Thailand weighs 1,000-baht exit fee as Thaksin parole approved
Here is a look at the top NATIONAL Thailand stories, chosen by our Pattaya News/TPN National team, from last week, Monday, April 27th to Sunday May 3rd. They are not in any particular level of importance but are listed…
A roundup of major Thailand developments in the week ending May 3 included a proposed 1,000-baht exit fee for Thai nationals traveling abroad, approval of Thaksin Shinawatra’s parole, and new crime cases linked to Pattaya and Phuket. The national stories, compiled from reports published between April 27 and May 3, also pointed to weaker hotel bookings across the country.
Justice ruling and tourism pressure
A panel under the Ministry of Justice approved parole for former prime minister Thaksin, clearing him for release from prison on May 11 without an EM bracelet.
Separately, hotels from the budget segment through luxury properties reported a sharp drop in forward bookings starting in May, according to the Thai Hotels Association. The downturn was linked to the Middle East conflict and high airfares.
Authorities are also studying the return of an outbound travel charge on Thai nationals. Officials said the proposed 1,000-baht fee is intended to raise billions of baht a year to support domestic tourism and keep more spending inside Thailand.
Arrests in Pattaya and official action in Phuket
Thai cyber police arrested a 42-year-old dual Swedish-Finnish national identified only as Mr. Mikael for allegedly hacking a prominent hotel’s guest database in Pattaya.
Police said he used stolen guest information to impersonate hotel staff and extort money by falsely claiming customers had damaged hotel property.
In a separate case, Pattaya Tourist Police and Region 2 investigators raided a hotel in central Pattaya on the evening of April 28, 2026. Officers arrested one Thai woman and three Nigerian men suspected of links to a nationwide network using money mule bank accounts for romance scams and money laundering.
Elsewhere in the South, provincial leaders, security agencies and foreign representatives met at the Sarasin Conference Room at Phuket Provincial Hall to discuss strategies for managing and regulating the behavior of international tourists.
Authorities also rejected rumors that Israeli tourists had taken control of a public beach in Phuket and tried to drive away Thai beachgoers.
On Koh Phangan, joint Thai security forces raided an unlicensed private school operating as a childcare center and found 89 mostly Israeli children, along with numerous illegal foreign workers and occupancy beyond permitted levels.
Source: https://thephuketexpress.com/2026/05/04/top-national-thailand-stories-from-the-past-week-thaksin-shinawatras-parole-cleared-for-release-on-may-11th-and-more/
