Thailand

A Suan Dusit poll has shown that 43.88% of respondents do not expect to take part in Songkran activities. Instead, they chose more traditional elements of the festival. The average spend was forecast to be 4,184 THB

Ayutthaya has cancelled its Songkran activities

Thailand registered its highest number of cases yet, 947 on 11 Apr

9 provinces, including Bangkok, Samut Sakhon, Nonthaburi, Ratchaburi and Tak are classified are controlled areas; 14 are classified as high surveillance areas, including Chonburi, Rayong and Ayutthaya; 54 provinces are surveillance areas, including Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Krabi, Phangnga, Phuket and Surat Thani

More than 3,500 cars were expected to board ferries to Koh Chang on 10 Apr, whilst car traffic to the North and Northeast was heavy, but bus operators said that passenger numbers were only half of what was previously expected

Hua Hin has seen almost 70% of its guests cancel their hotel rooms for Songkran, whilst Chiang Mai, which has imposed a 14-day quarantine period for certain travellers, has seen 20% cancellations. Pattaya has seen a decline and its occupancy is expected to drop from 90% to 60%. The Northeast, which has also imposed quarantine measures, has seen 20% cancellations. Southern hotels are reporting cancellations of around 15%, as Phuket is still permitting tourists to visit without quarantine. Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan have seen 20% cancellations, and Nakhon Si Thammarat 15%. 38 events have also been cancelled nationwide

At least a dozen Bangkok hospitals suspended testing on Fri, due to a lack of kits or capacity

The Bank of Thailand has said that the economy may grow less than previously forecast, with a worst-case sharp contraction in case of virus variants and vaccine efficacy

The government is offering special insurance policies to cover travellers against COVID-19 infection over the Songkran holiday for a 10 THB premium

The PM has signed an order authorising Bangkok and 40 other provinces to temporarily close their entertainment businesses for at least 14 days

29 provinces have so far imposed quarantine for external arrivals, including Kamphaeng Phet, Chiang Mai, Tak, Nan, Phayao, Lamphun, Uthai Thani, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Phanom, Bung Karn, Buri Ra, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Yasothon, Loei, Sakhon Nakhon, Nong Khai, Nong Bua Lamphu, Amnat Charoen, Chai Nat, Saraburi, Chumpon, Trang, Narathiwat, Pattani, Phang-nga and Songkhla

Visitors to Thailand who want to qualify for the shorter quarantine will need to be vaccinated with vaccines from Sinovac, AstraZeneca, SK Bioscience, Pfizer, BioNTech, Serum Institute of India, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Sinopharm Group

The government has said that there is no need for a nationwide lockdown

The number of new cases in Thailand has increased sharply, with 789 detected on 10 Apr compared to 559 on 9 Apr. Bangkok has started to set up field hospitals which could accommodate up to 10,000 patients

The TAT have lowered their expectations for the Songkran holidays by 50%, due to the growing number of cases. Last week, it forecast 3.2 million domestic trips with a revenue of 12 billion THB, but it has started to see mass cancellations being reported across the country, as well as quarantine periods being imposed on travellers from Bangkok and other areas with clusters

The latest wave of cases is linked to Thailand’s nightlife

The TAT are organising a golf tournament aimed at expats in the country as part of its domestic travel campaign

Phuket province will implement stricter screening for arrivals, but will not impose quarantine

Pattaya will close its entertainment places for 2 weeks

The government has said that bus and rail passengers who want to cancel their trips over Songkran will be entitled t a full refund, so long as they cancel at least 24 hours in advance

A health official has warned that the latest wave of cases in Thailand could take more than 2 months to get back under control, but perhaps longer in Bangkok. Thailand confirmed that the UK variant is behind the fast spread of cases

The TAT is partnering with Thai AirAsia to promote “Must Visit Second Tier Cities” in a new campaign. 15 provinces are being promoted: Chiang Rai, Nan, Phitsanulok, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Trang, Ranong, Chumphon, Narathiwat, Udon Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Roi Et, Nakhon Phanom, Sakon Nakhon, Buriram and Loei

The Thai PM has said that the new outbreak was controllable still

The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce see consumer spending to be cut by 60 billion THB to 100 billion THB with the most recent outbreak, with a risk that the economy will contract in Q2

Bangkok has cancelled its Songkran celebrations to prevent crowd gatherings

Phuket has ordered the closure of all entertainment venues for 10 days, following Hua Hin’s similar decision

The Thai Hotels Association has criticised the government for its inefficient vaccination program, calling for a “pro-active strategy” and to accelerate the speed of the rollout. The Association of Domestic Travel has said that the latest wave of infections will be more disastrous for the tourism industry, as it has rapidly spread in Bangkok. The Thai Chamber of Commerce has said that if lockdown measures are imposed over Songkran, it could cost the economy 5 billion THB

The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), 12 organisations and 10 MICE cities have signed an MoU to boost hygiene standards, called Unlock MICE Cities with High Standard of Safety

Multiple Australian government sources have said that Australia could be looking at setting up a travel bubble with Thailand

Sony Pictures Entertainment and Amazon Falls will establish a new theme park based on films from its Columbia Pictures studio such as Jumaji and Ghostbusters. It plans to open in Oct

The Tourism Minister has said that Thailand and Singapore are discussing a travel bubble, and they are also looking at countries such as Vietnam and Laos. They hope to start travel bubbles in Oct

Thailand is in discussions with Hong Kong over a travel bubble scheme

The level of household debt in Thailand is at its highest since 2003

Entertainment spots in some areas of Bangkok were ordered closed from 6-19 Apr, following 194 cases reported on Monday, 25% of which were linked to Bangkok with transmission from nightclubs

Travellers from 28 countries are interested in visiting Phuket, although the Phuket Tourist Association has said that although interest is shown, it remains to be seen whether the travellers will be permitted to undergo outbound leisure travel by their own countries

A Suan Dusit poll has shown that before the outbreak, 39.37% travelled 2-3 times per month, 25.69% once a month. After the pandemic, 59.29% did not travel at all, whilst 24.74% travelled 2-3 times per month. Once the government’s incentives were launched, that changed to 37.94% 2-3 times per month, 31.46% did not travel at all and 16.36% once a month. 67.7% were satisfied with the We Travel Together program, whilst 67.58% were satisfied with the Tour Tiew Thai program

Quarantine will be reduced to 7 days for international arrivals who have been fully vaccinated for at least 14 days before the travel date, are coming from countries with no mutated strains, and are vaccinated with Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Covishield, Johnson & Johnson or Moderna. A 10 day quarantine will be in place for those who are not vaccinated

The Tourism Minister is considering offering free domestic flights for international travellers, once aviation workers are vaccinated. This would be a way to incentivise travellers to stay longer in the country after their initial period in Phuket was finished. One of the possible destinations includes Koh Samui, and the government has already discussed the idea with Bangkok Airways

The Pattaya Business and Tourism Association will organise monthly tourist events to draw the crowds, including concerts, sports competitions and cultural shows

The government’s 2 co-pay schemes ended on 31 Mar and generated 102.065 billion THB in spend, 52.2 billion THB of which was generated by consumers

The WTTC have certified the Amazing Thailand SHA certification program to be aligned with their own SafeTravels protocols. This means that Thai stakeholders who have qualified for SHA will be entitled to display the WTTC SafeTravels logo too

The TAT have launched a new TV advert, “Wait No More”, in international markets under the campaign “Amazing Moments, Amazing Thailand”. It promotes Thailand as a top travel destination

Songkran spending is expected to be 17% lower than 2019’s 113 billion THB, according to the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC). They conducted a survey which showed that the most popular activities anticipated for the festival will be merit-making, eating and celebrating at home, and the traditional water blessing ceremony. 34.9% said that they will cut their spending. For travel, 39% are planning to travel within their own province, 15.5% will travel to other provinces and 10% go back to their home province, whilst 26.5% said they would stay at home. Those who will travel to tourist destinations expect to do one-day trips (44.2%), spending 5,810 THB on average. Popular destinations included Chonburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Trat

Thailand’s monsoon season this year may be the heaviest in 30 years, and is expected to start in May

Italthai Group will recapitalise its hotel business in Thailand, as it sees that partial reopening will not provide an “instant remedy” and their best-case scenario for 2021 is breaking even with an occupancy level of 40%. They predict that 20% of hotels in Thailand will close, with tourism only returning in 3 years

Centara Hotels and Resorts will reopen 3 properties in Thailand in April 2021, in Krabi, Hat Yai and Pattaya

Thailand’s Emergency Decree has been extended for 2 months, until 31 May

The Thai Baht is the worst performing currency in Southeast Asia in Q1

Centara Hotels have reported that bookings for the Songkran period have been outstanding for the month, with Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin and beach destinations receiving more than 70% forward bookings, and may be fully booked for 11-14 Apr. Bangkok Airways have said that the load factor for flights over the period is difficult to predict, but will increase frequencies to 20 flights per day to Koh Samui. Thai Lion Air predict load factor to increase near 100% from current below 50% levels for the holiday week, with top destinations including Chiang Mai, Hat Yai and Phuket. Thai Lion Air aims to maintain a load factor of 70% in 2021

The government is planning to attract 1 million high-income international tourists and foreign investors in S-Curve industries to Thailand. Proposals will include amending regulations on foreigners owning property to attract more high-income retirees

Agoda has seen no international searches from Thais in March 2021 or December 2020 make it to the top 30 list

The ‘Dream Vacations & Travel Fair 2021’ fair organised at centralwOrld Bangkok generated sales of over 100 million THB

SITE (Society of Incentive Travel Excellence) Thailand is establishing an APAC cluster to boost partnership with 3 other chapters, including China, India, and ANZAC

The Thai Cabinet approved the plan to reopen Thailand with a 7-day quarantine for travellers from 1 Apr into Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, Pattaya and Chiang Mai, from 1 Jul with no quarantine into Phuket, and from 1 Oct, no quarantine either in Krabi, Phang Nga, Pattaya and Chiang Mai

The TAT have said that beaches in Phuket have been revitalised over the pandemic period

Pattaya has organised the Pattaya Bikini Surf Skate Day with over 100 skateboarders from across Thailand taking part

Chiang Mai is organising a Northern Thai Tourism Fair from 26-30 Mar

Bangkok should be included in tourism sandbox scheme from October, the Tourism Council of Thailand have said. They forecast that by including it, international tourist arrivals could increase by 3 million in 2021. The TCT also called for bilateral travel bubbles with low-risk countries such as China, Hong Kong, Singapore or South Korea

The TCT’s tourism index for Q1 fell to 36 from 62 in Q4 2020, the second lowest reading since March 2020

Border officers along the borders with Myanmar will be prioritised for vaccination

The Tourism Association of Koh Samui has said that they hope to receive their first batch of 1,000 vaccinated international visitors by 1 Jul under the “Wonder Island” scheme. Bangkok Airways would provide flights for travellers from Singapore, the US, Europe and Australia, and Koh Samui has 10 alternative local state quarantine hotels for them to choose from. They would be tested on day 2, and if negative, would be allowed to undergo tourist activities between days 3-7 on “sealed routes”. From day 8-14, they could travel around Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, and after day 15, could undertake interprovincial travel

The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has launched a new campaign, “MICE Winnovation”, to promote technology use in MICE events. It is also promoting hybrid events in case in person events need to be cancelled. It has 4 pillars: a MICE Innovation Catalogue; Technomart Activities; Digital Literacy; and Inno-Voucher. The Inno-Voucher includes financial support for MICE entrepreneurs who want to use technology. They said that around 70% of MICE events in Thailand were cancelled last year

The Tourism Council of Thailand estimate that 1.45 million of Thailand’s tourism workers lost their jobs, with 400,000 in Q1. They estimate that pre-pandemic, there were 4.5 million tourism jobs

The Tourism Council of Thailand estimate that 2 million international tourists will visit Phuket in 2021, generating 105 billion THB in H2. It sees 700k of those coming from China, Hong Kong and Macau, 250,000 from ASEAN countries, 250k from Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, 200,000 from India, Israel and the UAE and 600,000 from Australia, Europe and the US. Within Europe, they see the UK, Germany, France and Sweden to be key, and may start arriving during the winter. Overall, it expects 3 million arrivals

The TAT has launched a new domestic tourism campaign, Worship Activities Tradition (WAT) focusing on temples and other places of worship. It has created 15 routes across the country which will allow tourists to worship as well as experience local culture

The Tour Tiew Thai domestic stimulus is expected to generate 15.5 billion THB in revenue

The Phuket Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the government’s approval of the Phuket Sandbox scheme, but stressed that vaccinating the island’s population was key to reopening

11 countries will still need to undergo a 14-day quarantine on arrival to Thailand: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, Kenya, Rwanda, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana and Tanzania

The Ministry of Tourism and the Faculty of Engineering at Kasetsart University are partnering to create safety standards for land tourism, adventure sports and ziplining. They will be implemented in Chiang Mai, Phuket, Kanchanaburi, Udon Thani, Chon Buri and Bangkok

The Minister of Tourism revealed a 3-stage plan for reopening 6 tourism provinces (Phuket, Krabi, Phangnga, Surat Thani (Koh Samui), Chonburi (Pattaya) and Chiang Mai) to vaccinated travellers which has been approved: 1. Apr-Jun: vaccinated travellers arriving into these provinces will be able to quarantine for 7 days 2. Jul-Sep: vaccinated travellers can visit Phuket without quarantine under the “Phuket Tourism Sandbox” scheme. Tourists will be limited to “sealed routes” in Phuket for 7 days, before they can visit other locations 3. Oct-Dec: sandbox model expanded to 5 other tourist provinces 4. Jan 2022 onwards: full reopening expected The TAT expects that 100,000 international travellers will visit Phuket between Apr-Jun, and more from Jul onwards, with a total of 6.5 million international visitors in 2021. Herd immunity must be achieved by vaccinating 70% of Phuket’s population before reopening, with the first round of vaccinations on 15 Apr, the second from 15 May. Vaccinated travellers would need to show a vaccine certificate, passport or the IATA Travel pass

Pattaya will hold a Kite on the Beach event from 9-19 Apr

A new president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, has been elected

The State Railway of Thailand has restarted its train services to Samut Sakhon

Thailand’s Feb 2021 international tourist arrivals were just 5,471, -99.7% YoY

Pattaya’s Mayor will chair a commission to improve Pattaya’s MICE offering and marketing

Siam Commercial Bank has launched a Joint Venture with Traveloka to offer financial services to Thai customers

ASQ Stay, a platform to book ASQ hotels in Thailand, is seeing more customer bookings everyday and may expand to other destinations

The Bank of Thailand has cut its 2021 economic forecast to 3% from 3.2%, and its forecast for international arrivals to 3 million from 5.5 million

The Finance Minister expects that Thailand will receive 40 million international arrivals in 5 years

The “sandbox” proposal for Phuket has been approved. This means that from 1 Jul, foreign travellers can enter the island without quarantine. Phuket plans to acquire 930,000 doses of vaccine before opening, and foreign visitors will be tracked by an app

It is hoped that the Phuket sandbox model will allow Phuket residents to rise above the poverty line once more, as the average income has fallen from 40,000 THB/ month to just 8,000 THB

MICE stakeholders have said that they do not anticipate a boost to MICE arrivals numbers to Thailand, as quarantines will add to the cost, even if it is a reduced quarantine

Hilton is targeting converting 2,000 of its rooms in Thailand over 2 years, focusing on Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn

Interprovincial travel to Samut Sakhon has been permitted

The State Railway of Thailand has added 16 train services from Bangkok to the North and Northeast over Songkran, which they expect to accommodate up to 100,000 passengers daily

Bangkok has announced 3 measures over Songkran from 10-15 Apr, including: activities with more than 300 people need to seek permission first, banquets of more than 100 must submit an event plan, and lengthy eating and drinking should be avoided

The Airlines Association of Thailand (AAT) have said that vaccinations for airlines must take place in the next 2 months, so that it can be aligned with the Phuket sandbox plan. The AAT are calling for the reopening plan to be implemented in Jul, not Oct

The We Travel Together domestic tourism stimulus scheme is set to cover 2 million more people in a 3rd extension until 31 Aug with a budget of 5.7 billion THB. Hotel bookings would need to be done 7 days in advance, to allow checks for fraudulent bookings, and hotels will have to submit the number of rooms they have, as well as their room rates. The Tour Tiew Thai scheme has also been approved, which will subsidise up to 40% of payment for package tours, up to 5,000 THB per pax. Packages must be for a minimum of 3D2N, a minimum price of 12,500 THB and must travel from Sun-Thu. It is aiming to subsidise 1 million participants, and will run from 1 May-31 Aug, with a budget of 5 billion THB

Phuket bus operators are asking the government for help, including negotiating with banks for payment installations to avoid bankruptcy

Thailand will propose tom yum gung to be included on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list

66% of respondents in a Suan Dusit poll have said that the rise in unemployment has caused stress, whilst 47% said that their savings had decreased due to COVID-19

The government has approved financial measures of 350 billion THB for businesses, with 250 billion THB of soft loans from the central bank and 100 billion THB for asset warehousing

Asset World Corp is looking to acquire distressed hotels, as they believe that the tourism industry “will come back very quickly” when it repens in Oct

The CCSA has in principle approved Koh Samui’s reopening plan, “Samui Wonder Island”. It would see foreign travellers transferred from the airport to the hotel in a private car with protective barriers, travellers would need to quarantine in their hotel rooms until day 2/3, when they would be tested. If negative, they would be allowed to travel to certain certified spots on the island, likely in a tour group. After 7 days, they will be tested again, and are then able to visit any destination in Koh Samui. After 14 days, with a final test, they can travel across Thailand. It would be implemented for low-risk countries, and the director of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui forecasts that they could expect their first group of Singaporeans by 1 Jul at the earliest

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) has urged the government to help workers who have lost their jobs, and believes that the tourism industry will suffer as older tourism workers are made redundant because older workers understand tourism behaviour and have relationships with regular guests

The Thailand Tourism Forum 2021 took place on 22 Mar in a face to face format with over 400 attendees. At the event, STR revealed that Thailand’s hotel occupancy patterns will have returned by the end of Q1 to those of the end of 2020

Airbnb’s recent survey has shown: • Travel with immediate family was the top reason for domestic travel for Thais, with 68% saying they feel more connected with families, and 47% planning to travel with family for their first trip • Thais are willing to spend 5,000-15,000 THB on travel in 2021 • 74% want to travel between 1-3 nights • 73% consider sustainability when choosing destinations and accommodation

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) has expressed concern over journalists being injured by rubber bullets during the protests on 20 Mar

The CCSA has clarified that both Thais and international travellers will need to undergo quarantine for 10 days on arrival from 1 Apr, and will be tested twice, between day 3-4 or day 9-10. Those undergoing quarantine will be able to leave their hotel room during certain hours, to be able use the hotel gym or swimming pool, exercise outdoors or buy food/ products, but must stay in the quarantine facilities

Thailand is planning a new cash handout scheme for low-income civil servants, under the We Bond Together campaign

Police used water cannons and rubber bullets to disperse protesters at an anti-government rally in Bangkok

Tourism operators are expecting Thais to take trips over Songkran to visit family, rather than for leisure purposes. The Association of Domestic Travel (ADT) has called for the government to implement new tourism policies, including a co-pay scheme for tour packages, to stimulate demand. In Jan, there were 4.51 domestic trips generating 23 billion THB, down -63.7% and -75.3%. 216 tour operators withdrew their licences in Jan, and an additional 180 did so in Feb

The Eastern Economic Corridor has an opportunity to become an aviation hub

The Thai Chamber of Commerce confidence index fell to a 26-month low in Feb to 29.6 from Jan’s 29.8. Businesses are worried about the return of tourists to the country, as well as a possible decline in Songkran spend

Water fights for Songkran will be once more banned in 2021, although traditional water pouring on the hands of older people, religious activities and interprovincial travel will be allowed

Chiang Mai welcomed just 6 million tourists in 2020, down 46.6%, with 90.6% domestic travellers. Its average hotel occupancy in 2020 was 41.8%, a decrease from 32.4% in 2019. Around 50% of its hotels have reopened

Chiang Mai wants to open its borders to international travellers, including from India and SE Asia from 1 Apr. It will promote weddings, wellness, adventure and halal food. They would plan to welcome travellers with the IATA Travel Pass or the ASEAN Health Passport, and would be able to visit limited areas

Centara Pattana has launched a summer marketing campaign, Central Summer Plays, to boost domestic tourism until 4 May, including cashback offers from credit cards and prizes of resort stays

The government has approved the easing of quarantine requirements. From 1 Apr, visitors will no longer need a fit-to-fly document. From 1 Apr-30 Sep, arrivals without a vaccination certificate (VC) or COVID-free certificate (CVC) will be quarantined for 10 days, and be tested twice, whilst those who have the VC and CVC will be quarantined for 7 days and tested once. Those who have a VC but not a CFC will be tested twice. During the quarantine period, they will be allowed to use hotel facilities, as well as go to controlled areas for cycling and outside shopping. From 1 Jul to 30 Sep, they will also be able to eat at hotel restaurants, and have health massages. Quarantine would remain at 14 days for arrivals from countries which have mutated versions of the virus

The TAT and Golf Asian are hosting the Amazing Thailand Expat Golf Tournament in Pattaya

