Wednesday 25 March 2026

Good morning Bangkok. It's Wednesday and we're looking at 29-35°C (84-95°F) under moderately clear skies, AQI at 70-77 and peak around 7:00 am. The SET closed yesterday at 1,410.39, up 13.05. Gold dropped another ฿2,000 to ฿67,900-68,100 per baht weight. That's a ฿8,400 crash from ฿76,300 just six days ago. USD strengthened to ฿31.33-32.87. Diesel jumped to ฿32.94. The Motor Show opens today at IMPACT. And there's good news about three sailors who've been trapped at sea for nearly two weeks. Let's go.

After 13 agonizing days, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow confirmed yesterday that rescue teams have reached the three Thai crew members still aboard the stricken cargo ship Mayuree Naree. The operation was a joint effort between Oman and Iran. Their condition is still unknown as of this morning. The Mayuree Naree was struck by projectiles from Iran's Revolutionary Guard in the Strait of Hormuz on March 11 while carrying civilian cargo to India. The blast tore through the engine room, trapping three engineers while 20 crew members evacuated via lifeboat and were rescued by the Omani Navy. The 20 rescued sailors returned to Bangkok on March 16. But the ship, with no power and its tracking system dead, drifted from Omani waters into Iranian waters, complicating the rescue. One of the trapped sailors' wives told CNN she called the foreign office every day, only to hear "we don't have any information at this time." The vessel is owned by Precious Shipping, one of Thailand's largest shipping companies, controlled by the influential Shah family.

Bottom line: This is a genuinely emotional story that has gripped Thailand. The Mayuree Naree incident is the most tangible example of how the Middle East conflict is touching Thai lives directly. Three men were trapped in a damaged engine room in a war zone for nearly two weeks while their families waited. The diplomatic effort to reach them (coordinating between Thailand, Oman, Iran, and the UAE) was extraordinary. We don't yet know their condition, but the fact that rescue teams reached them is the first good news in this saga. This story matters beyond the headlines because it challenges Thailand's assumption that its neutral stance would keep its people and ships safe. That assumption died on March 11.

With European arrivals down 18% and fuel shortages making domestic travelers nervous about road trips, hotel operators across Thailand are getting aggressive with Songkran pricing. Three- and four-star hotels in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Bangkok are offering discounts of 20-40% off regular rates. Paisarn Sukjarean, president of the Upper Northern Chapter of the Thai Hotels Association, told the Bangkok Post that European guests who normally account for 30% of Chiang Mai visitors at this time of year are canceling April bookings because flights are limited and unreliable. He expects the European market impact to last at least six months even if the Gulf situation calms. Some properties have dropped rates from ฿2,000 to ฿1,200-1,300 per night. Songkran is April 13-15, with celebrations in the North typically extending several more days. Even the BTS Group chairman, Keeree Kanjanapas, has called for a flat ฿40 rail fare to ease the cost burden on commuters.

Bottom line: If you're an expat and you've been planning a Songkran trip, this is your moment. Check hotels in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai right now. The discounts are real and availability is still good. Use Agoda, Booking.com, or book direct for the best deals. If you're doing a road trip, the fuel situation is the wildcard: fill up the day before you leave, plan your route around stations you know are open, and cap your fuel spend at each stop (some stations are limiting purchases to ฿500). The festival itself won't be diminished. Songkran is too deeply cultural to be stopped by oil prices. But the crowds may be thinner than usual, which honestly makes it a better experience for anyone who has survived the chaos of a full-capacity Khaosan Road or Tha Pae Gate.

Arguably the best Thai restaurant in the world right now. One Michelin star since 2023. #29 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants. And it feels nothing like fine dining. Chef Prin Polsuk (formerly head chef at Michelin-starred Nahm in London) runs this intimate, counter-only restaurant out of the ground floor of a four-story house he shares with his wife Mint, who manages front of house. The concept: a tasting menu that changes every two months, each edition exploring a different region of Thailand through ancient recipes sourced from historic texts. Recent themes have included journeys to Surat Thani, the Cambodian border region, and Ubon Ratchathani. Prin's encyclopedic knowledge of Thai cuisine shows in every plate. The menu features ingredients you've likely never seen: fermented fish sauces from unlabeled bottles, bee larvae, wild boar soup so spicy that even locals reach for the coconut milk, whole crispy crab meant to be eaten in one bite. It feels more like a house party than a restaurant. Chef Prin cooks in front of you, stops by your table to explain dishes, and finishes the evening by pouring shots from his private stash. With a 4.3 on Google with over 275 reviews. Reservations are essential and the restaurant is famously hard to book.

TIP: Book well in advance through their website or Instagram. The menu changes bi-monthly, so check what region they're exploring before you go. Go with an open mind and an empty stomach. This is a 2+ hour journey, and the portions are generous. Budget around ฿3,000-5,000 per person including drinks.

25 March 1957: The Treaty of Rome was signed, creating the European Economic Community (the precursor to the EU). 69 years later, European tourists are canceling their Thailand trips because they can't get flights through the Middle East, and Thai hotels are offering 40% discounts to fill rooms they assumed would be full. The irony of an integrated European economy being disrupted by a war in the Persian Gulf would not have surprised the Treaty's authors. They built the EU specifically because they knew what war does to trade. Some lessons never stick.

See you tomorrow morning.

— Devon

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