Lisa Just Hit 70.8 Million Views in 24 Hours. The Entire Video Is a Love Letter to Thailand.

🌡️ Weather: 27-34°C (81-93°F). Afternoon showers. Heavy rain warning continues through September 10.

🌫️ Air Quality: 68-120 (Good to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). At the lower end, the air is clean. A decent start to the week.

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LISA'S SAWADIKA JUST HIT 70.8 MILLION YOUTUBE VIEWS IN 24 HOURS. THE MOST-VIEWED MUSIC VIDEO DEBUT OF 2026. THE VIDEO IS BUILT ENTIRELY AROUND THAI CULTURE.

BLACKPINK's Lisa released SaWaDiKa on September 3, and within 24 hours the music video recorded 70.8 million views on YouTube, making it the biggest music video debut on the platform in 2026 by a wide margin. BTS' Swim, the previous 2026 leader, opened with 33.3 million. SaWaDiKa more than doubled it. The video is now the second-biggest solo artist debut in YouTube history, behind only Lisa's own Lalisa, which reached 73.6 million views in 2021. She holds the top two solo spots. No other solo artist holds both.

The video matters to this newsletter because of what it contains. SaWaDiKa is named after the Thai greeting. The choreography includes Muay Thai movements. The video and its promotion featured decorated tuk-tuks, Bangkok locations, Muay Thai and other Thai cultural elements. The visuals are Thai from the first frame to the last. Lisa, whose full name is Lalisa Manobal, grew up in Buriram before becoming one of the world's most famous entertainers. When 70.8 million people watch a music video in one day and the whole production celebrates Thailand, that is soft power on a huge scale.

Bottom line: 70.8 million views. 24 hours. Muay Thai, tuk-tuks and the Thai language at the center of the most-watched music video debut of 2026. Lisa did not simply promote Thailand. She made Thailand the main idea. That is the difference between marketing and culture.

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THE NEW 30-DAY VISA CUTS THE STAY, BUT LEGALLY PERMITS SHORT-TERM BUSINESS ACTIVITIES. TOURISM REMAINS THE MAIN INTENT FROM SEPTEMBER 15.

Saturday we told you the visa-free stay is dropping from 60 days to 30. Today we are clarifying the details that matter most for corporate travelers. The current 60-day visa exemption covers tourism and permits short-term business activities like attending meetings and conferences. The replacement 30-day scheme effective September 15 reduces the maximum stay duration but retains the exact same legal permissions for essential, short-term business engagements, meaning business activities are absolutely still included.

This maintains stability for anyone who hosts business visitors, attends regional conferences, or receives colleagues from overseas. Under the new system, a business associate flying in from Singapore, London, or New York for a week of meetings will still enter visa-free and conduct their business legally within the standard 30-day window. The official legal framework continues to explicitly protect ad-hoc, urgent business meetings, seminars, and networking events under the visa exemption scheme, provided the traveler is not drawing a local salary. Immigration enforcement will focus heavily on curbing illegal, long-term employment and un-permitted business operations rather than penalizing standard corporate travelers on short visits. For longer stays or actual labor, companies will still need to plan traditionally by applying for a proper Non-Immigrant B business visa or utilizing the Smart Visa program.

Bottom line: September 15 is approaching. The 30-day visa exemption is simply a shorter version of the 60-day window, and it does not ban business visitors. Inform your business contacts and proceed with your client visit schedules. Short-term business meetings remain fully legal, but ensuring your stay fits within the new 30-day limit is now the critical requirement to avoid compliance risks.

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⚡ QUICK HITS

PM Anutin personally signed the first deportation order under the new six-offence regulation. An Israeli national named Yaacov Ohayon was ordered deported from Thailand on September 5 after a Koh Samui court convicted him of threatening another person and causing fear or alarm. Anutin signed the order himself. The new regulation we covered on September 1 took effect on August 28, making Ohayon the first reported case handled under the new 2026 framework. He has seven days to appeal.

USS Abraham Lincoln crew were given safety guidance for Pattaya after sunset. Pattaya authorities outlined safety rules for the 5,000+ sailors and Marines visiting the city during the carrier's port call through September 6. The visit was expected to give local businesses a boost, with the city estimating ฿5–15 million in spending across four days.

Sansiri Capital is buying The Lake Como EDITION hotel in Italy for over €200 million. A Thai property developer buying a luxury European hotel is the kind of deal that would have been hard to imagine a decade ago. The deal adds another major overseas asset to Sansiri's international portfolio.

Very heavy rain continues through September 10 with 16 provinces under landslide alert. TMD advisory No. 8 warns of flash floods in the upper North and eastern Northeast. Bangkok has a 60% chance of rain each day. Check conditions before traveling to the North or Northeast this week.

☕ SPOT OF THE DAY

A KEEN HOUSE (SUKHUMVIT 40)

A Keen House sits on a quiet soi off Sukhumvit 40 in Phra Khanong. It is both a serious coffee shop and one of Bangkok's most photogenic spaces. The interior has plenty of good photo spots, while the seating, warm lighting and calm atmosphere make it a nice break from the busy Sukhumvit area. The coffee menu has plenty of choices: the Almond Meringue Latte and Black Sesame Latte are the signatures people often photograph, but the espresso, flat white and matcha options are also popular. The pastry and toast menu has both sweet and savory choices, with the Fig Pistachio Honey Mascarpone toast and Spice Shrimp Avocado Toast getting repeat mentions.

The 4.7-star rating across 965 Google reviews at ฿120-200 puts it in a good price range: quality that can compete with more expensive cafes without the high price. "A sleek and trendy cafe located quite hidden on a not too busy street. Going inside, they have many seats and many instagrammable corners," one reviewer wrote. Another called it "such a cute spot, perfect for photos, and the staff is absolutely lovely." A third said simply: "very nice place, stylish interior and delicious coffee." A Keen House opens at 9AM on Mondays and offers pickup and delivery, so you do not have to sit down to enjoy the coffee.

→ See their menu and find them here ←

Insider tip: the Almond Meringue Latte is the signature. The Fig Pistachio toast is the food pairing. Go at 9AM opening for a quieter morning and the best light for photos.

📍 4 Soi Sukjai, Sukhumvit 40, Phra Khanong, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110
📞 099 436 6535
🕐 Opens 9AM Monday
⭐ 4.7 stars (965 Google reviews) | ฿120-200
🌐 @akeenhouse

Always check opening times before heading out.

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