Thailand News
Tourism news and project updates for renting in Phuket and Thailand.
South Korea lifts its travel advisory for seven Thai provinces along the Cambodian border
Seoul's Foreign Ministry has moved Buri Ram, Chanthaburi, Sa Kaeo, Si Sa Ket, Surin, Ubon Ratchathani and Trat down to its lowest alert level, reopening the east and lower northeast to one of Thailand's largest Asian markets.
Read →Phuket's tourism leaders make the case for value over volume
At the Phuket Tourism Forum 2026, industry heads argued that the island should measure success by spending, length of stay and quality of life, not by arrivals alone
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Riyadh Air opens direct Riyadh-Bangkok flights, going daily in October
The new Boeing 787-9 route starts with three flights a week and adds about 3,840 inbound seats a month as Thailand works to rebuild arrivals from Saudi Arabia
Read →Thailand's 2026 tourism crosses one trillion baht in revenue after eight months
The country counted 20.81 million foreign visitors from 1 January to 29 August, with China, Malaysia and India leading arrivals.
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Nakhon Phanom's Illuminated Boat Procession lights up the Mekong
As Wan Ok Phansa nears, TAT spotlights Lai Reua Fai and the quiet riverside province behind it, where Isan food, sacred temples and a bridge to Laos reward travellers who explore at their own pace.
Read →Thailand's TAGTHAi app widens tourist payments with KBank and major mall groups
The national travel platform is extending its Easy Pay e-wallet across Siam Piwat, The Mall Group and MBK, linking cashless spending to visitor rewards.
Read →Songkhla earns 32 billion baht from tourism in seven months as Malaysian visitors lead the recovery
The Tourism Authority of Thailand shared the figure at a mobile cabinet meeting in the province, with a full-year forecast above 55 billion baht.
Read →Thailand weighs higher security deposits for licensed tour operators
The Department of Tourism wants to restore pre-pandemic guarantee amounts, up to 200,000 baht for general operators, while some agencies question whether the change will curb scams.
Read →Thailand's September 2026 calendar gathers a dozen festivals across the country
TAT's monthly guide points visitors toward provincial towns in the quieter green season, with cultural fairs, live music, a coffee expo in Nonthaburi and the Pattaya Marathon.
Read →Thailand studies a three-tier tourist insurance plan that would cover rented vehicles
As a proposed 450-baht entry fee goes to public consultation, officials are floating basic medical cover for every arrival, extra insurance for high-risk activities, and third-party liability cover for visitors who rent a car, motorbike or jet ski.
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Thailand turns to creator-powered tourism as 300 TikTok creators gather in Bangkok
TAT's TikTok LIVE Community Fest 2026 turned the riverside heritage of Song Wat into travel inspiration for audiences across Southeast Asia, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
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Thailand sets its 2027 tourism course with The Year of Transformation
TAT's plan targets at least 5% revenue growth and a 60:40 split of visitors between major and emerging destinations.
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Thailand's back roads draw a new wave of self-drive travellers
From the Mae Hong Son Loop to Khao Yai's glamping camps, the drive itself is becoming the reason to go.
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Chiang Mai hosts a carbon-neutral Green Guide Fest from 28 to 30 August
TAT expects 15,000 visitors and more than 100 million baht in tourism revenue for the province, with EV shuttles linking the city to Railway Park.
Read →Thailand and New Zealand launch a strategic partnership and plan to revive Bangkok-Auckland flights
A Joint Declaration signed in Wellington on 21 August raises ties to a strategic partnership, sets a goal to triple trade by 2045, and backs Thai Airways' plan to fly Bangkok to Auckland again from March 2027.
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Thailand maps four southern fruit routes for a season of orchard travel
TAT's Southern MUST TASTE Thai Fruits invites visitors to plan trips around what is ripe across 14 provinces.
Read →Thailand puts EV road trips at the centre of a new tourism campaign
TAT and ZEEKR Thailand launch 'Amazing Thailand in ZEEKR Luxury Way,' running from August 2026 to February 2027 across four regions.
Read →Bangkok ranks eighth in a new global index of tourism cities
A study by Yanolja Research places the Thai capital in the world's top ten by measuring how travellers talk about destinations online and how they feel about them, with Chiang Mai at 27th.
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Thailand tailors its China tourism campaigns to eastern, western and northern travellers
The TAT runs region-specific campaigns around wellness, sport and family travel, steering high-value Chinese visitors toward emerging Thai destinations.
Read →Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi to open auto gates to 31 more nationalities before high season
A government push pairs faster automated immigration with a reminder that the Thailand Digital Arrival Card is free on the official portal.
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Thailand spotlights surf and wellness travel across Phuket and Phang-nga
Under its "Healing Is the New Luxury" direction, TAT is turning Khao Lak's waves into structured wellbeing experiences for international visitors
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Thailand invites visitors to the Royal Barge Procession, with river rehearsals from 17 August
Twelve rehearsals on the Chao Phraya lead to the Royal Kathin Ceremony at Wat Arun on 6 November.
