borders
- World News
US-Mexico border braces for chaos as asylum rules change
A surge of people is expected at the United States border with Mexico, as US President Joe Biden acknowledges the situation will be “chaotic for a while.” Title 42 pandemic-era rules, which made claiming asylum at the border nearly impossible, are set to expire in the coming days. This has led tens of thousands of people to gather at border…
- World News
Malaysia responds to China’s lifted Covid restrictions with plans to tighten borders
Malaysia is responding to China’s recently lifted Covid-19 restrictions with plans to tighten its borders. The Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, announced the country’s plans as fears mount over another Covid wave due to China. According to the Straits Times, the Cabinet is choosing to prioritise health over the economy. “We will control and tighten (our borders) even more, including (travellers) from…
- World News
Thailand gives Malaysians one month to collect stranded vehicles free of charge
Thailand is giving Malaysians one month to collect their stranded vehicles free of charge from June 1 – June 30. Hundreds of cars with Malaysian number plates got stranded in Thailand when the border closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, over two years ago. After June 30, Thailand will impose a fee to collect stranded vehicles. Vehicles can be brought…
- World News
Malaysians continue to flood into Thailand
Every day, 350 – 400 Malaysians apply for “border passes” into Thailand, according to Kelantan Immigration director Azhar Abd Hamid. Since the Thai – Malaysia border reopened on May 5, Malaysia’s immigration offices have received a high volume of applications, especially from residents from Kelantan. Around 40% of applications come from Malaysians who plan to travel to southern Thailand, according…
- World News
UKRAINE UPDATES: Russia captures key port city, 1 million refugees have fled
This is the first of The Thaiger’s daily update briefs on, not only the ongoing battles across Ukraine, but the key milestones covering the rest of the international perspective relating to the story. These will be updated twice a day and also be part of a new daily program on The Thaiger YouTube channel. • As the Russian invasion of…
- World News
Ukraine-Russia crisis, western leaders “convinced” Russia will invade
The British PM Boris Johnson claims he has evidence that Russia is planning “the biggest war in Europe since 1945”. Speaking to the BBC, Mr. Jonhson said “all the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun”. “People need to understand the sheer cost in human life that could entail. Asked if a Russian invasion is imminent, Mr…
- World News
It’s official: Vietnam will reopen to tourists on March 15
In a move made three months earlier than planned, Vietnam will completely reopen to tourists starting March 15. Visitors to the country will still have to quarantine for 24 hours, and test negative for Covid-19 before departure and upon arrival. The Vietnamese government said in a statement that the reopening is part of its new response to controlling Covid-19, which…
- World News
Thai soldiers and police arrest 246 more Burmese migrants in Kanchanaburi
Thai soldiers and police have arrested 246 Burmese migrants in 6 border areas across 4 districts of Kanchanaburi, a Western province, yesterday and today. The migrants say they paid job brokers between 15,000 and 25,000 baht to get them jobs in several Thai provinces. Thai authorities also caught 4 guides helping the migrants, and charged them with assisting illegal border…
- South Thailand News
Burmese migrants trafficked through Thailand caught by Malaysian border
Last night, Thai soldiers caught 31 Burmese migrants on the Thailand-Malaysia border, illegally passing through Thailand and hoping to work in Malaysia. The migrants were found hiding in a ditch on a rubber plantation in Sadao, a district of Songkhla province. The group 25 men and six women had reportedly travelled from Myanmar’s Myawaddy township. After they crossed into Tak…
- Covid-19 News
UK and the EU brace for more Omicron-induced closures and restrictions
The UK and EU are going into a mild travel panic as borders start to close again and restrictions re-imposed. Last night France imposed a ban on travel to and from the country, except for “travel for compelling reasons”. The only “compelling” exemptions are for French and European travellers returning to France, or UK passengers heading in the other direction. Back…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | More Dark red zones, ‘coup rumour’ quashed | August 2
You can donate to our “I Am Strong Campaign” here…. https://gogetfunding.com/the-thaigers-i-am-strong-campaign/ Starting off with an extended report on the new restrictions in Dark Red Zones, and exactly how the new zonings may affect you. Down south, and Phuket has been re-categorised, going from a “yellow” zone to an “orange” zone. Following a rumour that a military coup to remove PM…
- World News
Thai PM orders a crackdown on Thailand’s leaky borders
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is asking the country’s security authorities to “step up” surveillance along the country’s four borders – with Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos – to help stem the flow of illegal migrants sneaking into Thailand. Thailand shares a massively long 2,500 kilometre border with Myanmar, most of the area undefined and littered with walking tracks through dense…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand’s 4-phase reopening, starting today
This is not an April fool’s joke. Thailand has set a tentative 4-phase plan starting April 1 for reopening the borders, lifting restrictions, and relaxing quarantine periods, allowing international travel to recommence in a safe manner. As always, this a currently a PLAN and has not been confirmed by the Thai government at this stage. The planned rollout has a…
- Thailand News
34.7% of Thai tourist businesses closed down
“When the tourists start coming back it will be a very different holiday experience for them. Will it ever get back to the numbers before Covid? Never.” A Tourism Authority of Thailand survey, conducted between January 10 – 12, indicates that more than a third of the country’s tourism-related businesses has already shut up shop and gone out of business.…
- Tourism News
The world aviation industry suffers Annus Horribilis | VIDEO
In the Asia-Pacific, where the affect of Covid-19 has been lower (at this stage), the passenger load was 30-40% down, compared to last year. Overall, international flights for the latter part of 2020 are down 75% year on year. The world’s aviation industry has been profoundly affected by the border closures and restrictions as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic…
- Tourism News
Thailand – the Covid vaccine and quarantine | VIDEO
