BANGKOK: Thai authorities are preparing a plan to ease restrictions for travelers vaccinated towards the coronavirus, senior officials mentioned on Wednesday, as the nation looks to revive a tourism industry battered by travel curbs.
Measures for vaccinated guests could be launched step-by-step and will include shortening the mandatory quarantine for all arrivals from two weeks to 3 days for those vaccinated, or waiving it entirely, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Yuthasak Supasorn mentioned.
“We have to be quick because we wish to start welcoming tourists within the third quarter,” he informed Reuters.
The TAT plans to begin selling tour packages after April.
The tourism ministry has also requested 100,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for tourism staff in Chon Buri, Krabi, Phang Nga, Chiang Mai, and Phuket.
The 5 provinces will from next month host “hotel area quarantine” programs providing 5,000 to 6,000 rooms, where guests can transfer around within hotel grounds instead of being confined to their rooms, according to the tourism minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.
The global vaccine roll-out has given hope to the pandemic-hit industry, which makes up about 11 percent of Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy.
In 2019, Thailand received about 40 million overseas tourists, who spent 1.91 trillion baht (US$63.60 billion).
That compared to simply 6.7 million visitors last yr and revenue of 332 billion baht, due largely to Thailand’s tight limits on international commercial flights and visitors.
Since October it has allowed a limited number of tourists to return on long visas, including a group from South Korea for a new “golf quarantine” program.
“This yr, we expect about 5 million visitors, but next yr it should jump because the vaccine will have helped, maybe 15 million,” Phiphat informed state tv.
Arrivals could reach 30 million in 2023 and return to pre-pandemic levels the yr after, he mentioned.
Thailand on Wednesday acquired its first 200,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines.