Phuket

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Sandbox order revises rules to cancel or modify

    Phuket Sandbox order revises rules to cancel or modify

    A new updated Phuket Provincial Order revises the international reopening scheme to include the new Sandbox 7+7 program but also slips in a revision to the parameters for cancellation or modification of the Phuket Sandbox. The order issued yesterday mostly revises the rules to include conditions for travelling to other destinations in Thailand after the first 7 days in Phuket.…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket government warn businesses against price gouging

    Phuket government warn businesses against price gouging

    The Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong has reinforced the warning for vendors in Phuket to avoid price gouging or overcharging customers. He requested officials in Phuket to be vigilant in checking stores and vendors to make sure their pricing is reasonable and not artificially inflated. With the economic pummeling Thailand, and Phuket in particular, have taken with the loss of international…

  • Bangkok NewsFlights from Phuket to Bangkok to resume for sandbox tourists next month

    Flights from Phuket to Bangkok to resume for sandbox tourists next month

    Domestic flights from Phuket to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports are set to resume next month, according to the Transport Ministry. The Bangkok Post reports that the flights are being given the green light to facilitate the travel needs of tourists in Phuket as part of the island’s sandbox re-opening scheme. On July 21, the Civil Aviation Authority of…

  • Best ofList of SHA+ Restaurants in Phuket

    List of SHA+ Restaurants in Phuket

    Welcome to our guide on the top SHA+certified restaurants in Phuket, Thailand! As travelling becomes safer, the Safe and Healthy Administration (SHA) has set strict safety rules to make sure eating out is both enjoyable and healthy. In this list, we have included the best dining spots in Phuket that follow these rules, so you can have a great experience…

  • Phuket NewsHappy Paradise plan to welcome tourists, encourage spending

    Happy Paradise plan to welcome tourists, encourage spending

    In an attempt to boost revenues and welcome more tourists to the Phuket Sandbox and beyond, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has launched a “Happy Paradise” programme. The plan aims at creating activities and excitement for Sandbox travellers and has kicked off with 1,000 Happy Paradise Welcome Kits. The program helps to invigorate not just Phuket arrivals, but also travellers…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket entry requirements updated to admit some domestic travellers

    Phuket entry requirements updated to admit some domestic travellers

    Phuket officials have amended the requirements for domestic travel to the island, allowing some categories to enter. The measures are in place until at least the end of the month. According to TTR Weekly, domestic arrivals who meet the criteria below can enter Phuket via land, sea, or air. – Anyone returning to Phuket who can produce a house registration…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Town lockdown lifted except Downtown Market, Market 2

    Phuket Town lockdown lifted except Downtown Market, Market 2

    After active Covid-19 testing revealed a reasonably low number of infections, the majority of last week’s lockdown in the centre of Phuket Town has now been lifted, aside from the market. The municipality fresh market at the heart of the lockdown will still remain closed for several more days. Several other market areas will remain shuttered for the duration of…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Millions of Vax on the way, BKK daughter jailed for 12 years | August 18

    Thailand News Today | Millions of Vax on the way, BKK daughter jailed for 12 years | August 18

    Amid growing calls for more mRNA vaccines to help combat the spread of the Delta variant in Thailand, the Thai government has again defended the Sinovac vaccine. Thailand’s massage parlours and spas are suing the government, demanding compensation for the loss of income they’ve endured as a result of the partial lockdowns and restrictions. The family of Teerawat Thothip, the…

  • Phuket NewsI Am Strong Fundraiser by The Thaiger – Report #1, Phuket

    I Am Strong Fundraiser by The Thaiger – Report #1, Phuket

    The I Am Strong campaign was a Thaiger-supported fundraiser to reach generous viewers who got behind a critical need to find funds to feed communities-under-threat. In Phuket these communities and families range from island workers who have been unemployed for an extended amount of time, to migrant workers locked up in construction camps as part of the official restrictions imposed…

  • Tourism NewsTourism operators hopeful after Phuket sandbox mandatory stay reduced to 7 days

    Tourism operators hopeful after Phuket sandbox mandatory stay reduced to 7 days

    Tourism operators in Phuket and other southern destinations are feeling more hopeful after a reduction in the minimum stay required as part of the Phuket sandbox. Yesterday, the Centre for Economic Situation Administration approved a proposal to set the minimum stay at 7 days, down from the previous 14. After this period, sandbox tourists are free to travel to other…