Thailand is aiming for 4% growth in 2021, with recovery in Q4, under the expectation that tourism will grow

The Tourism Minister has proposed a 4-part strategy for reopening, which would include: • Stage 1- wellness leisure and area quarantine – allowing quarantined travellers to use hotel facilities after 3 days. Until May • Stage 2 – “sealed routes” for tourists, allowing them to visit restricted destinations and attractions. From Jun-Sep • Stage 3 – “Sandbox”. No quarantine for vaccinated travellers on arrival for those from countries which have vaccinated at least 70% of their population. Restricted to Chonburi, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Samui, Koh Tao, Kho Phangan and Krabi. From Oct – Dec • Stage 4 – “self-quarantine” for vaccinated travellers with vaccination passport

UNESCO World Heritage Centre have responded to the Bangkloi Karen people’s petition that it delay its consideration of the Kaeng Krachan national park be considered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site until the land dispute is settled

The TAT has welcomed the 63 contestants of the Miss Grand International 2020 beauty contest, after their 14-day quarantine

State Quarantine hotels are calling for the government to allow Thai returnees on semi-commercial flights. Currently, these hotels can only accept Thai returnees on repatriation flights which have long waiting lists and more expensive tickets

The TAT Tokyo office have been promoting golf quarantine packages at the Japan Golf Fair in Yokohama

Bangkok won a UN-Habitat award for the renovation of Klong Ong Ang canal

The State Railway of Thailand is opening 30 more train routes from 13 Mar in anticipation of people looking to travel for Songkran

The new cluster of cases at Bangok’s Bang Khae district will not become a new wave, the government has said

Dusit International have said that Thailand should focus on quality tourism, with products which encourage high spending

Thailand has said that it is set to start signing vaccination passport agreements with other low-risk countries from Apr, and that the vaccination passport scheme will “take shape” over the next 3 months

Tour operators are hoping that Songkran will boost domestic tourism after it was declared to be a 6-day holiday from 10-15 Apr

Thai people have seen more debt since the pandemic according to a Suan Dusit poll, with 75% of respondents saying that family and personal debt issues have grown during the pandemic. 63.77% said that they had done less travelling

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) have forecast that Thailand could welcome 8 mil international arrivals in 2021, but only if the country was reopened without quarantine by Jun. They forecast that 200,000-300,000 could arrive in Jun, 500,000 in Jul, 1.5 mil by Oct and 2.5 mil by Dec. However, they estimate that these numbers could be reduced by 50% if the country does not remove quarantine. They also estimated that just 25% of the 4 million tourism workers in the country still had jobs, and have said that the government needs a 3-month roadmap to reopening

Koh Samui is holding a promotional event in Bangkok, "Wonder Islands Samui, Phangan, Tao", which it expects to boost tourism by more than 5,000 hotel bookings and increase average occupancy in Apr to 60-70% from 10% currently

Thailand’s Retail Sentiment index grew 43% in Feb vs Jan, showing that spend and frequency of shopping has risen

The TAT has launched a new TV ad, Miss You, sending a message that Thailand can’t wait to welcome visitors back

Koh Samui is also planning to open to vaccinated visitors from 1 Oct, allowing them to miss quarantine. Vaccinated travellers would also be able to visit Koh Tao and Koh Phangan, and are aiming to vaccinate 70% of its population

The TAT Pattaya said that their Jan tourist numbers were just 1% of those in 2020, with just 26,000 hotel check-ins. Their goal is to increase Pattaya’s hotel occupancy to 30% from its 22% rate

The Tourism Minister will propose that the shorter quarantine periods go into effect from 1 Apr, and that medium-risk countries such as Germany, the UK, the USA, China, Japan, South Korea and India, will be welcomed

Bangkok’s Wat Arun will be lit up in green to celebrate St Patrick’s Day on 17 Mar

Thailand is looking a “pawn shop” style rescue plan, asset warehousing, for tourism businesses, allowing them to park their assets with lenders in exchange with credit, and then reclaimed within a specified period

Thailand’s consumer confidence index grew to 49.4 in Feb, from 47.8 in Jan

The Pattaya Business & Tourism Association have claimed that more than a million international tourists had wanted to visit Thailand, but chose not to because of the 14-day quarantine

The government will give a 5,000 THB handout for those using tour guide services, a move which has been welcomed by the Association of Domestic Travel. 40% of tour guide costs would be subsidised under the Tour Tiaw Thai scheme

10-year passports will be reintroduced for Thai passport holders

Phuket will be proposed as the pilot for the “Sandbox” model by the Tourism Minister to open up tourism. This model is similar to travel bubbles, and may be started with China in Jul. Around 70% of the island must be vaccinated, around 900,000 doses required. It will also be trialled in Krabi and Phang Nga. The 3 regions were chosen because combined they generated 600 billion THB in 2019 from tourism. The Tourism Minister is also looking at reopening the country in other ways, including vaccinated travellers who would be tested and then undergo a 7-day quarantine in an “Area Local Quarantine” hotel, with day 1 self-isolating, and then subsequently allowed to use the hotel facilities. On 1 Apr, the government will make a “timeline announcement” on how the government will reopen the country, with “step-down reductions” every 2 months. The Area Quarantine model will also be piloted in 7 provinces: Phuket, Krabi, Surat Thani (including Koh Samui, Koh Pha-ngan and Koh Tao), Chiang Mai, Chonburi (including Pattaya and Jomtien), Bangkok and Phang Nga (including Kao Lak). All will be brought for approval on 19 Mar

29 pharmaceutical companies have been brought together with marijuana growing businesses to develop new products for the health industry, which could lead to new revenue streams for tourism

Chinese tour operators have been in touch with Thai tour operators after China announced that it would be issuing a digital vaccination certificate to its citizens. ATTA have urged the government to hold discussions with China ASAP to see if they can arrange travel bubbles with China

The government has hinted that if all sectors, both private and public cooperate with the government’s COVID restrictions, the country could reopen by Oct. It will also discuss downgrading Samut Sakhon to an area on high alert, from maximum control

The Mukda Suan Sua (Mukda Tiger Park & Farm) will have its operating licence withdrawn after it was discovered that 2 of its tiger cubs were thought to have been smuggled in. The closure may be indefinite

The Marriott Thailand Travel Show will run from 15-28 Mar at Siam Paragon in Bangkok

Chiang Mai hotels have dropped their rates by up to 90% to attract more domestic tourists in the off peak season. The Thai Hotels Association’s northern chapter have said that occupancy rates in Mar have dropped to less than 3%, whilst Songkran is expected to have just 3-5%

Thailand will look at reducing quarantine periods for vaccinated non-Thai citizens to 7 days. Vaccinated travellers would need to have received the vaccine between 14 days to 3 months prior to entry. Non-vaccinated travellers would see their quarantine period shortened to 10 days. This could potentially take place in Apr. South African travellers would still need to undergo a 14-day quarantine

The TAT and Tinder continued their Single Journey tours, with a secret rooftop getaway in Pattaya Bay

Maya Bay in Krabi will not yet reopen to the public. It will only reopen after the facilities have been upgraded and tourist management implemented to ensure its sustainability. Works on the jetty are slated to be completed in May, but a limit of 370 visitors per trip will be imposed

Thailand will launch the Digital Yacht Quarantine project. This will give smart watch health trackers to those quarantining aboard yachts, allowing authorities to monitor them offshore. It expects the project to attract more than 100 yachts and 300-500 visitors

The cabinet will not extend the We Travel Together scheme, scheduled to end on 30 Apr. Instead, the tourism ministry has been asked to redesign the program to avoid fraud

The Kasikorn Research Center see just 2 million international arrivals in 2021, and the development of vaccination in key source markets, as well as in Thailand itself, are key to recovery. They expect the country’s GDP to grow by 2.6% in 2021, but it could be less if fewer than 2 million arrivals are received

Water splashing at Songkran is likely to be permitted, the government has said

Luxury hotels are slashing their rates to attract the domestic market, causing smaller hotels to stay closed, according to the Thai Hotels Association (THA)

Chiang Mai recorded just 1 million tourists in 2020 compared to 11 million in 2019. This year, they forecast the number to increase to 25% of 2019’s level. The Tourism Council of Chiang Mai has said that tourism operators should focus on MICE and cultural festivals to avoid relying on seasonality

The area hotel quarantine proposal will be brought to the entre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) for approval

The Tourism Minister and TAT will visit Phuket next week to discuss their reopening plan, to understand the local community sentiment. If there is an agreement with the plan, the TAT has said that “we can speed up the policy implementation”

Hundreds of Thai protestors gathered in Bangkok to demand the release of their leaders from prison

Thailand has banned protests, assemblies and mass gatherings in Bangkok and 5 other provinces, ahead of a scheduled protest on 6 Mar

The TAT Phuket is planning a new series of festivals and events until Nov 2021, including a Seafood festival, the Art Vasion, and the Roi Rim Phuket Festival

The Thai Hotels Association has praised the decision to vaccinate tourism workers

Songkran will be permitted to go ahead in Apr, but there will be social distancing and venue capacity limits for activities

The government has pledged to revitalise tourism, boost domestic spending and exports and investment to allow it to reach a 4% growth target in 2021

Thailand has launched a vaccine passport and plans to rollout vaccination to staff of 58 alternative local quarantine hotels in Q3. The tourism industry is set to receive 50,000 of the 200,000 Sinovac vaccines which have already arrived into the country

The TAT is planning to add 2 million room nights to its We Travel Together program, as well as implement a new stimulus for tour operators from Mar-Jul. They will also propose a travel pass ticket scheme for airlines, where the purchase is subsidised once the user flies the first flight linked to a hotel booking in the same destination. The program for tour operators, called Tour Teaw Thai (Travel around Thailand) would see the age group restriction lifted and would aim for 1 mil travellers over 3 months. Each operator would be allowed to receive 3,000 pax

Bang Kachao in Bangkok is planning to be declared a special tourist area, which would allow sustainable tourism activities to be developed

The Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha have now been reopened in Bangkok, as well as certain other tourist attractions

The Chonburi Tourism Industry Council have forecast it will take 4 years and for Thailand to reach 65% vaccination levels before Pattaya tourism can return to 2019 levels

The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) has urged the government to speed up its decision on allowing vaccinated travellers into the country, as well as look at travel bubbles with those countries who have low-moderate levels of infection

The PM has ordered a study into the use of vaccination passports for the new normal, but will proceed “in line with other countries”

The Health Ministry has said that those who are vaccinated will be given a book which can be used for travel

A pilot of electric commuter boats on the Chao Phraya River will be run

Thailand is planning to discuss a vaccination passport in accordance with WHO regulations, and will also discuss how the quarantine period could be shortened

Chiang Mai was the world’s 3rd most polluted city on 3 Mar, with PM2.5 dust levels in excess of 200

Thailand will launch an “area quarantine” from Apr. It will be trialled in Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, Surat Thani (Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan) and Chonburi (Pattaya). Tourists will need to self-isolate in their hotel rooms for the first 3 days, and then be tested. If they test negative, they will be able to access all the hotel/ resort facilities for the remainder of their 14-day quarantine. It will be operated via 29 travel agents and the TAT

The Tourism Ministry expects a travel bubble plan with countries who have a similar vaccine distribution in Q3/Q4

The Thai Teaw Thai tourism fair will be held from 4-7 Mar, and it expects tour operators to offer low prices, as the hotel subsidy in We Travel Together have expired. They forecast transactions from the fair to generate 100-150 mil THB, and 20,000 visitors, far from the previous 300-400 mil THB and 250,000 visitors. There will be 550 booths

The TAT Pattaya and Thailand Travel Agents Association (TTAA) invited people to visit Chonburi through a special networking dinner, as well as a tabletop sales with tourism businesses for Thai tourists who usually travel abroad

Over 15 major companies launched the #OpenThailandSafely campaign on 2 Mar, calling for the government to reopen the country by 1 Jul. It argues that 1 Jul is the best date to reopen, as it many source markets will already have vaccinated their travellers, it gives time for Thailand to vaccinate healthworkers and frontline tourism staff, as well as gives time for international travellers and Thai companies to prepare for reopening

Russian tourists would be the most likely to use the area quarantine in Phuket once launched, with tour agents in Russia saying that demand is sufficient for regular flights of 300-400 Russian tourists

Phuket will continue with its plans to reopen to international tourists by Oct, and is looking into when their top source markets will have completed mass vaccinations to establish who to market to

The President of the Phuket Hotels Association estimates that current hotel occupancy in Phuket is just 8%, and that 80,000-100,000 staff have lost their jobs

The TAT and 80 tourism operators on Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Ko Tao are offering special discounts until 30 Apr

16 protestors were injured at a rally after Bangkok police fired rubber bullets and water cannons. One police officer died from a sudden cardiac arrest

Khao Sok National Park has been declared an ASEAN Heritage Park

10,000 people visited Koh Larn on the first day of the long weekend, 26 Feb, returning to pre-COVID numbers

The State Railway of Thailand will restart 14 train services on 1 March, in response to rising demand

A joint TAT-YouGov survey has shown that 9% of people worldwide (up to 6 million) are hoping to travel to Thailand in 2021

90% of rooms on Koh Kut have been booked for the long weekend, with expected visitors of 3,500, generating 12 million THB for the island. 15,000 tourists are also expected to visit Koh Chang this weekend

The Association of Domestic Travel has cut its domestic 2021 trips goal to 150 million from 200 million

A TAT survey has shown that 68% of Finnish people would not take a trip to a country which still had a mandatory quarantine, whilst 62% would choose Thailand as their ideal winter destination

The Bank of Thailand have admitted that tourism and aviation sectors will take longer to return to pre-pandemic performance

Many provinces across Thailand are waiving their quarantine requirements for domestic travel

The TAT estimates there will be 1.09 million domestic trips, a decline of 44%, over the long weekend 26-28 Feb. They forecast spending to reach 3.9 billion THB, -38% YoY, and average hotel occupancy of 16%, due to the 2nd wave of cases. They expect trips to Bangkok to be day trips only, with an average occupancy rate of just 13%

Erawan Group is planning to increase the number of Hop Inn hotels in Thailand to 100 from 46 over the next 5 years

Koh Samui’s first delivery of vaccines is due before the end of Feb, and vaccinations are due to take place early Mar, with frontliners prioritised and tourism workers receiving 22% of the 2,500 doses

Koh Samui has proposed that international visitors be allowed to quarantine on their yachts, at villa hotels and at wellness centres, as they have seen requests for these. Indian families have also enquired about visiting on chartered flights for weddings and spa treatments

Thailand will now permit superyachts to visit Thai waters and offer their yachts for charter without having to pay VAT on the vessel’s value, after 6 years of campaigning for the change to regulations. This will allow superyacht tourism to be further developed

Thai AirAsia will resume all of its Bangkok routes in Mar, followed by direct flights between provincial cities in Apr, to be timed for the Songkran holiday

Pattaya will restart its tourism promotion with the “Light of Pattaya” event, a 4D projection exhibition which will allow tourists to take photos. Other events are not likely to resume until Apr

The National Security Council is considering fewer days of mandatory isolation, as well as access to hotel facilities for travellers in quarantine, as the government looks for measures to make Thailand more attractive to visitors, as well as host more international sports events

Thai AirAsia has said that it has ‘no plan’ to receive new planes in 2021, and expects to reduce its fleet to 54 by the end of the year

Samut Sakhon may have its lockdown restrictions eased next week. The market which formed the epicentre of the 2nd wave expected to reopen on 1 March

Travellers arriving into Thailand will need to download the ThailandPlus app for use around the country

Thailand saw 7,694 international visitors in Jan 2021, down 99.8% YoY

The Phuket government has clarified some of the safety measures in place for the ‘villa quarantine’, including that hotel staff must stay within the resort area whilst the 14-day quarantine is completed, and repeated testing for them

Thailand’s economy slowed down in Jan due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the Finance Ministry has revealed. They are maintaining their forecast of 5 million international visitors in 2021, and will review their GDP growth target of 2.8% in Apr

The prioritisation of 4 tourism destinations for Thailand’s vaccine distribution (Chonburi, Phuket, Surat Thani including Koh Samui, and Chiang Mai) is linked to their significance for reviving tourism, and a potential “Area Quarantine” idea

Bangkok loosened more COVID-19 measures on 23 Feb, including permitting restaurants to sell alcohol and be open until 11pm, entertainment venues, pubs and bars can reopen, fitness centres are allowed to resume and meetings and conventions can open with limited capacity of 300 pax

Hotels are concerned that the lifting of the alcohol ban may be delayed in certain provinces, as provincial governments are permitted to consider the rule independently. Bangkok complied with the lifting order on 23 Feb, which should increase the number of customers at hotel restaurants by 30-40%, according to the Thai Hotels Association

The TAT has said that Thailand needs a plan for reopening for those with vaccine passports by Jun, so that the country can reopen to international tourists in Q4. They should soft launch marketing campaigns before Q3, as well as area quarantines. The TAT have also said that Qatar Airways requested the 14-day quarantine rule to be waived at beach destinations in Q3, in which case it would reopen flights to Phuket if there was a loosening by Mar

The TAT has said that Thailand needs a plan for reopening for those with vaccine passports by Jun, so that the country can reopen to international tourists in Q4. They should soft launch marketing campaigns before Q3, as well as area quarantines. The TAT have also said that Qatar Airways requested the 14-day quarantine rule to be waived at beach destinations in Q3, in which case it would reopen flights to Phuket if there was a loosening by Mar

The Tourism Minister expects 5 million international visitors in 2021, but this could increase to 15 million in 2022 and 30 million in 2023

The TAT will partner with Wego to promote Thailand’s tourism destinations to Middle Eastern travellers

The government has said that easing of restrictions for vaccinated travellers will take place step by step, but could include shortening mandatory quarantine to 3 days for those vaccinated, or removing that regulation altogether. Chonburi, Krabi, Phang Nga, Chiang Mai and Phuket will offer ‘hotel area quarantines’ from Mar, with 5,000-6,000 rooms available. These will allow travellers to move within the hotel grounds freely

The unemployment rate dropped in Q4 2020 vs Q3 2020 to 1.86%. The highest it reached was Q2 at 1.95% in 2020. However, the jobless rate in 2020 increased to its highest level in 16 years, 1.69%

59 foreign tourists under the villa quarantine initiative arrived into Phuket on 21 Feb, originating from the UK, USA, France and Finland. The golf quarantine tourists who arrived the week prior are expected to stay in Thailand for 2 months and generate 13 million THB

The TAT organised its second “Single Journey” trip to Ko Khai in Phang Nga, in partnership with Thai Smile Airways, Drive Digital and Tinder. Under the campaign, 9 different routes have been set up

Pattaya is preparing plans to propose itself as an area quarantine for tourists

A yacht quarantine, which would allow yacht owners to undergo the 14-day quarantine on board their vessel without having to undergo another on arrival, has been proposed

Thailand has further eased its lockdown restrictions from 22 Feb, with many provinces’ risk downgraded. There are now 4 areas: • Maximum controlled area (dark red) – Samut Sakhon. Restaurants, shopping centres are permitted to be opened but must close at 9pm. Hotles are permitted to be open but with visitor contact tracing systems. Entertainment, education and MICE remain closed. • Controlled area (orange) – 8 provinces, including Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Ratchaburi. Entertainment, restaurants, shopping malls, spas, gyms, allowed to be open. Gambling venues remain closed • High surveillance area (yellow) – 14 provinces, including Chonburi, Rayong, Ayutthaya. Entertainment, restaurants, shopping malls, spas, gyms, allowed to be open with extended hours vs orange areas. Gambling venues remain closed • Surveillance area (green) – 54 provinces, including Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Krabi, Phuket, Surat Thani. Entertainment, restaurants, shopping malls, spas, gyms, allowed to be open with normal hours. Gambling venues remain closed

The TAT has said that 60 packages have been sold in the UK under the Linger Longer campaign for the Easter holidays, whilst a group of Finnish tourists who had booked the golf quarantine scheme cancelled due to the uncertainty over the initial quarantine period of the stay

The Thai PM has said that the quarantine requirement for vaccinated travellers may be waived. The government would come up with a plan to track the tourists during their stay

Phuket has launched the “Amazing Thailand Surfskate Series 2021”, under its #HaveYouEver initiative aimed at domestic tourism

The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) will hold a virtual MICE event from 24-25 Feb. It will feature 30 booths from Thai exhibitors, as well as webinars from MICE leaders and online workshops on Thai culture. It is expected to attract 3,000 participants worldwide, with the majority (80%) from APAC. It hopes that this will boost Thailand’s chances of hitting its $2.1 million USD 2021 MICE target

Bangkok will increase the green areas per person to 10sqm as part of its Green Bangkok 2020 plan

The government has extended its emergency decree until 31 Mar

The TAT has proposed a competitiveness enhancement fund of 30 billion THB to help transform businesses for change in customer demand. The idea needs further discussion with the Tourism Ministry. As part of the preparation, the TAT have been tasked to create a registration system which would allow operators to share the obstacles they have in developing the business

The Prasat Hin Pan Yod stone formation, part of the Satun Geopark (a UNESCO geopark) in southern Satun province, has been closed until further notice after rockfall

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released detailed statistics on the 81,489 visitors who entered Thailand from 4 Apr 2020 – 13 Feb 2021: • 12% were work permit holders or their spouses/ children • 10% were those under special agreement, e.g. business travellers, tourists & retirees • 4% spouses/ children of Thai nationals • 3% students • 3% medical tourists and their carers

