passengers

  • Tourism NewsTest and Go report card and arrivals – First 10 days of February

    Test and Go report card and arrivals – First 10 days of February

    The CCSA has had their first report card for Thailand’s Covid situation following the reopening of the Test & Go program on February 1. After a doubling of daily infections over the past 2 weeks, there were fears that the CCSA may tighten restrictions. But, in the end, nothing was changed at the bi-weekly meeting. Even the provincial zonings remain…

  • Tourism NewsFirst 10 days of February arrival figures for Thailand – Test & Go V2 “sluggish”

    First 10 days of February arrival figures for Thailand – Test & Go V2 “sluggish”

    So who is travelling to Thailand at the moment, and how many are coming through the turnstiles? For the first 10 days of February, there was a total of 55,823 travellers entering Thailand. 23,036 travellers entered on the Test and Go program, another 27,667 through the Sandbox scheme and 5,120 arrived to do the Alternative Quarantine program at a qualified…

  • Tourism NewsChinese New Year uptick in BKK arrivals, but mostly domestic

    Chinese New Year uptick in BKK arrivals, but mostly domestic

    More than 450,000 travellers will going through the turnstiles at Bangkok’s main airport Suvarnabhumi between January 26 and February 7, including the annual Chinese New Year celebrations. But they’re not all from overseas, indeed the majority, some 349,000 travellers, are domestic. The airport’s GM reports that 115,931 international travellers will be travelling through BKK during the 14 day period. That’s…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Sandbox tweak, ‘filthy rich’ visa, Chon Buri restrictions | July 23

    Thailand News Today | Sandbox tweak, ‘filthy rich’ visa, Chon Buri restrictions | July 23

    A new rule for the “Phuket Sandbox” was passed allowing visitors under the reopening scheme to travel to specified islands after spending 7 days in Phuket. The governor of Chon Buri has added new restrictions and closures as Covid infections swell in the province and around Thailand. The CESA is pushing departments to settle on a proposed 17% personal income…

  • Covid-19 NewsBangkok car riders must wear face masks if 2 or more people in car

    Bangkok car riders must wear face masks if 2 or more people in car

    Bangkok car riders now must wear a face mask if more than 2 people are in the car. The City Hall made the announcement yesterday, as part of the measures by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration aimed at stopping the spread of Covid-19. Family members in the same car aren’t being excluded from the rule. Questions on social media have signaled…

  • Visa InformationThailand threw a tourism party. No one arrived.

    Thailand threw a tourism party. No one arrived.

    OPINION The Thai Government, flushed with the success of their containment of Covid-19, decided to market the Land of Smiles to the world as the safe place to travel. With the annual wet season starting to weaken the tourists would flock back to the S E Asian country that had such remarkable success containing, then almost eradicating, itself of the…

  • Thailand NewsThai VietJet offers passengers change of flights during Covid outbreak

    Thai VietJet offers passengers change of flights during Covid outbreak

    Thai VietJet, along with all the other Thai domestic airlines, is being impacted by a drop in traffic during the current list of restrictions during the latest Covid-19 outbreak in Thailand. According to Thai Residents, “for passengers who booked tickets and made payments before January 1, 2021 with travel date between January 5 – 3, 2021, can change their travel…

  • Tourism NewsThe world aviation industry suffers Annus Horribilis | VIDEO

    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…

  • Transport NewsBoeing’s 737 MAX takes its next step to re-enter commercial service

    Boeing’s 737 MAX takes its next step to re-enter commercial service

    The US Federal Aviation Administration has approved the next step for the beleaguered Boeing 737 MAX to resume commercial flights after a 20 month grounding. But the factors that partly contributed to the plane’s grounding have not been addressed leaving the plane reliant on software to control its flying characteristics. The plane, a fourth generation makeover of 50 year old…

  • Covid-19 NewsForeigners who test positive for C19 in Thailand won’t be able to use the public health system

    Foreigners who test positive for C19 in Thailand won’t be able to use the public health system

    The battle to reopen Thailand’s borders is shaping up as a 3-way PR fight between economic hawks who are eager to re-open to reboot the country’s tourism industry, a government and medical officials resting on their laurels after containing the virus, and a risk-averse population who, survey after survey, indicate they are keen to keep the borders closed. In another…

