Thailand

The Transport Ministry is studying whether to develop a marina for luxury vessels in Chonburi as part of its strategy to boost tourism revenue

The Thai Hotels Association Eastern Chapter has said that enquiries from Indian, Vietnamese, South Koreans and Japanese has increased, despite the fact that it is low season

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) Eastern Chapter has reported that concerns about the economy are dampening domestic travel appetite over the 4-day long weekend. Hotel occupancy in Pattaya is forecast to reach only 60%, as domestic travellers have already spent on Songkran and Labour Day. It noted that operators are expecting a weaker domestic demand in Q2 2022, but see positive inbound interest from Vietnam, Malaysia and India. It also saw the domestic MICE market improving, with groups of 100-150 pax

The Hua Hin-Cha Am Tourism Association has reported that SME hotels are seeing 60% occupancy this long weekend, lower than usual due to families preparing budgets for a new school semester from 17 May, as well as increasing living costs. 4* and 5* hotels are seeing occupancy of more than 80%. It called for a stimulus campaign which would allow SME hotels to also benefit. It is planning a B2B event in Chiang Mai to work together to promote one another’s destinations

The Tourism Council of Krabi has reported that the first half of May’s hotel occupancy rate was 50-60%, spurred on by long weekends and the We Travel Together campaign. However, the second half of May does not look so positive, as domestic bookings will drop whilst international visitors have not seen great increases

The TAT expects Phuket to see 1.83 billion THB in tourism revenue, 60% hotel occupancies and average 2.5 nights’ stay over the long weekend from 13-16 May. 70,000 hotel rooms, around 70% of the total island’s hotels, are available to be booked and average occupancy is currently 44.5%. Phuket is receiving around 100 inbound flights per day with 15,000 pax, whilst 27 international flights carry around 4,000 pax/ day

The Ministry of Finance is looking at lowering the diesel excise tax by 5 THB/ litre to ease financial pressure

The CCSA will review the Thailand Pass requirements on 20 May

The Southern Thai Hotel Association supports the idea of declaring COVID-19 endemic on certain islands, whilst the Phuket Chamber of Commerce called for tourism businesses to be permitted to speed up their reopening plans. The Koh Samui Tourism Association has reported that 50% of its hotels have now reopened, and chain hotels are starting to invest once more

All hotels and resorts on Koh Lan were fully booked for the first night of the long holiday weekend from 13-16 May, and more than 10,000 visitors travelled to the island

The Ministry of Public Health is looking at lowering the Alert Level for COVID to 2 by the end of May or in early Jun

From 1-6 May, Thailand has seen more than 85,000 international tourists, around 15,000 per day. The top 5 source markets were India, Malaysia, Singapore, the UK and the US

Bangkok aims to improve its air pollution issues and align it to WHO standards

The government is looking at measures which could be implemented if night entertainment venues are reopened, but the Public Health Ministry is concerned that encouraging people, especially foreigners, to wear masks in these places, would be difficult

Surat Thani’s TAT office has said that the 4-day long weekend from 13-16 May is set to generate 53,541 visitors (36,721 domestic visitors and 16,820 foreigners) and 484.77 million THB (295.32 million THB domestic visitors, 189.45 million THB from foreigners). The average hotel occupancy rate on 13 May was 39.76% and average stay of 2.61 nights per pax. It anticipates the number of flights to Koh Samui to increase to 15-17/ day, and that the number will increase during the Full Moon party, as well as 10-12 flights/ day. The May 16 Full Moon Party is expected to attract 6,000-7,000 visitors

The Public Health Ministry will look at declaring COVID-19 endemic on Koh Samui, Koh Chang and Phuket in an “endemic sandbox” initiative as a first step towards declaring it nationwide. These areas would see nightlife reopened under restrictions for vaccinated customers, but face mask wearing would remain mandatory

The Bank of Thailand (BoT) is monitoring the Thai Baht, after it reached its weakest rate vs the USD in 5 years on 12 May

The Ministry of Public Health has decided to lower the COVID level from 4 to 3, due to the improved COVID situation. Those over 60 years old, not vaccinated or are immunocompromised will need to avoid certain activities, including being discouraged to travel abroad. Under the Level 3 alert, all activities except visiting entertainment venues and crowded places with closed air circulation systems, are permitted. It believes that the CCSA will ease the remaining restrictions once 60% of risk groups in the country are fully vaccinated

The association of Khao San Road business operators have urged the government to reopen pubs, bars and karaoke parlours in Jun and fully reopen from 1 Jul, when COVID-19 is endemic, saying that the closures have cost more than 100 billion THB in losses

The Mu Ko Lanta National Park has announced that several islands will be closed temporarily, to allow the environment to recover

Thai Vietjet will add daily flights between Bangkok-Phnom Penh, and increase the number of daily flights from Bangkok-Singapore

The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) disagrees with a proposed 492 THB minimum wage, predicting that it would negatively impact SMEs who are struggling with higher inflation. It sees international tourists rising to 6 million in 2022, and domestic tourists to reach 70-80% of 2019 levels

As of 3 May, Thailand has received 853,165 international visitors, 74,414 from the UK, 63,342 from Germany, 55,995 from Russia, 51,783 from India and 49,792 from the US

A study by Visa has shown that Thailand is 4th for travellers for post-pandemic travels

The Finance Minister predicts that tourism recovery will be gradual

Thailand will begin its rainy season on 13 May, but expects a drought in Jun

Proud Group will open the Andamanda leisure entertainment complex and water park in Phuket with a soft opening on 21 May. It expects 400,000 visitors in 2022, 70% of which domestic. It has started construction of its Phase 2, which will including a hotel and lifestyle retail mall

The Commerce Ministry has said that certain product types will be permitted to increase their price due to higher oil costs, but they will continue to monitor price increases

Phuket is targeting 1 million arrivals in Q4 2022, and 3.5 million total in 2022. The Phuket Tourist Association noted that international arrivals are now 3,000-5,000 per day from the previous 400-500 during the Sandbox and 2,500 from Test & Go. 328,004 have travelled to Phuket from Jan-Apr 2022. In Apr, the Indian market was the biggest source market, with around 1,000 arrivals per day, then Australia, the UK, Singapore, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. Hotel occupancy in areas such as Patong was at 60-70%, and it sees 9,000-10,000 tourists arriving per day from Oct-Dec 2022

Phuket, the TAT and the Ministry of Tourism launched a new campaign to promote the Andaman, “Aqua Lumia Illumination Festival, the Miracle of Light from the Andaman Sea” from 14 May- 12 Jun. It aims to boost domestic and international tourist confidence, and will see music festivals, sports events, a light and sound festival, and food fairs. The Tourism Ministry estimates that 90,000 tourists (both domestic and international) would visit, generating at least 700 million THB

PATA will hold its in-person PATA Destination Marketing Forum in Songkhla in Thailand, under the theme “Building Back Sustainably through Cultural Heritage and Community-based Tourism” from 2-4 Aug

The Labour Minister has said that it is still considering increasing the minimum wage to 492 THB in specific provinces, and is not yet final

The Mor Chana app will be discontinued from 1 Jun, the app has announced

Robinhood Travel, a new OTA, has launched Phase 1 of its hotel booking service. It has around 16,000 hotels on the platform, and it hopes to list 30,000 in 2022 and 200,000 active customers with transactions for 300,000 trips. It is operating a zero gross profit policy, and each travel booking will receive free food delivery service. In Jun it plans to launch tour packages, activities and car rental services, and domestic flights in Jul. It aims to be a top 3 online travel platform in 2022, and is targeting domestic tourists in the urban supper segment. It will also look to launch outbound tourism products to Japan, South Korea and Singapore in 1-2 years

The Central Group is planning to develop a 3 billion THB lifestyle retail mall in Pattaya, with the first phase to open in 2022. It hopes to stimulate tourism to Pattaya

The consumer index of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce dropped to 40.7 in Apr, from 42.0 in Mar, a 4th consecutive month’s drop, and an 8-month low. It was attributed to concerns over living costs

Bangkok is running a new campaign, ”Unfolding Bangkok”, from Jun 2022-Jan 2023. It will see 4 major events under the campaign, including Greeting Bangkok, Sound of Music, Vivid Chao Phraya and Living Hua Lamphong

The Association of Thai Travel Agents has warned that the government should think about implementing a safety net “to cope with all uncertainties”. The Thai Hotels Association has also said that the growth will be “limited” without the Chinese market, and that some tourism operators should not be forgotten about. They see best-case scenarios for international travellers at 6-8 million pax. The director-general of the Tourism department has reported that from Jan-Apr 2022, 9,011 tour companies were active with the relevant licences, whilst 559 handed back their licences, down from 706 in Jan-Apr 2021, and there were 534 new registrants, up from the same period in 2021’s 334. In Apr 2022, there were 154 new applications, the highest monthly tally, and the lowest exits from the market. In 2021 as a whole, 1,997 tour firms ceased operations and returned their licences, whilst 1,119 new tour companies were created

The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) sees 5-6 million international visitors in 2022, generating 500-600 billion THB

The Khung Bang Kachao in Bangkok will be declared a sustainable tourism area, due to cooperation with the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA) and local communities. It aims to encourage community-based tourism initiatives for sustainable development

Night entertainment operators in blue zones are urging the government to allow them to reopen from 1 Jun

The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) has said that China’s zero-COVID policy is impacting on Thailand’s economy

The TAT has reported that more than 300,000 foreign tourists entered Thailand in the first week after the Test & Go scheme was abolished from 1 May. It expects 300,000 foreign visitors monthly from May-Sep, and 1 million per month from Oct-Dec

Surat Thani welcomed 157,623 tourists (145,947 domestic, 11,676 international) in Apr, generating 1.25 billion THB (1.13 billion THB from domestic travellers, 121.57 million from international visitors), the TAT has reported. Hotel occupancy was 42.20%, up 7.68% YoY, whilst the average stay was 1.18 nights per person. The TAT attributed this growth to campaigns for both domestic and international travellers, as well as Songkran. Over the 30 Apr-2 May long weekend, 44,743 travellers (31,168 domestic and 13,575 international) visited Surat Thani, and hotel occupancy was 42.26%, with an average stay of 2.61 nights and 403.56 million THB revenue

Krabi tourism players are calling for the airport’s third terminal to be completed by Jun to allow greater capacity in high season. From 1 Nov 2021-5 May 2022, 6,759 tourists arrived from abroad. Local tourism players expect Finnair to operate charter flights, after previously operating them during the first phase of reopening last year and then stopping. The TAT expect that when the airport is fully operational, hotels could see occupancy rates of 50% in Q4 2022, with higher employment. Key markets for Krabi could include Saudi Arabia, India, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia. The Tourism Council of Krabi believe that the opportunity to maximise those markets has already been missed, and they now have to wait for the next high season

The CESA has approved the formation of a new committee which will look at measures they can take to attract higher spending foreigners to Thailand. It will coordinate state agencies to adapt rules to make it more convenient to visit, including easing conditions for foreign filmmakers shooting in Thailand. It also approved in principle a campaign, “Amazing Thailand, Amazing Andaman”, which will promote high-quality tourism and infrastructure development to support it

The Public Health Ministry hopes to still be able to classify COVID-19 as endemic in Jul, so long as criteria are met. It noted that requirements on face mask wearing could be eased, depending on the situation in each area

Maya Bay will be closed from Aug-Sep to help with its natural rehabilitation. In 2022 so far, it has received over 100,000 people, generating 20 million THB in revenue. Over Songkran, it received over 3,000 pax per day

Almost 50,000 foreigners are estimated to have entered Cambodia or Thailand via the land border between them since reopening on 1 May – this number includes traders, returning residents and tourists

Malaysian and Thai residents will be able to use their border passes once more. Those entering from Malaysia are only permitted from Perlis, Kedah, North Perak and Kelantan, and can stay for a maximum of 3 days in Thailand. They must apply under the Thailand Pass portal at least 24 hours prior to departure

213,958 travellers registered for the Thailand Pass from 29 Apr-4 May, with 98.4% of those seeing their registrations approved due to the requirement for less paperwork

The TAT believe that Thailand is on track to achieve 20 million arrivals in 2023, 50% of 2019 levels, especially if China lifts border restrictions. They see revenue reaching 80% of 2019 levels, to 2.4 trillion THB. The PM said on 3 May that Thailand should see 20 million arrivals in 2023 if COVID-19 becomes endemic and no new threats arise. TAT believe to reach the 20 million target in 2023, Thailand should welcome 7-10 million arrivals in 2022, and reported positive signs, with May 1-3 seeing daily arrivals of 19,727, 15,439 and 14,108 vs the 10,000-12,000 average daily arrivals in Apr. Thailand’s total arrivals in 2022 to 3 May were 853,165 (UK 74,414; Germany 63,342; Russia 55,995; India 51,783 and the US 49,792). The Thailand Pass registration from 29 Apr-3 May saw 172,545 applicants, and the TAT is hopeful that May arrivals could reach 500,000 in May

The government will extend the We Travel Together and Tour Teaw Thai schemes until 30 Sep. We Travel Together will see 1 million more rooms added, and the government will continue to cover 40% of the room rate up to a maximum of 3,000 THB per night and 40% of the air ticket, up to 2,000 THB. Tour Teaw Thai offers a 40% subsidy on tour packages

The Bank of Thailand has noted that the Thai Baht has depreciated significantly in Mar and Apr, and has lost 2.5% of its value since the start of 2022

4 new special economic corridors have been approved by the government: the Northern Economic Corridor (NEC), the Northeastern Economic Corridor (NEEC), the Central-Western Economic Corridor (CWEC), and the Southern Economic Corridor

Mae Hong Son’s Salawin National Park is planning to be developed into an ecotourism destination with hot springs and trekking

150 tour companies are organising a workshop on the Cambodia-Vietnam-Thailand Economic Corridor opening, to boost cooperation for coastal tourism packages

Public Health Minister has proposed to cease the Thailand Pass system for returning Thais, and later expand this to foreigners

The TAT’s Meaningful Travel Campaign has raised over 400,000 THB and preserved 35,000 big trees in Thailand

Phuket has reported that there were no new cases from international visitors after eliminating the on arrival test

The Koh Samui Tourism Promotion Association has reported that hotel occupancy has increased almost 30% MoM in May, and that they are optimistic that tourism will recover now that the requirements have been lifted

Security will be improved at Suvarnabhumi International Airport after someone succeeded in accessing the aircraft apron and evade security

35,000 schools across Thailand are planning to reopen physical learning on 17 May, and also speed up student vaccinations

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) greeted the request from the TAT to offer a 50% discount on hotels for the We Travel Together scheme with mixed sentiment, noting that most hotels already had reduced room rates by 50%. Instead, it urged the government to offer a 20% subsidy rather than 40%, so that 2 million room nights could be offered. It called May a “transition period for tourism”, with 450,000 expected in May, but called the domestic market “vital” to support the industry. It also asked the TAT to come up with a better mechanism to support mid-level hotels, as tourists have a preference for 5* or international hotels. Hotels in Pattaya and Chiang Mai are still encountering delayed payments from the government under the scheme

Apr’s consumer price index grew 4.65% in Apr YoY, down from Mar’s 5.73% YoY increase. The Commerce Ministry noted that headline inflation is expcfted to exceed 5% in 2022

Accor is holding a virtual jobs fair in Thailand from 9-13 May, with over 450 jobs available at the event across 30 hotels and resorts

Thailand’s “Boys Love” movies and TV series are also acting as a tourism driver, with Japanese tour operator HIS Tours organising virtual tours to the filing locations, and now planning future tours. Other Japanese tour operators are planning to partner with Thai entertainment companies to hold exclusive fan meeting sessions. The TAT Chengdu office has also noted a rise in popularity of this genre, and has worked together with the Aloha app, a Chinese networking app for the gay community, to invite KOLs to test luxury products in Thailand

The Visa Global Travel Intentions Study ranked Thailand in 4th place globally for the top destination worldwide for tourists. 30% chose Thailand to take a break, 25% to escape and relax, and 18% for adventure and outdoor activities. The top searched Thai destinations are Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Hua Hin, and activities that saw the most interest include Thai massage and Thai cuisine

The reopening of the Thailand-Myanmar border checkpoint at Mae Sot has been postponed to 15 May

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) Northern Chapter reported that its occupancy was around 15%, with 10,000-30,000 rooms in service, but that the number of international travellers is still low. It expects domestic travellers to be the majority of its business

The Thai PM has said that the introduction of the proposed 300 THB tourist fee on international visitors still needs more discussion, and that even without the fee, thanks to an increase in international tourists revenue would increase regardless

The Thai Hotels Association is opposing the proposal to increase the daily minimum wage to 492 THB, saying that the time is not right to implement a raise, calling it a “nail in the coffin” for the hotel industry, particularly small hotels

The ex-tourism minister has said that the public and private sectors must work together to boost the tourism industry, and that attracting back tourism workers is one of the biggest challenges. He suggested that the government use the tourism development fund for reskilling, as well as reform laws and regulations around the tourism sector

The TAT’s Tokyo office expects the number of Japanese tourists to reach 35,000-40,000 in 2022, although this could be improved if travel rules are relaxed. If they are eased, then Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket could benefit from this. It aims to attract business and leisure groups who need to travel to Thailand to look after their businesses, golfers, youths (including those on educational exchange programs and wealthy young adults) and digital nomads. It will launch a “Blecation” campaign to attract business travellers and FITs, with Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Pattaya as key destinations

The TAT’s China office is targeting business travellers, medical tourists who seek wellness and IVF packages, and students wishing to study in Thailand. It noted that it had to “erase the impression of typical big Chinese groups seen during the pre-Covid period because only tourists with high spending power can travel abroad now due to higher costs". In Hong Kong, it will use KOLs and OTAs, as well as attend the International Travel Expo Hong Kong from Aug 18-21

The Phuket Hotels Association has launched the “Absolutely Fabulous Online Travel Sale”, which will fund scholarships for young people

21,268 passengers arrived on 120+ international flights on 1 May at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and Phuket International Airport, after removing the testing requirements. Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi saw 16,868 arrivals from 96 flights. The Transport Ministry sees flights increasing from 44,500 per month (33,500 domestic and 11,000 international) to 83,000 per month (30,000 international and 53,000 domestic)

The Nong Khai-Laos border checkpoint has finally reopened on 1 May. The first day saw just a few visitors from Laos, but Thailand expects more to arrive in the coming weeks

The Ministry of Finance has reduced its 2022 GDP forecast to 3.5% from 4.0%, thanks to the Russia-Ukraine war and inflation growth. However, it still believes that the economy will be supported by tourism recovery. It forecasts 6.1 million visitors, down from the 7 million previously expected, due to the lack of Chinese tourists and Russia-Ukraine

Thailand was amongst the top 10 countries which American visitors saw as safe destinations in a 2022 State of Travel Insurance Report survey

The Royal Gazette has published an announcement of the easing of testing requirements for international vaccinated travellers from 1 May

Phuket International Airport expects that the number of passengers to Phuket will increase to 5,000 per day, after a previous average of around 2,000, thanks to the easing of measures. The total number of pax arriving under the Phuket Sandbox and Test & Go schemes to Phuket was 500,555

Employers have objected to the proposed minimum daily wage increase to 492 THB, saying that it could impact the economic recovery of Thailand

The TAT will promote tourism to short-haul markets and long-haul including the Middle East, the US, Canada, Latin America and Europe, and will exhibit at the International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) North America. It will also focus on India, and has reported 200 wedding ceremonies already confirmed for 2022

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is in discussions with Netflix over promoting the tourism industry, including the use of national parks, as a soft power tool to market Thailand

The 300 THB tourist fee will start to be collected from Aug 2022 using the Thailand Tourism Fee (TTF) system which will be integrated into airline booking platforms. The fee will be used for tourists in case of emergency. The TTF will activate a 30-day insurance coverage for tourists once they arrive. Airlines will need to prepare their systems to connect to the TTF, as well as communicate the fee to tourists

The Thailand Pass system is now accepting registrations for test-free entry from 1 May

The CCSA has said that it has not stopped the Thailand Pass registration requirement, but it will be faster and simpler to get. It will monitor the situation, and if it improves, it may look at easing entry requirements

: The TAT has said that it will ask the NESDC to launch Phase 5 of the We Travel Together scheme and Tour Teaw Thai campaigns from the remaining 4 billion THB budget. Phase 5 of the We Travel Together scheme will have 1 million room nights, and the TAT will ask hotels to give a 50% discount, which would allow the scheme to offer 2 million room nights in total. The discount from hotels would not include flights and voucher redemption. The We Travel Together Phase 4 saw average spend of 1,200 THB per night out of the maximum 3,000 THB permitted.The Tour Teaw Thai scheme still has 131,415 redemptions left, but modifications have been sought including allowing tourists to buy 3 packages and allowing companies who have already hit the 1,000 cap of maximum packages sold. The TAT expect 52.7 million domestic trips in H1 2022, with 240 billion THB spend, and it sees the domestic stimulus schemes to be necessary to get an additional 107 million domestic trips and 415 billion THB in H2 2022. It noted that it faced challenges including “soaring commodity and fuel prices, as well as tourism policies from other countries that are starting to lure Thai travellers”

Thailand is testing its electro-diesel trains before being used for long-distance journeys

The Finance Minister has said that a weak Thai Baht is positive for the economy – it is near its weakest level in almost 5 years vs the USD

Thai Airways and Bangkok’s Bumrungrad International Hospital will offer THAI Royal Orchid Plus members discounts on medical and wellness services

Poipet’s checkpoint between Thailand-Cambodia will reopen on 1 May

The Thai Hotels Association has reported that some hotels are struggling to find workers, as they are “reluctant to return to work as there are concerned about some issues, such as wages, rent and healthcare”

Land border checkpoints at 17 points will reopen on 1 May

The Tourism Minister suggested that the CCSA could consider replacing the Thailand Pass with a vaccine passport, to ease entry to the country. He hopes that this could take place from Jun. He reported that 2.1 million international tourists have applied for the Thailand Pass, but only 1.5 million were granted

Phuket will remove screening for COVID-19 for fully vaccinated travellers from 1 May for those arriving by land, sea and air

The Public Health Ministry has said that around 15 provinces are targeting to be the first to declare COVID-19 endemic, but they must be approved by the Emergency Operations Centre. The DDC has said that no province has yet met the endemic criteria

Cambodia is looking into upgrading train lines into high-speed ones, including one to the Thai border

The TAT is keeping a target of 300,000 international arrivals per month, around 10% of 2019’s levels, despite the offpeak season. It sees markets such as India and the Middle East being key during this season. Arrivals could reach 1 million per month by the year-end, if the situation improves

The TAT will meet with domestic tour operators to look at the domestic tourism stimulus packages to encourage people to travel domestically, rather than overseas

The TAT held an Agent Trade Meet in Koh Samui with more than 30 top European travel agents and Koh Samui travel suppliers

The Public Health Minister has said that the government must act cautiously before removing the Thailand Pass requirement. He also noted that two vaccine doses may not be enough, and a booster dose could be required for international travellers

From 1-26 Apr, approx. 346,000 international arrivals have been recorded, vs 273,000 in Mar

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) has called on the government to reconsider collecting the full rate of land and building tax in 2022, saying that it will hurt tourism operators as hotel revenue remains at low levels. They warned that if tax cuts such as those from 2020 and 2021 are not implemented, employers will “choose to cut expenses on payroll instead”. The THA reported that small and medium hotels are struggling with debt. The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) has also said that its members have similar concerns, and that the land tax will count for around 16% of total operating costs. It could also trigger some owners to sell properties to overseas investors instead

From 1 Nov-24 Apr, Phuket has seen 427,563 international visitors, and Phangnga 30,000 since 1 Jan. Tourism operators in Phangnga have decided to run a “We Travel By Ourselves” campaign if the government does not extend the We Travel Together scheme, offering 20-40% discounts

Krungsri Research estimates that Thailand will receive 5.5 million international visitors in 2022, due to the Russia-Ukraine war, the lack of Chinese outbound tourists and competition between Thailand and other SE Asian destinations

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) have called for the Thailand Pass to be eliminated from 1 Jun, which would generate 2 million more tourists via tour groups, reaching 10 million in total. It noted that the applications made it difficult for tour operators to bring in significant numbers of groups, as applications have to be done individually. Should the Chinese outbound market return, it could even hit 12 million, they forecast. However, if the Thailand Pass remains, it could be just 8 million arrivals

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) reported that bookings for Betong tour packages under the consortium with Nok Air in May had already reached 70%. International arrivals to Betong from Malaysia are put off by the health insurance requirement. Occupancy for Betong hotels is forecast at 40-50% in May vs 20-30% in Apr

The TAT and the MICHELIN guide have expanded coverage to the Northeastern region of the country in the 6th edition, targeted to be released by 2022-end

The TAT will host the TBEX Asia 2022 event in Phuket from 15-18 Nov 2022, the 2nd time it is hosting the event

Certified restaurants will be permitted to serve alcohol from 1 May until midnight, but nightclubs and bars will remain closed

Central Pattana, a real estate developer, has seen customer traffic at its shopping centres grow by 30% nationwide, particularly in tourist destinations over peak travel times such as Songkran. It noted an increase in domestic traffic too in secondary cities, back to 80% or more vs pre-pandemic. Inbound tourists are +30%, with Russians, Germans and Brits. It has several campaigns planned, including partnering with the TAT for fam trips to boost tourist spending, as well as partnering with Klook to allow foreign tourists to find special offers

The TAT and Airbnb have partnered to promote sustainable tourism in Thailand with a dedicated page on the site and app, “Green Newcomer” with nature-based stays in 7 emerging provinces

Q1 2022 saw 444,039 international tourists, a 2,101% YoY increase, but little vs 2019’s 10 million pax. 8,839 flights landed in Thailand. The TAT expects this to increase in Q2 2022 to 18,934. It forecasts 128,100 tourists from Europe to arrive in Q2 2022, 72,120 from ASEAN, 39,000 from Northeast Asia, 26,740 from the Americas, 25,220 from South Asia, 23,900 from the Middle East, 20,1602 from Oceania and 6,100 from Africa

The isolation period for close contacts of COVID-19 positive patients has been reduced to 5 days

The Thai Hotels Association Eastern chapter has said that many agents from India, Vietnam, South Korea and Japan have contacted the THA, with a significant increase expected of Vietnamese tourists after Jun/ Jul

The CCSA has approved the ending of the Test & Go and Sandbox schemes, the removal of RT-PCR testing on-arrival for fully vaccinated travellers, and downgrading the medical insurance required from $20,000 to $10,000 USD from 1 May. Travellers will instead be asked to monitor their health, and are recommended to take an antigen test, but it is not compulsory. Unvaccinated travellers who do not have a negative RT-PCR test will need a 5-day quarantine at an Alternative Quarantine hotel. Those who have a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of arrival will be treated the same as vaccinated travellers. Travellers will still need to apply for the Thailand Pass for approval to enter Thailand, but the only documents required are passport, vaccine information and insurance proof

The PM has said that it is considering a “Two Countries, One Destination” tourism project, which would encourage tourism between Thailand and other countries

The Thai Chamber of Commerce has warmly greeted the simplification of entry requirements to Thailand, and believes that the move will aid tourism recovery to be sped up

The TAT estimates that after the entry procedures have been relaxed, Thailand can expect 10 million tourists and minimum revenue of 500 billion THB, excluding Chinese tourists. It sees an average spend of 50,000 THB per tourist with the new rules, as opposed to the previous 62,000 THB. Pre-pandemic, average spend was 47,000 THB. The TAT believes that the move will allow Thailand to become a competitive tourism destination once more. Its overall tourism revenue target is 50% of 2019’s 3 trillion THB, but sees that the domestic market needs to be promoted more, and a decision will be reached on the We Travel Together scheme in early May

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) has said that the rest of the travel restrictions, such as applying for the Thailand Pass, should be removed by Jun, to streamline requirements for travellers. The government should also discuss with airlines that the onus be on them to screen vaccination certificates and insurance before boarding. They believe that the easing should help boost arrivals, but the results would only be seen in May

The CCSA has approved to ease the alcohol restrictions, allowing restaurants to serve alcohol until 12am from 1 May instead of 11pm. It will also rezone provinces, with 18 orange zones becoming yellow ones, creating 65 yellow zone provinces. There will also be 12 blue zones, including Songkhla and Rayong. Yellow zones allow 1,000 pax for activities, and blue zones have no limits. Entertainment venues including bars and pubs will still not be permitted to open. Home quarantine for COVID-19 cases and close contacts will be reduced to 5 days, followed by 5 days of self-health evaluation

The Thai Tourism Promotion Association (TTPA) held a meeting to finalise plans for Betong airport and Nok Air’s passengers

Koh Phangan will promote sustainable tourism in a bid to attract tourists over than those visiting for Full Moon parties, hoping to welcome 100,000 visitors in 2022. The Full Moon party on 16 Apr saw occupancy of 85-90%, but only around 70% of the island’s 600 hotels are open. Room rates also recovered almost to pre-pandemic rates, according to the Koh Phangan Hotel and Tourism Association. Bookings for the May Full Moon party are still unclear, as the booking window is shorter. The island plans to emulate Ibiza’s model, with beach clubs and day lounges, holistic wellness retreats and outdoor activities to extend the length of stay. The Raja Ferry Port noted that the number of pax on the ferries grew by 95% between 11-17 Apr, the best numbers over Songkran for 3 years