After the opposition brought a no-confidence vote on the PM and his cabinet, they are now facing possible charges of lèse majesté from the censure debate

A few hundred protestors staged a rally outside Parliament on Saturday

The PM and his 9 cabinet ministers survived the no-confidence motion at the end of a 4-day debate, as widely expected

The TAT is looking at new tactics for stimulating domestic air travel, saying that 1.3 million of the 2 million airline seats on the We Travel Together scheme are still available. Instead, they are looking at a potential unlimited pass, which would be offered for 2,000 THB from local airlines, giving travellers flexibility to make advanced purchases. They will also propose a new allotment for the hotel subsidy part, as there is still budget for 6 million rooms from phases 1 and 2 of the scheme. A 3rd phase could be extended until Sep

The TAT has found 934 business operators, 448 hotels and 486 vendors, who have allegedly committed fraud in the We Travel Together domestic campaign, with the total amount coming to 1.7 billion THB

After the launch of the GSB loan programme for tourism businesses, a total of 5 billion THB was requested on the first day of applications

The TAT have revised down their 2021 tourist arrivals forecast to 8 million from 10 million, with receipts at 428 billion THB, with an average spend of 53,500 THB/ pax. However, the National Economic and Social Development Council estimates tourism arrivals of 3.2 million only in 2021. The TAT is planning an international sales campaign for Apr, aiming to bring back tourists in Q3. Overall, its 2021 tourism revenue is still at 1.2 trillion THB, with the expectation that domestic tourism spend will increase to 816 billion THB and 150 million trips, an increase from the previous target of 120 million

Thailand will welcome the first group of tourists under the golf quarantine program, with 41 South Korean tourists who will stay for 2 months. They will spend the first 14 days in Nakhon Nayok Province, before going to Chiang Mai

Koh Larn saw 4,000 tourists over the long weekend, with all accommodation on the island fully booked

Hundreds protested outside Parliament on 19 Feb ahead of the no-confidence vote

Melia Koh Samui is providing land for a community farm to help provide food for rescued elephants

The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) has said that tourism recovery depends on the government’s vaccine distribution, and the faster it is distributed, the faster the recovery will be

The CCSA’s business resumption sub-committee is proposing that COVID-19 prevention measures are eased in 54 provinces (currently 34), with Samut Sakhon the lone state under the maximum control, and Bangkok still falling in an orange zone

70 visitors from Indonesia will undergo villa quarantine in Phuket at the Sri Panwa Phuket Hotel. They will stay in a state quarantine facility for 5 days from arrivals, then they would be able to use the facilities of the hotel afterwards

The Bank of Thailand has said that the lack of international tourists represents a risk to the country’s medium-term economic growth

The TAT have said that the average hotel occupancy rate for 2021 so far was 29.6%, whilst Bangkok’s was at 27.3%

The Thai Hotels Association has said that applying for bank loans is difficult due to the lack of clarity on the future. They estimate that 50% of hotels have closed, whilst the rest are struggling

Pattaya business owners are urging the city to complete roadworks, which they claim are putting off tourists from visiting

The Government Savings Bank (GSB) will provide a 10 billion THB fund for tourism-related business loans, using their property as collateral. Loans would be from 1-50 million THB depending, for a 3-year period with low interest rates

The Tourism Council of Thailand’s (TCT) Q4 survey has shown that 60% of locals and 50% of tourism operators want to see the borders reopen, initially to China and then other low-risk countries. 39% of locals would welcome low-risk foreigners on VIP tours with no quarantine

Laguna Phuket will host events from 31 Mar to encourage domestic tourism, the Laguna Phuket Revive 555 Festival, which will kickstart tourism ahead of Songkran

Bangkok Airways will reopen its passenger lounges at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport, as well as most of its domestic destinations

Returnees from Africa may face a 21-day quarantine on arrival to Thailand due to fears of the South African variant

Hotels are asking the government to lift the ban on drinking alcohol at hotels, so that they can generate additional revenue

The Kasikorn Research Centre estimates that Bangkok residents’ spending on Chinese New Year will decline by 10.4% YoY to 11.7 billion THB, whilst a TCT survey showed that only 61% of Thai tourists are planning a trip in Q1, down from 83% in Q4

A 4,000 THB handout has been approved for company employees who do not have state welfare cards and a combined bank balance of less than 500,000 THB by the end of 2020

New attacks on police and rangers in Thailand’s Narathiwat state have been reported, in a “fresh wave of southern violence”

Thailand’s GDP fell by 6.1% in 2020. Q4 saw -4.2% growth. Service exports dropped 60% YoY, whilst export of goods was also weakened. The government has revised its 2021 GDP forecast to 2.5-3.5% growth

Thailand’s Emergency Decree has been extended until 28 Feb 2021

Phuket generated just 108.46 bil THB in 2020 in tourism revenue, massively down from 2019’s 440 bil THB, 91% of which was from Jan-Mar. The Prince of Songkla University has forecast that Phuket’s falling tourism economy in 2021 may lead to income per capita falling below the province’s poverty line

Koh Samui tour operators are calling for the government to speed up vaccination to improve the possibility of a tourism recovery in Q3. Its 2020 numbers were 400,000, compared to 2019’s 2.5 million. The Tourism Association of Koh Samui have said they are already receiving advanced bookings from Sep and Oct from long-haul markets such as Germany and the UK. They also plan to launch a new campaign, “Samui Journey”, which will introduce new tourism attractions. Just 200 out of 1,000 hotels on the island are still operating, and the occupancy rates have fell to 10%

The Tourism Authority Thailand Pattaya office have launched a new campaign, “Check In Chonburi Free 500”, giving tourists 500 THB to spend in vouchers for attractions, restaurants and spas. 130 tourism businesses have signed up so far, with more expected

Thai protestors and police clashed following a peaceful protest at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok. Police said up to 20 officers had been injured, and 7 demonstrators arrested

The government is planning a 27.1 billion THB financial aid package

Mass tests will be conducted in Samut Sakhon to decide whether to ease restrictions

The TAT are still planning to welcome back international tourists in Q3, and have said that it is important for the tourism industry that vaccine distribution is started. If tourism frontliners are included in the 2nd phase of vaccination, then they would not need to procure their own vaccines

The Metropolitan Police Bureau have said that they are considering full deployment of its crowd control tools, after some police officers were hurt on Wed in a clash with pro-democracy protestors

Pro-democracy protestors have vowed to continue and increase their protests in 2021, targeting 2 million protestors per day. They continue to push for 3 key demands: the resignation of the PM, a re-write of the Constitution and the reform of the monarchy

Phuket tourism operators are protesting the government’s decision to ban local governments and private businesses from purchasing COVID-19 vaccines on their own, submitting a petition signed by 14 business associations. The Thai Hotels Association has said that more than 100 hotel employees were laid off this week due to insufficient funds for payroll

The Retailer Sentiment Index dropped further in Jan, but the Thai Retailers Association believes that it will improve in the next 3 months

The TAT Phuket has extended its “Phuket Great Time” campaign. The campaign offers 100 special deals from tourism businesses

Thailand will hand out cannabis seedlings to villagers to grow in Buri Ram province

Pattaya’s Mayor has said that the city’s future is to make it more like Singapore, Dubai or Miami, where tourism is not the key component. His “Neo Pattaya” master plan has been accepted by the Eastern Economic Corridor. Pattaya also needs to attract more domestic tourists, and “quality Thais”

Phuket has launched a new online campaign, “Have You Ever”, aimed to be more experiential focused

Pattaya’s tourism businesses are calling for the city to start organising big events to attract visitors

Pattaya will not organise a Chinese New Year celebration

Hundreds of Thai protestors gathered to demand the release of 4 activists in custody. Many banged pots and pans, similar to the Myanmar protests. Police fired tear gas at protestors outside the Pahumwan police station after some were arrested

Local governments and private hospitals will be banned from procuring their own COVID-19 vaccine supplies, the government has announced, in a change of policy

The Thai Transportation Operators Association has said that just a tenth of its member’s 40,000 tour buses are still operating

The Tourism council of Thailand (TCT), Thai Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade are all separately calling for the implementation of vaccine passports, allowing vaccinated travellers to skip quarantine on arrival

Businesses and Phuket officials have met to brainstorm new measures to revive Phuket’s tourism. All stakeholders agreed to rehabilitate the province for 9 months, and the meeting urged the government to consider its proposal to allow vaccinated international travellers to visit Phuket from 1 Oct without a quarantine. A roadshow promoting Phuket will also be organised in key Thai provinces, and the Federation of Phuket Industries said that more halal food should be available, to attract Muslim tourists

Bangkok and Phuket have been named 8th and 14th in TripAdvisor’s Top 15 Popular Destinations – World

The Tourism Minister will ask for 5 million doses of vaccine for the tourism industry, as well as push a vaccine passport initiative

The government have dismissed the idea of applying the WHO vaccine passport regulation, saying that research has still not been completed as to whether the vaccines are effective in stopping the spread of COVID-19, and thata 14-day quarantine is the best way to counter this

The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry are looking at setting up travel bubble arrangements with Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, other ASEAN nations and countries such as Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. However, it is subject to bilateral discussions

Phuket has eased its entry requirements for inter-provincial travellers for those travelling by road

The president of the Thai Transportation Operators Association has said that 30% of bus operators have gone bankrupt, and a quarter of its members’ 40,000 coaches sold – he predicts another 10,000 will be sold by the year-end. They are calling for unemployment support for their employees, as well as an extension on loan repayments

The Pattaya Business & Tourism Association doesn’t expect domestic tourism to be at sufficient levels to justify opening for Chinese New Year, and most hoteliers are looking towards Songkran instead

Bangkok has seen a spike in cases in 6 western districts, linked to factory workers, and enhanced screenings will be carried out

: Employees from private companies can start to register for 4,000 THB financial aid from 16 Feb, including those who do not hold a state welfare card

Thap Lan National Park will reopen on 6 Feb, but activities will be limited to day ones, with overnight stays and water activities still prohibited

Krabi’s tourism arrivals in 2020 was just 1.5 million, down from 2019’s 6 million. Tourism revenue dropped to just 29 billion THB from 120 billion THB. The Krabi mayor is confident that the crisis will soon be over, and wants to double the number of tourist arrivals

Central Plaza Hotel group are planning to launch 8 hotels across 7 countries in 2021, believing in pent-up demand from markets like Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea

The government has said that it is prepared for more fiscal stimulus should economic growth fall under its forecast

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) are calling for the police to file charges against those who defrauded the We Travel Together domestic tourism stimulus scheme

Bangkok has cancelled its Chinese New Year celebrations

Centara Hotels & Resorts will reopen its properties, and expects that its hotel business will reach pre-pandemic levels by 2023

46 Thai provinces have not had any COVID-19 cases for 7 days

The Benjakitti Forest Park in Bangkok, a new huge green lung for the city, is set to be complete by 2022

The Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok 2021, scheduled for 14 Mar, has been postponed to 27 Jun

Phuket is planning to hold its own private vaccination drive for its 250,000 residents, aiming to vaccinate at least 70% of the island to create herd immunity, allowing it to reopen fully to vaccinated foreign tourists by 1 Oct

Thailand’s top 12 hotel booking channels in 2020 included: #1 Booking.com, #2 Agoda, #3 Direct hotel bookings, #4 Expedia Group, #5 Hotelbeds, #6 Trip.com, #7 Traveloka, #8 Goibibo and MakeMyTrip, #9 Fusion Holidays, #11 WebBeds and #12 Mr & Mrs Smith

Wunderman Thompson have seen a change in trends in Thailand, including more hotels offering family-sized packages to accommodate multi-generational travel. Workcations and staycations are also key trends

Some tourists are starting to return to Koh Larn, with tour operators estimating they are at about 10% of a normal weekday

Thailand’s 6th Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair will be postponed from Feb to May, and will be held as a virtual show

Thailand’s household debt is expected to grow further with the new outbreak. As of Sep 2020, it was at 86% of GDP, up from Sep 2019’s 79%

: Denmark has also seen an increase in travel bookings to Thailand for H2 2021, following the announcement by the government that they expect vaccinations to be complete by end Jun 2021

The TAT will launch a new international campaign in Q2, targeting international travellers who would buy packages in advance for winter

The Tourism Minister is still optimistic that Thailand could receive 5 million international arrivals in 2021, saying that this would be considered a “success” if they do. Government sentiment and local sentiment from China, India and Malaysia would also be key, as in 2019 they accounted for 40% of the arrivals. The Ministry also plans to discuss tourism workers being included in the priority list for vaccines, and has urged the PM to allocate 5 million doses for this group. The Public Health Ministry is working on a vaccine passport framework, too, which when ready would allow tourists to enter Thailand

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is planning a tourism concept called “SEXY”: Safety & hygiene, Environmental sustainability, extra eXperiences and Yield. The Yield part will focus on high-value tourism, reflecting the TAT’s move from mass tourism towards responsible tourism

The government expects 10 million people to register for the government’s We Win economic relief app by the end of the registration period, with 7 million already signed up

Stranded foreign tourists are able to stay in Thailand until 30 May, the Immigration Bureau has announced

The International Aviation College of Nakhon Phanom University is urging for government financial help, otherwise it could be forced to shut down

Chon Buri and Pattaya have seen their restrictions eased as it moves into an orange zone from 1 Feb. More businesses are allowed to open, including restaurants and bars. Schools will be allowed to reopen, but activirits with more than 300 people are not yet allowed. The governor also ordered a hotel closure on 28 Jan at the industry’s request, to allow hotel staff to claim unemployment benefits

The Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA) have suggested that Thailand start travel bubble arrangements by Jul for quarantine-free travel with ASEAN low-risk countries such as Singapore, Vietnam and Laos

The Association of Thai Travel Agents has called for the government to prioritise vaccines for people in major tourism destinations as part of its 2nd phase of rollout from May-Dec, to create herd immunity in each province. Those working in the service sector should also be prioritised

The Tourism Council of Thailand is aiming to establish the Tourism Labor Bank assistance program for displaced tourism workers, They will develop a tourism establishment database to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on tourism jobs and prevent further losses. Tourism workers could join upskilling training and reskilling

New colour coding and lockdown measures will be implemented from 1 Feb across the country: • Maroon – maximum control – Samut Sakhon. All entertainment venues closed, schools closed, amusement parks closed, MICE closed. Hotels allowed to open, but must use tracking system to check on numbers of guests • Red – high control – Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Nonthaburi. Entertainment venues closed, restaurants can operate until 11pm, schools can open with small class sizes, MICE limited to 100 pax, massage open • Orange – medium control - Kanchanaburi, Chanthaburi, Chachoengsao, Chonburi, Chai Nat, Trat, Tak, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Prachinburi, Phetchaburi, Rayong, Ratchaburi, Lopburi, Samut Songkhram, Sa Kaew, Saraburi, Suphanburi, Ayutthaya and Ang Thong. Entertainment allowed to operate, restaurants open until 11pm, MICE with maximum of 300 pax, schools can open with small classes, conventions/ exhibitions allowed • Yellow – High surveillance - Kamphaeng Phet, Chaiyaphum, Chumphon, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Narathiwat, Buri Ram, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phang Nga, Phetchabun, Yala, Ranong, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Surat Thani and Uthai Thani. Entertainment and restaurants open until midnight, people travelling from high-risk areas to be screened • Green – Under Surveillance – rest of country

Attractions in Loei are reopening, including the Chiang Khan Skywalk and the Phu Kradueng and Phu Pa Po national parks

800 hotels, restaurants and shops are accused of defrauding the We Travel Together tourism stimulus scheme

Outbound tour operators are planning to restart tour packages with limited options at the year-end, but the TTAA have said that operators are waiting for more concrete plans from the government on border openings. They predict that outbound tours may operate with groups of 10 pax, and this trend to last for a couple of years. They will also sell premium domestic packages for those less confident for outbound travel

A 4,000 THB financial relief package for employees under social security is being considered by the cabinet

Schools in Bangkok will reopen on 1 Feb

The Krabi Tourism Council have said that 450 hotels are temporarily closed out of 900, whilst the Tourism Association of Koh Samui has said that up to 100 hotels in Koh Samui have been put up for sale, with 70—80% of shops closed. The Thai Travel Agents Association has said that 50 outbound travel agents have gone bankrupt, whilst 400-500 have closed out of a previous 850

The TAT continues to work on overseas promotion initiatives in Europe and Canada. In particular, Finland has reported 10 times the volume of its Winter Package 2021 to Thailand, after Finnish tourists’ high trust in vaccines is driving travel desire

The PM has reassured the public that the outbreak, availability of hospital beds and disease control measures are still in acceptable levels, and that whilst the number of cases is high, this is down to mass screening

Sports tournaments and beauty contests will be permitted in Thailand, but participants must undergo a 14-day quarantine. No spectators would currently be permitted

Agoda has said that family travel is the dominant types of travellers for their customers so far in Thailand in 2021

Smiling Albino, a DMC in Thailand, is looking to create upscale train travel on the State Railway of Thailand’s SRT Prestige railway cars, with themed train tours such as 1920s, Halloween and festive holiday trips

The Finance Ministry has cut its 2021 GDP forecast to 2.8% from a previous 4.5% growth. It expects just 5 million tourists, down 25% YoY and lower than the 8 million previously predicted

A survey by the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) has shown that 60% of locals and 50% of tourism operators wants Thailand to reopen the borders to international tourists with a 14-day quarantine still in place. 60% of operators believe that tourists should use the Special Tourist Visa scheme and undergo a 14-day quarantine

The TCT’s Thailand Tourism Confidence Index for Q4 2020 fell to 62, below the medium level of 100. 85% of businesses continued to operate, but 50% have reduced the number of employees or employees’ wages. The Q1 2021 Tourism Confidence Index has fell lower to 53 points, due to the virus resurgence

The TAT Seoul office have launched a new B2B minisite, Again Thailand Minisite, aiming to connect Thai businesses with outbound Korean travel agents

Centara Hotels & Resorts have launched a “Work from Hotel Centara” campaign across Thailand for extended stays

The Thai Hotels Association Eastern Chapter has said that the lifting of a 14-day quarantine period for visitors to Chon Buri offered hope to the industry. Pattaya businesses are working together with the local TAT office to promote the city for Songkran festival, and also rebrand it with a focus on daytime activities

Most schools nationwide, with the exception of Samut Sakhon province, will reopen on 1 Feb

The Tourism & Sports Ministry have said that they are looking to attract international film crews to film in Thailand, especially those which would spend over 100 mil THB with well-known directors or A-list actors. 2020 income from films was 1.73 bil THB, down from 2019’s 4.86 bil THB. In H1 2021, 136 film crews have applied to film, with potential revenue of 850 bil THB

STR and C9 Hotelworks saw the hotel occupancy of Thailand fall to 23.5% in 2020, compared to 72% in 2019. STR forecasts hotel occupancy to grow to 37.7% in 2021. The Thai Hotels Association has called 2021 “dangerous” as many hotels may be forced to close, especially after the Jan lockdown. Only 30-40% of hotels in major Thai tourism destinations remain opened

Thailand recorded its largest increase in daily cases, 959

The TCT have said that 1 million more tourism workers could lose their jobs in Q1 2021, and relief measures are desperately needed, including wage subsides, utility bill cuts and a debt moratorium. It estimates 1 million workers have already lost their jobs

The TAT is looking at the idea of a vaccine passport which would allow travellers to skip quarantine, as well as all-inclusive packages as part of its Project Phoenix initiative. They expect long-haul travellers to start arriving from Apr, but those nearer might arrive later. Thailand will also push for a standardised system across ASEAN to facilitate international travel

The Tourism Council of Thailand will launch a new campaign, “Welcome back to Thailand again”, for vaccinated travellers in Q3 2021. They forecast that if the campaign is successful, 400,000 hotel jobs and 400,000 tourism businesses could be saved

Chatuchak’s visitors have dropped by up to 90%, with many vendors having no sales at all

Thailand’s 2020 international arrivals dropped 83% to 6.7 million only. Dec saw just 6,556 tourists in Dec, a 99.8% fall. 2020 spend was $11 billion USD, down from 2019’s $63.75 USD in 2019. The planning agency forecasts just 5 million international arrivals in 2021

The TAT should look at more promotional campaigns in Q2 to offset the opportunity cost of Q1’s 138 bil THB. TAT have set a 1.2 trillion THB tourism revenue target in 2021, with the domestic market generating 58% and international market 42%

The TAT is launching VR tours of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Surat Thani’s top attractions

A TAT survey from between 10-12 Jan has shown that 34.7% of tourism related businesses have closed and gone out of business

Phuket will lift the 14-day mandatory quarantine on people arriving from Bangkok and Samut Prakan to encourage domestic tourism

The Minor International group and Dusit International both support he idea of vaccinated travellers allowed to skip quarantine

The Deputy Public Health Minister has said that restrictions in Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi, Trat, Sa Kaeo, Prachin Buri, Nakhon Nayok and Chachoengsao are expected to be eased

Thailand’s Eastern provinces (Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat) are waiting for a relaxation in their restrictions, given that the number of cases has dropped and just 1 case has been detected in the 4 provinces over the past 2 days

