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 Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Airlines battle high operation costs, ask for government help
With tourists slowly returning to Thailand, airlines are fighting to stay afloat as they battle soaring operating costs, especially with the high price of fuel, and are calling for government assistance. The surge in passengers this month and over this 5-day weekend may not be enough to offset the coming low season after over 2 years of limited travel during…
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Vistara launches new nonstop Thailand – India route
Vistara Airlines is launching nonstop flights between Mumbai and Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport 5 times per week, starting next month on August 5. Vistara’s 3 cabin Airbus A320neo aircraft will operate the route on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The new route is the airline’s second service to the Thai capital. In August 2019, Vistara launched direct flights between Delhi…
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8 million tourists to enter Thailand by the end of 2022 – BoT
There are now about 30,000 international tourists entering Thailand every day. By the end of 2022, the total number of tourists could hit 8 million. This is 2 million above the Bank of Thailand’s prediction of 6 million if the current pattern continues until the end of this year. According to the bank’s data, the first five months of 2022…
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Thai passenger traffic and flight schedules on the increase
Domestic travel in Thailand is in for a good July, with two long weekends and airlines starting to add to their schedule, resuming flights and frequency that have been otherwise subdued. The Aeronautical Radio of Thailand and the International Air Transport Association are reporting an increased pace of domestic flights in Thailand, matching the general global trend. Nopasit Chakpitak, the…
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5 day long weekend this week, starting with Asahna Bucha Day
This week Thailand will have a long weekend, a very long weekend. From this Wednesday there will be a 5 day break for many Thais although the official holidays, depending on who you work for, are only Wednesday, July 13, and Thursday, July 14 – Asanha Bucha Day and the start of the Buddhist Lent. The two days are two…
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Indian man arrested for tearing out passport pages to hide Thai trip
We all have secrets from our past, and some may go to great lengths to hide them, especially from their family or their mates. But a man in Pune, India went a little too far when he was arrested for tearing out pages from his passport before getting married to hide trips to Thailand from his wife. The man was…
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Buddha Days, Full Moon Party brings 5-day holiday surge to Surat
The Southern Thailand province of Surat Thani – home to Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan, and Koh Tao – is set to see a money-making surge of travellers during next week’s 5-day holiday. The Surat Thani office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand is estimating over 70,000 visitors generating about 833 million baht in tourism revenue for the province. The…
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Thailand tourism: India No.1 country sending tourists
The government has been extremely focused on tourism numbers and recovery in the post-pandemic world and the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration reported that 2.2 million visitors have entered Thailand so far this year, over 10% of them from India. More travellers have come from India in the first half of this year than any other country in the world.…
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Life of Thai digital nomads made easier by Airbnb TAT alliance
Airbnb today announced it is going to work closely with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to make it easier for remote workers to live in the kingdom. The California-based vacation rental company reported that a number of projects are in the pipeline, including constructing a dedicated custom-built hub for Thailand, showcasing local long-term stay listings as well as providing information on entry…
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Thai hospitality sector opposes dual accommodation pricing
Many hotels have voiced their opinions over the government’s proposal to adopt dual pricing in the hospitality industry. They described the plan as “impractical” and asked that the government come up with promotions and campaigns to boost tourism instead. A government spokeswoman said yesterday that hotels would be expected to adopt a dual pricing system where Thais would continue to…
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Suvarnabhumi Airport expansion capacity up to 15 million visitors
The eastern side of Suvarnabhumi Airport’s main terminal will be modified to boost Thailand’s arrival capacity to 15 million travellers annually. The upgrades will be completed in 3 years. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Suvarnabhumi hosted 65 million passengers, international and domestic, through its arrival gates. The eastern side of the terminal will be large enough to accommodate up to…
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Free parking at Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport during July holidays
Suvarnabhumi International Airport announced that free parking will be available at its long term car park at Zone C – which can accommodate 718 vehicles – during two long holidays this month. Parking will be free for 6 days from midnight on July 12 until midnight on July 18 in celebration of Asanha Bucha day (July 13) and the beginning…
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Foreigners may have to pay more for hotels than Thais
Dual pricing could be coming to a hotel near you. That’s if a proposal from the tourism ministry and Tourism Authority of Thailand gets the go-ahead. Yes, despite Thailand tourism officials’ express wish to attract as many foreigners to Thailand, there are plans to increase hotel prices to pre-pandemic levels to boost the recovery of the hospitality industry – but…
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Thailand’s tourism sector is asking for an additional 1 billion baht budget
The Thai tourism sector has asked for an additional budget of about 1 billion baht to boost the Thai economy in hopes of making 265 billion baht (from inbound tourists). The tourism sector says they should be able to secure at least 80 million domestic trips, gaining 215 billion baht, alone. Then, they predict, the international market will see 1…
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Government panel now fears negative effect of cannabis on tourism
The decriminalisation of cannabis could actually severely damage tourism in Thailand, according to a House committee discussing the 2023 fiscal year budget bill. The committee spokesperson said that a meeting yesterday was discussing money allocation for the Ministry of Public Health when the debate topic turned to the effect of legalised cannabis on the budget. Members of the committee fear…
