international tourism
- Tourism News
Thai government expects 1 million tourists per month by the end of the year
The Thai government has refuted the opposition’s claim that it is ignoring the plight of the country’s tourism sector. According to a Nation Thailand report, spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says the government’s decision to cancel Test & Go has revived the tourism industry, with around 20,000 foreign arrivals now entering the kingdom each day. Thanakorn adds that if this trend continues,…
- Tourism News
Tourism officials ramp up marketing campaigns to target short-haul markets
Tourism officials are looking to short-haul markets to attract holidaymakers during the off-peak season, with a number of marketing events planned. Thanet Phetsuwan from the Tourism Authority of Thailand says places like India, Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia are the target markets. “This strategic push for short-haul markets aims to create a quick win, attracting both repeat and first-time visitors all…
- Phuket News
Things looking up in Phuket following return of international tourism
Provincial officials on the southern island of Phuket say the return of tourists has raised income levels and created more jobs. According to a Bangkok Post report, the return of international tourists has started to revive the island’s economy and reduced unemployment across Phuket. Data shared by Phuket governor, Narong Wunciew, reveals that since the launch of the Phuket sandbox…
- Tourism News
Thai tourism officials aiming for 50% hotel occupancy rate this year
Tourism officials in Thailand have set a target of 50% hotel occupancy this year, in order to revive the tourism sector, following a further easing of restrictions from June 1. According to Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, hotel occupancy dropped to 29% during 2020 and then plunged to 14% in 2021. It needs to climb back…
- Tourism News
Tourism operators not getting their hopes up, still wary of government U-turns
Despite a further easing of entry restrictions at the start of the month, with the lifting of PCR testing on arrival, Thailand’s tourism sector is not getting its hopes up. According to a Bangkok Post report, tourism operators are concerned about several factors that have left them uncertain about any potential recovery. Chief among these is the risk of new…
- Tourism News
In a ranking of the world’s top tourism destinations, Thailand slips in at number 4
It may have its critics, particularly in light of recent ham-fisted and bureaucratic attempts to revive tourism, but Thailand remains one of the most popular destinations in the world. At least, that’s what a study by financial services provider Visa has found. Nation Thailand reports that Thailand sits at number 4 among the world’s top tourism destinations, according to the…
- Tourism News
TAT says Thailand still on track to welcome 20 million tourists next year
The governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand says he remains hopeful that 20 million holidaymakers will travel to Thailand next year. Yuthasak Supasorn says this will almost certainly be possible if China lifts its border restrictions by then. He adds that he expects tourism revenue to reach 80% of its 2019 level during 2023. “The industry next year is…
- Tourism News
Anutin proposes getting rid of the Thailand Pass – for Thai returnees only
Thailand’s Public Health Minister wants to get rid of the Thailand Pass. But don’t get too excited, Anutin Charnvirakul is proposing scrapping it for Thai returnees only – at least for now. According to a Bangkok Post report, the health minister says he will submit the proposal to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. However, when asked whether the emergency…
- Tourism News
Anutin reports surge in Thailand Pass applications after Test & Go dropped
Thailand’s public health minister and deputy PM says there has been a jump in Thailand Pass applications since the ditching of Test & Go. According to a Nation Thailand report, Anutin Charnvirakul says registration has increased, with no problems reported with the simplified system so far. The health minister also commented on the Covid-19 situation in Thailand, saying that daily…
- Tourism News
Officials hope Test & Go cancellation will see flights to Thailand double by year end
With Test & Go now tested and gone, the Thai government hopes to see a surge in flights to the kingdom, up to twice the current number by the end of the year. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand is anticipating 83,500 flights a month across all airports by the end of 2022. The…
- Tourism News
Feedback positive following cancellation of Test & Go entry scheme
Foreign tourists who’ve arrived since the cancellation of Test & Go have given the government’s decision the seal of approval, according to a Bangkok Post report. The publication spoke to a number of overseas arrivals to get their view on the simplified entry procedures. Canadian Kyle Sutherland confirmed that the decision to drop PCR testing on arrival has helped him…
- Tourism News
Airlines worldwide ordered to follow new entry measures for Thailand from May 1
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has instructed all airlines to follow the new entry measures applicable from Sunday, according to a Nation Thailand report. The notification follows the decision by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration to drop the Test & Go entry scheme. This means overseas arrivals no longer need to undergo PCR testing on arrival or book…
- Tourism News
Government says Thailand Pass not being cancelled, being “streamlined”
The Thai government says the Thailand Pass is not being cancelled (at least, not for now) but the process will be streamlined to make it faster and more convenient. According to a Bangkok Post report, Dr Sumanee Wacharasint from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says the cancellation of Test & Go from May 1 means there will no longer…
- Tourism News
Krungsri Research gives conservative estimate of 5.5 million tourists this year
The research arm of the Bank of Ayudhya is forecasting just 5.5 million international visitors for Thailand in 2022, following the cancellation of Test & Go. Krungsri Research says that although the cancellation of the Test & Go entry scheme has generated some promising signs, the recovery of international tourism will be sluggish as a result of several factors. According…
- Koh Samui News
Koh Samui eyes European tourists following cancellation of Test & Go
Samui is eyeing European tourists after the Thai government confirmed the Test & Go entry program is being ditched from the end of April. On Koh Samui, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has met with local tourism associations, as well as over 30 leading European travel agencies. The get-together was to showcase several tourism attractions, activities, and hotels on the…
- Tourism News
