Transport News

Thailand transport news, infrastructure updates, public transit, and traffic reports—stay informed on groundbreaking developments and real-time travel updates. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for transport news in Thailand.

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    Digital nomading in Chiang Mai? What US$1,000 a month really gets you

    Chiang Mai has become a popular destination for digital nomads due to its low living costs, rich culture, and active remote work community. The city offers affordable housing, tasty food, reliable internet, and many co-working spaces, making it a great...

  • Airports of Thailand to invest 37 billion baht in Don Mueang Airport

    Airports of Thailand to invest 37 billion baht in Don Mueang Airport

    Airports of Thailand (AOT) is ready to invest US$1 billion (36.8 billion baht) to improve and expand the capacity of the low-cost terminal of Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport, AOT announced yesterday. AOT plans to increase capacity from 30 million to 40 million passengers per year by 2029, with construction beginning this year, according to a statement from AOT. The project…

  • Really Cool Airlines to fly by 2023 close, schedule in June

    Really Cool Airlines to fly by 2023 close, schedule in June

    New carrier Really Cool Airlines is set to take off in Thailand by the end of this year, according to its CEO, Patee Sarasin. The airline will focus on international flights and is expected to help boost the country’s aviation industry, which has been hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. The company will announce its flight routes by the end…

  • Thailand to build 7 new airports

    Thailand to build 7 new airports

    The Department of Airports (DOA) plans to spend 50 billion baht on the development of seven new regional airports in Thailand, in Nakhon Pathom, Bueng Khan, Mukdahan, Kalasin, Phayao, Phatthalung and Satun provinces, reports DailyNews. The department wants to boost connectivity and provide more travel options for Thais and foreign tourists. New airports around Thailand’s lesser-known locations have been in…

  • Delivery riders want employee support and benefits

    Delivery riders want employee support and benefits

    Delivery riders in Thailand are calling for the next government to provide them with the same benefits as employees in other fields. Riders deal with work hazards ranging from harassment to road accidents, often without support or backup from their employers, including health insurance. Food delivery riders are often classified as “partners” instead of “employees.” This distinction results in a…

  • Thai AirAsia boosts flights from Chiang Mai to 6 international destinations

    Thai AirAsia boosts flights from Chiang Mai to 6 international destinations

    Low-cost carrier Thai AirAsia will soon boost flights daily from Chiang Mai Airport in northern Thailand to six international destinations including Hanoi and Da Nang in Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Flights will run to these Asian tourist hotspots every day starting Sunday, March 26, 2023. The budget airline is celebrating the boost in flights…

  • Singapore Airlines flight grounded after bomb threat

    Singapore Airlines flight grounded after bomb threat

    A bomb threat led to an emergency grounding of a Singapore Airlines flight in South Africa. Singapore Airlines flight SQ478 was grounded in Johannesburg yesterday following the threat. The aircraft landed at OR Tambo International Airport and all 58 passengers and 15 crew members successfully disembarked. The plane was flying from Singapore to Cape Town and was just doing a…

  • BTS Skytrain workers demand 50 billion baht debt is settled

    BTS Skytrain workers demand 50 billion baht debt is settled

    Over 300 Bangkok BTS Skytrain workers staged a protest outside the Government House today, demanding that the Thai government settles its debt of over 50 billion baht. The workers are threatening to strike if the debt is not repaid or a measure is launched to solve the issue. The government and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) owe over 50 billion baht to…

  • Broken railway crossing barrier in Thailand costs local mayor his life

    Broken railway crossing barrier in Thailand costs local mayor his life

    The Mayor of Nasan was killed by an oncoming train as he drove his car over a railway crossing yesterday in Surat Thani province in southern Thailand. One of four barriers was broken. Kosol Sutthangkun, the 63 year old Mayor of Nasan Municipality, was driving home from a funeral when he was fatally struck by Bangkok – Trang Express Train…

  • 4 new unique airlines look to open in Thailand

    4 new unique airlines look to open in Thailand

    Thailand’s Transport Ministry revealed that four new airlines are seeking to operate in the country, according to a source who spoke to the Thai news site Thansettakij. The four companies are P80 Air, Really Cool Air, Landarch Airline and Siam Seaplane. The source added that it would take some time to obtain air service licences. The four airlines were expected…

