tourism

  • Tourism NewsJuly Songkran plans pushed back to later in the year
    Caitlin AshworthWednesday, June 24, 2020
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    July Songkran plans pushed back to later in the year

    People won’t be throwing or spraying water on each other next month. Celebrations for Thailand’s New Year – Songkran – were rumoured to be moved from April to July, but a 3 day soaking wet holiday might not happen until later this year. The large water celebrations could even be separated to be on non-consecutive days, according to a source in…

  • Covid-19 NewsCCSA officials plan to allow 7 groups of foreigners to enter Thailand
    Caitlin AshworthMonday, June 22, 2020
    12 274

    CCSA officials plan to allow 7 groups of foreigners to enter Thailand

    Authorities are still trying to figure out who will be allowed to enter Thailand, and how it should be handled. But today the government narrowed it down to 7 groups of foreigners, some under the developing ‘travel bubble’ scheme, and others that may require quarantine. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration still plans to discuss the proposed groups with government…

  • Covid-19 NewsBangkok’s revamped Khaosan Road may reopen in August, without international tourists
    Maya TaylorMonday, June 22, 2020
    2 401

    Bangkok’s revamped Khaosan Road may reopen in August, without international tourists

    Bangkok’s Khaosan Road, for decades a pilgrimage for backpackers from all over the world, looks set to reopen in August. A well-loved tourist mecca for browsing, eating and night life, the thoroughfare has undergone a revamp during lock-down, and now boasts a new road surface, traffic barriers and newly-planted trees. Similar work is planned for the city’s Kraisi, Rambuttri and…

  • Covid-19 NewsHealth minister wants travel bubbles to begin in July, but not for tourists
    ThaigerSaturday, June 20, 2020
    4 284

    Health minister wants travel bubbles to begin in July, but not for tourists

    “No one will be allowed to arrive masquerading as a businessperson in order to go on holiday.” Thailand’s public health minister and deputy PM Anutin Charnvirakul said yesterday that businesspeople, international students and ‘experts’ will be the first groups of foreigners allowed to reenter Thailand next month under the travel bubble model. Anutin revealed the timetable after discussing a travel…

  • Covid-19 NewsInternational flight talks resume as “travel bubble” debate rages on
    Maya TaylorThursday, June 18, 2020
    0 258

    International flight talks resume as “travel bubble” debate rages on

    “There must be thorough discussions, which may continue into next month.” As the Thai government mulls the possibility of “travel bubbles” with countries where Covid-19 appears under control, aviation representatives are talking with commercial airlines about a potential return to international services. Limited domestic flights have been operating again since May, with the exception of Phuket, which resumed its domestic…

  • Covid-19 NewsResorts lower prices, offer promos for post-pandemic holidays
    Caitlin AshworthThursday, June 18, 2020
    2 259

    Resorts lower prices, offer promos for post-pandemic holidays

    Hotels are ready to face off. After months of vacant rooms, prices are being cut to entice domestic tourists to book a post-pandemic holiday. Now provincial restrictions have been mostly removed Depending on the province and risk of coronavirus transmissions, some hotels were ordered to close their doors completely. Now restrictions are being lifted and domestic travel is picking up…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai government still working on criteria for travel bubble arrangements
    Maya TaylorThursday, June 18, 2020
    1 233

    Thai government still working on criteria for travel bubble arrangements

    Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says he has appointed “two senior figures” to determine the criteria for “travel bubble” agreements with other countries. According to a report in Nation Thailand, the Public Health ministry’s permanent secretary Dr Supakit Sirilak, and the director-general of the Department of Disease Control, Dr. Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, will set the conditions that must be met for…

  • Covid-19 NewsTravel bubble idea up in the air, no foreign tourists anytime soon
    Caitlin AshworthThursday, June 18, 2020
    2 218

    Travel bubble idea up in the air, no foreign tourists anytime soon

    Don’t get your hopes up about international travel. Tourism in and out of Thailand won’t be happening anytime soon, officials said yesterday. The idea of “travel bubbles” has floated by, but the plans are still up in the air. The public health minister says he’ll propose a solid plan next week. The Thai government is making it clear that they…

  • Covid-19 NewsBillions of baht thrown at domestic tourism
    Caitlin AshworthWednesday, June 17, 2020
    2 210

    Billions of baht thrown at domestic tourism

    The coronavirus pandemic has nearly killed tourism in Thailand. Now, Thai authorities are giving some life to domestic travel by rewarding health volunteers with a free holiday as well as subsidising hotel and transportation costs. 3 stimulus packages worth 22.4 billion baht are planned to boost up the industry and are set to run from July to October. The money comes…

  • Covid-19 NewsNot so fast, Thailand’s international flight ban might be extended
    Caitlin AshworthWednesday, June 17, 2020
    0 278

    Not so fast, Thailand’s international flight ban might be extended

    Commercial international flights may have to wait a little longer to get back in the air. Scheduled international flights in and out of Thailand were geared to take off by July 1, but aviation authorities are wary about opening the country back up again. They say, if anything, those traveling for business will be the first group allowed to enter…

