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Sep 5, 2023 • 6 min read

The water lotus sea of Songkhla Lake in Phatthalung © Shutterstock

Our Where Locals Go series features under-the-radar holiday destinations that are often overlooked by visitors but cherished by locals. Here, we ask three experts on Thailand for their top picks.

As Thailand's peak travel season kicks off in November, visitors flock from colder destinations to bask in sun-kissed resorts like Krabi , Ko Samui , and Chiang Mai . With the rainy season behind us, Bangkok comes alive at this time of year with night markets, parties, and endless entertainment opportunities. 

While these places, renowned for their vibrant landscapes and culture, attract international visitors in their droves, locals tend to seek sites that offer a more relaxed experience. These hidden gems are where traditions are cherished and pristine beaches are quiet and secluded. 

A pink paradise in southern Thailand: Phatthalung

Chawadee Nualkhair is a food writer based in Bangkok

Sleepy Phatthalung is not the first destination people think of in southern Thailand for a holiday. But when COVID hit, and travel abroad was impossible, my family and I thought to leave Bangkok for a road trip, taking a detour from typical hotspots such as Phuket and Krabi. We have since visited twice; my husband was charmed by blooming water lilies as far as the eye can see, and I, the food writer, was craving dinners of fried fish plucked fresh from the water. Both of us love the "off-the-beaten-track" feel of Phatthalung, where fishermen work giant fishing nets called "phongphang" every morning and there is always a quiet spot offering a cold beer every afternoon.

Phatthalung is landlocked, one of only two such provinces in the south (the other being Yala bordering Malaysia). Yet 80-meter-long Songkhla Lake, shared with neighboring Songkhla and Thailand's largest, is the province's biggest draw, carpeting much of its eastern edge with white and purple blooms between 6-8 every morning. Officially known as "Thale Noi," this protected area is not only the largest water lotus "sea" in southern Thailand but also hosts around 287 species of waterfowl.

Close by, early birds enjoy the sunrise at the Kuan Dancing Bird Viewpoint , a gorgeous area with a coffee shop for those in need of caffeine after welcoming the dawn. Not surprisingly, Phatthalung's seafood is super-fresh, especially at Bang Charm Restaurant , where the tom yum soup and local baer fish are most popular. A similarly laid-back vibe can be found at the Canal Village in Pakpra, where guests will find comfortable beds and local breakfasts.

Boating, hiking and local markets in a coastal retreat: Khao Lak

Choltanutkun Tun-atiruj is a Lonely Planet guidebook author based in Bangkok.

I live right in the heart of Bangkok, so my typical everyday life is full of traffic jams, packed sky trains, and people everywhere I go. So, while I'm a big city girl at heart, I escape that metropolitan life to a small island or remote coastal town whenever I get a chance to travel.

I have a few favorites, all still quite relatively under the radar to mass travelers— Ko Kut in Trat and Ko Phayam in Ranong , but my favorite, the one I return to time and time again, is  Khao Lak in Phang-nga.

Khao Lak, a series of quiet villages, became more popular among the Bangkokians during the pandemic, and many even decided to move down there for good to open a cafe or hostel. The area can be busy during the peak season but offers activities for visitors year-round, from diving in the high season to surfing in the monsoon season.

I like basing myself here and taking a boat out to the popular Similan Islands for a snorkeling trip. The water is so clear that you can see the sea life without having to duck your head underwater. If you want to visit, make sure to book your trip from November because the island is generally closed from mid-May to mid-October to preserve the marine life. 

A must-visit in Khao Lak is Phan Teh Rice Noodle . I stop by here every time I visit. What makes it truly special is that you have to embark on a mini hike to reach it, but the reward is worth the effort as you get to dine beside a canal and waterfall.  The Place Khao-lak  is another hidden gem. This charming spot not only serves excellent coffee but also serves as a meeting place for Thais to gather and socialize. It's a great opportunity to connect with the local community.

When it comes to accommodation, I recommend staying at Khaolak Merlin . Tucked away in a mini forest, this resort is surrounded by majestic old trees, representing over 40 different species. The resort is also home to 150 species of wildlife. Every room even has a Compact Guide to Wildlife book to help guests identify each animal they may encounter within the resort's compound.

Blink and you'll miss it: Ao Yon Beach

Amy Bensema is a Phuket-based copywriter who enjoys getting off the beaten track

Living in Phuket , I'm spoilt for choice regarding beautiful (and often busy) beaches, but I often need to escape the crowds and find some tranquility, so I jump on my scooter and hit the open road to Ao Yon Beach.

Ao Yon Beach, located near Cape Panwa in the island's southwest, is considered out of the way (even though it's about a 15-minute drive from Phuket Town ) and not well indicated by street signs. Blink and you might miss it, but that's precisely what makes Ao Yon Beach so special. It's a favorite among locals and expats, yet it remains blissfully uncrowded compared to other popular Phuket beaches.

