Province in Western Thailand works to revive tourism in new scheme

 

Province in Western #Thailand works to revive tourism in new scheme

The governor of one Western Thai province whose tourism income plummeted this year announced yesterday the need for a “comprehensive strategy” to revive tourism. The province of Prachuap Khiri Khan made 1.85 billion baht in tourism in 2020, but that dropped to 36 million baht in 2021.
“We expect travel activities to pick up once Covid-19 is classified as an endemic disease”.

The governor says the new tourism strategy will mainly promote one-night and two-night stays in three target areas. The areas are Hua Hin-Pran Buri, Sam Roi Yot-Kui Buri-Muang, and Thap Sakae-Bang Saphan-Bang Saphan Noi. The governor says the campaign will try to appeal to a wide range of travel groups, including families, young people, and the elderly. He said the main target districts will submit their reopening plans to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration later this week, hopefully on time for Songkran.

Prachuap Khiri Khan is a coastal province, like many Thai provinces that have been gutted hard by Covid-19’s destruction of the tourism industry. Another province notably similar is Phuket. The number of tourists plummeted from 14,800 a day on average in 2019 to 500 a day on average in 2021. At one point, the average monthly income in Phuket fell to 1,961 baht per month.

Like Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phuket is also slowly making a comeback in tourism. Last week, the Tourism Authority of Thailand Phuket announced the province is ready to welcome back sea tourists, after the Test & Go scheme extended to them.

Source - The Thaiger

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US government tells citizens to avoid travel to Hong Kong, New Zealand – and Thailand

Americans are being told to avoid travel to Thailand, Hong Kong, and New Zealand, due to the rise in Covid-19 infections in each country. According to a Reuters report, the travel advisory was issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has raised its travel alert for Thailand to “Level Four: Very High”.

In total, the US is recommending citizens avoid travel to around 135 countries. Another 33 countries are at “Level 3: High”. Meanwhile, Anguilla, Cape Verde, Fiji, Mexico, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates have all been lowered to Level 3. Just 29 countries are at “Level 2: Moderate” or “Level 1: Low”.

The CDC is advising Americans who are not vaccinated to avoid travel, adding that even if vaccinated, travellers to Thailand risk contracting Covid-19.

“If you must travel to Thailand, make sure you are vaccinated and up to date with your Covid-19 vaccines before travel. Even if you are up to date with your Covid-19 vaccines, you may still be at risk for getting and spreading Covid-19.”

The Bangkok Post reports that Thailand has recorded 18,943 new infections today, down from yesterday’s 21,162. There were 69 Covid-related deaths, up from 65 yesterday. Hong Kong reported 25,150 new cases yesterday, with 280 deaths. Authorities there are struggling to contain the outbreak, with many of the elderly unvaccinated population enduring the worst of the wave.

The city has now reported a total of 500,000 infections, with most of its 2,000+ deaths reported in the last 2 weeks. According to the Reuters report, in the week to March 6, Hong Kong reported the most deaths per million people worldwide. The US CDC raised its travel advisory for Hong Kong to Level 3 last week.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post | Reuters

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Travel in 2022 – how Russia is reshaping the world’s travel industry

Russians were the most visible travellers heading to Thailand post February 1, 2022, when the Thailand Pass Test & Go option was rebooted. Even with its 2 days of pre-booked SHA+ quarantine and PCR tests, along with US$50,000 Covid insurance (which has since been reduced to $20,000), the Russian travelers were delighted to jump on a plane and take the long trip to the much warmer Land of Smiles.

That situation has now radically changed and the world is reverberating to the full impact of Russia’s aggression and the invasion of Ukraine.

Now there’s a mere trickle of daily flights between Russia and either Suvarnabhumi or Phuket in Thailand. Whilst much of the rest of the world have said ’nyet’ to the arrival of any planes from Russia, Thailand is still allowing them to arrive. But even if the planes are still coming (albeit in vastly reduced numbers), the pressure of world sanctions, bans and the plunge of the Russian Ruble has already made the decision for any potential Russian travelers.

Now, the latest data from ForwardKeys, shows that the Russian invasion of Ukraine, now into its 9th day, has prompted an instant spike in flight cancellations to and from Russia, worldwide. On the day after the first tanks rolled into Ukraine, every booking that was made for travel to Russia was outweighed by six cancellations of existing bookings.

Russians escaping their bleak winter and heading to sunnier destinations were suddenly cancelling their trips. The cancellation rates between February 24 – 26 were Cyprus (300%), Egypt (234%), Turkey (153%), the UK (153%), Armenia (200%), and Maldives (165%).

Bookings for March, April and May were already reaching 32% of the pre-Covid levels of travel for outbound Russians. They were heading to Mexico, Seychelles, Eygpt and Maldives. And Thailand.

The outlook for Q3 this year was looking even stronger.

All that Russian travel enthusiasm has now collapsed and, given the harsh economic weapons thrown at Vladimir Putin, his banks, his ‘friends’ and his citizens, any recovery will be a long, long way down the track. Even if there was a swift and unexpected reversal of the Ukraine situation, Russia has already been dealt a fatal economic blow – in just one week the country been turned into a pariah state and much of the rest of the world seems happy to punish the entire country for Putin’s violence.

