tourism
- Bangkok News
Tourism officials push to add Bangkok to “sandbox” travel scheme
Tourism officials are calling for Bangkok to be included in the new “sandbox” travel scheme which will allow foreign visitors who are vaccinated against Covid-19 to travel to specific tourist destinations that have reached herd immunity. Phuket and Koh Samui are set to reopen under the model in July. Tourism officials are now pushing for Bangkok to reopen under the…
- Tourism News
Phuket wants Chinese tourists to jump-start sandbox scheme
Phuket wants Chinese tourists to jump – start its sandbox scheme which will let vaccinated international visitors enter the Andaman island without undergoing quarantine as of July 1. The targetting of Chinese visitors comes after data revealed that they contributed to 1/5 of the pre-Covid economy. The move to allow tourists to enter without undergoing quarantine is important as officials…
- Phuket News
Phuket unemployment rates rise, average monthly income drops
With the lack of foreign tourists visiting Phuket, many tourism-dependent businesses have suffered. Officials have reported a spike in unemployment in Phuket and say average monthly income has dropped down to 1,900 baht. Government officials are now discussing potential measures for economic rehabilitation on the island province as well as the so-called “sandbox” travel scheme, which is expected to help…
- Thailand News
1,000 foreign tourists expected to travel to Koh Samui in July
Koh Samui may have 1,000 foreign visitors arrive on the island in July. As part of the “sandbox” tourism scheme, also set to launch in Phuket on July 1, allows tourists who are vaccinated against Covid-19 to travel to specific destinations in Thailand that have reached herd immunity. Thailand just launched its vaccination campaign a month ago. Now, both Koh…
- Phuket News
Phuket businesses welcome quarantine-free re-opening plan
Businesses on the southern island of Phuket have welcomed the government’s approval of a quarantine-free re-opening for vaccinated foreigners from July 1. From that date, Phuket will become the first province to waive mandatory quarantine for international arrivals who have been vaccinated against Covid-19. The re-opening is expected to generate over 84 billion baht. Like many parts of the country…
- Thailand News
Can Koh Pha Ngan’s Full Moon Party recover from Covid-19 hiatus?
After a year long hiatus, can Thailand’s world-famous Full Moon Party recover, or will it evolve in the post-Covid-19 era? Before April last year, Haad Rin Beach on Koh Pha Ngan was invaded each full moon by backpackers and partygoers. The beach hummed to the thump, thump of the music and the buckets of exotic cocktails (and plenty of other…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s richest man buys Pattaya hotel, expects tourism will rebound
Thailand’s richest man is expects tourism will rebound quickly. He’s so confident, that he’s now investing in hotels, including a hotel in Pattaya. Asset World Corp., the property arm of Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi’s TCC Group, purchased a Pattaya hotel this month. The company is now searching for more properties. With the drastic slowdown of international travel over the past…
- Tourism News
Phuket’s upcoming reopening aims to help residents avoid poverty
Phuket’s upcoming reopening in July is aimed at helping local residents avoid falling into poverty. According to Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong, the average monthly income of local residents before the Covid-19 pandemic sat at 43,000 baht per month. Now, Pichet says it has fallen to only 8,303 baht per month, signaling a drastic fall nearing the poverty line. “If…
- Thailand News
“We Travel Together” plan to boost domestic tourism expanded
Thai lawmakers are giving the third phase of the government’s “We Travel Together” scheme a green light to continue boosting domestic tourism. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha along with other lawmakers approved the scheme, titled “Rao Tiew Duay Kan” in Thai, which is a programme that subsidises hotel bookings. The scheme’s third phase is set to cover an additional 2 million people…
- Thailand News
Airlines in Thailand push for July reopening and quicker roll out of vaccinations for employees
Airline operators in Thailand are seeking a July reopening date and are pushing to get workers vaccinated against Covid-19 within the next 2 months, along the same timeline as many in the travel sector prepare for July’s anticipated launch of the “sandbox” scheme in Phuket. Under the sandbox model, vaccinated travellers will be able to travel to the island province…
- Phuket News
More on the “sandbox” plan to reopen Phuket to foreign tourists, idea to be pitched to CCSA
