Koh Samui
- Thailand News
Thailand’s public health officials proposing ‘Endemic Sandboxes’ to legally reopen nightlife
Thailand is getting closer and closer to the endemic phase of its Covid response. Achingly slow but now with at least a proposal to be tabled at the next CCSA meeting. The Ministry of Public Health will propose ‘Endemic Sandboxes’ as a plan to allow entertainment venues to legally reopen in 3 tourist islands including Phuket, Koh Chang, and Koh…
- Crime News
South African woman, jailed in Thailand, gets to speak to mother
A young South African woman, 23 year old Ashley Oosthuizen, sentenced to life in a Thai prison has finally been able to speak to her mother after nearly 3 months of Covid ‘quarantine’ (as there was an outbreak in the prison). She was sentenced after being accused and convicted by a Thai court of accepting a package of MDMA at the Koh…
- Thailand News
British Muay Thai fighter seriously injured after motorbike crash in southern Thailand
A British Muay Thai fighter is undergoing surgery in Bangkok after he was involved in a serious road accident in Koh Samui on April 13. Chris – a 32 year old martial arts champion from York, UK – pulled out of a coffee shop on his motorbike when he was crushed by a pickup truck. Chris survived the incident but…
- Koh Samui News
Koh Samui eyes European tourists following cancellation of Test & Go
Samui is eyeing European tourists after the Thai government confirmed the Test & Go entry program is being ditched from the end of April. On Koh Samui, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has met with local tourism associations, as well as over 30 leading European travel agencies. The get-together was to showcase several tourism attractions, activities, and hotels on the…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Thailand starts new crackdown on single-use plastics
A Malaysia Airlines flight from KL to Borneo dipped its nose and dropped suddenly, allegedly flying erratically before turning back to Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The aircraft in question was an 8 year old Boeing 737-800, the same model of aircraft that crashed in southern China last month, killing all 132 passengers and crew. The incident happened last Sunday but…
- Thailand News
Tourists ignore red flags on Samui beach, Thai man drowns, foreigner rescued
Four Thai tourists ignored a red flag warning on the beach and went swimming anyway in strong waves at Chawaeng Beach of Koh Samui in the southern province of Surat Thani on Wednesday. One person drowned, but four others survived. Staff from a jet ski rental business on the beach reported that one foreigner was also saved not long before…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Update | Thailand to target Indians travel destination & weddings
Petrol-powered cars are still in vogue, but Electric Vehicles, or EVs, are definitely on the rise. That’s the takeaway from this year’s Bangkok International Motor Show, which recorded sales of some 34,000 vehicles, a 14% increase compared to last year’s show. The 43rd edition of the popular motor show took place over a span of two weeks at Impact Muang…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Update | Koh Samui and Koh Phangan Ferry Services increased for Songkran
Just starting our bulletin today with a quick note about the new XE Omicron variant that has now been detected in Thailand. We are doing more about this in Good Morning Thailand program today. The key point is that, given the current knowledge, the variant appears no more likely to produce severe symptoms than the other Omicron variants. The one…
- Thailand News
Hotels in Koh Samui learn how to prevent and treat box jellyfish stings
With most of the fatal box jellyfish stings in Thailand over the past decade in Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, representatives from 20 hotels attended a lecture at the Hive Hotel on Koh Samui to learn about preventing and treating stings from box jellyfish, known as one of the most venomous marine animals in the world. By providing the knowledge to…
- World News
Tourism school helps stranded Russians and Ukrainians in Koh Samui
A tourism school is helping stranded Russians and Ukrainians in Koh Samui stay in a hotel for about 4,000 baht a month. This is for up to 30 rooms at a hotel on Chaweng beach. Many Ukrainians can’t return home due to the violence from Russia’s invasion, while many Russians’ flights home have been canceled. Many Russians also can’t access…
- Koh Samui News
Koh Samui villa owner cuts rates in half for Ukrainian couple stuck in Thailand
A kind villa owner on the southern island of Koh Samui has reduced the rates of his villa by 50% for a Ukrainian couple who can’t return to their country due to the ongoing violence caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. There are no commercial airlines are flying to Ukraine as the country closed its airspace to civilian flights following…
- Koh Samui News
Thailand marine officials look into building cruise ship terminal on Koh Samui
Marine officials in Thailand are looking into building a cruise ship terminal on Koh Samui, a popular Gulf of Thailand island off the Surat Thani coast. A terminal is considered to be more convenient and safe for travellers as, at the moment, cruise ships must anchor by the island and smaller boats transfer travellers to the island and back to…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Songkran will go ahead…but with what restrictions?
