Hotels

  • Tourism NewsKoh Samet to close from today for at least 2 weeks, Koh Chang may follow

    Koh Samet to close from today for at least 2 weeks, Koh Chang may follow

    The island of Koh Samet, in Thailandโ€™s eastern Rayong province, is closing to visitors and non-residents for at least 14 days to help stop the spread of Covid-19. The province saw 21 new infections yesterday, with at least 1 being linked to Koh Samet. The shuttering is effective as of today with another popular island, Koh Chang, also possibly followingโ€ฆ

  • Economy NewsForeign investors eye business in Thailand as hotels face closure during new outbreak

    Foreign investors eye business in Thailand as hotels face closure during new outbreak

    The new wave of Covid-19 infections this month has led to a drop in occupancy rates at Thailand hotels, some reporting drops of 5% to 30%, battering hoteliers that have already been struggling from a year of little to no foreign tourists. Some hotel operators have been forced to sell their businesses, according to the president of the Arjarnnar Assetโ€ฆ

  • Covid-19 NewsThai Hotel Association pushes “hospitels” – hotels as hospitals

    Thai Hotel Association pushes โ€œhospitelsโ€ โ€“ hotels as hospitals

    With the third wave of Covid-19 ripping through Thailand, hospitals are rapidly filling up and the Thai Hotels Association has proposed โ€œhospitelsโ€ as a creative solution. The portmanteau of โ€œhospitalโ€ and โ€œhotelโ€ is the THAโ€™s brainchild for creating more space for the growing number of Covid-19 infections that require treatment or at least observation as Thailand hits record daily caseโ€ฆ

  • Covid-19 NewsPeople and businesses to face legal action for spreading Covid virus

    People and businesses to face legal action for spreading Covid virus

    Health officials say those people and entertainment businesses who helped spur a third wave of Covid-19 in Thailand may face legal action against them. A 26 year old woman, who allegedly boarded a plane on April 11 in Bangkokโ€™s Don Mueang airport after testing positive for the virus, has been pointed out by Chraspong Sukree, the chief of Nakhon Siโ€ฆ

  • Thailand Newsโ€œWe Travel Togetherโ€ plan to boost domestic tourism expanded

    โ€œWe Travel Togetherโ€ plan to boost domestic tourism expanded

    Thai lawmakers are giving the third phase of the governmentโ€™s โ€œWe Travel Togetherโ€ scheme a green light to continue boosting domestic tourism. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha along with other lawmakers approved the scheme, titled โ€œRao Tiew Duay Kanโ€ in Thai, which is a programme that subsidises hotel bookings. The schemeโ€™s third phase is set to cover an additional 2 million peopleโ€ฆ

  • Songkran NewsPattaya announces plans to hold Songkran Festival

    Pattaya announces plans to hold Songkran Festival

    The tourist city of Pattaya is planning to hold Thai New Year, or Songkran Festival, this year as long as they receive the โ€œgo aheadโ€ from the government. The Pattaya City Mayor, Sonthaya Khunplume, made the announcement today, saying that the water festival will be held with all the traditional activities including those taking place at temples. Songkran is theโ€ฆ

  • Tourism NewsIs THIS the cheapest five star hotel in the world? Right here in Bangkok | VIDEO

    Is THIS the cheapest five star hotel in the world? Right here in Bangkok | VIDEO

    Is THIS the cheapest five star hotel in the world? We think it is! It certainly passes all the legal expectations of a 5-star property and itโ€™s smack bang in the middle of a touristy area of Bangkok. Itโ€™s โ€˜of an eraโ€™ and itโ€™s easy to imagine this older style Bangkok hotel in its heyday, probably in the late 80s.โ€ฆ

