reopening

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s reopening divided into 4 phases

    Thailand’s reopening divided into 4 phases

    Thailand is looking toward the future as the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced yesterday its plan to gradually reopen the country. The CCSA’s plan consists of 4 phases that take into consideration tourism revenue, geography, and Covid preventive measures. Pilot phase: October 1 to October 31. Phuket, Surat Thani, including Koh Samui, Koh Pha-ngan and Koh Tao islands. Phang…

  • Thailand NewsCCSA approves reopening delay, state of emergency extension

    CCSA approves reopening delay, state of emergency extension

    The state of emergency in Thailand has been extended and the reopening of the country postpone following approval by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The CCSA subcommittee met yesterday to approve the extension proposal and discuss reopening. Chairman of the subcommittee National Security Council Secretary-General Natthapon Nakpanich approved the proposal that keeps Thailand in a state of emergency and…

  • Pattaya NewsReopening Pattaya: Will it happen next week or not?

    Reopening Pattaya: Will it happen next week or not?

    Depending on which government officials you are listening to and what statement they make on which day, it would be easy to believe that Thailand’s reopening is continuing on October 1, or October 15, or possibly November 1. And Pattaya is perhaps reopening in just over a week or perhaps delaying for weeks or months. So where does the reopening…

  • Thailand News5 provinces may delay reopening until November, Chiang Mai cautious

    5 provinces may delay reopening until November, Chiang Mai cautious

    Despite some local leaders pushing hard and claiming readiness to reopen on October 1, several or all of the 5 provinces scheduled to reopen may be delayed until November 1, with Chiang Mai especially cautious about reopening. The deputy director for communications and marketing at the Tourism Authority of Thailand pointed out that the reopening plan can only go ahead in provinces…

  • Thailand NewsNo “October reopening” plan has been approved – CCSA

    No “October reopening” plan has been approved – CCSA

    While there have been numerous reports on the proposed October 1 reopening date for 5 provinces, many quoting the tourism minister, a spokesperson for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says nothing has been approved. No date on the potential reopening was announced. Natapanu Nopakun, who gives the CCSA report in English, says the current measures for a 14-day quarantine…

  • Thailand NewsPublic Health Ministry defends October 1 reopening

    Public Health Ministry defends October 1 reopening

    It’s been nearly an hour since The Thaiger has published an article on the potential/definite/impossible reopening of Thailand and it’s various provinces, so it’s time for an update. The Public Health Ministry has responded to criticism that the reopening of Bangkok and 4 other provinces on October 1 is premature and ill-advised. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul responded to charges…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok Governor: NO reopening October 15 despite PM plans

    Bangkok Governor: NO reopening October 15 despite PM plans

    As any well-informed reader of the news in Thailand knows, Bangkok will definitely be reopening on October 1. Also, it won’t be. It will be pushed back 2 weeks to October 15, the definitive date of Bangkok’s reopening for sure. Or… not. The Governor of Bangkok avowed today that despite the national government’s ever-changing and lofty plans, Bangkok will NOT…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya reopening likely to snub nightlife, favor other attractions

    Pattaya reopening likely to snub nightlife, favor other attractions

    While Pattaya and indeed the rest of Thailand are struggling to figure out when and how they will really be able to reopen for international tourism, it looks likely that when Pattaya does reopen the entertainment and nightlife the city is famous for may not be open. As reopening comes into sight welcoming back international travellers that would be free…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok, Pattaya, and other destinations still planned to reopen in October

    Bangkok, Pattaya, and other destinations still planned to reopen in October

    Despite Bangkok still classified as a “dark red” zone, and the Covid-19 epicentre with thousands of new infections reported each day, the capital is one of the eight tourist destinations planned to reopen to travellers on October 1. A report from Nation Thailand says the Public Health Ministry has launched preparations for the reopening. Other reopening schemes planned to start…

  • World NewsLangkawi plans reopening amid high vaccination, Covid-19

    Langkawi plans reopening amid high vaccination, Covid-19

    Taking a cue from the Phuket Sandbox, Malaysia is launching a plan to reopen the tropical resort island of Langkawi in a similar fashion. The plan calls for a travel bubble to begin on September 16 in an effort to begin to restart the economy for Langkawi island which relies so heavily on tourism revenue and has been damaged so…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Fishing Port to reopen tomorrow

