Thailand tourism
- Thailand News
Despite Covid-19, tourism authorities still optimistic about this coming year
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is keeping its chin up, and has high hopes for tourism income this year. The TAT governor told the Bangkok Post today he hopes to target wealthy travellers, skilled professionals, and remote workers. The target age groups include millenials and retirees alike. He says the goal for tourism this year is to earn the country…
- Thailand video news
The Day of Love in the Land of Smiles I GMT
Bangkok’s Bang Khun Thian district celebrates Valentine’s Day on Monday by handing special certificates to LGBTQ+ couples recognising their relationship. Thailand to ban alcohol sales on February 16, for Makha Bucha Day. Police have identified the 2 gunmen who are being sought over the apparent gangland killing of Indian-born Jimi Sandhu. All these stories coming up on todays Good Morning…
- Phuket News
Tourism authorities will co-host fun events in Phang Na and Krabi to boost economy
In an effort to boost tourism income in Phang Na and Krabi, the Thailand Tourism Authority is helping host some new fun events. This comes after tourist areas in Thailand have been devastated by Covid-19. The first events will be two car rallies. People will drive along a route between the two cities, and stop at various sites to tour…
- Thailand News
Thailands new long term 10 year visa for wealthy foreigners & Digital nomads
Thailand is offering new long term 10 year visa for wealthy foreigners and digital nomads. What are the specifics and regulations regarding this visa? Is it going to be similar to the smart visa plan? Where do the digital nomads fit in all of this? Tim sits with Ben Hart from Integrity legal to find out more.
- Northern Thailand News
Northeastern cave forced to close for a week after tourists test positive
Nakee Cave in Nakhon Phanom, a Northeastern province, will be closed until Thursday now that seven people who visited tested positive for Covid-19. This included tourists, and tour guides. Authorities might make exceptions for tourists who already booked air tickets, or have arrived at the site, who can try to get permission from authorities to enter. Authorities will then look…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Controversial tourism fee likely to be postponed
A 300-baht tourism fee which was set to be introduced from April 1 now looks likely to be postponed. Implementation is expected to be pushed out by around 2 months, although tourism operators have said they’d like to see the idea ditched completely, at least while the sector is fighting to survive the pandemic. However, Thailand’s tourism minister, Pipat Ratchakitprakarn,…
- Thailand News
Insurance companies “hesitate” to give Covid-19 insurance to foreign tourists
After facing losses from Covid-19 claims from local cases, many Thai insurance companies are indicating that they are hesitant to provide Covid-19 insurance for foreign tourists entering Thailand under the current regulations. The deputy governor of marketing communications at the Tourism Authority of Thailand said only a few companies are now interested in joining the Test & Go programme, the…
- Thailand News
Too much monkey business in Petchaburi, now they’re getting sterilised
In Petchaburi, a central province, monkeys are breeding like rabbits. They might look cute at first, but the booming number of monkeys might threaten tourism since the monkeys often steal peoples’ belongings. Right now there are 1,000-1,500 per district, and this number is rising to 3,000 in Muang district. An adviser to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Update | What covid restrictions will be eased this week?
Whilst we get to wait a few more days to see if and how the current Covid restrictions will be modified or lifted, the public health minister has again stated that bars and nightlife will still need to remain closed. Speaking to the media yesterday, Minister Anutin Charnvirakul remarked that his “ministry will change the way it reports infection numbers”,…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Update | “More Covid restrictions to be relaxed”
Prepare for some more relaxation of Covid restrictions this week as the CCSA are set to meet to consider dropping some more measures that have been in place to curb the Coronavirus. Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the ministry’s Department of Disease Control, says that Thailand was now moving in line with trends elsewhere in the world. He said yesterday……
- Thailand News
Thailand wins “most popular destination” and other awards from Chinese travel magazines
Many Chinese travel magazines are calling Thailand a top tourist destination, even if it’s very difficult for the Chinese to travel at this time. The Travel Weekly China Award called Thailand “The most anticipated destination- short haul.” WITrip Magazine called it “2021 most popular overseas travel destination.” Online Travel Agent Thong Cheng called it “the most popular destination.” The Tourism…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Thailand proposes travel bubble with neighbors
A number of patients who’ve recovered from Covid are now displaying signs of dementia, according to Thai health officials. According to a Nation Thailand report, the Department of Medical Services says the symptoms tend to develop between 1 and 6 months after contracting the virus. DMS boss สมศักดิ์ อรรฆศิลป์ says the risk appears to be higher in patients with pre-existing…
- Phuket News
Phuket reports higher infection rate in second Covid tests for Test & Go travellers
With two RT-PCR tests now required for Test & Go travellers, one of Thailand’s most popular tourist destinations, Phuket, is reporting a higher infection rate for the second test. Following the emergence of the Omicron variant in Thailand, with many travellers testing positive for the mutated strain, the Thai government decided to require two RT-PCR tests instead of the initial…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Update | Thailand pass registrations are starting to rack up
Registrations are starting to rack up after the first day of crashes on the Thailand Pass website. Eventually, a total of 23,660 inbound travellers registered for entry under the Test & Go Version 2 program on Tuesday, the first day the suspended travel scheme resumed. Covering all the Thailand Pass options, including the Sandboxes and Alternative Quarantine, 29,194 foreigners applied…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Update | Thailand to target Saudi tourists to Pattaya
Around 2,500 travellers flew into Suvarnabhumi airport yesterday… the first day of the rebooted Test & Go program. The passengers arrived on 46 different flights. Just some quick maths suggests that’s around 54 people per flight… glad I’m not running those airlines.Most of the arrivals came from Malaysia and Singapore, and a few from European destinations as well.To be clear,…
