Government officials will be convening on Thursday to consider the most appropriate protocols for visitors from China, following the Chinese government’s decision to lift its international travel restrictions this Sunday.
Officials in Thailand are now anticipating an influx of visitors from China this year, as the Chinese government is lifting its restrictions on international travel that have effectively prevented its citizens from spending holidays abroad.
With the restrictions to be lifted on 8 January, visitors from China will start arriving in large numbers from 15 January.
Around 50,000 tourists from China are expected to visit Thailand in January. The number is expected to reach 300,000 per month in the first quarter, provided that more flights resume, while the overall visitor number from China this year is expected to be around 5 million, which is less than the pre-pandemic number of 11 million.
The Thai officials will be meeting this Thursday to consider whether to implement any measures specifically for travelers from China, due to reports of widespread COVID-19 transmissions.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul said the Department of Disease Control has been in discussion with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and the Ministry of Transport on this matter.
He said the measures applied for visitors from China would be similar to the existing measures, adding that the visitors would already be subject to exit regulations imposed by Chinese authorities, which include RT-PCR tests, and a record of 3 doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
The Minister of Public Health said visitors from China may be asked to show their record of full vaccination upon arrival, without the need of taking another COVID-19 test, adding that any measures imposed will need to strike a balance between public health and economic opportunities. (NNT)
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