Thailand’s domestic travel scene is getting a welcome jolt of convenience and charm as Pattaya Airways prepares to take delivery of three new ATR72 turboprops this December. Think nimble planes, comfy cabins, and schedules tuned for hop-on, hop-off travel—perfect for anyone who’s dreamed of breakfast in Pattaya, a cultural afternoon in Chiang Mai, and a beachfront dinner in Phuket all in one weekend. Small planes, big impact The ATR72 isn’t just another aircraft model on the tarmac; it’s tailor-made for short-haul trips. Seating up to 72 passengers and boasting upgraded cabins, these turboprops are built for routes that bridge big-city airports and smaller regional strips. That means faster, more frequent links between Pattaya, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and a lineup of lesser-known gems popping up on domestic travel maps. “These new aircraft will help connect more destinations, reduce travel times, and support Thailand’s vision of balanced and sustainable tourism,” a…
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Thailand’s culinary cosmos simmered into a public spat this month after a beloved street-food legend — Michelin-starred chef Jay Fai — was slapped with a fine over a pricey crab omelette that left a British Thai YouTuber scratching her head (and opening her wallet). On August 15, Pitchaya “Peachii” Chaychana, a well-known Thai YouTuber based in the UK, shared an eyebrow-raising experience on X: she and her friends paid 4,000 baht for Jay Fai’s famous crab omelette, even though the menu listed the dish at 1,500 baht. The servers later explained that the kitchen had used premium crab meat, bumping the price to 4,000 — a savory upgrade the diners say they never asked for and were never clearly offered. To be fair to the dish: Peachii praised the quality and taste, calling the food excellent. The complaint wasn’t about flavour — it was about transparency. She told followers she…
On August 19, Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor pulled out its brightest travel brochures and rolled out the red carpet — literally and figuratively — at the Nong Nooch Pattaya International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The EEC Travel Mart wasn’t just another industry meetup; it felt like a coming-of-age party for a region itching to be seen as more than industry maps and investment headlines. Hundreds of tourism heavyweights showed up, rolled up their sleeves and began plotting the EEC’s next chapter: a competitive, stylish and sustainable tourism playground in Southeast Asia. A who’s who of travel—and a few surprising stars Deputy Mayor Thitiphan Phettrakul and Deputy Governor Adirek Un-osot led the opening ceremony, setting the tone for a day of serious networking and high-energy deal-making. Adirek’s words were a neat mission statement: “The EEC Travel Mart serves as a vital platform to build confidence, enhance the region’s image, and elevate…
A shocking allegation out of Patong has put a spotlight on the darker side of Phuket’s tourism industry: a 36-year-old Thai masseuse has accused her former Egyptian employer of forcing her and several female colleagues to perform oral sex on him every day. The woman shared her story on the Phuket Times Facebook page — not to make headlines, she said, but to warn other women thinking about moving to Phuket for work. According to her account, the massage shop in question is located in Patong, one of Phuket’s busiest tourist hubs. The employer allegedly sought newly graduated students from a massage training school and personally recruited her. What started as a job offer, she claims, quickly turned into something else entirely. After a short time working at the shop, the employer allegedly demanded oral sex. The masseuse says she felt compelled to comply because she had an urgent responsibility:…
In the quiet pre-dawn hours at Sri Khun Mueang Temple (also known locally as Wat Ban Lao) in Udon Thani, an unwelcome disruption rattled the sanctity of morning prayers: someone broke into the living quarters of a 70-year-old monk, stole donation money and personal items, and left the small community shaken. The monk affected, Venerable Aphisit Khamin, who has served the temple for a decade, left for morning prayers with fellow monks at 4:50 a.m. He returned just 40 minutes later to find his front door forcibly opened and the lock and latch damaged. Inside, the room showed little disturbance—except for the missing 6,500 baht (about US$200) that had been kept in a storage compartment and intended for daily temple needs. Personal identification documents and other important papers were also taken. Nearby, another monk’s residence at the temple was targeted the same morning: a laptop was reported stolen. The timing…