The so-called “sandbox” travel bubble idea, which would allow vaccinated travellers from certain low risk countries to enter Thailand without undergoing quarantine, will be pitched by the tourism officials at Friday’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration meeting. Phuket is set to be the first area to try out the sandbox model once the scheme is approved. If the CCSA moves…
- Covid-19 News
Thai hoteliers want Emergency Decree to be used to speed up vaccines
Thailand’s hoteliers are wanting the Emergency Decree to be used to speed up vaccinations to fast track the scheduled reopening of the country by July. They say PM Prayut should use the power of the decree to let companies import vaccines with the FDA helping the move by approving more vaccines at reasonable prices. William Heinecke, founder and chairman of…
- Tourism News
Phuket and Koh Samui request bulk deliveries of AstraZeneca Covid vaccines
Now Thailand’s Covid vaccine roll out has begun, it is starting to gather speed. The southern resort islands of Phuket and Koh Samui have made requests to the Public Health Ministry for enough doses to vaccinate the majority of the islands’ residents in anticipation of an early return to some semblance of tourism. Both holiday islands have a high reliance…
- Tourism News
“Samui Wonder Island” safe and sealed travel scheme to launch in July
Under the new safe and sealed foreign travel campaign “Samui Wonder Island,” foreign visitors will be able to visit Koh Samui under disease control measures starting in July. Travellers will undergo a rapid Covid-19 swab test on their second or third day at the alternative state quarantine hotel or resort. The results will come back within 3 hours. If the…
- Covid-19 News
Health minister says locals on Phuket and Koh Samui will be vaccinated before tourists return
Thailand’s health minister is reassuring the public that there will be enough vaccines to immunise locals, particularly on the popular holiday islands Phuket and Koh Samui, before Thailand reopens to foreign tourists. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says 800,000 doses of the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine arrived in Thailand over the weekend. He says 100,000 doses will go to Phuket and…
- Thailand News
Thai tourism operators want more stimulus plans in time for Songkran
Tourism operators are wanting the government to set forward more stimulus plans in time for the Thai new year of Songkran. Fearing a rather unprofitable holiday, they are asking the government to step up incentives in addition to the existing subsidy program. Yesterday the CCSA determined some basic guidelines for Songkran 2021. Thanapol Cheewarattanaporn, president of the Association of Domestic…
- Eastern Thailand News
Be a private island castaway on Koh Munnork, Thailand | VIDEO
Stranded on your very own private island in Thailand. Well, not quite stranded. Chris takes us on a tour of the relatively tiny Koh Munnork (Munnork Island), off the coast of Rayong in east Thailand. The prices for a stay on the private island vary and usually start around 10,000 baht a night but there’s always promotions on and, depending…
- Phuket News
“Sandbox” tourism scheme for foreign travellers in the works for Phuket
Tourism officials are working on what they’re calling the “sandbox,” a new pilot program to reopen Phuket and other destinations by the Andaman Sea to foreign visitors. The sandbox is like the “travel bubble” idea and would allow quarantine-free travel to certain areas. The sandbox model will be pitched to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration next Friday, Tourism and…
- Covid-19 News
The end is in sight: CCSA hints at October for lifting restrictions, re-opening Thailand
The Thai government’s Covid-19 task force says that, provided people continue to cooperate with efforts to keep the virus suppressed, the country will re-open fully by October and all restrictions will be lifted. The announcement brings a ray of hope to many, not least everyone in the tourism sector. Apisamai Srirangson from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration acknowledges that…
- Thailand News
Thailand tourism officials talk of potential travel bubble with China
With restrictions in Beijing easing and plans to issue digital Covid-19 vaccination certificates to Chinese nationals, there may soon be a travel bubble between Thailand and China, allowing those vaccinated against the coronavirus to travel between the countries without quarantine. Just yesterday, the Chinese government announced it would issue the digital certificates to help citizens travelling overseas, a move that…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand government hopes to reopen by October