  • Tigerair Taiwan to launch only direct Taiwan – Phuket route

    Tigerair Taiwan to launch only direct Taiwan – Phuket route

    Budget airline Tigerair is launching direct flights between Taiwan and Phuket, southern Thailand, in May. Tigerair, a subsidiary of China Airlines, will be the only airline currently servicing the Taipei – Phuket route directly, twice per week. Phuket will become the airline’s second destination in Thailand. Tigerair currently serves direct flights between Taoyuan and Don Mueang Airport (DMX) in Bangkok.…

  • Thai AirAsia flight diverts to Chiang Mai Airport to escape hail storm

    Thai AirAsia flight diverts to Chiang Mai Airport to escape hail storm

    Thai AirAsia flight FD9122 from Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok to Nan province in northern Thailand diverted to Chiang Mai Airport yesterday after getting caught in a hail storm. After taking off from Bangkok at 5.25pm, the aircraft began experiencing turbulence upon almost reaching Nan Nakhon Airport, where it was scheduled to land at 6.45pm. A passenger told Matichon that…

  • Be like James Bond, drive the latest Aston Martin for only 25 million baht (video)

    Be like James Bond, drive the latest Aston Martin for only 25 million baht (video)

    Aston Martin is acknowledged as an iconic global brand synonymous with style, luxury, performance, exclusivity and James Bond, and if you have a few bob to spare then the latest model is yours for about 25 million baht. The latest Aston Martin, the DBX707, not only fuses the latest technology, time-honoured craftsmanship and graceful styling, but it is also the world’s…

  • Pickup truck backs off second story car park

    Pickup truck backs off second story car park

    Some expats may be confused when they see a Thai person back a vehicle into a parking space. Pulling in forward is much faster, but Thais prefer to spend an extra few minutes navigating their car backwards into parking spaces to save a few seconds on a quick escape when they leave. But backing into a parking space comes with…

  • High-speed rail project linking Bangkok to Chiang Mai expected to begin

    High-speed rail project linking Bangkok to Chiang Mai expected to begin

    Thailand and Japan’s collaborative high-speed rail project, linking Bangkok to Chiang Mai, is expected to begin soon after years of planning. The first phase of the project would see the railway run from Bangkok to Phitsanulok for over 380 kilometres, then continue to Chiang Mai for another 288 kilometres. As officials from both countries met, Japanese agencies say the first…

  • THAI Airways announces 2023 summer schedule

    THAI Airways announces 2023 summer schedule

    THAI Airways has announced its summer schedule and expanded its services around the globe. The flagship carrier of Thailand will add 39 routes to Europe, nine to Asia, and 30 routes to China for the summer. Between March 26 and October 28, more routes will operate and flights will run more frequently on the most travelled routes. THAI Airways kickstarted…

  • Koh Samui welcomes inaugural flight from Chengdu, China

    Koh Samui welcomes inaugural flight from Chengdu, China

    On Sunday, Koh Samui Airport in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, welcomed a flight from Chengdu in China for the first time in over three years. Chengdu Airlines flight EU2807 landed in Koh Samui at 5.40pm with 130 Chinese tourists on board. Samui Airport held a special welcome ceremony for the inaugural flight by using fire engines to spray water…

  • Shortcut road between Kathu and Thalang in the works

    Shortcut road between Kathu and Thalang in the works

    Phuket authorities are planning to construct a shortcut road between Kathu and Sri Soonthorn in Thalang. The road is being built in hopes of easing traffic congestion in Koh Kaew. The move was announced by Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO) President, Rewat Areerob, who revealed that three prominent families in the region have donated land for public use to enable…

  • 3 new airlines of Thailand to be launched next year

    3 new airlines of Thailand to be launched next year

    Thailand is set to welcome three new airlines, P80 AIR, Really Cool Air, and Landarch Airline, this year. The ultra-low-cost airline from Malaysia, MYAirline, is also preparing a new route to the Land of Smiles. DailyNews reported today that the three new airlines have applied for operational licenses with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) and the approval process is…

  • Expensive flights to Thailand too hot for Chinese mainland mainstream

    Expensive flights to Thailand too hot for Chinese mainland mainstream

    Expensive flights to Thailand from bigger cities in China are delaying Thailand’s tourism recovery. Most tariffs are still one and a half times more than pre-pandemic prices, while for smaller cities, fares are more than double previous levels According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn, while most tickets are cheaper than last year, prices for March…

  • Tel Aviv – Bangkok flight time reduced by 2.5 hours

    Tel Aviv – Bangkok flight time reduced by 2.5 hours

    Flights between Tel Aviv and Bangkok, Thailand, just got three hours shorter thanks to the government of Oman who made the long-awaited decision to open its airspace to aircraft from all countries, including Israel. On Sunday, an EL AL Israel Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Bangkok flew through Oman’s airspace, becoming the first Israeli airline to do so, three…

