Thailand is preparing to reduce visa-free stays from 60 days to 30 days for citizens of 93 countries, a move aimed at tightening immigration controls while maintaining tourism flows.

Key Points

• Policy shift: Authorities believe shorter stays will help prevent misuse by foreigners engaging in illegal activities, nominee businesses, or repeated visa runs.
• Tourism resilience: With most visitors staying around 21 days, officials expect minimal impact on tourism revenue. Extensions beyond 30 days will remain available.
• Industry support: The Association of Thai Travel Agents backs the reduction, noting that long stays are often exploited for non-tourism purposes.
• Background: The 60-day visa-free scheme was introduced in mid-2024 under Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to boost arrivals. While initial surges from China, Taiwan, and India were notable, most tourists continued to stay less than a month.
• Immigration measures: Since late 2025, the Immigration Bureau has tightened checks on foreigners making repeated border runs.

Authorities seek to balance national security concerns with the country’s reliance on tourism, a key sector of its economy. Officials believe the adjustment will help monitor overstays more effectively while still encouraging international visitors to explore Thailand’s attractions within the revised timeframe.

Economic Outlook

• Average tourist spending is unlikely to decline significantly, given typical stay durations.
• Stricter controls may reduce opportunities for foreign-run nominee businesses, protecting domestic operators.
• Thailand positions itself as a quality-driven tourism hub, balancing economic benefits with immigration enforcement.

Regional Context Thailand’s adjustment contrasts with Malaysia and Vietnam, which continue to offer longer visa-free stays to attract extended visitors. However, Thailand’s established tourism infrastructure and reputation may offset the shorter entry period. The government appears to be prioritizing sustainable tourism and tighter oversight of foreign business activities over aggressive visitor growth.

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The Welsh Retail Consortium has published retail footfall figures for January

Welsh retailers have reported another fall in shoppers, according to new research commissioned by the Welsh Retail Consortium. In January retailers, across the high street, shopping centres and retail parks, reported footfall down 2.8% year-on-year. This was compared to a 3.1% dip in December.

The biggest category year-on-year fall was shopping centres, with footfall down 6.1%. Retail park footfall dipped 2.4%.

For England in January retail footfall was down 1.4%. There were though rises in Northern Ireland, up 3.8% and Scotland 5.1%. Of the UK nations and regions, the fall was only greater in Wales in the east of England, down 3%, and the west Midlands, down 3.9%.

Of the UK’s eleven core cites, Cardiff experienced the second biggest year-on-year fall at 2.4% – although less than the 4.4% dip in December. The biggest fall, 7.1%, was experienced in Birmingham. The highest increase was in Edinburgh, up 5.5%.

TOTAL FOOTFALL BY NATION AND REGION

GROWTH RANK

NATION AND REGION

Jan-26

Dec-25

1

Scotland

5.1%

-1.5%

2

Northern Ireland

3.8%

-1.7%

3

Yorkshire and the Humber

1.2%

-4.5%

4

North West England

0.2%

-2.3%

5

London

-1.1%

-0.4%

6

North East England

-1.2%

-5.0%

7

England

-1.4%

-3.1%

8

South West England

-1.7%

-2.9%

9

East Midlands

-1.9%

-3.3%

10

South East England

-2.0%

-4.4%

10

Wales

-2.8%

-3.1%

12

East of England

-3.0%

-4.5%

13

West Midlands

-3.9%

-5.5%

TOTAL FOOTFALL BY CITY

GROWTH RANK

CITY

Jan-26

Dec-25

1

Edinburgh

5.5%

-0.5%

2

Glasgow

4.8%

-1.2%

3

Leeds

4.0%

-6.3%

4

Manchester

1.8%

-0.8%

5

Belfast

1.4%

-2.8%

6

Sheffield

0.6%

-3.1%

7

Bristol

-0.8%

-1.7%

8

Liverpool

-1.0%

-4.5%

9

London

-1.1%

-0.4%

10

Cardiff

-2.4%

-4.4%

11

Birmingham

-7.1%

-8.1%

Sara Jones, head of the Welsh Retail Consortium, said “January footfall remained below levels seen a year ago, laying bare the deep-rooted challenges facing bricks-and-mortar retail in Wales. Although there was a slight improvement on December, it was far from enough to reverse the damage. Even heavy discounting and widespread promotional activity during the month failed to draw shoppers back to our high streets, showing that retailers cannot discount their way out of these pressures.

“Shopper footfall in Wales has fallen in eight of the past twelve months and the continued downturn is squeezing town and city centres, putting jobs and investment at risk, and steadily draining life from local communities.”

“As political parties finalise their manifestos ahead of the Senedd election, this is a critical moment to decide the future of our high streets. Targeted action – including meaningful reductions in business rates for all stores and clear backing for physical retail – could still stabilise and strengthen town centres. Without that political and policy support, the outcome is clear: more shop closures, more job losses, and high streets left increasingly empty, undermining local economies and the communities that depend on them.”

Andy Sumpter, retail consultant with Sensormatic Solutions, which carried out the research, said:

“January was still a tough month for Wales, with footfall down 2.8% year on year – an improvement on December, but the weakest performance of the devolved nations. Shoppers clearly remain cautious, yet there are signs that value led New Year promotions did tempt some consumers back into stores.

“Storm Goretti added further pressure, disrupting travel and putting an additional brake on visits just as retailers were looking to reset after the golden quarter.

“Even so, the easing in the rate of decline offers a glimmer of optimism. After months of negative figures, retailers in Wales will be hoping that an improvement in January sets the stage for growth as we move into February – and that footfall can finally start to turn the tide.”

For the research footfall is defined as anyone entering a store.

Stellantis is urging owners of roughly 225,000 older vehicles in the U.S. to stop driving them immediately if they have not repaired defective Takata air bags.

