Tourism News
Thailand tourism news, travel updates, visa policies, and destination highlights—stay informed on hospitality trends, cultural experiences, and major infrastructure projects. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for Thailand travel news.
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Suvarnabhumi increases check-in counters in preparation for high season tourists
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport is increasing the number of check-in counters in preparation for an upcoming surge of tourists. But the ‘surge’ is still a few months away. The nation’s capital city is expecting around 70,000 travellers to arrive per day, and for it to increase to 100,000 people per day during the high season. Suvarnabhumi Airport General Manager, Kittipong Kittikachon,…
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Thailand’s tourist entry charge delayed until Q4
Tourist tax, tourist surcharge, call it what you want. The Tourism and Sports Ministry yesterday said that they need more time before the 300 baht tourism “fee” is introduced. The tourism fee was penciled in for discussion at this week’s cabinet meeting but the ministry withdrew the proposal. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Tourism and Sports Minister, says fee collection for tourists arriving…
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Thailand exempts entry visa for Saudi tourists allowing 30-day stay
Thailand yesterday moved a step further to its future relationship with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia when it announced a 30-day visa exemption will be available to all Saudi citizens. Saudis can now enter Thailand and stay for 30 days without applying for a visa before departure. The move comes as both nations step up to restore diplomatic relations which…
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5 million Indian tourists in Pattaya this year?
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is making optimistic predictions about Indian tourists arriving in the Kingdom, this time in Pattaya! TAT officials announced yesterday that TAT expects 5 million tourists to visit Pattaya by the end of this 2022. Just last week, TAT said that its goal for the number of Indian tourists in Thailand overall was 3,000 per day…
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Tourism minister calls for an end to the Thailand Pass scheme
The queue to beat up on the much-hated Thailand Pass is growing longer by the day. Now Thailand’s Tourism Minister is joining in. Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakan, says he will use the next Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration meeting to push PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to pull the plug on the Thailand Pass digital gateway. If the scheme is…
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Famed cabaret show sold out as tourists flock to Pattaya after 2 years of closure
“Life is a cabaret old chum”, so sang Liza Minnelli’s character in the musical Cabaret, and it was no different in Pattaya at the weekend. Every seat was sold out at the famous Alcazar theatre after it reopened on Friday night for the first time in 2 years. Following the official easing of restrictions on entertainment venues on June 1,…
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Another tourism goal for Thailand – 3,000 Indian tourists a day
Thailand’s tourism authorities seem to announce a new goal every day. While the Tourism Authority of Thailand is aiming for Saudi and Australian tourists in Phuket, TAT has also announced a goal last week for Thailand as a whole: 3,000 Indian tourists a day. The TAT is aiming to meet its goal through various promotional campaigns and special travel incentives.…
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Check-in mayhem for Thai Airways flights last Friday
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has ordered airlines and airports to make urgent adjustments after acknowledging long queues for Thai Airways flights at Suvarnabhumi airport. The early morning flight check in delays at the Thai Airways counters in Suvarnabhumi Airport was caused by a lack of check-in staff at the Thai Airways counters, according to the Civil Aviation…
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Phuket governor reverses decision easing mask-wearing
Easy come, easy go. Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew today reversed yesterday’s mask-wearing easing order, insisting people must wear a mask in all public places even if they are practicing social distancing measures. Only yesterday the governor relaxed all measures saying healthy people could to take off their face masks while in open-air places, beaches, public parks and stadiums, as part of…
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Thai AirAsia X launches cheap flights between Bangkok and Seoul, South Korea
Thailand’s airline Thai AirAsia X has launched flights from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport to Seoul’s Incheon International Airport in South Korea. The route will take place 3 times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The first flight on the new route landed in Seoul yesterday, June 1. To celebrate the launch, the airline is offering return flights from Bangkok to…
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After Middle East, Thailand’s TAT brings tourism road show to Europe
After the Tourism Authority of Thailand travelled to Saudi Arabia in a roadshow last month, the TAT has now brought its tourism campaign to Europe. From May 23-25, the TAT travelled to 3 European countries to promote its campaign “Visit Thailand Year 2022: Amazing New Chapters”. The campaign promotes medical tourism, beaches, and shopping in Thailand. In the European roadshow,…
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Popular tourist island off Pattaya adds hundreds of security cameras
Officials on Koh Larn, a popular tourist island off Pattaya, are stepping up security measures. The municipality has installed 200 CCTV security cameras at 7 beaches around the island. Meanwhile, authorities are working on renovating a pier on Koh Larn. Pattaya Deputy Manager Kiattisak Sriwongchai said the installation is almost finished, and the cameras will be fully working early this…
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Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand advises airlines of new entry rules effective today
International airlines have been issued with a notice from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, advising them of revised rules for entry to the kingdom from today. CAAT chief, Suttipong Kongpool, says all international airlines serving Thailand are required to screen and categorise passengers into 3 groups. The first group is the fully vaccinated passengers, who, if suspected of having…
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Proposal to develop Koh Tao, Samui, and Koh Phang Ngan as “entertainment islands”
Another day, another idea, as Thailand desperately tries to revive its decimated tourism sector and by extension, the economy. While things are looking up since entry restrictions were eased, suggestions for further improvement continue to circulate. One such proposal is to develop and market 3 islands in the Gulf of Thailand as an “entertainment cluster”. Tourism operators on Koh Samui,…
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Foreign arrivals in April show things are looking up for tourism, the economy
Things are looking up for the Thai economy, thanks to an increase in foreign and domestic tourism in April, according to the Bank of Thailand. The Bangkok Post also reports a year-on-year increase in consumer spending during the month of April. The easing of travel restrictions has brought more foreign tourists to the kingdom, with numbers up from 210,836 in…
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The Thaiger partners with Boatcrowd to offer you a sailing experience of a lifetime!
