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 12Go introduces Japan Rail Passes to enhance travel accessibility for international travellers
For those who have travelled throughout Thailand, 12Go is a well-known provider of various trips, though the platform itself has a much wider reach. Ranging from buses to planes, 12Go is undoubtedly a leading booking platform for travel throughout the...
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Tourism officials plan Loy Krathong events for 6 Thai provinces
The Thai holiday of Loy Krathong is coming up, and tourism officials are planning events in six provinces. Known as Thailand’s festival of lights, Loy Krathong is one of the biggest celebrations on the Thai calendar. This picturesque festival is a time for people to gather around rivers, canals, ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water to release lotus-shaped rafts…
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No chance of parole for Bangkok’s imprisoned gorilla
After the latest round of public outcry, authorities claim for the umpteenth time that little can be done about gorilla Bua Noi, 33 years old, confined to a small cell in a Bangkok shopping mall. According to Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa, the owners are free to continue doing as they please with the beast they have kept…
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Academics in Thailand welcome President Xi’s third term
Academics in Thailand welcomed news yesterday that Chinese leader President Xi Jinping secured an historic third five-year term as general secretary of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. President Xi’s third term will be viewed as undemocratic and autocratic by the Western powers but Thailand’s top boffins believe continuation is the key which will benefit the kingdom and ASEAN countries. Thai…
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Local artists revive Bangkok’s historical waterside
Along Klong Bang Luang – once a busy canal in Bangkok – people are often drawn to a pagoda in the middle of an old teak house, its battered surface is covered in moss and creepers, along with some obvious traces of a bygone era. Formerly part of Kamphaeng Bangchak temple, the pagoda has been the centrepiece of “The Artist’s…
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This South Thailand province’s unexpected beauty will wow you
“We hope to put Pattani on the world tourist map,” tour operator Fareeda Abdullah told Bernama. South Thailand’s Pattani province is not the first place people usually imagine for a holiday getaway. The province often makes headlines for sectarian tensions. But Pattani has an up-and-coming tourism industry. The province boasts breathtaking nature, including a beautiful mangrove forest in the Yarang…
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Officials to seek approval for late closing times in Phuket
Are later closing times finally coming to Phuket? Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports plans to test a 4am closing time on several tourist hotspots, including Phuket’s Bang La Walking Street in Patong, Nation Thailand reported. The ministry will soon seek approval from the Thai Cabinet for the pilot project there, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn announced yesterday. Other…
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Plan to push Pattalung into world’s top green destinations
The government reported yesterday that it plans to push Pattalung province in the southern part of Thailand into the world’s top 100 green or sustainable destinations by 2027. The Minister of the Tourism and Sports Ministry, Piphat Ratchakitprakarn, reported yesterday that his department and the Organization for the Development of Sustainable Tourism have a project to raise awareness of green…
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China Southern Airlines ready for Bangkok takeoff
News breaking yesterday that China Southern Airlines is planning to resume flights to Bangkok signals more good news for the Thailand tourism industry aiming to attract another 12 million foreign travellers before the end of the year. In 2019 more than 12 million Chinese tourists travelled to Thailand, making up one-quarter of the kingdom’s foreign arrivals. There had been a…
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Thai tourism industry wants 5 billion baht handout to draw tourists
The Thai tourism industry is asking for a five billion baht handout to boost tourism and draw 12 million foreign tourists to Thailand by the end of this year. The President of the Tourism Council of Thailand, Chamnarn Sisawat, revealed yesterday that the council and other 11 tourist associations organised by the private sector will meet PM Prayut Chan-o-cha tomorrow to…
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‘Pay for a pool villa in Phuket instead of paying the energy bills’ this winter, advises Thai official
Instead of wasting money on high energy bills this winter, Westerners should turn off the heating and spend their money in Thailand instead, advises the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). With wholesale gas and electricity prices rocketing in Europe TAT’s invitation makes sense. In the UK, the average household is about £2,500 a year, up from £1,400 in October 2021.…
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Thai AirAsia launches new routes from Bangkok to Bangladesh and India
Low-cost airline Thai AirAsia announced plans to launch direct routes from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport to Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh and to Lucknow in northern India. The airline’s Bangkok – Dhaka service will operate four times per week commencing November 24, 2022. The flight will depart from Don Mueang at 11pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and arrive…
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Infamous Tham Luang caves reopened after monsoon season
Tham Luang caves, where 12 boys and their football coach were dramatically rescued in 2018, reopened to the public today. The site had been closed since July 1 to weather the monsoon season. In late June 2018, a young football team exploring the caves became trapped when heavy storms brought flash floods that filled the cave with water. The caves…
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Thailand expects tourism boom over October holidays
Tourism officials say they are expecting to see more than three million travellers over this month’s two holiday periods. The four-day anniversary holiday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great’s passing started on Thursday. Both Thais and foreigners have taken off to major tourist destinations around the kingdom. The other holiday from October 22-24, is expected to also see…
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‘Until the pots are dry’ – where 10 baht dishes rule the menu
In Chiang Mai, a tiny eatery specialising in 10 baht dishes is attracting shuffling lines of rumbling stomachs in the Chang Pueak area. “And it’s delicious,” said a regular who seemed very happy to stand in a long queue of hungry patrons. Open for just a fortnight, Khao Gang Khun Yai on Photharam-Jet Yod Road, is cooking up quite a…
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Taiwan welcomes Bangkok travellers as first unrestricted flight
Taiwan has ended mandatory quarantine and welcomed a plane from Bangkok as the first international flight to land without Covid-19 restrictions. Just after midnight this morning, a flight from Bangkok arrived to fanfare as the first commercial flight where passengers were not required to quarantine on arrival. Taiwan lagged behind other countries in Asia in loosening restrictions as the Covid…