Phuket tourism industry players are calling for the province to end the 14-day mandatory quarantine from those arriving from Bangkok, to try to revive its industry. They also urged the governor to start preparing for international tourists to arrive from Oct, allowing those who are vaccinated to enter, so long as the Phuket population were 70% vaccinated

The Pattaya Business & Tourism Association are planning a domestic marketing campaign once the lockdowns are lifted to promote Chonburi. They are also looking at offering affordable health insurance

Schools in Thailand’s 28 red zone provinces will be allowed to resume onsite learning from 1 Feb, but if infection rates increase, this decision may have to be reconsidered. However, those in Samut Sakhon would likely still be closed

The government’s co-pay scheme generated 70 billion THB through the economy between 1 Oct 2020 to 21 Jan 2021. 51% of that amount was spent by the registrant, the remaining amount through the government

A TAT survey has shown that the key needs for tour operators include aid measures to reduce costs (92.6%), including a wage subsidy scheme, and the lowering of electricity and water bills, a debt holiday (81.2%), lower interest rates and suspension of principal payments (79.9%) and financial aid (78.8%). 63.5% of the 1,884 tourism businesses surveyed were still operating

The Tourism Council of Thailand are planning to partner with the Federation of Thai Industries, to offer its 100,000 workers special packages to drive domestic tourism

The Tourism Council of Thailand have floated the idea of vaccination tour packages for Q2. They would be one-month long, and would cost 150,000 THB, including a 14-day quarantine and vaccination costs. Tour operators could potentially partner with private hospitals

The Thai Finance Minister has forecast growth of 3-4% in 2021, less than previously forecast

The TAT is working on activities to keep awareness of Thailand high in China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan

The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority will now allow 13 services to reopen in the city from 22 Jan, including elderly care centres, party venues for maximum 300 pax and spa and Thai massage parlours. However, pubs and bars, boxing stadiums, children’s childcare centres and water parks must remain closed

The government’s co-spending payment scheme saw all 1.34 million rights being registered in just 9 minutes

A 300 THB fee will be collected from foreign visitors in 2021, to establish a tourism fund, allowing operators to claim from it during crises. The final plan and guidelines are still in process and would be submitted for approval in Feb

Thailand is planning to introduce a curriculum to promote marihuana in recipes and products, in conjunction with community businesses to grow the plant. The Health Minister has said that these would be the “new must-taste menu” once the country is opened again

210 billion THB of financial aid has been approved, under the campaign ”Rao Chana”. A total of 7,000 THB will be distributed per person over 2 months, covering 31 million people impacted by the pandemic

Foreigners who have Thai residency and would usually need to return to the country within one year, will be allowed to stay abroad until further notice

Kanchanaburi hotels will be permitted to reopen, so long as they follow disease control measures

The government has said that the number of cases are lower, but they are still concerned over the outbreak in Samut Sakhon

The ASEAN Tourism Association has warned that 70% of Thailand’s travel associations could close permanently in Thailand if there was no government assistance

The government is preparing a new soft loan program to help SMEs, which would be made available through the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand (SME D Bank)

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) has said that up to 80% of its 930 members stopped operations in 2020. However, the THA predicts that the independent and SME hotels are at the highest risk of closure, and expects more hotels to close in 2021

Private hospital, Thonburi Healthcare Group, have ordered 1 million doses of Sinovac with the option of buying 9 million more. They plan to use the 1 million doses to vaccinate half of its staff across its hospital network. Vibhavadi Medical Centre has also ordered 10,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine

The Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association donated more than 1.1 million THB to Chiang Mai elephant camos for the provision of food for the elephants

The order to close hotels and resorts in Kanchanaburi was surprising to many in the tourism industry due to the low number of cases. The governor has said the closure will not last more than one month

Non-performing loans of SMEs is now valued at 229 billion THB, with tour operators and small restaurants the worst hit, the Federation of Thai SMEs has said

The Bank of Thailand have set that they may cut their growth forecast for 2021 due to the new wave. This new wave could impact its forecast by 1-4% depending on the severity

The National Tourism Policy Committee have approved the guidelines for collecting 300 THB from each international visitor. This will be used for managing local tourist destinations, as well as insurance benefits. The Tourism Minister expects Thailand will receive 10 million international arrivals this year

Bloomberg claim that at least 931 registered tourism-related businesses closed down in 2020

The Thai Hotels Association has said that hotels are delaying whether to join the Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) program, as bookings have slowed down. The ASQ-ALQ Club Thailand have seen occupancy drop by 30% to 6,000-7,000 rooms per day from 9,500 in Dec, with a low response expected in Feb

The Thai government is looking at 2 cash payments of 3,500 THB in Feb and Mar for those severely affected by the new outbreak, as well as electicity and household bill cuts and business soft loans

Bangkok is being affected by “unhealthy” levels of haze

The Association of Domestic Travel is still confidence about achieving the government’s goal of 200 million domestic tourists, but cautioned that more support through stimulus measures would be required. Their goal is to restarts interprovincial trips by Mar. Only 20% of their members are currently operating. They also proposed a co-pay domestic tour program, with the government subsidising 50% of tour packages, limited to 3,000 THB for 2 million packages

The Thai cabinet have decided to cut electricity and water fees, as well as increase internet speed to help Thai households

Pattaya hotels continue to call for the government to order the temporary closure of hotels there, so that their employees can claim unemployment benefit

The Thailand Yacht Show 2021, which was to take place in Phuket, has been postponed from 11-14 Feb to later in the year

Pattaya hotels continue to call for the government to order the temporary closure of hotels there, so that their employees can claim unemployment benefit

Japan has suspended its Business Track and Residence Track programs to allow overseas business travellers to visit the country, including from Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam

Golf quarantines have now been approved, with 6 resorts available, 3 in Kanchanaburi, 1 in Nakhon Nayok, 1 in Phetchaburi and 1 in Chiang Mai

The Bank of Thailand have extended financial relief measures until Jun 2021

The Cabinet has approved 2 cash handouts of 3,500 THB for those severely affected by the pandemic, cuts to electricity and water fees, an increase of internet speed and a 200 billion THB fund for soft loans to SMEs with 10,000-50,000 to each debtor at low interest rates

The Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Thai Industries have welcomed the government’s new handouts, saying that will start to help, but more aid packages need to be provided to hotels to retain their employees

Community based homestays and tourism attractions are having their health and safety standards enhanced through the Amazing Thailand SHA scheme. They are also planning through the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA) to roll out 4-5 new campaigns to promote tourism confidence

The Ministry of Tourism will propose a new Hotel Quarantine program, with international arrivals being limited to their hotel rooms for the first 10 days, and then allowed to use hotel facilities for the last 4 days

The Movenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok are now welcoming local Thais and expats who want to undergo self-quarantine

The Ministry of Tourism has gathered inputs from the tourism industry on ideas for financial aid, and will submit them to the PM for consideration

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) estimate that 30% of its 10,000 registered inbound tourism companies have closed down permanently and 50% temporarily. The remaining 20% have pivoted to the domestic market

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) are calling for the government to exempt vaccinated travellers from quarantine

The TAT have said that they will delay the implementation of a domestic travel campaign targeting senior citizens to Mar or Apr

Thailand has one of the highest tourism revenue losses globally in 2020, according to Official ESTA, coming in 4th place with an estimated $37,504 million USD of loss

Phuket will carry out screening measures for those entering the province, including those arriving from 20 “red zone” provinces to self-quarantine for 14 days, and those from “high risk” areas to have a swab test. The self-quarantine may be more of a guideline, rather than enforced requirement

According to TV4 Nyheterna, Swedish holiday bookings have increased greatly in the last few weeks due to the positive news about the vaccines. Ticket.se have seen an increase of more than 50% of winter bookings for winter 2022 to Thailand, amongst other destinations

The Tourism Council of Thailand are calling for a long-term debt moratorium, electricity bill cuts and more skill training courses for tourism workers

Household debt is at the highest levels it has been in 12 years, at ~480,000 THB per household

Chiang Mai Tourism Industry Council have said that no cash handouts will be given to tourists who contract COVID-19 in the province, after earlier pledges to pay 100,000 THB in the early Dec outbreak

The Thai Hotels Association Eastern Chapter estimates that 80% of tourism businesses in Pattaya have already closed, and blames the government for the 2nd wave due to “corrupt” officials

The Tourism Ministry has said that Thailand should focus on long-stay and wealthy foreign visitors, something which the Tourism Council of Thailand agrees with. The TAT expects just 10 million tourists in 2021, the majority in the last third of the year, and 21 million in 2022 in best-case scenarios. The Airports of Thailand forecast its airports will welcome 446,986 scheduled commercial flights and 47.9 million pax, with air traffic not returning to 2019 levels until 2023

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) are calling for the government to provide a 50% wage subsidy scheme, with payment capped at 7,500 THB

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) are calling for the government to start preparing guidelines for vaccinated passengers to skip the 14-day quarantine

The We Travel Together scheme has so far generated 5.12 million room nights worth 13.6 billion THB, and 357,752 air tickets worth 952 million THB as of 6 Jan. 5,343 hotels have received bookings

People travelling to and from Samut Sakhon, Rayong, Chon Buri, Chanthaburi and Trat provinces need to have official documents stating the need for their travel. They will also need the Mor Chana app installed on their phones, and will be checked for fever

The Eastern Hotel Association is asking the Chon Buri government to officially close hotels in the province, to allow the staff to collect government benefits

The Public Health Ministry has said that it is confident that the new outbreak will slow down by the end of Jan, as it has not seen new cases in 7 days in 20 provinces

The Finance Ministry will propose relief measures for borrowers in 33 provinces affected by the restrictions, including a debt holiday, suspension of principal repayment and interest reduction

The TAT expects tourism revenue to increase 44.6% in 2021 to 1.3 trillion THB, with just 500 billion THB coming from international revenue. It forecasts 120 million domestic trips, and in 2022 180 million domestic trips. They have called 2021 a “transitional year” for Thai tourism, and see a late rush in the latter part of the year. It also wants to see the average amount spent by international visitors increase from 47,000 THB in 2019 to 62,000 THB in 2022, and Thai domestic expenditure to increase from 4,700 THB to 4,900 THB

People must wear face masks in Phuket in public areas, or face a 20,000 THB fine

The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau had 52 sales leads during the IBTM World Virtual 2020, estimating they are worth 743.40 million THB in revenue if they materialised

Consumer sentiment dropped for the first time in 3 months to 50.1 in Dec, down from Nov’s 52.4, amid uncertainty with the 2nd wave

The Central Bank forecasts inbound arrivals to be 5.5 million in 2021, down from its initial projection of 9 million. Thailand received 6.7 million tourists from Jan-Nov 2020, down 81.4% YoY

The Tourism Council of Thailand have said just 30% of tourism businesses are still operating

The Thailand Hotels Association Southern Chapter has said that hotels are temporarily closing again in Phuket, but does not have an exact number of how many. They warned that the crisis in Phuket “will reach its peak this year […] both small and big businesses are going to die in the same way this year.” Phuket International Airport confirmed that airlines had reduced the number of flights to Phuket for the remainder of Jan, and that from 1-5 Jan, 38,915 pax used the airport, compared to 115,741 in 2020, down 69.4% YoY

Thai Vietjet have launched the Thailand Power Pass, an unlimited flight pass for their domestic network, with a validity of 6 or 12 months

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) have said that Thailand is still open to Special Tourist Vias holders, and that the recent outbreak has not had any impact on the numbers so far

Sightseeing trains will be suspended from 9 Jan, and 30 regular passenger trains will be suspended from 13 Jan to help contain the spread

The Thai Hotels Association northern chapter has said that hotel occupancy in Chiang Mai has fallen to 10%, with some hotels temporarily closing

Spending more time with loved ones is what Thais are most looking forward to for travel in 2021, according to a new survey from Agoda. 14% are also committed to consciously supporting less touristy destinations

The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce has said that the Thai economy could lose 300 billion THB in Q1 due to the drop in consumer confidence and restrictions

Travellers who travel from the 28 red zone provinces and conceal their travel timeline could be given a 2-year prison sentence or a 40,000 THB fine

All travellers from any of the 28 red zone provinces will need to undergo swab tests and a 14-day quarantine on arrival to Phuket, pending the release of the official announcement

4 new electric rail routes will be added in Bangkok in 2021, including the Pink Line, Yellow Line and 2 Red Lines routes

The government has confirmed that people who have cancelled or postponed hotel bookings under the We Travel Together domestic stimulus scheme will not lose their privileges, and they are still working together with OTAs and hotels to find a solution for tourists who have already paid

The 2 million additional doses which the Thai government has secured are from Sinovac

The Tourism Ministry has said that Thailand will need to rebuild its image as a safe destination once more

The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) have launched EASE UP, a package of incentives to attract Singaporean incentives. It includes $50 USD grants per person or a dining experience of up to 300,000 THB per event, for events taking place no later than 30 Sep 2021. Delegates will also receive free airport transfers, sightseeing or CSR teambuilding activities for up to 20 delegates and for up to 20 paying guestrooms, hotels will match the same number of rooms on a complimentary basis

The Phra That Phanom festival in Nakhon Phanom has been postponed due to the 2nd wave

Nusasiri, a real estate developer, and the World Medical Alliance have partnered with the Thai Elite Privilege Card scheme to increase investment and tourism in Thailand

All entertainment, bars and pubs must close for 14 days in Chiang Mai

Whilst UK arrivals are still permitted entry into Thailand, they must stay in their room for the majority of their quarantine stay, until their 2nd swab test comes back negative

Certain national parks will close accommodation and attractions across Thailand

Chon Buri have tightened restrictions and people must wear a face mask outside of their home, or face a 20,000 THB fine

The Emergency Decree will be extended until 28 Feb

Over 10,000 schools have been closed across Thailand until 31 Jan

The Thailand Tourism Forum has been postponed from 18 Jan to a later, unspecified date

More than 100,000 workers have lost their jobs or been suspended due to the new lockdown restrictions. Insured workers will now be able to claim under the Social Security Act and will be entitled to 50% of their daily wage for the whole lockdown period for a maximum of 90 days and a maximum ceiling of 500 THB as a daily wage

The TAT organised an Amazing Thailand Health and Wellness Virtual Trade Meet 2020, with 49 Thai suppliers and 82 buyers from 27 countries

Thailand’s MICE industry saw a drop of 60% in its fiscal year of 1 Oct 2019-30 Sep 2020, with 500,090 foreign MICE visitors contributing 29.8 billion THB and 10 million domestic MICE travellers, generating 31.5 billion THB, according to the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB)

Insurance companies have introduced a seasonal travel insurance package which provides compensation should the holder contract COVID-19

The Tourism Ministry is considering seeking an extension to the We Travel Together scheme until 31 Oct

Bangok’s restaurants will still be allowed to serve dine-in customers between 6am-9pm, after the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration overturned a government decision to limit restaurant operating hours

Stricter measures have been declared for 28 red zone provinces, from 4 Jan to 1 Feb. Provinces will be split under tier 1 and tier 2 restrictions. Tier 1 includes restricting operating hours, restrictions of activities which would generate crowds, interprovincial travel advised against, people being requested to work from home and target school closures. Tier 2 would include more businesses closed, interprovincial travel bans, all residents working from home and curfews

The Tourism Association of Koh Samui has said that Koh Samui has lost 50 billion THB in revenue in 2020, and of 660 hotels, only 180 are now open

The Deputy Health Minister has unveiled plans for Pattaya, Rayong and Chanthaburi to be sealed off, with no-one able to enter or leave without permission, called Level 2. It is waiting approval

Bangkok has announced maximum disease control in 3 districts: Bang Phlat, Nong Khaem, Bang Khun Tien. This will allow districts to close businesses which have high-risks of transmission. It has also closed service venues, water parks, amusement parks, children’s playgrounds, internet cafes, cockfight pits, daycare centers, boxing stadiums, martial arts schools, gyms, bathhouses, massage parlors, stadia, conference halls and similar venues, pre-schools, school buildings and facilities, tutoring schools and educational institutes until 17 Jan

Thailand’s second phase of the co-pay scheme opened for use on 1 Jan

Thailand’s national parks will still be open for tourists, but visitors should register in advance

The majority of Thai respondents in a NIDA poll believe that the economy will get worse in 2021

The Social Security Office will reduce the contribution required from employers and employees to the worker welfare fund for 3 months, from Jan-Mar 2021

The local ferry operator in Koh Samui had to add more services to meet demand due to queues to enter the island

The Tourism Council of Thailand has said that some hotels in Pattaya have seen less than 10% occupancy. The Thai Hotels Association eastern chapter has also called for the government to quickly contain the outbreak to create consumer confidence to travel in Feb for Chinese New Year

The government will compensate employees who lose work due to COVID-19 by paying 50% of their salary for up to 90 days

The additional long holidays the government has announced will boost domestic tourism, the Thai Chamber of Commerce has said

The Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA) is working to promote the Chiang Khan model for sustainable tourism development. It plans to encourage expats to visit 15 community-based tourism destinations in Loei province

Thailand has banned large gathering and events across the country

Pattaya and Banglamung district ordered all non-essential shops to close on 30 Dec, and restaurants only to serve takeaway food. Schools are closed, after a cluster was discovered linked to an illegal gambling den

The TAT have said that they see opening up the country to international tourists taking place in Q3/Q4

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) will ask the Thai government for more support, including suspending their outstanding debt, soft loans and 50% wage subsidies

Foreigners who have been vaccinated will still need to undergo the 14-day quarantine

Undocumented workers from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia have been instructed to record their details at the Foreign Workers Employment Agency (FWEA), and make their registration possible without fear of prosecution or deportation

The We Travel Together scheme has now been amended so that tourists who make hotel bookings can cancel or postpone

Koh Chang has seen hotel bookings drop by 15% since the new outbreak in Dec

Pattaya has seen its hotel room bookings drop by 30% since the cancellation of the Pattaya Countdown, whereas before they had been almost fully booked. The Chamber of Commerce of Lower Central Region 1 estimate that the cancellation of holiday events will cost the region 1 billion THB

The Tourism Minister has said “domestic tourism has frozen completely”

Domestic tourism from Jan-Nov generated 78.3 million trips, a 49.2% decrease YoY, contributing 428 billion THB, a drop of 56.3% YoY. Its Nov international arrivals totalled 3,065 tourists

Chiang Mai will require travellers to register the details of their accommodation and where they plan to visit in the CM Chana app – visitors from high-risk areas in Samut Sakhon and Rayong must undertake RT-PCR tests and a 14-day quarantine

The hotel subsidy scheme for We Travel Together has resumed, with more than 200,000 bookings in the first 12 hours. The TAT believe these bookings are from demand as the booking period has been extended until Apr

Thailand have added 4 new public holidays in 2021, creating extra long weekends, with a public holiday for Chinese New Year and an additional one for Songkran, creating a 6-day weekend

The PM has said that there will not be any travel restrictions imposed over the New Year holidays, but that he would prefer it if people only travelled if necessary

Krabi has closed spas, pubs and bars until 30 Dec, whilst local schools are closed until 3 Jan

The Bank of Thailand has relaxed its rules for the 500 billion THB of soft loans, to allow smaller companies to benefit

The government has warned that new cases could rise to thousands by mid-Jan, if nothing is done

The TAT have announced that as of 26 Dec, total tourism revenue was 830 billion THB in 2020, with 330 billion from foreigners, 500 billion from domestic tourists

More than 20% of hotel bookings in Chiang Mai’s Mon Jam area have been cancelled, accounting for around 1 million THB in lost revenue

Jan-Nov tourism arrivals dropped to 6.7 million in 2020, down 81% YoY – 6.69 million of those arrived in Q1

Chiang Mai tourism groups will work together to develop tourism in Mae Rim

Arrivals to Chiang Mai from Samut Sakhon now have to report to public health officers, undertake a 14-day quarantine and an RT-PCR test

Electric ferries have been launched on Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River. In phase 1, services will be free until 14 Feb

A new directive from the government to limit COVID-19 spread has banned gatherings and limited the movement of migrant workers until 15 Jan

A new online booking platform for ASQ/ ALQ hotels has been launched, in a joint initiative with the Digital Council of Thailand, Ascend Travel and Horganice. It has more than 100 hotels listed

The PM has warned that if prevention guidelines are not followed then there will be a national lockdown by Mar

Spending during the New Year holiday is estimated to stay below 100 billion THB for the first time in 10 years, at 91.5 billion THB

No refunds will be available for those who have booked New Year vacations under the “We travel together” program, but they are able to postpone it for up to 12 months. The government is still looking at ways to launch the 2nd phase of the scheme, which was put on hold after detecting fraud

The government is looking at allocating long holidays every month in 2021 to stimulate domestic tourism. They are set to proposed a 5 billion THB campaign for senior travellers on 29 Dec, and if there is any budget left after the stimulus programs expire, the Tourism Ministry will work with the private sector

The Tourism Ministry has urged tourism operators to work on plans to attract foreign tourists in 2021, and has said that the summer time could be a good time to open travel bubbles. They will also propose an “area quarantine” after the New Year

Bangkok and many provinces have cancelled their New Year celebrations, as it is in an orange zone. Orange zone restrictions include banning public activities

Thailand’s new cases appear to have eased off, with the majority of cases migrant workers

Chonburi’s governor has invited tourists to visit, despite cancelling the New Year and Children’s Day events

