Bali–Phuket Direct Flights: New Link Raises Questions About Overtourism
A new direct air route between Bali and Phuket will launch on September 9, 2026. For travelers, it means easier access between two of Southeast Asia’s biggest holiday destinations—but it also raises a broader question about tourism pressure.

Thailand’s New Tourism Bet Faces Overtourism and Climate Challenges
Thailand is changing the way it measures tourism success, placing greater emphasis on the value generated by visitors rather than arrivals alone. But the strategy faces forces Thailand cannot fully control, from climate change and environmental pressure to changing traveller expectations and intensifying competition across Southeast Asia.

USS Abraham Lincoln in Thailand: 5,000 Sailors Arrive After 200 Days at Sea
The USS Abraham Lincoln, one of the US Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, is due to make a port visit to Thailand in early September 2026. Around 5,000 sailors and Marines are expected to be on board after an exceptionally long deployment with more than 200 days at sea.

Phuket, Samui, Koh Phangan: Thailand Tightens Scrutiny on Foreign-Owned Businesses
Restaurants, villas, cafés, real estate agencies and yoga schools: across Thailand’s southern tourist islands, authorities are stepping up investigations into businesses allegedly controlled by foreigners through Thai nominee structures. Behind this crackdown, Bangkok is trying to regain control over a tourism economy that has become increasingly international.

Is Thailand Becoming More Expensive for Travellers in 2026?
For decades, Thailand represented a form of affordable freedom. Travellers could cross the country on a modest budget, book a guesthouse at the last minute, eat street food for a few dollars and spend weeks travelling without constantly watching their expenses. That image still exists, but it is slowly beginning to change.

Thailand plans to introduce a tourist arrival tax
As Thailand prepares to introduce a tourist arrival tax, the proposal is stirring controversy among travelers. With rising costs and concerns over fairness, the country may be undermining its own appeal.