Thailand reopening to international tourists will kick start later this month as the kingdom will welcome Chinese tourists.
Tourism officials hope to portray Thailand as a safe destination and the first batch of tourists will be a private flight of 150 Chinese tourists travelling to Phuket.
This group of tourists will follow the set of protocols laid out by the tourism authority dubbed as the “Phuket model”. Under the new scheme, only visitors from countries deemed low risk are allowed to enter the country and tourists will be required to spend 14 days in hotel quarantine.
If all goes well for the first group, TAT spokesperson said that the kingdom will welcome two more flights – one carrying Chinese tourists and the other carrying European travellers.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has announced this week that only a limited number of travellers would be allowed into Thailand and that they would be monitored through wristbands and mobile phone apps.
Thailand’s tourism is highly dependent on international tourists welcoming nearly 40 million people last year. However, the unprecedented effects of COVID-19 pandemic have decimated the travel industry. Therefore, the kingdom can expect low numbers of international arrivals, but this is a positive step towards the safe reopening of Thailand.