For countries like the Seychelles, Maldives and Cyprus, Russian arrivals represented a high percentage of their international arrivals. In Thailand that was about 8% of the total tourist mix. And, whilst the Chinese are still in China for at least the rest of this year, the loss of the Russian travel market probably represented an even higher percentage of tourists that won’t be coming to Thailand in 2022.

Sourse - The Thaiger

According to ForwardKeys, before Russia invaded Ukraine, the top twenty destinations most booked by Russian travelers in March, April and May were…. Number one, Turkey, then the UAE, the Maldives, Thailand, Greece, Egypt, Cyprus, Armenia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Bulgaria, Mexico, Spain, Azerbaijan, USA, UK, Qatar, Italy and Uzbekistan.

The world travel industry will be further hit by rising airfares (due to the sharp surge in oil prices), cancellations of routes (across Eastern Europe), a higher resistance to international travel (for perceived safety reasons) and a lingering instability in world politics.

While the Thailand Pass is still seen by many potential travelers as a significant barrier to their choice of Thailand as their next travel destination, and the Russian and Chinese traveler-tap turned off, Thailand’s immediate travel future looks bleak. And this follows nearly 2 years of border closures, false restarts, over-hyped TAT arrival projections and the former Thai tourism workforce heading home to find other work.

The loss of the Russian travelers underscores a critical need for the Thai government to quickly modify the Thailand Pass, or scrap it completely. With so many other factors now making international travel difficult, Thailand will have to rethink their short to medium term tourism strategies to retain its share of the international travel market.

Of course there is no comparison of the humanitarian tragedy underway inside the borders of Ukraine at this time, but Russia’s aggression will likely have much more long-term, and far-reaching, effects than the clear and present danger it poses on the Ukranian nation right now.

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Russian flights keep arriving in Thailand, for now

Aeroflot, Ural Airlines and S7 Airline planes are still arriving on schedule in Thailand today as nothing has changed, thus far, as flights into Thai airports from Russia are concerned.

But Thailand’s tourism tzars continue to monitor Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as the world looks to ways of pressuring and sanctioning Russia, including access to its airlines across the world.

At this stage there has been no official comments coming from the Thai government about the invasion of Ukraine or any Thai reaction to the conflict, beyond assuring Thais in Ukraine that they will be evacuated.

Russian arrivals ranked Number One in Thailand during the first 22 days of the resumption of the Test & Go program, from February 1 – 22. 13,063 Russian tourists arrived in Thailand over that time, followed by 10,412 visitors from Germany and 8,900 from France.

Both Russia and China were two of Thailand’s top feeder markets before 2020, the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Chinese will remain notably absent until, probably, later in 2022. Now the Russian tourist tap may be switched off as well.

But with the developing conflict in Ukraine, the Russian Ruble has dropped around 18% against the Thai baht, since February 9, putting further pressure on Russian tourists travelling to Thailand at this time. Despite fluctuations, the Ruble is again on another downward trend versus most international currencies since the invasion on Thursday.

The other major threat to tourism arrivals, from just about anywhere in the world, is the huge surge in oil prices which will eventually hit plane ticket prices, including domestic flights within Thailand.

Oil prices briefly topped US$100 a barrel on Thursday reflecting panic in the first hours of the Russian invasion, the first time they’ve surpassed the US$100 mark since 2014, but they fallen back slightly since. In the 2020’s the average price was about US$39 a barrel.

So far there hasn’t been any immediate, or tangible, increase in flight prices inside Thailand, or internationally, but aviation experts believe that it’s just a matter of time.

They note that airlines with the youngest fleets, and the most fuel-efficient aircraft, will suffer the least as a direct result of the rising oil and, consequently, av-gas prices.

Thai Airways still has Thailand’s oldest fleet of aircraft.

Following this week’s alteration of Test & Go program requirements, removing the pre-paid PCR test and night of accommodation on Day 5 (and replacing it with a self-ATK test to be uploaded onto the Mor Phrom App), tourism operators expect an uptick of new bookings, but fresh applications for the Thailand Pass remain under original predictions.

Tourism operators also believe that nurturing the newer feeder markets, of India and Saudi Arabia, will play a crucial role, both during the ongoing tensions in Central Europe, and the onset of Thailand’s low season.

Then there’s the surge in cases of Omicron in Thailand and how the government will react to that over the coming month.

Source - The Thaiger

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Thailand Eases Entry Rules to Reboot Tourism

Thailand will further relax entry rules for foreign visitors starting next month, bowing to demand from the local tourism industry to lower costs as more countries ease border controls to lure holidaymakers.
Vaccinated visitors to the Southeast Asian nation won’t be required to undergo a mandatory polymerase chain reaction test on the fifth day of the arrival starting March 1.

Instead, they can do a self antigen test, scrapping the requirement to have a confirmed hotel reservation for the test.

The Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, Thailand’s main virus task force chaired by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha, also lowered the minimum medical insurance coverage for visitors to $20,000 from $50,000.

Thailand is making it easier for travelers to its famed beaches, Buddhist temples and national parks after nearly two years of tight border curbs decimated its tourism industry.

While the nation is battling a spike in omicron-led Covid cases, low mortality rate compared to the peak delta wave means healthcare facilities can cope up with the outbreak, Taweesilp Visanuyothin, a spokesman for the task force, said at a briefing Wednesday.

Thailand saw its Covid cases jump to 21,232 on Wednesday, a six-month high, but the deaths stood at 39, compared with more than 300 a day during the peak of the delta wave in August.

The baht rallied as much as 0.4% on expectation easier visa rules will boost the country’s current-account surplus. The currency traded at 32.329 to a U.S. dollar, extending gains this year to 3.3%.

Tourism-reliant Thailand has been experimenting with several plans in recent month to try to revive the travel sector that used to contribute to about one-fifth of its economy, with 40 million foreign tourists generating more than $60 billion in 2019.

The country has cleared about 302,000 visitors under its so-called “Test & Go” program since it was reopened for a second time on Feb. 1, according to Taweesilp.

Bangkok, the nation’s capital city, eastern province Chonburi and resort island Phuket received the most travelers under the plan, he said.

Source - BangkokJack

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Over 23,000 apply for Thailand Pass under ‘Test and Go’ on first day of its resumption

A total of 23,660 travellers applied for a Thailand Pass to enter the country through the “Test and Go” quarantine exemption scheme yesterday (Tuesday), the first day the scheme resumed after registration was suspended on December 22, following the emergence of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.

Government Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said today (Wednesday) that he expects more travellers to apply to visit Thailand under the program in the future. About 5,500 others also registered for the pass yesterday for other entry options such as the sandbox, and alternative quarantines.

He said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed all relevant agencies to be prepared to deal with the arriving travellers and to make sure that all the necessary safety measures are in place and strictly enforced, to prevent possible spread of COVID-19.

Thanakorn also said that the government is determined to promote wellness and culture-related tourism to create jobs for Thai people, to enable them to make a living.

Under the “Test and Go” program, travellers are only required to stay in a government-approved hotel on the day of arrival and on the 5th day in Thailand for the two RT-PCR tests required.

Unless officially resident in Thailand, travellers are also required to have insurance coverage of no less than US$ 50,000, certification of vaccination, except for travellers under 18 travelling with a parent or a guardian, a negative RT-PCR test result issued no more than 72 hours prior arrival, except children under 6 with a parent or a guardian, written confirmation of pre-paid accommodation and the pre-paid bookings for two further COVID-19 tests in Thailand.

Source - ASIAN NOW

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Tourism Ministry Launches ‘Thailand Trusted Destination’ Campaign

Krabi (NNT) - The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has launched the “Thailand Trusted Destination” campaign to raise the nation’s tourism standards. Visitors can now look for venues and attractions bearing the campaign’s dancing elephant logo. The logo certifies attractions that meet the standards promoted by the ministry.

The Department of Tourism under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports took business operators on a field trip to Krabi province to observe venues and attractions certified under the Thailand Trusted Destination campaign.

The campaign was introduced as an incentive for business owners to improve their services and boost confidence among tourists. Participating venues will be granted the dancing elephant logo, which represents cleanliness, safety, fairness, good management, and green practices.

During the field trip, business operators visited Krabi International Airport, which has been certified for toilet cleanliness; Laemsak Community which was certified as a community-based tourism attraction with historical value; and Than Bok Khorani National Park, which has been certified for its success in environmental conservation and tourist safety.

Source - ASIAN NOW 

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Travel from Europe to Bangkok by TRAIN

The construction of a new train line in Laos means that it is now possible to travel from Portugal to Bangkok and on to Singapore by train.
The route is thought to be the longest train journey in the world spanning some 18,755km and would take an estimated 21 days to complete the journey.

Travelling from Lagos in southern Portugal to Singapore, the journey requires a number of changes to hop on and hop off trains in cities such as Paris, Moscow, Beijing, Vientiane, Bangkok, Hua Hin, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Prior to the opening of the new train line in Laos, the route would have ended in Vietnam, before passengers would need to catch a connecting bus to Saigon and onto Cambodia and Vietnam.

However, as of 2nd December 2021, Laos’ new high speed rail network that connects Kunming in China to the capital Vientiane means that it is now possible to continue on to Bangkok and south to Hua Hin before continuing on to Padang Besar in Malaysia and finally, Singapore.

The whole trip would take in 13 different countries, according to rail expert Mark Smith from the train travel booking website Seat 61 who first publicised the epic trip.

There would of course be a few overnight stops required to allow for immigration and visa processing, as well as some short hops across cities to different train stations.

Currently two of the longest sections of the route – Paris to Moscow and Moscow to Beijing – are not operating due to the pandemic.

But if you are looking for a once in a life time experience, and particularly if you enjoy train travel, this could be the perfect trip and something worth trying as and when COVID-19 travel restrictions are eased. – Hua Hin Today

Source - BangkokJack

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The new longest possible train journey in the world.

