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 Why 8 Atelier Residence is poised for growth: Phuket’s investment hotspot in the making
Phuket’s residential real estate market is no longer defined only by beachfront villas and short-stay resort condominiums. The island is now seeing sustained interest from international investors targeting long-term yields, capital stability, and access to full-scale lifestyle infrastructure. Looking at...
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UPDATE: Thailand’s Test & Go is back on for travel starting February 1
The Thailand Pass Test & Go program has been rebooted, and vaccinated travellers will be able to register for (almost) quarantine-free entry to Thailand re-starting February 1. There have been slight revisions to the rules, now requiring travellers to have proof of an SHA+ hotel booking on the first and fifth day of their stay in Thailand when they will…
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Thailand’s Test & Go registration reintroduced for travel starting February 1
Test & Go is back on, and vaccinated travellers will be able to register for (almost) quarantine-free entry to Thailand re-starting February 1. There have been slight revisions to the rules, now requiring travellers to have proof of their hotel booking on the first and fifth day of their stay in Thailand when they will undergo RT-PCR tests. In the…
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Hotels call for Covid-19 land and building tax cuts to be extended
The hotel industry is asking the government to extend a land and building tax cut that was enacted in June of 2020, citing the continuation of the Covid-19 pandemic with no economic recovery in sight. They requested the 90% tax cut be extended for 2 more years, or, failing that, enact a new tax cut of 70 to 80% to…
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CCSA says Test & Go could make a comeback soon – with a few tweaks
The government’s Covid-19 task force meets later today to discuss the fate of the Test & Go entry scheme, along with the potential easing of some restrictions. Supoj Malaniyom from the CCSA says Test & Go could make a comeback soon, but will involve stricter monitoring of foreign arrivals’ health. The Bangkok Post reports that the scheme could now require…
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Officials considering Sandbox destinations in every region – Health Minister
Along with pushing for the resumption of the Test & Go scheme, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says the ministry is discussing adding more Sandbox destinations to have the entry scheme open in every region of Thailand. The ministry will make formal proposals, including lowering the Covid-19 alert level to level 3, at the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration general…
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Tourism Ministry pushing for return of Test & Go from February
Thailand’s tourism minister says he’s pushing for the return of the Test & Go entry scheme, potentially as early as next month. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says the resumption of the scheme could mean at least 8 million international tourists this year. The CCSA meets tomorrow to discuss easing a number of restrictions and potentially rebooting Test & Go. The Omicron variant…
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Restrictions could be eased, Covid alert lowered after CCSA meeting tomorrow
As infections continue to decline in Thailand, the government meets tomorrow to discuss the easing of a number of restrictions. The CCSA is also expected to lower the country’s Covid alert, from Level 4 to 3. It was raised earlier this month amid concerns over the highly-contagious Omicron variant. The move followed the suspension of the Test & Go entry…
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Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Ministry to propose reopening Test & Go registration by February
It’s no surprise that Thailand’s tourism officials are pushing to reopen registration for the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme. The Tourism and Sports Minister told Thai media that the ministry, along with the Public Health Ministry, will make a proposal to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration to resume registration for the entry scheme by February. The minister, Pipat…
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The return of Test & Go? Health Minister to propose entry scheme be restored
Thailand’s Public Health Minister says he’s backing the restoration of the Test & Go entry scheme as concerns about the Omicron variant subside. Test & Go was suspended around 4 weeks ago as the highly-contagious Covid-19 variant spread around the globe. Now, Anutin Charnvirakul says he’ll ask the CCSA to consider bringing it back, as well as easing a number…
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Tourists unsure about new 300-baht fee, question how money will be spent
The jury’s out on Thailand’s new 300-baht tourism fee, with foreigners expressing reservations about its introduction. The Thai government has confirmed that all overseas arrivals will have to pay the 300-baht levy from April. Speaking to the Bangkok Post, a number of foreigners have questioned how the money will be spent. Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana has previously stated that the…
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Thai airlines pin their hopes on government resuming Test & Go
The president of the Airlines Association of Thailand says the government must allow the Test & Go entry scheme to resume as soon as possible. The scheme was recently suspended as the Omicron Covid-19 variant spread rapidly across the globe. Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth, who is also the boss of Bangkok Airways, says the scheme was working well, attracting more foreign visitors…
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Covid-19 infection rate, totals in international travellers surging
While the government suspended the Test & Go scheme in order to curb the spread of the Omicron variant last month, people who are already approved are still trickling in, and many have come as part of the Sandbox programme. Despite throttling the influx of international travellers, the number of Covid-19 infections brought in from abroad has been steadily rising,…
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Thailand Pass scam: Authorities warn not to pay third party
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs put out a warning today via their spokesperson urging people not to be taken in by any scam attempting to charge you for registering for the Thailand Pass. The announcement came on the heels of the Covid-19 task force investigating reports of people claiming to have paid registration fees in order to apply for the…
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Police find Covid-19 infected missing Russian tourist… In his own hotel room
After frenzied reporting on Thai news yesterday, the police manhunt for a Covid-19 positive Russian tourist thought to have escaped his Phuket Sandbox hotel is over and considered a false alarm. The police 191 hotline received notification from the Patong Parak Hotel in Phuket that the man had disappeared from his room after testing positive for Covid-19. The man was…
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No cut-off date announced for Test & Go entry with pre-approved Thailand Pass
The Foreign Ministry has confirmed there is currently no cut-off entry date for Test & Go travellers who’ve already received their Thailand Pass. Test & Go has been suspended since December 22 as the Thai government responded to the rapid global spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant. You would need a Test & Go program approval, and QR code, before…