Patong’s seaside buzz has been replaced by a different kind of spotlight — one trained on the town’s police force. What began as a violent scuffle over a rental motorcycle has ballooned into a public relations headache for local authorities after a viral video showed six foreign tourists beating a Thai motorbike rental operator so severely he was hospitalised with a broken jaw and broken ribs. The assault occurred on August 10 and stayed under the radar until the footage landed on the desk of Nirat Phongsitthaworn, the National Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration. Nirat didn’t waste time: he ordered the Kathu district chief to open an immediate investigation. That move jolted local law enforcement into action — but it hasn’t satisfied critics. Nine days after the attack, Patong Police have failed to provide basic information about the suspects. There’s no confirmation of names, ages, nationalities or even…
Alex and Jay swoop back into your feed with a brisk roundup of the stories reshaping Thailand right now — from sky-high freebies and silver-screen tourism to tougher rules for mobile banking and awkward questions about police conduct. Buckle up: it’s a week where travel deals meet accountability, and Banthat Thong might just reclaim its sizzling crown. Free Domestic Flights Ignite a Mini Travel Tsunami In a move that feels equal parts generosity and clever stimulus, Nok Air — backed by government support — is handing out free domestic flights to international visitors who show their inbound flight stubs. The promotion runs through November and promises to put cheap, easy travel back on the map for many. Each participating Thai airline is allotted 60,000 seats under the scheme, and officials say the initiative could drive travel for roughly 200,000 tourists. For explorers looking to swap a long taxi queue for…
The predawn hush at Wang Noi Market in Ayutthaya was shattered on the morning of August 19 when two teenagers tried to turn a routine market stop into a robbery. CCTV footage that later circulated online captured the tense exchange: two youths approached a vendor’s motorbike sidecar at 4:43 a.m. in Lam Sai subdistrict, demanded 1,000 baht, and fled the scene only after the vendor—cornered and out of spare cash—brandished a humble fruit knife in self-defence. A small market, a big scare Wang Noi’s stalls usually wake with the soft sounds of vendors preparing goods and the occasional scooter whirring by. In this case, a 33-year-old vendor named Nattapong—who later uploaded the CCTV clip—was readying his shop when an elderly customer pulled up on a sidecar motorbike to buy ice. That quiet morning moment turned ominous when the two teenagers, one wearing a red helmet and a black shirt with…
Patong’s nightlife is known for its neon glow, pulsing music and, occasionally, a little local mystery. This past Friday, August 16, that mystery took the shape of a cherry-red designer watch — and a Phuket restaurant owner is now asking the public for help identifying a group of foreigners who are accused of taking it. The story was posted on the Phuket Times Facebook page on August 19, complete with CCTV stills and a close-up photo of the missing timepiece: a Vivienne Westwood “Time Machine” watch in a distinctive cherry-red. The restaurant owner wrote that a bag containing the watch was left on the bar counter in the outdoor seating area while staff were working, and that one person from a group of five later picked it up. In the CCTV screenshots shared by the owner, five foreigners — four men and one woman — can be seen playing pool…
In a scene that might sound like the setup for a noir temple drama, officials in Koh Samui carried out a surprise inspection at Wat Si Thawip in Ang Thong subdistrict — and the results were anything but mundane. Led by Jarae Tungkaew, the district chief of Koh Samui’s security division, local defence volunteers teamed up with officers from Koh Samui Police Station and the island’s Tourist Police to check on the sanctity of a well-known monastery. What they found set off a swift chain of disciplinary and legal action. Seven resident monks were politely asked to take urine tests for drugs. Five walked away with clean results, but two 42-year-old resident monks — identified as Boonchob and Phongphet — did not. Boonchob tested positive for drugs, while Phongphet was discovered to have an outstanding arrest warrant for fraud. Searches of the monks’ quarters reportedly turned up no illegal substances,…