Hugged by tall, swaying coconut palms and surrounded by the mesmerizing turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea, Ao Yon Beach is a haven for swimming all year round. As the area is primarily residential and not geared towards tourism, it maintains an authentic local ambiance. While you won't find any beach facilities here, you may have the opportunity to rent a long-tail boat from a friendly local resident if you inquire around.

Drop into Flamingo Phuket , a beachfront cafe, and dine on fresh seafood, enjoy a tropical drink while admiring the dozens of yachts that dot the bay, or opt for a sunset dinner in The Cove Phuket 's artsy yet relaxing atmosphere. The Cove's cozy beachfront cottages are a great place to base yourself if you plan to stick around.

If you do choose to stay in the Ao Yon Beach neighborhood, it is best to have your own transportation as taxis are few and far between. When visiting, you will need to park on the main road and meander down a short path to reach the beach, but it’s an easy jaunt.

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Thailand Relaxes Its Visa Program: Longer Stays For Tourists And Digital Nomads

Beginning next week, Thailand will roll out an initiative that will allow travelers from 93 countries to stay up to 60 days, and relax rules for digital nomads, students and retirees.

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Thailand is pulling out the stops to attract more tourists from a larger pool of countries and for longer stays.

T his week, Thailand’s government announced that it is significantly relaxing its visa program, approving longer stays for tourists, students and remote workers in an initiative that will allow travelers from 93 countries (up from 57) to stay 60 days (up from 30).

The changes will go into effect on June 1.

For digital nomads, as well as self-employed and remote workers, visas will extend to five years—a significant jump from 60 days—with each stay limited to 180 days, Thai government spokesperson Chai Wacharonke said at a press conference. Previously, digital nomads were allowed only two 30-day stays.

Foreign postgraduate students will be able to stay an additional year after graduation.

In addition, Thailand is drastically lowering insurance requirements for foreign retirees. Currently, retirees aged 50 years and up must have health insurance coverage of 3 million baht (nearly $82,000). The new requirement will be just 440,000 baht ($12,000).

Thailand is hoping these moves will collectively help juice its stuttering economy. Earlier this month, the finance ministry reduced its 2024 economic growth forecast to 2.4% from 2.8%. The country is aiming for a record 40 million foreign tourism arrivals in 2024, with an anticipated revenue of 3.5 trillion baht ($95.3 billion).

Around the world, there’s a marked trend toward fewer countries requiring traditional paper visas affixed in a passport, according to UN Tourism’s latest Tourism Visa Openness Report , which revealed that just 47% of travelers in 2023 required a traditional visa, falling steadily from 77% in 2008 and 59% in 2018. Instead, travelers are finding looser rules and less friction when traveling to destinations around the world. Today 21% of the world’s population does not need any visa—up from 17% in 2008—and visa-on-arrivals and eVisas are popping up around the world.

This trend is most visible in the Middle East and Africa. Consider that in 2015, about seven in 10 people in the world needed to obtain a visa prior to visiting the Middle East. By last year, that figure had dropped to 57%.

The list of countries soon eligible for visa-free short stays in Thailand include large tourism source markets like China and India, as well as U.S., U.K., Albania, Cambodia, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Laos, Mexico, Morocco, Panama, Romania, Sri Lanka, UAE and Uzbekistan.

A Thai visa-on-arrival will soon be available for 31 countries (up from 19), including Armenia, Fiji, Malta, Saudi Arabia and Serbia.

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On the Thailand-Malaysia Border, Food Defies Nations

The governments of Thailand and Malaysia proudly promote national cuisines, but people along the border cook dishes that elude tidy patriotism, part of a larger struggle to maintain their identities

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If national borders were decided by dietary preferences, a line might run north to south along the Sankalakhiri and Titiwangsa mountains. The range forms the backbone of the Malay Peninsula, stretching from southern Thailand to the middle of Malaysia, splitting the thin band of land and the communities that inhabit it. On the western side, warm spices and hot chiles turn up dishes like khao mok gai (chicken and rice) and gaeng som (fiery fish soup). To the east, the food turns sweeter and more fermented in items like khao yum (herb-packed rice salad) and budu (long-fermented fish sauce).

Contrary to the divisions of dietary preferences, the political border — established in 1909 between Siam and British Malaya — runs west to east. The partition, which hopscotches between various mountains and rivers, separates fluid communities into a number of Thai provinces (Satun, Songkhla, Yala, Narathiwat, and Pattani) and Malaysian states (Perlis, Kedah, and Kelantan).

