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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    Thailand health insurance that covers chronic conditions: What expats need to know

    The Thaiger key takeaways Managing chronic conditions in Thailand requires health insurance that covers specialist visits, medications, tests, and hospital stays. Cigna offers high-coverage plans with access to top hospitals, direct billing, and telemedicine support for convenient long-term care. Expats...

  • Chinatown manhole covers to use art, tech to become cultural map | Thaiger

    Chinatown manhole covers to use art, tech to become cultural map

    A new blend of utility, art, and technology will transform mundane manhole covers in Bangkok’s Chinatown into beautifying sources of information according to a new plan. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt met with members of the Office of Thailand Science Research and Innovation as well as Silpakorn University to develop the new project. The plan is to create beautiful manhole covers…

  • Thailand getting high on cannabis boost to tourist economy | Thaiger

    Thailand getting high on cannabis boost to tourist economy

    Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha recently reported the government is expecting about 10 million tourists to hit the kingdom before the end of the year and it reports are true, most of them plan on getting high. The Thai government removed cannabis and hemp plants from its banned narcotics list on June 9 leaving people in Thailand free to grow and…

  • Thailand’s economy grows but it still misses China’s cash | Thaiger

    Thailand’s economy grows but it still misses China’s cash

    A new poll revealed Thailand’s economy grew at its fastest in a year over the last quarter but the kingdom’s outlook is still threatened by the high cost of living and China’s decision to maintain a zero-Covid-19 policy. The Thai economy grew largely because of tourism and the government’s decision to relax entry rules into Thailand such as the Thai…

  • Phuket expects recent India road show to bring in even more tourists, and revenue | Thaiger

    Phuket expects recent India road show to bring in even more tourists, and revenue

    Phuket officials are excited to see the payoff of a recent roadshow in India. The Tourism Authority of Thailand, along with the Phuket Tourism Association, went to a roadshow tourism marketing event in India from August 1-6. The event celebrated the 75th anniversary of Thai and Indian relations. Now, the PPAO’s vice president expects another 150,000 Indian tourists to arrive…

  • Tourists can see rare orchids in bloom at northern Thailand waterfall this month | Thaiger

    Tourists can see rare orchids in bloom at northern Thailand waterfall this month

    Tis’ the season for a rare orchid species to bloom in northern Thailand. The orchid species habenaria janellehayneiana is in full bloom at the Man Daeng Waterfall in the Hin Rong Kla National Park. The park is located in Thailand’s northern province of Phitsanulok. The flowers grow on the rocks around the waterfall, creating a colorful scenery. The unique orchid…

  • StyleCation: Latest TAT campaign aims at young domestic tourists | Thaiger

    StyleCation: Latest TAT campaign aims at young domestic tourists

    Forget the staycation and the workcation, “StyleCation” is the hot new awkward portmanteau the Tourism Authority of Thailand is pushing to attract visitors. The TAT has recruited top actors/singers Krit “PP” Amnuaydechkorn and Putthipong “Billkin” Assaratanakul to promote a new campaign aimed at getting Thai people traveling around the country. “Amazing Thailand StyleCation with PP and Billkin” is the newest…

  • Pattaya’s tourist buses are back at the floating market, but missing Chinese | Thaiger

    Pattaya’s tourist buses are back at the floating market, but missing Chinese

    Now that many of Thailand’s Covid-19 restrictions have eased, tourists are boarding buses to Pattaya once again. Tour buses were back at the Pattaya Floating Market earlier this week. While there were several Indian and Vietnamese tourists on the busses, the buses were missing a group that once played a major role in Thailand’s tourism market- the Chinese. One boat…

  • UK student conquers mountain in Thailand blindfolded | Thaiger

    UK student conquers mountain in Thailand blindfolded

    A Cambridge philosophy student conquered a Thai mountain blindfolded in tribute to his blind sister and to raise money for charity. The 21 year old scholar climbed the treacherous Doi Suthep, near Chiang Mai, with his girlfriend, as he embarked on a three-day journey on July 11 blindfolded to fundraise for a charity that supports his sister Harriet, who was…

  • Thai tourism officials plan to propose new closing time for tourist areas | Thaiger

    Thai tourism officials plan to propose new closing time for tourist areas

    Thai tourism officials plan to propose a new closing time for night venues in tourist-heavy areas. The Tourism and Sports Minister plans to propose that the closing time move to 4am in these areas, as ‘high season’ is coming in October. He said the ministry plans to suggest the idea to the CCSA next month (September). Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has…

  • Famous northern Thai dish declared world’s best soup | Thaiger

    Famous northern Thai dish declared world’s best soup

    A famous northern Thai dish has been declared the world’s best soup by the foodie platform TasteAtlas.com. This was part of its list of “50 Best Soups in the World” published on July 25. The dish, called Khao Soi, includes red curry soup and meat, usually chicken, and egg noodles. It is then topped with crunchy noodles, fresh lime, pickled cabbage,…