  • Phuket NewsCCSA approves “7+7” island hop extension to “Phuket Sandbox”

    CCSA approves “7+7” island hop extension to “Phuket Sandbox”

    The so-called “7+7” island hop extension to the “Phuket Sandbox” reopening scheme has been approved by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, allowing travellers from overseas who are vaccinated against Covid-19 to enter Phuket, stay on the island for seven days, and then travel on a sealed route to specified destinations in Surat Thani, Krabi, and Phang Nga. Under the…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Covid-19 infections break 100 for the second time

    Phuket Covid-19 infections break 100 for the second time

    The Phuket Sandbox originally planned to suspend or revise the programme if ever Covid-19 infections reached over 90 in a week, but that ideal has been abandoned as daily infections hit triple digits for the second time in a week. Local infections hit a new record today of 109, topping the August 11 record of 104 by 5 people as…

  • Tourism NewsPhuket Sandbox Express Bus to be ended August 16

    Phuket Sandbox Express Bus to be ended August 16

    On the back of the news that the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has approved airlines to schedule charter flights in and out of Phuket, officials announced that the Sandbox Express Bus set up last week to transport Phuket Sandbox travellers to their exit flights from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport will be discontinued after August 16. The bus was set up…

  • Tourism NewsCharter flights from Phuket approved by CAAT for Sandboxers

    Charter flights from Phuket approved by CAAT for Sandboxers

    A new chance for travel out of the Phuket Sandbox was just approved as the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand announced they will allow airlines to schedule charter flights between Phuket to Bangkok. The permission granted comes after Thai Smile petitioned the government to allow a flight on August 14 to assist people who travelled into the Phuket Sandbox, but…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket officials identify “risky” tourist spots following holidaymaker’s murder

    Phuket officials identify “risky” tourist spots following holidaymaker’s murder

    Following the murder of a Swiss tourist at an isolated waterfall on the island of Phuket last week, officials have been busy identifying other potential danger spots. Nation Thailand reports that the Phuket sandbox command centre has named 6 locations that could pose a risk to tourists. Provincial governor Narong Woonciew has called on local authorities to tighten security at…

  • Phuket NewsTourism officials to launch major Phuket marketing campaign overseas

    Tourism officials to launch major Phuket marketing campaign overseas

    Following the recent murder of a Swiss tourist, and the US government advising citizens to avoid travel to Thailand, Phuket’s tourism sector faces some serious challenges. The southern island re-opened to international tourists on July 1 under its sandbox scheme but now officials fear that may be in jeopardy. The Bangkok Post reports that the Tourism Authority of Thailand is…

  • Things To DoList of budget-friendly SHA plus hotels in Phuket

    List of budget-friendly SHA plus hotels in Phuket

    If you’re looking for fantastic budget friendly SHA Plus hotels in Phuket, then you’ve come to the right place! Below, we’ve compiled a list of affordable SHA Plus hotels in Phuket. Phuket is finally welcoming vaccinated international tourists with no quarantine restrictions via the Phuket Sandbox scheme. However, there’s one thing you need to keep in mind you have to…

  • Things To DoList of SHA plus hotels in Phuket

    List of SHA plus hotels in Phuket

    Staying at hotels with a SHA+ (SHA Plus) certificate is a requirement for international travellers who are entering Thailand using the Phuket Sandbox. A SHA+ certificate means that the hotel has taken measures to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus and that at least 70% of the hotel staff have been fully vaccinated. There are currently over 450 SHA+…

  • Things To DoPhuket’s 5 best honeymoon resorts

    Phuket’s 5 best honeymoon resorts

    Honeymooners can definitely enjoy their special time by staying in southern Thailand’s Phuket. Here, we have found the best hotels for couples as they truly focus on making your stay romantic and stress-free. With stunning ocean views and private rooms, those who have just taken their vows will truly enjoy the exclusivity of staying in one of these world-class resorts.…

  • Thailand NewsThailand News Today | Bangkok protests erupt, Phuket murder update | August 9

    Thailand News Today | Bangkok protests erupt, Phuket murder update | August 9

    Officials in Phuket are pulling out all stops in a bid to restore tourist confidence, following the murder of a 57 year old Swiss national last week. Following a Civil Court ruling against PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, Thai media organisations are calling on the government to abide by the court’s decision. Police have also arrested 14 other activists, who face charges…

  • Crime NewsUPDATE: Suspect in Swiss murder in Phuket is a “Thai man”

