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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Remembering the dead – Koh Tao dive master mystery
Twenty-three years before diving instructor Neil Giblin from Birmingham died on Koh Tao last month, a fellow Brummie diver lost his life there. Giblin is the fifth Koh Tao dive master to die on the island where Ian Jacobs, from Sutton Coldfield, died on January 18, 2000. Jacobs was found at the bottom of a well on the island. Giblin…
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Take the slow train to monkey city
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is offering trips on a slow train to monkey city, from Bangkok to Lopburi in the Northeast Thailand, on the refurbished Kiha 183 diesel-powered trains from Japan. The trips this weekend and next will cost 599 baht. Only 200 seats will be available each day. The train leaves Bangkok’s historic Hua Lamphong Railway Station…
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Seahorse Ferry relaunches Pattaya to Samui route
After a four-month hiatus, the Seahorse Ferry Company is finally ready to set sail again, resuming its weekly service between Sattahip and Koh Samui from Thursday, February 16. After a temporary pause for essential repairs and maintenance shortly after launching, the ferry is now back in business and ready to welcome passengers on board once again. If you’re planning a…
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Chinese tourists flock to Folding Umbrella Market in central Thailand
Chinese tourists are flocking to the Folding Umbrella Market in Thailand’s central province of Samut Songkram. The Folding Umbrella Market, also known as the Rom Hoop Market or Mae Klong Railway Market, is a unique tourist attraction. The market is set up alongside a railway line and when a train approaches, the vendors must quickly fold their parasols and clear…
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Airport arrival counters in Bangkok to be introduced after tourist increase
The Ministry of Transport intends to increase the number of immigration counters at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok following criticism after a sudden surge in the number of tourists arriving. The Ministry of Transport decided to take action and address the issues faced by travellers at Suvarnabhumi Airport after a number of complaints. More immigration counters will reduce crowding at the…
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The 4 Traveller Tribes of the next decade
Travel-tech outfit Amadeus has identified what it calls the four “Traveller Tribes” of the next decade – experientialists, influencers, memory makers and pioneers. According to the Nation, Singapore’s Amadeus examined emerging traits, behaviours, and preferences, to pinpoint what travellers will want a decade from now. Pioneers, more than 40% of all travellers globally and the largest tribe, live fast-paced lives…
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Starbucks ruins family’s dream holiday to Thailand by overcharging US$4.5k for 2 coffees
An American couple had to cancel their dream holiday to Thailand after a Tulsa Starbucks outlet charged them almost US$4,500 for two cups of coffee. The US multinational apologised for the mistake and sent them cheques to cover the cost. They bounced! The drama unfolded when the happy couple, Jesse and Deedee O’Dell, and their four kids went shopping at…
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Thai cops go above and beyond to help Chinese tourist return home
Good eggs from the Royal Thai Police force in Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand, helped a Chinese tourist get her passport back in the nick of time before her flight back to China last night. At 10pm, officers at Chang Phuak Police Station received a call from a distressed Chinese tourist. The tourist rented a car from a car rental…
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Thai Airways rehabilitation ahead of schedule
Thai Airways expects to exit its rehabilitation plan ahead of schedule. The airline is already looking for new aircraft as the recovery in global tourism bolsters earnings. CEO Chai Eamsiri said Thursday that the carrier will be able to leave its court-supervised debt plan “much earlier” than the late-2024 target, according to Bloomberg. The company is also in talks with…
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Khaosan Road businesses told to cut noise pollution, or else!
Businesses in the backpacker haven of Khaosan Road have been warned to cut noise pollution otherwise, they will suffer legal consequences, due to complaints received from nearby residents. City Hall says businesses have 15 days to get their houses in order and regulate noise levels, or else! After a gathering that brought together 30 members of the Khaosan Road Business…
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Ministry of Culture to promote 16 Thai festivals internationally
Thailand’s Ministry of Culture is taking steps to promote the country’s cultural heritage and boost local economies by promoting 16 Thai festivals internationally. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Yupha Taweewattanakitborvon, announced the move as part of the government’s “5F” initiative, which seeks to promote Thai soft power through the food, film, fashion, fighting, and festival industries. The selected festivals represent…
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Swedish ‘plogging’ trend reaches Koh Lanta, Thailand
Koh Lanta – an island along Thailand‘s Andaman coast – saw its first ever plogging event last week, according to the Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok. There’s nothing worse than a beautiful landscape spoiled by plastic waste and debris. A movement in Sweden has come up with a solution. ‘Plogging’ is an activity that combines jogging with picking up litter.…
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Thailand’s PM expects more than 30 million foreign tourists this year
Thailand’s prime minister says he expects the country to see more than 30 million foreign tourists this year. In light of his predictions, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed relevant agencies to facilitate tourists with travel plans and to ensure their safety in the country. According to Reuters, the government initially predicted a smaller number of foreign tourists to arrive this…
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Thailand’s first ever seaplane airline to launch this summer
Thailand‘s first-ever seaplane airline ‘Siam Seaplane‘ is preparing to launch this summer to take the kingdom’s tourism industry to the next level. Siam Seaplane has formed partnerships with 60 luxury hotels and resorts, including top brands Intercontinental and Four Seasons. In an interview with AirwaysMag, Chief Business Operator Dennis Keller revealed that the company faced plenty of setbacks during the…
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Nine Swedish tourists rescued after longtail boat capsizes in Thailand
Nine Swedish tourists and a Thai boat driver were rescued from the Krabi sea in southern Thailand when their longtail boat capsized near Hong Island on Sunday. At 12.30pm, Chief of Than Bok Khorani National Park Weerasak Srisatchang was informed that a longtail boat carrying “many foreign tourists” capsized in the waters of Koh Hong island in Krabi province. Park…