    Phuket Fishing Port to reopen tomorrow

    The Phuket Fishing Port on Koh Siray will reopen tomorrow. Officials performed a mass cleaning of the port yesterday ahead of the reopening. The port had been closed for 2 weeks after a Covid outbreak from fisherman who had come ashore following a period of weather that rendered them unable to catch fish. Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew scrutinised the cleaning…

  • Bangkok NewsParks, sports fields and other venues allowed to reopen in Bangkok

    Parks, sports fields and other venues allowed to reopen in Bangkok

    Following the decision to ease restrictions in “dark red” provinces, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration announced they were revising the provincial order to be line with the national measures set by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration and to now allow parks, sports stadiums, department stores, and other venues to reopen. In line with the order by the CCSA, restaurants, including those…

  • Thailand News140 million Covid vaccines expected this year, says Government

    140 million Covid vaccines expected this year, says Government

    Up to 140 million Covid vaccines are anticipated to arrive in Thailand this year as the nation pushes to vaccinate more residents, says a government spokesperson today. The spokesperson adds that the pandemic is showing some signs of easing. Currently, Thailand is struggling with the Delta variant which has proven more transmissible than the Alpha variant. Although Covid cases are…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Chiang Mai reopening, more protests this weekend | August 24

    Thailand News Today | Chiang Mai reopening, more protests this weekend | August 24

    The CCSA is expected to debate a plan to completely re-open the country before the end of the year, in line with the PM’s pledge last June. Chiang Mai is getting ready to launch a “Bubble and Sealed” tourism plan where visitors can travel to 4 districts. A police chief in Nakhon Sawan is being transferred following allegations that he…

  • Thailand video newsGMT | Bars disrupted, PM challenged to a fist fight, Covid numbers | August 23

    GMT | Bars disrupted, PM challenged to a fist fight, Covid numbers | August 23

    Today Jay and Tim are joined by Mike Kenner to discuss the major disruption to Thailand’s bar scene… but this time it’s technology, not Covid. MP Mongkolkit Suksintharanon has challenged PM Prayut Chon-o-cha to a bare-knuckled kickboxing match. 5 of the people arrested in a Koh Samui villa raid had previously had Covid-19. Now another 2 in the party have…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya reopening plan for September 1 unlikely to happen

    Pattaya reopening plan for September 1 unlikely to happen

    Chiang Mai, which recently reported that, due to the Covid-19 situation and slow vaccination, they will delay their planned September reopening to October at the earliest, like many tourism areas that have seen plans to welcome back international tourists dashed by the intensity of the pandemic in Thailand. Now Pattaya has also acknowledged that their plan for reopening on September…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | 32M Pfizer doses on the way, weakening Thai baht | August 13

    Thailand News Today | 32M Pfizer doses on the way, weakening Thai baht | August 13

    Thailand’s Public Health Minister says there will be 32.5 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine in the country by the end of the year. The death from Covid-19 of another fully vaccinated healthcare worker has led to increased calls for Pfizer booster shots. The weakening Thai baht, against the US dollar, is propping up the export numbers. Tourism officials in…

  • Thailand NewsThai Hotels Association urges attention for domestic tourism

    Thai Hotels Association urges attention for domestic tourism

    Doubting PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s pledge to reopen Thailand fully to international tourists by mid-October, the Thai Hotels Association is calling on the government to focus on plans to boost domestic tourism. The association says that the Thai government is laser-focused on international tourism and on achieving the reopening goal, but a backup plan is needed to encourage domestic tourism if…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya reopening postponed indefinitely as Covid-19 persists

    Pattaya reopening postponed indefinitely as Covid-19 persists

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand announced that the Pattaya reopening plan scheduled to launch on September 1 has been postponed indefinitely. With Covid-19 still ravaging the Chon Buri province, the TAT has conceded that it won’t be possible to reopen to international travellers safely in just 20 days. Hua Hin and other tourist areas received the same bad news from…

  • Pattaya News“Pattaya Move On” reopening likely to be postponed as Covid cases surge

    “Pattaya Move On” reopening likely to be postponed as Covid cases surge

    With Chon Buri ranking as one of the top provinces with the highest number of daily Covid-19 infections, the “Pattaya Move On” reopening plan will likely be delayed due to the rise in cases and slow rollout of vaccines. September was the eyed start date for the reopening plan for specified areas in Chon Buri. The project is similar to…

