Thailand welcomes back tourists after April virus ban

By Chayut Setboonsarng

 

FILE PHOTO: A woman poses for a photo during the fireworks show at Iconsiam shopping center in Bangkok, Thailand, September 29, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun/File Photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand received a group of tourists from China on Tuesday, its first such arrivals since a ban on commercial flights was imposed in April to combat the coronavirus pandemic, a senior official said, as street demonstrations escalate.

 

Thirty-nine tourists from Shanghai arrived at the country's main Suvarnabhumi Airport, the airport's deputy director, Kittipong Kittikachorn, said in a statement.

 

The announcement came as anti-government protesters continue to defy a ban on gatherings after authorities declared Bangkok to be in a severe emergency situation.

 

However, the unrest has not impacted interest in the country, Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn told Reuters.

 

"There have been no cancellations or any enquiries about it so far and people are following the news," he said.

 

The tourism-reliant country could see just 6.7 million foreign visitors this year, the government predicts, after a record 39.8 million in 2019, when their spending made up 11.4% of GDP, or 1.93 trillion baht ($61.6 billion).

 

The government in April banned commercial flights to keep the coronavirus at bay and new cases in Thailand have mostly been Thais returning home. It has reported a total of 3,700 infections.

 

New tourist arrivals are on special 90-day visas and must stay in quarantine in for two weeks and test negative three times before they can move around freely.

 

"What we want now are quality tourists who stay for a long time," Yuthasak said.

 

A second batch of 147 tourists from Guangzhou, China, are due to arrive on Oct. 26, with more due next month.

 

"We are in discussions with groups to come from Europe in November," he added.

 

(Editing by Giles Elgood)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-10-21

 

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14 minutes ago, webfact said:

New tourist arrivals are on special 90-day visas and must stay in quarantine in for two weeks and test negative three times before they can move around freely.

Does anyone have any confidence that the powers TAT be would reveal any positive tests on the Chinese tourists out of this group ?

Still, I suppose McDonalds will be happy with a 4 table booking in 2 weeks time. 

18 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Still, I suppose McDonalds will be happy with a 4 table booking in 2 weeks time. 

They might be happy to continue staying in the hotel after the two weeks. Best way to dodge bullets.

51 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thirty-nine tourists from Shanghai

Was hoping for a big fanfare with trumpets and stuff but for 39 that would be a bit of overkill .. an' I thought it was 40 in another article .. maybe they've lost one already .. 

 

51 minutes ago, webfact said:

New tourist arrivals are on special 90-day visas and must stay in quarantine in for two weeks and test negative three times before they can move around freely

Forthcoming headline .. " Chinese test positive in quarantine Yuthasak blames illegal cockroaches from Myanmar for infecting them " ..

 

an' I wonder how long before some attempt a jailbreak to go down the local 7/11 for a credit load up on their dog & bone and some packets of BBQ silkworm crisps ..  

54 minutes ago, webfact said:

"What we want now are quality tourists who stay for a long time," Yuthasak said.

Good to see you've started off on the right foot. lol

These Chineses are not tourists!

 

 

39 tourists from the height of 40 million annually, It there was ever fake and forced tourism act that will be it, as if the government went out of it's way to "break the ice" and bring "tourists" to Thailand again...

"What we want now are quality tourists who stay for a long time," Yuthasak said.

 

Quality tourists who stay a long time or not tourists who use a tourist visa? ????????????‍♂️

 

 

Thirty nine Chinese tourists, that should generate around 150 billion baht, right, TAT? Or is that a little conservative?

2 hours ago, webfact said:

"What we want now are quality tourists who stay for a long time," Yuthasak said.

you  had them then slowly chucked em out

See  how  happy  they are in their  holiday best clothes

39 ...  ?   it was suppose to be 41 coming , so two of them didn't have their docs ready or already had COVID.   

The numbers seem to be jumping around a lot.  41 then 39, next lot will be 120 160 99.......

I am trying to stay positive, 39 is a start to them opening up the economy, but can't see the flood gates opening up with the 14 days of quarantine, really only for those who need to get away from the ruling CCP for a while, and perhaps others who really need to get back and can afford it.

