tourism
- Pattaya News
Pattaya official urges mayor to expand legal nightlife zone
A Pattaya official proposed that Mayor Poramase Ngampiches expand the city’s legal nightlife zone. Pattaya City Council member Damrongkiat Pinitkan made the proposal in a meeting on Friday. Damrongkiat argued that current zones, which have not changed since 2002, are archaic. Damrongkiat noted that rules only allow operators to run entertainment venues on the right side of Pattaya Third Road…
- Thailand Travel
Phuket welcomes 4 million tourists in 8 months
Phuket welcomed four million domestic and international visitors so far in 2022, pumping 66 billion baht into the economy, according to Deputy Governor Pichet Panapong. In recent months, top holidaymakers in Phuket include Indians (120,000 visitors from May – September) and Australians (around 60,000 visitors between May – September). Even with 3000 – 5000 tourists arriving on the island every…
- Thailand News
Military conscription in Russia could benefit Thailand’s economy
Thailand could be an attractive and realistic option for men fleeing military conscription in Russia. Reports say that men are fleeing Russia after President Vladimir Putin announced a plan to conscript 300,000 civilians into military service in Ukraine. Several European countries such as Lithuania have already closed their doors to Russian citizens, citing widespread support for Putin’s unprovoked invasion of…
- Bangkok News
Artists create sci-fi versions of Bangkok
Several artists are creating sci-fi versions of Bangkok in their work. Two filmmakers, a painter, and illustrators are imagining Bangkok with ghosts, AI, and snow in Bangkok. One filmmaker, Stephan Zlotescu, has produced a film about an AI robot falling in love with a woman in Bangkok. The AI takes over a man’s body to pursue the woman. The film,…
- Phuket News
Price hike in vegetables prior to Phuket Vegetarian Festival
Phuket is seeing a jump in its vegetable prices as the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival is coming up on September 26. The prices of many vegetables have shot up on average from five to 20 baht per kilogram. The prices on other vegetarian ingredients have bumped up as well. Vegetable prices usually increase in Phuket before and during the festival…
- Tourism News
New plans to expand Bangkok’s nightlife tourism
New plans are underway to help expand Bangkok’s nightlife tourism. Bangkok Governor Chadchar Sittipunt said yesterday that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is talking to experts about decorating some areas so they can become attractions. These are mainly spots in downtown areas and riverside zones, he said. Chadchart has also announced a plan for Bangkok to become a sister city of…
- Phuket News
TAT expects Phuket Vegetarian Festival to make over 3 billion baht
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) says it expects Phuket’s upcoming annual vegetarian festival to rake in more than 3 billion baht of visitor money this year. The festival will be held from September 26 to October 4. Some 81,429 travellers on 506 international flights are due to visit Phuket during the festival. Meanwhile, 110,165 domestic travellers are due to…
- World News
Cambodian officials consider new border pass scheme for Thais to Siem Reap
Cambodian officials are looking to boost tourism, and are mulling over a potential new scheme for Thais who live in provinces bordering Cambodia. The idea for the potential new scheme was brought up at a meeting on Monday. The scheme would allow Thais who have an official residence in any of the seven bordering provinces to travel by land to…
- Thailand Travel
Thailand to fly in Russian tourists on chartered flights this High Season
Unlike several European countries launching travel bans on Russia, Thailand is welcoming tourists from the former Soviet state with open arms this winter. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) unveiled plans this week to fly Russian tourists into Thailand via regular chartered flights to boost tourism revenue this High Season, which runs from November to February. In the years leading…
- Visa Information
Thailand officially grants longer stays to tourists with extended visa on arrival
Tourists arriving in Thailand will soon be permitted to stay in the kingdom for longer. Today, Government Spokesperson Traisulee Traisornkul announced that Thailand’s Cabinet had approved the temporary extension of both visa on arrival stays and visa exemption stays. The government hopes the extensions will stimulate tourism and the economy, which is still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic. Between October…
