Thailand gets ready for return of Chinese tourism

[webfact]

Flickr/shankar s.

 

By Peter Roche

Thailand’s tourism sector is gearing up to welcome the return of Chinese tourists, as China finally eases nearly 3 years of tough travel restrictions.

 

The Thai government has stated that arrivals from China will not be required to show a negative Covid test. However, arrivals from ALL countries will once more need to show proof of being fully vaccinated.

 

In 2019, Chinese travellers were up to 38% of the tourist mix that year, providing an important economic driver for the island.

 

The Bangkok Post reports that the president of the northern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association says Chiang Mai is ready to welcome the Chinese back, pointing out that hotel workers are fully vaccinated and wear face masks on duty.

 

Phunut Thanalaopanich adds that from the end of this month, hotels will ask guests from China to show a negative test result at check-in.

 

He explains that most Chiang Mai hotels have been asking every guest for this, regardless of where they’ve come from. Hotels also require proof of vaccination and may carry out random testing during a guest’s stay.

 

Phunut says there are currently no bookings from Chinese tourists but these are expected to begin next month. He adds that the Chinese accounted for up to 70% of Chiang Mai’s more than 3 million international visitors in 2019.

 

In the first quarter of this year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is forecasting around 300,000 Chinese arrivals.

Meanwhile, Thai Vietjet is working with travel agencies in China to conduct studies on potential new routes.

 

The airline’s Director of Commercial Sales, Pinyot Pibulsonggram, says demand is high in China for Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai. The carrier currently operates 2 flights a week between Thailand and the Chinese cities of Nanjing and Kunming.

 

Source: https://phuket-go.com/phuket-news/national-news/thailand-gets-ready-for-return-of-chinese-tourism/

 

-- © Copyright Phuket GO 2023-01-07

 

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[SST3D]

Well,  this should be fun…..

[WhaleBomb]

Here we go again.

[Bim Smith]

Looks like China has lent on their Thai cousins which isn't surprising as many of the elites are of Chinese decent. So they are going to ruin the tourism industry once again by putting restrictions on everyone. They listed 8 countries for restrictions when omricon came about but they happened to be in Africa so why not now on China 

[Gold Star]

Vax certs are not a problem.

Forcing people to buy the manditory Thai Covid insurance is.

Why no mention of it here?

[ross163103]

Bad for the general public, great for the Thai-chinese businesses here. 

[DjSilver]

If anyone should be locked out of Thailand it's the Chinese.

[harleyclarkey]

ALL countries will once more need to show proof of being fully vaccinated.

 

Really??

You consider the Sinovax <deleted> to be as effective as, say, the Pfizer vaccine??

Utter idiots. 

[NemoH]

How delusional to believe that V can stop C. From scientific evidence in all the countries, it has now been accepted that C will spread regardless of V. 
 

Testing is still the best precaution regardless of V status. 

[Venom]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

However, arrivals from ALL countries will once more need to show proof of being fully vaccinated.

Unfortunately, this will not stop the spread. 

[wombat]

The stats are in the number's have been crunched.

What can be got away with has been agreed on.

Stand by for lockdown version 2.

[Venom]

1 hour ago, harleyclarkey said:

Really??

You consider the Sinovax <deleted> to be as effective as, say, the Pfizer vaccine??

Utter idiots. 

As effective at stopping transmission. 

[wombat]

4 minutes ago, Venom said:

As effective at stopping transmission. 

So that's zero then?

[riverhigh]

Interesting times ahead. With recents reports of as much as 30% of aircraft passengers having Covid and originating from China, it will be interesting to see if this will increase the covid cases in Thailand. Currently, there are travel restrictions on travellers coming China, Hong Kong and Macoau imposed by numerous countries. Intesting to see if Thailand will get lumped in with China, Hon Kong and Macaou and thus making it difficult for us expats to travel to our home countries if required. Que, Sera, Sera.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand’s tourism sector is gearing up to welcome the return of Chinese tourists, as China finally eases nearly 3 years of tough travel restrictions.