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Thai woman slashes Chinese tourist in row over Phuket tour package (video)
An angry Thai tour company owner slashed a Chinese tourist’s arm after a row over a tour package in Phuket. As a result, the woman’s tourism license has been suspended for six months from today and she faces imprisonment and a fine. The Chinese victim revealed the story of her horrific trip to Phuket on TikTok. In the victim’s video…
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‘Buy insurance’ urges English tourist who crashed moped through window in Thailand
A young Englishwoman urges tourists to take out travel insurance after crashing a moped through a glass window in Koh Pha Ngan in southern Thailand. Emma Lewis, a 24 year old student from Basingstoke in Hampshire, was en route to go snorkelling on the island paradise when she lost control and crashed into a house window. The glass shattered around her…
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Chinese tour groups begin landing in Thailand again
The first direct tour group flights from mainland China to Thailand marked a milestone in the recovery of the Thai tourism industry. One flight landed at Don Mueang International Airport yesterday morning with 40 Chinese tour group members and 90 other travellers. The second landed in the afternoon in Phuket. In total, 13 flights with tour groups from China landed…
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‘Tame’ whale shark swims with tourists for 5 hours in eastern Thailand
A “tame” whale shark swam with tourists for five hours off the coast of Rayong province in eastern Thailand yesterday. Diving instructor Kru Off, from the Toy Boat Tour group, revealed that he took tourists out to Hin Pleng, a popular dive site about 13 nautical miles off the coast. As the tourists were swimming and looking at the coral,…
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Biggest crowd yet for Full Moon Party
Full Moon Party has completely returned to pre-Covid numbers, as tourists from around the world flocked to Haad Rin, Koh Pha Ngan for the massive knees-up. News reports estimated the crowd size to be anywhere between 20,000 to 50,000, and accommodations including hotels and hostels were almost fully booked at 99% capacity. The pier and boats were overwhelmed with large…
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American tourists spend more money in Thailand than Europeans, survey says
American tourists spend more money in Thailand on average than European tourists, according to a survey conducted by the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT). The TCT polled 200 Western tourists about their holiday spending habits during Q4 of last year. On each trip to the kingdom, Americans said they spend 96,269 baht on average per person (US$2,887) and Europeans said…
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Russian plane engine catches fire on Phuket runway
A Russian tourist plane bound for Moscow faced a terrifying moment when its engine caught fire before takeoff at Phuket International Airport. The 309 passengers and 12 crew on board the 26 year old Boeing 767-306ER, operated by Azur Air, were forced to evacuate the aircraft. Footage from the scene shows flames bursting from the right engine of the Russian…
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South Thailand’s hotel industry booming with increased tourist arrivals
South Thailand is seeing a resurgence in tourism, with room bookings in hotels reaching 85%, according to Sueksit Suwandissakun, the president of the Southern Hotel Association. This is a positive sign for the industry, which has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic over the past year. Many hotels in popular tourist areas are already fully booked, with the majority of…
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Bangkok’s Jodd Fairs market is relocating
Famous night market Jodd Fairs in the Rama 9 area of Bangkok will be relocating to Ratchada at the end of the year. The new night market is expected to open in January 2024. In November 2021, the famous Talat Rot Fai Ratchada (Train Night Market Ratchada) which permanently closed during the Covid-19 pandemic made a comeback under the rebranded…
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Thai police return 6.5 million baht Richard Mille watch to Vietnamese tourist
Not all Thai police are bad eggs as proven by Lumpini Police officers who managed to reunite a Vietnamese tourist with an expensive Richard Mille wristwatch that he lost in Bangkok on Wednesday night. A Vietnamese tourist took a taxi from a hotel in the Lumpini area of Bangkok to Asiatique on the river. Later on, he ordered a private…
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French ‘mafia’ boss extorts money from foreigners in Pattaya, claims ties with Big Joke
Police arrested a wanted French ‘mafia’ boss in Bangkok on Tuesday after a group of farangs in Pattaya, eastern Thailand, claimed he extorted money from them in exchange for police protection. The fraudster claimed to have ties with “Big Joke.” Yesterday, high-profile police officer Pol. Lt. Gen. Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn revealed that police arrested 58 year old Herve Christian…
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Phuket looks to entice more low-cost Saudi flights
Thailand’s renowned paradise of Phuket is looking to entice more low-cost Saudi flights to the island province. The Phuket Tourist Association said in a Facebook post yesterday that it sent a delegation to meet with a low-cost Saudi airline last week. The delegation met with the airline, Flynas, at Flynas’s headquarters in Saudi Arabia on January 25. The delegation gave…
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Thailand’s Tourism Authority reminds visitors of current anti-smoking laws
Thailand’s government is reminding tourists of the nation’s current anti-smoking laws. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) says travellers should be aware that electronic cigarettes, shishas, and electronic shishas are currently illegal. Furthermore, the TAT says there is no smoking in public areas as part of the broader Tobacco Control Law which aims to promote a clean, safe and smoke-free…
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Bangkok’s first free street-food space welcomes hawkers, street vendors
Bangkok opened its first free street-food space in the city for hawkers and street vendors yesterday, in an attempt to keep cluttered pavements free from obstruction. City governor Chadchart Sittipunt launched of the “Hello Hab-Re” (Hello Hawkers) project outside Samyan Mitrtown on Rama IV Road yesterday. Street food is a quintessential part of the Bangkok experience. Wherever you go in…
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Survey reveals tourists in Thailand worried most about taxi scams
A recent survey in Thailand revealed that tourists are worried most about taxi scams when moving about in the country. The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) conducted a quarterly survey, which polled 200 Western tourists in Thailand during the last quarter of 2022. According to Bangkok Post, the survey saw respondents rank taxi service satisfaction as the lowest (3.5 out of…
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