Thai tourism minister admits to blunder over pop idol’s appearance at New Year event

13 Sept 06:07 Key points summarised by AI

Thai Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn admitted a "blunder" for prematurely announcing K-Pop star Lisa Manoban's performance at Phuket's New Year countdown event.
Lisa's management agency, YG Entertainment, confirmed her unavailability, clarifying she would not attend the event and hoping to prevent confusion.
This incident marks a pattern for Minister Phiphat, who previously made unconfirmed announcements regarding reopening schedules for Thai provinces.
Despite the misstep, Thailand's Public Health Minister affirmed that Lisa's absence would not hinder the country's confidence in its upcoming reopening to foreign tourists.

Bai Lu meet-and-greet cancelled days after China’s safety warning

Yesterday 15:28 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Tourism and Sports Minister announced the government will seek clarification from the Chinese Embassy regarding its recent travel advisory warning Chinese nationals about safety concerns in Thailand.
The travel advisory is anticipated to negatively impact the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand, despite recent increases in arrivals.
A meet-and-greet event featuring Chinese actress Bai Lu, a WeTV Global Ambassador, was abruptly cancelled just days after the Chinese Embassy issued its safety warning, though no official reason was provided.
The Chinese Embassy's advisory urged citizens to beware of job scams, fraudulent investments, suspicious travel arrangements, and the risk of illegal detention or being lured to the Thai-Myanmar border.
Chinese nationals were advised to verify job offers, use legitimate transport, avoid high-risk border areas, protect personal documents, and keep family informed of travel plans.