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 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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Thai customs end intrusive frisking of designer-brand wearers at airports
The Thai Customs Department has officially put an end to the embarrassing and intrusive practice of frisking travellers passing through border control with designer-brand items at airports. The department said the searches were a burden for travellers. According to the deputy director of the Customs Department, Phanthong Loykunlanan, the department has abolished frisking tourists to make travel more convenient. However,…
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American tourists spend more money in Thailand than Europeans, survey says
American tourists spend more money in Thailand on average than European tourists, according to a survey conducted by the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT). The TCT polled 200 Western tourists about their holiday spending habits during Q4 of last year. On each trip to the kingdom, Americans said they spend 96,269 baht on average per person (US$2,887) and Europeans said…
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Russian plane engine catches fire on Phuket runway
A Russian tourist plane bound for Moscow faced a terrifying moment when its engine caught fire before takeoff at Phuket International Airport. The 309 passengers and 12 crew on board the 26 year old Boeing 767-306ER, operated by Azur Air, were forced to evacuate the aircraft. Footage from the scene shows flames bursting from the right engine of the Russian…
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South Thailand’s hotel industry booming with increased tourist arrivals
South Thailand is seeing a resurgence in tourism, with room bookings in hotels reaching 85%, according to Sueksit Suwandissakun, the president of the Southern Hotel Association. This is a positive sign for the industry, which has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic over the past year. Many hotels in popular tourist areas are already fully booked, with the majority of…
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Bangkok’s New Chinatown comes back to life as Chinese tourists flock back
Bangkok‘s New Chinatown is once again buzzing with life as Chinese tourists flock back to the bustling neighbourhood after a two-year lull due to the pandemic. Stretching from Huai Khwang intersection to Pracha Uthit Road, New Chinatown (not to be confused with the original Chinatown in the Yaowarat area) is a hub of activity with eateries, shops, and street stalls…
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Thai police return 6.5 million baht Richard Mille watch to Vietnamese tourist
Not all Thai police are bad eggs as proven by Lumpini Police officers who managed to reunite a Vietnamese tourist with an expensive Richard Mille wristwatch that he lost in Bangkok on Wednesday night. A Vietnamese tourist took a taxi from a hotel in the Lumpini area of Bangkok to Asiatique on the river. Later on, he ordered a private…
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French ‘mafia’ boss extorts money from foreigners in Pattaya, claims ties with Big Joke
Police arrested a wanted French ‘mafia’ boss in Bangkok on Tuesday after a group of farangs in Pattaya, eastern Thailand, claimed he extorted money from them in exchange for police protection. The fraudster claimed to have ties with “Big Joke.” Yesterday, high-profile police officer Pol. Lt. Gen. Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn revealed that police arrested 58 year old Herve Christian…
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Phuket looks to entice more low-cost Saudi flights
Thailand’s renowned paradise of Phuket is looking to entice more low-cost Saudi flights to the island province. The Phuket Tourist Association said in a Facebook post yesterday that it sent a delegation to meet with a low-cost Saudi airline last week. The delegation met with the airline, Flynas, at Flynas’s headquarters in Saudi Arabia on January 25. The delegation gave…
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Phuket hotels association reaffirms commitment to the island’s recovery with election of senior leadership team
Press Release The Phuket Hotels Association, a non-profit organisation representing 80 of the island’s top hotels and resorts, has reaffirmed its deep commitment to the future of Phuket’s hospitality sector by announcing the reappointment of its senior leadership team, including President Bjorn Courage who has been instrumental in the association’s success. Following a recent election, Mr. Courage, who also serves…
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Bangkok’s first free street-food space welcomes hawkers, street vendors