Are you feeling the call of the sea? Dreaming of a vacation that includes feeling the fresh ocean breeze in your hair? Want to enjoy the magnificent scenery of sparkling blue water on a sailing trip? The Thaiger has just formed a partnership with Boatcrowd, an industry-leading boat rental platform, to offer the opportunity for the ultimate sailing escape. We…
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Hotels are expected to see a large jump in earnings
Thai property giant Singha Estate predict a large jump in hotel revenue in 2022, and a considerable increase in real estate sales, following the return of international travellers after Thailand’s reopening. Once hotels revive, earnings from the hotel sector will increase from 4.5 billion baht in 2021 to 9 billion baht in 2022, according to the Chief Financial Officer of…
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Japan tour packages more expensive due to Covid restrictions
The Japan National Tourism Organisation announced entry rules for tour companies allowed to enter Japan with their groups on June 10 for the first time since the pandemic in 2020. With immigration restrictions and requirements, Covid-19 screenings, and increasing operating costs, it’s predicted the prices will be 30 to 40% higher than packages offered before the outbreak, according to the…
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Half a million Indian tourists to enter Thailand in 2022
Thailand hopes to welcome around 500,000 travellers from India by the end of 2022 after latest statistics revealed over 100,000 Indian tourists have entered the country since January. And it’s great news for the Thai economy as holiday makers from India have the potential to bring in over 22 billion baht in revenue. The Tourism Authority of Thailand is trying…
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Thai government expects 1 million tourists per month by the end of the year
The Thai government has refuted the opposition’s claim that it is ignoring the plight of the country’s tourism sector. According to a Nation Thailand report, spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says the government’s decision to cancel Test & Go has revived the tourism industry, with around 20,000 foreign arrivals now entering the kingdom each day. Thanakorn adds that if this trend continues,…
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Pattaya tourist says security guards beat him “bloody” near Walking Street
A Pattaya tourist says security guards beat him bloody over a near collision when he was driving near the city’s famous Walking Street in the early hours of this morning. The tourist, an unnamed 31 year old Indian national, said he almost collided with a group of security guards who were standing in front of a venue on Soi 16.…
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Thailand tourism, innovate or die – OPINION
Red flags are flying in Thai tourism circles as the expected wave of international travellers is failing to materialise in the expected numbers. With the post-April 1 and Songkran ‘surge’ out of the way, the daily arrivals have been ‘flat’. So the TAT say they’re pivoting their marketing to short-haul tourism as the long-haul markets and traditional travellers to Thailand…
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Bangkok’s first ‘real’ Pride parade coming up June 5
Pride month is approaching cities across the globe, including Bangkok! On June 5, the city is expected to host its first ‘real’ pride parade. Feminist activist Siri “Tata” Nilphruek said at a press conference yesterday that in the past, Bangkok’s pride parades were just street demonstrations. But this year, the organisers hope to make pride parade “an imporant event on…
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Tourists who went missing in southern Thailand park found safe
Yesterday, park rangers in Thailand’s southern province of Surat Thani found 2 tourists who had gone missing the day before. The women, 19 year old Eliza Rose and 19 year old Matilda Cox, got lost in a jungle in Khao Sok National Park in Phanom district. Eliza is a British national, and Matilda is from Northern Ireland. Eliza and Matilda…
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Tourism officials ramp up marketing campaigns to target short-haul markets
Tourism officials are looking to short-haul markets to attract holidaymakers during the off-peak season, with a number of marketing events planned. Thanet Phetsuwan from the Tourism Authority of Thailand says places like India, Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia are the target markets. “This strategic push for short-haul markets aims to create a quick win, attracting both repeat and first-time visitors all…
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Things looking up in Phuket following return of international tourism
Provincial officials on the southern island of Phuket say the return of tourists has raised income levels and created more jobs. According to a Bangkok Post report, the return of international tourists has started to revive the island’s economy and reduced unemployment across Phuket. Data shared by Phuket governor, Narong Wunciew, reveals that since the launch of the Phuket sandbox…
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Pattaya officials say Walking Street should be repaired by August
After Pattaya’s famous Walking Street welcomed back visitors last month for the first time since Covid-19 broke out, the city’s officials have put in a big budget to give the street a ‘makeover‘. Pattaya city officials announced yesterday that the city has now spent 13 million baht on road repairs for the street, and these repairs are expected to be…
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American cruise company looking for 1,000 Thai service staff
All aboard! The American cruise company that owns the Princess Cruise, Holland America Line, has visited Thailand’s Department of Employment seeking Thai staff to work onboard. The company says they have more than 1,000 positions available for Thai people saying that the famous Thai smile is perfect for the hospitality industry. The Director-General of the Employment Department, Pirot Choticsathian, welcomed…
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Cruise ships set to return to Phuket for first time since pandemic
All aboard! The southern Thai island of Phuket is set to welcome back the cruise ships, for the first time since the start of the Covid pandemic. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Spectrum of the Seas will dock in Phuket next month. Pichet Songtan from the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre Region 3 says officials have given the…
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Thai tourism officials aiming for 50% hotel occupancy rate this year
Tourism officials in Thailand have set a target of 50% hotel occupancy this year, in order to revive the tourism sector, following a further easing of restrictions from June 1. According to Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, hotel occupancy dropped to 29% during 2020 and then plunged to 14% in 2021. It needs to climb back…
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