Tourism News

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    Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run

    Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...

  • Thailand reopening roundup: What happens November 1 | Thaiger

    Thailand reopening roundup: What happens November 1

    Things are moving fast towards the November 1 reopening which in the last few days swelled from 10 countries being allowed entry to Thailand to 46 countries, 3 entry plans, replacing the Certificate of Entry, and even an attempt to reopen nightlife. Below is a round-up of the plans as they stand now. “TEST & GO”: COUNTRIES THAT CAN ENTER…

  • Thailand is open for tourism again, sort of | Thaiger

    Thailand is open for tourism again, sort of

    OPINION The opening you have when you’re not quite open. Quarantine-free arrival, except that you’ll still need to book at least 1 night of stay in an approved hotel or AQ (alternative quarantine). No bars are open (officially) and, in most parts of the country, most shops remain closed. In tourist-dependent places like Phuket, more than 90% of the formerly…

  • Thailand Pass website launching, accepted from November 2 | Thaiger

    Thailand Pass website launching, accepted from November 2

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has begun the process of replacing the Certificate of Entry with the new Thailand Pass which will be accepted from November 2. The Ministry announced that tp.consular.go.th will be live for people arriving in Thailand after November 2 to register for the Thailand Pass. The information comes from the Ministry of Interior’s Phuket office who…

  • Tourism Minister proposes reopening entertainment venues November 1 | Thaiger

    Tourism Minister proposes reopening entertainment venues November 1

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha may be opening up Thailand to international travellers, but Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakan is aiming to open up entertainment venues to those international travellers. The Tourism Minister plans on officially proposing that entertainment venues, bars, nightclubs, karaoke lounges, pubs and other nightlife venues be reopening in the Blue Zones, the new term for the…

  • Curfew lifted October 31 for all or part of 17 Thai provinces | Thaiger

    Curfew lifted October 31 for all or part of 17 Thai provinces

    Just ahead of the big November 1 reopening to international tourists, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has announced that curfew will be lifted entirely in all or part of 17 provinces on October 31. The order has already been signed into effect and published in the Royal Gazette late last night. The order means that when the doors are opened to fully…

  • Thailand’s focus on wealthy tourists won’t benefit small business | Thaiger

    Thailand’s focus on wealthy tourists won’t benefit small business

    With the November 1 reopening, the government has not been looking to welcome back any and all travellers that want to come to Thailand. Instead, they’ve been narrowly focused on attracting the “right” tourists, attempting to lure wealthy investors and retirees to dump money into Thailand, while often brushing aside the moderate and budget tourists that have for years been…

  • “Together Phuket Stepping Forward”: tourism plan after Sandbox | Thaiger

    “Together Phuket Stepping Forward”: tourism plan after Sandbox

    “Together Phuket Stepping Forward” is the new tourism campaign designed to be the successor to the Phuket Sandbox now that the government is firming their plans to open without quarantine to a newly-expanded list of 46 countries. The plan grew out of a town hall meeting yesterday with private and public agencies along with the Phuket Tourist Association. Phuket Governor…

  • Phuket officials confirm island’s recovery plan following sandbox “success” | Thaiger

    Phuket officials confirm island’s recovery plan following sandbox “success”

    The southern island of Phuket is looking to the future, with ambitious plans to evolve into a tourism, education, and service innovation hub between 2023 and 2027. The Bangkok Post reports that officials are preparing to launch the “Together Phuket Stepping Forward” campaign, in line with the country’s imminent re-opening. Governor Narong Woonciew says the campaign will follow on from…

  • 46 countries permitted to travel to Thailand from November 1, and quarantine details | Thaiger

    46 countries permitted to travel to Thailand from November 1, and quarantine details

    … and everything you want to know, as of today, about re-entry into Thailand. Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has just released a list of 46 countries and/or territories that have been approved to take part in the planned reopening of the country from November 1. The list of countries is detailed below as per a .pdf file that was…

  • 46 countries permitted to enter Thailand from November 1 | Thaiger

    46 countries permitted to enter Thailand from November 1

    … and everything you want to know, as of today, about re-entry into Thailand. Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has just released a list of 46 countries and/or territories that have been approved to take part in the planned reopening of the country from November 1. The list of countries is detailed below as per a .pdf file that was…

