This Week with Thai PBS World | 17th April 2026
This week’s Thai PBS World episode recapped the bustling Songkran festivities across Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai, highlighted a new outdoor art exhibition in Lumpini Park, and shifted focus to Thailand’s deteriorating economic outlook amid the Middle‑East war and an impending super El Niño. Over 650,000 people gathered on Silom Road between April 12‑14, a dramatic rise from last year, while Hat Yai’s tourism revenue is projected at roughly 1 billion baht—still 50 % below normal levels due to flood damage and energy‑price shocks. The IMF trimmed Thailand’s 2026 GDP growth to 1.5 % and the World Bank to 1.3 %, the lowest among ASEAN peers, citing soaring oil prices, export disruptions and tighter US trade policies. Climate agencies warned that a super El Niño could trigger severe drought, heatwaves and crop losses across the region. Government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek called this year’s Songkran “unprecedented,” while Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the Lumpini art festival marks the park’s centenary and showcases Thailand’s creative economy. The Hat Yai‑Songkhla Tourism Association noted hotel occupancy rose to 80 % after extending the holiday, and analysts warned that prolonged conflict could push Thailand’s growth below 0.5 %. The combined pressure of weak tourism, rising energy costs and climate threats underscores the urgency for policy reforms, diversification of export markets, and investment in climate‑resilient infrastructure. For investors and businesses, Thailand’s sluggish growth trajectory signals heightened risk, while cultural events offer a modest avenue for tourism recovery.
![[WEEKLY FOCUS] Why S. Korea's Economy Is Vulnerable to a Hormuz Blockade, How Gov't Is Responding](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Rd9NVruyZ18/maxresdefault.jpg)
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