Thailand targets 3 million foreign tourists this year under phased reopening

[snoop1130]

FILE PHOTO: Empty chairs are seen on a beach which is usually full of tourists, amid fear of coronavirus in Phuket, Thailand March 11, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Tourism-reliant Thailand expects about three million foreign tourist arrivals this year, tied to a phased reopening to vaccinated visitors later this year, the state tourism agency said on Wednesday.

 

The target is lower than the four million tourists projected by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in April, when the country's biggest coronavirus outbreak so far emerged.

 

The Southeast Asian country, which launched its mass vaccination campaign on Monday, will allow inoculated foreign tourists to visit Phuket island without a quarantine next month in a pilot scheme before reopening nine other provinces in October, after a year of tight entry restrictions.

 

Most of the three million arrivals are expected in the final quarter, with spending estimated at between 240 billion baht to 300 billion baht ($7.7 billion to $9.6 billion), Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, deputy governor of the TAT, told Reuters.

 

Thailand usually attracts three million to four million foreign tourists per month in the fourth quarter, and "we want only a third of that," he said.

 

About 129,000 visitors are expected in the third quarter, he said. Thailand had just 28,701 arrivals in January-April.

 

For 2022, the TAT expects 20 million foreign arrivals to spend 1.3 trillion baht, Siripakorn said.

 

That compares with 40 million in 2019, when tourists spent 1.91 trillion baht.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-06-09

 

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[RotBenz8888]

3 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

For 2022, the TAT expects 20 million foreign arrivals to spend 1.3 trillion baht, Siripakorn said.

Haven't taken their antipsycotic pills-as usual. 

[madmen]

The proposed Phuket opening pushed back to 9 th and from 7 to 14 days and not even close to being approved 

[ThailandRyan]

I just about fell out of my chair upon reading this as I was laughing so hard.  My tea i was drinking at the time also came out of my nose....oh the pain TAT must feel everyday.

[madmen]

Phuket will be pushed back to October and October pushed back to January and January pushed back to...... 

[trainman34014]

The only 'Target' they should be setting is getting the Population Vaccinated !

[Phuketshrew]

33 minutes ago, RotBenz8888 said:

38 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

For 2022, the TAT expects 20 million foreign arrivals to spend 1.3 trillion baht, Siripakorn said.

Haven't taken their antipsycotic pills-as usual. 

???? That's only 65k baht each. I thought they were going after the big spenders?

[kimamey]

33 minutes ago, madmen said:

The proposed Phuket opening pushed back to 9 th and from 7 to 14 days and not even close to being approved 

Has the Phuket opening been pushed back to the 9th? I haven't seen that anywhere although I know about the change from 7 to 14 days.

I do wonder where they get these figures from. Not long ago there was talk of 10 million visitors and 6 million were coming from the UK alone.

[RotBenz8888]

10 minutes ago, Phuketshrew said:

???? That's only 65k baht each. I thought they were going after the big spenders?

They'd be lucky to "lure" a few Chinese Mama-big spenders... 

 

Edited June 9, 2021 by RotBenz8888

[Justgrazing]

Tat never make the same mistake twice .. nah they'll carry on repeating it just to make sure ..

More chance of being kicked by a snake than the number quoted jetting in .. what they don't appear to be grasping is the onerous conditions that may be imposed on visitors when they return to their home country .. witness Brit's fleeing Portugal over the weekend after their Gov' moved it to amber meaning those returning after the cut off date have to quarantine for 10 days .. so 3 weeks in Thailand could conceivably mean you being off work for 5 and not getting paid for the 2 you gotta stay home for .. factor in all the tests , insurance and other flaming hoops they'll have you jumping through and the delusion of millions arriving this year is complete .. 

It would be more likely the numbers at the end of the year will in the 10's of thousands if that .. 

[damascase]

3 million? That’s only 10.000 - 15.000 full airplanes! The airports will get busy!

[BKKTRAVELER]

44 minutes ago, kimamey said:

Has the Phuket opening been pushed back to the 9th? I haven't seen that anywhere although I know about the change from 7 to 14 days.

I do wonder where they get these figures from. Not long ago there was talk of 10 million visitors and 6 million were coming from the UK alone.

I'd like to know as well, didn't find anything about it.

[madmen]

55 minutes ago, kimamey said:

Has the Phuket opening been pushed back to the 9th? I haven't seen that anywhere although I know about the change from 7 to 14 days.

I do wonder where they get these figures from. Not long ago there was talk of 10 million visitors and 6 million were coming from the UK alone.

This from a travel agent on the sandbox face book page. 

