Tourism News
Get your daily dose of Tourism News in Thailand with the latest updates on exciting destinations, events, and travel industry developments. We provide relevant and insightful information about Thailand’s diverse travel scene, which includes innovative hospitality trends, cultural experiences, and sustainable tourism practices. Stay informed on various tourism-related matters, including visa policies and major infrastructure projects, to ensure you’re always one step ahead in the vibrant world of travel.
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Sponsored This Christmas, give the gift of health: essential options for expats in Thailand
The holiday season is here, bringing warmth, joy, and a chance to reflect on the year gone by. As an expat in Thailand, this Christmas is a great time to invest in something that truly matters: health. Whether for you...
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Thai government announces five-day weekend for Songkran holiday
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin declared Friday, April 12 a special government holiday, amplifying the Songkran celebrations with a five-day weekend. The decision made a full two months ahead of the festival, aims to provide ample time for both individuals and businesses to prepare for the festivities. The 61 year old Thai PM-cum-finance minister expressed his desire for the Ministry of Tourism…
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Thailand zoo unveils new capybara print legwear
Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chon Buri province is introducing its newest sensation: capybara pants, scheduled to be available in stores next month. Announced via the zoo’s buzzing Kha Moo and the gang Facebook page, the revelation of these quirky trousers has sparked a viral storm, amassing over 1,500 shares in merely five hours. Director General of The Zoological Park…
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CRC projects 9-11% revenue growth driven by tourism boost
Central Retail Corporation (CRC) is expecting revenue growth of 9-11% in 2024, with the primary drivers being a resurgence in tourism and increased consumption. However, concerns have been raised about a potential influx of inexpensive imported goods. Yol Phokasub, CRC’s chief executive, articulated that despite the sluggish economic growth, the overall spending confidence in Thailand remains above average for the…
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Trip.com foresees significant rise in Thailand tourism expenditure
On February 8, Bangkok bore witness to a revelation from Trip.com Group, a leading global travel service provider. The data released by the company predicts a notable increase in total trip expenditure for inbound bookings in Thailand. A substantial uptick of 44.3% has been projected for this year’s Chinese New Year (CNY) festive period compared to the CNY period in…
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Frozen accolades: Thai ice sculptors carve success at Sapporo Snow Festival
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor praised the Thai ice sculpting team for their outstanding performance at the 48th International Snow Sculpture Contest, held as part of the 74th Sapporo Snow Festival. The Thai ice sculpting team left the world in awe with their breathtaking depiction of the Naga Fireballs at the prestigious 48th International Snow Sculpture Contest, earning…
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Taiwan halts group tours to China amid escalating tensions
Travel agents in Taiwan have been ordered to cease organising new group tours to China as tensions between Beijing and Taipei continue to escalate. Despite China reopening its borders to other popular tourist destinations post-pandemic, Taiwan remains excluded from the list of approved destinations for Chinese nationals. Since the end of the pandemic, China has gradually allowed its citizens to…
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Thai govt urges electric incense use during Chinese New Year
Deputy Government Spokesperson Karom Phonphonklang yesterday shared a statement concerning the upcoming Chinese New Year Celebration, which is to be held from February 8 to 10. The focus of his statement was on the need to monitor the lighting of incense, candles, firecrackers, and the burning of paper money. Karom Phonphonklang expressed the Thai government’s concern over the potential health…
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Thai Tourist Police enhance Grand Palace facilities ahead of Chinese New Year
In a recent endeavour to uplift the image of Thailand’s tourism, the Thai Tourist Police and associated agencies carried out an intensive inspection at the iconic Grand Palace in Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, at 10am on February 7. The operation was part of an initiative to gear up for the arrival of tourists, especially considering the upcoming Chinese New Year. In…
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Flight fright: Air Canada-Thailand flight detours to Hong Kong as passenger falls ill
An Air Canada flight destined for Bangkok was forced to make an emergency diversion to Hong Kong after a passenger fell ill onboard. The Air Canada Boeing 787, which operates flights between Vancouver and Bangkok, declared an emergency on February 4, prompting its redirection to Hong Kong. Flight AC65, a routine scheduled service, is typically operated between Vancouver and Bangkok…
