Since Thailand lifted its pre-travel PCR testing requirements on Friday, the number of international passengers at Suvarnabhumi International Airport has increased significantly. Well, that's the general narrative published by some media outlets, although the published figures don't stand up to scrutiny.
According to the Bangkok Post (and Thai government's English-language media, Thai PBS World), from April 1 to 4, an average of more than 11,600 passengers from abroad landed in the big mango every day at Bangkok's hub.
Once passengers entering the country through Test & Go and the Sandbox program canceled PCR testing, the number of passengers at the airport increased by more than 65 percent from 7,000 in March. The figure now, which almost doubled on average in the first four days of March and April, gives the impression that Thailand may be on the verge of a rebound in tourism.
But in another way, there was a clear "influx" of travelers into the country, with Suvarnabhumi offering an average of 141 international flights per day in the first four days of April, compared to an average of 137 flights per day in March, an increase of just 3%. As a result, the number of empty seats on planes in the first four days of April seems to be much less than the average arrival in March.
It should also be noted that in the past few months, the largest inbound teams have been mainly returning Thais, as well as expatriates, businessmen and, of course, tourists.
With travel restrictions relaxed, more flights will land at Suvarnabhumi Airport to accommodate a growing number of passengers looking to travel to Thailand with relative ease. Or at least that's what the tourism authorities want to happen.
While it is theoretically possible to cancel the pre-arrival Covid test, in practice, there may be no commendable reason. Travelers to Thailand will still find it difficult to board without a negative PCR, regardless of whether they need to enter Thailand via a Thailand Pass. Meanwhile, it has been reported that faster PCR detection on arrival does not eliminate the requirement to book a SHA Extra+ hotel prior to departure to apply for the required Thailand Pass. Good luck, even if you find out you don't need to spend the night there.
Thai hoteliers are equally relentless. They want to be in line with countries such as Malaysia, Cambodia and Singapore to remove entry restrictions more completely. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotel Association, said that while the cancellation of pre-arrival PCR testing could lead to a slight increase in overseas arrivals, the reality is that it will only make Thailand's sluggish tourism industry slightly better. ...
"After the cancellation of pre-arrival testing, we saw an increase in international arrivals, but it was a very slow climb. These numbers are still very small and not enough to fully recover. To attract more inbound visitors, the government must remove all restrictions: RT-PCR testing on arrival, Covid insurance requirements, and a Thailand pass. ”
Meanwhile, the Tourism Authority of Thailand plans to attract more than 1 million tourists from neighboring Southeast Asia by the end of this year. Their secret weapon? Travel packages.