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Thailand reinstates quarantine for foreign visitors

Thailand has reinstated its mandatory Covid-19 quarantine for foreign visitors and scrap a quarantine waiver from today (Tuesday 21st) due to concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
The decision to halt Thailand’s ‘Test and Go’ waiver means visitors will have to undergo hotel quarantine, which ranges between 7 to 10 days.

Meanwhile, a so-called “sandbox” programme, which requires visitors to remain in a specific location but allows them free movement outside of their accommodation, will also be suspended in all places except for the tourist resort island of Phuket.

“After December 21, there will be no new registrations for ‘Test and Go’, only quarantine or Phuket sandbox,” said deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhanadirek.

The announcement came a day after Thailand reported the first case of local transmission of the Omicron variant.

It also came weeks after Thailand reopened to foreign visitors in November, ending nearly 18 months of strict entry policies that contributed to a collapse in tourism, a key industry and economic driver that drew 40 million visitors in 2019.

About 200,000 visitors who had previously registered for the quarantine waiver and sandbox programme will still be eligible, said government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana.

“This is not to shut off tourists but to temporarily suspend arrivals,” he said.

The decision will be reviewed on January 4, he added.

Source - BangkokJack

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British Airways suspends all flights to Bangkok until Oct 2022

British Airways has suspended all direct flights from the UK to Bangkok until October 2022.

Reports of the cancellations first surfaced on social media earlier this week.

Travel site, The Points Guy, then received confirmation from BA that the flights have been canceled.

A spokesperson for BA said: “We apologise to customers whose travel plans are disrupted. Where a customer’s flight is cancelled, we always contact them to offer options including a full refund.  Customers who are unable to travel, or choose not to, can also continue to change their flights or request a voucher for future use as part of our Book with Confidence policy, which has been available since the beginning of the pandemic.”

Passengers have also posted on the FlyerTalk forum to say they had received confirmation from British Airways that their flights to Bangkok had been canceled.

As an alternative, passengers had been offered flights to Doha with Qatar with a connecting flight to Bangkok.

One passenger wrote: So I’m on the phone to BA now. We were booked on Avios outbound Mar 23 and return Apr 5, both cancelled of course. The slightly unhelpful Gold line agent lady says we can get you out on Qatar but the alternative carrier policy is only to Mar 31 so we can’t bring you back! I’m now talking with a supervisor who’s checking with the global team. Any advice appreciated…”

The news comes as British Airways announced earlier this month that it was scrapping more than 2,000 flights from its schedule between now and March next year.

The cancellation of flights was due to reduced demand for air travel during the ongoing pandemic.

Aviation website Simply Flying reported that data from Cirium revealed that BA had cut 2,144 flights from its winter schedule.

Flights have been canceled on domestic, short haul and long haul routes.

Passengers affected by the cancellations are advised to check the status of their bookings via the BA website. Passengers who were due to travel before 31 August 2022 can apply for a voucher that is valid until 30 September 2023.

Source - ASIAN NOW

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Maya Bay to re-open under strict conditions

 Picturesque Maya Bay in Thailand’s southern province of Krabi will reopen to visitors on New Year’s Day, 2022, but with strict conditions attached, including no swimming in the bay and the number of visitors at one time will be limited to no more than 375.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Thon Thamrongnawasawat, vice dean of the Faculty of Fisheries at Kasetsart University and a well-known marine scientists, said in his Facebook post this week that the national parks committee, have approved the reopening of the bay.

Maya has been closed for three and a half years, after coral reefs and environment in the area sustained heavy damage from excessive tourism activities.

The national park committee agreed that restrictions must be imposed to protect the bay and its marine resources if the bay is to be reopened, said Dr. Thon.

The restrictions are as follows:

 No boats may enter the bay area through the front access and must use the opposite side, where a landing pier for landing visitors is already in place.

The number of visitors at any one time will be limited to no more than 375. The number of rounds of visits each day and the duration of each stay are yet to be decided by chief of the national park and tourism operators in Krabi province.

No swimming is allowed in the bay area, because there are many black-tipped reef sharks in the water which may pose a danger to swimmers. Swimming may also disrupt the sharks and coral in the area.
 

Maya Beach was the prime location for the Hollywood film “The Beach” in 2000, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. – Thai PBS

Source - BangkokJack

 

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Thailand set to approve Special Tourist Visa for digital nomads

Thailand is preparing to accommodate an increasing number of “digital nomads” with eyes on Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai as work and vacation destinations.

Spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said the three cities were ranked by Germany-based vacation search engine company Holidu on its list of the best ‘workation’ cities in 2021. One of the groups included in the survey comprised workers who travel to different locations, using mobile devices to perform their jobs remotely at coffee shops or public libraries.

A recent survey by the Adventure Travel Trade Association found Thailand to be among the most popular destinations for these digital nomads. Respondents cited blazing internet speeds, affordable living costs, and scenic tourist attractions are some of the factors that attracted them to the Kingdom, especially with so many others now working remotely due to the global pandemic.

