travel
- Tourism News
Thai tourism ministry proposes 5 billion baht in tourist stimulus packages
Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says he will propose new domestic travel stimulus packages valued at 5 billion baht this Friday. The Minister says the aim is to cushion the impact of the coronavirus for the tourism service sector across the country. The Minister says that domestic tourism is “the priority during this difficult time. The government should implement…
- Tourism News
World’s largest travel fair, ITB, cancelled in Berlin
Organisers of the world’s biggest travel expo, the ITB travel trade fair in Berlin, have cancelled the event over coronavirus fears. 160,000 visitors were expected to attend this year’s event. “We take our responsibility for the security and the health of our guests, exhibitors and employees very seriously. It is with a heavy heart that we have to look at the…
- Covid-19 News
World travel suffers as coronavirus outbreak drags on
The Public Health Ministry is asking Thais planning trips to Japan and Singapore to reschedule their visits, saying that travellers need to be aware of the rising number of people infected by the coronavirus (Covid-19) in those two countries. Dr Sukhum Kanchanapima, the permanent secretary at the Thai Public Health Ministry, says the coronavirus outbreak had reached the third stage…
- Covid-19 News
Coronavirus UPDATE: President Xi addresses “grave situation of the rapid spreading epidemic”
The Novel Coronavirus that infects the respiratory tract and gives patients flu-like symptoms, is now responsible for at least 42 deaths in central China (40 in Hubei), with 15 new fatalities reported yesterday, and more than 1,409 cases in total. At this stage the spread of the virus outside China has been extremely isolated with overseas authorities quarantining any confirmed…
- Tourism News
Bangkok is #1 in travel index for fourth year in a row
PHOTO: TakeMeTour Bangkok, despite some recent tourist number woes, continues to be ranked near the top in most world travel indices. Now Bangkok has been ranked first in the Mastercard Global Destination Cities Index (GDCI) for international overnight visitors for the fourth straight year. And the sixth time in the past decade. Thailand is the only country in this year’s…
- 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,…
- Transport News
Thai Airways offers One Pass One Price Value Card
In a first of what will surely be a prolonged period of promotions, Thai Airways is offering a One Pass One Price Value Card Package which will cover four economy class fares from Bangkok to some destinations in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. Tickets start at 8,060 baht and are valid for trips from Bangkok to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap,…
- Phuket News
30 dolphins greet visitors to Similan Islands
Tourists were treated to the sight of a school of dolphins in the Similan Islands off the Phang Nga coast on Sunday. Tour organisers said that around 30 dolphins swam close to the boat six or seven miles offshore, creating excitement for passengers. It was the first time dolphins had been seen in the vicinity since October 15. The Similan…
- Tourism News
Airbnb reveals top 20 trending world destinations to visit in 2020
Latest Airbnb booking data has revealed growing interest in lesser-known destinations and eco-conscious cities across the globe, as Airbnb travellers look for new, local and authentic travel experiences beyond big cities. Thailand made #3 in the list and it’s not Bangkok, Phuket or Chiang Mai. And Paris, London and Sydney are nowhere to be seen. In Thailand, emerging destinations across…
- Travel
Study shows Phuket has highest number of tourists per square mile
PHOTO: Bao Menglong (Unsplash.com) A study published by Travel Daily News reveals that Phuket has the highest number of tourists per square mile, with 5,090. The research was carried out by Columbus Direct, who examined visitor numbers in the world’s most popular places. With over 9 million visitors a year, Thailand’s largest island has ten times more tourists per square…
- World News
Six more countries now get visa-on-arrival into Myanmar
Around Thailand the possibilities for foreigners travelling is growing with visa-free arrivals, waived fees, no paperwork and quick processing at Immigration ports. Now, the Myanmar government is introducing new regulations to facilitate easier access as another step towards opening up the country to the world, and tourism. Starting this week, tourists from six countries – Australia, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain…