“I have a Thai passport, as does my mother-in-law, but my husband is a Malaysian citizen. We all need passports to visit each other during the holidays,” says Dawan Sarin, the proprietor of Dawan Thai Kitchen, a Thai Muslim restaurant on the island of Langkawi, Malaysia, which is close enough to see Thailand even on a cloudy day. “I often miss my own mother’s cooking,” Sarin says wistfully.

Along the historically porous border, though, people’s lives and pantry staples cannot easily be neatly divided. Different languages describe the same dishes, like the Thai name “khao yum” and the Malay “nasi kerabu” for the same rice salad. In Langkawi, neighborhood children from Thai families attend Malaysian schools but speak Thai at home, and spicy homestyle Thai stir-fries like pad prik and phat phet fill dinner tables. Like the majority-Muslim community in Malaysia and southern Thailand, Sarin cooks halal food, combining versions of Thailand’s greatest hits like pad kaprao and pad thai with southern Thai favorites gaeng som and grilled prawns; the menu attracts a crowd of borderland locals, but it might not make much sense to someone from Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok.

In the 20th century, as Siam became Thailand and Malaya became Malaysia, both countries used food as a tool to establish modern national identities. Far from the border, government ministries and capital residents began to distinguish their food cultures from their Southeast Asian neighbors. Two purportedly distinct food identities emerged, contained by a set of unique national dishes like pad thai and nasi lemak, even though the countries grew similar produce and shared pantry ingredients.

Yet people in southern Thailand and northern Malaysia continued cooking foods that defy this sort of tidy nationalization, part of a larger, ongoing — sometimes violent — struggle to maintain identities along the border.

For a roadmap to borderland cuisine, check the street carts in southern Thailand. In the morning, they serve khao mok gai, nicknamed Thai-style chicken biryani by residents. The foundations for the dish were laid by Arab and Indian merchants, who arrived on the west coast from the 13th to the 17th century. Along with Islam, which they spread throughout Malaysia and southern Thailand , they also brought densely layered rice dishes like biryani. Similar to the Indian version for which it’s nicknamed, khao mok gai combines chicken, rice, and spices like cumin, coriander, and cinnamon, except local chefs use jasmine rice instead of the basmati common in biryani and they add a spicy-tangy dipping sauce made with local bird’s-eye chile and mint.

Another map of sorts wafts up from budu, a thick, cloudy fish sauce made by fermenting local anchovies for about a year, resulting in a salty, inimitable brine. Historically, the Malay community used budu as a dip alongside raw vegetables and grilled fish. But when waves of Chinese migrants , fleeing unrest and searching for work, arrived on the east side of the peninsula in the mid-19th century, they reinterpreted budu; dishes like budu bak (stir-fried pork with budu) use the fish sauce as an umami-boosting seasoning instead of a dip and combine it with pork, which local Muslims don’t eat.

These dishes have become ingrained along the border, but they also differentiate cooking in these communities from foodways elsewhere in both countries. Along the west coast, for instance, deep, fatty curries are the norm, informed by dishes brought from what is now Indonesia by migrants who started arriving in the 14th century .

“Many of the people here are originally from Sumatra and Java, who migrated to Malaya, and eventually traveled up north into southern Thailand,” says Abdul Waris Haji Ahmad, mayor of Che Bilang, a coastal town not too far across the border from Langkawi in the Thai province of Satun. Those heavy curries noticeably differ from lighter, aromatic curries found elsewhere in Thailand today.

Similarly, over on the east coast, chef Hisham Abdullah of Kantan in Melbourne, Australia, says his family in Terengganu, Malaysia, cooks with a lot of palm sugar, torch ginger, lime leaves, lemongrass, and toasted coconut, while people elsewhere in Malaysia center dishes more on bay leaves, tomato, onions, and shallots.

Take gaeng som. In central Thailand, the soup is reddish and sweet-and-sour. But Sarin’s electric, sweat-inducing version is totally different: spicy with dried chile paste (influenced by Indonesia), tinged yellow by turmeric (adopted from Indian traders), and girded with fermented shrimp (drawn from preservation practices in Southeast Asia). The contrast in Malaysia is even greater.

“When I mention gaeng som to friends from Kuala Lumpur, they don’t know about it,” Hisham says. “Growing up, I thought the Malay community was homogenous. Later I realized we are different because our backgrounds are influenced by different cultures, like Indonesian or Thai.”

At the opening of the 20th century , northern Malaysia was nominally a protectorate of the British, who had arrived in the late 18th century. “Britain and Siam wanted clear demarcation,” explains professor Thanet Aphornsuvan, author of Rebellion in Southern Thailand: Contending Histories . “It was agreed that the British would control Perlis, Kedah, and Kelantan, and they recognised Siam’s claim over Pattani.” That treaty, signed in 1909, defines the countries’ borders today.