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Bristol backpacker in bar brawl bloodbath: Brit stabbed in neck in Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand
A horrifying incident unfolded at Bamboo Bar on Koh Pha Ngan, where a British backpacker from Bristol was attacked, leaving him gushing blood after being stabbed in the neck in a Thai bar brawl. Hugo Mooney found himself sprawled on the floor of Bamboo Bar on the infamous Full Moon Party island of Koh Pha Ngan, his life hanging by…
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Agoda reveals hotspots: Bangkok heats up rankings
Agoda unveiled the hottest must-visit destinations with the Big Mango, Bangkok sizzling in second place. Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam emerged as the unrivalled favourites, igniting a tourism frenzy in the first month alone. Moreover, Malaysia and South Korea are hot on their heels, rounding up the top five inbound markets. According to Agoda’s January 2024 booking rankings, Asian travel destinations have…
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Thailand’s iconic Maya Bay: From Hollywood glamour to environmental struggle
Maya Bay, nestled in Thailand’s Phang-Nga province, clinched third place in the world’s beaches, according to the Lonely Planet travel guide. Dubbed “a slip of a beach hidden by limestone cliffs,” Maya Bay skyrocketed to international fame when acclaimed director Danny Boyle handpicked it as the backdrop for his blockbuster hit The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Despite its cinematic allure,…
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World Songkran Festival to last from April 1 to 21
In an exciting announcement, government spokesman Chai Wacharonke yesterday revealed that plans were underway to organise World Songkran Festival activities nationwide. This decision comes hot on the heels of UNESCO’s recent recognition of the Songkran festival as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. “The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has formally acknowledged the significance of the Songkran…
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Chinese New Year spending in Thailand set to hit decade high
The upcoming Chinese New Year festival, set to start on Thursday, February 8, is predicted to witness the largest financial outlay by Thai locals in over a decade, thanks to the nation’s economic resurgence following the pandemic’s impact. The annual survey conducted by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC), monitoring consumer expenditure during the festival, foresees a…
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Thailand targets 35 million international tourists
The Tourism and Sports Ministry of Thailand is optimistic about its ability to attract 35 million international tourists this year. This confidence stems from the fact that in the first month of the year alone, the country recorded three million foreign visitors. The encouraging figure was aided by daily arrivals exceeding 90,000 on weekdays and 100,000 during the weekends in…
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Phuket lights up with lanterns for annual Chinese New Year festival
The popular seaside resort of Phuket has been brightly lit up with lanterns, signalling the start of the Phuket Lantern Festival. This annual event is an integral part of the Chinese New Year celebrations, with this year marking the Year of the Dragon. Saroj Angkhanapilas, the Mayor of Phuket Town, inaugurated the festival on a Saturday night at the Chartered…
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Scottish woman’s cliff plunge in Thailand sparks insurance debacle: Scot left hanging
An insurance company left a Scottish woman hanging after they refused to pay out after she almost plunged 20 metres to her death off a cliff on Ko Lanta island in West Thailand. Glasgow-born NHS nurse Kerry Hughes almost fell to her death after renting a scooter on the West Thailand island. Despite the swift action of an emergency rescue…
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China and Thailand’s visa exemption scheme promises tourism boost
The Chinese ambassador to Thailand and the Thai-Chinese Cultural Relationship Council (TCCRC) have expressed optimism that the visa exemption scheme for nationals of both countries will boost outbound tourism and reinforce bilateral relations. Pinit Jarusombat, President of TCCRC, highlighted the special significance of this Chinese New Year as it signifies the onset of a new epoch in Sino-Thai relations. The…
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Bangkok’s Chinatown kicked off Chinese New Year celebrations
Thailand kicked off its grandest Chinese New Year celebration in the heart of Bangkok’s Chinatown on Yaowarat Road. Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, joined forces with Wu Zhiwu from the Embassy of The People’s Republic of China to officially inaugurate the festivities. The Chalermphrakiat Gate, Odeon Circle, Yaowarat Road, now hosts the Tunnel of Golden Dragon, symbolising…
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Thai Cheese Tour unleashes culinary delight across Thailand
In a cheesy twist to the conventional travel experience, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) kick-started the Thai Cheese Tour 2023-2024 last November. This year-long gastronomic journey, sponsored by TAT, has been spreading the love for Thailand’s burgeoning artisanal cheese industry through an array of pop-up events in tourist hotspots, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and beyond. What began as…