  • Tourism NewsTurbulence ahead for Thailand’s aviation industry | VIDEO

    Turbulence ahead for Thailandโ€™s aviation industry | VIDEO

    When the airlines, in particular, were asking the government to put their hands in their pockets for some relief funding in August last year, it was genuinely thought that international tourists would be coming back for the high season in December and January. At the very least local tourists and expats would head back to the skies over the traditionalโ€ฆ

  • Pattaya NewsChon Buri could be removed from “red zone” list, tourists expected to flock to Pattaya

    Chon Buri could be removed from โ€œred zoneโ€ list, tourists expected to flock to Pattaya

    After several consecutive days without a local Covid-19 case, Chon Buri might soon be removed from the governmentโ€™s list of โ€œred zonesโ€ for high risk of Covid-19. Once lockdown restrictions are eased, the coastal province expects to have an influx of tourists to Pattaya. The province has been under strict disease control measures and is classified as one of theโ€ฆ

  • Pattaya NewsChon Buri province reports 0 cases of Covid today

    Chon Buri province reports 0 cases of Covid today

    Chon Buri province is reporting 0 new cases of Covid-19, marking 3 out of 4 days with no new infections. Despite the good news, The Chonburi Department of Public Health is warning residents to โ€œstay vigilantโ€. A migrant worker tested positive for the virus yesterday but all close contacts, 93 people, to the person have tested negative and went intoโ€ฆ

  • Covid-19 NewsPattaya hotels take food to the streets in bid to survive

    Pattaya hotels take food to the streets in bid to survive

    Pattayaโ€™s hotels are taking their restaurants to the streets by offering food stalls outside and delivery in a bid to save their businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. Such changes in their attempts to avoid closing, come as city officials say they will use funds to spruce up the city for Chinese New Years on February 12. As Chonburi province isโ€ฆ

  • Thailand NewsTower Of Babble – Have your say on The Thaiger| VIDEO

    Tower Of Babble โ€“ Have your say on The Thaiger| VIDEO

    Tower of Babble is where we read some of your comments to The Thaiger YouTube videos. Some are insightful, some are interesting, some need to be shared! And some are just plain funny. If you leave a comment under any of our videos it may be shared on our Tower of Babble each day.

  • Tourism NewsThe case for temporarily closing hotel and restaurant operations

    The case for temporarily closing hotel and restaurant operations

    OPINION by Bill Barnett As the final days of disruptive 2020 come screeching to an erratic end, hotel, and restaurant owners are peering into an unpredictable year ahead. Here in Thailand over the past week, the tourism industry has been shaken to its core over an uptick in Covid-19 cases and backroom speculation over fears of another round of lockdowns. (Restrictions,โ€ฆ

  • Visa InformationCan I avoid the 14 day quarantine in Thailand if I’ve been vaccinated?

    Can I avoid the 14 day quarantine in Thailand if Iโ€™ve been vaccinated?

    Now that the Covid-19 vaccines are being rolled out in some countries, the next question relevant to Thailand isโ€ฆ if Iโ€™ve had a vaccine for Covid-19, can I come back without doing the 14 (or 15 in some cases) days of quarantine? The Public Health Ministry has issued a statement stating that, in the short to medium term, โ€œeveryone enteringโ€ฆ

  • Covid-19 NewsTAT launch new Alternative State Quarantine “one stop shop” in Thailand

    TAT launch new Alternative State Quarantine โ€œone stop shopโ€ in Thailand

    The TAT have launched a new โ€œone stopโ€ shop for quarantine (Alternative State Quarantine) bookings in Thailand. The new website is designed to be a single place for booking quarantine hotels during the time when arrival in Thailand is welcomed with a mandatory 14 day stay (which seems to end up as 15 days in many cases) in a government-qualifiedโ€ฆ

  • Phuket NewsPhuket’s Covid High Season Crisis | VIDEO

    Phuketโ€™s Covid High Season Crisis | VIDEO

    https://youtu.be/hK_j52xMwnU We visited Phuket 3 months ago and found the west coast tourist towns empty and devoid of people. Businesses had closed, vendors headed back to their home towns, shops shuttered and streets very, very quiet. The islandโ€™s east coast was still busy with the locals and many expats getting on with their daily lives, getting used to the โ€˜newโ€ฆ