  • Bangkok’s 2 airports prepared to welcome international travellers | Thaiger

    Bangkok’s 2 airports prepared to welcome international travellers

    As the November 1 reopening nears, Bangkok’s two airports are finalizing their plans on how to welcome and process international travellers for the first time since Covid-19 closed the borders. Suvarnabhumi Airport and the secondary Don Mueang International Airport, which traditionally caters to budget airlines and short-haul flights, are adopting an arrival style similar to that in place for the…

  • Governor says income distribution essential to Phuket recovery | Thaiger

    Governor says income distribution essential to Phuket recovery

    The Governor of Phuket announced in a speech yesterday that his goal was to maximize income distribution as the island begins to open up more. Phuket is expecting an influx of tourists to arrive after the November 1 reopening, and a campaign is being launched to make sure that the benefit from the increased tourism can be shared by all.…

  • Travellers after November 1 told to book quarantine hotels | Thaiger

    Travellers after November 1 told to book quarantine hotels

    While many are excited that Thailand is finally reopening at least somewhat without quarantine to certain people in certain locations, the confusion and lack of confirmation of rules until the last minute is creating some conflicting information. Thai embassies are telling potential foreign travellers that they will still need to book quarantine accommodations before they are permitted to travel. Many…

  • Bangkok authorities and hotels prepare for returning travellers | Thaiger

    Bangkok authorities and hotels prepare for returning travellers

    Bangkok authorities and hotels are gearing up to welcome back international tourists on November 1, setting up swab hubs and preparing for an influx of travellers. The Tourism Authority of Thailand said they will set up testing stations outside the airport and are strategising to avoid congestion and bottlenecking as international travellers arrive into Thailand. The plan is instead to…

  • Tourism sector not getting its hopes up over domestic travel | Thaiger

    Tourism sector not getting its hopes up over domestic travel

    Those working in Thailand’s tourism sector aren’t getting their hopes up about a big boost to domestic travel any time soon. Wutthiphum Jurangkool, chief executive at Nok Air, says ongoing concerns about Covid-19, coupled with weak purchasing power, will make this November very different to last. “Domestic tourism reached its peak last November, thanks to low infection rates and the…

  • Prominent economic think-tank welcomes November 1 re-opening plans | Thaiger

    Prominent economic think-tank welcomes November 1 re-opening plans

    A leading economic research body says a planned re-opening to international tourism from November will give the Thai economy the boost it needs. According to a Nation Thailand report, the Kasikorn Research Centre predicts further economic growth from next year, provided the government gets Covid-19 under control. It points out that the country’s tourism sector will only see a full…

  • Krabi tourism businesses not thrilled about Thailand’s reopening | Thaiger

    Krabi tourism businesses not thrilled about Thailand’s reopening

    A prominent local tourism operator in Krabi is speaking out, saying the tourism businesses in Krabi don’t like or want the reopening Thailand has planned for November 1. He asserts that interest from tourists, businesses that can afford to reopen, and vaccinations among locals are all lacking. The operator said that despite the government’s rosy predictions, he fears that not…

  • Bangkok prepares swab hubs, rules easing for city reopening | Thaiger

    Bangkok prepares swab hubs, rules easing for city reopening

    As restrictions ease and Thailand attempts a November 1 reopening, Bangkok is hard at work preparing to welcome back international tourism to the city. Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang says he intends to follow along with official announcements as they are ratified in the Royal Gazette. The capital city is creating so-called swab hubs to be prepared to efficiently test mass…

  • 38 countries reportedly on short list for no-quarantine reopening | Thaiger

    38 countries reportedly on short list for no-quarantine reopening

    People were elated to hear that Thailand was launching a select reopening on November 1, but confusion exists over the Thai government’s statement that they would open 17 provinces to 10 low-risk countries, with the list of provinces and countries as yet unspecified just 2 weeks before the launch date. Then again, that’s been the way throughout the pandemic as…

  • Tourism operators: Russians and others need clear entry rules | Thaiger

    Tourism operators: Russians and others need clear entry rules

    Fed up tourism operators in Thailand are calling on the government to stop flip-flopping and announce clear entry rules for international travellers right away before the high season is here, especially for the lucrative Russian market. Things like the Thailand Pass, set to replace the hated certificate of entry, are often announced but not fleshed out or confirmed, leading to…

