BANGKOK (NNT) - A proposal to suspend the Test & Go scheme and Thailand Pass registration will be submitted to the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) after the Songkran holidays to boost the tourism industry.

 

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn stated that the proposal will be presented at the CCSA meeting on April 22. If approved, the changes will most likely be effective on May 1. With the lifting of these restrictions, tourists will be able to enter the country using vaccine passports rather than having to wait for days for their documents to be approved.

 

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The ministry previously forecasted at least 10 million tourist arrivals this year, with tourism revenue totaling 1-1.5 trillion baht. The minister stated that this figure will be determined by the policies put in place during this period.

 

Phiphat also expressed concern about a possible rise in Covid infection cases following the Songkran holidays, stating that the government will take this into consideration before making any changes to the current entry policies.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-04-14

 

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suspension of all restrictions suppose to be from 1st July.

It's a small chance it would happen from 1.5.

So far only replacement of entry pcr with atk is seriously planned, and still might be delayed to end of May.

As much as everybody wants restrictions lifted, it would take several months

Cue magically lower case numbers than projected and declarations that Thailand is the safest country in the known universe defeating covid. Bows by Anutin, and off to the bar restaurant before lunch.

35 minutes ago, Karma80 said:

Cue magically lower case numbers than projected and declarations that Thailand is the safest country in the known universe defeating covid. Bows by Anutin, and off to the bar restaurant before lunch.

Yeah,

 

And out Anutin comes from behind the curtain with his Cape and top hat and announces to the world that Covid19 is over in Thailand!

 

Just like that....Ta..Daa!

Just DON'T do.it!

 

Test & Go and Thailand Pass

I'm fine with further normalization but I'd wait until May 15 or June 1, just until we see what happens in the two - three weeks AFTER Songkran.

 

Lifting it too soon, and then potentially reinstating policies will just lead to further confusion.

 

 

 

 

Why are they linking cases from Songkran with requirements for vaccinated visitors?

 

Makes no sense and I can see it now, "Thailand domestic covid cases soar to 50,000 per day after songkrsn so tourists required to now do 5 days quarantine on arrival"

 

Madness!

 

99% of world's countries have no such a thing as this "Thailand Pass".

It makes no sense and it's not following any science

Finally...someone had balls to propose what is right and required. Covid situation isnt going any worse with tourists but economic situation may get better.

1 hour ago, aussiexpat said:

Why are they linking cases from Songkran with requirements for vaccinated visitors?

 

Makes no sense and I can see it now, "Thailand domestic covid cases soar to 50,000 per day after songkrsn so tourists required to now do 5 days quarantine on arrival"

 

Madness!

 

Because they want to keep the xenophobic, ignorant masses scared. Just as the rise in "reported" case numbers will have already been determined  as a "justification" to maintain the "Emergency Laws"  and preclude any dissent from those masses.

2 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Lifting it too soon, and then potentially reinstating policies will just lead to further confusion.

Thailand is the Hub of about turns, contradictory announcements and shifting policy....   there’s no reason to change that now ! ????

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Just DON'T do.it!

 

Test & Go and Thailand Pass

 

Why?......  do you believe that after Songkran (and consequent increase in cases) the Thai population is at greater risk from vaccinated international arrivals ?

 

Thats like putting a mosquito net on the door when the windows are all open. 

1 hour ago, aussiexpat said:

Why are they linking cases from Songkran with requirements for vaccinated visitors?

 

Makes no sense and I can see it now, "Thailand domestic covid cases soar to 50,000 per day after songkrsn so tourists required to now do 5 days quarantine on arrival"

 

Madness!

 

 

Anyone arriving in Thailand presents an equal risk to people in Thailand as the people in Thailand. 

 

 

Minister proposes that vaccinated tourists fly in without notice from May 1st to boost the economy

by Carla Boonkong & Pranee O' Connor

 

Minister of Tourism and Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Wednesday that his ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) would propose the scrapping of both the ‘Test and Go’ scheme and the Thailand Pass application from May 1st at the next Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) meeting on April 22nd. It comes as new data suggests Thailand is falling behind its peers in Southeast Asia with consequent damage to the country’s valuable foreign tourism industry.

 

Thailand’s foreign tourism industry is not expected to make a full recovery until 2026 according to Bank of Thailand Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput as the Asia Pacific region lags behind the rest of the world in ramping up its travel industry from the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, 55% of air travellers in the region are from either North America or Europe with an even higher percentage of tourists. 

 

The government may be on the verge of abolishing the Thailand Pass application as well as the ‘Test and Go’ scheme if a proposal by the minister finds favour at a meeting on April 22nd next of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). This comes as data supplied by ForwardKeys, a travel industry intelligence firm, shows the kingdom’s lucrative foreign tourism industry is under threat from Southeast Asian rivals because of the government’s stringent controls in response to the pandemic.