The Thai government says Covid ain’t stoppin’ this year’s Songkran celebrations but insists that disease prevention measures will need to be followed. What that means for the mass water fights that were emblematic of the pre-pandemic celebrations remains unclear for now. According to a, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has given the green light for interprovincial travel and “all related activities” over…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Thai govt assists Ukrainian and Russian tourists
The Thai government says over 7,000 Ukrainian and Russian tourists affected by flight cancellations will be allowed to extend their visas free of charge. It’s one of a number of measures officials are implementing to help visitors stranded as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Other measures potentially include offering shelter and access to a Chinese payment platform. The…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | “Joe Ferrari’s” lawyer fights back
Police on Koh Samui says the body of Australian cricket player, Shane Warne, will be flown home for a state funeral once the autopsy is completed. The 52-year-old was found dead at a villa on the island on Friday, a day after he arrived. The player is thought to have died of a heart attack. According to a report, his…
- Koh Samui News
Body of Australian cricket legend to be flown home following autopsy
Police on Koh Samui say the body of Australian cricket player, Shane Warne, will be flown home for a state funeral once the autopsy is completed. The 52-year-old was found dead at a villa on the island on Friday, a day after he arrived. The player is thought to have died of a heart attack. According to a Bangkok Post…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Suspicions over Thai actress drowning
Many Thais are speculating that the drowning of the Thai TV actress Tangmo in the Chao Phraya River was not an accident and police now say they are going to use a lie detector during interrogations. Reports say the 37-year-old woman had gone to the back of the speedboat to urinate but had fallen in at around 10:40 pm Thursday…
- Crime News
Family works to appeal South African’s sentencing in Koh Samui drug trafficking case
The family of the young South African woman incarcerated at Thai prison for accepting a package of drugs have been working on an appeal. 22 year old Ashley Oosthuizen was sentenced to life in prison after she accepted a package of MDMA at the Koh Samui restaurant Hot in the Biscuit in late-2020. Her mother, Lynn Blignaut, told The Thaiger…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Govt promises better Thailand Pass experience
After some glitches with the Thailand Pass, including a data breach, authorities say the system is being improved to make it more convenient for those travelling to Thailand. A government spokesperson says the Prime Minister has ordered related agencies to quickly fix the system to ensure there are no delays with the approval process, adding that foreign tourism is essential…
- Crime News
Renewed calls for justice for Koh Samui expat incarcerated on drug charges
Calls for justice have been renewed for an expat who was arrested on Koh Samui and now sits in Thai jail for drug charges. The young South African woman, Ashley Oosthuizen, was arrested after she reportedly accepted a package from a delivery person that contained MDMA. In a screenshot leaked online, the Koh Samui Provincial Court sentenced her to the…
- Thailand News
Infected inmate escapee from Koh Samui Hospital surrenders, says he got hungry
The inmate infected with Covid-19 who escaped from Koh Samui Hospital has reportedly surrendered to police. Apparently, he turned himself in to police because he got hungry. With prisons and correctional facilities requiring a quarantine period for all new inmates, and with a number of them testing positive for Covid-19, there has been an increase in prisoner escapes, according to…
- Thailand News
Inmate with Covid-19 escapes from Koh Samui Hospital, officials set 20,000 baht bounty
There’s a 20,000 baht bounty for those who have information that will lead to the arrest of a Covid-infected inmate who escaped from Koh Samui Hospital. The news follows a statement from Thailand’s Justice Minister on an uptick of inmate escapes, particularly involving those who were in quarantine before being released into the prison population or at a hospital being…
- Tourism News
Koh Samui hotel, business owners call for PCR test price cut to draw in Test & Go tourists
Hoteliers and business owners on the southern island of Koh Samui are asking the Thai government to lower the costs of RT-PCR tests in an effort to draw in more foreign tourists. The calls follow the decision to reopen registration for the Test & Go entry scheme starting February 1. The quarantine exemption scheme requires tourists to isolate themselves at…
- Phuket News
More lost tourists with Covid break Phuket quarantine for Samui
Police have yet to confirm whether they found several missing Russians – a single man and a separate couple – who left hotels in Phuket before finishing mandatory hotel quarantine periods only to be found to be positive for Covid-19. But the hunt for Covid-19 infected tourists is on yet again, as Phuket Tourist Police are looking for any information…
- Pattaya News
Yacht docked at Pattaya pier catches fire
A yacht docked in Pattaya caught fire today, sending a dark cloud of smoke billowing above buildings along the coast. The Shiraz yacht docked at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club caught fire at around 10:58am today. It took firefighters 30 minutes to control the flames. Firefighters are still investigating, but the cause is suspected to be a short circuit. The…
- Thailand News
Surat Thani islands, Krabi, Phang Nga approved for Sandbox scheme starting January 11
With the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme suspended indefinitely, more areas have been approved to welcome travellers under the Sandbox programme, which allows those who are fully vaccinated to enter and stay in a designated area or province rather than undergoing quarantine at a hotel or facility. Starting January 11, travellers can register to enter Thailand through the Sandbox…
- Thailand News
Thailand news today | Samui urges government to reconsider entry schemes
Tourism operators on Koh Samui are urging the government to reconsider the suspension of the Test & Go entry scheme. The Public Health Ministry says the Omicron variant is spreading rapidly in Thailand and has now been confirmed in 33 provinces.
- Environment News
Prachuap Khiri Khan, Koh Samui beaches have the cleanest water
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has just completed their 2021 Environmental Quality Audit of Thailand, and Prachuap Khiri Khan and Koh Samui dominated the list of cleanest sea water beaches. All top 5 beaches with the cleanest sea water were in the Gulf of Thailand. The best seawater was one of 4 categories assessed by the study, which…
- Tourism News
Koh Samui, Phangan and Tao see uptick in holiday tourists
While tourism is still far below the levels of 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic, it was showing an uptick before the Omicron variant drove government officials to cancel the Test & Go scheme that avoided any significant quarantine and which brought the vast majority of tourists since launching in November. But while tourism has been tepid, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan,…
- Covid-19 News
Escaped Israeli officially cleared of Covid-19, now faces prosecution
The good news is: you don’t have Covid-19. The bad news: you’re being sent to police custody. In the most recent twist to the case of an Israeli tourist who entered Thailand on Friday and snuck off before receiving his Covid-19 test only to be diagnosed with Omicron as a nationwide manhunt ensued, the man has now been determined to…