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) is hoping that if the country is fully opened in Q2 2022, then Thailand could see 5 million tourists in H2 2022, and if Chinese travellers are permitted to travel once more in Q4 2022, Thailand could welcome 7-8 million foreigners in total. It sees Thailand reaching 70% of pre-pandemic international arrivals by 2023 and 100% by 2024. It noted that travellers to Thailand have been arriving in smaller groups and have been spending more time within hotel grounds, a change from before which could pose an issue to tour operators, who are used to large groups and fixed programs

Phuket will hold the Thailand Travel Mart Plus 2022 (TTM+ 2022) in Jun, with 700 participants from 50 countries

The old Phuket Prison will be transformed into an ecotourism attraction and a live museum learning centre

C9 Hotelwork’ latest Phuket Hotel Market Update 2022 has shown that 73% of Phuket’s new hotel developments are either frozen or dormant due to the “fear factor”. The company estimate that a recovery in Phuket could be 2025. It is seeing a wave of conversions from independent properties to brands, as well as a number of internationally managed properties to franchises. Staff shortages are also an issue

Phuket is preparing to bid for the Specialised Expo 2028. Thailand would highlight Phuket as a medical hub at the expo, and approximately 5 million people would visit, generating 50 billion THB

The TAT Surat Thani reported 83,105 visitors (+47% YoY) to the province from 13-17 Apr, including 61,874 Thais and 21,231 foreigners. There was an occupancy rate of 53%, and they stayed an average of 3.34 nights. Total tourism spend was 895.66 million THB, +84% YoY and 76% of the spend was in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. The province saw 20-30 flights and 17 ferry trips. It also expects a large number of travellers from 13-16 May

Nai Harn beach in Phuket is still struggling with rubbish, ahead of Phuket’s bid for the World Specialised Expo

The Association of Domestic Travel (ADT) has called for the government to continue the Tour Teaw Thai domestic stimulus scheme for tour packages until Oct, and new initiatives should be launched to promote secondary destinations. As of 19 Apr, 67,233 packages from the 200,000 quota had been sold. The ADT also called for the limit to be increased to 2-3 packages per person being permitted to be bought, instead of the current one only, allowing operators to boost demand. The ADT is planning a meeting with the TAT and the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) to strategise, especially as “outbound travel is expected to grow at a slower pace due to higher travel costs and the economic slump”. It noted that domestic tourism is the ”bread and butter” of the country and needs support still

Thailand will organise a “Taste of Thailand Fair” in Seoul, South Korea, until 28 Apr, as well as a Thai food and fruit festival in Taipei, as well as a Thai Fruit Golden Months promotion in 13 Chinese cities, which aim to promote Thainess

The US has reclassified Thailand as a level 3, from its previous level 4 “Do Not Travel” list

Hua Hin will hold its International Jazz & Blues Festival 2022 on 7 May

Phuket is planning an event, “Phi Muang Nong’s House”, which will see mini hot air balloons, and aims to build up the relationship between Phuket and Phang Nga

The TAT Pattaya has said that Songkran generated 200 million THB for Chonburi and Pattaya, from both domestic and international travellers. Koh Larn is said to have welcomed 10,000 people per day, with full bookings at its hotels

The Pattaya Business & Tourism Association reported that Pattaya 4* and 5* hotels were fully booked over Songkran

A report from Travelport’s booking data has shown that Bangkok is the 3rd top destination for interest from international travellers into SE Asia. The Philippines, combined with Thailand, make up to 51% of all international flight bookings into SE Asia. Within 24 hours of its 1 February Test & Go reopening announcement, international inbound flight bookings increased 37%, and after streamlining measures in Mar, +128%

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) is calling for the We Travel Together domestic stimulus scheme to have 2 million room nights added by May, to make up for the off peak season, as the quota for the 4th round has been used up by 16 Apr. They noted that stimulus measures “will play a crucial role in supporting the industry until the new high season arrives in the final quarter as operators are now facing an economic downturn from rising inflation and household debt”. Phase 4 has now subsidised 2.69 billion THB as of 17 Apr. The THA suggested that the subsidy be reduced to 20-30% to be able to launch other incentives, including tourism tax breaks for domestic tourists. The TAT will discuss with the Ministry of Tourism on a possible 5th phase of the scheme, as the number of fraud cases has dropped and it remains popular with hoteliers and tourists

The collapse of a roof and wall at a new passenger hall at Don Mueang airport on 18 Apr was put down to heavy rain which overloaded the guttering, and no damage was reported to the main structure of the Service Hall

The Ministry of Public Health is maintaining its target of 1 Jul to declare COVID-19 as endemic, despite a possible uptick in deaths

William Heinecke of Minor International has called for Thailand to remove all its travel restrictions ASAP, pointing out that more Omicron patients were detected locally than from international arrivals

The Ministry of Finance has downgraded its GDP 2022 forecast from 3.5-4.5% to 3-4%, due to climbing fuel prices

The TAT have estimated that 15,000 people visited Phuket per day over Songkran, spending more than 3 billion THB, with a high number of hotel nights

The Public Health Ministry has urged businesses to encourage work from home policies for 7 days after Songkran, to stop the infection rate rapidly increasing

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) has said that cryptocurrency should be considered as an alternative for travel operators, but that it is unlikely to replace credit cards anytime soon. However, if the Bank of Thailand used it as a payment option, then the issues ran into with Russian tourists unable to pay with credit cards could be avoided. Some operators are concerned about its volatility, however

Thailand is the first country to adopt the UNESCO Sustainable Travel Pledge, a scheme under a UNESCO-Expedia partnership. More than 500 hotels have signed the pledge to get rid of single-use plastics

The Southern Chapter of the Thai Hotels Association (THA) has reported daily arrivals at Phuket International Airport of 18,000 pax, +30% vs before the Thai New Year. The majority were domestic market

The Centara World Masters Golf Championship in Hua Hin will be held from 8-14 May

The government has been advised to prepare for an increase of 5-10% in the prices of goods in May, once the diesel price is allowed to float and cargo transport is expected to charge more

The Ministry of Public Health will not declare COVID-19 endemic from 1 Jul, due to new cases and fatalities in Thailand, but will prepare the declaration for when the situation is more promising

A YouGov survey has found that: • 26% of Thais are planning to go back to their hometowns over Songkran • 52% of Thais are still concerned about COVID-19 • 51% have no plans for travel over the festival, with 45-54 and 55+ years old most likely to say no • Reasons for not travelling include 58% uncomfortable about the COVID-19 situation, 39% do not like the traffic jam and 27% want to save money • 18% plan to travel domestically • 6% plan to travel abroad, particularly those from upper income group • 77% preferred to travel by car, 13% tour bus, 9% rental car and 9% plane for hometown visits • 80% preferred to travel by car, 15% by plane and 13% by tour bus for domestic trips • Top domestic destinations during Songkran include the south region (27%), north region (22%) and central (18%) • Top international destinations during Songkran include Asia (30%), Southeast Asia (20%), Europe (15%) and North America (13%) • 49% have a travel budget of 3,000-10,000 THB for festive spending • 29% plan to go out/ do outdoor activities

The TAT and KASIKORN Business-Technology Group have launched the TAGTHAi Pass, which will permit tourists to make one payment using the app to tourism services such as restaurants, spas, attractions and more. It will also be used as a sales and distribution channel for tourism MSMEs. It is being used by more than 180,000 domestic and international travellers

Thailand Pass applicants will now be permitted to arrive on a different date to the one originally approved in their application, so long as it is within 7 days of the original date

Thailand’s daily new cases is trending downwards, but the death rate is rising

The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is planning to target segments which have been less impacted by the pandemic, such as insurance, MLMs and medial supplies. They are aiming to host 300 events in 2022, with 169 meetings and incentives out of those, welcoming 71,454 visitors. They hope to have 95 conventions with 86,740 visitors and 49 exhibitions, potentially generating 12 billion THB. It is also operating a MICE lane at Bangkok’s 2 airports, as well as Phuket Airport. The Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (Tica) forecasts long-haul MICE to take longer to recover, and therefore the focus must be on regional MICE cooperation. TICA and TCEB have now introduced a Thailand Bidding Team, with funding for each project of 100,000 THB for events with 50-500 international attendees

The number of international arrivals into Phuket from 1-14 Apr is 42,375, with a daily average of 3,026. Mar’s average arrivals were 2,329 and Jan and Feb combined had an average of 2,821. Since 1 Jan 2022, it has received 281,046 air travellers, vs 184,030 from 1 Jul-31 Dec 2021

Koh Chang saw 23,874 travellers from Tue-Thu over Songkran

A Department of Health survey has reported that 78% of respondents have seen people wearing masks incorrectly, and 22% have seen people not wearing masks at all. 64% believed that tourist destinations posed infection risks due to overcrowding, 33% said places lacked sanitation and 32% that venues lacked proper airflow

Thailand will shorten the quarantine period for those who test positive for COVID to 5 days, with an additional 5 days of observation and health monitoring

The Kasikorn Research Centre has forecast that 4.6 million people will take trips over 9-17 Apr, +2.2% YoY. It noted that the increase in living costs will be a major decision factor in whether trips are taken, but highlighted that the We Travel Together campaign has somewhat countered the rising costs. They estimate that trips will be shorter, and spending will be around 22 billion THB over Songkran, +1.2% YoY

A number of local and foreign tourists allegedly conducted water fights on Bangkok’s Khaosan Road, despite the ban

A House committee studying opening a casino entertainment complex will submit their conclusion in May

The PM has warned tourists not to splash water over Songkran, after reports of water splashing in Phuket and Bangkok

The TAT has reported that more than 100,000 hotel rooms has been booked using the We Travel Together scheme for Songkran. The government is considering whether to extend it beyond the current 31 May deadline

The Tourism Minister has said that it, together with the TAT, will propose to the CCSA that the Test & Go entry scheme and Thailand Pass registration should be phased out from 1 May, and it will discuss it on 22 Apr. Instead, it proposes tourists can enter Thailand using vaccine passports, instead of waiting for approval for the Thailand Pass. The on-arrival RT-PCR tests would also be replaced by antigen tests

Suvarnabhumi International Airport is encouraging international travellers to download a new QR code which will help them to locate their hotel counter on arrival, after reports of travellers unable to find their hotel desk arose over social media. The airport has also added 9 more hotel desks to the previous 8, to be able to handle an increased number of travellers

Thailand will change its isolation policy for those who have high-risk contact with a COVID patient to be 5 days, down from the current 7 days, after the Songkran holidays

The number of tourists travelling around Phuket via boat and ferry is expected to grow to 10,000 per day during the Songkran holiday

Hua Hin is still positioning itself as a key wellness destination to attract high-value tourists. The Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Dasta) has also highlighted Thung Pradu in Thap Sakae district as being a potential draw, with small quartz crystals found in the area that are believed to have health benefits. Hua Hin is also aiming to welcome destination weddings, with 10 couples in 2022, who could spend 3-6 million THB per event. Chiva-Som International Health Resort has seen occupancy grow to 60-70% in Apr thanks to Songkran, from 50-60% in Mar. The Thai Hotels Association's western chapter has noted that the average hotel occupancy on 13-14 Apr is above expectation, with hotels almost fully booked, but occupancy rates falling to 20-30% in the second half of the month

A tour operator in Trang province has started to offer accessible scuba diving, allowing those with disabilities to also dive. The TAT is adapting facilities in Pak Meng Dock to make them more accessible for those with disabilities

A panel has been set up to position Thailand as an international medical hub, first launching the Andaman Wellness Corridor, as well as launching a wellness industry under the Green Medicine and Creative Economy model, which would see cannabis and traditional herbs being used. It also plans to launch Cannabis Digital Asset, allowing people to access cannabis businesses via VR, and will create World Class Super Centres

S Hotels & Resorts forecasts revenue of 8.5 billion THB in 2022, doubling its revenue from 2021, and aiming to become the second highest revenue earner of Thai hotel groups listed on the stock exchange. It sees direct bookings counting for 30% of sales, up from 10% in previous years

The Bank of Thailand has noted that the Thai economy will continue its recovery thanks to domestic demand and growing international tourists, with a 2022 GDP growth of 3.2% and 5.6 million foreign travellers, and a 2023 GDP growth of 4.4% and 19 million foreign travellers. It noted that employment “might recover more slowly than in past crises”

The Health Minister has said that people in Thailand will be permitted to grow “as many cannabis plants” (medical grade cannabis) as they like at home from 9 Jun, so long as they inform the authorities first

The State Railway of Thailand has added carriages to 184 trains, and added 13 extra trains to handle increased passengers over Songkran

The Thai PM has noted that Mar arrivals to Thailand was over 273,000, up from Feb’s 203,970. In Feb, 152,954 international travellers visited Thailand, up from 133,903 in Jan

The TAT is expecting 8 million international arrivals in 2022. Q2 2022 is forecast to see 341,000 international visitors with 23 billion THB revenue

The Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism (PHIST) event will be held for the first time in 2 years as a physical event in Sep

The Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (TICA) has said that they believe business events will “return substantially” in 2022. It noted that issues facing the industry include understaffing and rehiring of staff

The TAT has reported that domestic tourism spend during Songkran may improve in 2022, but it cannot support a strong recovery, as 2021 tourism contributed less than 10% of GDP, from almost 20% pre-pandemic. It therefore will call for a wider reopening without restrictions, as it noted that the increase in arrival numbers reflects that international travellers prioritise ease of travel for destination choice. It said that Thailand “started this process last year and should not be left behind”

Travellers can benefit from free parking at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport Zone C during the Songkran period

Chiang Mai’s Maesa Elephant Camp is waiving entrance fees during Songkran

Comments that entry fees of 5,000-7,000 THB has been putting Malaysians off crossing into Thailand over the land border at Sadao checkpoint has been refuted by the Tourism Minister, who clarified that the entry fee has been postponed, and will be just 300 THB. Instead, the 5,000-7,000 THB is the fee for the PCR test, hotel and insurance which is needed to apply for the Thailand Pass in total

The Phuket Sandbox’s visitors have now crossed more than 445,800 tourists since its 1 Jul 2021 launch. There are around 70,000 rooms in Phuket during the Songkran period, with an occupancy rate of 44.46%, potentially increasing to 60% with last-minute bookings

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) has a metaverse working group and is aiming to educate tourism operators on digital literacy, including 360-degree panoramic cameras or mobile VR box glasses to share digital assets via social media , and has hosted 20 upskilling courses in Thai provinces to educate operators on the metaverse. It is aiming for 30 areas to have digital content to present on the metaverse in 2022. It called on the government to be a facilitator to develop metaverse tourism, and use it as a key recovery strategy

The deputy governor for digital R&D at TAT has said that attracting cryptocurrency holders could be a way to recovery. He sees the metaverse has having huge potential for more transactions for booking trips or buying NFTs for virtual tourism. It is in talks with Coral, a NFT marketplace platform, Zipmex and EAST NFT about these type of campaigns. It is also looking at how gamification can be implemented, with tourism-related missions. It has launched Holideals, which allows tourists to use digital tokens to buy products and services, and plans to launch more metaverse developments by Q3 2022. However, it would need more funds, or a JV with the private sector, and the TAT is looking at creating a new digital company to support Web 3.0 under the TAT. It is planning other projects, including the Phuket Metaverse City

