Samui

  • Thailand video newsThailand Elite Card Scandal and Controversy | GMT

    Thailand Elite Card Scandal and Controversy | GMT

    In today’s episode, Thailand Elite Card Scandal and Controversy, Rolling Loud Thailand 2023 is coming to Songkran Festival in Pattaya, Koh Samui booms as over 200,000 tourists visit the popular island in January, Bangkok public bus condemned by Singaporean tourist, and Chinese tourists wrongly fined 60,000 baht for carrying vapes, says law expert.

  • GuidesTop 10 scams in Thailand

    Top 10 scams in Thailand

    Any hot tourist spot around the world is going to attract the ‘wrong sort of’ people, sometimes greedy locals, who will be specialists at extracting dollars from tourists’ pockets. In Thailand, the main difference is that they will usually do it with a smile. There are indeed scams awaiting tourists who come to Thailand and you are best served by…

  • Thailand video newsWelcome to Thailand’s Endemic Sandbox | GMT

    Welcome to Thailand’s Endemic Sandbox | GMT

    The Bikini Beach Race to take place in Pattaya this October. An endemic Sandbox has been proposed where nightspots and entertainment would re-open. Thailand is open for business as per the PM. All this and more on todays Good Morning Thailand.

  • TravelTop 5 Best places to golf in Thailand 2022

    Top 5 Best places to golf in Thailand 2022

    If you’re living in Thailand or are planning a trip here, you should not miss out on experiencing these golf courses. The beautiful golf courses provide seasoned golfers with challenges and also give beginner golfers memorable experiences. Here are the top five golf courses you should try when you’re in Thailand. Disclaimer: The prices are subject to change. We recommend readers to check the official website…

  • Koh Samui NewsCentral Festival Samui opens Covid test centre for Test & Go, Sandbox tourists

    Central Festival Samui opens Covid test centre for Test & Go, Sandbox tourists

    A Covid-19 testing centre has opened on Koh Samui to travellers entering under either the Sandbox or Test & Go travel schemes. Koh Samui Hospital and Bangkok Hospital Samui have teamed up with Central Festival Samui to open the “Samui Swab Centre” to offer convenient Covid-19 RT-PCT tests for tourists who are required to take two tests after entering Thailand.…

  • Thailand NewsInfected inmate escapee from Koh Samui Hospital surrenders, says he got hungry

    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…

  • Koh Samui NewsSamui businesses call for Test & Go to be reinstated and to be included in sandbox

    Samui businesses call for Test & Go to be reinstated and to be included in sandbox

    Tourism operators on Koh Samui are urging the government to reconsider the suspension of the Test & Go entry scheme. Operators are also asking for a sandbox programme for Samui, demanding to know why this is currently limited to Phuket only. According to a Pattaya News report, operators have cited multiple cancellations of hotel bookings from foreign tourists who had…

  • Koh Samui NewsKoh Samui tourism officials, businesses call on government to open Sandbox registration

    Koh Samui tourism officials, businesses call on government to open Sandbox registration

    The Phuket Sandbox is now the only quarantine substitution programme open for registration, but those on the Gulf of Thailand island Koh Samui are calling on the government to allow the Samui Sandbox scheme to continue as usual. Since the government’s announcement yesterday on closing registration for the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme and the Sandbox scheme, with the…

  • Thailand NewsKoh Samui agent gives honest property review by standing in waist-deep floodwater

    Koh Samui agent gives honest property review by standing in waist-deep floodwater

    For those looking into buying land in Thailand, the potential for flooding is one of the first concerns that comes up. One property agent on Koh Samui is being honest about the rising water levels… So honest that he decided to shoot a video of himself holding up the land title deed while waist-deep murky floodwater. The 45 year old…

  • SponsoredThe Benefits of Having Comprehensive Car Insurance

    The Benefits of Having Comprehensive Car Insurance

    The Thaiger presents the following deal on car insurance. Comprehensive car insurance has a number of benefits, the most important of which is that it protects you financially. If you don’t have insurance, you’ll have to pay for the losses yourself and deal with the aftermath on your own. If you’ve ever been in an accident, you’ll know how time-consuming…

  • Thailand video newsTourist areas struggle, Thai Air Asia in trouble | Good Morning Thailand LIVE | Ep.135

    Tourist areas struggle, Thai Air Asia in trouble | Good Morning Thailand LIVE | Ep.135

    In today’s episode Jay, Tim and Natty talk about how Tourism has struggled and look at the different parts of Thailand, Air Asia’s struggle and cost cutting, China’s impact on Thai tourism and the upcoming changes to Thaiger Youtube.