TAT must be salivating at the prospect of the Chinese wave coming over..

 

[RichardColeman]

3 hours ago, Gold Star said:

Vax certs are not a problem.

Forcing people to buy the manditory Thai Covid insurance is.

Why no mention of it here?

Yes, just another con - and a 80,000,000,000 odd baht rip off of foreigners - no wonder they want it - it will buy a lot of pools and cars for those well connected.

 

I'd add what happened to the new entry charge covering hospitals ? Get ripped off twice soon

[Deli]

You can't fix stupid politicians.

[internationalism]

"Phunut Thanalaopanich adds that from the end of this month, hotels will ask guests from China to show a negative test result at check-in.

He explains that most Chiang Mai hotels have been asking every guest for this, regardless of where they’ve come from. Hotels also require proof of vaccination and may carry out random testing during a guest’s stay."

I don't think any hotel in thailand was ever asking for covid tests and vax status, even more so random testing. Only airlines did.

There would have to be the province governor order to do so and would be blank for all hotels, not just "most hotels" - otherwise that would mean guests checking in and overcrawding hotels which don't require test results.

It wouls also mean, that Chinese travellers won't visit Chiang Mai, they will go elsewhere, where there would be no any checks 

 

[WHansen]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand gets ready for return of Chinese tourism

with spit buckets every 10 paces and toilet roll on every soi corner

[crazykopite]

I have stayed in a number of hotels around Thailand and not one of them have asked for proof of a covid vaccine I even flew to Bangkok two weeks ago and the airline company didn’t ask for proof of a covid vaccine 

[jcmj]

I suggest they follow the same rout the Malaysian airline did years ago. 

[Daithi85]

4 hours ago, Gold Star said:

Vax certs are not a problem.

Forcing people to buy the manditory Thai Covid insurance is.

Why no mention of it here?

Because it's not mandatory,not yet anyway.

[ashkale]

Doubt if the PRC are keen to travel as has been hyped in the Thai and Malaysian media. The only PRC travellers I saw this week were going back after being stuck here for 3 years. The economic situation in China is dire along with the fear of death and disease, people are even avoiding subways actively forget about airports and planes.

[lujanit]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

In 2019, Chinese travellers were up to 38% of the tourist mix that year, providing an important economic driver for the island.

Money is the only thing driving the stupidity of Prayhoot and his cronies.  Watch this YT vid and see how bad covid is in China.  Don't listen to the CCP's rubbish figures.

 

 

[Henryford]

Getting ready - opening up more beds in the Covid wards.

[smedly]

tour them in - lead them around - rip them off 

[jak2002003]

So if someone is random tested in their hotel, what will happen if they test positive?  

 

Will they be locked in their room for 10 days or shipped off to a covid field hospital. 

 

I have not desire to see the return of travel restrictions and lock downs again.  Already I see Thai people are all wearing masks everywhere outside again.  

[shackleton]

Thailand,s tourist industry does not care about Covi 19 anymore 

Tourists don't wear face masks unless specified in certain places

Money comes first ????

The Chinese will be welcomed with open arms  ????

congestion with tour buses crowds at the morning breakfast buffet in the hotels ect

[John Drake]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Phunut Thanalaopanich adds that from the end of this month, hotels will ask guests from China to show a negative test result at check-in.

Doesn't this create a dilemma? If Chinese are required to test negative before getting on a flight to return home, what happens when they test positive? Where do they go? Can't go to the hotels, because that requires a negative test, too. So, does this mean the return of quarantine facilities and paying through the nose if you are unlucky enough to catch covid while in Thailand?

[John Drake]

4 hours ago, riverhigh said:

With recents reports of as much as 30% of aircraft passengers having Covid and originating from China, it will be interesting to see if this will increase the covid cases in Thailand.

If the hotels also require a negative Covid test, and the Chinese come in with Covid, where are they going to go, if their hotel doesn't allow them to check in?