The CCSA has maintained the COVID-19 control zones, and has set the deadline for alcohol consumption in tourism zones and yellow zones as 11pm

Koh Phangan will launch its Full Moon Party in Apr, with its largest expected attendance so far since the start of the pandemic. It expects 10,000 foreign travellers to join the party from accommodation on Haad Rin, and another 5,000 from elsewhere on the island

The TAT expect 500,000 Indian travellers in 2022 with a spend of 24 billion THB, and see it as an “important market to offset the loss of Chinese tourists”. Since the Air Travel Bubble with India started, Thailand has seen around 600 Indian arrivals daily. From May onwards, 80,000 Indian travellers should arrive into Thailand per month. Thai Airways has noted load factor for routes like New Delhi to be 60-65% in Apr, up from 20-30% previously, due to pent-up demand. It sees load factor growing to 50-60% in Q2 and 75% in Q4 2022

The LRT linking Bang Na intersection and Suvarnabhumi International Airport to start construction in 2025 and have the first phase by 202

The Deputy PM has said that it expects that RT-PCR tests for international travellers will be replaced by antigen tests from May, with the CCSA "agreed in principle but had yet to approve". Travellers would be able to wait for the results at the airport, which should take 15-30 minutes on site, and then would not need to book hotels. The PM said that the government will look at further easing of travel restrictions in May, after an evaluation of the COVID situation after the long Songkran break. Other changes could include fewer documents for the Thailand Pass, shorter quarantine periods and a reduction of the required health insurance

Thailand saw 470,000 foreign travellers in Q1 2022, surpassing 2021’s total 420,000 travellers

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) Eastern Chapter has noted that hotel occupancy in Pattaya in Mar fell slightly, and 20% of all accommodation is still closed

The CCSA claimed that actual daily infections in Thailand could be around 100,000, and that this could accelerate after Songkran

People working in Bangkok have started to make their trip back to their home province for Songkran, with police mobilised to prevent and reduce road accidents. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi international airport is expecting 55,000 domestic and international pax per day from 9-18 Apr, with a total of 550,000 pax and 4,715 flights

The TAT has signed an LOI with Thai Airways and THAI Smile to promote inbound tourism from India. This will see the airlines offering over 30 flights per week between India and Thailand on 6 routes. The TAT New Delhi and Mumbai Offices are working with Indian tour operators to develop tourism from India, and are focusing on Thailand as a wedding and honeymoon destination, with an Amazing Thailand Wedding EXPO 2022 show in Apr. It will also exhibit at the South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE) 2022 from 18-20 May in New Delhi. TAT also aims to welcome special interest groups, luxury and millennial travellers. It expects 13,000 Indian travellers per month to Thailand on Thai Airways and THAI Smile

The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce forecasts that spending for Songkran is forecast to be 5.4% less than 2021, at 106 billion THB, with average individual spend at 4,779 THB over the week-long break. It believes that most Thais will celebrate Songkran in their area or neighbouring province due to higher cost of fuel. The UTTC forecasts that tourism will increase and if the 50:50 co-payment scheme has a 5th phase, that 45 billion THB additional funds could boost the economy

Thailand will host the 11th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting and the 60th APEC Tourism Working Group Meeting in Bangkok from 14-20 Aug 2022. Thailand will promote regenerative tourism for the future of tourism under its Bio-Circular-Green or BCG Economy Model

The consumer index of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce declined to 42.0 in Mar, from 43.3 in Feb, the 3rd consecutive month of decline, and a 6-month low

The TAT expects that domestic tourism receipts in Q1 2022 will be 135 billion THB, +53% YoY, from 29.7 million trips (+73% YoY), and it continues to aim for 656 billion THB for 2022 from domestic travel. It plans to encourage 52% of domestic tourists who are hesitant to travel that it is safe to do so if they have had a booster shot, under the Travel With Care campaign, led by actress Davika Hoorne. It sees 22 million trips in Q2 2022, generating 105 billion THB, but expects slow growth in domestic tourism in 2022 due to Omicron concerns and the economy

The TAT see promising developments from Malaysia, Laos and South Korea in H2 2022. It held discussions with the South Korean ambassador for cooperation on tourism

The TAT and Thai Ecotourism and Adventure Travel Association (TEATA) held an ‘Amazing New Chapters, Amazing “BALANCE” Tourism’ event to promote eco-friendly travel to expats and foreign travellers. It was promoting travel to 9 provinces: Bangkok, Chon Buri, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Surat Thani, Krabi, Phang-nga, Phuket, and Chiang Mai, with activities like cycling, walking and trekking. The routes have their carbon footprint calculated which is then offset. Other packages promoted include Fly-Drive with electric vehicles

The TAT Phuket office estimates that the 5-day Songkran holiday will generate 3.24 billion THB in tourist revenue. They forecast hotel occupancy to increase from its current 44.5% to 60%, and it expects an average stay of 2.49 nights per person. They see 188,200 Thai and foreign tourists visiting Phuket. Some hotels are already reporting 80% occupancy rate in tourist hotspots such as Patong, Kamala, Surin, Kata and Karon beaches. It will hold traditional water festival activities with the public and private sector in Phuket on 11 and 12 Apr

The TAT will partner with Thai AirAsia to deliver a minimum of 18,000 tour packages from Apr-Jul to attract more Southeast Asian tourists. It hopes for 11,000 package tours for solo travellers and families from Vietnam, 3000 tours from young couples and millennials in Singapore, and 1,000 package tours from Malaysia and Cambodia, focused on medical tourism. The TAT is aiming for 1 million Southeast Asian travellers overall in 2022, whilst Thai AirAsia hopes to have 12 million pax, with 30% of those international travellers. It expects to have load factor of 90% on major routes like Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Phuket and Krabi, and other routes a 80% capacity

The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) reported that its industries sentiment index grew to 89.2 in Mar from 86.7 in Feb, but it remains concerns about the increase in energy and materials costs

Pattaya is building Thailand’s first medical city in East Pattaya near to Mabprachan Lake, in partnership with Thammasat University and under the Eastern Economic Corridor initiative. It will be a medical hub and smart city

Certain Phuket MICE players are focusing on new source markets, with the Blue Tree Phuket seeing interest from Mongolia and India, Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort Singapore, and The Peach Group on corporate groups from Asia

Thailand has banned Styrofoam packaging and single use plastics from its national parks. Those found with them could face fines of up to 100,000 THB

The TAT forecasts 11 billion THB in Songkran travel spend from 3.34 million domestic trips, and an average occupancy of 41% from 13-17 Apr. A survey found that 34% of travellers will choose a destination close to home, 32% will undertake inter-provincial travel. It sees the Northeast having 754,380 travellers generating 1.3 billion THB, the central region 735,166 travellers with revenue of 1.4 billion THB, the east 560,980 visitors and 2.3 billion THB revenue and the south 445,399 visitors and 2.78 billion THB. Bangkok’s hotel occupancy is forecast at 27%, whilst Songkhla’s is 11%, with many travellers taking 1-day trips to reduce costs. 2021 saw 6 billion THB generated from 1.6 million Thais

Schools will reopen on 17 May for physical teaching, despite an increase in cases

Suvarnabhumi International Airport has reported 11,623 international travellers from Fri-Mon, +66% on the Mar average of 7,003 visitors. The airport has put this down to the removal of pre-departure RT-PCR tests, and expects the number to continue to rise. In Apr so far it has seen 141 inbound flights vs Mar’s 137 landings

Bill Heinecke, chairman of Minor International, has called on the government to drop all restrictions “before it’s too late”, calling the removal of the Thailand Pass by 1 Jun “too late”. He believes that Thai tourism will recover in one year if the country removes its rules, even if the Chinese market doesn’t return

The Asian Development Bank has updated Thailand’s economic growth forecast to 3.0% in 2022 and 4.5% in 2023, down from its earlier prediction of 4.0% for 2022

The World Bank has lowered the Thailand’s 2022 GDP growth forecast to 2.9%, down 0.7% from its earlier forecast in Oct, due to “multiple shocks” in the global economy, including the Russia-Ukraine war

The Director of the Commerce Ministry’s Office of Trade Policy and Strategy reported that Thailand’s inflation in Mar grew to 5.7% YoY, the highest in 13 months, and it expects Apr inflation to grow further

The TAT will host Amazing Songkran 2022 Celebrations at 10 temples in Bangkok, and other festivities in Ayutthaya, Songkhla, Chiang Mai and Samut Prakan

The TAT will launch a “Nang Fah Pa Tiew” campaign, which will use air crew as micro influencers from Apr-Jun to promote tourism

The World Bank has cut its GDP 2022 forecast for Thailand to 2.9%, down from Dec’s 3.9%, down to a slow down in exports, and fallout from the Ukraine-Russia war

Agoda has partnered with Krungthai Card Public Company to launch a Thai credit card, “KTC-Agoda Mastercard credit card”, Agoda’s first co-branded credit card

The first case of the Omicron XE variant has been detected in Thailand

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) estimate that Thailand might only welcome 5.6 million international visitors in 2022 in its worst-case secenario, if a full reopening is postponed until Oct, or the Chinese and Russian markets are unable to return. It believes that the most sustainable way for the government to support the economy is by creating more jobs through allowing more tourists to enter Thailand

The Thai Hotels Association has stated that the government’s financial aid will temporarily help daily living, but will not be enough in the long-run. Instead, the government should focus on job creation. In the stagnant market condition, hoteliers are looking at cost reduction, particularly cutting workforces, to keep their businesses afloat

The JW Marriott Bangkok has launched its Manhattan studio, offering virtual and hybrid events

Additional ferries are being added for Koh Samui-Koh Phagnan over 13-17 Apr

The Thai PM has called for “collective responsibility” as the country reopens, with all businesses and people trying their best to ensure a smooth process. However, he cautioned that “if anything [untoward] comes to pass, we will have to go back to square one”

Perlis state will discuss Thailand’s proposal to simplify SOPs for entry into Thailand and Malaysia at the Wang Kelian border gate

Thailand will not permit taxis and motorcycles from Malaysia to enter Thailand at the Bukit Kayu Hitam checkpoint on the border

The TAT has organised a mega FAM trip with 80 travel agents, influerncers and media from APAC to Chiang Mai and Phuket. There will also be a tabletop sessions in Chiang Mai on 1 Apr

The Bank of Thailand believes that Thailand’s economy is on a recovery trajectory in Q1 2022, supported by tourism and exports in Feb. It sees the economy picking up “gradually” in Mar, but cautioned downsides include the Omicron variant, the Russia-Ukraine war and energy price hikes

Thailand in Feb welcomed 152,954 international arrivals, up from 133,903 in Jan

The Bank of Thailand lowered its 2022 GDP forecast to 3.2% from a previous 3.4% in Dec, and increased its headline inflation forecast to 4.9% from 1.7%

Thailand will propose 2 parks and 1 wildlife sanctuary to become ASEAN Heritage Parks

Thailand reported a record 27,560 cases on 31 Mar

The Sadao immigration checkpoint with Malaysia reopened on 1 Apr. 107 Malaysians registered to enter via the Thailand Pass scheme, and some Malaysian travellers were turned away at the border having not registered in advance

The TAT is expecting 200,000 tourists to visit Chiang Mai over 13-17 Apr for Songkran, generating 2 billion THB in revenue. The TAT Chiang Mai will also bring 30 tourism businesses to a promotional event in Phuket to advertise the province

Liverpool and Manchester United will have a friendly football match in Bangkok on 12 Jul. Ticket prices are from 5,000-25,000 THB, leading some fans to complain of high pricing

The PM plans to transform Phuket into a world-class medical tourism hub by 2028, with a “Medical Plaza” planned which includes an elderly care centre, palliative care centre and rehab centre

The Bank of Thailand lowered its 2022 GDP forecast to 3.2% from a previous 3.4% in Dec, and increased its headline inflation forecast to 4.9% from 1.7%. It is maintaining its international arrivals forecast at 5.6 million, with 400,000 Russian and Ukrainian visitors

The consumer confidence index dropped in Feb to 43.3 from Jan’s 44.8 due to pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war concerns. The Finance Minister is concerned about tourism arrivals, pointing out that Q1 2022 has seen only 400,000 international travellers to Thailand – if that rate continues, it could only see 1.6 million visitors in 2022

Thailand has approved 252 million THB for the Sadao checkpoint to be connected to Malaysia by a new road

The CCSA confirmed that travellers arriving into Thailand from 1 Apr will no longer require a pre-departure test

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has banned water fights during Songkran, despite being requested by the Association of Business Operators on Khao San Road to permit them

Pattaya has confirmed that no water splashing will be permitted for Songkran

The Queen Sirikit National Convention Center is planning to reopen in Sep, and will host the APEC 2022. It has events and trade fairs booked through from Sep 2022 to 2023, with 60% international traders, 40% domestic

The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau and Thailand Incentive and Convention Association hosted 50 trade buyers and media for its Thailand MICE Fam trip

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) has reported that more than 80% of domestic tourists have cancelled their Songkran trips due to financial or virus concerns. The TCT does not expect tourism to recover until the year-end, as the country is entering the rainy season in a few months

Agoda data has shown that Thailand has been the top searched destination globally over the last 6 months, with +500% searches from Jan 2022 to end Mar 2022. The top inbound markets are Japan, the US, Singapore, the UK, France, Switzerland, South Korea, Maldives, Philippines and Indonesia

Nan’s TAT office expects to attract 700,000 visitors in 2022. It is focusing on travellers from other northern provinces

The Transport Company will increase bus and van trips over Songkran to 3,700 daily out from Bangkok, as it expects travel to be 30% higher than over the New Year break. It forecasts 40,000 pax per day out from Bangkok

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) has reported that tourism operators are still struggling to maintain operations as tourism has not yet fully rebounded, and called for the government to remove the entry travel rules for international travellers. Its tourism confidence index in Q1 2022 was 44, improved from 36 in Q1 2021, but a decline from Q4 2021’s 47, indicating weak confidence. 78% of operators are finding it difficult to increase sales, 45% said their revenue had decreased, and 33% could just about maintain the same level of revenue as Q4 2021. 14% of hoteliers had downsized staff. It calculated that Thai tourism must earn 40% of 2019’s levels, 1.2 trillion THB from 16 million international tourists and 75 million domestic ones, to keep the industry afloat. A survey it undertook of international travellers saw 71% agree that the testing upon arrival is troublesome

The TAT have set up a special task force to ensure that hotel payouts for the We Travel Together scheme are done timely and within 60 days. The task force will inspect the remaining payments to be made, which count for 5.24% of the total 5.3 billion THB spending as of 24 Mar

The Indian Travel Agents’ Federation has reported that close to 1,000 Indian travellers are visiting Thailand every day, and they expect this to double or triple over the next 2 months. Thomas Cook has also reported that Thailand is in the top 3 tourist destinations for Indian travellers