  • Thailand Weather UpdatesFlooding rains hamper Koh Samui for 2 days

    Flooding rains hamper Koh Samui for 2 days

    The rain has stopped in Koh Samui… For a few minutes. On the island, there has been at least a drizzle nonstop for the past 2 days, with fits of torrential downpour pelting anyone who braves the weather.A popular Facebook group, Thunder Road Reporters, is a community group that members snap photos and post live updates of road conditions they…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | November 1 Thai tourism restarts, Samui removes quarantine, digital hub | Oct 12

    Thailand News Today | November 1 Thai tourism restarts, Samui removes quarantine, digital hub | Oct 12

    November 1 is the D-day for fully vaccinated tourists from at least 10 “low-risk” countries to be able to travel to Thailand without quarantine. And Thailand’s digital hub is about to get some more government thrown at it. A plan to impose a 500 baht “tourism tax” on foreign arrivals from next year has divided opinion among tourism operators. Tourism officials…

  • Koh Samui NewsKoh Samui to ease domestic entry restrictions

    Koh Samui to ease domestic entry restrictions

    It’s going to be a little bit easier for domestic travellers to enter Koh Samui… at least for those with the vaccine. Starting Friday, those who are fully vaccinated and arriving to the island off the Surat Thani coast domestically will not need to undergo a Covid-19 test. Koh Samui Governor announced the easing of the domestic entry requirements. The…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Australian released from death row, Samui restaurant raided | September 20

    Thailand News Today | Australian released from death row, Samui restaurant raided | September 20

    An Australian and Thai married couple, and an American man, on death row in Bangkok for trafficking crystal methamphetamine have all been released from prison. A reduction in import duty on cigars and alcohol looks to be in the works, as part of a government strategy to attract wealthy foreign residents and skilled professionals. Around 20 people, both Thai and…

  • Thailand video newsMorning Top Stories Thailand | Night curfews, Samui party arrests | September 13

    Morning Top Stories Thailand | Night curfews, Samui party arrests | September 13

    The nightly curfew for the 29 provinces classified as “dark red” zones for high Covid-19 infection rates will remain in place, at least until the end of the month. Police are warning foreigners to avoid the protests and rallies in Bangkok, as well as other areas of the country, saying that expats who join will face deportation and be blacklisted…

  • Koh Samui NewsSamui relaxes re-opening rules following low tourist demand

    Samui relaxes re-opening rules following low tourist demand

    The rules are being somewhat relaxed when it comes to the Samui Plus re-opening model, following disappointing figures. Ratchaporn Poolsawadee from the Tourism Association of Koh Samui says that from October 1, vaccinated tourists only need to spend the first night in a SHA Plus hotel, until they get the result of their PCR test. Prior to this, international tourists…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Easing Covid restrictions, curfews, Covid infections drop | September 2

    Thailand News Today | Easing Covid restrictions, curfews, Covid infections drop | September 2

    The PM has floated the idea of changing the nightly curfew in “dark red” provinces. Police in Koh Samui have arrested a Russian man on drug trafficking charges and seized illicit drugs including methamphetamine, cocaine, ketamine, and ecstasy. There has been 262 more Covid-related fatalities and 14,956 new infections recorded during the past 24 hours. The Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | 7 policemen arrested over killing of drug dealer | August 25

    Thailand News Today | 7 policemen arrested over killing of drug dealer | August 25

    Thailand’s PM has ordered a full investigation into the apparent police killing of a drug suspect in Nakhon Sawan. Flights between Phuket and Koh Samui, that had originally been cancelled until the end of August, have now resumed. A 38 year old man was killed in a fire that broke out in his home in Pathum Thani, just north of…

  • 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…

  • Thailand video newsGMT | New record infections, Pattaya ‘Move On’, drones or fireworks? | July 29

    GMT | New record infections, Pattaya ‘Move On’, drones or fireworks? | July 29

    Tim and Jay talk about new clusters around the country, idiots opening bars, the latest Samui cluster, vaccination centre crushes, the new ‘fireworks’ being used at big events, a lot of fuss about a Thai Air Asia Zoom call. And your comments from Thaiger Talk and YouTube. Thanks to our sponsors Shambhala from Boat Pattana.

