Travel

Travelling to Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai

Are you contemplating between exploring Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai? Both cities, strategically located in the core of northern Thailand, offer a diverse array of experiences, each possessing distinct charm. This article endeavors to elucidate the discrepancies between these two engaging locations, assisting you in...

3 hours ago

Hotels

Travel Videos

Travel

  • Suvarnabhumi’s ‘fast track’ scam exposed – AoT crackdown on Thailand’s biggest airport

    Suvarnabhumi’s ‘fast track’ scam exposed – AoT crackdown on Thailand’s biggest airport

    After allegations of massive fraud in the use of Thailand’s largest airport’s Premium Lanes at immigration, Airports of Thailand (AoT) are cracking down on the use of the so-called ‘fast lanes’ and the hawkers profiting from the reselling of the service. Only first and business class passengers, plus passengers with special needs, will be permitted …

  • Thai Airways sneaks into Top Ten. Skytrax World’s Best Airlines Awards 2019.

    Thai Airways sneaks into Top Ten. Skytrax World’s Best Airlines Awards 2019.

    PHOTO: A Thai Airways Airbus A380 Qatar Airways is the world’s best airline in the 2019 Skytrax World Airline Awards. Last year’s winner Singapore Airlines, has been relegated to second place. Asian airlines have taken six of the top ten spots with Thai Airways, despite their local woes, just sneaking into the Top Ten. The Skytrax …

  • How many tourists visit the real Thailand?

    How many tourists visit the real Thailand?

    PHOTO: Sarah Lazarus – CNN Thailand is best known for its beaches, astonishing street food, markets and diverse south-east Asian culture. But how many people get out of the cities and tourist traps and get to experience the real Thailand? How many expats, living in Thailand, even get to experience the real Thailand? Thailand is …

  • Paris Airshow overshadowed by Boeing’s woes

    Paris Airshow overshadowed by Boeing’s woes

    PHOTO: The new, single-aisle Airbus A321NeoXLR, extra-long-range version Boeing suffered more setbacks whilst Airbus launched an update to their single-aisle line up. Day one at the Paris Airshow. Boeing’s latest creation the 777X will have to wait for General Electric’s specially-constructed new jets to arrive following another delay in testing. The long delay is a …

  • Visa run to Penang – a personal experience in Thailand (2019)

    Visa run to Penang – a personal experience in Thailand (2019)

    This story was one person’s experience of the visa process in Penang. It should not be regarded as ‘typical’ or even used as a guide. But we provide Jim’s journey as warning to do your homework before embarking on getting or renewing your visa. Be aware that this seemingly simple trip to the former ‘Pearl …

  • Phuket Town – the UNESCO City of Gastronomy reveals some secrets

    Phuket Town – the UNESCO City of Gastronomy reveals some secrets

    VIDEO: Thai PBS A UNESCO City of Gastronomy, Phuket Town is a real foodie town. Among their amazing arrays of local delicacies is a variety of tea snacks, many of which are the integral part of their daily life. The delicate and cute and delicious Pang Pia is among the oldest recipes. Phuket Town has …

  • Grab or Uber, or Red Buses? Tourist poll in Chiang Mai.

    Grab or Uber, or Red Buses? Tourist poll in Chiang Mai.

    Thai tourists in Chiang Mai have been polled in the The Mae Jo survey checking on the popularity of public transport options around the northern city. There were 423 respondents to the poll carried out between January 9-23. So who did the Thai tourists prefer? Uber and Grab or local red buses (Rot Daeng)? 76% of …

  • Thais outraged by tourist doing yoga poses at historic and sacred sites

    Thais outraged by tourist doing yoga poses at historic and sacred sites

    PHOTO: Andreita Levin New outrage alert. Doing yoga poses on famous or sacred sites around Thailand will get you into trouble with the authorities. Tourist Police say they’ve caught up with a foreign woman who shared photos on her Instagram account performing yoga exercises at sacred and historic sites around Thailand. “A Mexican yoga teacher …

  • Is Airbnb taking over the Thai hotel industry?

    Is Airbnb taking over the Thai hotel industry?