Whilst a physical New Year’s Eve countdown has been cancelled in Bangkok, organisers are still proceeding with the fireworks display, which will be live-streamed and televised

The TAT is estimating that only 2.75 million domestic trips will take place over the New Year holiday from 31 Dec to 3 Jan. Thai Lion Air have seen demand slow down significantly due to the new outbreak, with load factors around 70%, down from its forecast 80-85%. Average hotel occupancy is forecast to be at 37%

ASQ bookings have slowed down, but the situation is “not serious”, according to the ASQ-ALQ Club Thailand

Thailand will not be placed under a national lockdown, but 4 zones will be imposed, depending on the severity: red (maximum control), orange (more than 10 cases), yellow (no more than 10 cases and control still possible), green (no cases). Just Samut Sakhon is under a red zone, with at-risk premises closed, operating hours limited, transport restricted and work from home maximised. Schools are closed, crowds are banned and maximum prevention measures are in force in workplaces and factories. Bangkok, Samut Songkhram, Ratchaburi and Nakhon Pathom are in orange zones

A pilot program for an “exclusive travel area” for quarantine in Chonburi would include health tourism aspects, including massage and food with anti-viral properties

The TAT has launched a new smart map app called the “Thailand Smart Tourism Platform” which will allow tourists to access information about new normal travel. It is currently only in Thai, and it has plans to launch it in English and Chinese

The Bank of Thailand has cut the 2021 GDP forecast to 3.2% from 3.6%, as the new outbreak if likely to delay tourism’s recovery

Private hospitals will provide free COVID-19 tests for at-risk groups

The Tourism Minister has said that there is not much hope of attracting international visitors in Q1 2021, and that Thailand should expect a long “drought” without international tourists

Chiang Mai will stage its New Year celebration

Lockdown measures have now been put in place in Samut Songkram until 4 Jan, with the closure of public venues and events, Samut Prakan until 4 Jan and 3 sub-districts of Chiang Mai, Tha Ton, Malika and Mae Ai

The senior citizen travel subsidy scheme would include 5,000 THB for 1 million senior tourists, and the TAT forecast that this could generate 18.8 billion THB in revenues, employing 50,000-100,000 tour guides

The Association of Domestic Travel (ADT) has urged the government to implement strict measures on those bringing in illegal migrants. The Thai Hotels Association western chapter has seen Hua Hin occupancy levels drop to 30% from the expected 50-60%

Seminars with limited attendees will be permitted in Phuket, but Phuket Walking Street will be closed for 2 weeks

All municipal schools and nurseries operated by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will close for 11 days

The Foreign Ministry has said that from 9 Jul – 13 Dec, only 50,625 Certificates of Entry had been granted, with just 7,000 to genuine tourists. The rest were business travellers, students, returning expats or medical patients

The TAT forecast that domestic trips will reach just 95 million in 2020, losing 5 million due to the latest outbreak, and generating around 500 billion THB

The tourism industry is set to lose 17 billion THB in lost revenues due to cancellations or postponements of trips over the New Year

Pattaya’s New Year Countdown Music Festival has been cancelled

The Phuket Hotels Association has called another potential lockdown disastrous, and we will see “hotel, restaurant and boat owners mothball their businesses”

The lockdown in Samut Sakhon will cost the economy 1 billion THB per day

The TAT are offering a “Happy DIY Set” to foreign visitors staying in ASQ accommodation. The set showcases Thai handicrafts and teaches visitors how to recreate them

10,300 people will be tested by Wednesday in Samut Sakhon

Khon Kaen requires all travellers returning to the province from Samut Sakhon to report to local authorities and undergo screening

The number of local infections has grown to 576, with 19 locally transmitted in Bangkok, all linked to a shrimp market in Samut Sakhon

Workers in Bangkok are being encouraged to work from home for the next 14 days

Samut Sakhon province has been put under a lockdown until 3 Jan, with movements in and out of the province banned and a curfew in place from 10pm – 5am, after 12 local infections grew to 548 following the testing of 1,192 people in the province. The majority are workers from Myanmar. All entertainment, schools, shopping malls, cinemas and spas will be closed, and restaurants can sell takeaway only

The We Travel Together subsidy for domestic tourism is expected to continue before the year end, with an extension set to be announced next week for 40% subsidy on 1 million room nights. The delay is faster than expected, due to the massive decline in bookings over the year-end holidays. The Thai Hotels' Association hopes that the rule allowing guests to stay in areas where they live is not revoked, as they had started to see a return of staycation packages. Hotel occupancy in Nov grew to 40% from 30% in Oct, and was set to hit 50% in Dec

The list of golf resorts for alternative state quarantine facilities will be announced next week. Golf quarantine would be limited to those travellers from low-risk countries, and must take 3 COVID-19 tests during quarantine to allow them to play golf and undertake fitness activities. 6 golf courses have applied

The United Nations High Commission for Human Rights has condemned Thailand’s use of the lèse majesté laws to charge 35 protestors, including one minor

The Golf Course Association of Thailand said that once their members found out the details of the golf quarantine, including additional costs and the safety protocols, many members lost interest. Any course which is open to quarantined tourists would need to be closed to the general public

No Pattaya hotels are suspected of fraud in the We Travel Together scheme

The Airports of Thailand predict that international air travel will come back strong in Q4 2021, and are currently drawing up 2021-2022 plans

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) is asking for a central fund to subsidise tourism businesses, offer low-interest loans, extend loan repayment and pay half of tourism workers’ salaries

Tourists from 56 countries will now be allowed to enter Thailand visa free, but will still need to obtain a certificate of entry from their local embassy and a booking at a quarantine hotel. They would be subjected to a 2-week quarantine period, and the usual 30 day tourist visa would be extended to 45 days

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) organised an Amazing Thailand Health and Wellness Virtual Trade Meet, with 51 Thai suppliers and 86 buyers from 27 countries

515 hotels and restaurants are being investigated for fraudulent claims from the government’s We Travel Together domestic tourism stimulus scheme. Frauds include fake check-ins, or setting room rates at a higher price than usual

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has said that foreign visitors will still not return to Thailand, even if it is visa-free, util the quarantine period is unlocked. The only ones who are likely to return are long-stay and retired travellers who will spend 3-6 months in Thailand. The number of arrivals may increase to ten of thousands, but not 3 million per month as in 2019. They predict that it will take 3 years to return to the same levels

The Finance Ministry is considering giving residency visas to foreigners who invest 3 million THB in property

The 2nd phase of Thailand’s co-payment scheme was fully booked by 5 million people within 2 hours

The government is studying whether a 10-day quarantine process is feasible, changing COVID-19 testing for arrivals from 2 days to 3 days until 15 Jan, to be able to study the results and come to a decision

Pandaw Cruises will restart river cruises and Halong Bay cruises by Jul 2021

The TAT has said that the delay in the 1 million room nights through the We Travel Together scheme has slowed tourism sentiment, with tourists who planned to use the scheme for travel over the year-end unable to. TAT are unsure of the outlook for the holidays, as sentiment has also been impacted by the new cases in the north of Thailand. However, 3 million room nights have still been booked, and they are confident that 15 million trips will be reached in Nov and Dec, resulting in 100 million trips in 2020

The Public Health Ministry is looking at ways to cut the fees for COVID-19 tests at private hospitals. Mandarin will also be added as a language to the Thailand Plus application from Jan onwards

The TAT is organising a Living Art Festival from 17-19 Dec in Phuket

TAT, Thai Smile, Drive Digital and Tinder have launched ‘Single Journey’ tours for single travellers around Thailand. They are preparing 9 routes, and will organise 3 pilot tours. The first is on 20 Dec and is free for up to 100 Thai travellers with a cruise along the Chao Phraya River. The 2nd is on 9 Jan, with 50 seats and a beachside party in Phuket, whilst the 3rd is on 23 Jan, with a train tour to Lop Buri

Thailand is designing a new smart visa for digital freelancers – applicants must have an employment contract with a foreign firm for at least 6 months, as well as qualifications and professional experience. They would be permitted to stay in Thailand for up to 4 years without a work permit

Thai Smile is increasing the number of flights to Phuket in 2021. The Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) have also called for international flights to be reinstated to the island to serve increased demand. They have seen just 20 rooms being used for the Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) scheme, but have 2,554 available. An estimated 200,000 Thai tourists arrived into Phuket in Nov, keeping the local industry afloat, but more could come if airfares were cheaper

A Phuket restaurant, Pru, has been given Thailand’s first “Green Star” by Michelin for its eco-friendliness

The government has announced that all provinces are safe for tourists, and celebrations can go ahead

After unusual redemptions, the We Travel Together domestic tourism stimulus scheme has been halted. On 9 Dec, there were 225,922 room nights still left, whilst on 11 Dec, this had changed to zero

Chiang Rai officials assured Thais that the situation in the province was under control, and has seen no local infections since early Dec

Bangkok has reported PM2.5 levels above the safe levels in all but one district of the capital, with haze covering the city for most of the weekend

Thai protesters are taking a break after months of protests, and will return next year “with more intensity and bigger turnout”

Thonburi Healthcare Group are looking to partner with hotels to offer healthcare and wellness packages. The TAT is also planning to promote health and wellness tourism with 5 campaigns, including telemedicine services for overseas Thai and working with health insurance companies to include Thailand as a destination in their insurance packages

Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) have launched specialised training for DMCs to design health-compliant itineraries for the entry of quarantine-free overseas investors. MICE workers can be specially appointed as International Visitor Assistants (IVAs), who will accompany investors throughout the trips

Concerts and festivals for the New Year will be permitted, but organisers must strictly follow rules to stop the spread of COVID-19

Bus passengers from Bangkok are being reminded to check in using the Thai Chana app for contact tracing purposes over the 4-day long weekend. The Transport Company is expecting to serve 100,000 daily pax from Bangok’s 3 bus stations

According to a new public opinion survey, 68.9% of Thais want to be vaccinated

An economist has estimated that the second wave of COVID-19 will cost the tourism industry 14.1 to 16.9 billion THB over the New Year, as people are discouraged from travelling

The Pattaya authorities and the TAT have affirmed their commitment to promote tourism, as well as the ‘Neo Pattaya’ concept, which will see the city’s tourism infrastructure receiving an upgrade

The governor of Phuket has encouraged domestic airlines to increase their flights to the island, as there are only 60-70 daily

Thailand’s event marketing is expected to lose 5.6 billion THB in revenue in 2020

Hotels and resorts in Sangkhla Buri district were fully booked until the New Year, with 3,000 visitors entering the district daily over the 4-day long weekend, generating 10 million THB in business

The BMA Gold Line, a driverless mass transit line in Bangkok, will start operations on 15 Dec. The last section of the Green line will also be operational

The government has clarified that tourists will not have to undergo a 14-day quarantine upon returning from Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai, after companies stated that tourists would have to do so

The Interior Ministry wants to extend visa exemption for foreign tourists from 56 countries from 30 to 45 days, with the extension running until 30 Sep 2021. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration's (CCSA) have agreed that vias exemptions will be granted to 3 groups of countries: those 56 countries, an additional 6 countries which have bilateral agreements for stays of 30 days in Thailand (Hong Kong, Laos, Macau, Mongolia, Russia and Vietnam) and 4 countries which have bilateral agreements for 90-day stays. However, visa exemptions will not be granted to Myanmar and Cambodia. Visa on arrival will remain until 30 Dec

A poll by Bangkok University has shown that 54% of respondents have no plans to travel during the long weekends of Dec. For those who are, Chiang Mai is a popular destination (25%), followed by Chiang Rai (9%), Nan (6.6%), Phetchabun (6.4%) and Loei (5.1%). 61.4% of respondents had chosen not to register under the We Travel Together campaign

The government has said that there are no unaccounted COVID-19 cases in the 7 provinces where infected persons have travelled, with more than 6,000 people traced and tested

The Thai Hotels Association’s Upper Northern Chapter have called on the TAT to boost domestic tourism and reassure Thai travellers that there were no lockdown measures imposed on the provinces. Hotels have seen their occupancy rates drop to 50% already, from the 70-80% anticipate

The governor of Chiang Rai has led a clean up operation to disinfect tourist attractions and crowded areas such as shopping malls and the airport, to reassure travellers of the province’s safety

Thailand will help Mekong countries to obtain the vaccine once it receives a licence to manufacture it by mid-2021

Phuket officials have organised several events to attract tourists over the long weekend, as well as more sports events in 2021

The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts have signed a new resort in Krabi, the Pavilions Anana Krabi to join in Feb 2021

The TAT and the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) have signed an MoU to create star gazing domestic tourism packages for 7 routes: Chiang Mai, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, Songkhla (Hat Yai), Phatthalung, Sa Kaeo, Kanchanaburi, and Sukhothai

Golf quarantines will now be permitted as an alternative to local state quarantine options, with golfers permitted to enjoy golfing during the period. They can apply for either a Single-Entry Tourist Visa (TR) or a Special Tourist Visa (STV)

A YouGov survey has shown that 8/10 Thais are in debt, with 2/5 saying they have more debt now than pre-pandemic

Pattaya will spend 775 million THB in 2 development projects to boost tourism: Neo Koh Lan and Old Town Na Klua over the next 3 years

The TAT expects 3.11 million Thais to travel over the 4-day long weekend, spending more than 12.6 billion THB, with a boost to hotel occupancy of up to 40%

The Special Tourist Visa (STV) can now be applied from all countries, not just those at low-risk. Travellers must still undergo a 14-day quarantine

The Thai tourism stimulus packages led to an increase of air traffic of 56% between June and July 2020, in a case study presented at an IATA press conference

The Thai Federation Northern region wants to take legal action against the illegal returnees who spread COVID-19 in the country, for damaging tourism

The TAT Intelligence Centre’s most recent survey has shown that domestic tourist confidence is climbing, with confidence up to 89% from Sep’s 85.5%. Top destinations for Dec include Chiang Mai, Chonburi, Bangkok, Phetchabun and Krabi, whilst travel by private vehicle was preferred (56%). The top reason for travel was relaxation (72.5%)

Revenues in Phuket from tourism are likely to fall by 200 billion to 320 billion THB in 2020, the Phuket Tourism Association has said

Airbnb has launched a new domestic Thailand campaign, “Stay Thai, Your Style”, highlighting the diversity of Thailand and encouraging residents to explore. They are also promoting Airbnb Experiences

The Department of Airports has been ordered to accelerate its investments, in particular to increase runway lengths at Trang, Buriram and Khon Khaen

Only 825 tourists from 29 countries have entered Thailand on the Special Tourist Visa, and just 6 yachts, since it opened

The Tourism and Sports Ministry in partnership with the Public Health Ministry are preparing to launch a medical marijuana tour in SE Asia for 2021, and are identifying plantations which could be part of the tour. They aim to showcase all processes, including growing, regulations and how to earn from farming

Udon Thani TAT office is planning to promote tourism in the 3 Northeastern provinces during the cold season, called “More Cool Isaan”. They will also promote weekday trips by offering special packages and complementary meals to avoid overcrowding of tourist sites

State land in Phuket has now been allocated to the Ministry of Public Health to develop it into a health tourism centre

Chiang Rai will not cancel tourism-related events, despite an outbreak of cases

The Tourism Authority of Thailand's Chiang Mai Office estimate that the number of cancellations to the province are less than 10%. The Northern Thai Hotels Association have also said that hotel reservations are higher than 80%

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has warned hotel operators not to raise rates to take advantage of the government’s domestic subsidy, and if they are found to be doing so, they will be banned from future schemes

Chiang Mai’s hotel occupancy has dropped due to worry over the safety of the northern region. The Thai Hotels Association of Northern Upper region has recorded 1,700 hotel room nights cancelled, with groups such as local administrative organisations, cancelling more reservations. They had expected the hotel occupancy rate to increase, as in Nov it was 60-70%

All provinces must open emergency health centres as a precautionary measure in case of COVID-19 spreading following an outbreak in Chiang Rai

Thailand’s Health Ministry has reassured the public that the northern region of the country is still safe and under control. Chiang Rai is still open to tourists, but the numbers have been subdued

The President of Skål International Bangkok has said that the damage to Thailand’s tourism industry will cause “deep long lasting structural economic damage that is set to worsen rather than improve” and that the industry is being “left to fend for itself and potentially fail”

The Tourism Ministry has said that the government is looking at March/ April 2021 as the earliest start date for general tourism. However, Thailand will “continue with opening to businessmen, technical experts, high level workers and those in the medical field for now. 14 day quarantine will continue for now”. They revealed that the Chinese officials are suggesting waiting until mid-2021 to reopen

Phuket and Krabi are now being offered as destinations for the ‘Amazing Plus Thailand’ quarantine packages offer for international visitors

Pattaya businesses want the government to organise weekly events to attract domestic tourists, as during the fireworks festival and other events, hotels were nearly booked out. However, weekday hotel occupancy remains weak

Thailand has been voted the top destination in Asia and the 4th worldwide, according to German online travel agent Tourlane

The consumer confidence index rose to 52.4 in Nov, thanks to the economic stimulus measures from the government, an increase from 50.9 in Oct, and is now at the highest since Mar

A second phase of the co-payment scheme for 5 million people has been approved, giving 3,500 THB subsidies. It will run from 1 Jan-31 Mar. The 10 million people who have already registered will receive an additional 500 THB

A locally transmitted case in Chiang Rai was confirmed after coming into contact with 10 Thai women who crossed the border from Myanmar into Thailand illegally, skipping screening and 14-day quarantine. 3 more locally transmitted cases have been detected

The TAT has said that the resurgence of COVID-19 is likely to hamper international travel, and a survey by their offices has shown that tourists are unlikely to take overseas trips before next summer, and even China’s rebound may be slower than expected. They want to aim for 170 million domestic trips and 1.2 trillion THB in 2022, and that mid-2021 to mid-2022 could see 8 million international visitors

The government has approved changes to the domestic tourism stimulus, including: • Airline ticket rebates of 3,000 THB (up from 2,000 THB) for selected destinations (Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, Songkhla, Surat Thani, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai) • Daily vouchers of up to 900 THB (up from 600 THB) which can be used for entrance fees, F&B, massage or even car rentals • 15 nights of hotel bookings can be subsidised at a 40% rate, capped at 3,000 THB/ night • Civil servants get an additional 2 days leave if they use the campaign • Tourism packages sold via tour operators for those over 55 years old on working days to be subsidised at 5,000 THB per pax with a minimum package price of 12,500 THB • Extended until 30 April

Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit will cooperate with 5 partners to launch the “One Million Baht Club”, a privilege package, for guests who are looking for a semi-permanent stay in Bangkok

Tourism businesses in Chiang Rai have called on the governor to make assurances to the public that the area is safe to travel to after locally transmitted cases were detected there

Montara Hospitality Group have revealed their plans for a health and wellness residential community on Phuket, the Tri Vananda. Healthcare will include consultation, physiotherapy, cognitive health care and health diagnostics, as well as traditional medicine

Chiang Rai’s ‘Colours of Doi Tung’ festival will take place every weekend and public holiday in Dec and Jan

The Finance Ministry estimates it will take Thailand 4 years to recover to pre-pandemic levels

The TAT estimate that they need to accelerate spending per international pax of 30% to offset the only estimated 8 million tourist arrivals in 2021, saying “no mass tourism”. They also want to increase the amount of domestic spending to 5,000 THB per trip from 4,700 THB, with the hope of earning 700 billion THB in 2021. Thailand’s Jan-Oct domestic trips numbered 65 million, 15 million of which were in Oct

The TAT, Thai Airways, Thai Hotels Association and Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) are partnering to launch the “Amazing Thailand Plus” offer for foreigners who want to enter Thailand. It offers 400 packages, which include special fares for flights, their Alternative State Quarantine hotels and post-quarantine tours and transfers. The offers are for booking from Dec 202 until Mar 2021

The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) is concerned that a second wave of cases would hamper domestic tourism recovery, and that containing any spread is a priority for the government

Private sector representatives in Chiang Mai have offered tourists to the region payouts of 100,000 THB for each COVID-19 infection and 1 million THB for each COVID-related death, to encourage confidence to travel

Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (TICA) are raising the idea of creating a multi-country alliance in the events industry, under a branding theme “Asia Convention for Asia”. They propose the other members should be China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan

Siteminder have said that Thailand’s recent 4-day long weekends are having a positive impact on domestic hotel bookings. Since 14 Oct, hotel reservation volumes have improved by 77%, with Phuket’s hotel booking momentum the strongest seen in 8 months

The Thai PM won a legal challenge which could have seen him forced from his post after a court found him not guilty of a conflict of interest by living in an army residence after leaving the military

The Thai Hotels Association has given the government a 9-point list of measures it wants support with, including: removing the 14-day quarantine from low-risk countries, reducing the quarantine period from 14 to 10 days, allow guests staying at ASQ hotels to roam the resorts fee instead of confining them to their rooms, increase the number of government seminars and events, extend the “We Travel Together subsidy”, offer 1,000 THB travel vouchers to expats, reduce bills for hotels, reduce construction and property tax for hotels and extend the 2% reduction in Social Security contributions for a year

The Business Traveller has named Bangkok the top leisure city in APAC

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Locanation have launched a new website, ‘ASQ Paradise’, which will provide international visitors with information about standards for quarantine and reservations for the ASQ hotels

A superyacht was now been cleared to arrive into Thailand, with the crew undergoing quarantine on board