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) reported that the 88% of hotels which had resumed business had only 30% hotel occupancy on average, and 95% had less than half their pre-COVID revenue

The Thai Hotels Association Eastern Chapter has reported that many hotels are worried that they may face cashflow problems due to the long delays in payouts for the We Travel Together scheme, and may withdraw altogether. In Phase 1 and 2 of the scheme, the government paid out 40% of the room cost within 15 days, but since Nov, this has become longer with the TAT asking for additional documents due to “incomplete facial scans” of travellers. They estimate 100 million THB is still unpaid to eastern hotels. The Chiang Rai Hotels Association also noted delays in payment of around 10 million THB. The TAT has said that it has set up a taskforce to address this

The Tourism Ministry has said that an agreement will be finalised this week for leisure tourism packages to Betong, with support from the airport, airlines, tourism agents and the TAT

The PM is calling for Thai people to take workations under the “Workation Paradise Throughout Thailand” initiative. This will encourage weekday travel, and aims to support the tourism sector

The Association of Domestic Travel (ADT) is calling for the government to extend the Tour Teaw Thai domestic travel subsidy scheme for an additional 6 months, as 150,000 of the 200,000 quota are expected to not have been filled by the end of the scheme on 30 Apr. The ADT pointed to complicated processes to use the scheme for both tour operators and tourists, and has urged a simplification of the rules, including removing face scanning during trips. It also suggested reserving 50,000 tour packages for the southern provinces of Songkhla, Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala to help boost promotion. It reported that tour packages to Betong were some of the more popular packages booked over Songkran

The Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) is in agreement that Thailand must remain neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war, as Thailand needs investors and tourists from Russia

Khao San Road operators in Bangkok have started a petition to call for water splashing activities to be permitted during Songkran, stating that Thailand could generate 1 billion THB in tourism-related spend in Apr if it is permitted

The Public Health Ministry is preparing for worst-case scenarios of daily cases reaching 100,000 after Songkran due to interprovincial travel and mingling. The DOH warned elderly to get their booster shots at least 7 days prior to Songkran, and those participating in festivities to have an antigen test

The Department of Medical Sciences are warning consumers against using antigen and RT-PCR tests without good cause if no risks or symptoms are present

The National Wage Committee is considering a proposal to raise the daily minimum wage rate, due to an increased cost of living

The TAT has reported that the Phuket Sandbox has generated 50 billion THB in revenue since it launched on 1 Jul 2021, with more than 400,000 visitors and 70,000 reserved rooms, although it noted that the length of stay has decreased

The CCSA has asked for event attendees to not splash water or use powder or foam at public places during the Songkran festivities. Some splashing water, pouring water on the elderlies’ hands and Buddha images, and cultural performances can be permitted at specific venues under the COVID-Free setting measures

The Kasikorn Research Centre has cut its 2022 GDP forecast for Thailand to 2.5% from a previous 3.7%, due to the Russia-Ukraine war. It sees oil prices increasing, and inflation hitting 4.5%. It has kept its forecast of 4 million tourists as it believes that the lack of Russian and European tourists will be offset by those visiting from Asia, however, it forecasts that the tourism revenue could be lowered by around 50 billion THB

Minor Hotels has noted that it is “certainly a lot more positive about Thailand’s tourism outlook for the coming holidays in April than previous months”

A new light installation festival, “Awakening Bangkok 2021/2022’ will be launched from 25 Mar-3 Apr in 3 Bangkok neighbourhoods

The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is supporting the plan to open a Thailand International Air Show at U-Tapao airport in 2025, with an official launch planned for 2023. The 2025 show would be a pilot, with a full show expected in 2027. It forecasts the show could generate THB 4,777 million, 18,760 new jobs and tax revenue of THB1,788 million. Around 75,000 aviation linked visitors should attend the show

The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority will decide on 28 Mar whether to allow water splashing activities for Songkran at Khao San Road

The Board of Investment will support 30 local startups in the bio-, circular and green (BCG) businesses and S-curve targeted industries, including medical and wellness tourism

VFS Global are expecting a big jump in demand for its services for eVisa on arrival for Indian travellers to Thailand

The Tourism and Sports Ministry hopes to eliminate the Thailand Pass and Test & Go schemes by 1 Jun if there is no significant increase in cases and deaths during Songkran, with 50-6000 cases and a fatality below 100. It noted that "Thailand started like a rabbit, running quickly last year as we reopened to visitors. We cannot let the country fall behind as many nations are opening borders and have fewer restrictions than us". It said that when Thailand fully reopens, an antigen test should still be used, to boost local confidence. It also said that the government and tourism agencies have to collaborate together to reach a target of 7 million international arrivals in 2022, down from its previous forecast of 10 million due to the Russia-Ukraine war. It sees tourism revenue returning to 30% of 2019 levels, 50% in 2023 and fully recovering by 2024

The Malaysian Health Minister has said that the land border arrangements with Thailand, Brunei and Indonesia have not yet been finalised, with only the Singapore and the Malaysia-Thailand border checkpoints at Bukit Kayu Hitam-Sadao and Wang Kelian-Wang Prachan borders in Kedah and Perlis agreed from 1 Apr. It noted that any decision needs to be reciprocal, and that the Thailand-Malaysia border was opened for tourists only

The Khao San Business Association has reported that half of the 10,000 hotel rooms around the adjacent area to Khao San Road in Phra Nakhon district are still closed due to the slow international arrivals. Those which are open see occupancy levels of below 20%. Pre-pandemic, Songkran saw hotel occupancy of 90-100% for the area and 50,000 tourists per day visiting

The Thai Hotels Association northern chapter has noted that forward bookings for Songkran are low, at 20%, vs pre-pandemic hitting 60-70% occupancy in Mar and 90-100% occupancy during Songkran itself. An optimistic scenario for 2022 could see occupancy increasing to 40-50%, but due to living cost concerns, including high oil prices, this could be just 30%. 50% of hotels in the province have reopened, up from 2021’s 30%, but they are still unable to break even, and even the We Travel Together campaign has not provided an uplift, despite the low prices that it has aided

The Ministry of Transport has noted that it will transfer airports in Krabi, Udon Thani and Buri Ram provinces to the management of the Airports of Thailand from Apr. The airports will also see them being upgraded from local to regional and secondary hub status eventually

The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MCTO) has appointed Suvimol Thanasarakij as its new Executive Director

The governor of Phuket has confirmed that there will be no waterplay permitted at Songkran in Phuket

Domestic travellers to Phuket must either be fully vaccinated, or have a negative RT-PCR/ antigen test within 3 days of arrival from 23 Mar onwards

The Thailand Tourism Minister has said that he wants all border checkpoints with Malaysia to reopen from 1 May

The cabinet has approved 10 measures to ease the cost of living, including raising its cooking gas subsidy for certain consumers and businesses, a petrol subsidy for taxi motocyclists, a cap on the price of natural gas and retail diesel, and a discount on electricity bills. There will also be a reduction in the contribution for employees and employers into the Social Security Fund from 5% to 1% of salaries. The PM noted that the Russia-Ukraine war has caused the fluctuation in costs

The TAT Pattaya office is trying to speed up the approval process for the SHA+ certification

Marriott International is planning to launch 7-8 new properties in Thailand in 2022, as part of its 5-year plan to open 33 new properties

A budget of 80 million THB will be requested to develop the 600km Thai Riviera coastal road which covers Ranong, Phangnga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Satun. If the budget is approved, the plan could take 18 months, from Dec to May 2024

The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Congress will be held in Bangkok from Nov 12-15 2023

The Thai government forecasts the economy to grow by 3% in 2022

The Securities and Exchange Commission have banned business operators from offering cryptocurrencies as a way to pay for services and goods from 1 Apr, but will still allow it to be traded and invested in

The Thai Baht has lost more than 3% of its value since the Russian invasion of Ukraine

The Phu Laen Kha National Park in Chaiyaphum passed the Dark Sky Park assessment of the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT), which means that it could now be registered as an astrotourism location. 5 other national parks in Thailand are being assessed

200 people kayaked along Bangkok’s canals on 20 Mar to promote ecotourism in Thailand

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) has said that a Jul declaration of endemicity for COVID-19 is too far away for tourism operators who are struggling with a lack of international visitors as well as diminishing domestic demand due to higher living costs. It urged the government to drop all requirements by Songkran. It also called for a consistent strategy from the government and financial support for upskilling of tourism operators

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) stated that tourism momentum is not strong in Thailand right now, and that the current inflow of tourists is below the hotel industry’s expectations. It urged for the Test & Go scheme to be dropped as soon as possible

Yala province in 2021 welcomed 229,555 domestic tourists, generating 567 million THB up from 2019’s 145,191 travellers

The TAT has celebrated its 62nd anniversary

The government has changed the zoning for a number of provinces, with the majority yellow. Chiang Mai and Phetchaburi are now “blue” zones which will allow international tourists, increasing the number to 10. 20 are orange zones, with alcohol sales at restaurants still banned, whilst in 47 yellow zones, it can be served at restaurants until 11pm. Bars and nightclubs remain closed throughout the country. Certain districts in 18 provinces are also now designated blue zones

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) has said that the removal of pre-testing might noy be strong enough to attract tourists now that other destinations have opened with fewer restrictions. They noted that “bringing in more international tourists is the only viable option for our workers to survive”. Thai AirAsia believed that the government should ease other measures soon, replacing the test on arrival with an antigen test only. The Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Thai Industries also called for the schemes to be simplified or removed, noting that Thailand could “lose the opportunity if it is too late”

The TAT has launched a campaign promoting eco-friendly tours which encourages travellers to take part in challenges, including producing online content

Songkran water fights have been banned for the 3rd consecutive year. Only traditional Songkran activities will be permitted, including visiting temples, praying and pouring water on statues and the elderly’s hands

Thailand’s State of Emergency has been extended until 31 May

The government has changed the zoning for a number of provinces, with the majority yellow. Chiang Mai and Phetchaburi are now “blue” zones which will allow international tourists, increasing the number to 10. 21 are orange zones, with alcohol sales at restaurants still banned, whilst in yellow zones, it can be served at restaurants until 11pm. Bars and nightclubs remain closed throughout the country

The International School of Tourism at Suratthani Rajabhat University has offered 30 rooms to accommodate stranded Russian and Ukrainian tourists at the low rate of 4,000 THB/ month. The Samui Tourism office has reported around 3,000 Russian tourists stranded in Samui, Pha-ngan and Tao islands

The PM has said that Thailand plans to declare COVID-19 endemic by 1 Jul, with 4 phases: “Combatting phase” from now-Apr; “Plateau Phase” from Apr-May where numbers will remain steady with no spikes; “Declining Phase” with a drop in infection and death rates and “Post-Pandemic” stage, or endemic. The CCSA is aiming for mortality to be less than 0.1%, whilst booster coverage should hit 60% of the population

Koh Samui is considering adding a cruise ship terminal, with the Marine Department identifying the southwest part of the island as suitable for a deep-water port that could welcome 2 cruise ships, 80 yachts and 6 ferries simultaneously. The Ministry of Transport is also pushing the building of other cruise ship terminals in Thailand

A record high of 27,071 cases were reported on 18 Mar

The CCSA has approved the removal of pre-testing requirements for international travellers from 1 Apr, as part of its transition to an endemic phase. Travellers entering under the Test & Go, Sandbox and Alternative Quarantine schemes will be allowed to enter without testing, but will still need to undergo testing on arrival of an RT-PCR test and an antigen self-test on day 5. Other changes include: • The mandatory stay period for Sandbox travellers before they can travel to other parts of Thailand is reduced to 5 days • Alternative quarantine will be reduced to 5 days, with an RT-PCR test on day 4/5 • Number of airports permitted to receive international travellers expanded to 8: Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi, Phuket, Krabi, Samui, Chiang Mai, U-Tapao, and Hat Yai • Land borders increased to 4: Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Songkhla, and Satun • Water points of entry increased to 3: Phuket, Chon Buri, and Surat Thani, with yachts and Thai government agency ships permitted to enter

The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) is urging the government to suspend the Test & Go restriction and testing, and allow fully vaccinated tourists free entry, as well as reducing health insurance coverage requirements

The President of Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation has pushed the government to create a Digital Nomad visa for those travelling to Phuket. The proposal included a living period of 6-12 months in Phuket, and tourists would be permitted to open a savings bank account, own up to 3 vehicles and be issued a work permit automatically

The Public Health Ministry hopes to remove the obligatory mask wearing in public parks

Club Med Phuket has reopened after 2 years of closures

The government has approved a capital gains tax waiver for startup investors in 12 industries, including quality tourism

Banyan Tree Veya Phuket will open on 18 Mar within the Laguna Phuket integrated resort and will offer tailored wellness programs for guests

The Tourism Council of Thailand has said that there is a delay in the approval of tour programs to be sold in the Tour Teaw Thai program, with a number of tour operators still waiting approval for their tour packages to be sold. This has led them to have to cancel packages already sold, and may incur more losses due to air ticket purchases. The deadline for redemption by tourists is 30 Apr, and the Association of Domestic Travel (ADT) noted that the “tourism stimulus plan should support operators, not put more burden and risk on us”. As of 15 Mar, only 47,443 tour packages had been sold, and many issues still face operators, including if the packages are changed, due to paperwork required

The TAT has signed an LOI with Sendai City and Tohoku Regional Tourism Organisation in Japan to continue their joint tourism promotion. The agreement has been in place since 2006

Chiang Mai has requested permission to reopen the province to international tourists in its entirety ahead of Songkran

Accor is set to add at least 17 more hotels in Thailand over the next 5 years, and open 2,500 additional rooms in Thailand in 2022. It reported that during the Test & Go first phase, its Phuket hotels saw occupancy of 14-66%, and some more than 80% after the scheme resumed in Feb

The TAT has reported that 3,100 Russians are stranded in Phuket and 2,000 in Koh Samui, with a few others in Krabi, Phangnga and Bangkok

The TAT has partnered with Hotelbeds to promote Thailand to US-based travel agents

Thailand has reported the presence of the BA.2 subvariant of the Omicron strain

The Transport Ministry will waive toll fees for several motorways over the Songkran period

The Mae Taeng Elephant Camp in Chiang Mai is being put up for sale, as it can no longer afford the 2 million THB/ month required to care for the elephants

Bangkok will ease its rules from 15 Mar, including allowing shopping centre and events venues to serve alcohol until 11pm, although they will need to be certified via SHA+ and the Thai Stop Covid 2 Plus scheme. The number of participants at events will be 1,000 with events greater than that needing to seek permission from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. Bars and entertainment venues must remain closed

Prachuap Khiri Khan is drawing up a new strategy to attract tourists, with last year’s international tourist revenue just 36 million THB vs 2020’s 1.85 billion THB, and domestic tourism revenue down to 10.5 billion THB from 16.1 billion in 2020. It will centre around promoting Hua Hin-Pran Buri, Sam Roi Yot-Kui Buri-Muang, and Thap Sakae-Bang Saphan-Bang Saphan Noi, with one night and 2 night stays