- Thailand video news
Test & Go website crashes on 1st day I GMT
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed tourism businesses in Pattaya to prepare a travel roadshow, authorities have slapped the Phuket taxi driver, who is accused of overcharging a passenger, with a 2,000 baht fine and have ordered him to go through etiquette training, authorities are warning the public that Thailand’s face mask mandate is still in effect with a maximum fine…
- Thailand News
Domestic vacationers, not international, will be majority of Phuket hotel guests
A report by one real estate consultancy says domestic vacationers, not international tourists, will probably make up the majority of Phuket hotel guests in 2022. After a peak of 5.3 million arrivals at Phuket hotels in 2019, the arrivals dropped by 80% in 2020 to only 1.1 million. Constantly changing Covid-19 policies and confusion over them hinder travellers from booking…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | 9 cases of Omicron BA.2 subvariant found in Thailand
Thailand has detected nine cases of the new Omicron subvariant BA-two. The subvariant is spreading across the globe with at least 40 countries reporting the mutated strain, while infections in Thailand involve both Thais and travelers from overseas. When it comes to the severity of symptoms and transmissibility, ศุภกิจ ศิริลักษณ์ from Thailand’s Department of Medical Sciences says researchers have not…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | 4th vaccine booster dose now available for 10 provinces
Residents, both Thai and foreign, in 10 Thai provinces, will be offered a fourth Covid vaccine dose ahead of the return of the Test & Go entry scheme. The Public Health Ministry has confirmed that a fourth dose is being offered to provinces that are heavily reliant on tourism or where the infection rate is high.Both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Talks of insurance coverage for asymptomatic travellers
In today’s news, more talks on insurance coverage for asymptomatic travelers. Meanwhile, Thailand and Saudi Arabia trying to renew their relations after 3 decades of frostiness, and the latest talks on legalizing e-cigarettes in Thailand. All this is coming up in today’s program. You’re watching Thailand News Today, bringing you the top headlines in Thailand and beyond. And in today’s…
- Travel
“Special Sealed Route” transit flights from Bangkok to Phuket start February 1
Coinciding with the resumption of the Test & Go entry scheme, starting February 1, Bangkok Airways will begin two “Special Sealed Route” flights from Bangkok to Phuket per day for tourists arriving under the Phuket Sandbox scheme. Passengers must follow the guidelines set by the Centre for Covid-19 Administration pertaining to required documents. Along with a Thailand Pass QR code,…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Update | Test & Go compulsory insurance policies
As the dust settles on yesterday’s announcement of the reopening of the Test and Go program, the details are slowly emerging of a Test & Go, version 2, which will now require additional paperwork and expenses, including an additional PCR test on Day 5. This means you have to book an SHA+ hotel for both Day 1 and Day 5 of…
- Tourism News
Tourism operators want cost of PCR tests reduced when Test & Go resumes
Following the CCSA’s decision yesterday to resume Test & Go from February 1 (with some changes) tourism operators are urging the government to make PCR testing more affordable. The revamped Test & Go entry scheme now requires overseas arrivals to book a hotel on day 1 and again on day 5 of their stay – and to take a PCR…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Update | Tweaks for the revised Test & Go announced today!
Tweaks for the revised Test & Go will be debated by the CCSA and hopefully announced today. A few leaks indicate that the Test & Go program will, indeed, be re-introduced but there will be tightening of aspects of the program. If the rumours are true, arrivals will undergo two PCR tests during their initial seven days, the first when…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Update | Legalising cannabis & 8 mil tourist to Thailand in 2022
Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Ministry has dusted off its calculator this morning and is predicting there will be at least 8 million tourists coming to Thailand this year. A few weeks ago they were predicting 10 – 5 million arrivals for 2022. Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn made the random prediction at the same time he told Thai media he…
- Thailand video news
Test & Go by February | GMT
The health minister of Thailand is pushing for the legalisation of Cannabis and wants people to have the ability to grow it at home. Test & Go is looking more likely to make a come back in February, Stick Boy leaves Thailand and an asteroid is going to do a fly by. All this coming up on today’s Good Morning…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Possible easing of restrictions in Thailand
Thailand’s Public Health Minister says he’s backing the restoration of the Test & Go entry scheme as concerns about the Omicron variant subside. Test & Go was suspended around 4 weeks ago as the highly-contagious variant spread around the globe. Now, Anutin Charnvirakul says he’ll ask the CCSA to consider bringing it back, as well as easing a number of…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Update | Health Ministry to propose re-opening Test & Go
The Public Health Ministry says they’ll make a proposal to reopen registration for the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme at this week’s CCSA meeting. The next CCSA general meeting, which is chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, is scheduled for Thursday.Registration for entry under the Test & Go program was closed following local fears over the Omicron variant in Thailand…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | 400+ Bars Apply To Re-open as Restaurants
The president of the Airlines Association of Thailand says the government must allow the Test & Go entry scheme to resume as soon as possible. The scheme was suspended on December 21 as the Omicron Covid variant was just starting to spread rapidly across the globe. Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth, who is also the boss of Bangkok Airways, says the scheme was working…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Update | Inflation rises up & Labour shortage in Thailand
Thailand has a perfect demographic storm heading its way after two years of very swift change in the local employment market. Whilst people scrambled to find new employment in the early days, and are now gainfully self employed, employers are complaining of acute labour shortages.This problem has been exacerbated by the closure of the borders stopping the flow of migrant…