  • TAT says Thailand drew 3.3 million foreign tourists from January-July | Thaiger

    TAT says Thailand drew 3.3 million foreign tourists from January-July

    Thailand has drawn 3.3 million foreign tourists between January and July this year, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. While about 1.9 million tourists travelled through Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, about 600,000 travelled through Phuket International Airport. About 190,000 people travelled through Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport. As tourism officials had predicted in June, Malaysia has now beat India as…

  • Hotels in South Thailand eager for surge in visitors this year | Thaiger

    Hotels in South Thailand eager for surge in visitors this year

    South Thailand’s hotels are eager for a surge in visitors during Thailand’s high season from October to December. About 80% of hotels in Songkhla province have reopened after ‘Thailand Pass’ was scrapped on July 1, according to the Songkhla Tourism Industry Council. Since Thailand Pass was scrapped, Songkhla has welcomed a rush of Malaysian tourists driving across the border. The…

  • YOU can voice your opinion on Thailand in PR online survey | Thaiger

    YOU can voice your opinion on Thailand in PR online survey

    If you ever wanted a chance for your voice to be heard about Thailand – and judging from our comments section, a lot of you really, really do – now is your chance! Simple click here and fill out the impressively-catchy named survey “Foreigners’ Awareness, Confidence in Important Government Policies, and Perceived Image of Thailand.” The thoroughly titled survey was…

  • Chiang Mai hotel reduces room rate to 1 baht per night to stimulate tourism | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai hotel reduces room rate to 1 baht per night to stimulate tourism

    If you’re looking to travel northern Thailand on a budget, book this week and get a room for just 1 baht at Harmonize Hotel in Chiang Mai province. The room must be booked before August 7 for a stay anytime before October 31. Not only does the room cost a mere 1 baht – or US$0.028 – but the hotel…

  • Thailand’s Nok Air relaunches Chiang Mai – Korat route | Thaiger

    Thailand’s Nok Air relaunches Chiang Mai – Korat route

    After four years, Nok Air has relaunched the airline’s route between Chiang Mai in northern Thailand and Nakhon Ratchasima – also known as Korat – in northeast Thailand. The route’s inaugural flight took off from Chiang Mai International Airport at 8.45pm yesterday and landed in Korat at 10.15pm. The route will serve two flights per week. The outbound service from…

  • Nok Air explains shoddy evacuation of runaway plane in northern Thailand | Thaiger

    Nok Air explains shoddy evacuation of runaway plane in northern Thailand

    Nok Air has made a public statement apologising to passengers who sat on a Boeing 737-800 for over an hour after it skidded off Chiang Rai International Airport’s runway on Saturday evening. Several passengers have expressed dissatisfaction with the evacuation procedure. Nok Air said the safety of passengers was the airline’s “highest priority.” The airline said the reason it took…

  • Celebrity among thousands of tourists on holiday in Koh Chang | Thaiger

    Celebrity among thousands of tourists on holiday in Koh Chang

    Eastern Thailand’s picturesque island of Koh Chang has been drawing tourists over Thailand’s long holiday weekend, including one celebrity. One of Thailand’s most famous actors, Nadech Kugimiya, was spotted at a show at the Klong Son Elephant camp yesterday. Nadech reportedly donated 160,000 baht for elephant feed. He posted photos and videos of his visit on Instagram. One video shows…

  • Russian airline Aeroflot resuming flights from Moscow to Phuket | Thaiger

    Russian airline Aeroflot resuming flights from Moscow to Phuket

    After halting flights due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Aeroflot is now planning on relaunching service from Russia to Phuket. The Russian airline will start its daily flight service from Moscow to Phuket on October 30, to shepherd Russians to the tropics to escape the cold of winter. Earlier this year, Aeroflot was joined with other Russian airlines in…

  • Travel packages mired by pricey airfare, slowing tourism recovery | Thaiger

    Travel packages mired by pricey airfare, slowing tourism recovery

    Many that have been eagerly awaiting the full reopening of Thailand and the return of tourism, did not anticipate the severe cost of airfare and travel packages that has come with it. Now, tourism recovery in Thailand is threatened by the staggeringly high cost to fly, pricing many would-be travellers out of the trip. The president of the Thai Travel…

  • Heavy rain kills 2 elephants at a Thailand national park | Thaiger

    Heavy rain kills 2 elephants at a Thailand national park

    Tragedy hit Khao Yai National Park this week when park rangers discovered the carcasses of two dead elephants among the rocks near Heo Narok Waterfall. Access now has been closed to the waterfall in Nakhon Ratchasima Province as rangers try to remove the bodies. Khao Yai National Park chief Chaiya Huaihongthong yesterday revealed that the elephants died as a result…