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Suitcases packed as Thais get ready for domestic travel
The number of locals planning their vacations is predicted to spike for the first time since the pandemic broke out over 2 years ago. The President of the Tourism Council of Thailand, Chamnan Srisawat, predicts there will be a high number of Thai nationals travelling domestically in the third quarter of 2022 thanks to the easing of restrictions and regulations…
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“Thailand should be a luxury and premier holiday destination” – Deputy PM
In the first half of 2022, Thailand welcomed around 2 million international travellers, marking a promising recovery after the Land of Smile’s tourism sector suffered from the outbreak and the restrictions imposed on entry requirements, such as the Thailand Pass. Thailand holiday Thailand holiday But rather than offering significant discounts to attract world travellers, hotels, businesses and private hospitals should…
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BKK Airport reports increase in flights after Thailand Pass nixed
Since the elimination of the Thailand Pass complicating entry into Thailand, flights and passengers have increased at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport by about 10% on average. July 1 saw the lifting of travel restrictions, including the need to apply in advance for a Thailand Pass, which the government touted as opening the floodgates to a surge of international travellers, predicting 3…
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Family of trampled woman calls for UK ban on elephant parks ads
More than 20 years after a British woman was trampled to death at Nong Nooch Village Elephant Show in Thailand, her family is frustrated that elephant shows and rides are still being advertised and promoted in the UK. Andrea Taylor was just 20 years old in 2000 when an elephant charged into the crowd, killing her and injuring her sister…
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Unvaccinated tourist turned away at check-in desk en route to Thailand
An unvaccinated tourist en route to Thailand was turned away at the check-in desk at Manchester Airport in England on Saturday after an airline didn’t get the memo about Thailand’s updated entry restrictions. If you are unvaccinated and plan to travel to Thailand, The Thaiger has advice about how to avoid this happening to you. Thailand Pass was scrapped on…
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Koh Pha Ngan ranked top workation location in the world
Open your suitcases and your chakras – Koh Pha Ngan has been ranked as the top destination for a workation – an increasingly popular way of squeezing in a getaway while continuing to work. The popular tourist island in the southern Thailand province of Surat Thani ranks number one out of 16 choices gathered and analyzed by William Russell, a prominent…
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Bangkok is best city in Southeast Asia according to travel mag
Bangkok is at the top of a list of the 2022 10 best cities in Southeast Asia, ranked by travel magazine Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia. The list was published last week. The next 9 best cities in Southeast Asia, in order, are: Singapore, Danang, Kuala Lumpur, Hanoi, Chiang Mai, Hong Kong, Saigon, Phenom Phen, and Jakarta. So why is…
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Thailand tourism: 9.3 million arrivals predicted, south busy
In its latest estimates, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports predicts that the second half of 2022 will bring more than 7 million travellers to Thailand. The first 6 months nearly hit the 2 million tourist mark, with 1.987 million visitors arriving from abroad from the beginning of January until June 28. Tourism generated around 114 billion baht so far…
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Thai PM Prayut ‘positive’ about expected tourist influx
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says he is confident about the country’s expected tourist influx this year, according to a government spokesperson. Thailand’s CCSA scrapped the Thailand Pass on Friday, July 1. Now, the Tourism and Sports Ministry expects a total of about 9.3 million foreign visitors to arrive in the ‘Land of Smiles’ this year. The compulsory US$10,000 insurance was…
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Travel to Surat Thani, it’s where the fun begins | Jay and Natty’s Adventures
The Thaiger‘s Natty and Jay recently went on a long weekend trip to Thailand’s southern province of Surat Thani, and they’re dying to show our viewers their adventures. People typically see Surat Thani as a passing point to somewhere exciting like Koh Samui, Koh Tao, and Koh Phangan. But The Thaiger’s top news presenters want people to know about Surat…
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Thailand tourism looking up, predictions of 1.5 million per month
After years of devastation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Thailand looks hopefully toward a resurgence of tourism with the further easing of restrictions starting yesterday. The required Thailand Pass for entry into the country is no longer needed as the restriction was lifted yesterday, with tourism authorities predicting an influx of travellers entering the country as a result. Tourism and Sports…
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Pattaya eyes tourism revival with nightlife until 2am again
Pattaya is expecting a tourism revival now that the government has lifted another Covid-19 restriction and nightlife is allowed to open until 2 am. Pattaya mayor Poramet Ngampichet praised the easement, predicting it will open the door to tourists from around the world including the Middle East and the UK, and about 3 to 4 million tourists from India, who…
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Unlicensed pool villa in Pattaya raided by police
Residents living in View Point Village in Bang Lamueng district in Pattaya filed a complaint to the authorities after foreigners caused carnage at an unlicensed pool villa. The Assistant District Officer, Pornchai Sung-iad, investigated the View Point Village, where several houses operate as pool villas and found that a number of locals were concerned that more properties in the area…
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China key to Thailand’s tourism industry recovery
The Tourism Council of Thailand yesterday confessed that building up tourism to pre-Covid-19 levels is going to be a challenge to the kingdom despite encouraging signs of recovery this year. And without Chinese tourists, the task remains even harder. The last of Thailand’s Covid-related restrictions were lifted today. Tourists no longer need a Thailand Pass or insurance, and you don’t…
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Thailand’s magical festivals, but which one is the best?
There are so many magical festivals on Thailand’s calendar it’s difficult to choose the best one. But being involved in one of these celebrated events is always enjoyable. It’s also a fantastic way of learning about the tradition and culture in the Land of Smiles. Here is a list of festivals The Thaiger recommends you experience when you’re in Thailand.…
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