    Airbnb is posing a less significant threat to hotels in Thailand than expected, but its influence in the longer term should not be underestimated, according to real estate company JLL Offering new alternatives to travellers, Airbnb is certainly taking some of the wind out of the sails of the traditional hotel accommodation model. However, findings …

  • Where are Thai’s heading for this summer holidays?

    Where are Thai’s heading for this summer holidays?

    Thai travellers who are booking through Airbnb are discovering new ‘off the beaten track’ destinations. Globally, Airbnb identifies some of the top trending destinations based on percentage growth in bookings during the same time last year *. And when we say growth, we mean mega growth! The top choices are: • Valenciennes, France (704%) • Changsha, …

  • Thailand’s Maya Bay settles into an extended period of rest – VIDEO

    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 …

  • Thai Smile joins Star Alliance as ‘connecting partner’

    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 …

  • King Power wins duty free and shopping management contract for Suvarnabhumi

    King Power wins duty free and shopping management contract for Suvarnabhumi

    In Friday’s biggest surprise (please say in sarcastic tone whilst rolling eyes) King Power Suvarnabhumi has won the bidding to manage the commercial area at Suvarnabhumi International Airport with the highest offer, AOT senior executive vice president Vichai Bunyu said this morning. The winner will be approved on June 12, he said. Earlier this year …

  • Suvarnabhumi’s third runway closer to reality

    Suvarnabhumi’s third runway closer to reality

    The contracts for the construction of Suvarnabhumi Airport’s third runway are ready to be signed. But it isn’t likely to happen until later this year according to Airports of Thailand (AoT). The AoT president Nitinai Sirismatthakarn says the new 21.7 billion baht third runway, which is included in the airport’s second-phase development plan, was already …

  • Thailand travel tax. Good idea but…

    Thailand travel tax. Good idea but…

    by Don Ross – ttrweekly.com “The changes to the law came into effect on May 20. Now, the panic button has been pressed. A workable package and collection process needs to be hammered out and fast.” Thailand is looking to introduce a tourist tax, either on arrival or departure, that will be, according to officials, used …

  • Travel’s dynamic changes – A personal perspective

    Travel’s dynamic changes – A personal perspective

    by Andrew J Wood – President SKÅL International Bangkok With the dramatic announcement of the sale of retail travel giant Thomas Cook following the loss of £1.5 billion brings the blight of the travel agent community into the news once more. Last week Wall Street bank Citigroup advised investors to sell shares in the travel …

  • Tourist arrivals up, but Chinese down. April 2019 tourist numbers.

    Tourist arrivals up, but Chinese down. April 2019 tourist numbers.

    The Thai sports and tourism ministry reports that Thailand saw a 3.31% rise in total tourist arrivals in April compared to a year earlier, after a 0.69% decline in March. 3.2 million tourists in April spent about 164 billion baht ($5.15 billion), which is up 3.9% from the month of April in 2018. But visitors …

  • 100 baht tourist tax to cover basic insurance and repatriation

    100 baht tourist tax to cover basic insurance and repatriation

    Every foreign tourist arriving or departing Thailand will be charged 100 baht for basic insurance which would cover money for emergencies and repatriation of their body if they meet with misadventure. As reported yesterday, the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports proposes that every foreign tourist visiting Thailand should be charged a levy to cover …

  • Ministry looks at tourist levy to fund infrastructure

    Ministry looks at tourist levy to fund infrastructure

    A tourist levy is being considered amongst a raft of changes to improve the amenity of local tourist attractions. The Tourism and Sports Ministry is floating the initiative after the National Tourism Policy Act was enacted and published in the Royal Gazette this week, according to the Bangkok Post. The Ministry is now in talks with universities …

  • Banyan Tree Samui goes ‘retro’ with the new Tuk-Tuk Bar

    Banyan Tree Samui goes ‘retro’ with the new Tuk-Tuk Bar

    Banyan Tree Samui resort has opened what might be the quirkiest if not the cutest bar in Thailand, a cocktail caravan remodelled from a classic 1960s tuk-tuk. The MP4 Midget is virtually unseen on the streets of Thailand these days. But once upon a time, the “frogs”, as they were commonly nicknamed, were everywhere. Thousands …