    UPDATE: Suspect in Swiss murder in Phuket is a “Thai man”

    UPDATE TO OUR PREVIOUS ARTICLE New details have just emerged in Thai media about the suspect detained today in the murder of the 57 year old Swiss traveller in Phuket found yesterday. The newly obtained information says the suspect is in fact a 27 year old Thai man, and not a 33 year old Burmese man as previously reported (in…

  • Phuket NewsUPDATE: Phuket police claim they have arrested a suspect in the murder of the Swiss Sandboxer

    UPDATE: Phuket police claim they have arrested a suspect in the murder of the Swiss Sandboxer

    UPDATE: In later reports today Thai media have variously described the suspect as a 33 year old Burmese, a 27 year old Thai and, with Thai PBS, not sure… but police will make a statement in a media conference later. “Police say there will be a press conference tomorrow about the murder of the Swiss tourist. They insist the suspect…

  • Phuket NewsPM calls for expedited probe into “Sandbox” traveller’s death; victim’s timeline released

    PM calls for expedited probe into “Sandbox” traveller’s death; victim’s timeline released

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered authorities to expedite the investigation into the case of the Swiss government official who was found dead, possibly raped and murdered, in a creek in Phuket after entering Thailand under the island’s new “Sandbox” reopening scheme. Thailand’s national police chief Suwat Jangyodsuk has flown down to Phuket and is now investigating the case along with detectives…

  • Phuket NewsBody of Swiss national in Phuket identified as foreign government official

    Body of Swiss national in Phuket identified as foreign government official

    Officers have announced the identity of the Swiss national who was found dead in a Phuket creek as 57 year old Nicole Sauvain Weisskopf, a woman who entered Thailand last month under the new “Sandbox” reopening scheme. According to the Bangkok Post, Nicole is the assistant protocol chief of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland. Another report in Thai media says…

  • Phuket NewsTAT touts the Phuket Sandbox first month July successes

    TAT touts the Phuket Sandbox first month July successes

    The official numbers are out and the Tourism Authority of Thailand has touted success in the Phuket Sandbox plan’s first month, with over 14,000 international travellers arriving and a reported 829 million baht of revenue generated in July. Between the reopening date July 1 and the end of the month July 31, 14,055 travellers arrived, and the 829 million baht…

  • Things To DoPhuket’s 5 most stunning villas for rent

    Phuket’s 5 most stunning villas for rent

    Visiting Phuket is a great choice for those wanting a bit of socialising and relaxing in a tropical setting. Thus, the scenes are amazing and the people are from all over the world. Moreover, travellers can find upscale shopping malls to plenty of beach activities, and consistently choose the area as first on their list of places to see. Additionally,…

  • Crime NewsPhuket police arrest 2 men and seize more than 160,000 methamphetamine pills

    Phuket police arrest 2 men and seize more than 160,000 methamphetamine pills

    Police in Phuket arrested two men on drug charges and seized more than 160,000 methamphetamine pills. Officers from the Tha Chatchai station searched a two-storey home in Mai Khao and found thousands of methamphetamine tablets, known by the Thai street name “ya ba,” which translates to “crazy drug.” Officers say they found 60 orange pills which were branded with the…

  • Thailand NewsWednesday Covid Update: Record high of 20,200 new cases and 188 deaths

    Wednesday Covid Update: Record high of 20,200 new cases and 188 deaths

    A record high of 20,200 new Covid-19 cases and another high of 188 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Thailand now has 211,076 active Covid-19 cases. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has recorded 643,522 Covid-19 cases. In 24 hours, the CCSA says 17,975 Covid-19 patients were…

  • Things To Do5 most family-friendly resorts in Phuket

    5 most family-friendly resorts in Phuket

    If you’re looking for a family-friendly destination that caters to every age group, Phuket is the perfect getaway spot. From beaches and water sports to amusement parks and cultural excursions, there is no shortage of activities for families to enjoy. And, to make your stay even more enjoyable, Phuket offers a range of family-friendly resorts that are sure to provide…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket bans alcohol sales at restaurants, issues order amid rise of Covid cases

    Phuket bans alcohol sales at restaurants, issues order amid rise of Covid cases

    The ban on alcohol sales and consumption at restaurants has been reimposed in Phuket and will be in place until at least August 16. Certain “social activities,” like parties at public places, are also now prohibited for the next two weeks. The order, Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew yesterday, could be extended longer if the Covid-19 situation does not improve. Phuket…