Songkran in the spotlight: AP33 marked Songkran Festival 2026 with influencer-led activations built around water, luck and community, blending temple-and-family traditions with social media sharing. Thai cultural exports go digital: Meta reports Thai cultural heritage is helping independent creators open global markets, turning local storytelling into a passport for wider audiences. Immigration and family fallout: Reports on arrests of immigrant parents point to a growing mental health crisis for children left behind. Attention economy shift: A Southeast Asia media study says premium viewing is no longer tied to “primetime,” with audiences grazing across social, messaging and short video while using second screens. Bangkok growth corridor: A new Bang Na–Trat rail link is set to reshape Bangkok’s eastern CBD, with major mixed-use projects and rising land values along the route. Land Bridge debate: Reuters looks at Thailand’s proposed coast-to-coast “Land Bridge” logistics corridor, where promises of faster shipping clash with local residents’ fears about disrupting livelihoods. Food culture as training: China’s culinary schools are formalizing regional cooking into standardized, employment-linked vocational programs—an example of how lifestyle traditions become scalable skills. Queer art travels: “Spectrosynthesis Seoul” brings queer histories into public view through a large institutional exhibition touring from Bangkok and beyond.