  • Mayor of Pattaya expects 80,000 tourists to visit Koh Larn this holiday | Thaiger

    Mayor of Pattaya expects 80,000 tourists to visit Koh Larn this holiday

    Pattaya is expected to be bustling with tourists from today until Sunday, in celebration of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun’s 70th birthday today. Mayor of Pattaya Poramet Ngampichet estimates that a whopping 80,000 tourists will travel to Koh Larn island off the coast of Pattaya in the eastern province of Chon Buri during the four-day royal birthday weekend from…

  • UPDATE: Body of foreigner found dead in Phuket is US man | Thaiger

    UPDATE: Body of foreigner found dead in Phuket is US man

    UPDATE: The foreigner’s body that was found in waters off Yanui Beach in Phuket’s main city district yesterday morning has been named as US citizen John Joseph Sheridan. The 74 year old’s body was discovered floating in the water after he apparently fell on sharp rocks and bled to death. Fisherman found Sheridan, from Pennsylvania, floating on the rocky part of the shore…

  • Thailand has 2 of the world’s most beautiful beaches, UK newspaper says | Thaiger

    Thailand has 2 of the world’s most beautiful beaches, UK newspaper says

    After all these years, Thailand continues to be renowned for its breathtaking beaches. Thailand has two of the “World’s 20 Most Beautiful Beaches” on a list published by UK’s Daily Star newspaper. Thailand’s Sunrise Beach was ranked in sixth place, and Maya Bay came in at 12th place on the list. Both beaches are located in South Thailand. Sunrise Beach is…

  • Pattaya’s Jomtien Beach planning temporary vendor zone | Thaiger

    Pattaya’s Jomtien Beach planning temporary vendor zone

    Pattaya officials have plans for a temporary solution to the drama over Jomtien Beach’s vendors. Earlier this year, a new stretch of the beach was created for tourists to enjoy. But merchants, local businesses, and hawkers quickly moved onto the area setting up stalls, tables, chairs, etc., denying access to people wanting to use the sandy area. Since then, the…

  • Samut observation tower to finally open after 10 years | Thaiger

    Samut observation tower to finally open after 10 years

    Construction work in Bangkok is historically slow, whether it is burying cables underground, opening new roads, or, in this case, the reopening of Samut Prakarn Observation Tower. Thirteen years after plans were drawn up and 10 years after construction work began the building will finally open to the public on August 22. Last month, a Facebook page, Must Share, ต้องแฉ…

  • Airbnb’s travel revolution plans for Thailand | Thaiger

    Airbnb’s travel revolution plans for Thailand

    Airbnb plans to be at the forefront of a travel revolution in Thailand now the kingdom has eased all of its entry restrictions. The US, California-based vacation rental company revealed that there was an increase of more than 180% in international travel searches in the first quarter of this year for stays in Thailand. Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, and…

  • Aviation industry eyes 33% recovery this year, 100% in 2024 | Thaiger

    Aviation industry eyes 33% recovery this year, 100% in 2024

    Airports of Thailand (AoT) says the aviation industry is making steady progress in recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic and is forecasting a full recovery by the end of 2024. The AoT believe that in a year and a half, airplane and passenger traffic will finally recover to the levels they were at in 2019. The current prediction is that flight…

  • Outbound tourism rebound slowed by Covid-19, rising costs | Thaiger

    Outbound tourism rebound slowed by Covid-19, rising costs

    The number of tourist arrivals into Thailand is slowly picking up, but tour operators are nervous about the near future outbound travel, with economic and health worries still a factor in worldwide travel. The president of the Thai Travel Agent Association said that the beginning of the rebound of outbound tourism has been kneecapped by a surge in new Covid-19…

  • Bangkok restaurant ranked 39th best in the world | Thaiger

    Bangkok restaurant ranked 39th best in the world

    A restaurant in Bangkok has been ranked 39th in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022. The restaurant, Sorn, has won two Michelin stars. A hotspot for fine dining, Sorn serves traditional southern Thai cuisine. Sorn’s head chef, known as ‘Chef Ice,’ received the award at a ceremony in London earlier this week. Chef Ice expressed his honour over winning the…

  • Indian tourists are picking up Phuket’s Old Town economy | Thaiger

    Indian tourists are picking up Phuket’s Old Town economy

    Phuket’s recovering tourism economy is picking up again thanks to Indian tourists. Indians have been the biggest tourist group in Phuket, and Thailand overall this year. Since May 1, over 72,000 Indian tourists have visited Phuket, according to the president of Phuket Old Town Tourism Community, Somyot Pathan. Phuket’s ‘Old Town’ in the main city district is a particular hotspot…