Core Viewpoint - The Thai government is considering imposing taxes on physical gold transactions to curb the rapid appreciation of the Thai baht, which is impacting exports and tourism [1][4]. Group 1: Taxation Details - The Thai central bank and the Ministry of Finance are discussing the implementation of a tax on gold transactions conducted online and settled in Thai baht, with potential exemptions for transactions in US dollars or those conducted on futures exchanges [1][4]. - The specifics of the new tax, possibly introduced as a "special business tax," are still under discussion, and the final decision will be made after the new cabinet is in place [4]. - Any tax would apply if gold sellers convert their dollar earnings into Thai baht, although the exact tax rate has not yet been determined [4]. Group 2: Economic Impact - Strong gold export revenues have contributed to the baht's appreciation, which has risen by 7% this year, reaching its highest point since 2021 [1][5]. - The surge in gold exports, which increased by 69% year-on-year to 254 billion Thai baht (approximately 8 billion USD) in the first seven months of 2025, has raised concerns about its impact on the economy [5]. - The strong baht is negatively affecting Thailand's key economic sectors—exports and tourism—which together account for 70% of the country's GDP [5].

Group 1 - The meeting between Trump and Putin on August 15 in Alaska may involve "territorial exchanges" related to the Ukraine peace agreement [12] - Netanyahu stated that the next phase of military action by Israel will focus on two locations still controlled by Hamas [12] - The U.S. Treasury Secretary expects trade issues to be resolved by the end of October [12] Group 2 - The U.S. stock market saw all three major indices rise, with the Dow Jones up 0.47%, S&P 500 up 0.78%, and Nasdaq up 0.98%, marking a historical closing high for Nasdaq [4] - Apple shares rose over 4%, with a weekly gain of 13%, the best performance since July 2020 [4] - Tesla and Google also saw gains of 2.29% and 2.44% respectively [4] Group 3 - European major stock indices showed mixed results, with Germany's DAX30 down 0.12% and the UK FTSE 100 down 0.06% [5] - The Hong Kong Hang Seng Index fell 0.89%, closing at 24,858.82 points, with a trading volume of 2,067.2 million HKD [5] - Semiconductor stocks led the decline in Hong Kong, while gold stocks rose [5] Group 4 - The A-share market experienced narrow fluctuations, with the Shanghai Composite Index down 0.12% and the Shenzhen Component down 0.26% [6] - The railway equipment sector led the gains, while the Huawei Euler concept stocks fell significantly [6] Group 5 - Bitcoin briefly surpassed $119,000, marking its highest level since July 29, while Ethereum reached $4,300, the highest since the end of 2021 [7]