The Thai-Chinese Chamber of Commerce has proposed a Guangzhou – Phuket tourism route to the government, in addition to 19 other Chinese cities which have had no reports of COVID-19

Pattaya have said that their fireworks festival attracted 100,000-200,000 visitors a day, generating more than 400 million THB in revenue

The government plans to increase the price of its Thailand Privilege Card “Easy Access” tier, which allows 5-year residency, by 20%

Thai AirAsia forecasts it will earn only 40% of last year’s revenue in 2020, and will end the year with 9.3 million pax, down from 22.2 million in 2019. They are aiming to fill 3.94 million seats in Dec, as demand is high

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) is calling for the government to reopen to mass tourism, suggesting that they should choose ‘low-risk’ countries including China (22 provinces only), Vietnam, Laos, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, Dubai and Macau

5 key leaders of the Thai protest movement have been charged under the royal defamation laws

The Dhara Dhevi hotel in Chiang Mai is closing operations

Phase of the co-pay scheme will open on 2 Jan 2021 after good feedback and 28 billion transactions taking place

Security officials expect the anti-government protests to carry on into December

The extension of the emergency decree has been officially extended until 15 Jan 2021

3 international yachts arrived into Por Bay, Phuket, and have begun their quarantine process. Less than 10 yachts in total have asked for permission to dock in Phuket

The head of TAT Pattaya’s office believes that high season, from Nov-Apr, still provides opportunities for the local tourism trade to earn revenue, thanks to the many events organised

Pattaya’s spa and massage industry has seen employment drop by 96% due to the lack of tourists

28 Nov: The Tourism Council of Thailand have said Thailand will finish 2020 with tourism revenue of 900 billion THB, two-thirds of which was generated in Q1, and the rest from domestic tourism. They also believe that the We Travel Together campaign has not achieved its aim, as domestic tourism has historically accounted for 30% of Thailand’s tourism revenue, and this year it will fall around 33%. They urged government organisations to integrate and communicate better, and the National Tourism Policy Commission should play a larger role

The Tourism Council of Thailand have said that the Thai government does not have a strategy to open up the country, and that the STV is irrelevant. They believe that the Thai government overreacted to isolated local cases of COVID-19, and does not see the country opening up to mass tourists until summer 2021

The Thai PM has stated that until a vaccine is approved, produced and implemented, the country will not open to substantial tourism

More hotels are being encouraged to sign up as an Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ), and a new collaboration with Agoda has seen 37 ASQ and ALSQ hotels sign up for the scheme in the first phase

A Thai-Singapore travel bubble could boost the Thai economy, according to the US-ASEAN Business council

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has said that “normal” tourism revenue, 80% of pre-pandemic (2.5 trillion THB), may only return in 2022. 2021 remains opaque, as there are many unpredictable factors. They said that after a meeting with the Chinese embassy, it seems unlikely that Chinese tourists will travel en masse to Thailand unless there is a track record of vaccines. Thailand may see a moderate number of international tourists in Q2 or Q3 2021 from long-haul markets. They expect that the redemption of its We Travel Together campaign will be full used by the end of this year

Thai protestors called for an end to coups in Thailand

TAT are organising a “Village Tourism Festival” in Bangkok from 27-29 Nov to promote community-based tourism

Thailand expects 1,200 international visitors in Nov and Dec, with tourists expected to spend between $6,600-13,200 USD

A clouded leopard was spotted near the Thai-Cambodia border in Isaan, for the first time in 20 years

Pattaya’s beachfront hotels are booked up for the Pattaya fireworks festival on 27-28 Nov, with hotels away from the beach seeing 80% occupancy levels

Khao Lak is becoming more popular as a destination for Thai travellers, with 2,283 keys being planned for opening in 2022-2023

The Thai PM has said that martial law will not be used against protesters

October saw 1,201 foreign tourists, with 471 arriving from China, 231 Cambodia, 178 from the Middle East and 116 from Europe. All travelled under the STV program. Its Jan-Oct international pax numbers have dropped 79.5% YoY to 6.69 million. Thailand’s state planning agency now predicts 6.7 million tourists for 2020, and 5 million in 2021

Thailand’s GDP for 2020 is forecast to contract by 6.4%, an improvement from earlier forecasts of a 10.3% decline according to Krungsri Research

A Booking.com survey has shown that Thai travellers: • Have the strongest intent to take trips to destinations accessible by cars (73%) • Look for free cancellation policies (85%) • Look for off-the-beaten track journeys (80%) • Want to make responsible travel choices which will support local recovery efforts (84%) • Look at potential travel destinations as often as once a week (68%)

The Pattaya tourism industry is hoping that the new Single Entry Tourist Visa (SETV) will boost arrivals to the country, despite requiring a 14-day quarantine. Some hotel owners have said that their regular customers have already applied for the visa, and although are not keen on the idea of a quarantine, are willing to go through it to enter the country

Thailand’s leading virologist has said that it could be a challenge to get 60% of the Thai population vaccinated next year

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) is urging the government to look at travel bubbles with other countries such as Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea and Taiwan, with Singapore being rated as having the highest potential. They will also propose other measures to assist hotels, including wage subsidies and establishing a hotel fund where operators can buy back properties

Expedia Thailand’s new 2021 Travel Trends Report has seen: • Thai travellers falling into either a short-haul destination traveller, or an island escapist • Top 10 trending destinations for 2020 include: Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hua Hin, Rayong, Chonburi, Khao Yai, Chiang Rai and Songkla • Flexibility will be most important for Thai travellers • The average booking window for a flight is now 14 days prior, the shortest booking window in years

The Phuket Tourism Association has launched packages aimed at attracting 14,000 foreign diplomats and international organisations’ staff to visit Phuket

Agoda have said that the best pockets of recovery they have seen are in Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam

A new app, Thailand Plus, has been developed for tracing foreign tourists in Thailand. It will have similar functionality to the Mor Chana app, the Thai contact tracing app

The TAT Phuket Office has announced that 53,970 tourists visited Phuket over the long weekend 19-22 Nov, generating 300 million THB in revenue. Checks with hotels showed an occupancy was around 35%, with most guests staying at least 2 nights. They also said that hotel bookings in Phuket had been increasing

Chiang Mai’s Royal Park Rajapreuk saw 1,500 tourists per day visiting over the 4-day long weekend

Thailand is no longer the top destination for Chinese outbound travellers, as Japan and South Korea have moved up the preference list instead

Thailand seems to have changed its requirement of 500,000 THB in savings for those who are applying for the Special Tourist Visa (STV), with embassies around the world either not mentioning a specific amount, or an amount which is much lower

The Thai hotel industry has called for debt relief, tax changes, wage subsidies and reopening the borders to support them

The TAT have announced that 681 tourists have applied for and received the STV in Nov

Chiang Mai’s tourism is improving due to the cooler weather, with hotels reporting 40% occupancy in Nov compared to 15% in Oct. Chiang Mai International Airport is seeing 22,000 pax/ day on average, and they estimate that on long weekends it could reach 25,000. Before, it would receive 40,000/ day

5.29 million Thai people set out on trips on 18 Nov according to the Ministry of Transport

Villagers on Phuket have now modified their motorbikes with sidecars to allow tourists to stop at Mai Khao Beach, where tourists can watch planes landing, as part of a community tourism project

3 million Thais are expected to travel domestically for the 19-22 Nov holiday weekend, generating 12.6 billion THB in revenue. The TAT predict a hotel occupancy of only 37%, citing the fact that hotel bookings in Krabi have been cancelled after one lone case of COVID was detected and that another long weekend was approaching

The TAT is confident that the number of domestic tourists over the next 2 months will bring the total domestic tourists to 70 million in 2020, and that the recent local cases will not put tourists off. Jan-Sep domestic trips were 52.7 million, down 54.1%, whilst average spending dropped 14.4% per trip. Oct’s hotel occupancy rates were 34.4%. The TAT also plan to introduce the “Best Selfie in Thailand” competition with an airline-blogger partnership from mid-Dec, and will also launch a campaign focusing on caravans for cross-regional trips

Taxis in Bangkok travelling to and from the airports will be able to charge a special fee for luggage

Nakhon Si Thammarat could see 800 million THB in tourism spend over the long weekend as tourists come to pay respects to a popular child spirit, Ai Khai, at Wat Chedi. Local hotel occupancy has been around 80%

Work permits will be granted to holders of the Thai Elite Card who plan to invest at least $1 million USD in Thailand over 5 years. A plan for the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to partner with local hotels and Thai Airways to offer tourism packages plus hotel stays was also approved, which will be offered from 1 Dec – 31 Mar targeting 2,000 visitors and revenue of 200 million THB/ month

Embassies seem to have removed the requirement of 500,000 THB in savings for the 60-day tourist visa

Minor International have said that they have lost more than 2 billion THB in Thailand from Jan-Sep, whilst the Erawan group have said that hotel occupancy has been at 20% for more than 5 months

Thailand will hold the BWF Para Badminton World Championships in 2023

The 3rd round of registration for the government’s co-payment stimulus program saw 700,000 people claiming their spot within an hour. As of 19 Nov, it had generated 18.79 billion THB in revenues

The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has approved in principle the reduction of quarantine from 14 to 10 days

Diethelm Travel has released all non-core staff indefinitely from Jan 2021, to allow staff to find other opportunities. The company said that the STV was “completely useless”

The Thai PM has said that all laws would be used against protestors, after paint was thrown at the Thai police HQ in response to the police use of water cannon and tear gas on the 17 Nov protest

The TAT, hotels and airlines have created an “Expat Travel Bonus” with a discount of 1,000 THB per night at over 300 participating hotels, and up to 50% off airfares

Academics have called for the government to speed up aid for the tourism industry with customised aid packages

Pattaya has reported that 300,000 foreign and local residents have left the town

The TAT and ICONSIAM are organising a big ‘Amazing Thailand Countdown 2021’ event on 31 Dec, which will take place in Krabi, Sukhothai, RoiEt, Ratchaburi and Phetchabun, as well as at several attractions in Bangkok. It will culminate in eco-friendly fireworks, made of Thai sticky rice

The State Railway of Thailand has launched an online ticketing service called D-Ticket

The Tourism & Sports Minister again called for a travel bubble with China, saying that he believes Thailand is prepared to handle COVID-19 cases and that the economic benefit outweighs the risk

The Thai government’s COVID-19 task force has approve the extension of the state of emergency until 15 Jan

Embassies have been reporting an interest in the 60-day single entry tourist visa, with the Association of British Travel Agents stating that they had at least 4,000 customers who have shown interest so far, with a take-up rate of 50% at least

The TAT has redesigned its Thailand Muslim Friend app, adding 110 new restaurants, 70 new mosques and 75 new hotels

The PATA Thailand chapter is calling for a new, strong leader for the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) in the upcoming elections

At least 18 people were hurt in protests in Bangkok, as police fired tear gas and water cannons at protestors

The Thai economy shrunk by 6.4% in Q3 YoY, with full-year contraction forecast at 6%, an improvement vs the -7.5% original prediction

The Southeast Asia Hotel Investors’ Summit will take place in Bangkok on 1-2 Dec in a physical event

The TAT are calling to improve the domestic tourism stimulus program, extending it from 10 nights’ subsidy to 15, and that the 40% discount on flights be applied at the point of sale, rather than having to be claimed back

The Kasikorn Research Center projects that 77.3% of Thai tourists will make domestic trips in Q4, whilst the TAT’s social listening report for 1-10 Nov has found that Chiang Mai and Phuket are the most mentioned destinations on social media

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) believe that 2 million tourism workers could be unemployed if foreign tourists do not return in high numbers to Thailand. They stated that 150,000 workers in tour businesses have already been laid off, but just 10% of those is permanent so far

Phuket has submitted a proposal to allow it to open to foreign yachts, with detailed plans. Por Bay would be the sole gateway for vessels and would moor in an area 6.2km from the shore during their 14-day quarantine. 60 leisure boats have shown interest in docking, including 27 super yachts and 33 cruise boats with 600-700 people each, which could generate 2.1 billion THB for the economy

The Tourism and Sports Ministry held a brainstorming session with hoteliers to get updates from the tourism industry as well as plan recovery solutions for a 2-year revival plan, “Thailand Tourism Year”, or as the TAT has dubbed it, the “Phoenix Initative”. The Thai Transportation Operations Association has also called for the government to speed up its process to allow tour operators to take part in the domestic stimulus program, as fixed costs mean that they do not have sufficient income, and only 3-5% of tour bus operators can access soft loans

The TAT is looking for more niche markets for Thai tourists, after seeing the success of the Thai Airways’ spiritual-themed flight, including pilgrimage tours around the country for singles who want to pray for marriage. They are also looking to pilot river cruises for single tourists with recreational activities to Ayutthaya in the build up to Valentine’s Day. They are also looking at wellness, and have confirmed their Amazing Thailand Marathon for Mar, and stargazing tours during the cool season to Khao Yai and Chiang Mai

There are now at least 10 hotels up for sale in Ao Nang, Krabi, including 3-5* hotels. A report by Sanook News estimates that just 10% of businesses are open still

Thai protestors climbed the Democracy Monument in Thailand and hung up a giant banner with anti-government slogans written on it. Several thousand attended the demonstrations on Saturday

The Deputy PM has said that the 10-day quarantine proposal is being prepared for submission to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) next week, but should only be implemented for those from low-risk countries

Just 331 foreigners used the Special Tourist Visa in Oct, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) have revealed, whilst 501 foreigners arrived on retirement visas, and 296 on the Thai Elite Card. They have said that 1,000 travellers have requested to visit Thailand via various visas, especially from Scandinavia. 900 Thai Elite Card holders have also applied to be let in. The TAT are advocating for making entry requirements more lenient, in particular the “fit to fly” certificate

Singha Park is partnering with the TAT and Chiang Rai Province to organise 4 events to help domestic tourism, including a Farm Festival, Northern Lights Countdown Festival, Village of Illumination Festival and the Singha Park Chiangrai Valentine’s Balloon Fiesta 2021

Investments into Thai sovereign debt have increased to the highest in 17 months in Nov, after positive news about the Pfizer vaccine

Bangkok Airways will open 3 new routes: Bangkok – Mae Sot, Bangkok – Hat Yai and Bangkok – Khon Kaen

235 people have been placed under quarantine after having contact with a Korean soldier who tested positive for COVID-19 on his return home

The Thai economy has passed its lowest point and is expected to contract less than expected, the National Economic and Social Development Council have said

TravelRevive, a conference held by ITB Asia and Singapore Tourism Board, will be a hybrid event held on 25-26 Nov at Marina Bay Sands

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has asked the government to strike a travel bubble agreement with China, which would be managed via tour companies to effectively manage the tourists whilst in destination. They estimate this could generate 300,000 travellers per month and 15 billion THB revenue

The Tourism Ministry is due to hold talks with the Chinese Embassy in Nov to find a way to allow Thai and Chinese tourists to visit one another’s country. They remain hopeful that this could take place by Feb next year. South Korea will also allow its golfers to travel to Thailand, so long as they follow quarantine procedures. The Tourism Ministry also plans to hold talks with Japan, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand

The Tourism Minister has warned of a slowdown in local demand with a struggling economy if a plan to reopen to tourists in 2021 isn’t put into place. Demand from locals is at just 40% of 2019 levels, despite an increase. "We have a precarious year for domestic tourism waiting for us in 2021, with the number of trips and receipts possibly going down to 15% of 2019." He also said that “big things” shouldn’t be expected from the STV, but that it can help to prepare locals for international arrivals. He noted that 50% of tourism-related businesses will “permanently close if they cannot receive any effective measures from the government until the middle of next year”

The first e-ferry was officially launched in Phuket. They will eventually run 10 routes

TripAdvisor has now put a special notice on the Koh Chang Sea View’s page: “This hotel or individuals associated with this hotel filed criminal charges against a Tripadvisor user in relation to the traveler writing and posting online reviews. The reviewer spent time in jail as a result.”

Thai Immigration have reported that they have had 10 yachts apply to dock in Thailand, mostly from Malaysia and Singapore. The majority are planning to dock in Pattaya

The Deputy PM has said that the mandatory quarantine period will remain at 14 days for now

Thailand has relaxed its tourist visa requirements, allowing visitors in for 60 days from medium-risk countries, including from Europe. Visitors will need to apply in advance, have at least 500,000 THB in savings, health insurance coverage of $100,000 USD, outpatient insurance of 40,000 THB, take a COVID-19 test 72 hours prior to arrival and carry out a 14-day quarantine on arrival

The PM welcomed the idea of a golf quarantine, although has said that it will still need approval from the CCSA

Road toll fees will be waived over the long weekend holidays from 19-22 Nov and 10-13 Dec

Yaowarat Road in Chinatown, Bangkok, will get a makeover in Jan, with more orderly and environmentally friendly food vendor stands

The TAT have won the ‘Most Proactive Tourist Board Initiative’ in the Elegant Resorts Awards 2020, particularly due to the strong B2C and B2B campaigns it has run in the UK

All STV arrivals so far have been COVID-19 free according to the Health Ministry

The 10th Thailand Tourism Forum (TTF) 2021 will take place as a physical event in Bangkok on 18 Jan

The Thai army chief has ruled out the possibility of a military coup to end the protests

A new wellness hospital and resort development, Natai Medical Center and Resort, is being planned in Phangnga, projected to cost 3.5 billion THB in total

As of 8 Nov, the We Travel Together campaign had 2,275,361 accommodation bookings and 1,828,842 air tickets redeemed. There will also be extra public holidays on 19 and 20 Nov, creating a 4-day long weekend, and 10-13 Dec will also be a 4-day long weekend

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is launching a video campaign, Trailblazer Thailand, to showcase Thailand’s lesser-known destinations, especially luxury experiences and community-based tourism

The PM is urging his advisory team to finish a proposal to rebuild Phuket’s tourism industry. Phuket once employed 170,000-180,000 tourism workers, but now supports just 80,000. He also instructed the Labour Ministry to consider giving 7,500 THB/ month to tourism workers for 12 months to help keep their employees nationwide. The Phuket Tourism Association forecasts that Phuket may lose 200-320 billion THB in tourism revenue in 2021. From Jan-Oct, it had 150 billion THB in revenue, a drop of 80% YoY

A new 90% accurate COVID-19 test kit has been unveiled by the Department of Medical Sciences, which will cost just over 100 THB per kit, compared to imported 300-500 THB kits

One new local case has been detected in Krabi whose origin cannot be traced

The Thai Hotels Association has said that 70-80% of 14,000 registered hotels have reopened, but many are not back to full operations. Nearly all hotel operators are not at a break-even point, and are unable to repay debts or interest due. The President of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has said that 90% of inbound operators of 10,000 companies are still closed – if inbound tourism is not reopened by Q1 2021, they expect 50% to close permanently

The former president of the Thailand Hotels Association is asking the government to think about travel bubbles to reboot tourism

Thai religious tourism has fallen in 2020, with 43.9% of respondents in a survey saying that they travelled less often to religious venues vs 2019. The survey estimated that the annual revenue for religious tourism was around 10.8 billion THB/ year

Police have admitted that teargas was used on protestors during their 16 Oct demonstration

Protestors demonstrated in Bangkok again on 8 Nov, this time carrying letters for the king. The protestors have been warned not to hold public gatherings within 150m of the Grand Palace

Half of the 800 Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA) members are temporarily closed, and those which are open have switched focus to domestic travel to survive

The Frenchwoman who tested positive for COVID-19 in Koh Samui likely contracted the virus from hotel food trays, as she had similar strains to those in neighbouring rooms at her quarantine hotel

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) are developing 3 scenic routes for tourism in southern, central and northeast Thailand, including the “Thailand Riviera” route. They aim to create these networks of routes to improve Thailand’s tourism competitiveness, with completion of some of the routes expected by 2023

Thailand is hoping to have a travel bubble with China as a “New Year’s gift” to the Thai tourism industry, hoping to welcome Chinese tourists with no mandatory quarantine by Chinese New Year

The TAT are holding the “Expat Festive Deal 2020” travel fair in Bangkok from 20-22 Nov

The proposal for quarantine to be shortened from 14 to 10 days has now been submitted to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration for approval

The Thai PM has said that he would happy to have a better person replace him as PM of Thailand

Pattaya businesses are calling for Chinese and Russian tourists to be able to fly unto U-Tapao airport and quarantine in Pattaya city under the “Pattaya Model”

The Tourism Minister has said that they will introduce a golf quarantine to attract golfers from Japan, Taiwan, China and South Korea, hoping to get 20-30 golfing resorts to join the Alternative Local State Quarantine (ALSQ) scheme

The Thai government has approved the expansion and extension of loan plans for SMEs, raising the credit limit to 100 million THB from 20 million THB. Qualification requirements will also be eased, to make it easier for tourism SMEs to access funding

The inaugural “Glow Fest Krabi” festival will take place on 14 Nov at Dusit Thani Krabi Beach Resort

The first batch of Chinese tourists under the STV have now completed their quarantine and will now tour the country

Pattaya is planning 5 events aimed at domestic tourism in Nov

The Tourism Ministry is targeting 10 million domestic trips per month during high season – it reached 8.5 million in Sep

The TTAA welcomes the new expansion of credit for tourism businesses, but has warned that they must still be flexible in the reference regulations such as requiring collateral, as that would limit the number of operators who could avail of the scheme