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Thai tourism makes big sales on livestream event for Chinese visitors
A livestreaming event on February 1, titled Super World Tour BOSS LIVE, orchestrated by Trip.com Group, headquartered in Shanghai, raked in a jaw-dropping 100 million baht in sales within a single day. Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol declared the event a resounding success. “It was successful. Sales surpassed 100 million baht in a day, with more than 20 million…
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Phuket security meeting enhances tourist safety for Chinese New Year
A high-level security meeting was convened in Phuket yesterday, guided by the region’s top police officials and led by the Phuket Provincial Police Commander, Sinlert Sukhum. As per the directive of the Phuket Governor, the meeting aimed to bolster safety measures for tourists in anticipation of the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations, occurring from February 10-15. The agenda of the…
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Thailand to expect 1 million tourists from China and Hong Kong during CNY
Alipay+ reported a prediction from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) that nearly 1 million foreign tourists, primarily from China and Hong Kong, are poised to flood into Thailand during the upcoming Chinese New Year, unleashing a potential economic windfall of 28.4 billion baht. Trip.com shared the staggering numbers, highlighting the skyrocketing outbound travel bookings from China leading up to…
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TripAdvisor ranks Pattaya as 7th Best of the Best Destinations in 2024
Popular online travel platform Tripadvisor ranked Pattaya in Thailand 7th in the Travellers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best Destination for 2024, suggesting the beach city is the perfect choice for great resorts, outdoor activities, cabaret and cultural tours. Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Award Best of the Best for 2024, is divided into five categories including destinations, restaurants, beaches, hotels and…
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Visa applications in Thailand surge, overtaking pre-Covid figures
Visa applications from Thailand have surged, surpassing 2019 pre-pandemic levels. Visa application volumes from Thailand, after a turbulent spell, are on the brink of eclipsing pre-pandemic levels, signalling a remarkable recovery in global travel confidence. A 35% increase in applications last year compared to 2022 promises a boost to international tourism. Key points: Visa applications rebounded with a 35% surge…
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Thailand’s tourism sector remains stable despite court ruling, says TCT president
The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) president, Chamnan Srisawat, has reassured that the Constitutional Court ruling will not destabilise the government or the country’s tourism sector. He confidently stated that international tourism demand would remain unaffected unless there was severe violence. Chamnan credited Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s government with beneficial tourism-driving initiatives, such as visa-free travel for high-potential markets. Despite…
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TAT urges government to extend tourist visas
Thailand is seeking to revolutionise its tourism sector, urging the government to extend visa-free stays for long-haul tourists, including those from the United States and Europe. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) aims to elevate long-haul revenue to a whopping 40% of the country’s total in 2024. Thailand’s Deputy Governor for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas, Siripakorn…
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Free visa policy to boost Thai tourism stocks amid Chinese arrivals
An agreement for a free visa policy between Thailand and China is set to greatly boost seven Thai tourism-related stocks, as projected by brokerages. This policy, signed earlier this week, is anticipated to cause a significant uptick in Chinese arrivals in Thailand this year. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) set a target of attracting 8.2 million Chinese tourists in…
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Phuket Airport’s got trunks: Viral sensation as tourists make splash in speedos
A Facebook user sparked viral attention after sharing an image in the Thai Tourism group, Du Lịch Thái Lan, capturing the unusual sight of two foreign tourists clad in tiny speedo trunks at Phuket International Airport. The social media post, by Bui Thi Huong, which rapidly garnered over 500 likes, featured a caption in Vietnamese saying, “Heard that Phuket Airport…
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Thailand and China’s visa-free policy not boosting tourism yet
Despite the recent permanent visa-free policy between Thailand and China, airlines and hotels are not anticipating an immediate rise in demand. This is largely due to the gradual increase in demand and the seating capacity that is yet to fully recover. The agreement was reached during China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s four-day official visit to Thailand, where he met with…
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