tours

  • Things To Do

    The best island tours from Phuket in 2022

    There are many islands around Phuket that are just waiting to be discovered. While some are easily accessible by water, others require some advance preparation. Thus, participating in the top Phuket island tours will surely make your trip smoother and more enjoyable. It can be difficult to choose which tour will be worthwhile when there are so many locations to…

  • Things To Do

    Top 5 things to do in Khao Sok National Park

    Khao Sok National Park is one of the best places to see Thailand’s natural rainforests. Set in the middle of Surat Thani Province, this national park is full of jungle-covered, limestone mountains, caves, and wild animals. Those who think they have seen it all will be surprised as the park is quite remote, allowing visitors to see how local Thais…

  • Tourism News

    Is THIS the cheapest five star hotel in the world? Right here in Bangkok | VIDEO

    Is THIS the cheapest five star hotel in the world? We think it is! It certainly passes all the legal expectations of a 5-star property and it’s smack bang in the middle of a touristy area of Bangkok. It’s ‘of an era’ and it’s easy to imagine this older style Bangkok hotel in its heyday, probably in the late 80s.…

  • Tourism News

    High season? What high season? Thai tourism has a gap year.

    OPINION High season. What’s happening to Thailand’s traditional tourist high season this year? (Sounds of crickets and tumbleweed rolling down the streets) Just as last year’s high season was wrapping up, the Covid-19 pandemic became real and much of the world closed its borders in March. Thailand hoteliers, tour operators and airlines had to endure a very quiet low season,…

  • Phuket News

    Phuket hotels fighting for their lives as domestic tourism fails to support the island

    In the wake of last weekend’s ministerial talkfest and discussions with local industry players on the island, Bill Barnett paints a bleak picture of a tourist island in freefall. All the shops, restaurants and hotels can’t remain empty, or merely keep their doors open with a handful of domestic customers, forever. Phuket’s hotel industry is reaching breaking point and drastic economic support…

  • Tourism News

    Spokesperson says “Phuket Model” won’t be enacted nationally anytime soon

    The deputy government spokesperson Traisulee Traisoranakul said yesterday that the so-called “Phuket Model”, the island’s proposed “safe and sealed” program to reintroduce tourism from October, will not be implemented in the near future and rolled out to the rest of the country. She also encouraged Thai people ti “go on vacation to help the local economy”. She made no mention…

  • Covid-19 News

    Medical, wellness tourists will be first to be allowed in: CCSA

    The government plans to allow local tours for overseas medical and wellness tourists beginning this month, and the start of tourism “travel bubbles” in September. Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said medical and wellness tourists will be welcomed from this month on. If they are properly handled during their 14 day quarantine and treatment at…

  • Covid-19 News

    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…

  • World News

    Fewer Chinese tour groups, more independent travellers to reboot SE Asia travel

    Hoping that Chinese tourism is going to ride magically back into Thailand on the back of a gleaming red dragon and save the tattered tourism sector may be precipitous. Of course there are so, so many unknowns even the regular travel writers and consultants are scrambling to forecast a way forward. For Thailand, the ban on international flights hasn’t even…

  • Covid-19 News

    Worst case scenario – Thailand loses 10 million tourists this year

    Thailand’s tourist industry could be decimated in the wake of the world coronavirus outbreak. Tourism accounts for an estimated 16% of Thailand’s total GDP. The Tourism Authority of Thailand governor, Yutthasak Supasorn, says that, in a worst case scenario, Thailand could bleed 10 million of it’s projected 40 million tourist arrivals this year. He says his estimates were based on…

  • Krabi News

    Countdown to reopening – contracts awards for new Maya Bay infrastructure

    by Sawat, Five Star Thailand Tours New plans are now being enacted which will lead to the re-opening of Maya Bay to tourism again. With a new development project in the works, it won’t be long until visitors will once again be able to visit ‘The Beach’, according to sources with knowledge of the matter. Maya Bay was shut down to…

  • Tourism News

    Pattaya tour group businesses shutting up shop for a month

    Tourism businesses in Pattaya, that cater specifically to the Chinese market and tour groups, are preparing to shut down for a full month. Despite technically being the high season for tourism, and the middle of the Chinese New Year annual holidays, the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak has already had a profound impact. The Chinese tourists who managed to get…

  • Tourism News

    The rise of the e-bicycle in Thailand, a bit of motorised assistance

    by Nicole Kash Cycling tours offer a unique way to explore Thailand. Faster than walking but slower than driving, cycling tours cover plenty of ground while allowing cyclists to immerse themselves in the sights, smells, and culture of Thailand without the boundary of a car window. Cycling tours can cover up to a heart-pumping 150 kilometre a day. Though exciting…

  • Tourism News

    Thai tourism to take hit over Coronavirus

    by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com A travel ban is now in effect in Mainland China for tour groups who were booked for holidays overseas. Over the past few days hoteliers in Phuket, Bangkok and throughout the country are reporting significant cancellations, not only of groups but also independent travellers (FITs). Last year Mainland Chinese travellers to Thailand nearly eclipsed 11 million,…

  • Tourism News

    Thailand’s beaches now more expensive than European resorts – report

    PHOTO: Ministry of Villas The cost of a holiday in popular Thai beach resorts is now on par with, or even higher than those in Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and Egypt – all closer to home for Europeans with lower flight costs and less travel time. Diethelm Travel Group report that the cost of a five-star resort in Koh Samui,…

  • Tourism News

    Round two of the “Eat, Shop, Spend” tourism stimulus

    Round one of “Eat, Shop, Spend” (Chim, Shop, Chai) was a resounding success with the allotment for registrations completely subscribed on the days of registration. It was a 1,000 baht ‘gift’ to encourage Thais to travel and spend outside their home provinces. Now the government are rolling out the second round of the stimulus packages to keep the local tourism…

  • Tourism News

    UK travel icon Thomas Cook bankrupt, stranding tourists

    PHOTO: Axios.com “This marks a deeply sad day for the company which pioneered package holidays and made travel possible for millions of people around the world.” British travel giant Thomas Cook declared bankruptcy today after failing to reach a last-ditch rescue deal. The collapse triggers the UK’s biggest repatriation since World War II to bring back stranded passengers. The 178 year…

  • World News

    Sampling Saigon street food with XO Tours

    PHOTOS: XO Tours Find yourself in Saigon and looking to learn more about the local street food scene? Well, if your sense of adventure is in intact and you prefer to receive your knowledge first hand, then XO Tours can provide you with a fascinating and insightful trip through the streets of Saigon. Sitting on the back of a moped…

  • Tourism News

    Phuket’s tourist bookings looking good – Diversity is the best option Part 3

    by Guest Writer Over the past few months or so, we have read and noted much negativity in the world of tourism to Thailand’s most popular island of Phuket. As everyone is aware, May and June were particularly poor months for most tourism operators and hoteliers with several factors being mentioned to justify the drop which everyone is fully aware…

  • Travel

    Welcome to Yonder Tours. Plan your next trip here.

    Where do you want to go? Where is your next trip or tour? How many days? What’s your budget? Check out all your options and more than 38,000 different tried and tested tours at the new Yonder Tours. Anywhere in the world, any length, many, many options from reputable tour operators. Yonder Tours is the latest initiative from DB Ventures,…