The spokesperson said the government is working to accommodate the increasing numbers of digital nomads by approving a Special Tourist Visa (STV) that allows foreigners to stay for 90 days.

The visa can be extended twice, meaning tourists can stay up to 270 days at a time. The government hopes that STVs will help revitalize the tourism industry under effective COVID-19 control and prevention measures.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has commended relevant agencies and the Thai people for making Thailand one of the best destinations for travelers. He also assured that the government would be ready to listen to all constructive feedback in order to draft policies that benefit everyone.

Source - ASIAN NOW

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Thailand doesn’t want ALL the tourists back

 Thailand’s strict COVID measures meant international travel has ground to a halt during the pandemic.
But now, with tourism set to start up once again, the country is not sure it wants the same type of visitors to return to its shores.

Historically the country has attracted a huge number of tourists, from unruly gap year backpackers to large tour groups who show little care for the environment.

Now Thailand wants to move on from its ‘hedonistic’ history of mass tourism, with Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn stating the focus should be on “high-end travellers, rather than a large number of visitors.”

One location that would be glad to see change is the Phi Phi islands, world-renowned for their white beaches and clear blue waters. While lockdowns kept international travellers away, this region was quietly recovering from years of overtourism.

Before the pandemic, Phi Phi National Park saw more than 2 million visitors every year with 6,000 people a day making the trip to the world-famous Maya Bay. This uncontrolled mass tourism left the region’s delicate ecosystem in disarray.

“The coral cover has decreased by more than 60 per cent in just over 10 years,” Thon Thamrongnawasawat of Kasetsart University in Bangkok tells AFP.

The problem got so bad that in 2018, Thon pushed authorities to close part of Maya Bay. It has been closed ever since and, with strict travel restrictions meaning visitor numbers in the region dwindled to almost zero, nature has started to recover.

Endangered whale sharks have been seen off the coast, turtle species have returned and more than 40 per cent of the coral fragments replanted in Maya Bay have survived.

Thon calls it “a very satisfactory figure obtained thanks to the absence of visitors.”

To make a full recovery though, these coral reefs would need another two decades without visitors. (continues)

Source BangkokJack

 

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Reviving Thai tourism may take years

 The government’s plan to end quarantine for vaccinated visitors is “a fight to win foreign tourists,” Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said.
But analysts and industry executives see it as a long road to recovery fraught with risks of periodic virus resurgence and unpredictable travel trends.

A return to the pre-pandemic levels of tourist arrivals and spending will likely take a few years, according to Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, the president of the Thai Hotels Association.

It’s unlikely that large groups of visitors will immediately head to Thailand given the volatile nature of global travel and the coronavirus situation, she said.

“The light at the end of the tunnel is here, but at the same time it will be a slow climb back to the levels seen before the pandemic,” Ms Marisa said.

“Travel is still so volatile so we have to manage our risks. Keeping costs low will still remain a key strategy for all the hotels in Thailand.”

Thailand will end quarantine for vaccinated visitors from low-risk nations from Nov 1, joining a growing list of nations reopening to cross-border travellers ahead of the year-end holiday season, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Monday.

The surprise announcement saw the nation’s currency surge the most in more than two weeks, and stocks of airport operators, hotels and airlines rally to lift the benchmark index to a one-month high.

Ekasit Kunadirekwong (analyst, Krungsri Securities):
With the “bold move,” tourism recovery is expected to accelerate in the fourth quarter along with rising vaccination rate and roll-out of booster shots.

Thailand’s low vaccination rate of 32% could lead to a spike in new cases upon reopening for inbound travellers and easing of restrictions for business activities.

Krungsri expects Thailand’s population to reach 70% vaccination rate by year-end with tourist arrivals forecast maintained at 300,000 this year, 14 million in 2022, 34 million in 2023 and a rebound to pre-pandemic levels of 40 million by 2024.

 Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn (Minister for Tourism and Sports):
Thailand’s reopening plan coincides with many other nations’ efforts to allow easier cross-border travel and is a fight to win foreign tourists in the next few months.

The ministry wants to attract travellers from China the most, and may seek travel bubbles with Asean nations if they are low-risk countries and travellers have been fully vaccinated.

Sunthorn Thongthip (analyst, Kasikorn Securities):
This will help remove the barriers preventing tourists from coming to Thailand and to stimulate economic activity during the New Year festive period.

He sees upside to the Bank of Thailand’s 2022 GDP forecast of 3.9% which is based on tourist arrivals estimate of 6 million next year.

Every 3 million tourist arrivals in Thailand will create 1% upside to GDP growth.

He expects the baht to rise to 32.75 v. the US dollar by end-2021.

Kasikorn Securities is positive toward the Thai equities market as the reopening should benefit domestic and tourism-related sectors. The brokerage sees upside to its 12-month forward SET Index target of 1,680.

Kampon Adireksombat (deputy managing director, SCB Securities’ Chief Investment Office):
The reopening may be positive for Thai stocks in the short term but upside is limited as the market has partially digested the news.

