Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul has downplayed the need for special arrival regulations for Chinese tourists, stating that a sudden influx of Chinese visitors is anticipated to be gradual.
Anutin stated that, as the Chinese government continues to impose travel restrictions, including RT-PCR tests for Covid-19 for both inbound and outbound travelers, all Chinese tourists arriving in Thailand will have been tested and cleared of Covid infection.
Minister Anutin noted, however, that officials from the Department of Disease Control, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Ministry of Transport, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand have convened daily meetings to discuss appropriate tourism and health measures in preparation for an influx of international tourists to the country.
Anutin stated that the majority of Chinese travelers have either received at least three doses of the Covid-19 vaccine or have developed Covid-19-specific antibodies. This group of travelers would only be required to comply with measures applicable to all arrivals, such as purchasing health insurance.
Officials in Thailand have also discussed a plan to offer AstraZeneca vaccines to Chinese tourists for a small fee and on a voluntary basis.
Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said this week that he expected Chinese tourists to begin arriving on January 5 and that approximately 300,000 would arrive in the first quarter of next year, which would benefit the tourism industry during the low season. The authority has increased its arrival target for the upcoming year from 20 million to 25 million, but the anticipated revenue from tourism remains unchanged at 2.4 trillion baht. (NNT)
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