tourism
- Phuket News
Greek travellers in Phuket claim 200,000 baht in cash was stolen from their car
A Greek family on a trip to Phuket claims around 200,000 baht in cash was stolen. Thai media reports that the family of five is asking for the money to be returned and are even promising to give the thief 500 euros if they return the cash. The family filed a report with the police and asked the hotel to…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya travel roadshow to visit Saudi Arabia with PM
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed tourism businesses in Pattaya to prepare a travel roadshow for upcoming ministerial visits to Saudi Arabia in order to promote tourism and develop relations between the two nations. Following the directive, governor Yuthasak Supasorn of The Tourism Authority Thailand met with the local entrepreneurs group “One Voice” to reveal the PM’s trip to Saudi Arabia…
- Tourism News
Tomorrow, Thailand opens its borders to the world (terms & conditions apply)
Thailand’s Test & Go entry scheme returns tomorrow after a short hiatus, during which it’s had a makeover. The scheme is now open to travellers from every country in the world and not just the previous 63 approved countries. Great news! However, travellers will now have to take not 1, not 2, but 3 PCR tests in order to participate…
- Travel
Common expat varieties in Thailand 2022
Thailand has a lot to offer and it’s no surprise why so many foreigners want to live here. Some folks come for a short vacation and never want to leave. Despite the pandemic, it seems like the amount of expats is growing every year and they come from all over the world. So here’s shortlist of the most common expats…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Officials unable to extradite Red Bull heir
Prosecutors say time is running out to prosecute fugitive Red Bull heir, Vorayuth Yoovidhya, and that they’re unable to extradite him…because they don’t know what address to write down in the extradition warrant. The heir to the Red Bull energy drink empire was charged on 2 counts in the death of a Bangkok police officer killed in a hit-and-run collision…
- Thailand News
Thailand and India strengthen relations, plans to work together on trade, tourism
After a break, Thailand and India plan to work together on trade, maritime activity, and tourism. In an interview with the Bangkok Post, India’s ambassador in Thailand said it was important to remember the overlaps between the two countries in culture, language, and religion. Earlier this month, the Indian embassy launched a competition for the best logo promoting bilateral relations…
- Eastern Thailand News
Tourists turn their backs on Rayong over 330 baht antigen testing requirement
Tourists have hit back at the eastern province of Rayong after officials imposed a mandatory antigen testing requirement on all visitors. According to a Nation Thailand report, all arrivals in the province must have a negative antigen test result, certified by a doctor, no more than 72 hours before arrival. Tourists have expressed their anger on social media, with most…
- Tourism News
Thailand tourism industry hopeful with the return of Test & Go
With the reintroduction of the Test & Go program, that allows fully vaccinated people to enter Thailand with a Day1 and Day 5 PCR test, businesses in the tourism industry are hopeful for a more sustained growth in international travellers from February and beyond. The program was reinstated, albeit with some revisions that were not met with a particularly welcoming…
- Tourism News
UPDATE: Thailand’s Test & Go is back on for travel starting February 1
The Thailand Pass Test & Go program has been rebooted, and vaccinated travellers will be able to register for (almost) quarantine-free entry to Thailand re-starting February 1. There have been slight revisions to the rules, now requiring travellers to have proof of an SHA+ hotel booking on the first and fifth day of their stay in Thailand when they will…
- Tourism News
Thailand’s Test & Go registration reintroduced for travel starting February 1
Test & Go is back on, and vaccinated travellers will be able to register for (almost) quarantine-free entry to Thailand re-starting February 1. There have been slight revisions to the rules, now requiring travellers to have proof of their hotel booking on the first and fifth day of their stay in Thailand when they will undergo RT-PCR tests. In the…
- Tourism News
Hotels call for Covid-19 land and building tax cuts to be extended
The hotel industry is asking the government to extend a land and building tax cut that was enacted in June of 2020, citing the continuation of the Covid-19 pandemic with no economic recovery in sight. They requested the 90% tax cut be extended for 2 more years, or, failing that, enact a new tax cut of 70 to 80% to…
- Travel
Survival Guide: 6 things you need to know about Thai culture
Every country has its own culture and a way of doing things. Thailand is no different. Thais are typically friendly, polite and down to earth. They greet each other respectfully and are quick to apologise for even the smallest of things. If you’ve been to Thailand for any amount of time, then you would have heard some basic guidelines for…
- Tourism News
The return of Test & Go? Health Minister to propose entry scheme be restored
Thailand’s Public Health Minister says he’s backing the restoration of the Test & Go entry scheme as concerns about the Omicron variant subside. Test & Go was suspended around 4 weeks ago as the highly-contagious Covid-19 variant spread around the globe. Now, Anutin Charnvirakul says he’ll ask the CCSA to consider bringing it back, as well as easing a number…
- Tourism News
Tourists unsure about new 300-baht fee, question how money will be spent
The jury’s out on Thailand’s new 300-baht tourism fee, with foreigners expressing reservations about its introduction. The Thai government has confirmed that all overseas arrivals will have to pay the 300-baht levy from April. Speaking to the Bangkok Post, a number of foreigners have questioned how the money will be spent. Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana has previously stated that the…
- Tourism News
Covid-19 infection rate, totals in international travellers surging
While the government suspended the Test & Go scheme in order to curb the spread of the Omicron variant last month, people who are already approved are still trickling in, and many have come as part of the Sandbox programme. Despite throttling the influx of international travellers, the number of Covid-19 infections brought in from abroad has been steadily rising,…
- Tourism News
Thailand continues pushing for tourism revenue despite Covid-19
