Thai tourism

  • Tourism NewsAirbnb bookings rise by 13% as domestic travel restrictions in Thailand eased

    Airbnb bookings rise by 13% as domestic travel restrictions in Thailand eased

    Airbnb Thailand has reported a 13% increase in domestic bookings year-on-year, as travel restrictions across the country are lifted and Thais and expats begin to move around more. Domestic holiday markets in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea are also reporting similar increases. Airbnb says that between June 5-7 and for the first time since February, the company recorded…

  • Tourism NewsGovernment to introduce financial incentives to boost domestic tourism

    Government to introduce financial incentives to boost domestic tourism

    The Thai government is set to introduce some financial sweeteners to stimulate domestic tourism – essentially paying its citizens to holiday in their own country. A report in Bangkok Biz News, says that from July, Thai nationals will receive a discount of between 40-50% on hotel accommodation within the Kingdom. The scheme, aimed at a domestic kick-start to the country’s…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai billionaire urges government to allow tourists to return

    Thai billionaire urges government to allow tourists to return

    The senior chairman of Thailand’s largest food and agriculture business, Charoen Pokphand Group (CP All), is appealing to the Thai government to open up the country to overseas visitors once more. The Bangkok Post reports that billionaire Dhanin Chearavanont says Thailand needs to start easing travel restrictions in a bid to restart the tourism industry. “Thailand’s economic losses from the lockdown…

  • Covid-19 NewsSouth Korea asks Thailand to remove it from list of “high risk” countries

    South Korea asks Thailand to remove it from list of “high risk” countries

    South Korea is asking to be removed from Thailand’s list of “high-risk” countries. The list was drawn up in early March, when South Korea was second only to China for Covid-19 case numbers. It now ranks 40th, and is considered one of the countries most successful at managing the outbreak. To date, none of the 7,000 Thai citizens, who have…

  • Covid-19 NewsFlights won’t return to ‘normal’ before October 2021 – Airports of Thailand

    Flights won’t return to ‘normal’ before October 2021 – Airports of Thailand

    “Recovery of international routes will depend on how quickly a vaccine or antiviral drugs can be made available.” The president of Airports of Thailand, Nitinai Sirismatthakarn, says air travel should be back to pre-Covid19 levels by October 2021. Yes, 18 months away. But for the rest of this year, the Thai aviation sector is expecting a significant drop in flights…

  • NewsTAT opens 100 baht tourism scheme

    TAT opens 100 baht tourism scheme

    TAT’s ambitious ‘฿100 Travel Around’ scheme opened yesterday. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has opened registration for its “100 Baht Travel Around” campaign. According to the TAT website, the project is to promote domestic tourism by providing 100 baht packages for domestic tours and rooms. Registration will only be open on the four “catchy dates” of 11-11 (November 11),…

  • TravelStudy shows Phuket has highest number of tourists per square mile

    Study shows Phuket has highest number of tourists per square mile

    PHOTO: Bao Menglong (Unsplash.com) A study published by Travel Daily News reveals that Phuket has the highest number of tourists per square mile, with 5,090. The research was carried out by Columbus Direct, who examined visitor numbers in the world’s most popular places. With over 9 million visitors a year, Thailand’s largest island has ten times more tourists per square…

  • World NewsThailand’s Justice Minister to re-open Japanese tourist murder case

    Thailand’s Justice Minister to re-open Japanese tourist murder case

    PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times Somsak Thepsutin, Thailand’s Justice Minister, says a 12 year old unsolved murder case will be re-opened. In 2007, Tomoko Kawashita, a 25 year old Japanese tourist, was found in Wat Saphan Hin National Park in Sukothai, central Thailand, with her throat slit and evidence that she had been raped. No match was ever found for the…

  • Tourism NewsObligatory travel insurance for visitors to Thailand? Don’t worry about it for now, says government

    Obligatory travel insurance for visitors to Thailand? Don’t worry about it for now, says government

    Chote Trachu, representing the Thai Ministry for Tourism and Sports, says tourists visiting Thailand don’t have to worry about the mandatory requirement for travel insurance at this time. Thailand’s tourism industry is currently experiencing some challenges, explains the Ministry’s spokesperson, and for this reason, the requirement for all visitors to have travel insurance is being postponed until 2020 – or…

  • Tourism NewsThailand Finance Minister confident of success with “cash for tourists” incentive

    Thailand Finance Minister confident of success with “cash for tourists” incentive

    PHOTO: ThaiVisa.com With 32,000 businesses having already signed up to the government’s “Eat, Shop, Use” tourism-stimulus campaign, the Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana says he’s confident it will be a success, and that thousands more will sign up before the deadline of September 20. Retailers, restaurateurs and service agencies can sign up to the campaign through the Thung Ngern Pracharat mobile…

  • Economy NewsStrong baht poses a tough challenge for Thailand

    Strong baht poses a tough challenge for Thailand

    PHOTO: Dreamstime.com Thailand’s currency is currently giving it a major economic headache, according to a Bloomberg report shared by ThaiVisa this morning. The Thai baht has been the best performer globally against the US dollar for over 5 years now, but that strength has caused growth estimates to be cut for an economy relying on trade and tourism. The ongoing…

  • Environment NewsMaya Bay: saving the most famous beach in Thailand

    Maya Bay: saving the most famous beach in Thailand

    PHOTO: Sarah Buthmann For years, Maya Bay on the island of Koh Phi Phi Leh in Krabi province, has been overrun with visitors. Every day, thousands of tourists competed for space on Thailand’s most famous beach. Having been made famous by the 2000 Leonardo di Caprio movie, The Beach, tourists arrived by the boatload every hour, every day of the…

  • Tourism NewsThai Tourism Minister pushes ahead with visa-free entry for Indian, Chinese visitors

    Thai Tourism Minister pushes ahead with visa-free entry for Indian, Chinese visitors

    PHOTO: ThaiVisa Despite criticism from both the Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai and Deputy Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, the Tourism and Sports Minister says he will push on with plans for visa-free entry for Chinese and Indian tourists. Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn plans to put the proposal to Cabinet on August 20, despite the national security concerns of both ministers. “I…