  • Visa InformationThai government keeps the borders locked down despite industry demands to re-open

    Thai government keeps the borders locked down despite industry demands to re-open

    Despite progress in vaccines and the hard lobbying from Thailandโ€™s tourism and hospitality industries, the Kingdom is destined to miss out on the 2019/2021 high season. The Thai Minster for Sports and Tourism, Pipat Ratchakitprakan, says that the government is looking to March/April in 2021 as the earliest date for any return to general tourism. For now travellers still haveโ€ฆ

  • Tourism NewsWhat has the pandemic taught hotels about luxury. Is ‘less’ more?

    What has the pandemic taught hotels about luxury. Is โ€˜lessโ€™ more?

    by Anthony Lark โ€œLetโ€™s say goodbye to all that stale pretence and manufactured pompโ€ Until the collective nightmare that was 2020, many of the so-called high-end hotels had a reputation for trying to convince guests to pay for often dingy guestrooms lacking any real views inside an otherwise ornate structure with a storied, celebrated past, where the first impression wasโ€ฆ

  • Tourism NewsBangkok is the best leisure city in the Asia Pacific – Business Traveller Asia-Pacific

    Bangkok is the best leisure city in the Asia Pacific โ€“ Business Traveller Asia-Pacific

    Despite few travellers actually being able to visit Thailandโ€™s capital, including โ€˜business travellers, readers of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific have again named Bangkok the โ€˜Best Leisure City in the Asia-Pacificโ€™. The Big Mango retains the top ranking on the list for the 5th consecutive year. Bangkok also got third place in the ranking of the Best Business city in the Asia.โ€ฆ

  • Visa InformationThailand will remain closed to general tourism until at least the 2nd quarter of 2021 – Minister

    Thailand will remain closed to general tourism until at least the 2nd quarter of 2021 โ€“ Minister

    Kiss any resemblance of general tourism to Thailand goodbye, at least until march next year, at the earliest. Thatโ€™s the outlook for Thailandโ€™s beleaguered tourism industry from the usually optimistic Minster for Sports and Tourism, Pipat Ratchakitprakan. So, apart from the STV and the modified 60 day Tourist Visa, and a few other options โ€“ all involving quarantine and aโ€ฆ

  • Phuket NewsHow Thailandโ€™s domestic tourism market fell in love with Khao Lak during a pandemic

    How Thailandโ€™s domestic tourism market fell in love with Khao Lak during a pandemic

    While Thailandโ€™s doors remain mostly shut to international tourists, Thailandโ€™s domestic travel wanderlust has turned Khao Lak into an Instagram hero. In the first 2 months of this year, according to research by consulting group C9 Hotelworksโ€™ new Khao Lak Hotel Market Update occupancies soared above 80%. With the Covid-19 lockdowns, occupancy plunged in April and May, but as domesticโ€ฆ

  • Tourism NewsHigh season? What high season? Thai tourism has a gap year.

    High season? What high season? Thai tourism has a gap year.

    OPINION High season. Whatโ€™s happening to Thailandโ€™s traditional tourist high season this year? (Sounds of crickets and tumbleweed rolling down the streets) Just as last yearโ€™s high season was wrapping up, the Covid-19 pandemic became real and much of the world closed its borders in March. Thailand hoteliers, tour operators and airlines had to endure a very quiet low season,โ€ฆ

  • World NewsThailand News Today | The RCEP reset, Hotel Talkfest, Protesters to be arrested | November 16

    Thailand News Today | The RCEP reset, Hotel Talkfest, Protesters to be arrested | November 16