The Deputy PM told small coalition partners that snap elections are likely in early 2023, according to sources

Pattaya Tourist Police have opened a hotline for Ukrainian and Russian tourists facing issues returning home

There have been few calls to the Phuket helpline for stranded Russian tourists, according to the TAT Phuket office. Meanwhile, tourism operators noted that the number of Russian and Ukrainian visitors to the beaches had dropped from 70-80% to 5%, and now there were no more remaining

The TAT is boosting its promotional activities in India, focusing on millennials, golfers, luxury travellers, wellness seekers, wedding groups and honeymooners. It will also target northeastern states who have access to Thailand via Myanmar

A Suan Dusit poll has shown that a majority of Thai respondents are worried by the Russia-Ukraine war, and thought that it would have a considerable impact on fuel prices and the cost of living

The TAT will organise a roadshow to Saudi Arabia to boost tourism from this source market

The TAT has briefed Pattaya tourism stakeholders on the Saudi Arabian market, and they will continue to hold B2B and B2C sales promotional activities to encourage more Saudi Arabians to travel to Thailand

The Phuket Tourism Business Association has reported that there are around 3,000 Russian tourists stranded in Phuket. It has proposed 3 solutions to the TAT and Bank of Thailand: allow Thai commercial banks to accept Russia’s Mir payments system, allow the use of Chinese payment systems such as UnionPay and allow cryptocurrencies as payment. It reported the number of Russian tourists arriving into Phuket declined by 75%

The Thai Hotels Association estimate around 3,000 Russian and Ukrainian tourists are stranded in Phuket, including those who want to return home soon, and those who want to stay in Thailand until the situation improves

The Thai Hotels Association forecast hotel occupancy in Phuket to grow to 50-60% during Songkran

The Sadao-Malaysia land border has reopened after 2 years of closure

A new water park, Aquaverse, from Columbia Pictures films, expects to delay its Apr reopening due to tourism uncertainty

Thailand has reaffirmed that it has a neutral stance towards the Russia-Ukraine war, and urged peaceful resolution

The Bank of Thailand expects a weak recovery in tourism in 2022, and just 6 million international arrivals

The Federation of Thai Industries has called for the ending of the Test & Go scheme restrictions, to boost the local economy and help the entry of travellers

The TAT is preparing a plan to ease restrictions in line with Thailand’s plan to declare COVID-19 endemic by 1 Jul. This would lead to the scrapping of the Thailand Pass. However, they noted that an RT-PCR test result is still essential right now as the country experiences high cases. It will propose further easing measures on 18 Mar in a meeting with the CCSA. Thailand should expect more arrivals from short-haul destinations. TAT will wait until the end of Mar before revising its visitor forecasts

The TAT will develop marketing plans to boost domestic tourism sentiment over Songkran, so long as celebrations are permitted. They anticipate that domestic tourists may continue to travel, but for a shorter period and spend less due to higher oil prices and inflation. It noted that “tourism is still a key engine to revive our economy”

Thailand’s industry sentiment index dropped in Feb to 86.7 from 88 in Jan, due to rising cases, an increase in raw material costs and the decision to put Thailand under its second highest alert level

Nikorn Marine Tour Phuket has urged the government to stop any further increases in fuel, as it is impacting marine operators. Despite the increase in fuel, it cannot raise prices in fear of deterring tourists due to decreased budgets

The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce has estimated that should the Russia-Ukraine war last the whole year, it could damage the Thai economy by 244.7 billion THB, and Thailand could see its GDP grow by only 2-3% in 2022, entering “stagflation”

The National Communicable Disease Committee announced that they plan to declare COVID-19 endemic in Thailand in Jul. To reach this, related deaths must not exceed 0.1%. It will implement a 4 phase, 4-month plan: Phase 1 to focus on suppressing infections and severe cases, phase 2 to see a decline in cases and phase 3 new daily cases must be a maximum of 1,000-2,000

The TAT does not believe that the United States’ Level 4 rating for Thailand will impact tourism to the country. Instead, it is concerned with rising oil prices and inflation. It expected 338,645 international tourists in Q1 2022 generating 26 billion THB, but forecasts that this could be 30% lower

The first international vessel to enter Thailand via the Test & Go scheme took place on 8 Mar, with 4 Indonesians into Phuket. The TAT hope that reopening marine entry points will stimulate more yacht and cruise travel into Thailand. In Jan-Feb 2022, Phuket saw 27 yachts with 92 pax, whilst in 2021 it saw 91 yachts and 323 pax

Songkhla province has said that it is ready to welcome Malaysia international travellers once Malaysia’s borders open on 1 Apr

High-risk people are being urged to get vaccinated ahead of Songkran with the aim to get 70% of those vaccinated

NH Collection will launch in Asia, with the NH Collection Chiang Mai Ping River in 2023

Phuket opened a call centre to help Ukrainian and Russian tourists who are unable to return due to flight cancellations and financial difficulties. Half of Phuket’s Russian arrivals come on direct flights with Aeroflot, who have now cancelled all flights, Siberia Airlines who have also cancelled flights, and Ural Airlines. The Phuket Tourism Association noted that 500-600 Russian tourists were arriving daily, but this has now stopped. They also anticipated arrivals from Europe to decrease due to higher fuel costs. It saw replacement markets for the Russian market to Phuket being India, as Thai Smile will operate its first direct Mumbai and New Delhi-Phuket flight, Australia and the Middle East

The TAT in a webinar "The Landscape of Tourism: Russia Case Study", noted that as of 7 Mar, Russian arrivals had dropped to 4th place overall in top source markets. It also reported some cancellations from Poland and the Czech Republic, but not the wide European market. However, it noted fewer new bookings from Europe. Thailand still plans to take part in the Moscow International Travel & Tourism Exhibition from March 15-17. The TAT Moscow has reported that Russian operators continue to sell package deals to Thailand for the long holiday of 1-10 May

The Phuket Tourist Association has discussed with the Bank of Thailand temporarily accepting cryptocurrency as an alternative payment method for stranded Russian tourists. The suggestion will soon be proposed to the cabinet for consideration

The PM has given assurances that Songkran, as well as inter-provincial travel, will be permitted from 13-15 Apr. The PM has strongly suggested that everyone planning to celebrate undergoes a booster dose, as well as tests themselves pre and post their trip with an antigen test

Thailand has launched the Thailand Privilege Card Flexible Plus Programme, aimed at wealthy investors

Centara Hotels and Resorts plans to open 100 new hotels in 5 years across Thailand, China, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Half of the new properties will be in Thailand. In 2022, it plans to open at least 8 new hotels, 3 of which in Bangkok. In 2021, it reported 2.3 billion THB revenue, -25% YoY. In 2022, it projects revenue of 5.9 billion THB, including from its property in Dubai. It foresees the domestic market remaining the driver for Thailand in H1 2022, and more international tourists, including Chinese, in Q3 2022. It called for the deadline for the We Travel Together subsidy scheme to be extended to 2022-end, as in 2021, it account for up to 20% of revenue

The Finance Minister has reported that Thailand’s 2022 GDP forecast of 3.5-4.5% might be impacted by the Russia-Ukraine war, and may also cause Thailand to miss its 7 million international travellers forecast

Around 7,000 Russian and Ukrainian tourists in Thailand will be permitted to extend their tourist visa without an application fee as a humanitarian measure. The government is also planning to offer them shelter in Phuket or Pattaya. Tourism operators are also working with UnionPay to offer this mode of payment for Russian travellers who have their credit cards blocked. The TAT has said that they will also work to find solutions for private hospitals who are reluctant to offer medical services to Russian patients because of interrupted payments. The Phuket Tourism Association noted that Russian tourists make up 70% of their market share and from 1-6 Mar, it was the top arriving market, with an average stay of 10 days

A fire at Soneva Kiri Koh Kood luxury hotel on Koh Kut has caused extensive damage estimated at 200-300 million THB

The CDC in the USA has added Thailand to its Level Four: Very High list, which urges Americans to avoid travelling to those countries mentioned

The Thai PM has said that the VTL between Malaysia and Thailand will help boost economic recovery

The Public Health Commission Secretary has said that Thailand’s “secret weapon” to attract tourists is cannabis, as part of the decriminalisation of the plant

A Thai Hotels Association (THA) survey from 11-23 Feb found: • 63% of hotels recorded losses with average occupancy below 30%, despite the Test & Go scheme • 75% of hoteliers project a breakeven point of 30% occupancy rate, but only 37% managed to achieve this • Average occupancy increased to 34% in Feb from Jan’s 32% thanks to the We Travel Together scheme • Half of the hoteliers who took the survey noted that international travellers were less than 10% of their bookings, and 20% of hotels saw international travellers account for 50% of total guests • Average daily rate (ADR) for 82% of hotels was still behind 2019 levels due to competition and lower demand • Employment rate fell to 59.8%, except for hotels in Northeast and North • 43% of hotels are struggling to find skilled workers • Just 11% of hotels increased wages to keep current staff or attract new ones

JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group reported that hotel property value was sustained in Bangkok in 2021, with prices discounted just 5% of 2019 levels, whilst in Samui discounts were 15-20%

The government expects to launch a Thai-developed COVID-19 preventive nasal spray in Q3 2022

The Thai Hotels Association Eastern chapter has said that Pattaya is hardly seeing any of the We Travel Together scheme bookings due to the high number of cases, and that the start of the year does not have many long holidays

Some hotels in Phuket and Krabi have stopped accepting Russian tourist’s credit cards. Melia Hotel noted that around 15% of advance bookings from Russians have been cancelled

A business matching event in Udon Thani by the Phuket Tourist Association and the Phuket Tourism Council has promoted Phuket to Udon Thani, Loei, Nong Khai, Beung Kan and Nong Bua Lumphu and vice versa

The organiser of the Thai Teaw Thai tourism fair, held from 3-6 Mar, has 650 tour operators and expects to generate 100 million THB in transactions. It expects a positive sentiment for Songkran, so long as there are no more lockdowns

The Malaysian Transport Minister has announced that Malaysia will open Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) with Cambodia and Thailand from 15 Mar, allowing quarantine-free returns to Malaysia. Thailand will see 6 flights daily between Kuala Lumpur-Bangkok and 4 times daily for Kuala Lumpur-Phuket, shared between designated airlines. Cambodia will see 2 flights daily between Kuala Lumpur-Phnom Penh

The Supreme Court has acquitted Fuan Travel of allegedly defrauding Chinese visitors, after being accused of zero-dollar tours where tourists would be taken to overpriced souvenir shops

Songkhla’s civic groups are calling for residents to partner with the local fine arts office to prevent an archaeological site from logging, digging and road construction without permission

The TAT has reported that the number of Russian tourists has drastically dropped since 1 Mar, to 378 per day, from 600-700 per day previously

A meeting to discuss the “next normal” of Thailand tourism was held with Thailand’s Board of Trade and TAT, as well as 100 representatives of tourism stakeholders. The government was urged to drop the requirement to register for the Thailand Pass in the next phase of easing

Thailand voted to support the UN resolution to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) has lowered its forecast for 2022 Thai GDP to 2.5-4.5% due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the increase in crude oil and natural gas

Pattaya City has launched the Neo Pattaya development and the Old Town Na Klua development, which aim to promote Phuket as a tourism and investment centre. The mayor has announced that the majority of the plans has now been budgeted

The TAT will target 1.5 million short-haul tourists to visit Thailand in 2022, to make up for the missing Chinese market. It assumes that if travellers from Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia and Singapore can travel quarantine-free upon return to their home country, that Thailand stands to gain 800,000 tourists. It estimates 500,000 Indian travellers could visit Thailand if airlines operated with a 70% capacity. Australia could generate 200,000 visitors, especially over the Easter holidays. It noted that targets will be revised as developments occur in the East Asian market, particularly from Japan or China. It also foresaw the increase in oil prices pushing up airfares

The Thai Cabinet has approved an air travel bubble with India, with direct flights to the country in Mar. Only Thai, Indian, Nepali and Bhutanese nationals will be permitted, as well as those with visas residing in Thailand or India

The National Health Security Office hotline for COVID-19 has crossed over 70,000 calls per day, beyond the system’s capacity, as cases increase

The TAT will launch a new campaign, “Thailand Holideals”, which will allow the public to use digital tokens to pay for holiday packages

Skal International Bangkok has restarted its physical events in Thailand

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) do not expect tourism arrivals from Russia to be impacted in the long run, as the Russians visiting Thailand are usually wealthy and therefore should be unaffected by the weak rouble. However, it suggested that the main obstacles to a tourism recovery in Thailand in 2022 were “Covid and the government’s current policy on how to attract travellers”

The Thai Hotels Association and Minor International Group have called for the Test & Go scheme to be Let Go to ensure that Thailand remains competitive as a destination

5 new historical tours of the MRT, Happy Journeys with BEM, in the old town area of Bangkok have been launched in a partnership between the TAT and Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA). It is hoped to boost tourism

The Thai Cabinet has approved an investment of 1.4 billion THB to develop an international medical centre in Phuket, creating a “world-class health tourism city” that can act as a model for health tourism

The Thai Hotels Association and Minor International Group have called for the Test & Go scheme to be Let Go to ensure that Thailand remains competitive as a destination. Minor International Group estimated that Thailand would receive just 4 million tourists in 2022 if reforms weren’t made to the current regulations. It also called for the government to establish flight connections with low-cost Indian carriers to Thailand

There have been reports of Russian and Ukrainian tourists in Thailand struggling with financial transactions and cancelled flights

Thai VietJet Air will work with Phaya Thai Hospital in Bangkok to carry health tourists from Cambodia

The Malaysian government has said that is in negotiations with 12 countries to implement Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs): Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Korea and the UK. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that there are 3 phases of negotiations: preliminary (currently with Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Vietnam and Thailand); comprehensive (Brunei, Indonesia and Korea) and implementation (Singapore). It noted that these negotiations were “rather slow” due to the uncertainties of the Omicron variant

Thailand’s unemployment rate fell to 1.64% in Q4 2021, the lowest since the pandemic hit

The TAT has praised Agoda’s initiative to upskill the local community of Talat Noi in preparation to welcome back tourists

The Department of Disease Control (DDC) noted that worst-case scenarios could see cases reach 100,000 by Songkran

Thai scientists are developing a nasal spray which is said to be effective against preventing COVID-19. They expect the spray to be available in Q3 2022

The Tourism Ministry will issue an announcement asking hotels to voluntarily refund costs or convert to credits for the 5th day of expenses for the Test & Go scheme, now that the requirement has been waived. This impacts 2,157 hotels and their partner hospitals. The TAT noted that 77,851 registrants would be impacted by the change as they had already paid for their 2nd test and hotel room under the previous rule. The actual number of those would travel might be 40,000, 20-30% of whom are locals who would ask for refunds. Hotels were also advised to provide antigen tests free of charge for guests to self-test on day 5. The private sector raised concerns on the burden that this puts on the hotel sector, as they have to face losses from additional operational costs already incurred. The government noted that it will address these potential burdens on hotels when they relax more rules in Apr