Bangkok opened its first free street-food space in the city for hawkers and street vendors yesterday, in an attempt to keep cluttered pavements free from obstruction. City governor Chadchart Sittipunt launched of the “Hello Hab-Re” (Hello Hawkers) project outside Samyan Mitrtown on Rama IV Road yesterday. Street food is a quintessential part of the Bangkok experience. Wherever you go in…
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Survey reveals tourists in Thailand worried most about taxi scams
A recent survey in Thailand revealed that tourists are worried most about taxi scams when moving about in the country. The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) conducted a quarterly survey, which polled 200 Western tourists in Thailand during the last quarter of 2022. According to Bangkok Post, the survey saw respondents rank taxi service satisfaction as the lowest (3.5 out of…
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Thailand is most searched destination for Chinese Airbnb guests
Thailand is the most searched destination for Chinese Airbnb guests. According to Airbnb’s data, the Land of Smiles was the most searched spot for Chinese travellers within 24 hours of the government’s announcement on December 26, 2022, to lift inbound quarantine requirements. The entire list of the top 10 search destinations for Chinese tourists includes: Thailand US UK Japan Australia Canada…
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Tourism council predicts 30 million foreign tourists in Thailand this year
Thailand’s tourist numbers have certainly picked up lately and some groups are very optimistic about numbers this year. The Tourism Industry Council of Thailand predicts that over 30 million foreign tourists will travel to Thailand in 2023, bringing 3 trillion baht to Thailand’s economy. The number of international tourists in Thailand before the Covid-19 pandemic was 40 million in 2019. …
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Qatar Airways launches thrice daily flights to Phuket
Qatari flag carrier Qatar Airways is launching three flights per day between Doha and Phuket in southern Thailand starting today, February 1, to meet the ever-growing demand. The additional flights bring the airline’s number of services to Thailand up to seven per day, including four flights to and from Bangkok. Doha is a major Middle Eastern transport hub and most…
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Thailand tourist fee: 300 baht via air, 150 baht via land/sea
Thailand plans to charge foreign arrivals arriving by air a tourist fee of 300 baht (US$9.11) and a fee of 150 baht (US$4.56) for tourists entering the kingdom via land/sea by mid-2023. The 300 baht tourist fee for air arrivals has been in the pipeline for a long time and is set to be enforced in June after facing several Covid-19-related…
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Crazy Russian bites off British woman’s finger in Ko Pha Ngan bean bag row
A leisurely stroll on a Thai beach with two friends and a dog bizarrely evolved into a scene from a horror movie after a crazy Russian woman went berserk, chomped on a British woman’s finger and spat it out. The British woman was walking her dog with a German friend on a beach on Ko Pha Ngan Island when they…
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German cruiseliner brings 3,000 tourists to Koh Samui
German cruise liner Mein Schiff 5 reportedly dropped 3,000 tourists on the island of Koh Samui for a bit of shopping and sightseeing. Koh Samui’s Mayor Chayapon Intarasupa says the large group arrived at Nathon Pier on Saturday in small boats as the ship approached the island. The luxury liner dropped the guests off for a one-day trip on the…
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Koh Samui booms as over 200,000 tourists visit the popular island in January
The picturesque island of Koh Samui in Surat Thani province, Thailand, has seen a remarkable turnaround to its economy in the first month of 2023 with over 200,000 tourists visiting in January alone. After a year of uncertainty due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the arrival of over 200,000 tourists has been a welcome sight for the island’s local economy. The…
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Three foreign tourists rescued from Thai jungle
National park officials rescued three foreign tourists who got lost in the jungle in Koh Pha Ngan, Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, yesterday. All three are reportedly safe. At 5.30pm, the Chief of Than Sadet National Park, Tikamporn Phenchom, received a call that three foreign tourists were lost in the jungle on the Khao Ra mountain and needed help. Chief…
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Government of Thailand give green light for Eastern Aviation City takeoff
Construction on the Eastern Aviation City is ready for takeoff this year after the Government of Thailand gave the green light for work to start on the 290 billion baht (US$8.8bn) project. No official date has been confirmed but work is scheduled to start before June. The original project was officially signed in June 2020. An agreement was made between…