The economic recovery still faces many downside risks and we need to monitor how many tourists actually come in, especially from China, the biggest source of visitors pre-Covid.

Supant Mongkolsuthree (chairman, the Federation of Thai Industries):
The reopening is necessary to boost the Thai economy as tourism accounts for more than 10% of GDP.

Thailand needs to reopen to gain more income and benefit from global economic recovery. If not, the nation will only suffer from higher costs due to rising oil prices. – Bangkok Post

Source - BangkokJack

 

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Travelers can enter Thailand by sea & land from Dec 24

The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) decided last week to allow travellers to enter Thailand by sea and land, in addition to current access by air.
The north-eastern province of Nong Khai, bordering the Lao PDR, will be the first overland entry point to reopen on December 24th, according to CCSA spokesman Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin.

To enter Thailand via a seaport, travellers are required to be fully inoculated, have passed an RT-PCR test within the 72 hours prior to departure or since their last port of call, to have no infections among passengers and crew on the same vessel and have “Thailand Pass” registration before arrival.

Travellers under the “Test and Go” program will be exempted from quarantine and from providing proof of hotel bookings. “Sandbox” program travellers will have to stay at a hotel in the “sandbox” area for five days and have proof of SHA+ booking payments.

Dr. Taweesin said children under 6, who are accompanied by their parents, will not be subject to RT-PCR tests, but their parents must have negative results from RT-PCR tests taken within the 72 hours prior to travel and will be required to take rapid antigen tests upon arrival.

For Thais who want to travel abroad and need a vaccine passport, he said the CCSA has approved the use of the “Mor Prom” application to apply for the document online.

According to the CCSA, 104,065 foreign and Thai travellers entered Thailand between November 1st and 25th under the “Test and Go”, “sandbox” and quarantine programs. Of these, 135 or 0.13% were found to be infected with COVID-19. – ThaiPBS

Source - BangkokJack

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Business operators rejoice after alcohol sales and drinks are allowed in qualified restaurants in Pattaya, what is the next step?

Business operators have rejoiced in Pattaya after alcohol sales and drinks were finally allowed in qualified restaurants yesterday, after an 8-month ban/prohibition due to Covid-19 regulations in Chonburi.

The Chonburi Governor released new orders last night through their Public Relations Facebook page yesterday allowing (December 4th) alcohol sales and drinks which are now allowed in the Chonburi ‘Blue Zone’ areas including Pattaya, Koh Larn, Sattahip, and Banglamung.

The orders came only a few hours after a rally on Walking Street by a large group of business owners and tourist associations, although it was not immediately clear if the two were directly connected.

Business owners had been putting increasing pressure on the government to lift the ban for over a month.

Last night many restaurants, cafés, and buffet restaurants reopened or allowed the sales of alcohol in Pattaya. Officially, the order only allows SHA (Safety and Health Administration) Plus venues to sell alcohol, which requires over 70 percent of staff to be vaccinated and going through a certification process, meeting many standards, with the Department of Public Health.

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/12/04/business-operators-rejoice-after-alcohol-sales-and-drinks-are-allowed-in-qualified-restaurants-in-pattaya-what-is-the-next-step/

Source - ASIAN NOW

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Thailand eases entry rules from 16 Dec

 Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) approved the easing of entry rules for international arrivals, including returning Thais and foreign residents, under all three schemes – TEST & GO, Sandbox Programme, and Quarantine – effective from 16 December, 2021.
Exemption from Quarantine (TEST & GO)
What’s New: In addition to arrival by air, travelers will be allowed to enter by land (at Nong Khai’s border checkpoint, starting 24 December, 2021) and sea provided that they meet the vaccination and testing requirements.

The current 1-night waiting period in a hotel and a confirmed payment (for 1-night stay at SHA++ hotel, 1 RT-PCR test, and pre-arranged airport transfer) will no longer be required.

On arrival testing will be changed to an ATK method.

Travelers under 6 years of age, traveling with parents with a negative RT-PCR test result within 72 hours before traveling, are not required to have a pre-arrival negative RT-PCR test result and can have saliva test when entering to the Kingdom.

Travelers 6-11 years of age, traveling with parents, must have a negative RT-PCR test result within 72 hours before traveling.

Travelers 12-17 years of age, traveling with parents, are not required to be vaccinated but must have a negative RT-PCR test result within 72 hours before traveling. Those unaccompanied must get vaccinated with at least one dose of an approved vaccine and must have a negative RT-PCR test result.

Travelers previously infected within 3 months before traveling must have a medical certificate of recovery or get vaccinated with at least one dose of an approved vaccine for an unspecified period of times before traveling.

Remain Unchanged: Travel from the approved countries/territories (currently 63) where travelers must have stayed for 21 days or more. Returning Thais and foreign residents, who previously traveled from Thailand, are exempt from this requirement.

An insurance policy with coverage no less than US$50,000. Thais and foreign residents who have national healthcare coverage are exempt from this requirement.

Everyone 18 years of age and older should get fully vaccinated for COVID-19 with an approved vaccine at least 14 days before traveling to Thailand, and must have a negative RT-PCR test result 72 hours before the travel date.