The Phuket Tourism Association has said that COVID-19 has cut 200-300 million THB from the local economy, as from Jan-Oct it earned only 150 billion THB

Maya Bay may reopen to tourists next year, but experts still need to be consulted on its impact to the environment. A maximum of 350 people would be allowed to visit daily

The Thai cabinet will consider rescue packages for southern Thai businesses heavily impacted, including soft loans for airlines and tourism companies. The Labour Minister also said they would seek a 1.5 billion THB fund to hire unemployed people in the Andaman coastal provinces. The Phuket government proposed that the We Travel Together domestic stimulus package should be extended until 31 Dec 2021, and weekend flights from Bangkok should be increased

The Thai PM has stressed that Phuket and Koh Samui’s tourism economy should be rebuilt. 2 international airlines, Emirates and Qatar Airways, both officially landed in Phuket, carrying STV tourists, although the number and nationality were not revealed. They are scheduled to operate on a semi-commercial basis twice a week

The Transport Minister has said that Phuket is 100% ready to welcome STV tourists

Thai Airways will fly a special flight on 30 Nov for Buddhist passengers who want to chant mantras over 99 sacred sites, part of their new “Magical Flying Experience” campaign

More new hotels have opened or are set to open in Thailand, including the Banyan Tree Krabi, The Gems Mining Pool Villas Pattaya and the Yoo Beach Club and the Yoo2 Hotel in Pattaya

The TAT is hopeful that the first group of Scandinavians will arrive into Thailand this year, signalling a revival for the European market. Their 2021 goal will be to increase the trip duration, rather than volume. It will also launch the Amazing Thailand Plus Package, a one-stop website for tourists interested in entering the country on the STV, which is expected to start mid-Nov

20-30% of Hua Hin’s tourism businesses have not yet reopened. Hua Hin is looking to promote itself as not only a weekend destination, but offer community-based tourism as an add-on to MICE

Foreigners who test positive for COVID-19 would not be taken to Thai public hospitals, a doctor has made clear – instead they would go to a partner hospital in the private sector

Wiang Kum Kan archaeological site in Chiang Mai will host new activities twice a month, with a campaign that offers information and incentives to travel through the area

Marriott International has signed a contract to add 4 new properties in Thailand, including Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Thailand's first JW Marriott Marquis hotel in Bangkok and two Autograph Collection hotels

The Bank of Thailand have revealed that the economy improved in Q3, with long holidays and government spending

The PM will visit Phuket to meet with tourism operators, as well as hold a Cabinet retreat

Thai health authorities are guaranteeing the safety of shortening the quarantine period from 14 to 10 days for those coming from countries of low transmission

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) has said that many hotels are reluctant to apply for Alternative Local State Quarantine (ALSQ) status due to uncertainty, different provincial health regulations and inbound tourists only allowed to fly directly to destinations. Those hotels which are ALQ have seen minimal profit as there are extra costs involved such as mandatory tests

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) predicts that a target of 250 billion THB from domestic tourism could be reached, and if the political situation stablished, potentially further revenue as people who would usually travel at the year-end may travel domestically instead. Pattaya, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai are all top of the list for Bangkok holidaymakers

A study has put Phuket at the top of its list of cheapest travel destinations, with a 1-night hotel stay less than $30 USD. It was also 5th in a list of the top destinations which have had the largest price drops between 2020 and 2019 – Bangkok was 4th

Bangkok Airways has launched the Bangkok Airways Elite Card, which allows members unlimited travel on domestic flights in 2021 for 100,000 THB

Thailand will develop a “Smart Band”, which will be used to track inbound tourists. It would track their location, body temperature, blood pressure and heart rate. It would initially be trialled on a group of incoming tourists on 1 Nov

Tests have shown that a Frenchwoman who contracted COVID-19 in Koh Samui did not become infected at the quarantine facility

Bangkok World, a new retail and entertainment project, will delay its opening to 2022 due to the pandemic

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has said that all inbound tourist sin the first phase of reopening must stay in alternative state quarantines (ASQ) in Bangkok, as direct flights to other provinces have been delayed and Bangkok has the “best equipped” public health system. Tourists will be allowed to stay in alternative local state quarantines (ALSQ) in provincial areas if there is enough demand in the 2nd phase of reopening

The Loy Krathong festival is forecast to generate only 9.4 billion THB, the lowest revenue for 9 years. A survey showed that 36.3% said they would not join the festival due to the economy, political demonstrations and COVID-19

The TAT will allow unlicensed hotels which have taxpayer identification to be part of the We Travel Together domestic stimulus, as only 1.9 million out of 5 million room nights have been booked, and 100,000 air tickets out of 2 million. The TAT is also talking to OTAs such as Agoda, Traveloka and Ascend Travel to sell tour packages on their sites without charging tour operators a commission fee. They would also be able to buy air tickets with instant discounts

Japan will lift its entry ban on travellers from China, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, Brunei, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam from 1 Nov, but will continue to suspend its visa waiver agreements, meaning that tourists would still not be allowed to travel. Japan has also lowered its travel advisories from Level 2 (advises against all travel) to Level 3 (advises against nonessential travel)

Foreign tourists and crew on foreign yachts will be permitted to apply for the Special Tourist Visa scheme once they arrive at immigration checkpoints

Koh Phangan was voted the third best island in Asia by the readers’ choice awards from the Conde Nast Traveler

The cabinet has approved a 66.68 million THB project by the Tourism and Sports Ministry to organise training for 12,000 tourism workers, a 19.12 million THB project to upgrade sand dunes in Chumphon to become an ecotourism destination and a 4 million THB project to upgrade the service quality of tourism entrepreneurs in Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon and Ranong

Pattaya wants to introduce its own “Pattaya model” of the Special Tourist Visa (STV) to attract Russian and Chinese tourists. The Mayor is planning a private-government committee to plan the model, and would look at targeting tourists from low-risk cities, as well as opening up U-Tapao airport to welcome direct international flights

Thailand may focus on building up its tourism arrivals from China, with the TAT forecasting a rebound of 7.45 million in 2021, assuming travel restrictions are relaxed. They anticipate a high period could be July, after the Chinese school holidays start, and international travel may be permitted by then. They will also focus more on millennials, as they believe that this group will be the first to take outbound trips as they are less concerned about health risks

Thailand and China have signed a 50.63 billion THB contract to begin construction of a high-speed railway between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima

The emergency decree has been extended until 30 Nov

The Thai PM has said that he will not resign, but will form a working group to discuss solutions with the demonstrators

Phuket will ask the government for 2.9 billion THB to build a health tourism centre

Ratchaphruek Hospital has been awarded the Global Healthcare Accreditation's Certification of Conformance with COVID-19 Guidelines for Medical Travel Programs

145 tourists arrived into Bangkok from Guangzhou under the Special Tourist Visa (STV) scheme

20,000-30,000 pax visited Trat over the long weekend, with an estimated hundreds of millions of THB generated, with hotels and resorts seeing 90% bookings

Thailand is creating a list of low-risk countries, which will be used to consider reducing quarantine periods

The Six Senses Ko Yao Noi and the Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism in Thailand (PHIST) both won awards in the HICAP 2020 Sustainable Hotel Awards

5,526 tourists climbed Doi Inthanon, Thailand’s highest mountain, on Saturday of the long weekend

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has called for all government agencies to work closely with one another to avoid misunderstandings

Thailand’s pro-democracy protests called for the resignation of the PM by 10pm on 24 Oct, but after calls went unmet, are calling for a new protest outside the German Embassy in Bangkok on 26 Oct

Pattaya saw a good number of visitors on the first of 2 consecutive long weekends, with hotel bookings hitting the 50% levels this weekend

Despite China banning outbound tours for the foreseeable future, officials maintain that Chinese arrivals under the Special Tourist Visa (STV) are permitted

Thailand has been added to the EU’s list of epidemiologically safe third countries, whose residents should be allowed to enter for non-essential purposes like tourism. Member States are encouraged to gradually lift external borders for Thailand’s residents

A French woman on Koh Samui has tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving on 30 Sep, and undergoing a 14-day quarantine, where she tested negative. Authorities say that this could be a locally transmitted case

The TAT has clarified that the medical insurance required for visiting Thailand can be obtained online before arrival

Bangkok Airways are resuming more local routes, including Samui-Phuket, Phuket-Hat Yai and Phuket-Pattaya/Rayong (U-Tapao)

Tourism business closures have doubled because of COVID-19, an auditing firm has estimated

The government has clarified that tourists entering under the STV are allowed to choose the location of their quarantine hotels, whether in Bangkok or in the provinces, after a report that tourists who wanted to choose a hotel in Pattaya were blocked. The TAT have said that 13 Hong Kong tourists have been approved under the STV, and that 13 tourists from Shenzhen, two from Singapore, 118 from Shanghai and 147 from Guangzhou have submitted requests to the TAT. If there is sufficient demand, semi-commercial flights may be allowed to bring the tourists in

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has agreed to 2 quarantine packages for tourists: wellness quarantines at medical spas and wellness resorts, and a long-term care package for elderly travellers. The two models for wellness quarantines would come into effect after a 14-day quarantine, and include a 7-10 day health program package, with 40 different venues considered, and a one-month package for older travellers including physical therapy, yoga and basic exercise. An additional package related to golfing is also being considered

No international tourism arrivals were announced for Sep in Thailand

Severe flooding in Cambodia has resulted in 36 deaths, affecting 312,224 people

The number of international arrivals from Jan-Sep has dropped 77.3% YoY, and revenue dropped 77% YoY. Overall tourism receipts are down 70.6% YoY, whilst domestic tourism trips dropped 54.7% YoY to 52.7 million trips. Sep’s domestic trip numbers were the highest since the outbreak, at 8.58 million, but are still down 35% YoY. The tourism minister expects that the number of domestic trips will reach 9-10 million in high season due to the extended stimulus and better weather. Overall hotel occupancy in Sep remained at 27.9% and domestic air flight volume was 16,229 in Sep

The first group of Chinese tourists under the STV were COVID-free, the government announced

Bangkok’s “severe” state of emergency has now been lifted

The Ministry of Public Health hopes to reduce quarantine from 14 to 10 days

Overseas yachts can now dock in Thailand, but tourists and crew members will need to quarantine for 14 days on board the yacht and be tested for COVID-19 3 times prior to entry. Officials estimate there are around 60 yachts with 600-650 crew and tourists who want to dock in Thailand, which could generate 2.1 million THB

Khao San Road is holding a fair from 30-31 Oct, to showcase the new look and promote “Modern Thainess”

The Bank of Thailand has estimated that tourism-related income in 2020 has fallen by 1.6 trillion THB, equivalent to 10% of GDP. They predict that GDP will return to pre-pandemic levels in Q3 2022

The extension of the nationwide state of emergency until 30 Nov has been approved by the CCSA, and is waiting approval by the cabinet next week

Applications for the Thai Elite Visa are doubling every month, according to Thailand Privilege Card, with 11,500 applications now received

The TAT said that the We Travel Together domestic stimulus scheme has generated 1.6 million room nights and 4.7 billion THB. They are planning to provide an easier way to redeem bookings of 3.4 million available rooms by 31 Jan, and have met global hotel operators to discuss plans

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) will offer expats a 1,000 THB discount on 5,000 room nights under the Expat Travel Bonus scheme. It is also calling for the government to move its domestic stimulus program onto e-commerce platforms such as Lazada or Shopee

An island between Phi Phi and Krabi mainland has had a large part collapse into the sea, damaging the coral

39 Chinese visitors arrived into Thailand under the STV on 20 Oct, and will now undergo a 14-day quarantine

The TAT has rolled out its 2021 Tourism Plan which will target healthy tourists. They will highlight natural beauty, cultural sites and authentic Thai food. They expect Thai people to make 120 million domestic trips and spend 800 billion THB. For inbound tourism, they expect 20 million visitors, generating 1.5 trillion THB

The government will allocate as much as 4 billion THB to develop Phuket’s medical tourism industry into a world-class hub

The Bank of Thailand has approved the extension of its 500 billion THB soft loan scheme by 6 months, as well as allowing companies listed on the Market for Alternative Investment to apply, something which affected SMEs

The appointments for interviews for the STV at the Shanghai consulate for Thailand are fully booked into Nov, and Chinese travellers are facing difficulties obtaining flights

100 tourists from Guangzhou are expected to arrive on 26 Oct from Guangzhou into Bangkok

The Tourism Council of Thailand are urging the government to engage with protestors without triggering a coup, as that would worsen the economy and affect the country's image on the global stage.” A prolonged dispute could hurt tourism. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has said that “it is too early to assess the impact on tourism as mass gatherings have occurred recently and there has been no violence.”

Tour operators in Samui are urging the government to help make flights and ferries cheaper for tourists to the island

An additional 3 local transmitted cases in Mae Sot have been detected, the family members of the Myanmar nationals who tested positive on 17 Oct

Thousands of protestors gathered in Bangkok on 17 Oct after a police crackdown on 16 Oct, where police advanced into crowds with shields and batons. It was the 4th consecutive day of mass protests

Thailand is in talks with China to establish quarantine-free travel by Jan, subject to the limited reopening in 2020 being a success. Instead, tourists would need to be tested and have a mobile tracking app installed. The Tourism Minister believes that if an agreement with China is struck, further agreements could be made with Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, and expect arrivals of 5-10 million in 2021

38 flights at Chiang Mai International Airport will be rescheduled or cancelled to avoid accidents with sky lanterns during the Yi Peng Festival

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has been advised to cut quarantine down to 10 days from 14, and a decision is expected at the end of the month

The Bank of Thailand extended its debt moratorium until 30 Jun 2021 fir SMEs with credit lines below 100 million THB

The first group of 120 STV tourists is expected to arrive on 20 Oct at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport from Guangzhou. The second group of 120 people, also from Guangzhou, is expected into Phuket on 26 Oct. They will stay in Thailand for 30 days, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will provide them with activities to do during their 14-day quarantine period

Around 500 Thai Elite Card members have been approved to visit Thailand. The scheme received 900 new applications in Aug and Sep, compared to 400 pre-pandemic

The Thai cabinet has confirmed a state of emergency in Bangkok for one month from 15 Oct

A new test kit is being developed which does not need blood or swabs, and would take 3-5 days for accurate results, the Public Health Minister has said

The Thai government banned gatherings of 5 or more people and the publication of online news or messages which could harm national security in an emergency decree

Thai Airbnb hosts and guests will follow Airbnb COVID-19 Safety Practices, as well as a5-step enhanced cleaning process, something which the Department of Health in Thailand has said “go above and beyond” Thailand’s standards

Phitsanulok has called Phu Thap Si in Ban Nam Chuang as “Sapa Muang Thai” to promote the village as a tourist attraction

Only 35% of Chiang Mai’s hotels are opened, according to the Tourism Association of Chiang Mai, whilst 1,000 tour guides are unemployed

The Ministry of Health has proposed that short-term international tourists can visit in groups, but the new tourists would be allowed to leave the hotel during the quarantine period on local escorted tours. These visitors would need to wear tracking devices and would be accompanied by medical agents, with Chonburi a potential trial run location

A new destination video launched by Skål Samui has been launched to encourage tourism to Koh Samui

192 billion THB is expected to be generated for the Thai economy thanks to the Return on Good Shopping scheme, the co-pay scheme and an additional living allowance for state welfare cardholders

The new Finance Minister has included assisting tourism businesses as one of his four criteria to manage the Thai economy, admitting that measures aiming to firm up financial liquidity had not been effective for tourism businesses. He has also asked the Bank of Thailand about the soft loans requested by airlines

According to reports, no tourists from Guangzhou applied for the new STV, as the TAT had apparently released a list of tourists expressing their ‘interest’, but who did not go through the process of applying for the visa

According to a Sep government survey, 27% of Thai travellers travelled upcountry from Jul-Sep, 56% of which was for sightseeing and 44% for visiting family. As for Oct, 47.7% said they have no plans to visit upcountry. Top worries for the travellers included a 2nd COVID wave, increasing consumer prices and increasing household debt

62 million domestic trips have been taken from Jan-Aug, making the TAT confident that a target of 80-100 million trips is feasible by YE. The Tourism Council of Thailand predicts just 50,000 foreign arrivals in Q4 2020, down 99.5% YoY. The YE international tourists arrival number is likely to be 6.74 million

The TAT predicts that tourism could generate 1.5 trillion THB in 2021 in a best-case scenario, whilst worst-case scenarios could see 700 billion THB. Domestic tourism would count for 400-774 billion THB of the amount, and they aim to generate 126 million trips. International tourism revenue could vary from 300 billion – 1.5 trillion THB, depending on the global situation

The Tourism Minister has said, "Before we approach the second stage on Nov 17, which aims to shorten the quarantine period, we must evaluate the first phase. If there's even a single case, we cannot continue to the second phase." The first group of tourists from China are expected on 20 Oct to Bangkok, and the next group will be 26 Oct to Phuket. The Scandinavian group is still scheduled for 1 Nov. The Tourism Minister suggests that the Foreign Ministry consider tourists based on city, rather than country, and will also propose a 7+7 plan, where tourists should stay in their rooms for 7 days, then be allowed outside the room, but remain within the hotel area for 7 days

Chiang Mai has lost 100 billion THB in tourism revenue. The Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce is rolling out a project to attract domestic tourists to the city and neighbouring provinces, hoping to generate 70 billion THB. They will also target medical tourists and are preparing the Alternative Local Quarantine (ALQ) for the STV tourists

Bangkok will open 30 public parks for those celebrating the Loy Krathong festival

The Health Ministry has said that the quarantine for travellers arriving from a low-risk country (where infection is at 0.2 per 100,000 residents) could have a 7-day quarantine, but additional checks would need to be in place

Foreigners who own property in Thailand will be added to the list permitted to apply to enter Thailand – but they need to be able to show a balance of at least 3 million THB deposited in a Thai bank account

Mu Koh Similan National Park will open from 15 Oct to tourism. The island took tourism entrepreneurs and the press to visit the islands ahead of the opening

The Tourism Minister is planning to include tour operators into the domestic stimulus package by asking them to arrange weekday tour packages for 55-75 years old passengers. The tourists would be entitled to a 40% subsidy, capped at 5,000 THB/ pax in Nov

The Thai consumer confidence dropped in Sep, for the first time in 5 months

Khao Yai National Park has temporarily closed after access to it has been blocked by mudslides and trees after unprecedented rain

Luxury hotels which have recently opened in Bangkok during the pandemic are hoping to attract long-stay visitors. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) have said that they have around 800-1,000 Chinese tourists prepared to fly in on the STV on private jets during phase 1 of reopening

Minor International have warned that they may need to cut more jobs and close recently reopened properties, as they posted their biggest quarterly loss for Q2. 83% of the hotel chain’s 526 hotels are currently operating, and they hope to increase that to 90% by YE. The chairman of the company said that he believed that if China does not allow its tourists to visit Thailand soon, he believes the Thai economy is “toast”

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will work closely with the Foreign Ministry to facilitate incoming tourists, as hundreds of travellers await permission, including Thailand Elite Card members and Special Tourist Visa (STV) applicants

The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) now predict that the Thai economy will shrink by -8 to -10% this year, vs its previous forecast of -12%

The director-general of the Department of Medical Services is supporting the reopening of Thailand, saying: "This means we may have to see a small number of infections but if we work together to prevent them, the country will be able to achieve a balance between public health and the economy." He also mentioned that maintaining zero cases was unrealistic

The American being sued over negative hotel reviews will issue an apology to the hotel, tourism board and explain to TripAdvisor his defamation complaint. The hotel will then withdraw the defamation complaint

The STV, which would have seen the first group of Chinese tourists arrive into Phuket, has now been delayed until after the island’s vegetarian festival has finished, to allow locals to celebrate without fear. There have been cancellations from locals to Phuket after conflicting messages from the government

The government’s We Travel Together program and the Encouragement domestic tourism stimulus program has been extended to 31 Jan 2021

The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) are planning future international events whilst it waits for restrictions to be loosened, aiming to secure 40 billion THB in 2020. Around 360 Chinese companies have enquired about MICE groups in Thailand from Apr 2021 onwards. International MICE visitors would be allowed to travel in groups of maximum 10 pax, and would be monitored by liaisons. TCEB is also planning for 2022-2025, considering at least 15 events. MICE tourism has dropped by 60% YoY in 2020

The Centre for Economic Situation Administration (Cesa) approved the proposal to give taxpayers income tax deductions of up to 30,000 THB for products and services with 7% VAT, to boost consumption. This will run from 23 Oct – 31 Dec. Accommodation and air tickets will be exclude from the program. They also approved a change to the domestic tourism stimulus package, which will allow them to use e-vouchers to pay for food, entrance fees at tourist attractions. More health workers will also be included in the health workers tourism program

Administrative processes have delayed the issuing of the STV, the TAT has said – they expect 100 tourists to arrive this month

Thailand will face a steep economic decline if it does not improve tourism, Fitch Ratings has said

The government is still considering whether to limit international tourists to particular beaches or closed off areas

TAT have won the bid to hold the Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX) 2021 from 20-22 Oct 2021, in Phuket

Japan will lift its travel advisories for citizens to travel to Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macao, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Taiwan

Chonburi has had more bookings through the domestic tourism stimulus than any other province, with Bangkok coming in 2nd