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Illegal jet skis return to Phuket’s Surin Beach
For the umpteenth time, the local provincial marine office has started clamping down on illegal jet skis and parasail boats in the sea off Phuket’s Surin Beach. Along Millionaire’s Row on the west coast, Phuket’s Surin Beach is surrounded by boutiques, high-end resorts and residences. It’s popular year-round, and an excellent spot for sunbathing on fine white sand, with the…
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Covid cases down, international arrivals up
Good news for tourism, bad news for Covid-19: international travellers have surged while infection figures have actually declined. After Thailand relaxed its immigration measures, the number of tourists visiting has seen a steady increase. With extra fears due to Chinese tourism reopening amidst a major Covid wave there, the number of new cases in Thailand has been going down. According…
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Tourism Minister addresses police controversies
Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakarn has acknowledged that recent controversies involving the Royal Thai Police (RTP) and the Thailand Privilege Card (TPC) have damaged the reputation of both law enforcement and tourism organizations. The minister is taking steps to address the situation with a Cabinet meeting scheduled next week set to discuss the allegations. This comes after an MP…
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Pattaya tourism now close to pre-Covid levels, association says
Tourism in Southeast Asia’s sin city of Pattaya is now close to pre-Covid levels, according to the Pattaya Entertainment Association. The association’s secretary-general, Damrongkiat Pinijkarn, said that tourism is now at 80-90% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Damrongkiat said that on Pattaya’s most buzzing road, Walking Street, over 90% of venues have already reopened. He noted that venues on the road…
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Drain collapses beneath Chinese tourist’s feet in Thailand
A Chinese tourist was walking on a pavement near the Ancient City in Samut Prakan near Bangkok yesterday when a drain cover collapsed beneath his feet. Luckily, the tourist only sustained minor injuries. The Facebook page ‘Samut Prakan News v2’ posted a photo of the distressed tourist sitting on the side of Sukhumvit Road next to a broken sewage drain…
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Koh Samui welcomes first Taiwanese tour group in 3 years
Thailand’s tropical holiday island of Koh Samui welcomed its first Taiwanese tour group in nearly three years on Tuesday. The group of 142 tourists enjoyed Koh Samui’s nature tourism, as well as its temples and shrines. The group also plan to travel to Koh Ang Thong, Koh Tao, and Koh Nang Yuan for four days. The group had a three-night…
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Taiwanese actress warns tourists to be aware of Thailand’s ‘bastard police’
A famous Taiwanese actress warned foreign tourists coming to Thailand to be aware of the kingdom’s “bastard police!” The actress revealed on social media that the Royal Thai Police (RTP) extorted 27,000 baht from her and her friends on fake, trumped-up charges while they were travelling in Thailand at the beginning of this month. The Thai Facebook page Hello Taiwan!…
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Pattaya prepares for return of Chinese tour groups
Cities across Thailand continue to prepare for the expected rise in the number of Chinese tourists to the kingdom. Pattaya is preparing for Chinese tour groups to finally return to the renowned party city. On Tuesday, Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches met with the Thai-Chinese Tourism Association to discuss how best to accommodate the influx of Chinese tourists to the city.…
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Thai police swiftly arrest thief who robbed German tourist
Netizens are praising the work of police in Sukhothai in central Thailand for tracking down and arresting a thief who robbed a German tourist in just 30 minutes and reuniting her with all of the stolen items. Not only did police crack the case, but one investigating officer interrogated the thief and posted the video on his TikTok account earlier today.…
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Thailand promotes tourism with subsidies, vouchers nationwide
Thailand is promoting tourism by offering rate subsidies on hotels and food vouchers at participating businesses nationwide. According to Bangkok Post, the Thai Cabinet approved a budget of 3.95 billion baht to stimulate tourism, which includes 2.02 billion baht set aside for food-tour vouchers and room discounts of up to 40%. Under the government’s “We Travel Together” campaign, 560 hotel…
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