The deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) predicted that Thailand is unlikely to reopen its borders to international tourists before the end of the year.
Speaking at yet another webinar, this time hosted by Mekong Tourism and Travel Mole, the deputy governor for international marketing at TAT, Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, noted that there has been “no talk of a timeline issued for reopening the country to inbound or outbound leisure travel during weekly Covid-19 national meetings”.
He spoke of the Thai government’s “very, very cautious” approach to reopening borders and said he doesn’t expect Thailand to welcome tourists until at least 2021.
“I see no signal from the government that the country will open this year. That’s putting lot of pressure on the tourism industry. The Christmas period, usually the high season, is in jeopardy and I’m looking horribly even to Chinese New Year in February, which is an iffy proposition at best now. Unfortunately, this is not a rosy picture.”
Discussions about the creation of travel bubbles have also stalled.
“Last month, there was talk about forming travel bubbles. That talk has not continued so far because of outbreaks in many of the countries we were hoping to get tourists from, including Vietnam.”
“Only visitors from cities with a record of zero infections for at least 30 days will be selected, and they will only be able to travel and stay in designated hotels and provinces. Other conditions include a Covid-free certificate 72 hours before flights, as well as insurance and swab tests.
Published by The Thaiger