  • 5 no-quarantine countries named, 17 Thai provinces reopening | Thaiger

    5 no-quarantine countries named, 17 Thai provinces reopening

    As restrictions are easing and Thailand moves towards a more streamlined and accessible reopening, 5 countries have been named in the plan to waive arrival quarantine for 10 countries. Though true to Thai style, nothing has been officially confirmed just 2 weeks before the grand reopening, the US, UK, Germany, China, and Singapore are more than likely candidates to be…

  • CoE will be replaced by Thailand Pass, in development | Thaiger

    CoE will be replaced by Thailand Pass, in development

    The much-maligned certificate of entry is on its way out, with the digital Thailand Pass set to replace the CoE for most – but not all – people from November 1. The Digital Government Development Agency is working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to create an online system to replace the CoE process for international flight arrivals. The Thailand…

  • PM declares Thailand ready to re-open | Thaiger

    PM declares Thailand ready to re-open

    The PM has declared that Thailand is ready to re-open, as he called on the government, businesses, and the wider public to cooperate with re-opening preparations. The Bangkok Post reports that the PM was speaking after yesterday’s CCSA meeting, in which officials confirmed the country will re-open to vaccinated tourists from 5 “low risk” countries from November 1. The PM…

  • Thai Airways adding 39 international flight routes on October 31 | Thaiger

    Thai Airways adding 39 international flight routes on October 31

    Beleaguered national airline Thai Airways says they’re resuming full service on 36 foreign routes to destinations in Europe, Asia and Australia, many of which will resume from October 31. The implementation is in step with the Thai government’s commitment to reduce many of the impediments and restrictions to international arrivals from November 1. The decision was announced today by Thai…

  • Anutin opposes limiting quarantine-free re-opening to 10 countries | Thaiger

    Anutin opposes limiting quarantine-free re-opening to 10 countries

    It appears there’s dissension amongst the ranks once more, as Thailand’s Health Minister disagrees with restricting the PM’s proposed re-opening to just 10 countries. According to a Nation Thailand report, Anutin Charnvirakul says Thailand should re-open to vaccinated tourists from MORE than 10 “low risk” countries. On Monday night, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha carried out a televised address in which he…

  • Minister of Tourism is sure tourists will flood Thailand November 1 | Thaiger

    Minister of Tourism is sure tourists will flood Thailand November 1

    Though often criticised for its overly-optimistic tourism predictions seemingly pulled out of thin air, this time the Thai government is sure people will be flooding back in as the borders reopen on November 1. Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakan said that Thailand needs to brace itself for an onslaught of international travellers flooding into the country come November…

  • Phuket, Samui to ease entry restrictions for domestic tourists from this weekend | Thaiger

    Phuket, Samui to ease entry restrictions for domestic tourists from this weekend

    From this weekend, entry restrictions for the islands of Phuket and Samui are being eased for fully vaccinated domestic tourists. Local travellers who can show proof of being fully vaccinated will no longer need to submit to Covid-19 testing to enter Phuket and will no longer have to quarantine after arriving on Samui. The move comes as the government launches…

  • Anutin warns Nov 1 reopening could close again if Covid-19 surges | Thaiger

    Anutin warns Nov 1 reopening could close again if Covid-19 surges

    Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul may have dampened the excitement over Thailand’s November 1 reopening when he announced that it is possible that the country could close up its borders in the event of a serious Covid-19 outbreak. The announcement on Monday by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha that he had told the Ministry of Public Health and Centre for Covid-19…

  • Health experts weigh in on risks of re-opening Thailand without quarantine | Thaiger

    Health experts weigh in on risks of re-opening Thailand without quarantine

    Following Monday night’s announcement by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha that Thailand will re-open quarantine-free for select vaccinated tourists from November, health experts have voiced concern. The Bangkok Post reports that some prominent medics are worried re-opening without quarantine will provoke a surge in Covid-19 infections. Thira Woratanarat from the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University has warned that daily case numbers…

  • Opinion divided on proposed 500 baht tourism tax | Thaiger

    Opinion divided on proposed 500 baht tourism tax

    A plan to impose a 500 baht “tourism tax” on foreign arrivals from next year has divided opinion among tourism operators. A report by Nikkei Asia says some operators are concerned such a move could deter tourists, just as the country prepares to re-open. One of those is the president of the Thai Hotels Association, Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi. “The fee…