Popular SE Asian destination, Thailand plans to reopen Bangkok and other tourist destinations within the country by next month (2022) to promote foreign tourists entering the nation and revive the battered tourism industry.
This decision was undertaken on Thursday and this comes after the fact that the number of new coronavirus infections has been peaked in the country.
The government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchan said that Bangkok, Hua Hin, Pattaya and Chiang Mai will be added to the program where foreign tourists can visit these places after series of tests against coronavirus.
There is a scheme that is underway in the Islands of Samui and Phuket where about 70% of the local population are required to be fully inoculated with the covid19 vaccine.
The plan to allow quarantine free entry to the nation was questioned in the meeting held as several cases soared in the month of August and record fatalities were being observed in the country.
Bangkok reopening would be partial, however, this will start with the areas popular with tourists said Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn
TAT governor is targeting around 1 million visitors this year compared to 40 million tourists in the year 2019.
After Phuket was reopened, there has been a steady increase in the number of tourists and this year they recorded 88,000 out of which 1/3rd was to the island of Phuket.
Around 34% of Bangkok residents have been fully vaccinated and around 15% when counted nationwide. Local tourists operators also feel that slowing down the infection rate and vaccinating more people will help tourism to recover.
“We hope that this particular situation resolves itself in time for this critical booking period,” said Frederic Varnier, who manages Minor International’s Anantara resorts in Phuket.
Source : Microtraveller