After Siam became Thailand in 1939 and Malaysia gained independence in 1957, politicians got busy nation-building. Both countries established ministries of culture, arts, and tourism, which were dedicated in part to preserving and promoting Thai and Malaysian food, especially to foreign visitors. Through school textbooks, tourism events, culinary origin stories , and other forums, the modern nations supported distinctive understandings of their food cultures (though proud residents also helped reinforce these narratives from the bottom up), with little patience for cultural gray zones along the border.

“In Thailand, you are Thai first. You are no longer Chinese or Malay,” says Bernard Keo, a historian at the Geneva Graduate Institute. “National identity is not just what you are. It is also what you are not.”

This thinking makes it difficult for dishes from blended border cultures to gain recognition, and border food has been relegated as a “regional” cuisine, without much hope of breaking into the “mainstream.”

“There is no hyphenated food in Thailand,” says Richard Poole of Tai , a southern Thai restaurant in London. He says that’s a shame because Laotian, Malaysian, and other influences “actually show how [Thai cuisine] is receptive and adaptive to other cultures.” He points to pad see ew, which is inspired by Chinese flat noodles but now known squarely as a Thai dish.

“To be considered national food, it must cater to everyone’s taste or it has to be in Bangkok,” professor Aphornsuvan says. “You need support from the media and government [to popularize a regional dish].”

Items can break through in Bangkok, like som tum (papaya salad) from northeastern Isan. But the south, where many residents are Muslim (like most people in Malaysia), has the added challenge of religious difference in Buddhist-majority Thailand. Aphornsuvan says tension has built in the area over decades, as Bangkok has introduced programs to promote central Thai culture, make Thai the official language of schools and government offices, and gradually replace pondoks (Muslim religious schools) with modern Thai schools (which do still teach Islamic subjects).

Division is especially clear in Pattani on the east coast, once an autonomous state ruled by a Malay sultan. Malay Muslim separatist groups have called for independence since 1948, and the insurgency movement has only intensified. More than 7,000 people have died in the conflict since 2004, as separatists carry out attacks and accuse the Thai government of extrajudicial killings.

“[They] see the past Pattani kingdom as their lost Muslim kingdom,” says anthropology professor Wanni W. Anderson of Brown University. “The creation of modern Malaysia changed the political orientation.”

Though violent resistance has occupied the spotlight, people along the border region push back against Thai hegemony in quieter ways. Abdul Waris proudly says Che Bilang teaches Malay in public schools and encourages Malay Muslims to wear festive outfits during special occasions like weddings and Eid.

The forces of hegemony aren’t as clear-cut in Malaysia, which defines itself as a multicultural nation with influences from all over Asia. The government (and residents) acknowledges historical influences from geographically far-off China or India, but it largely minimizes influences from Indonesia and Thailand because Malaysia has spent decades distinguishing itself from these immediate neighbors. Outside of major cities, xenophobic residents tend to other dishes with names that aren’t immediately obvious as Malay. Even in restaurants that serve nasi kerabu, there is rarely a mention of its Thai twin.

This official programming also shows up outside of the region. Since 2002, the Thai government has specifically popularized dishes from the central region around Bangkok.

“Thailand used gastro-diplomacy to build its brand. It doesn’t matter where you go in the world, you will find a Thai restaurant selling tom yum and pad thai,” Keo says. Foods from other regions and cultures don’t make appearances. And the focus on Bangkok affects seemingly independent chefs too.

“A lot of Thai people in London, especially the older generation, were enticed to go to the U.K. to be chefs. And the food they promoted was central Thai food or the ‘greatest hits’ like pad thai or green curry,” Poole says.

Leela Punyaratabandhu, a Thai American food writer and cookbook author, has a related theory.

“Bangkok has always welcomed the highest number of international visitors, and these are the same dishes that are staples on the menus of hotels, resorts, and higher-end restaurants where most international visitors go,” she says. “Given the financial risk of opening a Thai restaurant as an immigrant, it’s logical for early Thai restaurateurs in the West to choose these ‘safe’ dishes over lesser-known, regional ones.”

While the Malaysian government has a more hands-off approach to gastro-tourism, dishes with Indian or Chinese influences, like roti canai (flaky flatbread served with curry) and Nyonya kuih (colorful desserts) respectively, tend to get top billing.

Despite what their governments prefer , borderland locals will go on eating khao mok gai and budu. Most people don’t care how their food is presented outside their region.

For chefs who have encountered the disconnect, though, there are signs the culture is shifting. In the last 20 years, Punyaratabandhu has seen customers in the diaspora become increasingly keen to try lesser-known Thai dishes. Hisham has also found greater reception to lesser-known Malaysian dishes in Australia.

