Tourists turn their backs on Rayong over 330 baht antigen testing requirement
Tourists have hit back at the eastern province of Rayong after officials imposed a mandatory antigen testing requirement on all visitors. According to a Nation Thailand report, all arrivals in the province must have a negative antigen test result, certified by a doctor, no more than 72 hours before arrival.
Tourists have expressed their anger on social media, with most saying they were unaware of the requirement prior to arrival. Once in Rayong, visitors are being ordered to pay 330 baht at a local hospital in order to be tested. This has led to most cancelling their trips and turning around.
Nation Thailand reports that one of them is 52-year-old Pathida Limprasit, who brought a group of 10 Swedish tourists to Koh Samet. The group had travelled all the way from Surin province, nearly 500 kilometres away, in the north-east of the country. It’s understood that when the Swedish visitors heard about the ATK requirement, they opted to change their plans, ditching Rayong. According to the group, the extra cost is unjustifiable, given that they’re all fully vaccinated and have already been tested several times before they could enter Thailand.
According to Rayong’s deputy governor, the requirement has been in place since January 20. Anan Nakniyom says the province will hold talks with relevant agencies in order to find a solution to the problem and prevent any further fallout for tourism operators and businesses in Rayong.
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SOURCE: Nation Thailand