  • Pattaya NewsPlanning for “Pattaya Move On” reopening scheme continues

    Planning for “Pattaya Move On” reopening scheme continues

    Despite the high Covid-19 infection rate in Chon Buri, planning for the “Pattaya Move On” reopening programme will continue. With the ongoing spread of the virus and the emergence of the highly transmissible Delta variant, infecting more than 500,000 people in Thailand over the past several months, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has been considering whether to postpone the reopening…

  • Phuket News“Sandboxers” can travel to specified islands and beaches after 7 days in Phuket

    “Sandboxers” can travel to specified islands and beaches after 7 days in Phuket

    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 rule goes into effect on August 1. The islands include Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao, which are off the coast of Surat Thani in the Gulf of Thailand. The trio…

  • World NewsThe Singapore Covid experiment – is there a path to the new normal?

    The Singapore Covid experiment – is there a path to the new normal?

    “Singapore’s reopening would be gradual, package by package, nothing big bang. Each step of the way, make sure we keep populations safe.” Singapore, with its 5.7 million residents, is looking to a longer term blueprint to manage Covid. Whilst some countries are still committee to containing and controlling the virus, some Singaporean ministers are imagining a future where Covid is…

  • Thailand NewsNo foreign tourists to arrive tomorrow, the first day of “Samui Plus” reopening

    No foreign tourists to arrive tomorrow, the first day of “Samui Plus” reopening

    No tourists will arrive in Koh Samui tomorrow, the first day of the island’s reopening under the “Samui Plus” travel scheme, similar to the “Phuket Sandbox.” Only 4 foreign tourists are expected on Friday. Tourism officials say it will be a slow start and they expect that an influx of travellers to the trio of islands in the Gulf of…

  • Thailand News6 “Phuket Sandbox” travellers have tested positive for Covid-19 since July 1 reopening

    6 “Phuket Sandbox” travellers have tested positive for Covid-19 since July 1 reopening

    So far, 6 people who entered Phuket under the “Sandbox” reopening scheme have tested positive for Covid-19. Those in close contact need to quarantine for 14 days. The reopening scheme allows travellers who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, as well as their children, to enter the island province without undergoing quarantine. Nearly 4,000 tourists entered Phuket from July 1…

  • Phuket News2,500+ in Phuket Sandbox, flight and hotel numbers increasing

    2,500+ in Phuket Sandbox, flight and hotel numbers increasing

    Despite the first international Covid-19 case of the Phuket Sandbox and the subsequently quarantined passengers requesting to leave Thailand, increasing numbers of international travellers continue to arrive each day in the reopening scheme. Yesterday 125 more travellers arrived on flights from Singapore Airlines and Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi, with 11 more flights scheduled for the next 2 days. That…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya looks into September reopening despite uptick in Covid-19 infections

    Pattaya looks into September reopening despite uptick in Covid-19 infections

    Despite the uptick in Covid-19 infections, Pattaya is planned to reopen to foreign arrivals, possibly in September, under a scheme similar to Phuket and the trio of islands off Surat Thani, where tourists who are vaccinated against Covid-19 can enter without undergoing a 14-day quarantine. Yesterday, Pattaya City Mayor Sonthaya Khunplume met with the deputy mayors and those in the…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Sandbox over 2000 arrivals; 1 Covid-19 infection

    Phuket Sandbox over 2000 arrivals; 1 Covid-19 infection

    On day 7 of the Phuket Sandbox, international arrivals have surpassed 2,000 people, the first Covid-19 infection from abroad has been found, and a few hiccups have been addressed. Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew says the reopening is definitely benefiting the economy, but plenty of improvements are to be made. Government officials have been pleased to announce that with their strict…

  • Tourism NewsMeet the Sellers: First arrival in the Phuket Sandbox

    Meet the Sellers: First arrival in the Phuket Sandbox

    Darren and Supattra Sellers may not have been part of the Siamese revolution that changed Thailand to a constitutional monarchy, or the coup that overthrew the government 7 years ago, but they will forever be a part of Thailand’s modern history now. You see, the Sellers and their 2 children were the first family off of Etihad flight 430 on…

  • Covid-19 NewsSouth Korea launches Sandboxesque reopening

    South Korea launches Sandboxesque reopening

    Vaccinated travellers can avoid 14-day quarantines as long as they have proof of World Health Organisation-approved vaccination, a negative Covid-19 test, are not travelling from a high-risk country, and get advance approval before travelling. Wait, wait! Before you click away, this isn’t yet another Phuket Sandbox story; this is the strikingly similar reopening plan enacted by South Korea that also…