[greeneking]

If there was just one government department that should be held accountable for its work, it should be this one. And the inevitable embarrassment and resignations should start a wave of concern through all the others.

[Lingba]

Oh here we go again with useless targets....The only thing they should be targeting now is getting the better vacines made vailable to the public as soon as possible...because they won't see one tourist if they don't...Once again their priorities are backwards

[DaveE13]

2 hours ago, madmen said:

Phuket will be pushed back to October and October pushed back to January and January pushed back to...... 

I think so too. Was hoping visit the girlfriend October can't see it 

[Thomas J]

When a well known economist correctly predicted a number of areas in the economy a reporter asked how he could have so many correct forecasts.  He said, easy, I make my predictions often and sooner or later one of them turns out to be correct. 

[retsdon]

They don't seem to understand that people actually need to plan holidays months in advance. And that's not possible under the present circumstances. And why would anyone come to Thailand, when it has proven itself to be one of the the most arbitrary rule-changers on the planet when it comes to matters Covid.

Just hot air...

[Jotho]

When will it ever get into their head that people are not interested in filling x amount of papers regarding insurance, vaccination etc. etc. etc. etc. and then only being told you can only stay in Phuket, or you can only stay in some other place, and that place will strangely enough all of a sudden get super expensive compared to everywhere else in thailand...
Should instead just open fully up to those vaccinated and have a vaccination paper/app to prove it... It is impossible to shun this like thailand has done for way too long

[sammieuk1]

42 Million nights in quarantine is still a nice little earner ????

[Poet]

If they completely drop testing, quarantines, "sandbox" quarantines, COE's, and special COVID insurance for tourists who are certified as having been fully inoculated with effective Western vaccines, they can achieve 3 million before the end of this year.

[kimamey]

6 hours ago, madmen said:

This from a travel agent on the sandbox face book page. 

That makes sense. The date of opening hasn't changed but the date of the first visitors is the 9th.

 

I assume that's the Americans we've heard about unless they changed their minds after the Thais changed theirs.

[Anna Rak]

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Tourism-reliant Thailand expects about three million foreign tourist arrivals this year.

 

I am probably wrong or I may have misinterpreted the Thai governments value of the tourist dollar to be about 10 or 11% of GDP. If that's the case why are they so tourism reliant???? ???? ???? ????  

[RichardColeman]

If all I have to do is flash my fully vaccinated card at the airport coming, the plane and immigration, I'll come tomorrow.

 

Anything else - me and  nobody else will come

[Rampant Rabbit]

Theyr'e  going to need a  bigger  gun

[Xmas]

I was hoping they may remove some of the rules for entry

ie 100,000 US Dollars Covid Insurance, Certificare of Entry.

Covid test within 72 hours of travel (however that may be understandable). Was to be 7 days stay in Phuket, now 14.

 

We are still to see rules regarding testing in Phuket, proceedure for leaving Island after 14 days. Is that 14 days including arriavl day, I suggest it may end up as 15/16 nights. 

Interseting to see if approved hotel rates are increased. 

If you are trying to leave Australia , you need to submitt a Statuary Declaration to Border Force for permission to leave the country. Which probably wouldnt happen unless leaving for 3 months or more. These are the troubled times we live in.

[jojothai]

7 hours ago, Poet said:

If they completely drop testing, quarantines, "sandbox" quarantines, COE's, and special COVID insurance for tourists who are certified as having been fully inoculated with effective Western vaccines, they can achieve 3 million before the end of this year.

So we can be pretty damn sure they have no chance of the millions they dream about.

[ikke1959]

they are talking for 2022 or 2023 if they had brains they had a vision, but apparently the brain is too small for more than this year to see

Edited June 9, 2021 by ikke1959

[mjakob007]

 

 

The target is lower than the four million tourists projected by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in April, when the country's biggest coronavirus outbreak so far emerged.

### trending to reality. Ie nil tourists towards the end of the year…

 

For 2022, the TAT expects 20 million foreign arrivals to spend 1.3 trillion baht, Siripakorn said.

That compares with 40 million in 2019, when tourists spent 1.91 trillion baht.
 

### wonder how disposable income for Thailand bound tourists have shot up during the past 2 years…

[BusyB]

8 hours ago, Jotho said:

When will it ever get into their head that people are not interested in filling x amount of papers regarding insurance, vaccination etc. etc. etc. etc. and then only being told you can only stay in Phuket, or you can only stay in some other place, and that place will strangely enough all of a sudden get super expensive compared to everywhere else in thailand...
Should instead just open fully up to those vaccinated and have a vaccination paper/app to prove it... It is impossible to shun this like thailand has done for way too long

 

... Just like Spain has done ...