To sum it up in a single sentence: Thailand plans to introduce a “six-month” multiple-entry visa that nationals of any country can apply for and will cost 5,000 Baht. Huh? Granted, details of the new “tourist visa” scheme are still very sketchy – so these news could be either mere window dressing or the long-awaited… Continue Reading
Tourist Arrivals Up 38% in July
Empty bars, restaurants and beaches. Vacant shops with “for rent” and “for sale” signs. Growing numbers of bar owners who can’t pay the rent and their girls. Even street vendors struggling to sell their stuff. This is Pattaya in the summer of 2015. Most bar and small business owners in Pattaya will likely agree that… Continue Reading
Thailand Welcomes 17 Millionth Tourist in 2015
Only less than two weeks ago we reported that Thailand had just welcomed a “lucky” 16 millionth visitor this year – a young Frenchman and his girlfriend, who were given an elaborate welcome (and a couple of freebies) by tourism officials at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Well, this “Thailand’s Luckiest Visitor” thing now seems to become a… Continue Reading
Tourist Arrivals Hit Record High – Where Are the Tourists?
Thailand Welcomes 16 Millionth Visitor As Thailand officially welcomed the 16 millionth foreign visitor in 2015 on Wednesday, the country seems well on its way to break all previous tourist arrival records this year. And no, it wasn’t a Chinese on a package tour arriving on a charter flight. It was a young Frenchman and… Continue Reading
More Than 12 Million Tourists Visit Thailand January – May
Believe it or not: According to the Thai tourism ministry, more than 12 million foreign tourists, including 3.3 million Chinese, have visited Thailand from January to May this year – an alleged 24.7% increase from the same period last year. NNT reports: Over 12 million international travellers came to Thailand from January through May this… Continue Reading
Pattaya Floating Market Voted Thailand’s Best Tourist Attraction
Pattaya’s own replica of Bangkok’s famous floating markets, located off Sukhumvit Road just south of Pattaya, has been voted Thailand’s “best tourist attraction” by more than five million Chinese Internet users and was presented an award by the Thai culture minister over the weekend. Pattaya One reports: The votes for the award were cast by… Continue Reading
Safety Upgrade for Pattaya Baht-Buses
Following countless complaints by passengers who fell victims to pickpockets or had jewelry snatched from their necks as they sat in the back of Pattaya’s Baht-bus taxis, the blue tin monsters are finally receiving a safety upgrade – touted as the “Safe Pattaya Baht Bus Project”. The Pattaya Mail reports in its current issue that… Continue Reading
Chinese “Quality Tourists” Biggest Spenders in Thailand?
Believe it or not. According to the Thai tourism minister, China has not only become the top tourism source country for the kingdom. Chinese tourists, or so they say, also spend more money in Thailand – per person and per day – than visitors from other countries. A total of 2.69 million Chinese tourists have… Continue Reading
Tourist Arrivals Increase by 23.5% in Q1
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and data only recently released by the Department of Tourism, more than 7.8 million foreign tourists visited Thailand in the first three months of 2015. This equals a year-on-year increase of 16.30% in January, 29.60% in February, and 25.50% in March. NNT reports today: The Ministry of… Continue Reading
Visa Run to Savannakhet, Laos – Trip Report
It’s that dreaded time of the year again. Your webmaster’s visa has expired and he needs to go on a “visa run” to get a new permission to stay in Thailand. Same as six months ago, we’re going to Savannakhet in Laos to apply for a double-entry tourist visa and will do a bit of… Continue Reading
Pattaya Beach Deckchair Ban Every Wednesday – Like or Dislike?
As you may have heard or witnessed yourself, since mid-January this year, beach operators have been prohibited from setting up deckchairs and umbrellas, or provide any other services, on the beaches of Pattaya and Jomtien every Wednesday. Other than on Phuket however, where the deckchair ban applies seven days a week and hasn’t only seriously… Continue Reading
Thai Airways Faces “Significant Loss” in 2015
After posting its biggest annual loss since 2008 last year, Thai Airways International is expected to post another “significant loss” this year. As part of an extensive recovery plan, the state-controlled carrier will be forced to sell aircraft, reduce flights and drop unprofitable routes to a number of European destinations in order to return to… Continue Reading