The TAT has launched a Workation Thailand project, which will encourage the government and private sector to have staff work, meet and party in a new place. The aim is to stimulate domestic tourism

Bangkok’s central train station opening has been delayed until 31 Jul 2021

A poll by the National Institute of Development Administration has shown that 57% of Thais disagreed with the STV scheme, with 40.2% saying it could cause a 2nd outbreak. 62.6% of Thais had no confidence in the government’s ability to prevent the spread of Covid-19 once they reopen the country to foreign tourists

Qatar Airways will now carry pax on inbound flights to Bangkok until 31 Oct

The Centre for Economic Situation Administration (CESA) is considering a proposal to exempt key foreign investors from quarantine

The head of the panel for economic recovery has said that Thailand should reopen now, or face collapse. They said that the Q4 season was vital to the industry, and if it reopened after that, it would be too late

Agoda has shown that the top destinations for Thais are Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin and Phuket. Secondary tier cities such as Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nakhon Nayok, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani and Chanthaburi are becoming more popular, too

A special travel fair aimed at expats will be held from 10-11 Oct in Bangkok, to encourage the expat community to book travel

4 more airports have been given initial approval to receive international medical tourists: U-Tapao, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai and Phuket

All Special Tourist Visa (STV) applicants must come from low-risk countries

A plan to assist micro enterprises with an SME fund is unlikely to come to fruition, as there is not enough liquidity in place

Despite earlier proclaiming that the first group of Chinese tourists under the STV would arrive on 8 Oct, the Tourism & Sports Ministry has now revealed that this is delayed to later in Oct, as entry processes had had to be settled first. However, it is still set to go ahead and will welcome at least 1,200 tourists. They acknowledged that the idea of a shorter quarantine period of 7 days could be “on the radar, but we need to see how it goes step by step”. They also clarified that any province which has alternative local state quarantine facilities (ALSQ) can be a destination for long-stay tourists, not just Phuket and Koh Samui. However, only Phuket and Bangkok can host STV tourists in Oct, as tourists must fly into a city with an international airport and ALSQ

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) have launched a “new normal” tour on a special train from Bangkok to Hua Hin

The Tourism & Sports Minister confirmed the first group of 150 Chinese tourists under the STV would arrive into Thailand on a chartered AirAsia flight. Another group of 126 would arrive from Guangdong to Bangkok on 25 Oct, and a 3rd group of 120 from Scandinavia and Schengen countries to Bangkok would arrive on 1 Nov

10% of Thailand’s tourism business are closed, with 540,000 workers made redundant, according to the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT). Operators in the southern and central regions are the worst affected, relying the most on foreigners. 400,000 of those were in Q3, and even those companies which are open have reduced staff by 30%. They predict the number to rise to 1 million by the year end, and hope that the government will extend repayment suspensions, as tourism companies collectively owe 100 billion THB

Airports in Thailand will be enhanced for when travel comes back in 2025. The deputy transport minister said that aviation accounts for 15.5% of GDP and employs 4.3 million in Thailand. Unemployment rate of pilots is currently at 15%

Thai Airways is considering franchising its stalls selling dough fritters, as it has earned the company nearly 10 million THB/ month

A YouGov poll has found that 24% of Thais felt insecure about their employment, vs just 4% pre-COVID

A private equity trust which will target the acquisition of hotels and resorts in Thailand has been launched

Khao San Road will reopen at the end of Oct, with more vendors and events to attract local visitors

The Bank of Thailand expects positive growth in Q2, assuming that government spending and the STV scheme will stimulate the economy

Chonburi’s annual water buffalo racing went ahead

The STV is now officially approved, with the following conditions: • Be from a low-risk country • 14-day quarantine in ALSQ • Provide evidence of a place to stay during the long visit • Proof of payment for hotel accommodation/ hospital for quarantine • Proof of payment for accommodation once discharged from quarantine/ deed title of visitor’s property/ evidence of renting accommodation • Proof of health and accident insurance policy, covering 40,000 THB outpatient treatments, 400,000 THB inpatient treatments • Pay 2,000 THB for a visa for 90 days, which can then be renewed up to 2 times

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has proposed that foreigners from low-risk countries be allowed to enter without a 14-day quarantine, to boost the number of tourists. They have warned that there will be more closures of tourism businesses if the number of tourists who can enter is not raised

The Similan Island National Park will reopen from 15 Oct. It will not allow overnight visits yet, but staying on a tour boat overnight is possible

The PM has promised to protect the biodiversity of Thailand, encouraging sustainability

The head of the Pattaya Business & Tourism Association welcomes the introduction of the STV, but says that it won’t have any significant impact on the tourism industry

The hotel on Koh Chang Trat who was pursuing a defamation suit against an American who wrote a negative review on TripAdvisor is now negotiating a settlement

The Tourism Council of Thailand expects Thailand to have 50,000 international tourists in Q4, down 99.5% YoY, whilst tourism receipts would be 4.5 billion THB, down 99%. Its FY forecast is 6.74 million tourists, down 83% YoY. Its 2021 forecast is 20 million foreign tourists, but if 14-day quarantines remain with no vaccine, that could be in the hundreds of thousands only

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) expects the government to limit the number of foreigners to beaches and national parks, whilst they do not expect a full reopening of the country to happen until vaccines are accessible

The government is looking at more stimulus measures to encourage spending amongst the middle and high income earners, and also plans to extend the We Travel Together scheme until the end of the year. As of 29 Sep, the scheme has generated 1.5 million rooms registered out of a targeted 5 million

The Zoological Park Organization will fully reopen its zoos from 1 Oct

The Thai Hotels Association has reminded its members that it must accept feedback and urged for proactive communication between hoteliers and review platforms

The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration has approved 6 groups of foreigners into Thailand, including: foreign athletes who will participate in the Tour of Thailand 2020 bike race, Thai Airways pilots and cabin crew, holders of non-immigrant types of visa, long-stay tourist visa, holders of the APEC Business Travel Card from low-risk countries

Phuket must rebrand itself away from its expensive image to attract tourism. Siam Commercial Bank has launched a 3 day bootcamp to train local entrepreneurs to rebrand Phuket’s tourism business. It will encourage business owners to lower costs, as well as target digital platforms

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), its Trang office and local network are preparing for high-season for marine tourism in Oct. They will launch a new kayak route. Hotel operators in the region have already recorded forward bookings at 70% from Oct to Dec

23 hotels in Koh Samui have been proposed as alternative local state quarantines (ALSQ), with the majority expected to be accepted. Many of the properties are pool villas, and will be a distance away from main streets. The Thai Hotel Association – Southern Chapter East Coast said that 1,000 CCTV cameras will be installed around the island

The visa amnesty for foreigners stranded in Thailand has been extended until 31 Oct

Thailand is considering granting business visas to Japan to attract investment. They are also thinking of a shorter quarantine, which would allow business travellers. The Deputy PM said, “Next year, we will be focusing on the opening of the country”

Phitsanulok province is undergoing a process to become a MICE city by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), and use business events to stimulate the economy. The government is also looking at upgrading Phitsanulok Airport into an international airport, and position it as a wellness destination

Oxford Economics don’t envisage tourism spending in Thailand to recover to 2019 levels until 2024, creating a THB4.8 trillion loss in spending

Phuket is planning to hold a travel festival targeting domestic travellers, including a food festival

Thailand’s Emergency Decree has been extended from 1-31 Oct

The Special Tourist Visa (STV) is set to be approved by a government committee on 28 Sep. STV travellers must undergo a 14-day quarantine on arrival, and arrive by charter flight. They expect 1,200 travellers to enter each month, generating 1.03 billion THB

Phuket has set up a 5T scheme for foreign tourists: target, testing, tracing, treating and trusting. A lab has been installed at Phuket airport, and will initially be capable of handling 96 people at a time for testing, with results within 6 hours

Anti-government protests may escalate next month, as the charter rewrite vote had been delayed by the government

The Job Expo 2020 opened on 26 Sep, promising more than a million job vacancies. The government has also created a recruitment platform, expecting 200,000 private positions and 400,000 government ones to be posted

The Thai Chamber of Commerce is urging the government to grant amnesty for 400,000 tourists whose visas are set to expire, as it causing chaos

Many visitors have rushed to Khao Nor mountain in Nakhon Sawan province, hoping to spot the giant “monkey king”

An American is being sued by a Thai resort over a negative review on TripAdvisor – if found guilty, he could face jail for up to 2 years

The Chonburi Buffalo racing festival will go ahead from 28 Sep – 4 Oct

The Thailand Convention and Exhibtion Bureau is testing hybrid models for events, with a pilot full-day event with 1,240 delegates attending physically, 4,778 virtually

The Movenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok and Bangkok Hospital have launched exclusive quarantine facilities in the hotel’s Presidential Suite or Royal Suite

The Tourism Council of Thailand estimate that Thailand could hit 60 million arrivals by 2023, contributing 25% of GDP, once global tourism returns to normal

The number of new businesses has continued to fall in Aug, down 7% YoY

PTT, the national oil and gas conglomerate, will give 18 million THB to its staff in 5,000 THB travel subsidies, to boost tourism during Q4. Conditions would include staying at destinations at least 300km away from employees’ homes

The government expects Thailand’s economy to return to normal within 2 years

The Tourism Minister has said that he wants to shorten quarantine to 7 days to make visiting Thailand more attractive from mid-Nov, if none of the tourists in the first batch tested positive. The Minister said that 300 tourists have already been attracted to the program and will enter on 1 Oct. If the first batch is ‘safe’, they will allow the 2nd batch of 300 tourists to arrive on 21 Oct. If the initial phase is successful, they will ask the government to allow 10,000 foreigners to enter per week

Only 30.4% of Phuket’s businesses are open as usual, with 66.8% of tourism businesses “closed temporarily” and 2.8% closed permanently. The Phuket governor expects that this number will increase to 70% by the end of the month

A special wellness quarantine initiative may be launched at Thai spas under the Alternative State Quarantine program. This may go ahead initially in Krabi, if granted approval

Pattaya tourism businesses applauded the introduction of 2 new public holidays, saying that the Songkran holiday weekend on 4-7 Sep had given them a big boost

The immigration department is warning foreign tourists stuck in Thailand who have over-stayed and not renewed their visas that they will face fines and potentially imprisonment. The visa amnesty expires on 26 Sep

Dusit Thani are preserving cash flow to deal with uncertainties, with the best-case scenario that leisure tourists will be allowed into Thailand by YE. They estimate the most likely is that leisure tourists will increase by mid-2021

The Phuket vegetarian festival will go ahead on 17-25 Oct

The MICHELIN Guide Thailand will be expanded with 2 new awards, the MICHELIN Guide Young Chef Award, and the MICHELIN Guide Service Award, as well as a new distinction, the MICHELIN Green Star. It is scheduled to be released at the end of 2020

Two new long weekend holidays have been approved by the Thai cabinet, from 19-22 Nov, and 13 Nov-1 Dec

Sala Hospitality Group are partnering with boat rental company True Leasing to provide private cruise stay and dine packages along the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok

According to the Amadeus Travel Insights Bulletin, Thai travellers’ lead time for booking domestic flights has decreased by 53% compared to pre-pandemic

Surat Thani is aiming to attract MICE travellers, especially as they usually spend twice the usual visitor’s spend and stay at least 3D2N per trip

The Thai cabinet has approved stimulus measures worth 70 billion THB to boost economic consumption and jobs

Thai Elite Card want to add work permit privileges for members who invest $1 million USD. The number of applications for the Thai Elite Card grew from 300 in Aug to 500 in Sep

The Ministry of Tourism and Sport has clarified that tourists entering under the STV would not need to undertake self-isolation in their home country prior to departure

Tourists entering national parks who litter will be blacklisted from entering again. Alcoholic drinks will also be banned at national parks

The Thai Baht reached a 3-week high on 21 Sep, after the relief of peaceful government protests

The Thai Hotels Association, Upper North Chapter, has said that the push for domestic tourism is not benefiting Chiang Mai, with average occupancy rates of 15%, far below break-even. Around 70% of hotels remain closed. During the Songkran holiday, hotels reached just 40% occupancy levels

Tens of thousands of protestors joined peaceful pro-democracy rallies in Bangkok over the weekend. The protestors have given a list of 10 demands to the government, and are calling for a general strike on 14 Oct

Business investors are becoming concerned about Thailand’s political stability, with confidence also being affected by the economy’s slowdown

Additional requirements for travellers hoping to enter Thailand under the Special Tourist Visa (STV) will need to have quarantined in their origin country (during which they will need to have been tested twice), as well as a specified minimum amount of money in their bank account. Low-risk countries will be allowed first, but no details yet have been shared as to which countries these may be

Phuket’s residents are suffering as the budget for food aid has been depleted, with thousands of people lining up daily for donated food

A new stimulus plan to support tour packages from tour operators will be issued

The Tourism & Sports Ministry has said that the STV will be up and running by Oct, with Bangkok as the primary destination. It has asked tour operators to start promoting long-stay packages They have clarified that foreigners who want to enter Thailand under the STV will need to enter either by charter plane or private jet, which will be issued by Thai Embassies abroad. During the first stage of reopening, there will be a limit of 3 charter flights with a maximum of 100 pax per plane

Thailand Elite has started the process to get its members officially approved for entry to Thailand, with 7 membership packages available

Bangkok is reopening the walking streets on Khao San Road and Klong Ong Ang, to promote tourism. They will open on the last weekend of each month

The PM has warned protestors from taking part in pro-democracy rallies due to the possibility of spreading COVID

The travel trade has had mixed reactions to the approval of the STV, with some positive that first steps are being taken, others that it will have a very limited boost for the travel trade

A Myanmar baby has tested positive after returning from Thailand to Myanmar. The Thai government is undertaking contact tracing to see whether they were infected in Thailand

The Phuket Travel Agents Association has said just 10% of its 60 members are open for business, with customers largely coming from the domestic tourism stimulus package aimed at health workers

The government has reassured the Thai people that reopening to foreigners would not be risky

The government approved in principle the idea of changing requirements for permanent visa and smart visas to foreigners who buy condominium units, want to set up startups or create jobs in fields other than science and technology

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) now predicts that the Thai GDP will contract by 8% in 2020 in its Sep update. It forecasts a growth of GDP by 4.5% in 2021

The Thai cabinet has approved the Special Tourist Visa (STV) scheme in principle. It would require a 14-day quarantine upon arrival, either at a hospital or certified alternative state quarantine. The visa would be valid for 90 days, with 2 additional renewals possible, taking it to 270 days in total

The government has approved a 3,000 THB handout to 10 million people, who will be able to spend the money in 100 THB increments per day to buy food, beverage and general goods from small vendors between 23 Oct-31 Dec

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) agrees with the plan to extend holidays and stimulate possibly 10 billion THB. 2.2 million domestic trips were made during the 4-7 Sep Songkran holidays

Minor Hotels will launch the RAKxa Fully Integrative Wellness and Medical Retreat, on conjunction with Bumrungrad International Hospital, in Bangkok. It will launch in Dec 2020

12 Thai insurance companies have teamed together to offer inbound tourists travel insurance that covers medical treatment and repatriation

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) are planning a proposal which would not require quarantine for short-haul international visitors. Visitors would come from cities which have not had cases for the last 60 days, would need a test prior to flying, on arrival and would wait in their hotel for the results

The Association of Domestic Travel (ADT) is aiming for 200 million domestic trips next year. They have said that 30% of tour operators nationwide have closed permanently, whilst 50% are still temporarily closed. ADT say that an ambitious target is needed to stimulate the market, and urges the government to amend the domestic tourism program so that tour packages can be bought via travel agents and a subsidy of up to 8,000 THB

The Thai cabinet is considering adding another long 4-day public holiday to stimulate domestic tourism, possibly in Nov

Unemployment in Q2 increased to 1.95%, a record high since 2009. Unemployment in the hotels and restaurants sector was the highest, at 2.9%

One million hotel workers in Thailand have been made redundant. The Thai Hotels Association (THA) has asked the government for 100 billion THB in rescue funds and soft loans

Krungthai Bank estimates that Thailand’s tourism revenue will drop by 70% this year, with just 900 billion THB expected. They expect revenue of 1.2 trillion THB in 2021, still a drop of 59% vs pre-pandemic. Their estimate for the number of international visitors ranged from 900,000 to 14 million, depending on government policies

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects the worst of the crisis to be over by 2021 YE, and that under a best case scenario, there could be 20.8 million international tourists, with primary source markets ASEAN and NE Asia. The TAT have formed a 3D plan: • Domestic tourism • Digitalisation of business processes • Dynamics – to seek a better balance of creating efficiency and managing risk

The domestic tourism stimulus We Travel Together needs to be reworked, according to the TAT, as only 17% of the 5.05 million registrants have actually used the benefits. They estimate that 388 million THB has been distributed to local operators through the usage o the vouchers. The airline subsidies in particular have a low redemption rate, which they suspect is down to the mechanism of only receiving the 40% subsidy after booking – they are now looking at a less complicated way to redeem the discounts. The distribution of hotel bookings is also concentrated into certain players, with 4,016 being booked out of 7,130. They will also extend the deadline to 31 Dec. They also have said that borders should reopen to foreign tourists this year

The Pattaya Travel Mart attracted 160 tour operators and corporate buyers, as opposed to the 60 expected due to its focus on domestic tourism

Work to renovate Pattaya beach to the tune of 160 million THB should begin at the end of the year, which will include adding green zones to attract more Thai tourists

The 5,000 THB relief money for temporary workers, contract employees and self-employed affected by COVID-19 will stop at the end of the month, despite 56,000 subscribers not yet receiving their money

A 2nd locally transmitted case has been detected in Thailand

The TAT sees 2.5 million jobs out of 4 million being lost in the tourism sector if international visitors do not arrive by Q4, so it must prepare for “limited exposure” to foreign tourists

The TAT has downgraded its estimate of 80 million domestic trips to 70 million, with 418 billion THB revenue

The TAT has said that it is working with the private sector to find a model and safety measures for short-haul international visitors who cannot stay for a 2-week quarantine. They have said "We cannot avoid new cases, but the most important thing is to have risk management in place. If there are five cases among 5 million tourists, and we can contain those infections with stringent measures, that would be a good balance between public health and business survival."

The Chao Phraya Sky Park is hoped to become to a tourist attraction after opening in Jun

The PM plans to move the focus from exports and tourism to large-scale projects to boost income

The Naga cave in Phu Langka national park has been closed after visitors damaged the rock formations hoping to find lottery numbers

A senior official has said that the government’s plan to reopen to foreign tourists will be finalised before the end of Oct

Thailand was the 4th most searched holiday destination in the world, according to an analysis by Official-esta.com

The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau launched a “Thailand MICE United” campaign, with a MICE Mart including 120 suppliers and 300 buyers from the public and private sectors

Revenue generated by travel insurance premiums are likely to drop 90% this year, according to Cigna Thailand

The PM is looking to add another long holiday to encourage domestic trips

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) is planning to create a safety tourism scheme for Asian tourists, bypassing the 14-day quarantine

Some Thai airport workers are suing a security company hired by the Airports of Thailand, saying that they were tricked into accepting unfavourable terms

The Deputy PM has said that: “We have to learn to fight and live with the pandemic. We can’t be afraid of it.” He also said that he government is ready to open Phuket, but they are concerned about the risk of more infections

The “Phuket Model” will be applied to other provinces. Foreign tourists would instead be allowed to travel “at large”. It will also be rebranded to “Special Tourist Visa”. Holders of the visa would be allowed to stay in the country for 90 days, and would be entitled to renew it twice

C9 Hotelworks have revealed that there has been a substantial impact on the hotel development pipeline, with 69% of new hotels being delayed or put on hold

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has said that the long holiday weekend from 4-7 Sep generated 8.8 billion THB, an outcome with which they are “pleased”. The TAT are also looking into promoting weekday travel. The Transport Ministry reported 7,968,080 trips over the weekend

The Minister of Tourism has admitted to a miscommunication on opening Phuket to foreigners, which caused concern amongst locals

A senior official at the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok has said that there will not be an early reopening of the two countries

Pattaya seems to have benefited from the long weekend in Thailand, with some hotels at 100% occupancy and busy beaches

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has said that the launch of the “Phuket model” will be likely delayed due to the detection of a new locally transmitted case. The TAT are visiting Phuket business operators this weekend to discuss disease control measures

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) stated that domestic tourism during the last 4-day weekend only had hotel occupancy levels of 30%, and spend of 8.8 billion THB

A new app called “Treasure Trip” has been launched to explore cultural highlights of Bangkok

Phang-Nga Province has re-imposed strict health measures, stating that anyone entering the province from areas considered COVID-19 outbreak zones will need to undergo a 14-day home quarantine. Residents will need to face masks when outdoors at all times

TAT has partnered with Alipay and Fliggy to launch a tourism campaign encouraging Chinese expats living in Thailand to travel domestically. These expats would receive exclusive deals when booking via Fliggy and rewarded with 1,739 THB worth of coupons to redeem

Foreign tourists who are stranded in Thailand face a visa amnesty by 26 Sep, but have been given reprieve by additional concessions in case they are unable to return to their home countries due to sickness or a lack of flights

The health authorities have still not been able to trace the origins of the latest locally transmitted case

The owners of businesses on Pattaya’s Walking Street have warned of a “total collapse” of the tourism industry if foreign tourists are not allowed to enter Thailand