Domestic Travel
- Thailand News
Re-instatement of mask wearing? & Arresting ‘Mr. Underpants’ | GMT
Thai health authorities recommend the re-instatement of mask wearing. Thai police arrest ‘Mr. Underpants:’ The serial thief in the white briefs. Thai netizens go into meltdown over farmers using bathroom cleaner as fertilizer. Smoking and selling green in public is illegal, warns Bangkok’s deputy governor. Latest vaccine guidelines. Suitcases are packed as Thais get ready for domestic travel. All this and more…
- Tourism News
Suitcases packed as Thais get ready for domestic travel
The number of locals planning their vacations is predicted to spike for the first time since the pandemic broke out over 2 years ago. The President of the Tourism Council of Thailand, Chamnan Srisawat, predicts there will be a high number of Thai nationals travelling domestically in the third quarter of 2022 thanks to the easing of restrictions and regulations…
- Tourism News
Come fly with me in Thailand, with a face mask – OPINION
July 1 is looming as the day Thailand really opens up again, with all the ‘Covid’ paperwork (aka. The Thailand Pass) being binned. They’re even scrapping the TM6 form, at least in the short to medium term (maybe permanently?). But if you want a reminder about some of Thailand’s more hypocritical and absurd Covid restrictions, just go for a flight,…
- Tourism News
Domestic travel demand weakened by rising Covid infections, high prices
A spike in daily new infections, coupled with high prices for goods and services, has stymied the recovery of domestic tourism. La-Iad Bungsrithong from the northern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association says this is despite government schemes such as We Travel Together and other incentives designed to attract visitors, such as local events. “Bookings from the fourth phase of…
- Tourism News
Omicron not affecting domestic tourism sentiment this holiday weekend
A survey carried out by the Tourism Authority of Thailand shows that for the most part, people are not letting the Omicron variant affect their travel plans. The poll’s findings show that domestic tourism is set to generate 5.72 billion baht during the upcoming long weekend, with over 1.8 million trips planned. The Bangkok Post reports that, while Omicron has…
- Thailand News
Boost in tourism expected over Loy Krathong Festival
The Tourism Authority of Thailand said that they are anticipating a slight boost in tourism for this year’s Loy Krathong Festival. While still much quieter than in the days before the pandemic, this year a bit more travelling and tourism related to the event are expected than last year. The TAT estimates that tourists throughout the country will spend around…
- Tourism News
Tourism sector not getting its hopes up over domestic travel
Those working in Thailand’s tourism sector aren’t getting their hopes up about a big boost to domestic travel any time soon. Wutthiphum Jurangkool, chief executive at Nok Air, says ongoing concerns about Covid-19, coupled with weak purchasing power, will make this November very different to last. “Domestic tourism reached its peak last November, thanks to low infection rates and the…
- Tourism News
Domestic tourism hoped to generate 882 billion baht in 2022
Perhaps not putting all of its eggs in the foreign tourism basket, the Thai government has now set a target for domestic tourism revenue next year to reach close to 1 trillion baht. While international travel is slowly finally opening back up in Thailand, it is more of a trickle than a flood, and government officials are looking towards domestic…
- Phuket News
Phuket entry update October 1: Checkpoints, testing, vaccines
Starting tomorrow, the rules for entering (and exiting) Phuket are changing. The Phuket Sandbox will be reducing the time arriving international travellers must stay on the island to one week, meaning they won’t need as many Covid-19 tests as well. But revisions also go into effect for domestic travellers and overland entry onto the island, making it easier for tourism…
- Phuket News
Minor Phuket entry revision: Covid-19 test within 7 days, not 3
The good news is, Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew announced that restrictions and on entering Phuket will ease on October 1. The bad news is, this hasn’t been officially enacted yet and the actual changes to restrictions are extremely minimal. According to the announcement by the governor, a meeting yesterday of the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee has decided on the following overhaul: instead…
- Transport News
Thai government officials offered special promotional fares on Air Asia
Thai Air Asia has launched a promotional deal targeting government officials, members of the Federation of Thai Industries and the Thai Chamber of Commerce, as well as employees of state enterprises. The perks will also apply to their travel companions. The thinking behind the deal is that government officials were some of the first to be vaccinated and are not…
- Thailand News
Thailand News Today | Phuket eases domestic entry, Thitisan transferred to BKK prison | Sept 3
The deputy head of the national police has briefed a House Committee on the legal case against former cop Thitisan Utthanaphon. As Phuket prepares to carefully allow domestic tourists back onto the island, new Covid-19 infection number remain relatively stable. The Baiya vaccine, a plant-based Covid-19 vaccine being developed in Thailand, is ready to begin phase 1 clinical trials this…
