Thailand Has Reopened Its Doors To Vaccinated Visitors From More Than 60 Countries.
Key Sentence:
- Tens of thousands of passengers are expected to arrive in Thailand today as the country reopens to tourists then 18 months of Covid restrictions.
- Vaccinated tourists from more than 60 "low risk" countries have the right to enter the country and bypass the hotel quarantine.
The number of tourists is expected too increase to 15 million next year, bringing in more than $30 billion (£22 billion). However, most countries are still subject to restrictions, with only about 42% of the population fully vaccinated.
"Light at the end of the tunnel."
Thailand is still recording nearly 10,000 Covid infections every day. "It looks like we saw very little light at the end of the tunnel - we couldn't work for two years," tour guide Chayagorn Bonyapak told. But he and his fellow tour guides have yet to be contacted by clients and travel companies, and it may be a month before the tour goes on and on.
"We don't know if [the government] can open the country smoothly, but I hope they can. We would love to get back to work." The coronavirus pandemic has hit Thailand's economy, which previously attracted 40 million tourists a year. Last year, the number of tourists who came decreased by more than 80%.
The airport serving Bangkok and Phuket is one of the airports open to countries like the UK, China, Japan, the United States, and most of Europe. The Thai government expects revenues to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2023, although many industry experts say China's continued border closures will prevent the sector from recovering.
Before the pandemic, Chinese tourists were the most significant number of tourists, with about 12 million visitors from China in 2019. "I've been thinking about what I'll do if the situation in Hoasan doesn't return to the way it was before; I'm terrified. We are worried that after the release of tourists and the new increase in Covid-19 cases, we will enter a new blockade?" "I'm not so sure about the situation," he said.
Pitti Kulsirorat, a restaurant owner in the area, is also concerned that diners will plunge into the falls: "Then the tourism industry will be accused of being criminals again. He will be a scapegoat, just like drinking alcohol. " Mr. Kulsirorat said the ongoing restrictions - including the inability to sell alcohol in most countries - would hurt people's holidays: "The entire travel experience must offer a package of ambiance and comfort.