  • Covid-19 NewsAviation authorities to talk about the return of international flights, business trips first
    Caitlin AshworthTuesday, June 16, 2020
    3 249

    Aviation authorities to talk about the return of international flights, business trips first

    Aviation authorities will talk to international airlines today about resuming flights into Thailand. So far, business trips will be allowed first and tourists from low-risk countries while be allowed later. More details about the re-opening of Thailand’s borders will be discussed at a CCSA meeting tomorrow. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, or CAAT, will discuss safety measures to prevent…

  • Tourism NewsBubble, bubble, toil and trouble – Thailand’s international travel quandary
    Tim NewtonTuesday, June 16, 2020
    3 325

    Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble – Thailand’s international travel quandary

    With apologies to William Shakespeare. You’re going to hear a lot more about travel bubbles in the next few months. Indeed it will become the ‘new normal’ in the short-term for Thailand’s battered tourism and hospitality industry. The world is NOT going to magically re-open up and travel as they did before, at least not in the next few years.…

  • Covid-19 NewsUp to 1,000 foreigners per day with smart phone tracking – plan to open Thailand up to foreigners
    Caitlin AshworthMonday, June 15, 2020
    9 334

    Up to 1,000 foreigners per day with smart phone tracking – plan to open Thailand up to foreigners

    If approved by authorities, foreigners from low-risk countries will be allowed to enter the country and travel in so-called “travel bubbles” without going through the 14 day quarantine period. They’ll be tracked through a smart phone application to make sure they stay in their “bubble.” The plan is being prepared for an approval from the Centre of Covid-19 Situation Administration…

  • Covid-19 NewsBorders start to reopen in Europe but restrictions on free travel remain
    Maya TaylorMonday, June 15, 2020
    1 259

    Borders start to reopen in Europe but restrictions on free travel remain

    From today, a number of European countries will tentatively open their borders to some travellers, but total freedom of movement is still a long way off. The 22 EU countries, that are members of the Schengen area, normally enjoy restriction-free border crossings, but Covid-19 has put an end to that for now, and while some are opening up strict controls…

  • Thailand NewsPrepare for delays in re-opening international borders
    ThaigerTuesday, June 9, 2020
    1 277

    Prepare for delays in re-opening international borders

    “The third or fourth quarter of 2020.” That’s as precise as deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak could say when Thailand would re-open its borders for foreign tourists. “…priority will be given to those arriving from coronavirus-free areas.” Mr. Somkid says that relaxing inbound travel restrictions is the first step to kickstart Thailand’s tourism industry. “The government has to be prudent in…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand’s tourism and MICE business will first reboot with low-risk countries
    ThaigerMonday, June 8, 2020
    2 319

    Thailand’s tourism and MICE business will first reboot with low-risk countries

    When Thailand’s international borders are prised open, sometime after July 1 this year (that’s the current date anyway), the first tourists and travellers are likely to come from a select group of fellow Asian nations who have had either low Covid-19 cases or been able to manage the number of cases to low, manageable levels. Countries like Vietnam, Taiwan, South…

  • Covid-19 NewsHealth department urges strict “new normal” measures at beaches
    ThaigerSunday, June 7, 2020
    0 286

    Health department urges strict “new normal” measures at beaches

    With Phase 3 of the easing of lockdown measures across Thailand, many beaches across Thailand were allowed to reopen, including Chon Buri’s popular Bang Saen beach, which was flooded with so many visitors that traffic came to a halt and police ordered the beach temporarily re-closed. And beaches in Phuket are set to reopen this Tuesday, as the island has…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand to rebrand itself as “trusted” tourist destination
    ThaigerSaturday, June 6, 2020
    5 261

    Thailand to rebrand itself as “trusted” tourist destination

    Tourism in Thailand, like most of the world, has been devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns and travel restrictions. Now, though, capitalising on its relative success in containing the outbreak, Thailand is preparing to position itself as a “trusted” destination for international tourists after travel restrictions ease. As the first country to report a Covid-19 virus case…

  • South Thailand NewsMonkeys drown in water tank after food and water shortage
    Caitlin AshworthFriday, June 5, 2020
    0 254

    Monkeys drown in water tank after food and water shortage

    15 monkeys were found dead in a water tank yesterday in Songkhla, near the Malaysian border. The province’s long-tailed macaque monkeys are facing a food shortage due to the lack of tourists in the area. Officials say the monkeys found yesterday must have been thirsty when they jumped in the 3 metre deep tank and drowned. There hasn’t been much rain in…

  • Covid-19 NewsTAT will use domestic tourism as dress rehearsal for international returns
    ThaigerThursday, June 4, 2020
    2 227

    TAT will use domestic tourism as dress rehearsal for international returns

    “…the tourism sector will continue to be stifled by disease control measures until a Covid-19 vaccine is developed.” Due to the current ban on international arrivals, extended several times and now in effect until at least July, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has created a strategy to support domestic tourism and “learn from the experience”, as it eases into the…