The CCSA has approved that international tourists can take dedicated domestic flights to provinces, removing the requirement that they must arrive on a dedicated flight, or be restricted to 5 hours from the airport

The TAT will hold its Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+) 2022 from 8-10 Jun in Phuket. It will have 2 full days of buyer/ seller appointments and post-tours. It expects to attract 700 local and international attendees, with buyers from 50 countries

The changes to the Thailand Pass from 1 Mar have been officially approved in the Royal Gazette

The Bank of Thailand reported that the economy improved in Feb, due to the reopening of tourism and easing of restrictions

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is looking at a Safe Passage scheme to reconnect all APEC member states. Thailand has suggested that the APEC business card mandate is expanded and make more accessible

The Tourism Association of Koh Samui has noted that there have not been a significant number of cancellations from Russian tourists yet, and direct flights are still operating from Moscow. From 1-22 Feb, Russians were the top arrivals into Thailand under the Test & Go scheme

The Tourism Association of Koh Samui reported that 5,000 room nights have been booked in Mar and they are expecting an occupancy rate of 40-50% in Feb

Thailand’s daily COVID cases reached a record high of 25,615

The Malaysian PM has said that land VTLs with Singapore, Thailand and Brunei could be implemented before Hari Raya 2022, and several proposals have been given to the Health Ministry to study. He noted that “the air VTL is easier to implement compared to land VTL as travellers arriving at airports can be quickly screened (for Covid-19). However, we need to avoid creating long queues of vehicles when conducting screenings at land entry points”

Malaysia and Thailand will undertake a feasibility study on a high-speed rail linking Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur

Thailand and Malaysia have agreed to establish a Vaccinated Travel Lane between the 2 countries, and a working group will be set up to establish the guidelines for border reopening. The first VTL will be between Kuala Lumpur-Bangkok, with other destinations added later, including land and sea borders such as Bukit Kayu Hitam-Sadao and Langkawi-Satun

Representatives of the Mani ethnic group in Satun province have complained to the authorities that their quality of life is being impacted by the local tourism industry. They cited examples such as being unable to replace a thatched roof with a ceramic one, as they were told it wasn’t traditional and went against a “selling point”

The Public Health Ministry hopes to declare COVID-19 endemic within the next 4 months, saying that the fatality rates are significantly lower than the previous wave, despite growing cases. It plans to publicly outline its transition plan soon. They noted that lockdown measures aren’t likely to be implemented

The TAT and Emirates have signed an MoU to boost tourism to Thailand under its Visit Thailand Year 2022: Amazing New Chapters campaign

The Pattaya Music Festival 2022, scheduled for Mar, has been postponed due to the increase in cases

The National Security Council have said that no interprovince travel restrictions will be imposed after their meeting next week over the Songkran period. However, the festival may still be subject to restrictions, such as social gatherings and parties being restricted

Thailand’s daily COVID cases reached a record high of 23,557

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) sees the number of international guests over the Songkran period being around 5,000-6,000, and has warned against hoping for international visitors. However, should the RT-PCR test before arrival requirement be removed, that number could grow to 10,000. It noted that the reopening can help to “resuscitate the industry, but most of us cannot return to the levels of the pre-pandemic period”

A TAT official has said that the Russia-Ukraine crisis will have a negative immediate impact on arrivals, but noted that it was “too soon to assess the impact”

Entry to Thailand from cruise ships or yachts will be permitted under the Test & Go scheme from 1 Mar, with tests performed on board vessels or at designated venues

Laos has agreed with Thailand to reopen the cross-border checkpoints

The Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) launched a Consumer Fair and Road Show, and the TAT Phuket launched a “Phuket Great Time #3” to boost Phuket’s tourism, both domestic and international. TAT Phuket noted that tourism to Phuket had generated direct income of 18 billion THB, and with a multiplier effect, had created 43 billion THB for the national economy since reopening. It plans to promote more domestic visitors to Phuket, with activities during Songkran 2022 and special packages on its dedicated website. It will push the 4 Ps: Phuket Even More Amazing, Phuket Active Sport, Phuket Luxperience and Phuket Collaboration. The PTA is planning roadshows in Hat Yai, Phuket and Surat Thani

The Public Health Ministry has increased the COVID alert level in Thailand to Level 4. It announced the majority of new cases were asymptomatic, but urged the public to work from home and avoid visiting high-risk areas

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) has critiqued the new alert level, stating that the new alert level will worry people, and demand will fluctuate, causing uncertainties for travel. The new alert level also encourages people to avoid non-essential inter-provincial travel, and they noted that “frequent flip-flops” should be avoided to aid in long-term recovery of the industry. The Association of Domestic Travel expects that the Tour Teaw Thai scheme bookings will decrease as families and elderly, the targets of the scheme, may delay their trip due to the COVID surge. It urged the government to extend the validity of the scheme until the end of Jul

The government will delay its plan indefinitely to remove COVID-19 treatments from the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients scheme

The Rayong Pollution Control Centre has said that the levels of oil on Mae Ramphueng beach still exceed safe levels, following the oil spill

The Tourism Ministry has confirmed that tourists will need to pay a 300 THB “land entry fee”, with a start date to be confirmed

The Phuket Sandbox has received 331,365 visitors and 18.32 billion THB in revenue for Phuket, and 43.52 billion THB for the economy in general, since its start on 31 Jul. In Jan, 86,282 tourists visited Phuket, with around 70,000 room reservations made and an average stay of 8 days. Hotel occupancy in Phuket is currently at 35-50%, but predicted to rise 60-70% during Songkran

The Thai Chamber of Commerce has urged the government to cut the second RT-PCR test on arrival. In Feb, they noted that 82,887 entered Thailand via Test & Go and only 1.05% tested positive

The CCSA has approved the removal of the Day 5 RT-PCR test for the Test & Go scheme from 1 Mar, replacing it with a rapid antigen self-test. The insurance requirement will also be reduced from $50,000 USD to $20,000 USD. A hotel reservation will no longer be needed for the 5th day of arrival. The borders at Nong Kai, Udon Thani and Songkhla will also be opened to be entered by land from the start of Mar

Personal income tax will be waived for high-income earners, retirees and remote workers under the long-term residence visa new schemes

The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Policy Committee has given the green light for establishing a new company to speed up development of U-Tapao airport, the EEC Airport Asset Development Co., Ltd. The high-speed rail project linking Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports is said to be making good progress. The overall project for U-Tapao’s aviation city is set to complete in 2023

The TAT plans to focus on weddings, honeymoons, golf, millennials and digital nomads in the Indian market, all special interest groups who are high spenders. It plans to hold a fam trip for media and travel agents, as well as a dedicated fam trip and wedding symposium for wedding planners in Mar. It will also have a presence at the South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE) 2022 form 18-20 May

The Thai GDP in Q4 2021 returned to growth at 1.8%, beating forecasts. Its 2021 GDP was 1.6%, one of the slowest in Southeast Asia, after 2020’s -6.2%. The state planning agency expects 5.5 million international visitors in 2022, an increase from a previously forecast 5 million

The government have kept their 2022 GDP forecast of 3.5-4.5%, expecting a limited impact from the Omicron variant, stronger domestic demand and a recovery in tourism, amongst others

Phuket has called to be the first province designated as “endemic”. The province is also calling for a shortening of quarantine periods for infected people, to be shortened from 10 to 5 days. It noted that the province has sufficient resources to handle locals and visitors, but the infection rate amongst tourists visiting is 3%, and 4% in second tests

The Tourism Minister and TAT are calling for the second RT-PCR test under the Test & Go scheme to be eliminated by Mar, and will request this move at the 23 Feb CCSA meeting. They would plan to eliminate all RT-PCR testing at the point that COVID-19 is declared endemic

The TAT are aiming for 200,000 Saudi Arabian tourists to visit in 2022, generating 20 billion THB. They will start to promote in Mar, ahead of Ramadan, with potential targets millennials. The TAT will hold online webinars and fam trips, as well as attend Arabian Travel Market

The Public Health Ministry no longer considers COVID-19 to be a medical emergency, as the number of patients who require admission is small

The CCSA is considering allowing tourists from sea cruises to enter Thailand via the Test & Go scheme, as well as entering the Nong Khai checkpoint with Laos, allowing tour groups who travel via the First Friendship Bridge to enter

Almost 50% of the country’s general hospital beds and hospitels are now full. The Medical Services Department urged those who test positive with mild symptoms to stay at home, or in community isolation facilities

An open letter to the government signed by tourism groups and the Thai Hotels Association (THA) has urged the remaining restrictions on tourists, including registering for the Thailand pass and post-arrival testing requirements, to be lifted from Mar. It noted that it must take these actions, or it may “lose the ability to compete with other nations”. It cited data showing that the positivity rate for the RT-PCR test on Day 5 was 3.56%, yet they have not caused any “burden” on the country’s healthcare system. They also called for a shortening of quarantines for infected tourists from 10 days to 5 days, and those high-risk from close contact should be exempt from quarantine if they test negative on the first test

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) has noted that hotels can now only break even with an occupancy rate of 45%, as they have to hire more staff to comply with additional health protocols. They called for the government to “create momentum” for the tourism industry by removing testing requirements, and offering domestic stimulus schemes to support the tourism industry, especially meetings and seminars by state agencies. Data from the Interior Ministry showed that the number of registered hotels dropped from 16,282 to 15,072

More Rayong beaches have detected oil, after reports of another leak in an underwater pipeline offshore

The TAT Stockholm Office has launched a new campaign, “Meaningful Travel” in conjunction with Socialgiver. This will allow Nordic and Baltic tourists to book via the Socialgiver platform for hotels, restaurants and attractions, and 50% of the revenue will go to the Big Trees Project

The Public Health Minister has said that Thailand will try to balance the economy and public health as the pandemic eases, and will “devise measures to suit the changing global situation”

The Thailand Elite Card has launched the Flexible Plus Programme, which will offer foreign investors the right to work in Thailand

The PM has ordered government agencies to fix issues with the Thailand Pass system, to ensure that the approvals process is not delayed

The Chonburi Tourism Council see pent-up demand from the Indian market ahead of a proposed Indian Air Travel bubble, but note that they will have to wait and see as to how many airlines will operate

The TAT’s goal is to generate 2.4 trillion THB in tourism receipts, 80% of 2019 levels, by 2023. Its target segments are wealthy travellers, remote workers, skilled professionals, millennials and active seniors, and it expects wellness and responsible tourism to be big. Marketing plans must ensure “high-quality and unique travel experiences”. It will also coordinate with partners such as Thai Vietjet and Air Busan for the short haul market. Another opportunity area are “Thai Boy Love TV Dramas” in South Korea, which form part of the LGBTQIA+ community

Bangkok’s official name will change to Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, but “Bangkok” will still be recognised, according to an announcement by the Office of the Royal Society. However, it must still be officially approved

The world’s largest ibis Styles will open in Bangkok, with 666 rooms in Q3 2022 and an official opening in 2024

The government has reiterated that it has “rushed” to help tourism businesses, including launching low-interest loans with credit lines of more than 150 billion THB, reducing the burden on tour operators’ collateral deposits by 30%, reopening international tourism and supporting domestic tourism

The seawater around Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong is contaminated from oil spills, and unsafe for recreational use

Google’s Year in Search 2021 Thailand report revealed that searches for “work from hotel” increased 1,600%

Property consultant JLL have noted that Thailand saw 23 hotels sold in 2021, with a value of 13.2 billion THB and combined keys of 3,000, +550% YoY and +30% over the 10-year average. It noted that “investors have become more optimistic about the outlook for the country’s tourism market”. The top 3 hotel investment destinations were Koh Samui, Bangkok and Phuket. They also noted that there were “generally no deep discounts relative to pre-pandemic levels”. They expect the momentum to continue into 2022

Only 471,310 rooms nights of 2 million in the 4th phase of the We Travel Together domestic scheme have been booked as of 13 Feb, attributed to Omicron concerns by the Thai Hotels Association Northern Chapter. The response has been weaker than previous phases. The average hotel occupancy rate in Chiang Mai was expected to reach 55%, but Omicron resulted in less than 20% occupancy rates. Bookings for Feb look to be around 20%, and the number of arriving pax at Chiang Mai airport on 1 Feb had dropped to 4,000-5,000 daily from Nov’s 7,000-8,000 daily. The high price of oil has also dented demand from roadtrippers. Cha-am expects a hotel occupancy of less than 50% in Feb, put down to low purchasing power. It saw 30-40% weekend occupancy and 10-20% on weekdays, mainly through MICE attendees from private companies. They forecast bookings to pick up in Mar and Apr over the long holidays

The Sang Anakhot Thai Party launched its “Restart Thai Tourism” platform strategy, planning to set up a 20 billion THB fund to boost the tourism industry. It noted that the pandemic has left 7 million tourism operators and workers in financial difficulty , with 70-80% of employees being made redundant, and many SMEs closed

The National Tourism Policy Committee have decided to go ahead with the implementation of the 300 THB tourism fee, but it will be delayed from Apr to Jun. It will initially only apply to air travellers

Thailand is planning to reopen the Thai-Malaysia border checkpoints in Songkhla, Yala, Narathiwat and Satun in Mar under the Test & Go scheme

The Bank of Thailand has said that the recovery of the country’s economy is linked to tourism recovery, and that the “the employment footprint of tourism sectors that are related, either directly or indirectly, is close to about a fifth of our labour force. So without a recovery in tourism, it’s very hard for us to see things getting back to normal”

The Thai Hotels Association Southern Chapter is concerned with negative news about Phuket’s image, with the recent taxis overcharging and local murder stories. It encouraged the government to “take a tough stand”. The daily occupancy rate in Phuket is around 30-40%, although it sees that number decreasing next week. However, they see that domestic tourism will support the province due to Phase 4 of the We Travel Together scheme

The TAT, state petrol company PTT and the Sports and Culture Promotion Association will hold 2 car rally tours between Phangnga and Krabi. Along the route, there will be games and the chance to join CSR projects

A tourist who sat on an endangered coral reef in Sattahip district is facing a fine of up to 1 million THB or 10 years’ imprisonment if convicted

The Tourism Commission has heard from elephant and tiger attraction operators, who say that they cannot access the government’s low-interest loan program, and are running out of money

1-10 Feb saw 55,823 travellers enter Thailand, with 23,036 under Test & Go, 27,667 under the Phuket Sandbox and 5,120 under the Happy Quarantine program. The top source markets were Russia, Germany, UK, France, US, Australia, UAE, Singapore, Kazakhstan and Sweden. 3.3% of the arrivals tested positive for COVID

The Tourism Council of Thailand have called a potential India-Thailand travel bubble “Thailand's hope for the recovery of tourism”, as it is a high-value market and in 2019 was Thailand’s third largest source market