Living in the Blue Zone (Sandbox Destinations)
What’s New: In addition to arrival by air, travelers will be allowed to enter by land (at Nong Khai’s border checkpoint, starting 24 December, 2021) and sea provided that they meet the vaccination and testing requirements.

The mandatory stay will be reduced to 5 days from the current 7 days within one of the Blue Zone Sandbox destinations. This also means a confirmed payment for 5 nights at SHA+ accommodation is required.

On arrival (the first) testing will continue to use the RT-PCR method, but the second testing by an ATK method will be done sooner on Day 4-5 from currently Day 6-7.

Travelers under 6 years of age, traveling with parents with a negative RT-PCR test result within 72 hours before traveling, are not required to have a pre-arrival negative RT-PCR test result and can have saliva test when entering to the Kingdom.

Travelers 6-11 years of age, traveling with parents, must have a negative RT-PCR test result within 72 hours before traveling.

Travelers 12-17 years of age, traveling with parents, are not required to be vaccinated but must have a negative RT-PCR test result within 72 hours before traveling. Those unaccompanied must get vaccinated with at least one dose of an approved vaccine and must have a negative RT-PCR test result.

Travellers previously infected within 3 months before traveling must have a medical certificate of recovery or get vaccinated with at least one dose of an approved vaccine for an unspecified period of times before traveling.

Remain Unchanged: Travel from any country or territory in the world.

An insurance policy with coverage no less than US$50,000. Thais and foreign residents who have national healthcare coverage are exempt from this requirement.

Everyone 18 years of age and older should get fully vaccinated for COVID-19 with an approved vaccine at least 14 days before traveling to Thailand, and must have a negative RT-PCR test result 72 hours before the travel date.

Happy Quarantine Nationwide
What’s New: Travelers will be able to entry Thailand at all points of entry: If fully vaccinated, 5-day quarantine (currently 7 days); if unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, 10-day quarantine, and for the rest of the arrivals, a 14-day quarantine. This also means a confirmed payment for 5 nights or 10 nights at quarantine facilities is required.

Testing will continue to use the RT-PCR method for on arrival (Day 0-1), while the second testing will be done sooner on Day 4-5, or Day 8-9, or Day 12-13, depending on the length of the quarantine period.

Remain Unchanged: Travel from any country or territory in the world.

An insurance policy with coverage no less than US$50,000. Thais and foreign residents who have national healthcare coverage are exempt from this requirement. – Source – TAT Newsroom

Kindly note that travelers under any of the entry schemes are still required to register for a Thailand Pass here

Source - BangkokJack

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Pattaya tourism quiet until entry and booze rules are eased

According to the acting president of the Chon Buri Tourism Council, Pattaya is still quiet, and 95% of tourists there are Thai since the reopening to international tourists on November 1. Of the 200 to 300 people per day who do come, the majority are not tourists but businesspeople and expats. And many of the tourists who do come end up leaving quickly when they discover that everything is closed and that there is no entertainment or nightlife allowed.

The president estimates that, of the 1,000 to 2,000 international tourists the Tourism Authority of Thailand says enter Thailand each day, about 10% of travellers make a stop in Pattaya. The city is seeing what averages to about 6,000 to 7,000 visitors per month – a far cry from the pre-pandemic days when during the busy season from November to March, an average of 1 million people would visit Pattaya per month.

He says that the turnover rate is much faster now than it was earlier in the pandemic offsetting the increase in the number of bookings. People are booking one night and leaving afterwards whereas, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, a single booking would often stay 10 nights to 2 weeks.

A deeper dive into the people booking reveals the reason for so many short stays: the majority of international arrivals coming into Thailand are expats coming home. They arrive and take their RT-PCR test and check into the required hotel while awaiting their results. As soon at the test is returned negative, they head straight to their homes or condos or apartments.

The Tourism Council leader sees the lack of tourists in Pattaya as a direct result of the complicated hoops people have to pass through to arrive in Thailand, discouraging potential tourists. Other holiday countries require vaccination and a negative test before boarding a flight and… that’s it! No complicated document submission processes or quarantine or required hotel bookings. He suggested at least switching to antigen test kits that are exponentially cheaper and much faster so that arriving travellers can start their holiday right away.

But the other thing that has massively disenfranchised international travellers is the draconian restrictions on drinking and entertainment venues. The unnecessary confusion of opening 17 tourism Sandbox destinations but then allowing alcohol in only 4 of them just angers travellers and spreads negative reputations online for potential travellers.

Even when not catering to the wild partying demographic, a large percentage of foreigners want to have a drink with their meals and denying them that is enough to dissuade potential tourists from booking tickets. But speaking of the partiers, while it’s not everyone’s interest, the draw of nightlife and entertainment to Thailand and especially Pattaya is undeniable. And even for those who aren’t going clubbing, nightlife brings more tourists that allow more local businesses to open and thrive, creating a butterfly effect that benefits all areas of tourism in Pattaya.

