Ep 215: 'Clear Air Turbulence', Thailand's Visa Bonanza, Singapore's Vision 2040 & Vietnam Shades 2019: May 2024 in Review

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31 May 2024 • 28m54s

We’re steaming through 2024, with 5 months already completed, and attracting tourists is becoming intensely competitive. This week, Gary and Hannah review South East Asia’s top 8 travel and tourism stories during May.

This month’s round-up takes us to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, the Philippines, China and India. En route we discuss “sudden, extreme turbulence” on a Singapore Airlines flight, Vietnam surpasses 2019 visitor arrivals so far in 2024, a pending takeover of Malaysia Airports and a raft of new visa entry categories rolled out in Thailand.

Plus, which countries are chasing pole position to host a new F1 Grand Prix in the region? And which two ASEAN attractions were listed among the world’s top 100 “most boring” tourism sites?

« Next Episode Ep 216: 'From Battambang to Taking the Stage in New York, Sydney & Montreal': The Best Bits From The South East Asia Travel Show in May 2024 Previous Episode » Ep 214: Running Away to the Circus, and Cambodia's Tourism Recovery, with Craig Dodge, Phare

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18 Jun 2026 • 37m08s

Ep 308: Live at the 2026 Travel + Leisure Luxury Summit Asia in Bangkok

This week’s special edition of the show was recorded live in front of a packed ballroom audience at the 2026 Travel + Leisure Luxury Summit Asia, at the Dusit Thani hotel in Bangkok. Gary and Hannah took to the stage for a three-part podcast. In part 1, we provide a short round-up of the travel and tourism year so far in South East Asia and beyond - and the outlook for the rest of 2026.

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12 Jun 2026 • 22m42s

Ep 307: The Vietnam vs Thailand Tourism Rivalry Heats Up, SAF in Retreat & Durian Tourism in Malaysia

“The world has changed around Thailand since Covid, whereas Vietnam appears more in control of its destiny.” As we race toward the midpoint of 2026, it was another week with plenty of travel talking points in ASEAN and beyond. The week, Gary and Hannah visit Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and China to decipher the top takeaways. We begin in the Philippines with the latest reports from the devastating earthquake in Mindanao, and send our very best wishes to people across the nation for Philippine Independence Day.

Ep 215: 'Clear Air Turbulence', Thailand's Visa Bonanza, Singapore's Vision 2040 & Vietnam Shades 2019: May 2024 in Review

About This Episode

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Ep 308: Live at the 2026 Travel + Leisure Luxury Summit Asia in Bangkok

Ep 307: The Vietnam vs Thailand Tourism Rivalry Heats Up, SAF in Retreat & Durian Tourism in Malaysia

Hannah Pearson

Gary Bowerman