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Major tourism operator calls on government to restart Test & Go
The board chairman of Minor International has called on the Thai government to reinstate the suspended Test & Go entry scheme. Failing that, William Heinecke says they should expand the number of sandbox destinations, according to a Bangkok Post report. Minor International is based in Bangkok and its businesses include Minor Hotels, which operates 530 properties, including the Anantara, Four…
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Tourists with mild symptoms can have Covid treatment covered by Thai insurance
The government has decided to allow Thai insurance firms to offer new Covid-19 treatment packages to foreign tourists, according to a Nation Thailand report. In addition, Tares Krassanairawiwong from the Department of Health Services Support says more hotel isolation facilities, the so-called “hospitels”, will be made available to tourists with mild symptoms. Tares says that many infected tourists struggle with…
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Tourism operators call on government to delay introduction of 300-baht entry fee
Tourism operators are calling on the Thai government to delay the introduction of a 300-baht tourism fee to give the sector time to recover. The fee is due to take effect from April, with the Bangkok Post reporting that it will apply to foreigners arriving in the kingdom by land, sea, and air. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi from the Thai Hotels…
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Another 300 hotel quarantine rooms set aside for infected tourists in Phuket
As Covid-19 infections continue to rise in Phuket, the southern island is creating more self-isolation facilities for infected foreign tourists. According to a Nation Thailand report, cases are surging on the island, with new infection numbers rising from 238 last Wednesday to 742 on Sunday. Most infections are cases of local transmission, but infections are being reported in sandbox tourists…
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Phuket seeing healthy tourism demand, with 4,000 Thailand Pass applications a day
The president of the Phuket Tourism Association says the island is proving popular with foreign tourists, receiving 4,000 applications a day through the Thailand Pass system. Bhummikitti Ruktaengam says most of those visitors are from Germany, Russia, Kazakhstan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and France. Bhummikitti credits the success of the island’s Covid-19 measures for inspiring confidence among foreign…
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6 European tourists found who disappeared after positive Covid-19 test
After a brief hunt, 6 European tourists who were tested for Covid-19 and left their hotel before the results were returned, test results which came back positive, have now all been located and moved to the hospital. Authorities rounded up 2 French tourists, 2 Polish tourists, a Swiss tourist, and a Norwegian tourist. The 6 tourists had all come to…
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6 more Covid-19 infected tourist on the run from Koh Chang
Apparently the 2,000 baht fine for the first tourist to ditch out of his hotel while waiting for RT-PCR test results was not as big a deterrent as Thai authorities thought as there now been a number of copycat runners that authorities have had to hunt down. Just 2 days ago, officials were able to track down 2 Indian tourists…
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69 provinces now “orange” zones with ban on alcohol sales at restaurants
Restrictions are tightening in a number of Thai provinces. Thailand’s Covid-19 task force revised its colour-coded zoning based on local infection rates and decided to classify 69 of Thailand’s 77 provinces as “orange” zones under tight control to curb the spread of Covid-19. The new zoning goes into effect on Sunday. The other provinces will remain classified as “blue” zone provinces,…
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BREAKING: Test & Go registration closed indefinitely
Registration for Thailand’s Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme will be closed indefinitely. And travellers, who are already approved to enter Thailand under the Test & Go quarantine exemption program, have until January 15 to arrive (although the cut off date of January 15 was clearly announced at yesterday’s CCSA briefing there has been a random walking back of that…
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Restaurant alcohol sales, tightening quarantine on CCSA agenda today
It’s an all-too familiar scenario at this stage, and one that will have restaurateurs and others in the hospitality and tourism sectors putting their heads in their hands. While we must emphasise that nothing is confirmed yet, the CCSA meets today to consider a number of tough curbs proposed by the Public Health Ministry. Based on Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s…
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Phuket governor says island will remain open for tourists, despite rise in infections
The governor of Phuket has reassured local businesses that the island remains open for tourists under its sandbox scheme. Narong Wunsiew says that despite a steep rise in Covid-19 case numbers, there are no plans for a lockdown. “As we aim to contain Covid-19 while boosting the economy, we have received pleas for us not to shut down the island…
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Test & Go suspension results in mass cancellations for remainder of high season
Thailand’s high season looks to be over already, with tourism operators reporting a surge in cancellations and plummeting hotel occupancy. The development follows the government’s decision to suspend the Test & Go entry scheme amid concerns about the highly-contagious Omicron variant, which is rapidly spreading around the world. The Bangkok Post reports that tourism operators are reporting a rise in…
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Thailand sees 32,627 travellers in 2022, Russians top the list
As the future of the Thailand reopening hangs in the balance, travellers rushed to get into the country before the doors are pulled shut any further. Russia led the entries into the Kingdom with a few surprising countries making the top 10 list. 32,627 people have entered the country this year, from January 1 to January 4, bringing with them…
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No confirmed date for resumption of Test & Go as Omicron infections spread
The government currently has no plans to resume the Test & Go scheme, which allows vaccinated travellers from approved countries to enter Thailand with minimal quarantine. Travellers who have already been approved for the Thailand Pass through Test & Go must enter the country by January 10. After that, the only way in will be through the sandbox scheme, currently…
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UPDATE: Talk of Test & Go cutoff date, approved travellers can’t reschedule flights
UPDATE: At the conclusion of a Cabinet meeting this morning, a spokesperson for the Thai PM noted that Prayut Chan-o-cha supports extending the current suspension of the Test & Go program. The PM also indicated support for a January 10 sunset date for currently approved Thailand Pass applications – those approved before December 21 and for those applications made before…
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