Thailand welcomes first tourists in seven months
Thailand on October 20 welcomed the first tourists since seven months after the country cautiously opened its borders for new arrivals.
The tourists are 39 visitors who flew in from Shanghai, putting up with unpleasant regulations with regards to Covid-19 testing, quarantine, insurance and restriction of movement which has caused some critics to assume that the event cold well be a propaganda stunt by Thailand’s tourism authorities.
The visitors who arrived at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, more than a far cry from the millions of tourists who used to arrive in Thailand in the high year-end season, are seen as pioneers in a “Special Tourist Visa” programme devised by Thai authorities to restore step by step a sector of the economy that welcomed almost 40 million foreign visitors last year, Associated Press noted.
China was a natural choice for restarting tourism, as Thailand was one of the top overseas destinations for Chinese tourists in 2019, when they accounted for by far the largest number of visitors to Thailand by nationality. Just as crucial is that China has largely contained the virus domestically, in sharp contrast to other countries.
State-approved quarantine mandatory
Under the programme approved by the Thai Cabinet in September, foreign tourists who commit to a stay of at least 30 days are issued 90-day visas that can be renewed twice. After arriving, they must stay in government-approved quarantine at a hotel or hospital for 14 days and prove they have long-term accommodations. They must have special insurance policies, undergo pre-departure testing for the virus and download an official coronavirus-tracking application for use during their stay.
At least two other flights from China are expected later this month, and Thailand’s tourism ministry expects about 400 foreign visitors in early November, including some from Scandinavia. Future flights may land in destinations other than Bangkok, such as the southern resort island of Phuket.
Chinese tourists were the first to arrive in Thailand on October 20 after seven months of closed borders. Thailand on October 20 welcomed the first tourists since seven months after the country cautiously opened its borders for new arrivals. The tourists are 39 visitors who flew in from Shanghai, putting up with unpleasant regulations with regards to Covid-19 testing, quarantine, insurance and restriction of movement which has caused some critics to assume that the event cold well be a propaganda stunt by Thailand's tourism authorities. The visitors who arrived at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, more than a far cry from the...
Thailand on October 20 welcomed the first tourists since seven months after the country cautiously opened its borders for new arrivals.
The tourists are 39 visitors who flew in from Shanghai, putting up with unpleasant regulations with regards to Covid-19 testing, quarantine, insurance and restriction of movement which has caused some critics to assume that the event cold well be a propaganda stunt by Thailand’s tourism authorities.
The visitors who arrived at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, more than a far cry from the millions of tourists who used to arrive in Thailand in the high year-end season, are seen as pioneers in a “Special Tourist Visa” programme devised by Thai authorities to restore step by step a sector of the economy that welcomed almost 40 million foreign visitors last year, Associated Press noted.
China was a natural choice for restarting tourism, as Thailand was one of the top overseas destinations for Chinese tourists in 2019, when they accounted for by far the largest number of visitors to Thailand by nationality. Just as crucial is that China has largely contained the virus domestically, in sharp contrast to other countries.
State-approved quarantine mandatory
Under the programme approved by the Thai Cabinet in September, foreign tourists who commit to a stay of at least 30 days are issued 90-day visas that can be renewed twice. After arriving, they must stay in government-approved quarantine at a hotel or hospital for 14 days and prove they have long-term accommodations. They must have special insurance policies, undergo pre-departure testing for the virus and download an official coronavirus-tracking application for use during their stay.
At least two other flights from China are expected later this month, and Thailand’s tourism ministry expects about 400 foreign visitors in early November, including some from Scandinavia. Future flights may land in destinations other than Bangkok, such as the southern resort island of Phuket.
