Keeping up with the latest travel news in Asia over recent times has yielded a rollercoaster of emotions! Since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold at the beginning of 2020, we’ve kept an eye on what is happening in each country in Southeast Asia from afar. At times with a feeling of hope and at times with despair.
If you’re planning a visit to Southeast Asia, or like us, you simply love the region and want to keep up with what’s happening in each country, here are some excellent resources where you can get the latest news about travel, politics and daily life. From the latest travel restrictions to island reopenings, lockdowns, quarantine rules and COVID-19 case numbers, these resources will give you the best snapshot of the situation in Southeast Asia right now.
–> For travel guidance on each country in Southeast Asia, we also keep an eye on the GOV.UK foreign travel advice and the US Travel Advisories.
See here for Southeast Asia Travel COVID-19 overview.
General Asia Travel News
South East Asia Travel Show – Travel experts, Gary Bowerman and Hannah Pearson, host this weekly podcast about the status of travel in Southeast Asia. Aimed at the travel industry, they discuss the economics of tourism, travel restrictions, trends and talking points across the region. It’s a must-listen for anyone interested in the travel industry side of things to get an insight into how the situation with Asian travel might pan out in the next few years.
Travelfish – Stuart Mcdonald is a bit of a legend when it comes to travel in Southeast Asia having founded Travelfish.org way back in 2004. He has lived all across Southeast Asia, currently residing in Bali and his Substack newsletter (called Couchfish) and his Twitter are great places to keep up with what’s happening in travel across the region.
Channel News Asia – Based in Singapore, this English language news website covers news across the whole of Asia and is my go-to resource for breaking news. The CNA Twitter is a good place to keep up to date with the latest news stories.
The ASEAN Post – Covering news from all of the countries in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), this online newspaper is based in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. They have a specific interest in technology and the environment. They post a daily snapshot of COVID-19 cases in ASEAN on Twitter.
Coconuts – A mix of an entertainment and news website, Coconuts looks at the more captivating and bizarre news stories across the region, with a focus on the major cities of Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Manila, KL, Jakarta, Yangon and the island of Bali. Their video website, Coconuts TV shares weird and wonderful news stories from across Asia.
Asia Travel Re:Set – Focused on the travel and tourism talking points across Asia, this website and its associated Substack newsletter (sent out weekly) are run by Brit, Gary Bowerman (host of the South East Asia Travel Show). Based in KL, Gary writes about the latest trends, restrictions, decisions, hopes and predictions for travel in Asia.
Travel Weekly Asia – Aimed at the travel industry, Travel Weekly Asia has been publishing since 2002 on travel and tourism across the Asia Pacific region. Their website covers travel news stories and trends and you can subscribe to their weekly newsletter for a good snapshot of the travel news in Asia.
Thailand Travel News
Richard Barrow in Thailand – A British ex-pat living in Bangkok since 1998, Richard Barrow is my absolute go-to resource for the latest travel news in Thailand. He is particularly great at breaking down complicated news stories for a farang (foreign) audience. His Twitter and Facebook page are constantly updated with any news that affects travellers or ex-pats living in Thailand.
Thai Island Times – A Substack newsletter that’s run by former Travelfish writer, David Luekens. The newsletter specifically covers local news (on travel, tourism, health and environment) from the 826 islands of the South of Thailand. A great newsletter for anyone who’s interested in Thai island life.
The Bangkok Post – Dating back to 1946, Thailand’s major English language speaking newspaper is the place to go for all Thailand related news, be it politics, environment, COVID, travel, business, daily life and more.
TAT Newsroom – The official website of the Tourism Authority of Thailand posts regular updates related to travel in Thailand. Whether it’s news on the reopening of Thailand, the Phuket Sandbox or the Samui Plus Model, this is the official place to get the latest advice on travel to Thailand.
Cambodia Travel News
Campuccino – A Substack newsletter written by Cambodian writer Darathtey Din. Her fortnightly email covers the latest headlines and important topics in Cambodia from various news outlets, with just a hint of opinion. A must-read for anyone interested in Cambodia. You can also follow Darathtey on Twitter.
Khmer Times – Mainstream English-language newspaper covering news in Cambodia. The website is a bit old fashioned but it’s still a good way to keep up with what’s happening on the ground in Cambodia.
Phnom Penh Post – Again, a rather old-fashioned website that is littered with ads (like so many news websites these days) but nevertheless a place to keep up to date with the most recent news in Cambodia.
Indonesia Travel News
The Jakarta Post – Daily English-language newspaper based in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, reporting on daily news from across the country.
The Bali Beat – Covering daily news stories from the island of Bali, this is a great Substack newsletter to keep up to date with topics such as the Bali reopening, COVID cases on the island, environment, tourism, economy and infrastructure. The newsletter is also a good source of info about the rest of Indonesia too.
Vietnam Travel News
VN Express International – A newspaper that has both Vietnamese and English versions, as well as an entire section dedicated to travel. This is a decent place to keep up with the major changes in travel to Vietnam.
Vietnam Weekly Newsletter – A Substack newsletter written by an American reporter, Michael Tatarski, who is currently living in Ho Chi Minh City. The newsletter covers local news in Vietnam from COVID-19 to travel to the environment.
Singapore Travel News
Straits Times – An English language newspaper based in Singapore. The newspaper also has a specific section on the latest news from Southeast Asia.
Myanmar Travel News
Myanmar Now – An independent news service covering the latest news from Myanmar. Published in both English and Burmese it provides an unbiased overview of the events happening in the country.
The Irrawaddy – A newspaper that covers news from Myanmar and Southeast Asia that is written in both English and Burmese. It’s the place to keep up with the turbulent world of Myanmar politics and more.
Laos Travel News
Laotion Times – An English language newspaper based in Laos’ capital, Vientiane, with a specific section on lifestyle and travel in Laos.
Where do you keep up to date with the latest travel news from Asia? Share your resources in the comments below and we’ll add them to our list!
