Spike in interest in Thai trips as Chinese set to be allowed out again post "Zero-Covid"

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Thai Rath speculated that mass Chinese tourism to Thailand was just around the corner after the Chinese government scrapped many exit conditions as they rethought their "Zero Covid" strategy.

 

This followed unprecedented protests against China's Covid policy in recent weeks that prompted a U-turn.

 

Trip.com group, a big platform in China, reported a three year high spike in web searches for foreign destinations with Japan top, followed by Thailand and South Korea.

 

Shell Finance reported on Weibo that Thailand was the number one destination for Chinese raring to travel abroad.

 

But the real test would be the number of visitors at Chinese New Year that this year is celebrated on January 21st to 27th.

 

Qunar.com came up with their wish-list of places for Chinese people in Thailand.

 

The eight top spots included the Grand Palace, the crocodile musuem and farm in Samut Prakan, Bangkok sky walks, cabaret shows at Asiatique, Baiyoke Tower, Dreamworld, the Golden Dome on Ratchadaphisek and Ocean World.

 

Prior to the pandemic Thailand had about 40 million foreign tourists annually about 20% of whom were from China, notes ASEAN NOW.

 

Securing a foothold as this potentially massive market returns to Thailand will be a key aim for Thai tourism authorities in 2023 and beyond.

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-12-29

 

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[anchadian]

Mass Chinese tourism to Thailand will never happen. 

 

If it does materialize, we'll know what to expect. 

[spidermike007]

With the cases spiking in China, due to Xi's spectacular failure with zero covid, Thailand needs to be careful. Granted, the current variants are weak and feeble. But, they should do special screening for anyone coming from China, for the time being. 

[Will B Good]

I see Japan and the US, very sensibly, are demanding negative covid tests......I guess Thailand will do the same.....but probably too late.

[ozimoron]

19 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

I see Japan and the US, very sensibly, are demanding negative covid tests......I guess Thailand will do the same.....but probably too late.

There will be enough false negatives and enough early incubation infections to cause major problems here.

[daveAustin]

31 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

I see Japan and the US, very sensibly, are demanding negative covid tests......I guess Thailand will do the same.....but probably too late.

B*gger the tests; just stick them all in compulsory quarantine for two weeks. Let em have it. Excuse the cynical tone, but they and theirs screwed the world through dubious, sickly habits. On top of crowded, loud tourist spots will be rammed airports, clogged beach roads and pricier hotels. Lock the place down for another couple years. They will not be missed by most. 

[hotandsticky]

20 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

B*gger the tests; just stick them all in compulsory quarantine for two weeks. Let em have it. Excuse the cynical tone, but they and theirs screwed the world through dubious, sickly habits. On top of crowded, loud tourist spots will be rammed airports, clogged beach roads and pricier hotels. Lock the place down for another couple years. They will not be missed by most. 

 

 

+1

[ThaiPauly]

I see nothing positive coming out if this announcement

 

It seems the Thai authorities  are willing to sacrifice all the gains they made with low covid rates to satisfy the greed of the big tourism companies, and the Chinese Government 

 

Thailand could well be swamped with Covid......now it's not that easy to get covid vaccines for top ups, well it is here in CM, only a few small hospitals have decent vaccines.

If you got 2 Chinese vaccines to begin with , then these are useless now because they don't work.

China has proved this

[anchadian]

The man has spoken.

 

No Special Measures for Chinese Visitors

The country will not need any strict disease control measure for Chinese visitors, the public health minister said.

https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-1085301

[itsari]

8 hours ago, WHansen said:

The return of the low spending peasants

The return of the low spending peasants and the would be if they could be foreign pensionists .

[lujanit]

 

 

And Anutin wants to import this?  Madness!  There can only be one reason.  Money.

[anrcaccount]

8 hours ago, anchadian said:

The man has spoken.

 

No Special Measures for Chinese Visitors

The country will not need any strict disease control measure for Chinese visitors, the public health minister said.

https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-1085301

In this case he's following most other countries lead. USA and Japan will be outliers here. 

 

This statement sums up a sensible view from Europe: 

 

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said it considered "screenings and travel measures on travelers from China unjustified."

The agency said in a statement that the BF7 omicron variant prevalent in China was already circulating in the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA), and that its threat had not significantly grown.

"Given higher population immunity in the EU/EEA, as well as the prior emergence and subsequent replacement of variants currently circulating in China by other Omicron sub-lineages in the EU/EEA, a surge in cases in China is not expected to impact the COVID-19 epidemiological situation in the EU/EEA," the ECDC the said.

[Scott]

Off-topic posts removed. 

[ThaiPauly]

19 hours ago, Will B Good said:

I see Japan and the US, very sensibly, are demanding negative covid tests......I guess Thailand will do the same.....but probably too late.

Latest news is saying the Tgai Government will just open the floodgates, no testing required

[pattjock]

They really need to test all these Chinese tourists for covid. If this is not done there is a very real risk that other countries will ban travelers from Thailand to their countries.

[bkk6060]

It will be 3 years almost to the day that the Chinese come with Covid.  Remember?  After 2 months everything was shut down. Should be interesting what happens this time.

[Highend Expat]

21 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

With the cases spiking in China, due to Xi's spectacular failure with zero covid, Thailand needs to be careful. Granted, the current variants are weak and feeble. But, they should do special screening for anyone coming from China, for the time being. 

I would suggest a more critical view. We have no idea what variants are circulating in China as they have, from day 1, never been honest. 

 

But, common sense suggests that with the likely hundreds of millions of cases China is likely to see over the next few months, there will almost certainly be new variants.