- Tourism News
Tourism is rebounding but travellers expected to spend less
A government spokesperson is saying that tourism is nearly back to pre-Covid levels, though the Ministry of Tourism and Sports expects travellers will spend less money than previously predicted. Since January, 5 million international travellers have now landed in Thailand, about half the amount the government forecasted by the end of the year. One million tourists entered during September, garnering…
- Phuket News
Shrines preparing for Phuket’s upcoming vegetarian festival
Phuket‘s annual vegetarian festival is right around the corner, coming up on September 26 to October 4. Now, city workers and volunteers are helping Chinese shrines prepare for the festival. Yesterday, teams helped scrub the forecourts of the main shrines participating in the celebration, including the Pud Jor and Jui Tui shrines in the main city district. Phuket’s Vice Governor…
- Northern Thailand News
Rain flooding likely to dampen third quarter flood of tourism
Thailand has been ecstatic to finally welcome back tourists – mostly – but now, after the pandemic, a new threat to tourism has emerged. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said it expects a normally profitable third quarter to be muted by the flooding in 21 provinces across Thailand. The floods are expected to affect corporate travel especially. Much of…
- World News
Thailand’s largest group of foreign tourists come from Malaysia
In July, Malaysians made up the largest portion of Thailand’s foreign arrivals, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Thailand welcomed 220,554 Malaysian tourists in July, most of them arriving via the land border crossing in Songkhla province. In a post-pandemic world, Malaysian travel to Thailand has never been easier, with the removal of Thailand Pass and insurance requirements. The…
- Tourism News
More tourists are venturing into rural Thailand, says Airbnb
Airbnb says more tourists in Thailand are opting for ‘off-the-beaten-track’ destinations, benefiting the environment and local economies. Thailand’s usual top tourist destinations are places with international airports – Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui and Phuket. According to Airbnb, more tourists are venturing out of these hubs and into “lesser-known” destinations such as Koh Lanta, Trat, Pai and Cha-Am. Koh Lanta…
- Krabi News
With Maya Bay closed to tourists, a group of dolphins shows up
Krabi’s iconic Maya Bay has been closed for the past few months to help its wildlife recover, and it appears to be working. On Friday, a group of about 10 bottlenose dolphins were spotted in the south of the Maya Bay by Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park staff. Maya Bay has been closed since August…
- Thailand News
Japan donates cute trains to Thailand, ready for public use next month
On Tuesday, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) conducted a trial run of a cute white and purple locomotive donated by Japan. It is one of 17 Kiha 183 passenger trains donated by the Hokkaido Railway Company, which will be used for short tourism routes as soon as next month. Governor of the SRT Nirut Maneephan said the trains will…
- Transport News
AirAsia X disagrees with government’s proposed tourism fee
AirAsia X’s chief executive disagrees with the Thai government’s proposal of a tourism fee on flights. Tony Fernandes, the acting group chief executive of AirAsia X says, instead, that the government should bank on the influx of travellers as aiding the economy. He says the tourism fee would be a smaller impact on the economy than an increase in tourism.…
- Tourism News
Small hotels call for looser regulations to allow them to be legal
Hot on the heels of the Ministry of Interior proposing to loosen laws that would let small hotels operate more simply as homestays, a coalition of hotel associations is calling for a relaxation of building guidelines that have made 20,000 small hotels illegal. The group of 10 hotel and tourism associations submitted a letter on June 29 to the prime…
- Pattaya News
Deputy Mayor says Pattaya’s Walking Street makeover almost finished
Following an inspection this week, Pattaya’s Deputy Mayor Manoch Nongyai has announced that the resurfacing of the city’s famous Walking Street is almost finished. Manoch, along with other authorities, inspected Walking Street on Wednesday. He said the resurfacing is about 95% complete, with only the street art left to complete. He added that advertising signs obstructing the street must be…
- Phuket News
