tourism
- Tourism News
“Visit Thailand Year 2022” tourism campaign launching
“Visit Thailand Year 2022” has been approved by the Cabinet as a new tourism campaign as the CCSA creates a special panel to address tourism industry problems due to Covid-19. The campaign is following PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s goal of bringing back the ailing industry according to Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakan who proposed the programme for the cabinet’s…
- World News
First international tourist group arrives in Vietnam since start of the pandemic
After a two-year hiatus due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the first group of 29 international tourists has arrived at Da Nang Airport in Quang Nam province, under the vaccine passport programme. The Vietnam Airlines charter flight which departed Incheon Airport in South Korea boarded nationals from Australia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, South…
- Thailand News
Boost in tourism expected over Loy Krathong Festival
The Tourism Authority of Thailand said that they are anticipating a slight boost in tourism for this year’s Loy Krathong Festival. While still much quieter than in the days before the pandemic, this year a bit more travelling and tourism related to the event are expected than last year. The TAT estimates that tourists throughout the country will spend around…
- Tourism News
Emirates A380 to return to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi to meet increased demand
The A380 is to return to the skies over Bangkok as Emirates upgrades capacity on flights to the capital to meet increased demand. TTR Weekly reports that Thailand’s recent re-opening to vaccinated tourists from approved countries has led to strong demand, with around 10,000 arrivals registered at Suvarnabhumi every day. In order to add capacity and frequency to its services,…
- Tourism News
New Thailand tourism music video features PM Prayut
The Thai Khu Fah Facebook page that is run by the government to encourage tourism has launched a new music video starring PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. The video features photos of the prime minister and the group of government officials that accompanied him on a recent trip to Nopparat Beach in Krabi. The pictures and video of the prime minister on…
- Thailand News
Cabinet approves plan to revive tourism in provinces along the Andaman Sea
A multibillion baht development plan for the Andaman provinces was approved yesterday by the Thai Cabinet. This plan will apply to the six provinces in Southern Thailand along the Andaman Sea, and will be focused on encouraging economic development and social programmes in the region. 32 different projects will be funded in the Phuket, Phang Nga, Trang, Ranong and Satun…
- World News
South East Asia gradually re-opening to vaccinated foreign arrivals
With Thailand now open to vaccinated travellers from 63 approved countries, the rest of South East Asia is preparing to follow suit. According to a TTR Weekly report, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Cambodia all have their own variations on a re-opening plan. In Vietnam, the resort island of Phu Quoc will re-open later this month for fully vaccinated foreign…
- Phuket News
Phuket’s Bangla Road inspected by national and local health officials
Health officials went to Phuket’s Bangla Road, but not for a beer. The deputy director of Thailand’s Department of Health went to Phuket and inspect the famed walking street in person, reviewing Covid-19 prevention measures. While bars and nightclubs are ordered to be closed nationwide, photos from the provincial health office show bars are the street packed with people, and…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s southernmost town Betong to reopen to tourism
Neighboring Malaysia, Betong in southern Thailand will reopen for sightseeing tourists from December 1. The Yala provincial governor says that over 70 percent of residents are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Several renowned tourist attractions in the region, including the Anyorweng skywalk, hot springs, historical Malayan communist tunnel, and flower fields, have been prepared to welcome guests adhering to anti-Covid measures,…
- World News
Singapore looks to Esports to help reboot tourism
As Singapore slowly reopens to foreign travellers, the country is hoping that Esports might be a new way to attract more tourists back to the island. Singapore has invested heavily in both digital and physical infrastructure, and has become Southeast Asia’s primary hub for Esports viewing and revenue, according to Bloomberg. Dr. Tan See Leng, Minister of Manpower and Second…
- Tourism News
Only 8 foreign tourists visit Hua Hin since November 1 reopening
Despite Thailand’s reopening, the beach destination of Hua Hin is still extremely quiet. The country officially reopened its borders on November 1, and has seen almost 45,000 international visitors arrive in the last two weeks. But in that time, the town of Hua Hin has seen only 8 foreigners arrive. Hua Hin has historically been a popular beach town in…
- Tourism News
Thai PM “pleased” with increase in tourist numbers since November 1 re-opening
A government spokesman says the Thai PM is pleased with the rise in tourist numbers since the country re-opened with minimal quarantine on November 1. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says that since then, Thailand has welcomed 44,774 foreign visitors to the kingdom. According to a Bangkok Post report, 31,666 of those arrived under the new Test and Go scheme, open to vaccinated…
- Tourism News
Pattaya sees big tourism growth, but mostly domestic
Pattaya has been frustrated for being passed over for an exemption from the national alcohol ban that other tourist areas like Phuket have received as a tourism “Blue Zone”, but nevertheless, one of Thailand’s most popular resort cities is seeing tourism slowly emerge from its Covid-19 pandemic induced slumber. With a menu of events through the end of the year,…
- Tourism News
Phuket post-Sandbox arrivals double, surge in domestic tourism
Thailand has only been reopened for 2 weeks, but the Phuket Sandbox was the tourism experiment that started it all. And though Phuket has been welcoming international travellers since way back in July, the November 1 reopening saw a noticeable boost in arriving visitors, both foreign and domestic. The Sandbox scheme that required a soft quarantine where travellers could roam…
- Tourism News
Thai flights up 25%, experts suggest travel bubbles, cheaper Covid tests
Thailand’s reopening isn’t just a boost for Thai tourism businesses; it also provided a ray of hope in Asia for the battered airline industry as the first reopening in the region. The Executive Chairman of Thai AirAsia’s largest shareholder, Asia Aviation, says this sets the tone for flights, the tourism economy, and businesses in the country. Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok,…
