travel bubble

  • Tourism News

    Thai PM endorses India travel bubble in bid to boost international tourism

    A travel bubble arrangement between Thailand and India has received the backing of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, as officials look to revive foreign tourism in the kingdom. The Bangkok Post reports that government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says the travel pact between the 2 countries has also been endorsed by Thailand’s public and private sectors. In the pre-Covid days, Thailand welcomed nearly…

  • World News

    Thailand finalising ‘Vaccinated Travel Lane’ details with Malaysia, to open mid-March

    Thailand and Malaysia tourism officials are finalising the details of a “vaccinated travel lane” entry scheme, which would eliminate quarantine for vaccinated travellers arriving by plane between the two Southeast Asian nations. The new travel scheme is projected to open from mid-March, with at least 10 daily return flights. Good progress is reportedly being made in finalising the details at…

  • World News

    Asia News Today | Japanese government “on alert” for local provocations, here comes 6G”

    The Japanese government says it’s on alert for any provocations in East Asia… specifically from China, Russia and North Korea. In addition to North Korea’s launch of a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan last Sunday, military exercises conducted by China and Russia are becoming more active in the waters and airspace around Japan over the past 3 months,…

  • Pattaya News

    Pattaya tourism officials pin hopes on proposed travel bubble with India

    Pattaya is looking to India to salvage what’s left of tourism during the forthcoming low season, as Thailand plans a travel bubble with the South Asian nation. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is preparing a marketing plan targeting would-be visitors from India. The country is one of the few short-haul markets that doesn’t require…

  • Thailand video news

    Does Thailand need travel bubbles? | GMT

    Ministry will change the way it reports covid number.” WHAT?! Thailand will propose a travel bubble between Thailand, China and Malaysia. Around 16 locals and Thais were evacuated from a forest in Phuket after a fire broke out and spread quickly by the Laem Krating viewpoint by the Krating Cape. The Land Transport Federation of Thailand (LTFT) will stage a…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand to discuss travel bubble with China and Malaysia this month

    Thai tourism officials plan to hold talks with their counterparts in Malaysia and China for travel bubble schemes allowing quarantine-free travel between the countries. Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, shared with Thai media that the ministry plans to talk with the two Asian counties about a sealed route this month. Piphat says they plan to start discussions with China…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | Thailand proposes travel bubble with neighbors

    A number of patients who’ve recovered from Covid are now displaying signs of dementia, according to Thai health officials. According to a Nation Thailand report, the Department of Medical Services says the symptoms tend to develop between 1 and 6 months after contracting the virus. DMS boss สมศักดิ์ อรรฆศิลป์ says the risk appears to be higher in patients with pre-existing…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand Top Stories | Search for African tourists, Thai air traffic ‘lukewarm’ | Dec 2

    The Immigration Bureau and the Ministry of Public Health are trying to locate 783 arrivals from the African continent. Air passenger traffic post November 1, when Thailand’s borders were opened more fully to vaccinated travellers, has been lukewarm. Thailand’s switch to 5G technology is predicted to reach $41 billion US by the end of this decade. The Burmese military junta…

  • World News

    Vietnam to welcome fully vaccinated tourists from Thailand this month

    Vietnam is setting up a “travel bubble” scheme with Thailand to allow vaccinated travellers to enter the Southeast Asian country. The head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Nguyen Trung Khanh, today says his department is working with Thai officials to set up the scheme, adding that the first batch of Thai tourists will arrive in Vietnam this month…

  • Thailand News

    Travel bubble whispers abound between Malaysia and Thailand

    Authorities are quietly planning a maritime travel bubble between Malaysia’s Langkawi island and Thailand’s Koh Lipe islands, which would see no quarantine requirements for qualified travellers between the two. Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, says Thailand’s southern provinces that border Malaysia, will be able to accept international tourists from December. The 2 Andaman Sea islands are normally connected…