Phuket Immigration reports over 100,000 Indian tourists since May
Even though Malaysia has now beaten India for its number of tourists to Thailand overall, Indians are still the biggest tourist group in Phuket. From May 1 to August 30, the island province saw 104,350 Indian tourists arrive on its shores, according to Phuket Immigration. This was out of a total of 436,326 foreign tourists that arrived in Phuket in…
- Tourism News
50 dogs join owners on pet-friendly flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai
Nok Air provided a chartered flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai allowing pet owners to bring their furry friends along with them. The flight, named ‘Paws Can Fly Season 1’ saw about 50 dogs tag along with their owners yesterday from Don Mueang International Airport to Chiang Mai International Airport. There were reportedly several influencers and actresses on the chartered…
- Phuket News
Annual vegetarian festival coming up in Phuket
For all the Thai cultural enthusiasts out there, brace yourself for Phuket’s annual vegetarian festival! On Monday, Phuket Vice Governor Amnuay Pitsuwan told local media after a meeting that this year’s Phuket Vegetarian Festival will be held from September 26 to October 4. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is known for its Ma Song. These spiritual devotees will self-mutilate, and slice their…
- Pattaya News
Two ladyboys allegedly rob Indian tourist who rejected their ‘services’ in Pattaya
An Indian tourist was robbed of 12,000 baht cash and other assets last night on Pattaya’s infamous Walking Street in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. He claims that two ladyboys robbed him after he rejected their “services.” At 12.16am today, 33 year old Vishal Vajbhaw went to Pattaya City Police Station to request the police’s help in tracking down the…
- Tourism News
Get freebies and special offers with this app launched by Tourism Authority of Thailand
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and partners have launched a mobile application called the “TAGTHAi Pass,” designed to be a handy tool for tourists to make the most out of their stay in the kingdom. Tourists who download the free TAGTHAi application will benefit from various freebies and deals. Not to be confused with the renounced Thailand Pass, the…
- Pattaya News
New rules drafted for Pattaya’s sea-walking tourists
Pattaya has drafted some new rules this week for ‘sea-walker’ tourists, a.k.a divers to protect its coral reefs. If the rules take effect, there will be codified underwater zones where divers can walk. These zones should have no coral, if possible. If it’s not possible to create entire zones with no coral, then divers won’t be allowed to come within…
- Tourism News
Thailand welcomed over 4 million foreign tourists this year, officials say
A Thai government spokesperson has said today that over 4 million foreign tourists have entered the kingdom this year. He said this number is expected to jump to 4.5 million within this month. The top five countries with the most tourists coming to Thailand, in order, are: Malaysia, India, Laos, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. The spokesperson, Anucha Burapachaisri, said…
- Pattaya News
More tourists are heading to Pattaya, but spending less cash, mayor says
As Thailand slowly rises from the ashes of Covid-19’s economic destruction, more foreign tourists are heading to Pattaya. The catch? They’re spending less money, according to the city’s mayor Poramet Ngampichet. Pattaya’s changing demographics in tourism may have something to do with the spending differences. The mayor said on Tuesday that this year, the million foreign tourists that have arrived…
- Koh Samui News
Koh Samui dwellers tell government to hurry & build bridge to mainland
Residents of Thailand’s island of Koh Samui are calling on the government to hurry up and build a bridge connecting the island to the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. Thai media reported yesterday that a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed to construct the bridge. Koh Samui dwellers are keeping a close eye on the bridge projects since ferry…
- World News
Tourism Malaysia visits Songkhla and Bangkok to lure Thais
As Thailand has lured more and more Malaysian tourists across the border for short-haul holidays, Malaysia started marketing tourism to Thai people as soon as the borders began to open again after the Covid-19 pandemic. Thailand added more train services across the border at Padang Besar into the country and Malaysia welcomed tours sent by Thai travel agents. Malaysia overtook…