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

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

    If you were a traveller, trying to get accurate information about how and when you could return to Thailand, you’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 travellers…

  • Visa InformationSpecial Tourist Visa – now officials want you to ‘quarantine’ in your home country before coming to Thailand

    Special Tourist Visa – now officials want you to ‘quarantine’ in your home country before coming to Thailand

    On one hand the Thai government unveils its big ‘plan’ for a Special Tourist Visa, allowing minimum stays of 90 days, extendable to 270 days (almost 9 months). On the other hand they have put up a list of restrictions that, at best, will severely restrict any return to ‘normal’ tourism in the country. Apart from the local 14 day…

  • Bangkok NewsPanicked passengers flee Bangkok bus – VIDEO

    Panicked passengers flee Bangkok bus – VIDEO

    Panicked passengers of a Bangkok bus could be seen fleeing yesterday after the bus driver careened across the road in a race with a rival driver on the same route to get more fares. A video on social media showed a privately run bus on Route 1 dangerously tailgating and trying to pass another bus serving the same route. The…

  • Northern Thailand News1 injured as Udon Thani bus slips of wet road

    1 injured as Udon Thani bus slips of wet road

    A bus in Isaan’s Udon Thani province slipped off the road and onto is side in heavy rain last night, seriously injuring a passenger. All 19 passengers, some with minor injuries, and the driver were safely rescued, and no deaths were reported. The injured passenger was sent to hospital. Police and rescue staff were alerted to the incident, on Mittraphap…

  • Covid-19 NewsTransit passengers must have health certificate before buying ticket: CAAC

    Transit passengers must have health certificate before buying ticket: CAAC

    The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has ordered the implementation of new regulations for any international flights entering Thailand – All passengers must have a medical certificate showing that they are free of Covid-19 before booking their ticket. The move follows China’s decision to temporarily ban Thai Lion Air from flying the Bangkok-Guangzhou route and Thai AirAsia X from flying…

  • Chiang Mai NewsChiang Mai International Airport sees more traffic

    Chiang Mai International Airport sees more traffic

    Northern Thailand’s gateway airport is recovering some of its flight and passenger traffic. With the easing of travel restrictions enforced to fight the spread of Covid-19, the director of Chiang Mai’s international airport says traffic is picking up, and more flights and passengers are expected this month. On average, the airport received 40 flights and about 4,000-5,000 passengers per day…

  • Covid-19 NewsPassenger numbers at Don Mueang airport plummet over long weekend

    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…

  • World NewsAirAsia will resume some flights beginning April 29

    AirAsia will resume some flights beginning April 29

    With a dozen or more airlines, including national flag carrier Thai Airways suspending flights or completely grounding their fleets due to the Covid-19 crisis, there is a ray of sunshine. AirAsia is set to resume domestic flights, starting with the home base in Malaysia on April 29, followed by Thailand and the Philippines on May 1, India on May 4…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand’s flight arrival ban extended to April 30

    Thailand’s flight arrival ban extended to April 30

    Thailand’s nationwide ban on inbound flights was yesterday extended to at leastApril 30 by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, to help control the spread of Covid-19. CAAT’s director-general announced the extension on the agency’s webpage this morning. It is the third extension of the ban, which was first imposed back on April 3. He cited the need to maintain…

  • Covid-19 NewsAoT, already struggling, deny investing in faltering Thai Airways

    AoT, already struggling, deny investing in faltering Thai Airways

    “We’ve got enough problems of our own.” Airports of Thailand is denying claims that it is interested in acquiring a stake in the financially floundering flag carrier Thai Airways, saying that they too are struggling with the sharp drop in revenue after airlines and airport shutdowns related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Thai Airways, once considered one of Asia’s most luxurious…

  • Covid-19 NewsFeverish woman spits at health workers on train – VIDEO

    Feverish woman spits at health workers on train – VIDEO

    A woman with a high fever spat on health officials who tried to offer her a face mask on a train bound for the northern province of Khon Kaen. The incident immediately sparked Covid-19 coronavirus fears and panic amongst the train’s other passengers. The 53 year old woman, whose name was withheld, boarded the train on the Kaeng Khoi-Khon Kaen route…