  • World News

    Langkawi plans reopening amid high vaccination, Covid-19

    Taking a cue from the Phuket Sandbox, Malaysia is launching a plan to reopen the tropical resort island of Langkawi in a similar fashion. The plan calls for a travel bubble to begin on September 16 in an effort to begin to restart the economy for Langkawi island which relies so heavily on tourism revenue and has been damaged so…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | Chiang Mai reopening, more protests this weekend | August 24

    The CCSA is expected to debate a plan to completely re-open the country before the end of the year, in line with the PM’s pledge last June. Chiang Mai is getting ready to launch a “Bubble and Sealed” tourism plan where visitors can travel to 4 districts. A police chief in Nakhon Sawan is being transferred following allegations that he…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | Thailand reaches 1M, Kratom decriminalised, travel bubbles.. again | August 20

    Thailand’s Public Health Ministry has confirmed that the total number of Covid-19 cases has now passed the 1 million mark. Travel bubbles in the news… again. This time, Thailand plans to launch a travel bubble arrangement with South Korea once the Covid-19 situation improves. Amnesty International Thailand is calling for a full investigation into the shooting of young anti-government protesters,…

  • Tourism News

    Thailand planning travel bubble with South Korea once Covid crisis eases

    Thailand plans to launch a travel bubble arrangement with South Korea once the Covid-19 situation improves, according to tourism officials. The Tourism Authority of Thailand says the plan would allow for quarantine-free travel between the 2 countries, with hopes it will provide Thailand with a much-needed tourism boost. The plan has been confirmed by the TAT’s Thanet Petchsuwan, who will…

  • Thailand News

    South Korea looks into travel bubble agreement with Thailand

    South Korea could soon open its borders to fully vaccinated people travelling from Thailand. The country is looking into travel bubble agreements with Thailand as well as Singapore, Taiwan, Guam and Saipan, according to the South Korean Culture, Sports, and Tourism Ministry. Quarantine-free travel could start as early as next month. Under the travel bubble scheme, travellers who are fully…

  • Covid-19 News

    Travel bubble talks to pick back up once Covid-19 is under control

    Once the Covid-19 outbreak is under control, Thailand will pick back up on travel bubble discussions with countries such as Vietnam, Singapore, Laos and Malaysia. Travel bubbles could start as soon as October if the daily Covid-19 count significantly decreases by the end of the month. The country’s Covid-19 immunisation plan needs to be accelerated and the daily Covid-19 count…

  • World News

    Travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore starts May 26

    A travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore will start on May 26, waiving the quarantine period for those travelling between the 2 countries. For those travelling from Hong Kong to Singapore, visitors will need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, except for travellers who are younger than 16 or who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons. Travellers going from…

  • Covid-19 News

    Australia and New Zealand welcome the first passengers in the southern travel bubble

    Whilst travel bubbles remain a bureaucratic nightmare for most SE Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand have opened their first green lanes since April last year, nearly 400 days. For the two countries it allows family and friends to re-unite. For New Zealand it opens the gates for its largest chunk of tourists. In 2019 some 1.5 million tourists visited New Zealand…

  • Tourism News

    Phuket’s July Sandbox no-quarantine model “needs a major revamp”

    Thailand’s Sports and Tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn is acknowledging that Phuket’s ‘Sandbox’ model for a no-quarantine re-opening in July will need “a major revamp”. As the Songkran travel bubble bursts and the monsoon season waves start to roll onto the island’s west coast beaches, Phuket’s scheduled July re-boot suddenly seems a long way off. Minister Phiphat says he plans to meet…

  • Transport News

    Travelling from the UK? Here’s some details on restrictions….

