Beijing, 1 Nov (Xinhua) -- Thailand officially welcomed the first batch of "quarantine-free" foreign tourists to enter Thailand for more than a year and a half on November 1. These visitors have all completed COVID-19 vaccinations and come from low-risk countries and regions where COVID-19 is at risk.
At Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi and Phuket airports, staff in protective clothing began to go through the formalities for inbound tourists early in the morning, according to Agence France-Presse.
Passengers check-in at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 22. (Xinhua News Agency, photo by Lahen)
Andre Winkler, a 55-year-old German tourist, and his partner entered Bangkok. They used to come to Thailand almost every winter, staying for half a year, but due to the impact of the new crown epidemic, they did not come last year. He said he was very happy to be able to return to Thailand.
Agence France-Presse said Thailand has now granted quarantine-free entry to more than 60 low-risk countries and regions that have completed vaccinations. According to the Thai government's previously released quarantine-free entry implementation plan, quarantine-free tourists must live in low-risk countries and regions recognized by Thailand for more than 21 consecutive days; they must book a one-night quarantine hotel and wait for the nucleic acid test results after arrival to be negative before they can travel freely in Thailand. Visitors who have not completed their vaccinations will still be subject to a 10-day quarantine at a Thai government-designated hotel.
Economic analysts believe that the Thai government's move is expected to boost tourism. The Kathal Research Centre expects that after the implementation of the quarantine-free entry measures, the number of tourists to Thailand will increase from the previous estimate of 150,000 to about 180,000 this year, bringing no less than 13.5 billion baht (about 2.6 billion yuan) of revenue to Thailand.
A tourist takes a photo at the Ong Aung Canal Walking Street in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 15. (Photo by Xinhua news agency reporter Wang Teng)
Tourism is one of Thailand's pillar industries. In 2019, nearly 40 million tourists entered Thailand, but due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of tourists to Thailand plummeted to 6.7 million in 2020, resulting in a significant increase in unemployment in tourism-related industries.
Due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thailand has been in a state of emergency since 26 March last year, and foreign travellers admitted to the country must quarantine at designated hotels upon arrival at their own expense.
Phuket has implemented a "sandbox program" designed to test the relaxation of entry requirements for foreign tourists from July 1, allowing visitors who meet the conditions for completing vaccinations and other conditions to enter Phuket "without quarantine". Tourists can travel to other parts of Thailand after staying on the island for two weeks and testing negative for the virus twice. According to Agence France-Presse, the plan has had a modest effect on reviving tourism in Phuket, attracting fewer than 60,000 visitors in four months. (Yuan Yuan)