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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Sponsored 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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Managing blacktip reef sharks in Maya Bay, Thailand
The National Parks Department of Thailand aims to enhance the management of the country’s popular tourist conservation areas following the return of blacktip reef sharks to Maya Bay. Maya Bay was closed for four years, from 2018 to 2022, to facilitate the recovery of the island’s wildlife. The bay’s popularity surged after the release of the 2000 movie The Beach,…
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Tourists in Thailand urged to download ‘Tourist Police i lert u’ app
Foreign tourists in Thailand are advised to download the app “Tourist Police i lert u” which they can use to quickly and conveniently contact the police in case of an emergency, according to government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek. Not to be confused with the Thai version of the app, “police i lert u,” the tourist version of the app is available…
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TAT and Tinder team up to launch Single Journey tours for single travellers
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Tinder dating app have teamed up to launch “Single Journey Season 2” tours for single travellers who want to find a travel partner and make their trip more meaningful. The first season of Single Journey was launched in December 2020. It offered three different trips for 100 single travellers who won free…
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Brawl erupts between foreign staff and foreign tourists at Phuket restaurant (video)
A violent brawl erupted between three foreign staff members at a restaurant in the Patong area of Phuket, southern Thailand, and five drunk foreign tourists in the early hours of this morning. Partygoers notified Patong Police Station that a group of foreign tourists and a group of foreign restaurant staff were attacking each other with chairs at Atlas Restaurant on…
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SRT adds 4 historic tourism train trips next month
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) announced that it will offer four special sightseeing train trips in April to stimulate domestic tourism and generate income for locals. The train trips will follow a historical theme next month and will meet the increasing passenger demand for cultural travel in the area. The train trips are a collaborative effort between the SRT,…
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South Thailand island to be developed as world-class tourism spot
An island in South Thailand is set to be developed as a world-class tourism spot. Koh Adang, located in the southern border province of Satun, is set to become a world-class tourism destination like Langkawi in Malaysia, according to the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center (SBPAC). Satun province is renowned for its picturesque natural scenery, with jungles, mountains, and beaches.…
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Foreigners complain they can’t swim at Koh Samui beach due to smelly oil spill
French and German tourists complained that a smelly oil spill prevented them from swimming at Maenam Beach yesterday in Koh Samui, Surat Thani province, southern Thailand. A German man told reporters that he went to the beach to sunbathe and play in the water. But when he tried to go swimming, he noticed a foul smell emanating from the sea.…
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Chinese KOLs livestream their adventures in Thailand’s tropical paradises
Chinese Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) have been livestreaming their adventures in Thailand’s tropical paradises. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently collaborated with Kuaishou Technology, a Chinese short video-sharing mobile app, to bring Chinese KOLs to Phuket, Krabi, and Phang Nga for a “Travel Adventures Thailand Episode” livestream series. The series began on Wednesday, March 15, and ends today (March…
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Bangkok Airways to launch Koh Samui – Hong Kong route
Bangkok Airways revealed plans to launch a direct route between Koh Samui in Thailand and Hong Kong, aiming to “generate more revenue from foreign customers.” President of Bangkok Airways Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth revealed that a nonstop Koh Samui – Hong Kong flight is in the works and could launch sometime this year. The airline has also entered discussions to lease more…
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Bangkok ranks 5th on Airbnb’s top trending global travel spots in 2023
Airbnb‘s latest data shows that Bangkok has emerged as one of the top global travel spots for 2023, coming in fifth on its list of top trending destinations. The Thai capital is No.5 on Airbnb’s list of top trending global travel spots in 2023, however, this is a slight drop since it was No.1 in the third quarter of last year.…
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Chinese netizens critisised Thai tourism for being expensive and dangerous
Chinese netizens criticised Thai tourism for being expensive and dangerous. A Chinese male influencer who claims to be a psychiatrist added Thailand also traps Chinese women in prostitution and is a nation of organ trafficking. Thai tourism was a hot topic on Chinese social media last week. It began when a Chinese media agency published an article on March 13,…
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Safari park in Thailand responds to bungee cord incident that nearly killed Hong Kong tourist
UPDATE Today, staff from Chang Thai Thappraya Safari Park in Pattaya, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, commented on the broken bungee cord incident that nearly killed a tourist from Hong Kong last month. The bungee jump operator, 41 year old Natthaphon Yokcharoen, took reporters to see the scene of the incident, a platform about 30 metres high above a lake. Nattaphon…
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Really Cool Airlines to fly by 2023 close, schedule in June
New carrier Really Cool Airlines is set to take off in Thailand by the end of this year, according to its CEO, Patee Sarasin. The airline will focus on international flights and is expected to help boost the country’s aviation industry, which has been hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. The company will announce its flight routes by the end…
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Passport rip leaves TikTok creator unable to fly to Thailand
A passport rip left a TikTok creator unable to fly to Thailand. Arabella Leat’s holiday plans to Thailand with her mum were ruined due to the small rip on her passport, the UK tabloid Daily Star reported. The young woman was left disappointed and unable to board her flight after airport staff deemed her passport unfit for travel. Arabella posted a TikTok…
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First charter flight from Mahan, Iran makes its way to Phuket
The first charter flight from Mahan, Iran, made its way to Phuket on Monday. Mahan Air flight W557/IRM057 landed at Phuket International Airport at 2.30pm. As tourism from the Middle East continues to be a major target market for Thailand, the new charter flight network was warmly welcomed. Officials and staff were on hand to greet passengers as they walked…
