Tourism

Minister proposes bars stay open till 4, free visas to revive tourism

Published

Friday, February 14, 2020 16:32

PHOTO: Under Pipat's proposal, bars and entertainment venues would be allowed to stay opn until 4am - File photo

Thailand’s sports and tourism minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn told an extraordinary meeting in Bangkok’s Amari Watergate hotel yesterday that he proposes giving free visas to Chinese and Indians tourists, and allowing bars and other entertainment venues to stay open until 4am. That is the embattled minister’s response to the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis that continues to devastate Thailand’s tourism.

Pipat asked for support from the private sector, saying the 4am opening would only apply to certain areas and surveys would have to be carried out before it was initated. He admitted that 50% fewer tourists are expected in the first half of 2020.

The 4am closing idea received a lukewarm reception last year, and visa-on-arrival for Chinese and Indian tourists is already in place, albeit temporarily.

SOURCE: ThaiVisa | TNN

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Jack Burton

Jack Burton is an American writer, broadcaster, linguist and journalist who has lived in Asia since 1987. A native of the state of Georgia, he attended the The University of Georgia's Henry Grady School of Journalism, which hands out journalism's prestigious Peabody Awards. His works have appeared in The China Post, The South China Morning Post, The International Herald Tribune and many magazines throughout Asia and the world. He is fluent in Mandarin and has appeared on television and radio for decades in Taiwan, Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.

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