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Philippine Airlines takes off to Bangkok
Philippine Airlines (PAL) today announced it will reintroduce direct flights between Cebu City and Thailand’s capital city Bangkok in December. The Philippine flag carrier made public it is to introduce a twice-weekly service, operating on Monday and Friday, which will depart from Cebu in the morning of December 9 and depart from Bangkok in the early afternoon. PAL previously operated…
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Big fat fraud – bear-faced cheating in Alaskan wildlife poll
Katmai National Park and Preserve have announced that Bear 747 is the winner of its annual Fat Bear Week contest. It is the bear’s second win. Tipping the scales at an estimated 635 kilograms, Bear 747 won 68,105 votes, beating first-time contender Bear 901 with 56,876 votes. Fat Bear Week is an annual tournament celebrating the park’s bears’ success in…
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Columbia Pictures’ Aquaverse theme park opened today
Columbia Pictures’ Aquaverse finally opened today, welcoming the public to the theme park and water park. The movie and television company selected Thailand to create its first theme park, choosing Pattaya because of its proximity to U-Tapao Airport, high-speed trains, and easy transportation. The park opens to patrons of all ages daily from 10am to 6pm. The grand opening today…
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Open road ahead – tourism board gives tips to travellers going it alone
A new self-drive tourism manual for ASEAN contains need-to-know information on driving in each country, as well as suggested tour routes, available for free download here. The guidebook was collectively produced by the 10 ASEAN countries. In Thailand, the Department of Tourism was the main coordinator. Yuthasak Supasorn, the Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor, said the manual for ASEAN’s self-drive…
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Airline flight capacity is up, Thai tourism officials hopeful
Airline flight capacity has shot up, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand. The aviation authority said that seat capacity from October to March next year went up by 74.2%, to 573,538 seats per week from the summer schedule. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is aiming to achieve the government’s goal of 1.5 trillion baht in revenue from…
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TAT going green to smash a Guinness World Record
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is calling on all diving enthusiasts to help smash an official Guinness World Record. The TAT wants tourists and residents to get involved in their Go Green Active drive, a conservation diving event at Phuket’s famous Patong Beach between November 18 and November 20. The TAT wants to set a new Guinness World Records…
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Island in eastern Thailand listed in ‘Top 100 Green Destination Stories’
A small island in eastern Thailand has been listed in the Green Destination Foundation’s Top 100 Green Destination 2022 Stories. The island of Koh Mak is located off Trat province. The Green Destinations Foundation is based in the Netherlands, and is dedicated to sustainable tourism. Koh Mak’s story is titled, “Koh Mak, the journey to becoming the first low carbon…
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Phuket International Airport predicts 30,000 passengers daily
High season is starting this month in Phuket, and the airport is predicting up to 30,000 travellers per day. The increase in air traffic to the popular tourist destination coincides with the airport’s 34th anniversary. And to celebrate, passengers and flights – both domestic and international – are ramping up. International carriers such as Aeroflot from Russia, Pegasus Airlines from…
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Andaman Sea coast set for UNESCO recognition
Three conservation areas on the Andaman Sea are to be nominated for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recognition by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa. As the islands prepare to welcome tourists on October 15, Varawut was inspecting a maintenance and waste collection project on Koh Miang of the Similan Islands in Phangnga province. Reports in…
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17 of Thailand’s national parks close waterfalls and attractions due to floods
Thailand’s national parks continue to bear the brunt of the country’s devastating floods. Seventeen national parks in the kingdom are now temporarily closing waterfalls and other natural sites due to the floods, Nation Thailand reported yesterday. Below is a list of the 17 sites that will be temporarily closed: Mae Keong Luang waterfall in Wiang Kosai National Park Tat Mok…
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Thailand voted No.3 in list of ‘Top Countries In The World 2022’
Thailand was voted No.3 best country in the world to travel to in this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine. Europe dominated the list of 48 countries, with Thailand and Singapore the only Southeast Asian nations to make the top 10. Thousands of people voted in numerous ‘best of’ lists… best countries, cities, islands, resorts, hotels, etc.…
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Cheeky Taoist procession spices up Phuket’s veggie fest
Traditionally coinciding with Phuket’s vegetarian festival, mild-mannered vegans on the island have been treated to the decidedly fleshy delights of a nine-day Taoist festival. Central to the event, or at least central to Instagram postings devoted to the event, are the many outlandish facial piercings on display. Taoist devotees adorn their mouths and faces with metal spikes, swords, skewers and…
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Flooding may impact Thailand’s tourism recovery
Hopes for Thailand’s tourism industry to recover are being challenged by the worst flooding the kingdom has seen in years. With large areas of croplands being suffocated by seasonal storms and rising rivers, food prices are at risk of increasing while tourism recovery is undoubtedly being slowed. According to Bangkok Post, popular tourist destinations are now being flooded by heavy…
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Officials predict over 100,000 people at Pattaya International Fireworks Festival
The annual Pattaya International Fireworks Festival is coming up in November, and city officials have made some estimates about how many people will attend. Officials have estimated that over 100,000 domestic and foreign tourists will make their way to the festival. The festival will be held from November 25-26 on Pattaya Beach. If estimates come true, the festival will be…
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British Embassy Bangkok to hold a conference on tourism safety and security
This is a one-day conference bringing together the Phuket tourism industry, Thai government departments and the international community to discuss matters relating to tourism safety and security in Phuket. The following topics will be discussed: Security Awareness and Crime Prevention Protective Security Incident Response Panel Discussion: Emerging Consular Trends Post Covid-19 Tourism Industry Cyber Risks Engaging Embassies and Consulates Event…
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