Tourism News
Thailand tourism news, travel updates, visa policies, and destination highlights—stay informed on hospitality trends, cultural experiences, and major infrastructure projects. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for Thailand travel news.
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Sponsored Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained
Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...
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Khao San Road bouncers warned against use of violence after one slaps foreign tourist (video)
The Superintendent of Chana Songkram Police Station rounded up all the bouncers working on Bangkok’s notorious Khao San Road yesterday to remind them not to use violence against tourists and partygoers. The warning follows a recent viral video of a security guard, working at a nightclub on Khao San Road, handcuffing a Westerner and repeatedly slapping him in the face.…
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Nok Air begins Bangkok-Hyderabad flights
Thailand’s budget airline Nok Air has begun direct Bangkok-Hyderabad flights linking the Thai capital with India’s IT hotspot. A Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 189 Economy Class seats plies the nonstop route from Don Mueang International Airport to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport four times per week. Nok Air begins Bangkok-Hyderabad flights The new route provides Hyderabad, a major centre for the…
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Jetstar Bangkok flight stranded in Alice Springs
Hundreds of passengers on a Jetstar Bangkok flight Saturday were stranded on board the aircraft at Alice Springs airport for seven hours. The latest mega-delay comes just days after a 2-hour flight across Japan became a 16-hour nightmare when a flight was denied permission to land because it was 10 minutes late. Jetstar flight JQ30 was heading from Bangkok to Melbourne on Saturday with 320 passengers…
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English tourist seriously injured after fall from hotel balcony in Thailand
A 23 year old English tourist is seriously injured after falling three floors from a hotel balcony on Koh Phi Phi island in southern Thailand two weeks ago. Kieran Martin, a personal trainer from Castleford in England, sustained an open-book pelvic fracture which caused internal bleeding when the accident happened ten days into his three-week dream holiday to Thailand with…
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Officials warn against Phuket flight price gouging
If you are frustrated at the rising costs of airfare to Phuket, you’re not the only one. The popular resort island has been facing complaints from tourists regarding rising airfare prices during the high season. In response, the Provincial Public-Private Joint Economic Development Committee has warned airlines against overcharging customers for flights to Phuket, especially during long holidays. The warning…
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AOT soar above last year’s levels
As Thailand’s economy rebounds to close to pre-pandemic levels, the recovery can be traced directly to more flights. Airports of Thailand are set to soar above last year’s levels of both domestic and international arrivals, and the millions of tourists these flights bring. The first two months of this year have seen 150,000 flights, double the number in the same…
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Thai Airways Q4 loss narrows
Thai Airways Q4 profit almost tripled as tourists started to return to the holiday kingdom. The carrier’s net income for the three months ending December 31 rose to 11.2 billion baht (US$300 million) from 4 billion baht a year earlier, chief executive officer Chai Eamsiri said on Friday. Thai Airways Q4 profit to support strong growth in 2023 Operating income…
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TAT expects roadshow to help bring 5 million Chinese tourists to Thailand this year
Earlier this week, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) launched its ‘Amazing Thailand Amazing New Chapters Roadshow to China 2023.’ The roadshow began on 21 February in Shanghai and later moved to Chengdu and Guangzhou. TAT expects the roadshow to help it reach its goal of welcoming 5 million tourists to Thailand this year. The roadshow aimed to create business…
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Thai AirAsia resumes Bangkok – Macau flights
Budget airline Thai AirAsia has resumed direct flights between Bangkok and Macau in China, operating the route four times per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Thai police may have busted the macau888 gambling website, but never mind, Thais can now gamble legally by flying direct to Macau on Thai AirAsia. Thai AirAsia is the only airline servicing the…
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Restoration of Maya Bay balances tourism, sustainability