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Thailand welcomes 5.5 million foreign tourists so far this year
In the first three months of 2023, more than 5.5 million foreign tourists entered Thailand, generating over 200 billion baht for the economy, government spokesperson Trisulee Trisoranakul reported this morning. Between January 1 and March 18, 5,578,721 foreign tourists arrived in Thailand, generating 215 billion baht in tourism revenue, according to data provided by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.…
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Hong Kong tourist narrowly survives bungee cord snapping midair in Thailand
Distraught onlookers thought the moment a Hong Kong tourist’s bungee cord snapped after he leapt from a height of ten storeys in Pattaya, Thailand, would surely send him plummeting to his death. But, he survived. One of Mike’s colleagues went first and had a blast, and Mike was up next, raring to go. The staff tied the bungee cord to…
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Aussie dad gets into fistfight with monkeys on Ko Phi Phi in Thailand (video)
An Australian dad got into a fistfight with a gang of monkeys on a Thailand beach after they attacked his one year old son. No pistols at dawn followed but it got quite feisty. Riley Whitelum and his wife Elayna Carausu, along with their two sons, were on the Ko Phi Phi Islands when the incident occurred. While relaxing on…
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Tour guides to ask PM to act on illegal foreign guides
Chinese-speaking tour guides in Thailand have called for the government to take action against illegal foreign guides who they claim are stealing their jobs. The Professional Guide Association of Thailand held a meeting on Saturday to discuss the issue and vow to escalate the issue all the way up to the prime minister. The association lamented that the number of…
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Shameless Bangkok taxi driver swindles foreigner at Suvarnabhumi Airport
Another Bangkok taxi driver has brought shame to the capital by swindling a foreign customer at Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The driver has been subsequently banned for life from picking up passengers at Bangkok’s premier airport and authorities say his license could be revoked. The unnamed taxi driver last week allegedly used a fake list of fares to cheat a Taiwanese…
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Thai officials seek to promote Muslim-friendly tourism
Thai officials are seeking to promote Muslim-friendly tourism in the kingdom. In a recent focus group discussion on Islamic tourism in Phuket province, the Department of Tourism (DoT) and private sectors reviewed strategies to attract Muslim visitors, NNT reported yesterday. The DoT’s Tourist Attractions Development Division Director, Athuek Phrasenmoon, said the global tourism industry recognises Muslim tourists as a fast-growing…
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Pattaya island Koh Larn draws in 130,000 tourists this month
Pattaya‘s picturesque island of Koh Larn is proving to be a hit with tourists this month, with over 130,000 tourists flocking to the island. Officials expect this number to rise as Chinese tourists start to return to the area. Pattaya Deputy Mayor Manote Nongyai said on Wednesday, March 15, that Koh Larn saw an average of 10,000 visitors per day…
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Koh Samui needs more direct flights to boost post-pandemic recovery
Koh Samui Tourism Association chief is urging authorities to enhance the island’s tourist infrastructure and increase flight capacity to boost a full post-pandemic recovery of the popular holiday resort. Association president Ratchaporn Poolsawadee revealed that only 70% of independent hotels with three or four-star have resumed operations following the pandemic. This is due to slow cash flow in comparison to…
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Thailand responds to incoming Russians with extradition treaty
Thailand is responding to the flock of incoming Russians fleeing their home country with a new extradition treaty. The Cabinet approved a draft extradition treaty with Russia that is similar to agreements with other nations. According to The Star, the treaty would boost collaboration to help curb crime and does not need Parliament’s approval. The mass exodus of Russians from…
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Thai tourism officials to monitor impact of SVB collapse
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will monitor the long-term impact of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) on Thailand’s tourism. However, TAT believes that the situation is unlikely to cause an immediate slowdown in long-haul markets. The bank’s closure last Friday raised concerns about possible economic turbulence, especially given the number of startups and tech companies it served.…
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Phuket taxi driver praised after returning Louis Vuitton bag to tourist
A Phuket taxi driver is being praised after returning a 150,000 baht Louis Vuitton purse to a Chinese tourist. The Phuket Info Centre, operated by the Phuket office of the Ministry of Interior, posted about the incident. According to Phuket News, the post was titled, “Good deeds must be admired.” The Centre said the bag was returned to the tourist…
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TAT plans to discuss more Hua Hin flights
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)’s Prachuap Khiri Khan office plans to discuss more flights to and from Hua Hin Airport, as part of an effort to bolster tourism in the region. Currently, the airport only serves Air Asia flights between Hua Hin and Chiang Mai, but the TAT hopes to expand the airport’s reach by adding more destinations. TAT plans…
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Thailand looks to go Dutch with tourists from the Netherlands
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) roadshow continues to gather a head of steam with the Netherlands the latest European country on its hit list. Last week, the TAT was in Germany at the ITB Berlin 2023 event to officially launch the ‘Visit Thailand Year 2023: Amazing New Chapters’ campaign, which aims to promote sustainable and responsible tourism in Thailand,…
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Thailand is ‘smiles’ better than most in Cheapest Countries to Visit poll
Thailand once again proved it is “smiles” better than most when it comes to polls, ranking fourth in a 10 Cheapest Countries to Visit survey. The survey was produced by US-based Kiplinger magazine, which is an American publisher of business forecasts and personal finance advice. According to the survey, the average daily expenses during a visit to Thailand is around…
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Record numbers of Russian tourists affect economy
Thailand has seen a sharp rise in the number of Russian tourists in the country. So far this year over 370,000 Russian visitors have arrived in Thailand. That’s 67% of last year’s entire total of 435,000. Pol Maj Gen Phanthana Nutchanart, the deputy commander of the Immigration Bureau assures though that the influx has not increased Russian criminal activity. The…
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