  • Thailand to see rise in tourists as fallout continues in the US-China trade spat

    Thailand to see rise in tourists as fallout continues in the US-China trade spat

    Thailand may end up being a beneficiary in the ongoing US-China trade spat as mainland Chinese tourists will decide to travel closer to home or could even find it difficult to gain entry into the US. The Tourism Authority of Thailand is monitoring the situation to see if Beijing blocks Chinese tourists from making trips …

  • Chinese owners using condo investments as a ‘hotel’

    Chinese owners using condo investments as a ‘hotel’

    PHOTO: Thai Rath Residents in condos around the country are getting sick of the parade of short-stay travellers using their condo rooms as defacto hotel rooms, travellers renting out their rooms from Chinese owners who run their investments as quasi hotel rooms. Thai Rath reports that “Condo C Ekkamai” (Sukhumvit Soi 63) tenants are at …

  • Thai Airways’ profits dive 83% year-on-year

    Thai Airways’ profits dive 83% year-on-year

    Thai Airways has had an 83% dive in profits for the first quarter of 2019. The Q1 balance sheet came out yesterday. The airline’s management is blaming the high baht, the ongoing US-China trade wars and the closure of Pakastani airspace (forcing rerouting of its Eurpean flights), for the drop. • Net profit of 456 …

  • Air Asia resumes flights from Phuket to Jakarta

    Air Asia resumes flights from Phuket to Jakarta

    AirAsia Indonesia says they will resume direct flights between Phuket and Jakarta on the second of July this year. Flights will be available three times a week. For AirAsia, the move marks a return of the route which had been flown for a number of years in the past. “Currently the traveling trend continues to increase especially …

  • Konnichiwa – welcome to Thailand’s Top 10 cultural destinations

    Konnichiwa – welcome to Thailand’s Top 10 cultural destinations

    by Nisanath Kungwanwong Congratulations ‘Hinoki Land’ in Chiang Mai for being recognised by the Thai Culture Ministry as one of Thailand’s Top 10 Cultural Destinations. It looks…so… Thai?!? “Hinoki Land should not be included in the list, as it merely copies a Japanese tourist spot of the same name.” The ministry’s Cultural Promotion Office recently …

  • Biometrics ID System being tested at Phuket Airport

    Biometrics ID System being tested at Phuket Airport

    A new Biometrics System is currently being installed and tested at the Phuket International Airport before going live this July. The biometrics system, a machine for personal facial identification and finger prints is being installed and tested at the Phuket international Airport today. The system is being installed at 16 airports around Thailand and is …

  • Hat Yai’s annual balloon festival bursts into the skies above Songkhla

    Hat Yai’s annual balloon festival bursts into the skies above Songkhla

    The International Balloon Festival at Hat Yai 2019 is on again this weekend as Songkhla’s provincial capital bursts into colour with larger-than-life characters. It started on May 10 at the Jiranakorn Stadium in Hat Yai and is sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). The three-day festival of inflatable fun features 15 spectacular hot …

  • Chinese travellers heading to more non-Asian countries for holidays

    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 …

  • Thai banks on 156 billion baht spending spree for recovery

    Thai banks on 156 billion baht spending spree for recovery

    “He hoped the airline could be profitable again in mid-2020.” Thai Airways International is seeking cabinet approval to buy or lease 38 new planes at an estimated cost of 156 billion baht. In the proposal 31 planes will be acquired over the next five years. Thai Airways president Sumeth Damrongchaitham says the proposal would reach …

  • AoT denies corruption in the premium lanes at Suvarnabhumi immigration

    AoT denies corruption in the premium lanes at Suvarnabhumi immigration

    After widespread rumours swept through social media, citing corruption with the distribution of Premium Lane cards at Suvarnabhumi Airport allegedly sold to regular passengers via tour operators or nominees, Airports of Thailand is denying any involvement in such a scheme, confirming it only provides special security screening services to eligible passengers. Suvarnabhumi Airport General Manager …