- Tourism News
Tourism in Thailand is slowly returning, still a long road ahead
Though the government’s expected flood of tourists entering Thailand since the reopening 2 weeks ago has been closer to a trickle, businesses are seeing a bit of an uptick in tourism. Still, they are calling on the government to loosen Covid-19 restrictions and asking for federal financial programs to be extended and expanded to help speed recovery. The president of…
- World News
Bangkok Airways to resume flights between Suvarnabhumi and Phnom Penh
Bangkok Airways has confirmed it will resume flights to Cambodia from December, with a service between Suvarnabhumi airport and Phnom Penh. TTR Weekly reports that the announcement follows an earlier sales email from the carrier’s Phnom Penh office that promoted one-way fares to Bangkok. An Airbus A320 will operate the route 4 times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and…
- Tourism News
Government considers easing entry rules, antigen testing may replace PCR test
In anticipation of more international arrivals in the coming months, the Thai government is reviewing current entry requirements. According to a Bangkok Post report, officials may replace the PCR test with antigen test kits and rules could be relaxed for people unfortunate enough to have sat near an infected passenger during their flight. Any amendment of the current rules would…
- Business News
Air Asia boss: Recovery in 3 months if countries ditch quarantine, testing
The chief executive of the Air Asia Group says the aviation sector could return to normal in about 3 months, if governments ditch quarantine and PCR testing. Tony Fernandes says if countries can re-open without such requirements, demand will rise significantly. According to a Bangkok Post report, Air Asia has sold over 300,000 tickets to Langkawi since the island re-opened.…
- Phuket News
Phuket seafood festival and promotional event aimed at drawing in tourists
In another attempt to draw tourists back to Phuket, a seafood festival with live music is being held at the end of the month, which local tourism officials say will make the island’s attractions and activities more “colourful.” The Phuket tourism office is also holding a promotional event early next month focused on boosting tourist confidence with information on health…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya sees no tourism boost so far, looks ahead to events
The tourism sector in Pattaya is looking to the near future after they say no new international tourists have been seen in the first few days of Thailand’s reopening so far. Tourism businesses say that they’re seeing domestic travellers coming for weekend trips and long holidays, and the heads of the industry say they don’t foresee numbers to increase for…
- Tourism News
Thailand reopening sees 13,000 travellers, 10 Covid-19 infections
After the first 4 days of Thailand’s big reopening, over 13,000 people have arrived with just 10 of those travellers testing positive for Covid-19. According to the Director of Risk Communication and Health Behavior Development Bureau from the Ministry of Public Health Dr Sumanee Watcharasin, 13,229 people have entered Thailand in the last 4 days, and 10 international travellers –…
- Economy News
4 new holidays in Thailand hoped to stimulate domestic travel
Apparently in an effort to boost tourism revenue in Thailand, the Thai Cabinet has approved the creation of 4 new holidays in the middle of next year that allows for extra-long weekends. The government hopes that the creation of these long holiday weekends will encourage domestic travellers to take short getaway holidays around Thailand and stimulate the economy. The move…
- Tourism News
Soft tourism openings expected for Hua Hin and Cha-am in last quarter of 2021
The Tourism Authority of Thailand expects a soft re-opening for the holiday destinations of Hua Hin and Cha-am during the last quarter of 2021. In total, deputy TAT governor Nithee Seeprae says both resort cities are only expected to receive 5% of 2019’s foreign tourist numbers. According to a Bangkok Post report, he says foreign tourists cannot stay in either…
- Thailand News
PM Prayut urges a new Thailand focused on tourism, sustainability
As the reopening of Thailand cranks the doors open wide to international travellers after cracking it open with Sandbox schemes over the past 4 months, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is focusing on tourism in reimagining Thailand moving forward. PM Prayut has called for all sectors of the nation to come together to transform the country in the “new normal” with tourism…
- Tourism News
Airbnb reports surge in Thailand accommodation searches since re-opening
The accommodation website Airbnb has reported a spike in searches for properties in Thailand, following the country’s re-opening to vaccinated tourists from select countries. Searches for Thai accommodation over the next 6 months are double those of a year ago, with searches for villas being the most popular. The Bangkok Post reports that in terms of location, Phuket, Bangkok, Koh…
- Thailand News
Department of Health begs for responsible drinking in restaurants
The Department of Health is warning people that the permission granted to serve alcohol in restaurants in key tourist destinations must be used responsibly without people overdoing the boozing. They are asking restaurants not to serve drinks after the allowed hours and asking patrons to not overdo their drinking. Now that the government has dedicated Blue Zones for the primary…
- Business News
More cuts at Thai Airways as flagship carrier continues rehab process
The chairman of the Thai Airways rehabilitation plan says the airline is making good progress with cost-cutting exercises. Piyasvasti Amranand says Thailand’s national carrier has managed to recover 44.8 billion baht by cutting its workforce and ending aircraft lease agreements. “Thai Airways’ operational performance has progressed satisfactorily in many aspects, including cost reduction and organisational restructuring.” According to a TTR…
- Phuket News
Thailand’s reopening expect to boost Phuket’s tourism industry
The reopening of Thailand on Monday is expected to boost Phuket’s hard-hit tourism industry. Yesterday, the President of the Phuket Tourism Association said that the island is expected to receive up to 10,000 visitors a day in December, and as many as 1 million arrivals in the first quarter of 2022. This comes after the recent Airports of Thailand announcement…
- Things To Do
Bangkok’s most interesting museums
Bangkok has many places that are quite interesting, and for those who like a bit of history, its museums don’t disappoint. From outdoor wonderlands with rich, cultural finds, to indoor adventures into Thailand’s past, we have selected some of the city’s top museums in which to see. 1. National Museum King Rama V founded the National Museum back in 1887,…