- 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
Thomas Cook demise will affect British tourism to Thailand for the rest of 2019
“British tourists have contribute between 900,000 – 1,000,000 tourists to Thailand annually for the past seven years.” The failure of the British Thomas Cook travel business will cut the numbers of arrivals from Britain to Thailand for the remainder of this year. Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand says they are also assessing a drop in northern-European…
- 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…
- Tourism News
UK travel giant Thomas Cook collapses leaving 150,000 holiday-makers stranded
PHOTO: Bye bye Thomas Cook – The Independent Thomas Cook, the iconic British travel and airline company, has collapsed after last-minute negotiations failed to find a solution for the debt-ridden company. The tour operator’s failure affects 22,000 jobs worldwide, including 9,000 in the UK alone. Thomas Cook had been operating for 178 years. The company is now bankrupt. The collapse…
- World News
Travel giant Thomas Cook teetering on financial collapse
Unable to adapt to the move online as smaller, nimbler travel companies thrive, Thomas Cook, the household name in international travel, is close to financial collapse. And the collapse could leave up to 150,000 British tourists stranded overseas. The iconic British travel giant Thomas Cook say they’ve failed to find any further private investment to stave off collapse and now…
- 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…
- World News
Doing Myanmar’s Mergui Archipelago in style
Burma Boating is set to launch monthly cruises around the Mergui Archipelago in southern Myanmar, combining two of the most sought-after activities in these pristine waters – yachting and scuba diving. The SY Dallinghoo, a 30 meter classic gaff-rigged schooner crafted by renowned US yacht designer Dudley Dix, will cast off from the port of Kawthaung in southern Myanmar once…
- Tourism News
Welcome to Wat Samphran, unlike any Thai temple you’ve seen
The Emerald Buddha? The Grand Palace? Khao San Road? A cruise on the Chao Phraya? And now for something completely different. It’s big, it’s pink and it’s unlike any temple you’ve ever seen. Wat Samphran, aka. The Dragon Temple, is located about 40 kilometres west of the city centre of Bangkok in Nakhon Pathom. Somehow this excessive architectural wonder has…
- World News
Vietnam Airlines gets go-ahead for direct US flights
Vietnam Airlines is the first carrier in the country to secure a coveted license to fly direct to the US, according to the Vietnamese national carrier. The approval has for months been sought by Vietnamese carriers eager to exploit a fast-growing market for air travel among Vietnam’s booming middle class. Domestic and regional air travel has mushroomed among Vietnamese travellers, and…
- World News
Bangkok is the world’s most visited city again, fourth year in a row
Bangkok is again the world’s most-visited city for the fourth consecutive year, beating out Paris and London. The rankings are compiled annually by Mastercard. Welcoming around 22.7 million international visitors, Bangkok ranked as the top destination for global travellers this year. Many of Bangkok’s visitors originate from these top five destinations, listed in order: Mainland China, Japan, South Korea, India…
- Tourism News
Bangkok Airways opens new lounges at Phuket Airport
Bangkok Airways has opened up its new passenger lounge at the Phuket International Airport domestic terminal, offering Bangkok Airways passengers somewhere to sit, relax and snack while waiting for their flights. The popular Bangkok Airways lounge has been missing since the old domestic airport had a man-over in the past two years. There are now three lounges, separating the Premier…
- Tourism News
Japan’s Okinawa takes on Bali and Phuket
by Bill Barnett While Okinawa is often called the Hawaii of Japan, a changing Asian travelscape driven by low-cost airline carriers is seeing the resort destination attract a rising number of regional tourists. Last year, arrivals hit 9.84 million which is now elevating the market to the likes Asia’s twin resort icons, Bali and Phuket. Summing up the current shift…
- Thai Life
Songkhla soi dogs heading to the US
PHOTOS: Workpoint News | Thai Street Paws Rescue 5 dogs out of 29 that had been left to die in an abandoned home in Songkhla are now heading to the US to meet their new owners. Officials from the Division of Animal Welfare and Veterinary Service and Smiledog Home volunteers report that the 29 dogs and 8 cats were abandoned…
- Tourism News
Which flight route makes the most money in the world?
