Thailand's crucial tourism industry is still far behind pre-pandemic levels [File photo]

 

Southeast Asian country chases bilateral deals after lackluster response to quarantine-waiver and sandbox schemes.

 

By Suttinee Yuvejwattana | Bloomberg

 

Thailand plans to hold travel bubble talks with China and Malaysia this month, days after resuming a quarantine-free visa program to boost tourist arrivals seen as key to sustaining a nascent economic recovery.

 

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha’s government will soon discuss with the Chinese Minister for Culture and Tourism details of a possible bilateral travel deal, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, a government spokesman, said in a statement Monday. Thai officials are also preparing to hold talks with neighboring Malaysia later this month for a similar agreement, he said.

 

Thailand is chasing bilateral deals to spark a broader recovery in its pandemic-battered tourism industry after the waiver of quarantine for vaccinated visitors and the so-called tourism sandbox experiments in recent months failed to draw a large number of holidaymakers. The return of Chinese and Malaysian tourists, the largest groups of visitors to the Southeast Asian nation before the pandemic, is seen by the industry as key to a sustainable rebound.

 

Full story: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/2/7/bb-thailand-eyes-travel-bubble-with-china-and-malaysia

 

-- © Copyright  AL JAZEERA 2022-02-08

 

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Drop the tests on arrival if you want tourists to come

Xi recently watched a program about Thailand and said:  "90% of Thais are not wearing masks. This is the reason their country is being infected all around.  Many of them dress dirty and don’t shower."

 

There's no way Xi will let dirty Thai tourists into China. 

29 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thailand plans to hold travel bubble talks with China and Malaysia this month, days after resuming a quarantine-free visa program to boost tourist arrivals seen as key to sustaining a nascent economic recovery.

So they plan to talk. Big deal. China will not listen. Another hyped up wasted article stating the obvious.

Delusional 

its really astonishing that Thailand is still considering " bubbles" with certain countries when the most of the world is moving forward by removing more and more restrictions so their tourism sector will have a chance to thrive once again. lastly, the bubble plan didn't really take off when it was discussed during the height of the pandemic, what makes TAT believe it has a chance now??

The only travel bubble will be at the bar .....

Chinese are chasing zero-covid so this will likely be a non-starter. 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Thailand plans to hold travel bubble talks with China

how are they so disconected with what is going on there 

 

Hard to figure

 

Chinese are not coming here any time soon, they are just working up on a new deadlier virus to spread while they are operating a zero tolerance

 

Phase 1 - has been a massive success - they have destroyed the free world

 

Phase 2  ? 

3 minutes ago, smedly said:

Phase 2  ?

if the Chinese economy goes through the ## er (which it will soon) doesn't  matter how many aircraft carriers you have or how many nukes you have - we have seen in the last 2 years more destruction and deaths than in the last two wars,  not much more to say from me really but I do wonder - was this a deliberate act - just thinking out loud

The "bubbles" could be about removing the insurance and quarantine requirements for China and Malaysia while keeping them in place for America and Europe. Permanently. 

Thailand is NOT quarantine free.! for tourists. Its about time Thailand stopped kidding its self and moved on with the rest of the world. Cheap reteric is not going to bring the tourists in. Facts and reality is what is required.

Lot of nonsense China will not be interested in a travel bubble with Thailand just have to look at the Olympics without spectators. Thailand has not introduced quarantine free entry Test and Go is still quarantine, with every chance of being infected from local transmission between first and second PCR which gives hotels every opportunity of false positive PCR result with second test especially when further PCR refused if there is a dispute as the hotels have to be contracted with a hospital hungry for money. There is no enthusiasm from Government to allow entry into Thailand without conditions they just make noises that they are to placate the tourist industry meanwhile Thailand will lose out to other nearby countries that are allowing unrestricted entry 

Bubbles shmubbles. 
Test and go needs to go. 
 

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand plans to hold travel bubble talks with China and Malaysia this month, days after resuming a quarantine-free visa program to boost tourist arrivals seen as key to sustaining a nascent economic recovery.

China has it's own domestic problems, Xi is not letting anyone out.

 

Travel bubbles? Is that what declaring Covid endemic means?

3 hours ago, nattaya09 said:

Drop the tests on arrival if you want tourists to come

Just drop the whole bubble sh*t and open the country to every nation.

Double vaxxed and PCR test result prior to departure.

ZERO required on arrival.

The trouble with bubbles is they fade and die or in this case before inflation ????

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The return of Chinese

 

Stop using Covid as an excuse to rip off tourists to the tune of 100k ! 
who would want to lay themselves open to this by coming here !

Right, because Xi is going to let Chinese travel to a country where Covid is still rampant and then bring it back and spread it all over China. The Chinese market is dead, and good riddance to it. 

5 hours ago, secondtime said:

Xi recently watched a program about Thailand and said:  "90% of Thais are not wearing masks. This is the reason their country is being infected all around.  Many of them dress dirty and don’t shower."

 

There's no way Xi will let dirty Thai tourists into China. 

Masks aren't mandatory and I doubt this has much to do with the spread. It happens everywhere!

Many dress dirty and don't shower? Its a bit hard when you have no money or new clean clothes and don't have access to a shower! I also doubt very much, that the 'dirty' ones will be able to go on holidays to China!!!

3 hours ago, smedly said:

how are they so disconected with what is going on there 

 

Hard to figure

 

Chinese are not coming here any time soon, they are just working up on a new deadlier virus to spread while they are operating a zero tolerance

 

Phase 1 - has been a massive success - they have destroyed the free world

 

Phase 2  ? 

"they are just working up on a new deadlier virus to spread while they are operating a zero tolerance"

You seem to know much. You should notify the authorities of what you know!

9 minutes ago, Leadidge said:

Masks aren't mandatory and I doubt this has much to do with the spread. It happens everywhere!

Many dress dirty and don't shower? Its a bit hard when you have no money or new clean clothes and don't have access to a shower! I also doubt very much, that the 'dirty' ones will be able to go on holidays to China!!!

11 minutes ago, Leadidge said:

"they are just working up on a new deadlier virus to spread while they are operating a zero tolerance"

You seem to know much. You should notify the authorities of what you know!

And what authorities would do?? Who was able to question CCP on releasing this covid pandemic on world??

6 minutes ago, RandiRona said:

And what authorities would do?? Who was able to question CCP on releasing this covid pandemic on world??

Exactly, really nothing or who to report when there are no evidence and just political manipulation.. 

3 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Exactly, really nothing or who to report when there are no evidence and just political manipulation.. 

Ofcouse there are no evidence as CCP has opened up everything and very transparent in dealing with the world. Ask HK.....or Taiwan shortly I guess...

It simple just remove all the travel restrictions otherwise the travelers will be going somewhere else.

Chairman Xi isn't going to allow his minions to travel to a country where the virus, even if it's the relatively benign Omicron variant, is circulating freely so they can bring it back and infect the Middle Kingdom. Prayuth will have more luck (though not much) continuing his chase for unicorns, aka "quality" western tourists.

Not happening. Xi wants all the money spent in China as their economy teeters on the brink with the housing crisis.

 

Sorry Thailand, you backed the wrong horse.