Prominent economic think-tank welcomes November 1 re-opening plans

A leading economic research body says a planned re-opening to international tourism from November will give the Thai economy the boost it needs. According to a Nation Thailand report, the Kasikorn Research Centre predicts further economic growth from next year, provided the government gets Covid-19 under control. It points out that the country’s tourism sector will only see a full recovery if the Thai government manages to get over 70% of the population fully vaccinated.

The economic research body expects international tourism to increase by 64% given that the re-opening date of November 1 falls during the normally-busy high season. In total, it expects a total of 180,000 foreign tourists for 2021, an increase of 30,000 on its previous forecast. This should equate to revenue of around 13.5 billion baht for the Thai economy.

The Kasikorn Research Centre has also praised the success of the sandbox scheme first launched on the southern island of Phuket on July 1. According to the centre, Phuket’s sandbox model has proved a success with visitors from the US, the UK, Germany, and the Middle East. It adds that the provision of special tourist visas and provinces that manage to control the spread of the virus will all be big draws for foreign tourists.

Nation Thailand reports that the PM’s recent announcement about a quarantine-free re-opening for vaccinated tourists from low-risk countries has led to a rise in online searches for Thai holidays. Travel insight data from Google reveals an increase in searches for hotels and accommodation offers, particularly among users in Russia, the US, the UK, Germany, and India. Most searches were for properties in Bangkok, Pattaya, Koh Samui, and the Patong and Karon areas of Phuket.

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SOURCE: Nation Thailand