The first tourists to arrive next week on the Special Tourist Visa
The first group of foreigners under the new Special Tourist Visa will be arriving to Thailand next week after a 6 month travel ban on international tourists. About 120 people are set to fly from Guangzhou, China and land in Phuket on October 8. As some would say, at least it’s a start!
The new tourist visa scheme comes after months of discussion on how to safely reopen Thailand’s borders to foreign tourists. The effort is aimed at boosting the country’s tourism dependent economy after it was crippled by the lack of travel during the coronavirus pandemic, border closures and the virtual grounding of airlines around the world.
There have been no local Covid-19 transmissions reported in Guangzhou for many months, according to Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn. The tourists are set to arrive on October 8 and visit Phuket’s Thalang district.
The tourists will still be required to undergo a 14 day state quarantine which includes multiple Covid-19 tests. They are also required to have health insurance covering US$100,000 or 3 million baht. The travellers must also pass a Covid-19 test 72 hours prior to departing to Thailand.
Yuthasak did not report on how long the tourists will stay in Thailand or if they will be allowed to travel to other areas in the country, although earlier reports about the STV suggest they will be free to roam around the country as long as their visa is valid. The Special Tourist Visa allows a stay of 90 days and can be renewed twice, adding up to almost 9 months.
Another group of long stay tourists from China will arrive at the end of October. A group of tourists from Scandinavian countries will arrive in November. All STV applicants have to arrive on special charter flights at this stage. The new STVs are clearly aimed at the high-spend tourists with time on their hands.
A travel ban on international tourists has been in place since April as a response to fears of imported Covid-19 cases. Thailand has slowly started to open its doors, allowing a limited number of travellers under certain restriction to enter the country, such as foreigners with Thai work permits, business people, people on Thailand Elite visas and a handful of other categories, including medical tourists.
As usual, if you are a foreigner, wishing to come to Thailand, your first port of call is the Thai Embassy in your home country. DO NOT book flights or make arrangements until you know you will be legible to enter Thailand, and under what conditions.
SOURCE: Pattaya News
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