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry has issued an official statement stating that, in the short to medium term, “everyone entering Thailand has to do at least a 14 day quarantine”. “The quarantine will apply, even those people who have been vaccinated.” The Public Health Ministry says the reason is because the vaccination process has only just begun in some countries around…
- Covid-19 News
No vaccine, no entry – the next Covid challenge
OPINION UPDATE: Australia’s national airline Qantas has already said it will impose “proof of vaccine” on all inbound and outbound international flights, a situation that IATA says they will follow. Read more HERE. ORIGINAL POST: The approval of a reliable Covid-19 vaccine will be a game-changer. Over the past 2 weeks there has been several announcements, and a few bumps,…
- Covid-19 News
Re-opening Thailand to tourism will be vaccine dependent
Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com continues to follow the difficult journey of the Thai hospitality industry. Traditionally, now would be the start of the country’s highly profitable high season for the tourism industry. But not this year. Thai hotels find themselves in the middle of an existential crisis – either still closed, only partly open, or one of the few converted…
- Thailand News
Thailand News Today | Army deny Twitter spin, “Don’t Reopen”, English proficiency low | Nov 27
Last day of the week. Thought we’d go outside. Bad idea! Welcome to Friday’s Thailand News Today. Royal Thai Army denies claims about Twitter campaign to spread pro-government propaganda Following a shutdown of 926 Twitter accounts linked to the Royal Thai Army, documents were leaked of what appears to be a contract between the Army and a private company supposedly…
- Covid-19 News
The Thai tourism new normal, learning to live with the pandemic
OPINION by Julian Spindler Thailand’s world-class tourism industry, one of the twin drivers of our economy, is in a deep, coronavirus-induced coma, close to death. No life support is currently available. Pandemic paranoia has gripped the nation, freezing our bio-security risk management in full containment mode, meaning zero tolerance for local Covid-19 transmission. The socio-economic, and some might add political, impacts…
- Visa Information
Getting Back to Thailand, the latest information about ASQs and STVs | VIDEO
Whilst some restrictions have been eased, there has been a doubling down on other restrictions for travel back to Thailand at this stage. Here’s all the latest information about the Social Tourist Visa (STV), ASQ (Alternative State Quarantine), golf courses. And then there’s the Thai baht which is causing problems as well. The situation is very fluid but we do…
- Tourism News
From tourist heroes to zero – how the world’s former tourist magnets are coping
If over-tourism became the buzzword in the travel industry in 2019, the opposite applies in 2020 when most of the world’s most popular tourist magnets are now facing a genuine economic crisis, forced on them by government closures and a risk-averse travel public, most of whom are prevented from travel beyond their own borders. We visit Dubrovnik, Santorini, Ibiza, Barcelona,…
- Covid-19 News
Complete Thailand Travel Guide (October 2020)
Latest update – October 21. If you are overseas and wish to come to Thailand your FIRST port of call must be the Royal Thai Embassy in your country before you make any bookings. Thailand Longstay is also a valuable resource of information at this time. First ‘tourists’ arrive in Thailand under the Special Tourist Visa In 2019, almost 40 million tourists…
- World News
International travel slow to take off, Covid-19 restrictions evolving
While Thailand is working on safely, and slowly, reopening its borders to foreign tourists after a 7 month border closure, other countries are also adapting to new, pandemic-induced, travel measures and restrictions. Now some are slowly lifting restrictions and resuming flights, while some remain grounded. What’s happening in your part of the world? In all cases, check your local travel…
- Thailand News
4 Burmese men arrested after crossing Moei River to Thailand
Tak border patrols have arrested 4 Burmese men who allegedly waded across the Moei River, crossing the natural border into Thailand illegally. Border officials have tightened their patrol since Myanmar reported a second wave of Covid-19 cases in August, and even more after this past weekend when 3 Burmese truck drivers tested positive for Covid-19 after entering Thailand through the…
- Economy News
Minor International Chairman calls for major overhaul of Thailand’s ASQ
Minor International’s outspoken Chairman, Bill Heinecke, has penned an open letter to Thailand’s Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul. The thrust of the letter is that the current ASQ and general quarantine requirements and restrictions, is making any recovery of the country’s tourism and hospitality industry. Minor hotels have already serviced 2,500 guest as part of the Thai government’s Alternative State…
- Covid-19 News
Is it time for Thailand to restart its tourist industry? – SURVEY
It’s been 10 months since the first murmurings of a novel coronavirus emerged in China. Since then there’s been an unprecedented effort to control or contain the disease by governments around the world – some more successful in their efforts than others. Covid-19 has also had more words written about it, more conspiracy theories and more debate than any other…
- Tourism News
Medical chief in favour of re-opening borders, calls zero cases target unrealistic
A senior Thai medical professional has confirmed he’s in favour of Thailand re-opening its borders, saying attempting to maintain zero cases of Covid-19 is “unrealistic”. Somsak Akksilp, from the Department of Medical Services, insists the country is adequately prepared in the event of a resurgence of the virus and, with no date set for vaccine availability, the country must move…
- Visa Information
Hard truths about travelling to Thailand, right now
OPINION Just a year ago, you could book a flight, booked a hotel, and in many cases, just arrived to receive a visa-on-arrival stamp in your passport. A few hours later you were sitting on a beach sipping colourful drinks out of tall glasses. Just one year later and being a tourist in Thailand is very difficult, if not impossible…
- Visa Information
Special Tourist Visa program leaves out those from high-risk Covid countries
Thailand’s Foreign Ministry is clarifying that the new Special Tourist Visa program will omit potential high-spend tourists from high-risk Covid countries from consideration. Tourism and Sports minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says prospective tourists need to check with the Public Health Ministry (via their Thai embassies) to see if their home countries are permitted to visit Thailand under the program. Phiphat also…