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has urged all government agencies to get behind the “Amazing Thailand New Chapter” tourism campaign being readied for launch by the end of January. According to a government spokesperson, the administration is pushing forward with tourism plans that the floundering economy so desperately needs, despite the growing spread of the Omicron variant and Covid-19 infections across the…
- Tourism News
Tourism operators call on government to delay introduction of 300-baht entry fee
Tourism operators are calling on the Thai government to delay the introduction of a 300-baht tourism fee to give the sector time to recover. The fee is due to take effect from April, with the Bangkok Post reporting that it will apply to foreigners arriving in the kingdom by land, sea, and air. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi from the Thai Hotels…
- Phuket News
Phuket seeing healthy tourism demand, with 4,000 Thailand Pass applications a day
The president of the Phuket Tourism Association says the island is proving popular with foreign tourists, receiving 4,000 applications a day through the Thailand Pass system. Bhummikitti Ruktaengam says most of those visitors are from Germany, Russia, Kazakhstan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and France. Bhummikitti credits the success of the island’s Covid-19 measures for inspiring confidence among foreign…
- Phuket News
Thailand adds three Sandbox destinations to take some pressure off Phuket
Aside from Phuket, vaccinated travellers can now travel to three prominent beach resorts in Thailand – Krabi, Phang Nga, and Koh Samui – under the Sandbox tourism programme, which allows foreign tourists to enter the kingdom without undergoing a strict and lengthy quarantine. With the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme suspended indefinitely, allowing the three destinations to welcome foreign…
- World News
Laos PM visited Vietnam’s capital for three days to enchance bilateral relations
Laos Prime Minster, Phankham Viphavanh, has visited Hanoi for three days to meet with Vietnam’s Pham Minh Chinh on Saturday to enhance bilateral relations between the two nations, according to official reports. The two leaders then discussed ways to improve economic cooperation and agreed to increase connections between their economies, particularly through land-road, railway, aviation, and marine port projects, including…
- Bangkok News
Tourism officials warn that 7 billion baht could be lost due to suspension of Test & Go
Tourism officials warn that at least 7 billion baht of revenue will be lost in Thailand’s tourism sector this month if the suspension of the “Test & Go” scheme continues. The president of the Tourism Council of Thailand says that putting a hold on the scheme will not only have an effect on tourism in the short term, but it…
- Covid-19 News
Restaurant alcohol sales, tightening quarantine on CCSA agenda today
It’s an all-too familiar scenario at this stage, and one that will have restaurateurs and others in the hospitality and tourism sectors putting their heads in their hands. While we must emphasise that nothing is confirmed yet, the CCSA meets today to consider a number of tough curbs proposed by the Public Health Ministry. Based on Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s…
- Tourism News
Thailand sees 32,627 travellers in 2022, Russians top the list
As the future of the Thailand reopening hangs in the balance, travellers rushed to get into the country before the doors are pulled shut any further. Russia led the entries into the Kingdom with a few surprising countries making the top 10 list. 32,627 people have entered the country this year, from January 1 to January 4, bringing with them…
- Tourism News
No confirmed date for resumption of Test & Go as Omicron infections spread
The government currently has no plans to resume the Test & Go scheme, which allows vaccinated travellers from approved countries to enter Thailand with minimal quarantine. Travellers who have already been approved for the Thailand Pass through Test & Go must enter the country by January 10. After that, the only way in will be through the sandbox scheme, currently…
- Events
Tourists flock to Koh Phangan for New Year’s beach party
Expats and tourists are flocking to Koh Phangan for the legendary Full Moon Countdown New Year’s party on Haad Rin Beach, packing ferries and overwhelming some in the tourism industry after a quiet two years due to the pandemic. While many hostels and hotels remain shuttered, those that are open are reporting to be sold out and in some cases…
- Tourism News
Tourist Police launch “New Year New Normal 2022” campaign
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has a never-ending cavalcade of exciting new promotion plans to attract top travellers to the country. Now the Tourist Police Bureau is getting in on the act, launching “New Year New Normal 2022” focused on highlighting travel safety in Thailand. The plan will include more personnel on duty to assist any travellers in need, as…
- Tourism News
New Year glass half-empty for TAT due to Omicron variant
The normally optimistic Tourism Authority of Thailand is feeling slightly more downbeat amid concerns about a potential Omicron outbreak. TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn says the threat of another Covid-19 outbreak is affecting travel sentiment. According to a Bangkok Post report, he expects New Year travel to generate just 8.04 billion baht in domestic tourism revenue. “Concerns over a possible outbreak…
- World News
Christmas and New Year travel woes continue around the world
Worldwide, the travel misery lingers with Christmas in the rear view mirror but the new year holiday ahead. Another 1,300+ flights have been cancelled for Monday – Chinese and US destinations are the worst affected, according to FlightAware. The majority of the flights cancelled in China include 366 flights by China Eastern and another 127 from Air China. The most…
- Thailand News
8 Christmas gifts to bring back with you after travelling Thailand
If you are spending Christmas in Thailand, you may be wondering what to gift to your friends and family, especially as Thailand is a Buddhist nation. Although Christmas festivities and decor are on the rise in the country, it can still be tricky to find a Christmas gift for someone from your travels. Here, we have a list of some…
- Tourism News
Hotel operators blame government’s faulty tracking apps for Israeli tourist escape
The recent case of an Israeli tourist who fled his hotel before he’d received the results of his PCR test can be blamed on faulty tracking apps. So says Angkana Tanetvisetkul from Phuket’s Kata Karon Hotel Association. According to a Bangkok Post report, she believes the current entry requirements involve too many apps that don’t work together – sometimes they…