- Phuket News
Vaccinated domestic travellers allowed to enter Phuket starting next week
Domestic travellers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be allowed to enter Phuket starting on September 8, Phuket Governor Narong Woonsiew announced. Travellers from overseas have been able to enter the island province under the “Sandbox” model, but with the rise of Covid-19 cases, Phuket officials imposed tight restrictions on domestic entry. Travellers will need to book and pay for…
- Phuket News
Phuket lays on Suvarnabhumi bus service for stranded sandbox tourists
The governor of Phuket has announced that a special bus service will transport stranded sandbox tourists from the southern island to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. As a result of the cancellation of domestic flights, sandbox visitors who had plans to visit elsewhere in Thailand after their 14 days on Phuket now find themselves stuck. Governor Narong Wunsiew says a dedicated bus…
- Transport News
Transport Company announces bus services are suspended until August 31
The state-run Transport Company announced that all interprovincial bus services will be suspended until the end of the month. Under the recent order imposed by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, interprovincial public transportation out of the 29 “dark red” zones, including Bangkok, is not allowed. The CCSA’s order is in effect until August 16, but a spokesperson says the…
- Phuket News
Domestic travel to Phuket all but banned starting August 2
The Phuket government has found itself in a precarious predicament, caught between domestic and international tourism. While walking a tightrope between local and international, authorities have just announced what essentially amounts to a domestic lockout with new travel restrictions into Phuket going into effect on August 3. The Sandbox scheme is a critical step for international tourism to finally return…
- Thailand News
Phuket order says visitors must test negative for Covid before granted entry, with exceptions
The Phuket Governor, Narong Woonciew, issued an order today that stipulated that “anyone” who wishes to enter Phuket from a “red”, or “dark red” zone must test negative for Covid before they are granted entry. The restriction applies to those who have been fully vaccinated or have recovered from being infected. The order is set to take effect July 15…
- Tourism News
Tourism Minister threatens to cancel travel stimulus if only some operators benefit
Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister says if all operators cannot benefit from a domestic travel stimulus scheme, it may be cancelled. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says he will meet with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to ensure everyone in the sector can be helped by the scheme. According to the Bangkok Post, the government plans to launch the Tour Teaw Thai scheme…
- World News
Global travel demand driven by vaccine rollouts: Tripadvisor survey
Research into the latest travel trends shows that the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines is a big determining factor in how long tourists plan to stay and how much they will spend. A TTR Weekly report focuses on research carried out by Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel platform. Travellers across 6 large international markets were surveyed, to determine the impact of…
- Phuket News
TAT and Tourism Ministry push for domestic tourism in Phuket
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is partnering with the Tourism and Sports Ministry to build confidence and boost domestic travel to Phuket as it reopens to international tourism next month. They hope to give Phuket a much-needed boom by attracting local travellers as well as fully vaccinated international passengers. Aiming to get domestic travel up and running in August, the…
- Best of
Top 10 Must Visit Destinations in Thailand
Who hasn’t longed for a getaway to escape the trials and tribulations of everyday life? We’ve all done some armchair travel, and for many of us, Thailand is the first place our wanderlust takes us. For the time being, fantasy trips will have to suffice. But if conditions allow for safe travel once again, we’ll be sure to visit one…
- Chiang Mai News
Tourism officials slash Songkran travel expectations by half
The TAT, ever the optimists regarding anything tourism related, even domestic tourism, predict that the Bangkok clusters that have emerged in the week before the Songkran break could reduce traffic and spending by up to half. Today the CCSA is reporting 789 new infections and one additional death. 522 were local infections, mostly walk-ins to Bangkok hospitals, 259 were discovered through…
- Covid-19 News
As Covid-19 spreads, more hotels in Phuket close
Phuket tourism and hospitality business are hit again by the current Covid-19 outbreak with more hotels closing down. Many hotels are starting to close again due to a significant number of bookings cancellations. Most of them can’t handle the costs to stay open and some are expected to permanently shut down. Bill Barnett from c9Hotelworks.com says that the latest outbreak is…
- Tourism News
Holiday season travel expected to drop by 5 million trips due to recent Covid-19 cases
