A Message from our Thailand office:
Hello from Bangkok!
Green season is here until October, we have some rains around Thailand, but it is still beautiful to visit and not too quiet. Northern Thailand offers white water rafting, trekking and agrotourism, while South Thailand (on the Gulf side) is perfect for island hopping, sandy beaches and snorkelling boat tours. Isan will host a special festival this month, with temples exhibiting Khmer and Thai influences, and many national parks. There’s so much to explore and plenty to report this month, so let’s dive in.
First of all, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and U-Tapao–Rayong–Pattaya International Airport are working together to attract new international flights from key tourist markets including India, Vietnam, China, Russia and Kazakhstan. The first of many new flights from these destinations touched down on 17 June and continue to arrive.
Second, the Royal Thai Government has extended the 30-day Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme for Tourists from India and Taiwan, which will now run from 11 May to 11 November 2024. Moreover, to further boost arrivals, Thailand has also lifted its visa requirements for citizens of 93 nations. This list includes the 57 nations whose citizens were already allowed to stay in Thailand for 30 days without a visa, 13 nations for whom the visa requirement was recently waived and an additional six nations whose citizens will be allowed to stay here without a visa for 60 days.
Those who do visit us this month will have plenty to see, do and experience. My personal recommendation would be the Phi Ta Khon Festival, hosted in Dan Sai, Loei Province, Isan, Thailand. Scheduled for 7-9 July, the celebrations form part of a Buddhist merit-making holiday known as Bun Phawet. Loei Province is one of our favourite locations for travel at this time of year, with many cultural attractions to explore and a range of convenient connections to other northern destinations.
This time of year is a wonderful time to visit the Gulf of Thailand and its islands, where the skies are clear and the ocean inviting. Personally I can highly recommend island hopping around Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. Two other key dates in the calendar this month are 22 and 29 July, when we will celebrate Asarnhabucha Buddhist Day and the King’s birthday, respectively. Please be aware our office will be closed on these dates.
At Panorama Destination Thailand, we will host our Annual Guide and Tour Leader Training on 5 July, as part of our ongoing commitment to raise standards and offer the very best service. If your clients are thinking of travelling to Thailand this summer season, we will be ready and willing to help make their stay an unforgettable experience.
Warm regards,
Pat Pattaranan Sappattarabune
General Manager, Panorama Destination Thailand.
Destination digest: Thailand news in brief
A selection of bitesize stories and positive developments making the news in the Land of Smiles recently:
Thailand drops plans to instate tourism fee
International tourists planning to visit Thailand need not worry about the proposed tourism fee the country had intended to instate, as now, the fee has been scrapped. According to Travel News, the fee was meant to be implemented from 1 June 2024, after several postponements. The BHT300 (R147) fee has now been ditched altogether, reports say, in a bid to help tourism recover in the nation.
(source: SAPeople)
TAT teams up with Pop Mart to attract Chinese tourists
In a bid to strengthen cultural ties and attract more Chinese travellers, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has launched an innovative campaign featuring Pop Mart’s beloved Labubu toy. Announced at the Thailand Travel Mart Plus 2024, this co-branding effort represents a significant investment and aligns with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Thailand-China Relations Project in 2025.
(source: TTW)
Thailand to become first Southeast Asian country to recognise same-sex marriage
Thailand’s Senate passed the final reading of a marriage equality law on Tuesday, 18 June, paving the way for it to become the first country in Southeast Asia to recognise same-sex couples. The law, which needs royal approval, will come into force 120 days after it is published in the royal gazette, meaning the first same-sex weddings could take place later this year.
(source: Tempo)
Thailand looks to marine tourism connectivity with Vietnam, Cambodia
Thailand is seeking to cooperate with Vietnam and Cambodia in opening a maritime route connecting islands near Trat province of Thailand with Vietnam’s Kien Giang province and Cambodia’s Sihanoukville province to promote investment, trade, tourism and tourism combined with meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE).
(source: The Star)
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