F). Expect another wet day in Bangkok, with scattered to fairly widespread thunderstorms and isolated heavy rain. The Thai Meteorological Department has warned of heavy to very heavy rain in parts of Thailand through September 20, with Bangkok included in the thunderstorm forecast.

🌫️ Air Quality: 68-120 AQI, Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. Conditions can vary significantly by district and monitoring station, so check your local sensor before spending a lot of time outdoors.

MICHELIN JUST STARTED RATING THAILAND’S HOTELS. 71 MADE THE LIST. ONLY 6 GOT THREE KEYS

Michelin has officially brought its hotel rating system to Thailand, with 71 hotels and resorts receiving Michelin Keys in its 2026 selection. Six earned the highest Three-Key distinction, 22 received Two Keys and 43 received One Key. The six at the top are Capella Bangkok, Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, The Siam, Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, Phulay Bay in Krabi and Amanpuri in Phuket. Capella Bangkok was also promoted from Two Keys to Three Keys this year.

The Michelin Key is essentially the hotel world's answer to the Michelin Star, but instead of judging the food, inspectors evaluate the overall stay, including architecture, design, service, personality and the quality of the guest experience. Michelin says the Thai selection came after months of anonymous inspections, meaning hotels did not know when they were being assessed. Thailand's 71 properties are part of a global 2026 selection covering 2,832 hotels, giving Bangkok visitors a new Michelin-backed shortcut when deciding where to stay.

Bottom line: Thailand now has 71 Michelin Key hotels, but only six reached the highest tier. Three of those are in Bangkok, and Capella just moved up to Three Keys.

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BANGKOK BLOCKED A ฿6 BILLION EV GARBAGE TRUCK PLAN. A ฿1.6 BILLION AI SCHEME IS NOW FACING A CORRUPTION COMPLAINT.

Bangkok's Metropolitan Council has rejected a proposal to lease 1,347 electric garbage trucks for ฿6.038 billion, sending the plan back for further review. According to the BMA's calculations, switching the fleet from diesel to electric was expected to save about ฿4.75 billion in energy costs over five years, with projected electricity costs of ฿4.01 billion compared with ฿8.76 billion for diesel. The proposal also projected lower PM2.5, greenhouse gas emissions, carbon monoxide and noise. The committee raised what it described as "reasonable doubts" about the procurement format and noted differences between the proposed trucks and EV garbage trucks used in other cities.

Meanwhile, the government's ฿1.6 billion TH-AI Passport has moved forward despite months of scrutiny over its procurement. The program is designed to give up to five million Thais access to premium generative AI tools for one year. Opposition MP Rakchanok Srinok filed a complaint with the National Anti-Corruption Commission alleging irregularities in the tender and project specifications, while Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob has denied wrongdoing and said the ministry followed the law. The dispute has also focused on the original payment structure, the bidding timeline and questions over whether the project provides sufficient value for taxpayers.

Bottom line: Bangkok sent a ฿6 billion EV garbage truck plan back for procurement review, despite projected energy savings, while the ฿1.6 billion AI Passport went ahead and is now the subject of an NACC complaint. The two projects are very different, but the contrasting decisions have put government procurement and value for money back in the spotlight.

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Thailand is already guaranteed three Asian Games medals in a sport you probably haven't watched yet. Thai teqball teams swept all three of their semifinals in Nagoya on Saturday, reaching the women's doubles, mixed doubles and men's doubles finals. All three Thai pairs won in straight sets, guaranteeing at least three silver medals before Sunday's gold-medal matches. The finals begin Sunday afternoon Thailand time, making this one worth watching if you want to see a relatively new sport where Thailand is already a major force.

A tourist says a Bangkok taxi charged her ฿2,000 to travel between the city's two airports. A Taiwanese tourist posted on Threads that a green-and-yellow taxi charged her ฿2,000 for the trip from Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi on September 15. The Thaiger could not independently verify the fare or determine whether the driver used the meter. The normal fare is generally far lower, so the incident is another reminder for visitors to make sure the meter is running before leaving an airport or just call a Bolt or Grab.

A Chinese fugitive hiding in Bangkok was arrested after returning from Kuala Lumpur. Thai authorities arrested the 32-year-old woman at Suvarnabhumi on September 13 after Chinese authorities reportedly told Thai officials she had fled a six-year prison sentence. Investigators said she had been hiding in Bangkok's Huai Khwang area and was planning a visa run. Thai and Chinese authorities are now coordinating her return to China.

Two popular Chiang Mai attractions have been closed after flash floods. Doi Inthanon National Park has temporarily shut the Pha Dok Siao Nature Trail and Mae Ya Waterfall after prolonged heavy rain sent fast-moving, muddy water through the area. Officials cited risks including damaged footbridges, strong currents and debris. If you're heading north this week, check individual park conditions before setting out.

🧊 SPOT OF THE DAY

ARAH, SUKHUMVIT 49

ARAH is a wellness center on Sukhumvit 49 built around the hot-and-cold recovery trend that has taken off in Bangkok. The facility has ice baths, a sauna, hot tub and cold plunge, giving first-timers a controlled way to try temperature-based recovery without having to build their own setup at home. The space is modern and purpose-built, and its 5.0 rating from 423 Google reviews is unusually strong even for a newer wellness business. If you've been curious about ice baths but haven't wanted to jump straight into an extreme session alone, this is the kind of place designed to make the experience less intimidating.

The reviews repeatedly mention the staff and atmosphere, which matter when you're voluntarily climbing into very cold water. ARAH is also particularly well suited to a rainy weekend or week ahead, when you may not want to spend hours outside but still want to get out of the condo. The facility recommends booking ahead, and first-timers can let the staff know so they can guide them through the process. It's open from 9AM on Sunday, making it an option for a morning reset before the rest of the day.

→ See their facilities and find them here ←

Insider tip: Book ahead via Rezerv and tell the staff you're a first-timer. Let them guide you through the sequence rather than trying to improvise it yourself.

📍 88/8 Sukhumvit 49, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana
📞 091 963 6632
🕐 Sunday: Opens 9AM
⭐ 5.0 stars, 423 Google reviews
🌐 arah-wellness.com

Always check opening times before heading out.

📅 WHAT'S ON

THIS WEEK

ONGOING

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Home furniture brand Blu Dot blew up on CTV with help from Roku Ads Manager. Here’s how:

After a test campaign reached 211,000 households and achieved 1,010% ROAS, the brand went all in to promote its annual sales event. It removed age and income constraints to expand reach and shifted budget to custom audiences and retargeting, where intent was strongest.

The results speak for themselves. As Blu Dot increased their investment by 10x, ROAS jumped to 2,308% and more page-view conversions surpassed 50,000.

“For CTV campaigns, Roku has been a top performer,” said Claire Folkestad, Paid Media Strategist, Blu Dot. “Comping to our other platforms, we have seen really strong ROAS… and highly efficient CPMs, lower than any other CTV partner we've worked with.”

Using Roku Ads Manager, the campaign moved from a pilot to a permanent performance engine for the brand.

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