    As the summer holiday is just around the corner, many in the UK are wondering if and how they will travel abroad during the Covid pandemic. Despite it being against the law to travel abroad for holiday and leisure in the UK, those who need to travel may want to know what requirements certain countries have in order to enter.…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand eyes travel bubbles again with low-risk countries

    Thailand is eyeing travel bubbles once again with low-risk countries like Singapore, Laos and Vietnam. Sports and Tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, says officials from Thailand and Singapore are discussing forming travel bubbles, as Singapore already has experience forming green routes with other asian countries. “We have acknowledged that Singapore has previously run the travel bubble with Australia and New Zealand.…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand to discuss travel bubble with Singapore

    Thailand is looking into setting up a travel bubble with Singapore. Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Ministry will discuss the idea this week with officials from the Singapore Embassy. Tourism officials are also looking at potential travel bubbles with other neighbouring countries with a low number of active Covid-19 cases, such as Vietnam and Laos, according to sports and tourism minister…

  • Tourism News

    Taiwan and Palau launch the first travel bubble in Asia

    The island nations of Taiwan and Palau have created Asia’s first travel bubble yesterday, allowing citizens of the two countries to fly back and forth without quarantine. After a year of Covid-19 blocking the majority of global travel, this bubble is a promising first step in the new normal of international tourism. Palau, the tiny Micronesian archipelago of 500 islands…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Tourism News

    Minister says lack of foreign visitors will have knock-on effect for domestic tourism

    The Tourism Minister says Thailand can expect a significant drop in domestic tourism unless international tourism is revived. According to a Bangkok Post report, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says local tourism figures are 40% of what they were in 2019, and are expected to drop further once the domestic travel stimulus scheme ends at the end of the year. The scheme has…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand News Today | Shorter quarantine, STV update, THAI jets for sale | November 6

    Last day of the week and a day full of news about the STV, Chinese travel bubbles and the PM saying he’ll step aside if there’s someone better to take his job. Thailand News Today, with Tim Newton. Retired Thai official with Covid-19 dies after returning to Thailand A 66 year old retired Thai official, diagnosed with Covid-19, died yesterday…

  • Covid-19 News

    Thailand considering no-quarantine travel bubble with China

    With no new Special Tourist Visa applications for November, the Thai government is considering a no-quarantine travel bubble plan with China. Officials hope that if approved, the scheme could be put into operation in time for Chinese New Year in February. China currently has 22 low-risk provinces, as they have not recorded a Covid-19 case in over 150 days. The…

  • Koh Samui News

    23 Koh Samui hotels seek alternative state quarantine certification

    Nearly 2 dozen hotels and resorts in the Thai Gulf island resort of Koh Samui are seeking certification to be alternative state quarantine facilities. Talk of a potential travel bubble scheme to the island is also set for today, the Nation Thailand reports. 8 of the 23 hotels have already gone through a government check and the rest will be…

  • Tourism News

    Thailand details new visa strategy to welcome rich tourists

    The Thai government has revealed their detailed strategy to bring back “rich” tourists while keeping Covid numbers low. The plan, to be rolled out next month, has been touted by officials as a way to help recover Thailand’s hard hit tourist economy, but some say the government needs a reality check. The Tourism and Sports Authority Minister claims the plan…

  • Tourism News

    Thailand’s Tourism Minister urges government to revisit travel bubble idea

    Thailand’s Tourism Minister, Pipat Ratchakitprakan, is once again floating the idea of ​​”travel bubbles” with low-risk countries after the plan was initially shelved by the Civil Aviation Regulator. The original plan had been to create travel pacts with countries deemed safe from the virus, such as China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. However, a new spike in numbers in some…

  • Covid-19 News

    Bangkok university professor says no “travel bubbles” for at least 6 months

    A professor at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University says Thailand’s “travel bubble” plan, which would allow small groups of foreign tourists to visit Thailand, should be put on hold for at least another 6 months. In a Facebook post yesterday, he said that the global Covid-19 situation remains “of serious concern”, as new infections are still surging, with more than 200,000 new…

  • Thailand News

    Thai PM expresses concern over “travel bubbles”

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has expressed serious concerns about the resumption of international travel under the “travel bubble” scheme, stressing that Thailand must implement a vigorous arrivals screening protocol. The scheme is a proposed limited resumption of international travel to and from countries with a reciprocal agreement. The Thai government has indicated it has taken a risk-averse stance with future Covid-19…