The Tourism Council president said he fully supported all the efforts of hundreds of local bar and business owners and 8 major tourism associations that have petitioned the government to reopen nightlife and entertainment venues in Pattaya sooner rather than later. Under then, it looks like the holidays will be very quiet in Pattaya.

SOURCE: The Pattaya News

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Thailand’s Maya Bay set to reopen in January

Maya Bay. Remember that breathtakingly pretty beach on Koh Phi Phi Leh off Krabi?

Now, the beach that featured in “The Beach” is now poised to reopen. The iconic natural cove of limestone karsts, turquoise waters and THAT beach was one of Thailand’s most popular attractions for a decade with up to 6,000 visitors everyday. But in the end even the local marine national park officials realized that tourists were killing Maya Bay with love.

So they closed it.

“The Beach” was a 2000 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio (and a great book) is now scheduled to reopen to tourists on January 1, 2022. This from Thailand’s Department of National Parks. The postcard attraction is sure to lure back some of the more reticent tourists who would be keen to see one of the world’s most favorite beaches, but without the mass tourism that closed it down in June 2018.

Since then the park has been devoid of tourists and allowed to rejuvenate, with a bit of help from officials and marine biologists at the Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park.

Replanting coral, re-vegetating the back of the beach and construction of some protective walkways, has taken most of the 3 year break.

Koh Phi Phi Ley is one of two islands that make up the Koh Phi Phi group. Even though it’s officially part of the Krabi province, most visitors travel by speedboat from Phuket for numerous day trips. The larger Koh Phi Phi Don is somewhat of a sun and snorkel backpacker haven and as famous for its parties as it is for stunning scenery.

But it’s Phi Phi Don’s smaller and more attractive sister that has attracted so many day trippers and Instagrammers.

After the release of “The Beach” Maya Bay (the scene only occupies a few minutes of the film) became a Mecca for visitors seeking out THAT beach and the crowds kept coming. At its peak hundreds of tourists and long tail boats would be anchoring off the shores each day, delivering 5-6,000 tourists, trampling over the vegetation. The boat’s anchors almost completely destroyed the coral in the Bay.

VIDEO

 Covid, although it nothing to do with the closure of the Bay, just delayed the reopening, giving Maya Bay’s ecology an additional break before reopening.

But, as with much of Thailand post-Covid, there are new restrictions that will make the visitor experience to Maya Bay very different from the past.

Speedboats won’t even be able to enter into the actual bay anymore. A pier at the back of the island will now be the drop-off point where passengers will disembark and walk across protective boardwalks around the back of the beach.

Visits will be capped at one hour with only 8 boats allowed to tie up at the pier at any one time. The trips will all take place between 10am and 4pm daily.

At this stage the piers aren’t ready for boats and there’s now a mad dash to get everything completed before the reopening at the start of next year.

Whilst the best intentions to limit tourist traffic have been laid down – less than 2,000 tourists a day – the local tourist industry will be pushing hard for Maya Bay to accept more visitors if the demand is there. There are still lots of spare boats and crews out of work in Phuket and Krabi and they’ll be pressuring authorities to relax the restrictions. History shows, in the case of Thai tourism, market forces usually prevail.

Source - The Thaiger

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Thai Government considers easing entry rules, antigen testing may replace PCR test

In anticipation of more international arrivals in the coming months, the Thai government is reviewing current entry requirements. According to a Bangkok Post report, officials may replace the PCR test with antigen test kits and rules could be relaxed for people unfortunate enough to have sat near an infected passenger during their flight. Any amendment of the current rules would need approval from the national communicable disease control committee and the CCSA. The PM will chair a CCSA meeting later today.

Yuthasak Supasorn from the Tourism Authority of Thailand says the time it takes to get results from PCR testing could see the method replaced with ATKs in order to better manage the flow of arrivals during the coming months. He adds that the CCSA will also review the rule that currently requires travellers who sat 2 rows behind or in front of an infected passenger to be moved to quarantine facilities. According to the Bangkok Post report, officials are considering a change that would mean only people who sat next to an infected passenger would be quarantined, meaning a maximum of 2 people for each patient.

Other proposed changes include ditching mandatory hospitalisation for infected arrivals who are asymptomatic or only have mild symptoms. Instead, they would be given a choice of alternative quarantine or a “hospitel”, with the period of stay reduced from 14 days to 10. As of November 9, just 28 of the 28,021 travellers who entered the country following the November 1 re-opening have tested positive for Covid-19.

Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi from the Thai Hotels Association says that if the number of foreign arrivals continues to rise, problems such as congestion at the airport and insufficient airport transfer vehicles could arise. Currently, only transportation services with the SHA Plus accreditation can transfer arriving passengers to their accommodation.

She adds that while SHA Plus hotels in Bangkok are benefiting from the mandatory 1-night stay to await Covid test results, hotels in Pattaya and Hua Hin continue to struggle, with fewer guests than expected. Ditching the PCR test in favour of antigen testing would mean tourists would be free to immediately travel to the destination of their choice. The current rules require them to stay at a hotel that is within a 2-hour drive of their arrival airport until they receive a negative result from their PCR test.

Cource - The Thaiger

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