Due to the recent cluster of Covid-19 infections in Samut Sakhon, hitting a record high in daily infections, tourism officials say the yearly tally for domestic trips is likely to fall by 5 million. With lockdown measures and international travel restrictions this year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand focused on local travel and set a goal of 100 million domestic…
- Tourism News
Addition of 1 million hotel nights delayed as fraud detected in domestic travel scheme
The government’s plan to add 1 million hotel nights to its domestic tourism stimulus campaign has hit a snag, amid reports of fraud. Officials say irregularities have been detected in the transactions of around 514 hotels and other businesses registered with the scheme. The revelation comes as officials investigate allegations of fraud in the government’s co-payment scheme, “Let’s Go Halves”…
- Tourism News
Tourism authority calls for expansion of domestic travel stimulus scheme
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is calling on the government to improve the existing domestic travel stimulus programme, in the hope of boosting home-grown tourism. The current scheme provides Thai tourists with a 40% subsidy on hotel rates, up to a maximum of 3,000 baht a night, for 10 nights. It also subsidises air fares to a maximum of 2,000…
- Tourism News
Government pledges help for Phuket tourism industry
As Phuket’s tourism industry continues to fight for survival amid ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, the PM is ordering an advisory team to finish work on recovery proposals received from the private sector and submit them to the government’s Covid-19 task force for approval. Danucha Pichayanan, from the National Economic and Social Development Council, says this is expected to happen shortly, as…
- Transport News
Bangkok Airways offers unlimited flights through new membership program
Bangkok Airways is now offering unlimited domestic flights through a new membership program. The airline launched the new Elite Card for 100,000 baht, allowing unlimited travel throughout 2021. Those interested can apply for the card from now until November 30. Tickets for flights from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021 can be booked starting on December 16. Air Asia…
- Bangkok News
Global economics report expects Bangkok to have the highest tourist drop
International travel restrictions have crippled Thailand’s tourism industry so much that Bangkok might end up with the highest loss of tourists out of all the major cities in the world. A report from the global forecasting company Oxford Economics predicts Bangkok will lose about 14.5 million incoming foreign tourists by the end of the year. Cities across the world are…
- Chiang Mai News
Tourism council urges Chiang Mai hotels to open up to meet domestic tourism demand
The chair of Chiang Mai’s branch of the Tourism Council of Thailand says the city’s hotels and tour agencies are showing little interest in reopening, despite the province expecting a surge in domestic tourism as a result of the government’s stimulus offering. Nation Thailand reports that tourism chief Punlop Sae-Jew says many properties continue to keep their doors shut as…
- Tourism News
Travelling domestically in Thailand brings Covid-style hotel accommodations
As Thailand remains closed to international tourists with travel bubbles being postponed indefinitely, the country has shifted to relying on domestic tourism to close some of the gaps in profit losses. As it heavily relies on tourism, which accounts for around 15% of its GDP, hotels are adapting to welcoming domestic tourists by offering Covid-conscious accommodations. But as the popular…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand eases up on social distancing requirements for domestic travel
The requirement for Thailand’s airlines to leave every second seat empty, as part of the conditions under which domestic services could resume, is being done away with. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand says carriers can now sell every seat on a flight (whether or not airlines manage to do so is another matter). However, the CAAT says airlines must…
- Covid-19 News
Government looks to domestic travel in phase 3 of easing Covid restrictions
A committee has been convened to agree which restrictions can be lifted as Thailand enters the third phase of its exit from lock-down. Addressing a press conference on behalf of the committee, General Somsak Roongsita says re-starting domestic tourism is one of the main priorities of the committee, which comprises public health officials, doctors and business leaders. While interprovincial buses…
- Covid-19 News
Passenger numbers at Don Mueang airport plummet over long weekend
The number of passengers passing through Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport over the coming long weekend is expected to be just a fraction of the usual figures as a result of the ongoing effects of the Covid-19 outbreak and aircraft travel restrictions. Khaosod English reports that airport officials say they expect to see no more than 4,000 passengers a day, a…
- Economy News
Second phase of government’s economic stimulus package off to a good start
The government has launched phase 2 of its Chim-Shop-Chai scheme, aimed at boosting the country’s economy. The second phase is aimed at those who missed out on subscribing the first time round, with each person entitled to a 1,000 baht giveaway and a 15 – 20% rebate on spending between 30,000 and 50,000 baht. Thai PBS World reports that the…