 

I have a better idea, remove the current and then chuck a big party and allow the borders to open up unconditionally, the virus will sort itself out and those who will survive will survive and the young and strong will continue to live as they have always done, only with the current removed, possibly looking to a better future.

Why not let all of the retirees back first?

Read between the lines...the majority of these tourist are returning Thais and the Chinese are returning work permit employees.  

8 minutes ago, Rockhound said:

Why not let all of the retirees back first?

Why !! Because no fanfare, no BIG show, in fact it would not even be news worthy.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand welcomes back tourists

Definition of welcome...

1 : to greet hospitably and with courtesy or cordiality

 

Hmm...

35 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I am trying to stay positive, 39 is a start to them opening up the economy, but can't see the flood gates opening up with the 14 days of quarantine, really only for those who need to get away from the ruling CCP for a while, and perhaps others who really need to get back and can afford it.

 

I have a better idea, remove the current and then chuck a big party and allow the borders to open up unconditionally, the virus will sort itself out and those who will survive will survive and the young and strong will continue to live as they have always done, only with the current removed, possibly looking to a better future.

You can be positive , i am in fact also , but 39 is not a start . For me it is a start if they give clear rules and dates . So people can make a plan , Thailand got to make a plan 1st  . A plan for 39 , is not nearly a start . They probably business people anyway , which probable could come in before also , but are now used a advertising of "look we opening" .

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

 

A second batch of 147 tourists from Guangzhou, China, are due to arrive on Oct. 26, with more due next month

Don't tell me these are all long term stayers, these will probably be the first with no quarantine and stay two weeks ..!!

Must be a good seafood buffet in that quarantine hotel to get them to stay there for 2 weeks - look for another Youtube stampede video at the buffet coming soon. ????

from 39 million to 39.  

Maybe they will get a few thousand tourists for the rest of this year.  That is brutal.  

The Thai man on the street doesn't welcome this move and would prefer the borders to remain closed, particularly for Chinese tourists as they still remember who brought Covid to Thailand in the first place. They are actually feared not welcomed.

 

The average Chinese tourist stays, on average, one to two weeks in Thailand. Chinese staying up to 6 months, definitely not tourists.

 

So the headline couldn't have got it more wrong. "Thailand welcomes back tourists", not welcome and not tourists.

38 minutes ago, Rockhound said:

Why not let all of the retirees back first?

In that case, Chinese retirees first. 

Actually Retirees who have family and property and locking out are have priority than Chinese!!! 

40 minutes ago, Rockhound said:

Why not let all of the retirees back first?

1st, the retirees aren't doing multi million baht developments and 2nd, they're all sitting in countries with new waves and spikes in covid cases.

 

As for the prediction of 6.7 million tourists this year they would have to fully open by Nov 1st and instantly receive 111,666,666 tourists per day.

Given the current situation in BKK I can see that escalating 10 fold if the government announced they were throwing open the doors to the pandemic so the rich and elite could get richer. 

3 minutes ago, mrwebb8825 said:

1st, the retirees aren't doing multi million baht developments and 2nd, they're all sitting in countries with new waves and spikes in covid cases.

 

As for the prediction of 6.7 million tourists this year they would have to fully open by Nov 1st and instantly receive 111,666,666 tourists per day.

Given the current situation in BKK I can see that escalating 10 fold if the government announced they were throwing open the doors to the pandemic so the rich and elite could get richer. 

I still call it at near 0 , they aren't opening November 1st , and scrap December also out of your books . Earliest i see opening is March but that would be most optimistic scenario .

4 hours ago, webfact said:

"What we want now are quality tourists who stay for a long time," Yuthasak said.

Please just officially replace the word ' tourists ' with  ' foreigners ' or  ' expats ' , and I would feel better about being welcome in LOS ...

"However, the unrest has not impacted interest in the country, Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn told Reuters."

 

What does this even mean? Is this based on the 39 special visa holders?

 

"There have been no cancellations or any enquiries about it so far and people are following the news," 

 

Do those future tourists from China even know of the unrest?

56 minutes ago, Rockhound said:

Why not let all of the retirees back first?

the chinese are more important, they spend more money .....  lol