  • Covid-19 NewsKoh Samui bar and club finds 16 Covid-19 infections

    Koh Samui bar and club finds 16 Covid-19 infections

    The Thaiger recently reported that some bars and clubs in Koh Samui continue to operate seemingly indifferent to Covid-19 restrictions in place without any masks or social distancing and during periods that nightlife was shut down nationally. Now the freedom from regulation on the island has come back to bite as 16 Covid-19 infections were found traced to one of…

  • Tourism NewsHotels hope for increase in foreign tourists to offset slump in domestic demand

    Hotels hope for increase in foreign tourists to offset slump in domestic demand

    Hotels in Thailand’s normally busy tourist hotspots are hoping that a further re-opening to foreign travellers will offset the drop in domestic demand. The Bangkok Post reports that travel curbs have decimated domestic tourism in places like Phuket, Krabi, and Phang Nga. Kongsak Khoopongsakorn from the Thai Hotels Association says the Phuket sandbox scheme welcomed around 10,000 tourists in its…

  • Koh Samui NewsSlow start for “Samui Plus” reopening, only 33 seats booked for this month

    Slow start for “Samui Plus” reopening, only 33 seats booked for this month

    While the “Samui Plus” reopening plan is set to start tomorrow, it might be more of a “soft” reopening. Only 33 airline seats are booked for this month and tourism officials say it will be a few months before the islands see an influx of international arrivals. Similar to the “Phuket Sandbox,” the scheme allows the trio of islands in…

  • Tourism NewsBangkok Airways revises Koh Samui flights ahead of reopening

    Bangkok Airways revises Koh Samui flights ahead of reopening

    To prepare for the Samui+ reopening programme launching July 15, Bangkok Airways is revising its schedule to operate 3 inbound flights and 3 outbound flights daily between Koh Samui and Bangkok. The new schedule, released today and promoted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand in a press release this afternoon, will feature a morning, afternoon, and evening flight option beginning…

  • Thailand video newsGood Morning Thailand | All about Samui, Covid update. Live from Cafe Waya

    Good Morning Thailand | All about Samui, Covid update. Live from Cafe Waya

    Today Tim and Able talk with James McManaman about Samui Plus, (Samui sandbox). The daily covid update. Welcome to the final day of our week long LIVE program @ Cafe Waya in Boat Avenue Cherng Talay, Phuket. Drop in and say hello! To follow Able, please visit her page @emceeable and @findyourvoiceasia on Facebook, instagram and Linkedin.

  • Tourism NewsEntry registration under “Samui Plus” reopening planned to open this week

    Entry registration under “Samui Plus” reopening planned to open this week

    The registration for entering Thailand under the slated “Samui Plus” reopening scheme is planned to open this week. Similar to the Phuket “Sandbox,” the programme will allow foreign tourists who are vaccinated against Covid-19 to travel to the trio of islands in the Gulf of Thailand off the Surat Thani coast. Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan, and Koh Tao are…

  • Thailand video newsGood Morning Thailand | Samui quiet/flights/reopening, Thailand’s botched vaccine roll out

    Good Morning Thailand | Samui quiet/flights/reopening, Thailand’s botched vaccine roll out

    GMT heads off to Samui today to get the latest ‘on the ground’ reports on the suffering of businesses and possible reopening for the island. We also discuss the botched vaccine roll-out in Thailand… that’s not our words but the words of a number of Thai officials in leading rolls in the Thai health system. As usual we discuss your…

  • Koh Samui NewsSamui tourism official calls for inter-provincial travel ban to flatten the curve prior to July re-opening

    Samui tourism official calls for inter-provincial travel ban to flatten the curve prior to July re-opening

    The president of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui says the island is still pinning its hopes on a July 1 re-opening for vaccinated foreign tourists. Ratchaporn Poolsawadee remains optimistic, despite Thailand now battling a third wave of Covid-19, with Samui reporting 50 infections. He says vaccines are being rolled out out on Samui, although a number of doses have…

  • Covid-19 NewsFriday’s Covid-19 cases, province by province

    Friday’s Covid-19 cases, province by province

    Today’s provincial totals, as reported in the past 24 hours. Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri (including Pattaya) and Prachuap Khiri Khan and Samut Prakan lead the way. Other prominent locations include Phuket with 30 new cases, Surat Thani, which includes the 3 Gulf islands of Samui, Pha Ngan and Tao, with 11, and Chiang Rai with 77. Infographic from NBT…