Tourism minister calls for an end to the Thailand Pass scheme

The queue to beat up on the much-hated Thailand Pass is growing longer by the day. Now Thailand’s Tourism Minister is joining in.

Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakan, says he will use the next Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration meeting to push PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to pull the plug on the Thailand Pass digital gateway. If the scheme is lifted, he expects Thailand to have 30,000 travellers per day.

The minister’s enthusiastic maths matches that of the government-funded Tourism Authority of Thailand and many of the country’s tourism and hospitality groups who are also calling for the end of the Thailand Pass.

“Once Thailand Pass is lifted, I am confident the number of daily tourist arrivals will go up to about 30,000 (per day). The number may go up to 40,000-50,000 later in the year. In the past, the highest number of daily arrivals was 100,000 (in 2019). We have to fight to retake this target.”

Foreigners must apply for a Thailand Pass at this moment in time. They must give their passport and vaccination information, and proof of US$10,000 health insurance, which has to include coverage should they need any Covid treatment whilst in Thailand. After that, the system generates a Thailand Pass QR code for the user to enter the kingdom. Thais are now exempt from needing a Thailand Pass.

PM Prayut is in Phuket today to assess the area’s education and tourism programs.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post