The world of aviation now has its first billion dollar route. That’s a flight route that makes more money for an airline than any other. And for the first time that route has breached the one billion dollar ceiling – British Airways’ service between London Heathrow and New York’s JFK. OAG has come up with a list of the routes…
- Technology News
Top 10 things the internet is changing forever
The internet continues to change everything. Whilst it’s creating entire new industries and jobs it’s also putting a lot of people out of work and killing older business models. Accelerating the changes is the rise and rise of smartphones as a source of just about everything. It’s an evolutionary digital disruption, as profound as the Industrial Revolution. The genie is…
- Thai Life
Top 10 world locations where people go to play
Where do people travel in the world for ‘play’, not business? Mastercard unveils the Top Ten locations where people travel to play. International travel continues to grow at an incredible rate, transforming local economies and enabling people to broaden their horizons – whether they travel for work or for play. Building on nearly a decade of insight into international travel trends,…
- World News
Thai travel agents post figures showing a drop of 11.5% in inbound traffic
Travel bookings have dropped by 11.46% during the first six months of the year. For the first six months of 2019 the Association of Travel Agents’ member companies handled 2,786,204 customers. That translates into a real loss of 360,470 clients for inbound travel agents based on the turnover of guests at Bangkok’s two gateway airports, Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang. The data is…
- Environment News
Thailand’s Maya Bay settles into an extended period of rest – VIDEO
You can look but you can’t touch. Maya Bay’s beach, closed last year to allow coral restoration and beach recovery, is likely to remain closed to visitors for many years, even up to five. The famous Koh Phi Phi Ley beach and bay, made famous in the 2000 movie The Beach, needs time for its ecology to fully recover years…
- Business News
Thai Smile joins Star Alliance as ‘connecting partner’
Thai Smile Airways, the budget offshoot of Thai Airways, will become the “Connecting Partner” in the Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline network. Customers travelling on an itinerary which includes a transfer between a Star Alliance member airline and a Connecting Partner will be offered standard alliance benefits, such as the issue of a boarding passes for connecting flights at…
- Thai Life
Thailand’s US Embassy issues advisory about medical insurance
PHOTO: US Embassy in Bangkok Thailand’s United States Embassy has issued an advisory warning to American expats recommending they have adequate medical coverage for a long-term stay in the country. The advisory reads… “Thailand remains one of the most popular retirement destinations in the world. Great culture; great food; great people. And as US citizens age, Thailand also offers access…
- Tourism News
Chinese travellers heading to more non-Asian countries for holidays
More Chinese are now travelling further and taking in non-Asian destinations during this week’s Labour Day holidays, according to Hotelbeds, a leading hotel booking website. Monitoring holiday bookings made by Chinese, Hotelbeds said 10 to the top 30 destinations were outside of Asia compared with just three destinations a year earlier. The three day Labour Day holidays, starting on May…
- Tourism News
Phuket Airport passenger arrivals dip
by Bill Barnett, c9Hotelworks.com To date, 2019 is shaping up to be a slightly volatile year for tourism to the island. Passenger arrivals at Phuket International Airport rose 1% year-on-year in January, but took a step backwards in February with a substantial 6% decline. While we are still early in the year, overall visitor arrivals to Thailand on a country-wide…
- Things To Do
Phuket ranked sixth Best Destination in the World – Trip Advisor
PHOTO: Patong Beach. Phuket was the only Thai destination in the 2019 list of the World’s Best Destinations Last year’s royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has put the Brexit-obsessed London on top of a list of the World’s Best Destinations in the TripAdvisor’s annual Traveler’s Choice Awards. London beat its close European counterparts, Paris and Rome in…
- Songkran News
400,000 take to the skies during Songkran
The Airports Department expects over 400,000 passengers to pass through the nation’s 25 airports during the Songkran holiday break. Ampawan Wannako, the director-general of the Airports Department, says passenger projections for the holidays was 404,778 for the period from April 11 (tomorrow) to April 17, or an average of 57,224 passengers per day. This projection is up on last year’s…
- Travel
“Thailand Travel Shield” insurance scheme to continue – TAT
The TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) says that the Thailand Travel Shield insurance project will continue. The service provides online travel insurance for foreign tourists. Reported in Phuketify, TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn, says that the TAT had initiated the creation of the Thailand Travel Shield project as a local insurance scheme alternative back in July 2014. “This year marks the fifth…
- Travel
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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,…