The warning applies to certain 2003–2016 Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram models previously recalled for faulty air bag inflators that can rupture in a crash, the automaker confirmed to FOX Business in an email.

“This action is intended to accelerate the repair of the remaining affected vehicles to safeguard owners, their families and the general public from the risk of serious injury or death,” Stellantis said. 

The company warned that the chemical propellant inside some Takata air bag inflators can deteriorate over time – especially in hot, humid conditions – increasing the risk of rupture and sending metal fragments into the vehicle cabin.

TOYOTA RECALLS 141K VEHICLES OVER DOORS THAT COULD OPEN WHILE DRIVING

“If you have one of these vehicles, do not drive it until the repair is completed and the defective air bag is replaced,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Wednesday.

Affected models include:

• 2007–2009 Chrysler Aspen SUVs
• 2007–2008 Chrysler Crossfire coupes
• 2005–2015 Chrysler 300 sedans
• 2008–2014 Dodge Challenger coupes
• 2003–2016 Dodge Ram pickup trucks and Dodge Sprinter vans
• 2004–2009 Dodge Durango SUVs
• 2005–2012 Dodge Dakota pickup trucks
• 2005–2008 Dodge Magnum station wagons
• 2006–2015 Dodge Charger sedans
• 2007–2016 Jeep Wrangler SUVs

REGULATORS EXPAND PROBE INTO NEARLY 1.3M FORD F-150 PICKUP TRUCKS OVER TRANSMISSION ISSUES

Over 6.6 million Takata air bag inflators have been replaced over the course of more than a decade, but roughly 225,000 vehicles in the U.S. remain unrepaired, according to NHTSA.

“This stop-drive directive is focused on completing repairs on this remaining population,” Stellantis said. “Affected customers were notified beginning Feb. 9, and repairs will continue to be performed free of charge.”

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
STLA	STELLANTIS NV	7.89	+0.28	+3.68%

NHTSA has linked exploding Takata air bags to 28 deaths and more than 400 injuries in the U.S.

“Even minor crashes can result in exploding Takata air bags that can kill or produce life-altering, gruesome injuries,” the NHTSA said. “Older model year vehicles put their occupants at higher risk, because older air bags are more likely to explode.”

BMW RECALLS NEARLY 90,000 VEHICLES OVER ENGINE STARTER FIRE RISK

More than 100 million vehicles globally, including 67 million in the U.S., have been recalled over the last 10 years because of defective Takata air bag inflators, according to Reuters.

The stop-drive order comes amid a broader wave of auto recalls.

Jaguar Land Rover is recalling nearly 2,300 electric SUVs in the U.S. over concerns that a high-voltage battery could overheat and increase the risk of fire, the NHTSA announced Tuesday.

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

Toyota is also recalling about 141,000 Prius and Prius Prime vehicles after discovering that rear doors could unexpectedly open while the car is moving, according to a newly filed report from the Department of Transportation.

FOX Business’ Landon Mion and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.

Our deep dive into Pendle’s “grand narrative” reveals a disconnect: in mature markets, trillion-dollar IRS platforms struggle with unattractive business models due to the bargaining power of institutional players. A high valuation premium based on current “points-driven” volume is, therefore, difficult to sustain.

The past few days have packed in more action than many months combined — a Union Budget, a major India-US agreement, sharp swings in gold and silver, and turbulence in equities. The question to ask is whether investors should track every development or simply tune out the noise.

Market Veteran, Madhusudan Kela from 35 years experience in the market feels investors should only focus on wealth creation and ignore the noise.

“Thirty-five years of my experience, I have always put the blinders and focused on what truly matters from a wealth creation perspective,” he said, adding that “this noise is what creates opportunity.”

For Kela, volatility is not a threat but an ally. “Volatility is my biggest friend. If there is no volatility, where will I get the opportunity?”

He argues that differentiated returns rarely come from following the crowd. “You rarely make money if you are with the crowd,” he said, recalling how bullish calls on silver today contrast sharply with the silence when prices were far lower. “You would have been a loner at that time.”

In a lighter moment, when asked what he told his maid — who predicted silver would hit ₹10 lakh — Kela laughed: “Honestly speaking, when she told me, I felt like selling all the silver which we have in the house.”
Betting on the Jockey
Looking back at decades of cycles, reforms and crises, Kela believes the enduring lesson lies in Indian entrepreneurship.
“The biggest thing for me has been the real entrepreneurship of Indians,” he said, pointing to their “resilience, perseverance and determination.”

Despite policy shocks and global disruptions, certain companies have multiplied investor wealth many times over. According to Kela, the key is identifying the right leadership. “Am I able to really identify a jockey… who will not get distracted? If you find that, that is the real winning idea.”

He contrasted wealth creators with habitual critics. “Real entrepreneurship is not about a blame game. It is about truly believing in your own self and pursuing what you believe.”

Retail: The Real Heroes
Kela has seen the equity market evolve from a “satta-driven market” to one where “at least 13 crore people in India” see equities as a serious long-term asset class.

The power of compounding, he stressed, remains underappreciated. “A small amount of saving invested over a long period of time can actually generate disproportionate wealth,” he said, citing how disciplined monthly investing at steady returns can build enormous wealth over decades. “That is the real power of belief in investing.”

Unless a severe “black swan” event shakes confidence, Kela believes domestic participation will only deepen. “This faith is only going to get built up,” he said, regardless of whether foreign investors are buying or selling.

In a market filled with headlines and hyperactivity, Kela’s message is to block out the noise, trust conviction, and let volatility work in your favour.

The reaction from exporters in 2025 was essentially the same in 2018, when Trump imposed certain tariffs during his first term in office – the cost of goods for consumers rose, with little other economic impact recorded, the New York Fed said at the time.