 

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The Thai Minister of Tourism and Sports said on Wednesday that his ministry, in association with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), would table a proposal with the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) at its next meeting on April 22nd to urgently scrap the country’s Test and Go regime for vaccinated travellers as well as the Thailand Pass scheme and replace it by allowing passengers to fly in directly to the kingdom while only showing their vaccine passports or proof of vaccination.

 

Full story: https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2022/04/14/tourists-to-fly-in-without-notice-from-may/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Examiner 2022-04-15

 

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- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

I think the numbers were so low on covid positive in arrivals anyway, right..?

They shared some super low percentage a while back.

 

 

Tourist's not chance Thailand covid situation any worse! So stop Thailand pass madness and testing vaccinated people on border! Woke up Thailand and get your head finaly out from your behind!

So someone high up is really feeling the economic disaster looming and the pinch now?

At this point it is the only logical thing to do.

The rumour of a post-Songkran relaxation for foreign tourists has been doing the rounds for a few weeks at work, information supplied by Thai colleagues with friends in ministries. Of course, the squabbling between ministries is legendary, so we will see what transpires…

 

I suppose it looks like unusual timing, what with daily deaths reaching a yearly high recently but:

 

- Like all things, a balanced approach is needed.  ‘Risk management’ not ‘risk elimination’.

- Tourism/hospitality/aviation sectors need CPR. These are not taps that can be turned on and off, it takes time to re-recruit former employees and if necessary, recruit and train new ones. Look at some of the issues in Europe during their re-opening. Chatting to an employee at a Bangkok hotel recently, they are currently ‘fully occupied’ but only because they are running at 15% staff levels and can’t find people to work. They are turning away bookings.

- I doubt there will be a sudden influx of millions of tourists (until at least China re-opens) but hopefully, we could expect a modest gradual increase over coming months with restrictions relaxed and start building up towards something approaching a high-season at year-end.

- I expect the requirement for all tourists to be vaccinated & insured will remain, so the risk to them and local populace is lowered. In fact, doesn’t having all tourists vaccinated actually help our local herd immunity?

 

 

 

Test And Go neèds to be scraped not suspended as potential tourists need certainty. 

RE - With the lifting of these restrictions, tourists will be able to enter the country using vaccine passports

 

* It doesn't help those who are unvaccinated much, but it moves in the right direction so the next will be to suspend the vacination passport requirement something that will come together with the phase transformation from pandemic to endemic. Countries will enter an endemic phase at different times, due to incompatible vaccination rates and other variables so it may take a while ....

sanity, sanity sanity.

Get rid of all restrictions open up the country TiT

On May first maybe lifting of the face mask rule in parks. ???? 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand’s foreign tourism industry is not expected to make a full recovery until 2026 according to Bank of Thailand Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput as the Asia Pacific region lags behind the rest of the world in ramping up its travel industry from the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, 55% of air travellers in the region are from either North America or Europe with an even higher percentage of tourists. 

Pay attention to the bolded part, "from either North America or Europe with an even higher percentage of tourists", now keeping that in mind, anyone reckon how they are doing all they can to attract Saudis, Indians, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, ASEAN neighbors tourists, etc, etc, etc, instead of focusing their efforts where their highest market share is, which subsequently is where the money's at: North America and Europe.

 

Yet another proof this entire government needs to get sacked, the left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing.

 

10 hours ago, Anton9 said:

99% of world's countries have no such a thing as this "Thailand Pass".

It makes no sense and it's not following any science

Yes but did you expect Thailand to do anything else. I certainly didn’t. They are right on track.

2 minutes ago, Dukeleto said:

Yes but did you expect Thailand to do anything else. I certainly didn’t. They are right on track.

I am not sure where he gets his 99% number from, I think it is BS. There are still quite  a few countries operating controls on entry. Call it a pass or not, insurance, arrival or departure test, etc... all are restrictions. Japan recently announced easing, but when one looked closely, it was not particularly good for the tourist market... China, and HK still locked up. Thailand will get there, one has to be here to see that the local people still worry about Covid. They are in an environment of rising deaths yet and people can get suspended from work. Many have travelled for Songkran, and that will have an impact... but I assure you normal Songkran celebrations did not really happen. My Mrs reports how that is in her village, I took a ride around my village yesterday, nobody out throwing water... that is not usual. 

With this flip flop government I wouldn't make any plans to go to Thailand. 

Why do all government minsters look like hardened criminals?

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Phiphat also expressed concern about a possible rise in Covid infection cases following the Songkran holidays, stating that the government will take this into consideration before making any changes to the current entry policies.

International tourism will have no effect on local transmissions, in fact the reverse is more likely

If they have been inoculated and enter Thailand negative, then holiday at their own risk of being infected by locals.