The restoration of Maya Bay, Thailand, balances tourism with sustainability. Phi Phi Islands’ tropical paradise, made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio’s movie The Beach, has drastically reduced visitor numbers, and sea life is flourishing. The beach was closed in 2018 and before the pandemic hit, and in many respects, the past two years without pressure from great numbers of visitors have…
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Survey finds Thai tourism enterprises unprepared for foreign tourists
A nationwide survey has revealed that most small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand are not prepared for the return of foreign tourists this year. Conducted by the Office of Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion (OSMEP), the survey questioned 572 business owners from six regions on their readiness for the upcoming tourist season and found that many are more reliant…
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Tubing in northern Thailand bustling with foreign tourists
A Thai TikToker recently shared a video of foreign tourists enjoying a tubing adventure along the Pai River in Mae Hong Son, a northern province of Thailand. Thai netizens were overwhelmed by the video, saying it was a sign the kingdom is well on the way to economic recovery and tourism is booming once more. @roritarkratair posted the video yesterday…
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Thailand’s sex industry was created for foreigners, right? Wrong! (video)
Thailand’s sex industry was created exclusively for foreign tourists, right? Wrong! It is a myth Thailand’s sex industry was exclusively made for tourists. It was set up for Thai people. There are hundreds of “Love Motels” spread across the country, and it’s not foreigners who commonly go there. There’s even a term for a casual sex partner, “Gik,” which is…
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Thai Airways docks cabin crew’s salary over meal tray gate
UPDATE Thai Airways is formally punishing cabin crew for not collecting meal trays from some passengers before landing on a Singapore – Bangkok flight after a viral TikTok exposed the cabin crew’s mishap. Yesterday, the airline’s PR team said… “Thai Airways International would like to announce the results of our investigation into the case of cabin crew not storing away…
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Thai tourism association says number of Chinese tour groups still unexpectedly low
A Thai tourism association says the number of Chinese tour groups making their way to the Land of Smiles is still unexpectedly low. The president of the Thai Association of Tourism Businesses (ATTA), Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, said the number of Chinese tour groups travelling to Thailand remains unexpectedly low due to a lack of flights. Instead, most Chinese arrivals in Thailand…
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British ice hockey player suffers life-threatening injuries after crash in Thailand
A talented ice hockey player from Blackburn in northwest England sustained life-threatening injuries after a motorbike crash in Thailand. Former Bradford Bulldogs defenceman, 24 year old Josh Richardson, had an accident on a Thai island on Friday, February 3. Richardson sustained serious head injuries and was rushed to the intensive care unit at Bangkok Hospital, where he has undergone several…
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Fly direct from Bangkok to the ‘Hawaii of China’
After a three-year pandemic hiatus, passengers can now fly direct from Bangkok, Thailand to Haikou – “The Hawaii of China” – thanks to resumed services by Hainan Airlines. Hainan Airlines flight HU7939 took off from Haikou Meilan International Airport in China’s Hainan province yesterday at 9.19am local time, bound for Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. The resumed route’s inaugural flight was on…
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National park officer becomes an alien to promote tourism in southern Thailand
A surge in the circulation of extra-terrestrial-related stories on social media in Thailand inspired a national park officer to photo-edit an application to transform herself into an alien. The aim of this transformation was to boost tourism at the Khao Sok National Park, located in the southern province of Surat Thani. The discussion surrounding the existence of UFOs and aliens…
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Thailand-Myanmar land border in Chiang Rai reopens after 3-year closure
The Thailand-Myanmar land border at the Maesai Border Checkpoint in the northern province of Chaing Rai reopened yesterday after being closed for three years due to Covid-19. Thais and foreigners who want to visit Myanmar need to show a vaccine certificate or Covid test. Maesai Border Checkpoint and Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge 1, which connect Chiang Rai province in Thailand with…
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Thailand’s tourist entry fee to generate 3.9 billion baht this year
