Thailand is planning to reopen the Thai-Malaysia border in March to boost tourist arrivals, as Malaysian tourists have been the largest group of visitors to the kingdom before the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

By Bernama

 

BANGKOK: Thailand is planning to reopen the Thai-Malaysia border in March to boost tourist arrivals, as Malaysian tourists have been the largest group of visitors to the kingdom before the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) and Tourism Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) has been ordered to prepare and outline the pandemic mitigation measures for the reopening of the southern border provinces in the checkpoints of Songkhla, Narathiwat, Yala and Satun.

 

"Tourists from neighbouring Malaysia will enter Thailand via quarantine-free 'Test & Go' programme.

 

However, travellers need to pass two RT-PCR Covid-19 tests on Day 1 upon arrival and the second on Day 5," said Foreign Affairs Ministry's deputy spokesman Natapanu Nopakun at Covid-19 daily briefing here today.

 

Full story: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/02/771411/thailand-plans-reopen-malaysia-thai-border-march

 

-- © Copyright NEW STRAITS TIMES 2022-02-15

 

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4 hours ago, webfact said:

Malaysian tourists have been the largest group of visitors to the kingdom before the Covid-19 pandemic.

I thought the Chinese were the largest group to visit!

4 hours ago, webfact said:

However, travellers need to pass two RT-PCR Covid-19 tests on Day 1 upon arrival and the second on Day 5," said Foreign Affairs Ministry's deputy spokesman Natapanu Nopakun at Covid-19 daily briefing here today.

Hardly free travel.

Pre Covid, many of those many Malaysians who crossed the land borders came for just a day or for a weekend.

 

Pretty much incompatible with the current Test & Go nonsense. For short stays, I'd guess a test done in Malaysia before venturing to the border is all they can ask for.

19 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Pre Covid, many of those many Malaysians who crossed the land borders came for just a day or for a weekend.

 

Pretty much incompatible with the current Test & Go nonsense. For short stays, I'd guess a test done in Malaysia before venturing to the border is all they can ask for.

Yes. This current testing regime is pretty much a fail. No Malaysians will come like this.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Tourists from neighbouring Malaysia will enter Thailand via quarantine-free 'Test & Go' programme.

Repeat after me ," it's not quarantine free if you force people to quarantine for two days to test"

No one is crossing land borders with these restrictions!

What happens if you only want to come for 4 days?  

 

It's not a long trip that would plan to do 2 weeks.

 

I used to go to Malaysia for 4 or 5 days at a time.  I certainly would not if I had to quarantine for 2 of those days.

Hate to say it but with this ridiculous requirement the border will be extremely quiet in my view it’s a money making cash machine yes test and go but to have to go back into an ASQ on day 5 is absolutely crazy there are certain people making millions out of this pandemic one thing is for sure it’s not your normal working Thai 

Soon they'll also have to stump up another bt300 for their fun visit to the seedy border towns like Danok !

 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

However, travellers need to pass two RT-PCR Covid-19 tests on Day 1 upon arrival and the second on Day 5," said Foreign Affairs Ministry's deputy spokesman Natapanu Nopakun at Covid-19 daily briefing here today.

I guess that wipes out cross border visa runs as well as short trips over the border in both directions.

14 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

Hate to say it but with this ridiculous requirement the border will be extremely quiet in my view it’s a money making cash machine yes test and go but to have to go back into an ASQ on day 5 is absolutely crazy there are certain people making millions out of this pandemic one thing is for sure it’s not your normal working Thai 

Agreed.  It's going to be very quiet on the border.  Given the restriction opening up a land border doesn't really accomplish much at all.  It's no different than arriving at an airport.

Until they life these absurd restrictions they can continue to kiss tourism and cross-border commerce goodbye.  This doesn't accomplish much at all.

8 hours ago, webfact said:

However, travellers need to pass two RT-PCR Covid-19 tests on Day 1 upon arrival and the second on Day 5," said Foreign Affairs Ministry's deputy spokesman Natapanu Nopakun at Covid-19 daily briefing here today.

Nope, that's a fail. Most Malaysians visiting Hat Yai come up on the Friday and head back on Sunday. Visitors to Danok are usually only spending a night in town.

 

Just shows how little the government understands the dynamics of tourism in the south. 

44 minutes ago, Stocky said:

Nope, that's a fail. Most Malaysians visiting Hat Yai come up on the Friday and head back on Sunday. Visitors to Danok are usually only spending a night in town.

 

Just shows how little the government understands the dynamics of tourism in the south. 

Most men visiting Sungai Kolok don't even spend the night there and cross the Kolok River illegally using small boats. No, let's face it. Malaysia has been closed since March 18, 2020. Both tourism and cross-border trade here are DEAD for a long period to come.

I live in Narathiwat Town, which sees very few Malaysians as it's too far from the border, doesn't offer nightlife entertainment and is generally considered very dangerous because of the insurgency. Consequentially, we haven't been hit by the lack of tourists.

But for the many border towns this current ordeal is a true nightmare.

Government should not open up anything whilst infection rates in Thailand are going through the roof! Fiddling with reporting definitions won't persuade anyone that the minute they step over the border they will not be incacerated  for 2 weeks at their own expense in a 'Hospitel'