  • Covid-19 NewsArriving flights banned until the end of Monday – CAAT

    Arriving flights banned until the end of Monday – CAAT

    Thailand’s CAAT is stopping all passenger flights from arriving in Thailand from this morning (Saturday) until the end of Monday. The country’s Civil Aviation Authority made the order late yesterday, throwing repatriation efforts of several countries into complete confusion. Stranded visitors, hoping to get home, now find their weekend hopes of repatriation dashed. The country’s aviation regulators say the move is…

  • Covid-19 NewsDead train passenger in Prachuap Khiri Khan had coronavirus

    Dead train passenger in Prachuap Khiri Khan had coronavirus

    A train passenger found dead yesterday in the province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, about 240 kilometres south of Bangkok, has tested positive for Covid-19 coronavirus. The 57 year old man, who was not named, was found dead in front of a restroom after his train from Bangkok to Narathiwat in the far South stopped for a rest break, according to authorities.…

  • Covid-19 News8 killed as Medevac plane crashes in Manila – VIDEO

    8 killed as Medevac plane crashes in Manila – VIDEO

    “Unfortunately, no passenger survived the accident.” A plane evacuating a Covid-19 coronavirus patient exploded during takeoff in the Philippine capital of Manila on Sunday, killing all eight passengers and crew. The victims included an American and a Canadian. The plane, owned by a Philippine-registered charter service Lionair, was bound for Japan. It burst into flames at the end of the runway…

  • Covid-19 NewsVisitors from 15 locations must show health certificates, insurance before boarding flights to Thailand

    Visitors from 15 locations must show health certificates, insurance before boarding flights to Thailand

    Clarifying earlier reports, Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAT) say that it will require air travellers, whether Thai or foreign, coming from 15 locations to show health certificates proving they are free of the Covid-19 coronavirus, and proof of insurance covering virus treatment, before boarding flights to Thailand. Earlier reports were that passengers from all locations would have to present the…

  • Economy NewsAirlines offered drop in landing fees and fuel excise at Thai airports

    Airlines offered drop in landing fees and fuel excise at Thai airports

    Airlines, international and domestic, have been hit hard with the impact on travel following the Coronavirus outbreak. Over the past month there’s been daily announcements of cancellations of flights and rescheduling to cope with border closures and daily changes in the coronavirus evolution. The Thai Cabinet yesterday approved a relief package which had been proposed by the Transport Ministry for…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand cancels visas-on-arrival and some visa exemptions for 21 countries

    Thailand cancels visas-on-arrival and some visa exemptions for 21 countries

    On top of all the changes announced in the past few days for passengers arriving in Thailand, today the government has announced an additional measure. The Thai government has now cancelled the automatic granting of the visa-on-arrival for 18 countries as well as cancelling visa exemption for three other countries in additional efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.…

  • Covid-19 NewsAll arriving passengers now required to provide additional contact info

    All arriving passengers now required to provide additional contact info

    The Department of Disease Control plans to impose compulsory measures for all inbound arrivals, including notifying personal information and contact information such as mobile phone numbers and email addresses as part of steps to control the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak. The additional arrival formalities will start tomorrow and officials say the new personal information provided by inbound passengers will stay in…

  • Tourism News2 cruise ship allowed to dock in Phuket, prompting accusations of double standard

    2 cruise ship allowed to dock in Phuket, prompting accusations of double standard

    After the Netherlands-flagged MS Westerdam cruise ship was turned away on Tuesday and later escorted to Cambodia, some 4,000 passengers and crew from two cruise ships were allowed to alight in Phuket yesterday, after being cleared of the deadly COVID-19 coronavirus. The Bahamian-flagged Seabourn Ovation anchored at Phuket’s deep-sea port yesterday, returning from Langkawi in Malaysia. The 495 vacationers and…

  • Crime NewsThai Marine chief visits Phuket, bans boat captains, two Russian children dead

    Thai Marine chief visits Phuket, bans boat captains, two Russian children dead

    “If you see any unsafe boat, unsafe pier, dangerous boat driver, please inform the Marine Department hotline 1199.” The Thai Marine Department Chief visited Phuket yesterday afternoon for a full briefing following yesterday morning’s tragic speedboat crash that killed two Russian children, a 6 and 12 year old, and injuring up to 20 passengers around 7.50am. The incident happened in…