Read →Thailand advances a 450-baht tourist fee toward a 2027 start
A national committee has cleared the draft charge for a public hearing. Air travellers would pay first, and the money is aimed at tourist insurance and safety.
Read →Thailand and Russia agree to expand flights and tourism cooperation
A meeting in Bangkok set out plans for more air links, stronger safety standards and cultural exchange, with a goal of two million Russian visitors by year's end.
Read →Thai Airways resumes Bangkok to Xiamen flights from 25 October
Four flights a week will reconnect the Thai capital with the coast of Fujian, a link paused since 2020, giving China's travelers a fresh route into Thailand.
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Thailand updates checked baggage screening at airports from 16 October
New CAAT rules let officers inspect hold luggage under recorded, controlled conditions. Here is what departing travellers should prepare.
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Tomorrowland brings its first Asian edition to Thailand this December near Pattaya
The Tourism Authority of Thailand confirmed Tomorrowland Thailand for 11-13 December 2026 at Wisdom Valley, with a preview staged for festivalgoers at Tomorrowland Belgium.
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Thailand named Weibo's Best Travel Destination Country as it deepens China outreach
At Weibo Gala 2026 in Bangkok, the Tourism Authority of Thailand accepted the award and set out a digital plan to reach Chinese travellers.
Read →Analysts say Thailand's tourism has passed its trough and is heading into recovery
A weaker baht, the return of visa-free entry for Indian travellers and firmer long-haul demand are brightening the outlook for the second half of 2026.
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Running Man Thailand puts Thai destinations in front of a global audience
TAT says the iQIYI Original reached 6.85 billion impressions and more than 390 million online views, turning real locations in Bangkok and Pattaya into on-screen destinations.
Read →Thailand counts 18.5 million foreign visitors so far in 2026 as its markets pull in different directions
Official figures released on 3 August put revenue above 896 billion baht, with reduced flight capacity from India weighing on short-haul numbers while European and South Korean travel holds up.
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Thailand moves to reposition Hua Hin as a world-class Gulf destination
A July ministerial visit outlined a Value over Volume plan, from reopening Hua Hin airport to international flights to a three-year Thai AirAsia partnership.
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Thailand deepens Indonesia travel links with TransNusa and Traveloka partnerships
New agreements signed in Jakarta target stronger Jakarta-Bangkok and Bali-Phuket air routes and wider digital promotion for Indonesian travellers.
Read →Thailand plans three travel stimulus schemes for the low season
The Tourism and Sports Ministry is seeking 2.45 billion baht for domestic subsidies and flight incentives it expects to return about 56 billion baht.
Read →New daily Bangkok-Phu Quoc flights begin on 8 August, widening Thailand-Vietnam links
Sun PhuQuoc Airways adds a full-service route, giving short-haul travellers one more way to move between the two countries
Read →Phuket and Australia deepen cooperation on tourist road safety
At a July 31 meeting, the Phuket governor and Australia's ambassador focused on rental vehicles, driving licences and the island's goal of cutting road deaths below 100 this year.
Read →Thailand's THIM app puts arrival registration on the phone as the full launch nears
The Immigration Bureau's mobile platform links to the Digital Arrival Card, reads a passport from a photo, and registers a traveller in about three minutes.
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Thailand takes the Ubon Ratchathani Candle Procession to a global audience
TAT hosted media and travel partners from 17 countries for the 125th edition, part of a wider push to share the culture of the Northeast
Read →More direct flights link the UK and Phuket for winter 2026
Virgin Atlantic and Norse Atlantic add nonstop London services, widening British access to Thailand's Andaman coast.
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Thailand outlines seven policies to steer tourism toward higher value
At a July 27 board meeting, the tourism minister set priorities on quality over volume, income for secondary cities, year-round travel and global events such as Tomorrowland.
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Nakhon Si Thammarat's Wat Phra Mahathat becomes Thailand's ninth UNESCO World Heritage site
A year-round TAT campaign invites travellers to discover the living Buddhist heritage of southern Thailand
Read →Thailand moves to speed up arrivals at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport
A ministerial review sets out faster immigration, more automated passport gates and tighter coordination to smooth the first hours of a trip.
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Thailand's Trusted Thailand mark moves safety checks into the booking step
A national certification scheme and a free tourist police app make it easier for visitors to check a business before they arrive.
Read →Thailand's tourist mix is shifting even as headline arrivals dip
Arrivals are down 3.05% for the year, but the weekly trend, the source markets and new island flights all point to more independent travellers.
Read →Thailand shifts India and the EU to a 30-day visa exemption
A cabinet-approved overhaul puts 65 countries under one entry category each, with 59 eligible for 30 days visa-free, pending Royal Gazette publication.
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