At home too, khao yum/nasi kerabu has shown potential to become one of those breakthrough dishes that sheds its regional status. It has gained mass appeal in both Thailand and Malaysia thanks in part to its bright blue rice, dyed by butterfly pea flowers.

“It looks very appealing,” Hisham says. “Whenever people from Kelantan move to Kuala Lumpur and start food businesses, they specialize in nasi kerabu, so now it has become the signature dish.”

Perhaps fiery, yellow gaeng som, umami-packed budu bak, and other dishes will spread as well. But most borderland cuisine is still tangled in a mess of national identities. For dishes to truly thrive beyond this narrow strip of land, chefs will need time and space to define their cuisine in their own words, unencumbered by language barriers, official messaging, or arbitrary lines on a map drawn by old colonizers and kings.

Alia Ali is a translator, cook, and co-founder of the Malaysian food website Periuk . She is based in Langkawi, Malaysia. Annie Hariharan is a Malaysian Australian feature writer who focuses on food, food history, and pop culture. She is based in Melbourne, Australia. Michelle Yip works in photography, performing arts, education, and social entrepreneurship. Her photography can be found on @mylightchaser .

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Watch CBS News

Severe weather slows Memorial Day travel around NYC. Maps and live radar show the current conditions.

By Matthew DeLucia

Updated on: May 28, 2024 / 12:19 AM EDT / CBS New York

NEW YORK --  Thunderstorms and flash flood risks  were in the forecast Monday around the Tri-State Area as people made their way home from Memorial Day weekend travel .

The CBS New York First Alert Weather team extended its Red Alert due to severe weather risks. Flood advisories were issued for Bergen, Essex, Orange, Passaic and Rockland counties late Monday night. 

A severe thunderstorm watch for most of the area ended at 9 p.m.

Strong storms in Pennsylvania prompted tornado warnings that could've reached New Jersey, but the storm lost some intensity once it reached our area.  

Stay up to date with the  latest forecast and live radar here .

Weather today calls for thunderstorms, possible tornado

We saw a cloudy start to the day, along with some dense fog in spots along the coast. A few showers and thunderstorms continued to move through north/east of the city, with another batch in southern New Jersey.

Meanwhile, clouds thinned out to the west, which only helped fuel the second round of storms for the afternoon. We had a bit of a lull until then, although a shower or storm was still possible at any time (we call that pre-frontal convection). 

More storms fired up to our west in Pennsylvania after 1 p.m. or so. The window of concern shifted slightly earlier compared to over the weekend, from approximately 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. from west to east (2 p.m. western N.J., exiting the east end 9 p.m.).

Main concerns are for heavy rain and damaging winds, but an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out.

Timeline for weather this week

Monday (Memorial Day): Mostly cloudy, showers and storms likely, especially into the afternoon and evening. Cooler, but humid. Highs in the 70s.

Monday night: Leftover showers and storms will exit the area by midnight, then it turns partly cloudy overnight. Lows in the 60s.

Tuesday: Much brighter day and warmer. Just a slim chance of an evening pop-up shower. Turns less humid. Highs in the low to mid 80s.

Wednesday: Sun and clouds. PM showers or storms possible. Highs in the mid to upper 70s.

Thursday: Partly sunny, nice and comfortable. Highs in the low to mid 70s.

Friday:  Pleasant finish to May as of now. Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the mid 70s.

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Travelers cope with crowds and high prices on the busiest day of Memorial Day weekend

Highways and airports are likely to be jammed the next few days as Americans head out for Memorial Day weekend getaways and then return home.

Airports around the country are bracing for the travel rush as Americans head out for Memorial Day weekend. AAA predicts 43.8 million people expected to travel between Thursday and Monday. (AP Video: Tassanee Vejpongsa)

Highways and airports are likely to be jammed this weekend, as Americans head out on Memorial Day weekend getaways. AAA says this will be the busiest start-of-summer weekend in nearly 20 years.

Travelers on Florida’s Turnpike are experiencing relatively light traffic at the start of the Memorial Day weekend, with no major congestion reported, allowing them to focus on their wallets instead of their anxiety about traffic. (AP video by Cody Jackson)

Travelers walk through Salt Lake City International Airport Friday, May 24, 2024, in Salt Lake City. A record number of Americans are expected to travel over the 2024 Memorial Day holiday. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

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Travelers move through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport ahead of Memorial Day, Friday, May 24, 2024, in Atlanta.(AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Michelle Winters plays the violin as passengers stand in line at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport ahead of Memorial Day, Friday, May 24, 2024, in Atlanta.(AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Cars drive through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport ahead of Memorial Day, Friday, May 24, 2024, in Atlanta.(AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Gasoline prices are displayed on a sign outside a service station as the Memorial Day holiday travel period kicks off Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Greenwood Village, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Traffic slowly moves along Interstate 405 on Thursday, May 23, 2024, in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles. Highways and airports are likely to be jammed in the coming days as Americans head out on and home from Memorial Day weekend getaways. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Travelers contended with big crowds and flight delays Friday, which was expected to be the busiest day of the Memorial Day weekend.

