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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CCSA in bid to reassure Thais that November 1 re-opening will be safe
CCSA spokesperson Dr Apisamai Srirangsan says Thai residents shouldn’t worry about the country’s imminent re-opening to select countries. From November 1, vaccinated tourists from a list of 46 low-risk countries can enter Thailand with minimal quarantine. They will be required to show evidence of being fully vaccinated and have a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of departure from their…
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Health Ministry says Delta Plus variant won’t stop Thailand re-opening on schedule
The Health Ministry says the discovery of the new Delta Plus variant in Thailand will not affect the country’s November 1 re-opening. Sathit Pitutecha, deputy public health minister, says the mutation has not been categorised as a variant of concern. “Because viruses mutate all the time, only a mutation that causes severe illness and makes the virus spread easier or…
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Tourism Ministry to invite K-pop megastar to perform at Phuket NYE celebration
Thai-born K-pop star Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban, from the band Blackpink, is being invited to perform during New Year celebrations on the southern island of Phuket. The cost won’t be cheap, but the government is defending the move. Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says the superstar’s presence will help promote Thailand’s re-opening to the world. “The main key reason for bringing global…
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Thai PM defends plan to spend 100 million baht on New Year’s Eve celebrities
The Thai PM is standing firm amid fierce criticism of a plan to spend 100 million baht on 2 global singing stars for New Year’s Eve festivities in Phuket. Prayut Chan-o-cha has defended the government’s plan to spend around US$3 million dollars to secure Italian tenor, Andrea Bocelli, and Lalisa “Lisa” Manobal, from the K-pop band, Blackpink. The Bangkok Post…
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Foreign airlines give up 80% of their slots at Thailand’s airports amid uncertainty of next 5 months
The managing director of Airports of Thailand says international carriers have returned around 80% of their slots at Thailand’s airports. Nitinai Sirisamatthakarn says around 80% of slots between October 31 and March 26 next year have been returned, indicating that airlines are uncertain about any imminent recovery in the aviation sector. Airport slots are the landing and take-off permissions that…
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Big vaccination push in Chiang Mai in bid to combat Covid-19 surge
The president of the Tourism Council of Chiang Mai is hoping a ramp-up of vaccination efforts will help combat a surge in Covid-19. Punlop Saejew says health officials are pulling out all the stops in a bid to get the northern province ready for the November 1 re-opening. “The current clusters have affected local confidence towards re-opening. Everyone is working…
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Government under pressure to lift alcohol ban, allow nightlife to resume
As Thailand prepares to waive quarantine for vaccinated tourists from low-risk countries, the government is coming under pressure to ease some Covid-19 restrictions. In particular, the Bangkok Post reports on calls to allow restaurants to sell alcohol and for nightlife to resume. Countless bars and clubs remain shuttered, with many operators questioning how Thailand’s re-opening can succeed under such conditions.…
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Tourism calls for Russia and India to be added to safe list
Now that the 46 countries that can enter Thailand on November 1 without quarantine have been announced, many in the tourism industry are calling for some notable absences to be added to the list. Tourism groups in major travel hubs are calling on the government to add Russia and India to the list of approved countries, believing it will massively…
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Chiang Mai Covid-19 infections swell ahead of reopening
November 1 is fast approaching and with it a major reopening effort all across Thailand. But a few of the target Blue Zone areas that the government has focused on due to their popularity with foreign tourists are struggling, as Chiang Mai in particular has been battling a swell in Covid-19 infections. Chiang Mai has seen their daily infection numbers…
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs sings praises of Thailand Pass
The promotion engines are rolling as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched a global charm offensive to win over travellers regarding the new Thailand Pass that will replace Certificates of Entry for international travellers to Thailand as the country reopens on November 1. The Thailand Pass, a collaboration between the Department of Consular Affairs and the Digital Government Development…
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Thailand reopening roundup: What happens November 1
Things are moving fast towards the November 1 reopening which in the last few days swelled from 10 countries being allowed entry to Thailand to 46 countries, 3 entry plans, replacing the Certificate of Entry, and even an attempt to reopen nightlife. Below is a round-up of the plans as they stand now. “TEST & GO”: COUNTRIES THAT CAN ENTER…
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Thailand is open for tourism again, sort of
OPINION The opening you have when you’re not quite open. Quarantine-free arrival, except that you’ll still need to book at least 1 night of stay in an approved hotel or AQ (alternative quarantine). No bars are open (officially) and, in most parts of the country, most shops remain closed. In tourist-dependent places like Phuket, more than 90% of the formerly…
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Tourism Minister proposes reopening entertainment venues November 1
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha may be opening up Thailand to international travellers, but Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakan is aiming to open up entertainment venues to those international travellers. The Tourism Minister plans on officially proposing that entertainment venues, bars, nightclubs, karaoke lounges, pubs and other nightlife venues be reopening in the Blue Zones, the new term for the…
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Full details on the 3 ways to travel to Thailand from November 1
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has released a summary of the new plans to reopen Thailand to allow international tourists to travel on November 1. Thailand will reopen without quarantine for fully vaccinated people travelling from 46 approved countries, who will only have to take a Covid-19 test on arrival and wait in an approved hotel for the results. Those…
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Curfew lifted October 31 for all or part of 17 Thai provinces
Just ahead of the big November 1 reopening to international tourists, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has announced that curfew will be lifted entirely in all or part of 17 provinces on October 31. The order has already been signed into effect and published in the Royal Gazette late last night. The order means that when the doors are opened to fully…
