Thailand’s tourism minister told Pattaya and Chonburi officials that citizens of 120 countries are eagerly awaiting to travel to Thailand in October.
Meeting with Chonburi Gov. Pakarathorn Thienchai and Pattaya Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome at city hall March 22, Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn reiterated already announced plans to reopen the country to tourism.
The current phase allows vaccinated tourists to endure only seven days of quarantine – a rule that has left business owners and local government officials scratching their heads – while four days have been cut off the two-week quarantine for unvaccinated travelers arriving from countries where coronavirus variants haven’t spread widely.
Business leaders across the country have scorned the plan, saying vaccinated tourists should not have to undergo any quarantine and that virtually no one will travel to the kingdom if they have to spend up to two weeks in isolation.
Pipat said plans call for all quarantines to be ended in October as vaccines will be widely available around the globe. One exception, ironically, may be Thailand, where not even half the population is expected to be inoculated this year.
Pipat said a million doses will be needed for the tourism sector by October.
The government, he added, is prioritizing Chonburi, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, and Surat Thani in its vaccination campaign with overseas Tourism Authority of Thailand offices reporting strong interest in traveling to Thailand this fall in 120 countries that have controlled their Covid-19 epidemics and have not been hit hard by variants.
Thailand’s tourism minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn met with members of the business community to outline relaxation of quarantine regulations for foreign visitors.