Thailand is hoping to open its doors to the world by October this year, according to an assistant spokesperson at the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. But there are still several hoops to jump through, with the spokesperson treading carefully with her words. Apisamai Srirangsan made the announcement but said the revelation was just a goal and “not a set…
- Pattaya News
Extra doses of Covid vaccine lined up for tourist provinces
Thailand’s Culture Ministry and the Tourism and Sports Ministry says provinces considered major tourist destinations could be given extra doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. Culture Minister Itthiphol Kunplome says the government is being asked to agree to the proposal in order to boost residents’ confidence and help local economies. The chosen provinces included Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri (Pattaya), and…
- Covid-19 News
Travellers undergoing yacht quarantine to wear wristbands to track location and monitor health
Foreign tourists travelling to Thailand by yacht and undergoing the mandatory quarantine period onboard the vessel will be asked to wear a smart wristband to monitor their health and track their location. The Digital Economy Promotion Agency teamed up with Advanced Info Service, known as AIS, and Phuket tourism operators to launch the so-called “Digital Yacht Quarantine” programme. Apparently, tourist…
- Business News
Slow return of foreign tourism makes more redundancies inevitable – Airlines Association of Thailand
The president of the Airlines Association of Thailand says further layoffs in the sector are inevitable, due to the slow return of international tourism. In a Bangkok Post report, Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth says the sluggish revival of foreign tourism, now not expected until the last quarter of the year, means all carriers continue to face financial hardship. And while there was…
- Tourism News
Thai Air Asia urges government to re-open the country to foreign tourism
The low-cost carrier, Thai Air Asia, is calling on the government to accelerate the re-opening of the country to international tourism. TAA chief executive Santisuk Klongchaiya says Thailand risks losing its status as a regional hub if the country does not re-open soon in order to re-ignite tourism and airlines. According to a Bangkok Post report, he warns that Thailand…
- Thailand News
Thailand tourism sector seeks to reopen the country by July
The following was submitted by Open Thailand Safely, a campaign pushing the Thai government to reopen Thailand to international tourism by July 2021. Leading international tourism companies in Thailand have launched a campaign to reopen the country’s borders from 1 July 2021. The #OpenThailandSafely campaign was launched 2 March with the support of over 15 major companies including YAANA Ventures,…
- Tourism News
Covid-free Samui, Phangan, Tao offer tourism discounts until end of April
The Covid-free gulf islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao are offering special discounts and privileges to tourists until the end of April. Over 80 tourism operators are taking part in the scheme which can be accessed by clicking on www.samui-phangan-tao-speciallink.com. Surat Thani, which includes Koh Samui, is 1 of 4 provinces to receive the first delivery of…
- Phuket News
Thailand News Today | Covid passport talks, Thai Airways heads to court | March 2
In today’s Thailand News Today…. The island of Phuket has a firm plan to get its residents vaccinated leading up to an October opening for tourists, the Thai PM backs up his police over last Sunday’s protest violence and Thai Airway’s employee union criticises the changes to employee contracts. But the plan must be approved by the national government by…
- Covid-19 News
Phuket holds vaccine administration rehearsal as it waits for green light
Phuket is rehearsing procedures to ready themselves for the Covid‐19 vaccine administration green light. A rehearsal at Vachira Hospital’s Lan Muang Khao open area was held late yesterday to iron out any kinks in the administration process. Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong watched over the procedures along with other health officials. Pichet says the first vaccine round of 4,000 doses…
- Tourism News
Surveys show Thailand still one of the top holiday choices post-pandemic
The Stockholm office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand has conducted a survey in which 62% of respondents say they want to spend winter in Thailand provided restrictions are lifted. The top destinations are Phuket, Krabi and Khao Lak, followed by Koh Samui, Koh Pha-ngan, Koh Tao, Bangkok, and Hua Hin. 68% say they would cancel bookings if the 14-day…