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Thailand’s focus on wealthy tourists won’t benefit small business
With the November 1 reopening, the government has not been looking to welcome back any and all travellers that want to come to Thailand. Instead, they’ve been narrowly focused on attracting the “right” tourists, attempting to lure wealthy investors and retirees to dump money into Thailand, while often brushing aside the moderate and budget tourists that have for years been…
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Phuket officials confirm island’s recovery plan following sandbox “success”
The southern island of Phuket is looking to the future, with ambitious plans to evolve into a tourism, education, and service innovation hub between 2023 and 2027. The Bangkok Post reports that officials are preparing to launch the “Together Phuket Stepping Forward” campaign, in line with the country’s imminent re-opening. Governor Narong Woonciew says the campaign will follow on from…
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Government outlines 3 entry schemes for international travellers from November
With confirmation that international travellers from 46 “low-risk” countries can enter Thailand with minimal quarantine, the government has outlined 3 entry schemes effective from November. The Bangkok Post reports that the first scheme, “Test & Go” will apply to tourists from the aforementioned countries, who will need to show evidence of being fully vaccinated at least 14 days before their…
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46 countries permitted to travel to Thailand from November 1, and quarantine details
… and everything you want to know, as of today, about re-entry into Thailand. Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has just released a list of 46 countries and/or territories that have been approved to take part in the planned reopening of the country from November 1. The list of countries is detailed below as per a .pdf file that was…
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46 countries permitted to enter Thailand from November 1
… and everything you want to know, as of today, about re-entry into Thailand. Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has just released a list of 46 countries and/or territories that have been approved to take part in the planned reopening of the country from November 1. The list of countries is detailed below as per a .pdf file that was…
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Governor says income distribution essential to Phuket recovery
The Governor of Phuket announced in a speech yesterday that his goal was to maximize income distribution as the island begins to open up more. Phuket is expecting an influx of tourists to arrive after the November 1 reopening, and a campaign is being launched to make sure that the benefit from the increased tourism can be shared by all.…
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Government outlines 7 conditions of quarantine-free re-opening
As the grand re-opening date of November 1 approaches, with little clarity as to what that will look like, here’s some of what we know – and what we don’t. According to a Thai PBS World report, the government has outlined 7 conditions that will determine if someone can enter the kingdom quarantine-free. The following conditions have been communicated by…
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Travellers after November 1 told to book quarantine hotels
While many are excited that Thailand is finally reopening at least somewhat without quarantine to certain people in certain locations, the confusion and lack of confirmation of rules until the last minute is creating some conflicting information. Thai embassies are telling potential foreign travellers that they will still need to book quarantine accommodations before they are permitted to travel. Many…
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Bangkok authorities and hotels prepare for returning travellers
Bangkok authorities and hotels are gearing up to welcome back international tourists on November 1, setting up swab hubs and preparing for an influx of travellers. The Tourism Authority of Thailand said they will set up testing stations outside the airport and are strategising to avoid congestion and bottlenecking as international travellers arrive into Thailand. The plan is instead to…
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Prominent economic think-tank welcomes November 1 re-opening plans
A leading economic research body says a planned re-opening to international tourism from November will give the Thai economy the boost it needs. According to a Nation Thailand report, the Kasikorn Research Centre predicts further economic growth from next year, provided the government gets Covid-19 under control. It points out that the country’s tourism sector will only see a full…
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Dusit Poll: Thailand is not ready for international reopening
A new poll from Suan Dusit Rajabhat University expresses the majority opinion that Thailand is not ready for a reopening to international tourism. The Suan Dusit Poll was conducted October 11 to 14 with 1,329 people from all over Thailand responding online. The poll was conducted to gauge the people of Thailand’s feelings about PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announcing that the…
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Krabi tourism businesses not thrilled about Thailand’s reopening
A prominent local tourism operator in Krabi is speaking out, saying the tourism businesses in Krabi don’t like or want the reopening Thailand has planned for November 1. He asserts that interest from tourists, businesses that can afford to reopen, and vaccinations among locals are all lacking. The operator said that despite the government’s rosy predictions, he fears that not…
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Bangkok prepares swab hubs, rules easing for city reopening
As restrictions ease and Thailand attempts a November 1 reopening, Bangkok is hard at work preparing to welcome back international tourism to the city. Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang says he intends to follow along with official announcements as they are ratified in the Royal Gazette. The capital city is creating so-called swab hubs to be prepared to efficiently test mass…
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Tourism operators: Russians and others need clear entry rules
Fed up tourism operators in Thailand are calling on the government to stop flip-flopping and announce clear entry rules for international travellers right away before the high season is here, especially for the lucrative Russian market. Things like the Thailand Pass, set to replace the hated certificate of entry, are often announced but not fleshed out or confirmed, leading to…
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Koh Phangan and Koh Tao islands relax visitor restrictions today
Joining the rush for restrictions easing as Thailand aims for the big leap to unquarantined reopening (for some) without a certificate of entry (for some) on November 1, the popular tourist islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao have eased their entry requirements starting today. The governor of Surat Thani, home to the Samui Plus Sandbox reopening as well as…
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