Thailand is expected to gain 3.9 billion baht (US$112 million) in revenue this year by charging tourists an entry fee beginning June 1, Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said yesterday. Last week, Thailand’s Cabinet approved the collection of an entry fee from all foreign tourists, effective June 1. Foreigners arriving by air will be charged 300 baht (US$8.67) and those arriving…
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China’s home-grown cruise ship close to launch
China plans to make a big splash with the launch of its first home-grown cruise ship later this year. It will be the nation’s first voyage into a sector dominated by European shipyards, and a critical step in reducing reliance on external sources. Lavish, unsinkable and afloat by May Known as the H1508, construction began in October 2019 and she…
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Russian tourists fined 20,000 baht for jet skiing in Krabi, Thailand
Two Russian tourists were fined 20,000 baht for jet skiing in Krabi province, in southern Thailand, where the watersport is prohibited according to the province’s environmental protection measures. Jet skis and all other kinds of motorised water sports are banned in Krabi province to protect the environment, but two Russian tourists say there were not aware of the rule. Yesterday,…
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Nok Air to launch Bangkok – Korat route
Low-cost carrier Nok Air plans to connect Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok to northeast Thailand in the coming months with a new direct flight to Nakhon Ratchasima, aka “Korat.” Chief Executive Officer of Nok Air, Wuttipoom Churankun, said the Bangkok – Korat route should begin after Songkran Festival in April 2023. The date of the route’s inaugural flight hasn’t yet…
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Elephant’s back caves in after 25 years of tourist rides in Thailand
Pai Lin the elephant spent over 25 years in Thailand’s trekking industry, where she was forced to give rides to up to six tourists at a time. Now, her back is visibly deformed. She now lives free at Thailand’s biggest wildlife rescue centre where she can roam chain-free and engage in natural behaviours. Photographs show that Pai Lin’s spine, which should naturally be rounded…
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New hospital aims to boost Samui medical tourism
A new hospital hopes to boost medical and wellness tourism on the popular holiday island of Koh Samui. Wattanapat Samui Hospital has just opened its doors, marking the fifth medical facility on the island. The hospital has 380 beds, specialist personnel, and modern equipment that are expected to boost confidence in Koh Samui as a wellness destination. Dr Somchai Chansawang,…
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AoT increasing airport services to meet tourist demand
Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Bangkok’s global gateway, plans to increase services to deal with the influx of arriving passengers. Thailand saw a swift surge in travellers after China’s recent decision to reopen its borders. The Airports of Thailand (AoT) announced Friday that the measures will help tackle delays in passenger servicing time, particularly during peak hours. They say they have already…
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Longtail boats with roofs pulled after several capsized
After two deaths and many injuries so far this year, about 80 longtail boats in Krabi that were modified by adding roofs are being called in. The Krabi Marine Office made the announcement after three longtail boats capsized in the last two months. The roofs make the boats less stable in stronger winds. They also make the small boats heavier…
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Minister Pipat gets earful about Phuket tourism issues
Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakarn visited Phuket yesterday to listen to the range of critical infrastructure issues harming the local tourism industry. These issues include mafia-run hotels, problematic taxi drivers, heavy traffic, and a shortage of tap water. The meeting was held at the Andaman Health Promotion Coordination Center Conference Room at the Prince of Songkhla University Phuket…
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400 people fall victim to Japan tour scam resulting in 14 million baht loss
Representatives from 10 travel agencies filed a complaint with the Central Investigation Bureau after being lured into buying 14 million baht worth of fake tour packages to Japan. Over 400 victims have been duped by the scam so far. Representatives for the group claimed to have purchased tour packages from a major company based in the central province of Pathum…
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Thai Airways expands into 5 Chinese cities
Thailand‘s flag carrier Thai Airways (THAI) is ramping up flights to China to facilitate increased demand from the Chinese tourist market since the country recently reopened its borders for the first time in three years. Thai Airways will operate 14 nonstop services per week to five hot destinations, the earliest departing on March 1, 2023… Bangkok – Kunming Twice per…
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