  • Environment NewsUnemployed elephants: Some return to the wild, others sent to work in logging business
    Caitlin AshworthWednesday, May 27, 2020
    0 244

    Unemployed elephants: Some return to the wild, others sent to work in logging business

    The drop in tourism has had a huge impact on the elephants in Northern Thailand, leaving many elephants, you could say, unemployed. While some elephants are out of business and been taken back to their natural habitat, others are struggling in captivity and might be sent off to work in animal labour which some people may deem as unethical. A reporter…

  • Covid-19 NewsBank report predicts extended timeframe for Thai tourism recovery
    ThaigerWednesday, May 27, 2020
    2 431

    Bank report predicts extended timeframe for Thai tourism recovery

    As the severity of the current situation facing Thailand’s lucrative tourism industry starts to sink in, Kasikorn Bank Research Centre have released a report with some stark predictions. Thailand’s tourism and hospitality industry faces losses of 1.69 trillion baht in 2020 and recovery “may not be clearly evident” next year. The report also foreshadows strict ‘new normal’ procedures as government measures…

  • Covid-19 NewsAyutthaya welcomes visitors after restrictions lift
    Caitlin AshworthMonday, May 25, 2020
    0 242

    Ayutthaya welcomes visitors after restrictions lift

    Ayutthaya is welcoming visitors again after months of empty temple grounds as another set of restrictions were lifted over the weekend, allowing temples and historical sites to open back up. Thailand’s economy is dependant on tourism and officials hope to get at least some domestic trips up and running by June. The Ayutthaya governor says the province is now safe from…

  • Hua Hin NewsHorse riding makes a comeback on Hua Hin beaches
    Maya TaylorMonday, May 25, 2020
    1 422

    Horse riding makes a comeback on Hua Hin beaches

    From next Friday, horses are expected back on the beaches of Hua Hin, on the Gulf of Thailand. It follows the easing of more Covid-19 restrictions last week as Prachuap Khiri Khan officials allowed some businesses, including horse-riding operations, to reopen. It’s understood that hotels, department stores and shopping malls are also back in business. Hua Hin is starting to…

  • Tourism NewsThailand depending on Chinese travellers for tourist reboot
    ThaigerSunday, May 24, 2020
    3 279

    Thailand depending on Chinese travellers for tourist reboot

    Thailand is looking to China to rebuild its battered travel industry. As the Covid-19 pandemic subsides in Asia, countries are discussing the idea of “travel bubbles,” in which reciprocal nations establish guidelines that enable their citizens to move freely across their borders. The wider tourism industry accounts for 18-20% of Thailand’s GDP and provides jobs for almost a tenth of…

  • Covid-19 News“Amazing Trusted Thailand” – tourism rebrands
    Caitlin AshworthTuesday, May 19, 2020
    0 274

    “Amazing Trusted Thailand” – tourism rebrands

    International tourists still can’t enter Thailand, so the country is using this time to rebrand their tourism promotions. The aim is to add some “trust” in regards to the country’s health profile with hopes that tourists will visit Thailand worry-free. Tourism is going from the “Amazing Thailand” brand to “Amazing Trusted Thailand.” The intention is that they want tourists to…

  • Tourism NewsHotels across Thailand angered by European tour group’s failure to pay up
    Maya TaylorTuesday, May 19, 2020
    4 2,005

    Hotels across Thailand angered by European tour group’s failure to pay up

    Around 173 Thai hotels are appealing to the PM for help after a European tour group reneged on up to 2 billion baht in unpaid bills. Daily News reports that the TUI tour group has left hotels in Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi and Surat Thani struggling with significant cash flow problems after trying to renegotiate its contract so that it would…

  • Covid-19 NewsBan on international travel into Thailand extended until June 30
    ThaigerSaturday, May 16, 2020
    0 443

    Ban on international travel into Thailand extended until June 30

    The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has today announced an extension of their current ban on international travel another month, until at least the end of June, 2020. The current ban on scheduled international flights was extended last month to cover May, up to May 31. But now the CAAT have announced the extension for at least another month. There…

  • Economy NewsPhuket’s economy is more than just tourism
    Bill BarnettSaturday, May 16, 2020
    1 435

    Phuket’s economy is more than just tourism

    by Bill Barnett While Phuket’s brand and economic reality is that nearly half of its contribution to GPP (gross provincial product) comes from tourism is true, it’s important to understand that there are other generators that will aid in the island’s post-crisis recovery. The island’s real estate sector, that currently has a market value of over 100 billion baht (according…

  • Covid-19 NewsTourism sector prepares to resume business
    ThaigerFriday, May 15, 2020
    0 211

    Tourism sector prepares to resume business

    Businesses that have been battered by the Covid-19 outbreak, especially those in the Eastern Economic Corridor (straddling Chonburi, Rayong, and Chachoengsao provinces) that rely mainly on tourism, are in desperate need of support. But the vice chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce says it’s still too early to predict when tourism will recover, as it largely relies on arrivals…