  • Nok Air begins Bangkok-Hyderabad flights

    Nok Air begins Bangkok-Hyderabad flights

    Thailand’s budget airline Nok Air has begun direct Bangkok-Hyderabad flights linking the Thai capital with India’s IT hotspot. A Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 189 Economy Class seats plies the nonstop route from Don Mueang International Airport to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport four times per week. Nok Air begins Bangkok-Hyderabad flights The new route provides Hyderabad, a major centre for the…

  • Jetstar Bangkok flight stranded in Alice Springs

    Jetstar Bangkok flight stranded in Alice Springs

    Hundreds of passengers on a Jetstar Bangkok flight Saturday were stranded on board the aircraft at Alice Springs airport for seven hours. The latest mega-delay comes just days after a 2-hour flight across Japan became a 16-hour nightmare when a flight was denied permission to land because it was 10 minutes late. Jetstar flight JQ30 was heading from Bangkok to Melbourne on Saturday with 320 passengers…

  • Electrical short circuit closes runway at Krabi Airport, Thailand

    Electrical short circuit closes runway at Krabi Airport, Thailand

    Thai and foreign passengers were left stranded at Krabi International Airport in southern Thailand yesterday evening after the runway was closed due to an electrical short circuit, causing disruption to several flights. Facebook page Krabi Provincial Public Relations Department announced at 8.30pm that the airport sent out a Notice to Airmen (NOTEM) announcing the temporary closure of the airport from…

  • Officials warn against Phuket flight price gouging

    Officials warn against Phuket flight price gouging

    If you are frustrated at the rising costs of airfare to Phuket, you’re not the only one. The popular resort island has been facing complaints from tourists regarding rising airfare prices during the high season. In response, the Provincial Public-Private Joint Economic Development Committee has warned airlines against overcharging customers for flights to Phuket, especially during long holidays. The warning…

  • AOT soar above last year’s levels

    AOT soar above last year’s levels

    As Thailand’s economy rebounds to close to pre-pandemic levels, the recovery can be traced directly to more flights. Airports of Thailand are set to soar above last year’s levels of both domestic and international arrivals, and the millions of tourists these flights bring. The first two months of this year have seen 150,000 flights, double the number in the same…

  • Federal baht bus standing ban puts drivers in a pickle

    Federal baht bus standing ban puts drivers in a pickle

    A new law has been published in the Royal Gazette, stating that passengers are no longer allowed to stand on the back of baht buses, also known as songtaews. But drivers are also obligated to pick up all passengers, leaving drivers with the dilemma of either illegally not picking up passengers when full or illegally overcrowding and allowing passengers to…

  • Thai Airways Q4 loss narrows

    Thai Airways Q4 loss narrows

    Thai Airways Q4 profit almost tripled as tourists started to return to the holiday kingdom. The carrier’s net income for the three months ending December 31 rose to 11.2 billion baht (US$300 million) from 4 billion baht a year earlier, chief executive officer Chai Eamsiri said on Friday. Thai Airways Q4 profit to support strong growth in 2023 Operating income…

  • UK pilot thought dead co-pilot was jokingly taking a nap beside him

    UK pilot thought dead co-pilot was jokingly taking a nap beside him

    A UK pilot thought his co-pilot was jokingly taking a nap beside him when he had actually suffered cardiac arrest and died in the cockpit. The pilot was flying around an airport in northern England and realised what had happened only after he landed. According to the Straits Times, a safety report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch in Britain…

  • Thai Airways to trial biometric check-in at Suvarnabhumi Airport

    Thai Airways to trial biometric check-in at Suvarnabhumi Airport

    Airports of Thailand (AOT) chose flag carrier Thai Airways to trial a new biometric check-in service at Suvarnabhumi Airport, starting on their Bangkok – Singapore route. AOT hopes that bolstering facial recognition technology will streamline the check-in process and reduce waiting times. From now until April 30, passengers on daily THAI flight TG409 from Bangkok to Singapore can check in…

  • Thailand bans standing up on songthaews, drivers aren’t happy

    Thailand bans standing up on songthaews, drivers aren’t happy

    Thailand introduced a law on Friday which requires passengers to sit down when travelling on a songthaew, a popular form of public transport. However, songthaew drivers say the law is detrimental to their livelihoods and are worried it could lead to extortion. A songthaew is a passenger vehicle converted from a pickup truck with two rows of seats. Songthaews have…