More than 6,000 U.S. flights were delayed by early evening on the East Coast, continuing a trend that has tested the patience of travelers all week. Cancellations were more modest, at slightly more than 200, according to tracking data from FlightAware.

There were delays on the highways, too.

Along Florida’s Turnpike, Wallis Tinnie said a traffic accident and road work slowed her drive to an African American history commemoration in the Florida Panhandle, the site in 1816 of the first battle of the Seminole Wars.

“But we’re comfortable with it,” the Miami woman said during a stop at Port Saint Lucie. “We left early, and our event is tomorrow. So hopefully — God willing, creek don’t rise — we’ll be there in plenty of time.”

The Transportation Security Administration predicted that Friday would be the busiest day of the holiday weekend for air travel, with nearly 3 million people expected to pass through airport checkpoints . TSA screened just under 2.9 million people Thursday, coming within about 11,000 of breaking the record set on the Sunday after Thanksgiving last year.

Pasha Pidlubniak waits for a domestic flight at Miami International Airport, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Miami. A record number of Americans are expected to travel over the 2024 Memorial Day holiday. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

“Airports are going to be more packed than we have seen in 20 years,” AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said.

Highways also are likely to be jammed as motorists head out of town and then return home. AAA predicted this will be the busiest start-of-summer weekend in nearly 20 years, with 43.8 million people expected to roam at least 50 miles from home between Thursday and Monday — 38 million of them taking vehicles.

The annual expression of wanderlust that accompanies the start of the summer travel season is happening at a time when Americans tell pollsters they are worried about the economy and the direction of the country.

“Memorial Day is a holiday weekend. I get to hang with family and friends, so I’d say that’s priceless, right?” Nene Efebo said during a two-hour wait for a delayed flight at Denver International Airport. “Anything to hang out with family and friends.”

Victoria Ramos Valdes of Miami was taking a driving vacation with her husband, Blake, and their children, ages 3 and 4 months old.

“We said, hey, we’re going to go for a $300 budget, and the hotel is around $150,” she said, but it has a water slide, providing plenty of entertainment. “We’re taking a nice family trip and doing our best to have the best Memorial Day weekend possible.”

Some travelers reported experiencing sticker shock when they booked their trips. Upon arriving at Philadelphia International Airport, Ciarra Marsh said the city “was not our original destination, but we chose here because it was cheaper.”

At Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, Larisa Latimer of New Lenox, Illinois, said her airfare was reasonable but other expenses for a getaway to New Orleans were not.

Motorists travel along Interstate 24 near the Interstate 40 interchange Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. A record number of Americans are expected to hit the pavement over the 2024 Memorial Day holiday. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

“I just have to make the accommodation,” she said. “The rental car is up ... this year, the hotel accommodations were very unusually expensive.”

Kathy Larko of Fort Myers, Florida, used frequent-flyer miles — and some flexible scheduling — to pay for her trip to Chicago.

Travelers wait at a TSA checkpoint at the Los Angeles International Airport, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Los Angeles. A record number of Americans are expected to travel over the 2024 Memorial Day holiday. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

“I’m really conscious of looking at the cost of the entire trip. We’re staying a little farther out than we normally would” to get a lower hotel rate, she said. “We’re also flying back a day later, because we could get cheaper miles.”

The weekend’s highway traffic and crowded airports could be a sample of what is to come for several more weeks. U.S. airlines expect to carry a record number of passengers this summer. Their trade group estimates that 271 million travelers will fly between June 1 and August 31, breaking the record of 255 million set – you guessed it – last summer .

George Ridley, 4, left, rides on a suitcase as he and his father Chris Ridley make their way through the Nashville international Airport, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. A record number of Americans are expected to travel over the 2024 Memorial Day holiday. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

This story was previously updated to correct the spelling Fort Myers, Florida.

Cody Jackson in Port Saint Lucie, Florida, Melissa Perez Winder in Chicago and Shelley Adler in Washington contributed to this report.

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New Presidential Plane Approved by Thailand Government

The Thailand government has approved a new presidential plane for the Thai Royal Family.

The new $276 million plane will be used to transport members of the royal family, cabinet ministers, members of the privy council, and guests of the Thai government.

Presidential plane expected by 2026

The aircraft is not expected anytime soon as we have no further details on what type of aircraft the replacement will be.