Tourism Authority of Thailand sticking to target of 300,000 visitors a month
With a glass half-full in one hand, and a calculator in the other, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is confident the country will see 300,000 tourists a month – potentially more towards the end of the year. Yuthasak Supasorn says his agency will meet with tourism operators on April 29, to discuss promotional strategies for the international market. He remains…
- World News
Demand for Singapore picks up as Covid-19 entry restrictions are eased
Data compiled by economists at Maybank Investment Bank reveals an increase in Google searches for Singapore, following the city-state’s easing of Covid restrictions. In particular, an increase in demand has been reported among travellers in Malaysia, along with Indonesia, India, and Australia. According to a Bloomberg report, Singapore has jumped ahead of its neighbours in ditching travel restrictions and adopting…
- Tourism News
Tourism Council of Thailand calls for PCR testing on arrival to be dropped asap
Tourism businesses in Thailand are struggling to survive and barriers to increasing the number of foreign visitors to the kingdom must be removed immediately. That’s the view of Chamnan Srisawat from the Tourism Council of Thailand, who says the Omicron variant, coupled with Russia’s war on Ukraine, has dealt a double blow to the sector. “Tourism operators are still struggling…
- Tourism News
Test & Go, Thailand Pass could be gone by June if no Covid surge after Songkran
Thailand’s tourism minister says if there’s no surge in Covid cases following next month’s Songkran holiday, entry restrictions could be eased further. According to a Bangkok Post report, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says Test & Go and Thailand Pass could be scrapped from June 1, if there’s no spike in Covid cases or deaths after the Thai New Year holiday. Phiphat is…
- Tourism News
Hospitality sector, tourism operators call for entry restrictions to be dropped now
Businesses, particularly those in the tourism and hospitality sectors, say July 1 – the date the government hopes to declare Covid-19 endemic – is too long to wait for restrictions to be lifted. As operators watch what’s happening in neighbouring countries, Thailand’s tourism sector is feeling anxious. According to a Bangkok Post report, Chamnan Srisawat from the Tourism Council of…
- Tourism News
CCSA meets tomorrow to decide fate of pre-departure PCR test
The requirement for overseas arrivals to take a PCR test 72 hours prior to departure from their home country could soon be scrapped. According to a Bangkok Post report, the CCSA will discuss dropping the requirement when it meets tomorrow. Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit from the Public Health Ministry says international arrivals would still be required to take a PCR test…
- World News
Booking.com predicts bumpy recovery for travel in Asia-Pacific region
Online travel agency Booking.com says travel in the Asia-Pacific region will be slow to recover as a number of countries adopt a more cautious approach to re-opening. Laura Houldsworth, MD for Asia-Pacific, says while some countries in Southeast Asia are starting to re-open, with various levels of paperwork and restrictions, most North Asian destinations still have significant entry restrictions in…
- World News
US government tells citizens to avoid travel to Hong Kong, New Zealand – and Thailand
Americans are being told to avoid travel to Thailand, Hong Kong, and New Zealand, due to the rise in Covid-19 infections in each country. According to a Reuters report, the travel advisory was issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has raised its travel alert for Thailand to “Level Four: Very High”. In total, the US…
- Tourism News
Renewed calls to ditch Thailand Pass and PCR test on arrival
Key figures in Thailand’s tourism industry have renewed their calls for the Thailand Pass and PCR testing on arrival to be scrapped. The sector is now concerned about the potential impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on future tourism numbers. According to a Bangkok Post report, hoteliers now say they fear the invasion could see international arrivals dropping to 10%…
- Tourism News
Thailand expecting a million Middle Eastern tourists following restoration of Saudi ties
Thailand hopes to restore its battered tourism sector by welcoming around a million Middle Eastern tourists by the end of this year. Government spokesperson Traisulee Traisornkul says the restoration of ties with Saudi Arabia, after a 30-year freeze, will help revive the tourism industry in the kingdom. “Restoring relations between Thailand and Saudi Arabia would play a crucial role in…
- Tourism News
Anutin says reduced Test & Go insurance requirements enough to cover Covid costs
Following the CCSA’s decision yesterday to lower the insurance coverage required of overseas arrivals, the health minister says the new figure is enough to cover Covid treatment. The mandatory insurance coverage required to enter Thailand will be reduced from US$50,000 to US$20,000 from March 1. Anutin Charnvirakul says the amount was lowered in order to reduce the costs of travelling…
- Tourism News
Officials to review Test & Go requirements at CCSA meeting today
The government’s Covid-19 task force meets today to review the country’s entry requirements, with a decision expected on whether to ditch the day 5 PCR test. Under Thailand’s Test & Go entry scheme, overseas arrivals are required to take 2 PCR tests, despite already having a negative test result prior to departure from their home country. The first test is…
- Phuket News
TAT says Phuket sandbox has generated over 43 billion baht in revenue
The Phuket sandbox scheme has so far generated over 43 billion baht in revenue, with visitor numbers steadily increasing. So says the Phuket office of the TAT, in a Bangkok Post report today. According to TAT Phuket director, Nanthasiri Ronnasiri, the sandbox scheme initially welcomed around 300 foreign tourists a day when it first launched last July. Since then, that…
- Tourism News
Tourism operators submit letter to PM calling for all entry restrictions to be lifted
A number of groups representing tourism operators in the south and east of the country, as well as the Thai Hotels Association, are calling for all entry restrictions to be lifted from next month. The Bangkok Post reports that the groups have written an open letter to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and other government officials, calling for the country to be…
- Tourism News
Thailand’s hotel operators call for PCR testing on arrival to be dropped
The Thai Hotels Association says the government must drop the PCR testing requirement for foreign visitors if there’s going to be any hope of salvaging the country’s tourism industry. THA president Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi says demand for the revamped Test & Go scheme is lower now than when it was first launched in November, due to high season coming to…