    First day of the week with another Thailand News Today, all the latest news from around Thailand and the region. Hoteliers to discuss how to revive Thailandโ€™s crippled hospitality industry The Tourism and Sports Ministry is holding a talkfest with15 hotel operators expected to join to discuss recovery solutions for the battered industry. Some top executives are planned to pitchโ€ฆ

  • Tourism NewsKrabi’s Ao Nang businesses shut up or sell up

    Krabiโ€™s Ao Nang businesses shut up or sell up

    Ao Nang, Krabiโ€™s tourist strip, is struggling under the strain of no customers or tourists. Thai Residents reports that there are now at least 10 hotels up for sale valued at billions of baht. Businesses and hotels along the popular Ao Nang tourist strip have been shutting down because of the prolonged closure of Thailandโ€™s borders to general tourism. Evenโ€ฆ

  • Tourism NewsSecrets in the covid era – the future of Thailand hospitality | VIDEO

    Secrets in the covid era โ€“ the future of Thailand hospitality | VIDEO

    Banyan Tree founder KP Ho speaks to Bill Barnett. With a sudden lack of tourists and customers, many Thai hotels had to quickly review their business models and come up with new ways to pay their bills and retain staff. Some succeeded, many didnโ€™t. In fact some hotels have thrived in the face of a seismic change to the hospitalityโ€ฆ

  • Phuket NewsPhuketโ€™s tourism high season hopes shattered in policy flip-flop

    Phuketโ€™s tourism high season hopes shattered in policy flip-flop

    โ€œThe time has come that Thailand must gain confidence from international benchmarks.โ€ Thailandโ€™s leading resort island Phuket has come face-to-face with the reality that itโ€™s tourism high-season will not see a marked reopening to overseas travellers. In the wake of the dismantling of the โ€˜Phuket Modelโ€™ and refocus by the government on using Bangkok as a single international gateway, thereโ€ฆ

  • Tourism NewsAnswering the question, who will fight for Phuketโ€™?

    Answering the question, who will fight for Phuketโ€™?

    OPINION by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com Thailandโ€™s tourism industry is sadly at the short end of the stick as policies gyrate over the reopening of the country to international travellers, yet no single province has more to lose than the resort island of Phuket. Phuketโ€™s economic engine is leveraged on tourism. Itโ€™s a place where on a combined basis, oneโ€ฆ

  • Tourism NewsWhen hoteliers emerge from 2020, the business will be hard

    When hoteliers emerge from 2020, the business will be hard

    OPINION Is it time re-imagine the guest relationship? Globally, more than a hundred million travel and hospitality jobs will be lost in 2020 due to Covid-19. Here in Phuket, where I moved in 1988 as the opening general manager at Amanpuri, we have seen as many as 60,000 job losses in the hotel sector alone, which accounts for 86,000 registered rooms,โ€ฆ

  • Thailand NewsThailand News Today | BKK protest update, Chiang Mai ‘quiet’, Baby klong crocs | October 14

    Thailand News Today | BKK protest update, Chiang Mai โ€˜quietโ€™, Baby klong crocs | October 14

    Daily TV news about whatโ€™s happening in and around Thailand. Check out the daily Thai News, uploaded around 5pm, Thai time, weekdays. โ€œElevated risk of unrestโ€ after 21 activist arrests, UN department says Things are heating up ahead of this afternoon and this eveningโ€™s protests and planned march to Government House from the Democracy Monument. Even the United Nations Departmentโ€ฆ

  • Visa InformationFirst batch of Special Tourist Visa arrivals for Phuket ‘postponed’, no refunds

    First batch of Special Tourist Visa arrivals for Phuket โ€˜postponedโ€™, no refunds

    If you were a traveller, trying to get accurate information about how and when you could return to Thailand, youโ€™d be rightfully confused. So are we. Now it emerges that the arrival of the first Special Tourist Visa travellers, headed for Phuket, has been postponed at least until the end of the month. Scheduled charter flights for Scandinavian and Chinese travellersโ€ฆ