The presidential plane is scheduled to be delivered by 2026 and operated by the 602 Squadron/Royal Flight Wihok, based at Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport.

The 602 Squadron is no stranger to VIP aircraft as it currently operates an Airbus A319, two Airbus A320s, four Boeing 737s, and three Sukhoi SSJ100-95LR Superjets. The Royal Thai Air Force, which operates the aircraft, has a detailed operational plan which includes a budget estimate, corruption risk assessment, and a list of procurement needs.

The current Airbus A340-500

The current presidential plane is the Airbus A340 -500 which has been in operational use since 2005 and is named Phitsanulok after a historic city in Lower Northern Thailand.

Thai Airways International initially owned the plane until 2012 and was put into storage for a few years until the Royal Thai Air Force acquired it in 2016.

The aircraft has been primarily used for VIP travel, government business, reparation flights, and humanitarian missions worldwide.

Most recently, the aircraft was spotted at the Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport and Chiang Mai.

The Airbus made history by flying what might be the longest-ever flight by the aircraft. In November 2022, the Airbus 340 flew from Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport to Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina. The flight took 18 hours and 14 minutes and covered 7,859 miles.

About Thai Airways International

Thai Airways International,  which initially owned the Airbus 340-500, was founded in 1960 as a joint venture between Thailand’s domestic carrier, Thai Airways Company (TAC), and Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS)

The first flight took place in 1960 from Bangkok International Airport to Hong Kong. During the 1960s, flights took place to nine overseas destinations, all within the Asian region.

In the 1970s, they expanded their network and launched flights to Australia and Europe. Thai Airways International was the first Asia-Pacific airline to serve Heathrow Airport.

The airline now serves 40 international destinations using a fleet of 46 aircraft ranging from Boeing to Airbus.

As the national airline of Thailand, the Company’s motto is “the first choice carrier with touches of Thai.”

The airline has won numerous awards over the years. In 2013 the airline won Best Intercontinental Airline in the Norwegian Grand Travel Award. The airline is also known for its catering services which offer traditional Thai food and won the Best Caterer award in 2008 from China Airlines.

Environmental policy

The airline is also a leader in environmental conservation. The company has continued to ensure that overall business operations and processes produce minimum environmental impact. To achieve this, the airline has established five environmental policies: 

1. To develop environmental management systems to meet international standards to ensure that all activities and operations are following the standard and related environmental rules and regulations. 

2. To develop and promote environmental management systems to be applied to all the Company’s activities to reduce pollution and environmental impact continually, with clear objectives, action plans, and evaluation procedures

3. To incorporate environmental impact considerations in every process of all the Company’s activities and operations, starting from design, purchasing, production, and service delivery. Resources should be used effectively to provide the highest benefit for the Company and society.

4. To increase environmental awareness among employees through training programs to ensure that the Company’s environmental systems are effectively implemented.

5. To provide support towards environmental protection programs, including giving accurate news and information to staff, customers, and the public and private sector to enhance a better understanding of the Company’s efforts towards environmental preservation and conservation. 

What do you think of Thailand’s new presidential plane? Let us know in the comments below.

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Severe weather could hamper your travel, outdoor plans for Memorial Day weekend

A series of storms is forecast to unleash dangerous weather conditions across the central and eastern U.S. through Memorial Day weekend, likely snarling traffic and delaying flights during one of busiest travel periods of the year .

Friday's weather remained relatively calm throughout the day in many regions, which boasted comfortable temperatures for an early start to the holiday weekend. But weather advisories were in effect in several areas of the Midwest, where a handful of storms barreled through Friday morning.

Those storms brought winds as high as 70 mph and heavy rain Friday to small towns still reeling from powerful winds, rain and tornadoes from earlier in the week, including Greenfield, Iowa, where a twister killed four people , injured 35 others and damaged more than 150 homes on Tuesday.

In southwest Oklahoma, at least one tornado touched down late Thursday, the weather service said. Repair efforts were underway Friday after multiple houses were damaged, including one that had its roof blown off, according to local media reports. In Nebraska, softball-sized hail fell as strong winds uprooted trees and tangled power lines. As of Friday morning, over 25,000 homes and businesses were without power across Iowa and Nebraska, according to a USA TODAY outage tracker .

Meteorologists in the weather service's Quad Cities office on Friday warned of high winds and the potential formation of tornadoes in Iowa and Illinois throughout the day.

"An arcing line of severe storms continues to move east at 60 mph this AM. The primary threats are damaging winds, with embedded tornadoes possible in northwest IL," the weather service said. "After this line moves out, WE ARE NOT DONE! More strong to severe storms are possible this afternoon."

A corridor stretching from northeastern Texas and the Tennessee Valley to Missouri and Illinois – where more than 45 million people live – faces the greatest risk of floods, damaging winds and possible tornadoes on Friday, according to the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center . The cities in the crosshairs of the various storms include Dallas, Chicago, Indianapolis, Memphis and Milwaukee. Flood watches and warnings were in effect throughout eastern Arkansas, northern Mississippi and western Tennessee, where 2-3 inches of rain had fallen .

The persistent threat of severe weather comes on the heels of deadly storms that, since last week, have ravaged the Plains and Midwest, especially the Texas cities of Houston and Temple , and Greenfield, Iowa . Over the last week, at least nine deaths, dozens of injuries and millions of dollars in damages have been tied to the nonstop severe weather outbreak.

Weekend forecast: Plains, Midwest face unrelenting storms

Through the holiday weekend, the Plains and Midwest regions, which for the last several weeks have been battered by potent and deadly storms , will face a constant threat of tornadoes .

Meteorologists forecast "several strong to violent tornadoes, extreme hail, and corridors of widespread wind damage" throughout the central and southern Plains on Saturday. A moderate risk of severe storms – a 4 on a scale of 5 – is concentrated over Kansas and Oklahoma, with Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Wichita being the cities in the threat zone.

The storms are forecast to shift northeast on Sunday, bringing severe thunderstorms over parts of eastern Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. A much larger area of the Midwest and south-central U.S. is in the path of the storm system, too. By Monday, meteorologists expect the poor weather to expand into the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.

"Thunderstorms this weekend will not only threaten outdoor events such as weddings, barbeques and camping trips, but they can be dangerous across the Great Plains to the East Coast," according to AccuWeather .

Over 43 million people to travel during stormy holiday weekend

With the unofficial start to summer meeting a ferocious stretch of severe weather, travelers across the central and eastern U.S. may experience delays on the roads and at airports.

Nearly 44 million people  will travel 50 miles or more over the Memorial Day holiday travel period, which is from Friday, May 23 to Monday, May 27, according to projections from The American Automobile Association. Over 38 million people will travel by car, while more than 3.5 million will take flights.

"We haven't seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years," Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in a statement. "We're projecting an additional one million travelers this holiday weekend compared to 2019, which not only means we're exceeding pre-pandemic levels but also signals a very busy summer travel season ahead."

On Thursday, storms forced officials to temporarily ground flights at New York City's two major airports, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Hundreds of flights were delayed across the mid-Atlantic and New England, including at airports in Boston, New Jersey and Philadelphia.

Cleanup, recovery underway in the aftermath of devastating storms

Across the central U.S., construction crews, utility workers, emergency responders and residents worked to clear the immense wreckage left in the wake of recent storms.

In Greenfield, Iowa, dozens of volunteers joined authorities from around the state to assist in the recovery after the town was decimated Tuesday afternoon by a powerful tornado. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said at the news conference Thursday that the response has been remarkable. "I was on the ground yesterday and I can't even tell you the amount of debris that has been collected and hauled off," she said.

In Houston, authorities worked to repair buildings that were damaged by storms that barreled through the city on May 16, killing eight people and knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses, most of which has been restored this week. The city's emergency management office said several roads will be closed through the weekend as waste management workers continue collecting storm debris.

In Temple, a city about 60 miles north of Austin, emergency responders were clearing downed trees, piles of wreckage and restoring power following a tornado that damaged homes and left several people with minor injuries on Wednesday. In Bell County, which encompasses Temple, more than 25,000 utility customers were without power on Friday, according to a USA TODAY outage tracker .

National weather radar

Contributing: Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY ; José Mendiola, Des Moines Register

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We had a very enjoyable 9 days on our trip to Thailand. Thank you very much Mr. Long. We really appreciate you taking the time to answer all of our questions even outside of business hours. Overall, our accommodations during the trip were very good, especially the Avista Grande hotel with its very friendly staff and excellent service. Our family will definitely come back in the near future.

We thoroughly enjoyed our experience exploring Thailand. Instead of booking through a third-party, we decided to directly arrange our travel with Realistic Asia for a full 10-day tour. Ms. Evelyn, our travel agent, was fantastic right from the beginning. She was incredibly responsive, helpful, and considerate, taking into account our specific requirements to suggest the perfect package for us. The hotels in each city were conveniently situated on main roads and in prime locations. Additionally, all of our scheduled land tours were punctual and well-organized. We are grateful to Ms. Evelyn for creating such a memorable trip for us.

We did this tour in July 2023 and due to family exigencies forgot to post the review. The tour was well planned by Legend Travel group. It was supposed to be a group tour however it was just 3 of us on the tour. which made us miss company of fellow travelers. The guides were very nice and went out of their way to help us, so very pleased with them. On the whole it was a great tour and we covered all the places that we wanted to see and did loads of other stuff with good guidance from the guides.

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