STR data has shown that Bangkok’s occupancy levels are at 27% of open rooms, but ADR has held up relatively compared to Singapore or Hong Kong, with the luxury sector impacted the most

The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration has approved the Thailand Pass Hotel & Swab System, which will run in parallel to the Test & Go entry scheme. It also agreed to lower the fees for COVID tests from 1 Mar, with antigen tests at 55 THB (previously 80 THB) and RT-PCR at 900 THB (previously 1,200 THB)

The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has approved a decision to establish a travel bubble between Thailand and India, pending cabinet approval

The TAT has launched a ‘DASH’ model in conjunction with its ‘Visit Thailand Year 2022: Amazing New Chapters’ campaign. It looks to create a stronger, more sustainable, responsible, digital and inclusive tourism growth, and leverage on Thailand’s 5F 4M: Food, Film, Fashion, Festival, Fight, Music, Museum, Master, And Meta. DASH stands for: Domestic Travel (both tourists and operators), Accelerate Demand (focus on high-income segments, image building), Shape Supply (focus on digital and sustainable tourism) and Healing the Thai Economy. It expects a total revenue in 2022 of 1.28 trillion THB, 656 billion THB from domestic (160 million trips) and 625 billion THB from international tourists (10 million). Average spend for domestic tourists would be at 4,100 THB and international 62,580 THB

The TAT will run a “Amazing Thailand Workplace Paradise” campaign, which will focus on remote workers from long-haul markets

The TAT will target new segments for short-haul international markets, including bleisure, students, digital nomads and soft adventure. It will look at new source markets, such as Mongolia and Busan, promote new transport routes and inspire millennials to travel in a sustainable way

The TAT for domestic travel will have a 3 Ex concept: Experience, Expectation and Extraordinary, under 3 tourism product ideas: Nature to Keep, Food to Explore, and Thainess to Discover

The TAT will introduce a TAT Amazing Influencer campaign, using VR technology to create personalised experiences in the Metaverse, as well as promote Thai tourism through NFTs

The 300 THB tourism fee is likely to be postponed at least 2 months later than the 1 Apr scheduled implementation date, as the payment mechanism has not yet been finalised and airlines have requested at least 3 months to prepare. The National Tourism Policy Committee has support setting up a tourism fund from the fees. 20% of the fee will be allocated to cover insurance for international tourists, 50% for tourism product development

The TAT has signed an MOU with the Creative Economy Agency (CEA) and Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau to support the creative industry through festivals and tourist areas, and boost tourism revenue by 20% through the 5F 4M: Food, Film, Fashion, Festival, Fight, Music, Museum, Master, And Meta

The TAT will hold the 40th Thailand Tourism Festival 2022 from 18-22 Feb in Bangkok, with an aim to inspire residents and visiting tourists to explore the country. It will include a TAT Travel Tech corner with VR, AR and XR, as well as cultural and food experiences

From 1 Mar, Thailand’s Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients will not cover COVID-19 infections, and Thais will need to pay for their expenses if they are admitted to a private hospital or hospital for treatment. Other healthcare schemes still cover COVID-19

Cambodia and Thailand are working on opening a new international border checkpoint, to boost trade and tourism

The Thailand Digital Health Pass on the Mor Prom app will now be accepted in the EU and 33 other countries

Siam Pita is organising a travel fair at Siam Paragon mall in Bangkok from 14-20 Feb, focusing on domestic tourism. It will include 73 hotels with luxury travel experiences

Koh Samui Hospital and Bangkok Hospital Samui have set up a “Samui Swab Centre”, which offers RT-PCR tests for tourists in a central location at the major shopping mall on the island, Central Festival Samui

The TAT has reported that only a few insurance companies are interested in offering COVID-19 coverage to international tourists, as they are facing losses. The Public Health Ministry is allowing hotels to set up isolation rooms in their properties, with prices starting from 20,000 THB for 10 days. This would stop tourists paying in excess of 100,000 THB for treatment. However, the Thai Hotels Association (THA) has said that hotels are unsure of how to apply for the scheme, with local hospitals also unaware of the regulations

The TAT has said that the 5th day RT-PCR test required is “hampering tourism”, and that the number of tourists since the scheme’s resumption is not as strong as Nov

The Thailand Pass website no longer accepts applications for those who want to travel within 24 hours of applying, and travellers are recommended to apply at least 7 days in advance

The Bank of Thailand believes that the country’s economic recovery will “remain fragile and uneven across sectors, especially in tourism”

The Department of Disease Control has said that Songkran could be cancelled if daily cases exceed 30,000

Impact Exhibition Management forecasts that its revenue in 2022 will reach 70% of its 2019 levels if 2.2 billion THB, thanks to local events and international visitors in H2 2022. It noted in H1 2022 the number of MICE visitors may not improve, due to quarantine requirements on return to their home country. A full recovery is forecast for 2023. As of Feb 2022, there are 304 events for Impact for the year, the majority exhibitions, meetings and seminars as well as concerts or family shows. Its 2021 revenue dropped to 400 million THB, the lowest in 20 years, and 296 events with no international events. It is looking to build a 2-storey exhibition building with 200,00 sqm of space

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports forecast the number of arrivals under the Test & Go scheme could increase to 60,000 from Feb-Mar, the peak tourism period for Thailand

The Deputy PM has said that it will not propose lifting the virus restrictions on Thailand, but it does plan to change the way that it reports case numbers, to ensure that people can worry less. He noted that because 85% of those testing positive are asymptomatic, therefore lockdowns do not need to be implemented. Nightlife venues will remain closed

The Tourism & Sports Ministry has reported that tourism receipts in 2021 were at a historic low, at just 241,350 billion THB, -69.55% YoY. Bangkok saw the highest revenue at 62.7 billion THB (-75.39% YoY), Chiang Mai 23.3 billion THB (-53.27%), Phuket 21.3 billion THB (-80.34%). Nong Bua Lam Phu, Amnat Charoen and Samut Sakhon saw the lowest tourism income. Employment in the hotel sector is 63.6% of 2019 levels, according to the Thai Hotels Association (THA)

Unemployment rates in Thailand dropped to 1.6% in Q4 2021, down from 2.3% in Q3 2021

A new underground walkway near Bangkok’s Grand Palace has been opened

Thailand is planning travel bubble talks with China and Malaysia in Feb. The government is pursuing bilateral border deals to boost tourism recovery, and the two countries represent the larger source markets to Thailand

Bangkok has ranked 6th in the world and 4th in Asia on Gaining Edge’s 2021 Competitive Index on international convention destinations

A museum dedicated to the 2004 Tsunami, Baan Nam Khem Tsunami Museum, has been opened in Phangnga. It will also act as a learning centre

Long Covid may be affecting 1 million people in Thailand, according to research

The PM has said that he will “stay on as long as the law allows. I am bound by the law, and cannot do anything at will”

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) is calling for the government to increase the package quota for the Tour Teaw Thai domestic tourism stimulus scheme, or allow tourists to book until their 5,000 THB subsidy is used up, could help boost the program. Just 29,506 tour packages have been sold as of 3 Feb. If this scheme finishes without great result, the government should look at the subsidisation of 5,000 tour buses per month in 5 regions. The Association of Domestic Travel (ADT) has called for tourists to be allowed at least 3 Tour Teaw Thai packages, and a ceiling on tour company’s packages set at 3,000 rather than 1,000

Bill Heinecke of the Minor International group has called for the government to look at its “cumbersome” entry policies, saying that tourism into the country will be “tough and challenging for a while until the government changes its position”. The reopening requirements have been defended by a government spokesperson, who said that they “won’t be the norm forever, but only until the outbreak situation improves”

Ban Sam Chong Nuea Community in Phangna province has been chosen as one of 10 model Community-Based Tourism projects in the country

The Thailand Ministry of Transport will propose a feasibility and design study on a new bridge to link Laos and Thailand, as part of the 3rd phase of the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project, which would allow both rail and road access

Hotel businesses in Bung Khong Long district have seen an increase in hotel bookings, with average occupancy at 90%, according to the Tourism Council of Bung Kan and president of Bung Kan Tourism Association. This is due to its proximity of Naga Cave, which has seen increased interest from tourists. 58 hotels in the province have recorded an occupancy of 70%, up from 50% prior to the cave’s fame. The TAT also plans to promote three provinces in conjunction with the Naga Cave to build on spiritual tourism

The TAT is planning to run a domestic tourism campaign centred around the Chinese zodiac, to attract Thai-Chinese domestic visitors. A site will give recommendations for spiritual tourist sites to visit to counter off bad luck, depending on their horoscope

Thailand has won numerous awards from Chinese OTAs for best destination, as well as excellent marketing

Suvarnabhumi International Airport has retracted an announcement posted onto its Facebook account which said that people could only carry up to 30 face masks with them, as they were a controlled item, claiming that it was a “misunderstanding”

The TAT expect Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and the Indian outbound markets to rebound first to Thailand. It has also changed its tactic in 2022 to focus on niche markets for bleisure travellers, wellness travellers and arrange for charter flights and golf packages

Phuket has asked the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to improve the screening measures for international visitors, after a growing number of tourists tested positive on arrival, reaching 3%. They suspect that it could be to do with false RT-PCR results for pre-departure testing, and they have urged the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand to warn airlines about verifying RT-PCR documents before departure. If the infectivity rate exceeds 5%, the island’s hospital and hotel isolation system could be overwhelmed

Since 1 Feb, over 60,000 applications were recorded for the Test & Go scheme, the majority from Europe: Russia, Germany, France and the UK

A survey by the Thai Hotels Association (THA) from 10-26 Jan on 200 hotels has shown that 73% opened on Dec, and the rest plan to reopen in H2 2022. Jan saw a 32% occupancy rate, dropping from Dec’s 36.9%. They forecast that Feb’s occupancy will drop further to 24%. 49% of hotel operators have earned less than 30% of their pre-COVID level, with 26% able to rebuild their revenue. 53% have enough liquidity to run for another 3 months, and 17% reported that their liquidity had risen MoM. Average employment in the hotel business in Jan declined to 63.6% vs the previous month’s 64.7%. Hotels are hoping that the government will increase its limit on rooms which can be sold, extend stimulus packages, and launch new campaigns focusing on corporate seminars

The Deputy PM believes that the Thai economy will start to recover in H1 2022, with the Test & Go scheme also providing a boost to the economy from Feb. The Tourism Ministry expects 8 million tourists through the Test & Go scheme

23,660 registrations were recorded for the Test & Go scheme on the first day of applications reopening

The Tourism and Sports Ministry is planning to have travel bubble negotiations with short-haul destinations, including Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. The Ministry will also use visiting the Winter Olympics as a chance to discuss reopening with China

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) has called the strict testing rules for international tourists a deterrent for tourists, especially as other destinations such as the Maldives or Dubai have implemented no test on arrival. It urged the government to stop the test requirement after the first month of the scheme, which could generate Thailand 5 million tourists. Its tourism confidence index in Q4 2021 was 47, up from 7 in Q3 2021, but a reading below 100 indicates low tourism confidence. The TCT are planning to hold workshops in pilot areas across the country, and have asked the government for a 200 million THB budget, with 100 million THB for upskilling and reskilling, the rest for tourism development

Agoda data for travel over the Lunar New Year has shown for the Thai market that: • The top 8 most popular destinations were: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Khao Yai, Phuket, Hua Hin/ Cha-am, Pattaya, Krabi and Chiang Rai • Preferred accommodation was 4-5* hotels

A proposal is being prepared by the State Railway of Thailand for the extension of the high-speed rail project which will connect Bangkok’s Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airport, looking at Trat in its 2nd extension phase to boost tourism and the economy

2,500 travellers on 46 flights arrived at Suvarnabhumi International Airport on the first day of the Test & Go scheme resuming. The airport has increased special lanes, added passport inspection counters and moved fast track international passenger checkpoints

The Centre for Economic Situation Administration (CESA) has in principle agreed to allow foreigners to have land ownership of one rai for residential services, but rejected the proposal to increase foreign ownership quotas for condominiums and extend leasehold rights, as part of the long-term visa privileges scheme

The majority of tourists arriving who test positive originate from Russia or Kazakhstan, Phuket has reported

The TAT has told hoteliers that they must check each Thailand Pass booking within 30 hours, otherwise the applicant’s registration will be rejected. The system is called Thailand Pass Hotel & Swap System, to track tourists and ensure that they take their 2nd test on day 5

The PM’s spokesperson has said that many parties expect 200,000-300,000 international arrivals to Thailand in Feb, and to climb in Mar

ACI Report 2022 has shown that the average salary of tourism and hospitality employees in Thailand is $94,649 USD, the 3rd highest out of the Asia-Pacific countries surveyed

The PM has ordered low-cost antigen tests to be rolled out at government hospitals and drug stores. The government can supply 20 million of these per month

Koh Samet has been declared safe from the oil spill off Rayong province, with no oil detected at Ao Phrao beach

Koh Samet’s Tourism Association has said that tourism is set to lose 1.5 billion THB after the oil spill over the next 3 months, with 150 hotels seeing cancellations. Jan-Apr is the peak season for domestic tourists, and they estimate that confidence could take 3 months to recover. They urged the government to provide help to restore confidence once the oil spill is cleared

The Chonburi Tourism Council have said that decentralised governance, which allows each province to mandate different policies, has resulted in confusion for tour operators and travellers. It noted an uneven approach for reopening: "The provinces that have a unified voice always have the advantage in such a system. Provincial authorities that understand the importance of the tourism sector will mostly help private operators get through all the complicated processes and strive for accomplishment. Unfortunately, not every province can have such support”. They also called for better technology to track tourists, as tourists are still finding problems with the Mor Chana app

The Phuket Lantern Festival 2022 will run from now – 20 Feb

The TAT is planning to organise a roadshow in Saudi Arabia, with plans for Pattaya to be promoted as a hub, especially as a Muslim-friendly destination with mosques and halal food

Betong Tourism Association is forecasting that the number of visitors to the destination will increase to 400,000-500,000, from the previous 200,000, due to easier access via the new airport

Krabi has been named “Thailand’s Most Welcoming City” in Booking.com’s Traveller Review Awards 2022

The Bank of Thailand reported that the economy slowed down in Jan due to the Omicron variant

The governor of Rayong has declared a state of emergency over the oil spill on Mae Ramphueng beach

The Fiscal Policy Office estimates a 2022 GDP growth of 3.5-4.5% and 7 million international arrivals in 2022

The TAT forecasts that tourists visiting Hua Hin and Cha-am under the Wellness Sandbox scheme will spend 109,400 THB per pax per trip, vs the average spend in 2019 of 48,580 THB

The TAT forecast that tourism revenue over Chinese New Year will increase to 1.9 billion THB, and 527,900 domestic trips (146,900 in Bangkok, 129,000 in the Central region). They see tourists choosing nearby destinations to save money and time. Chinese New Year 2021 generated 602 million THB, and 2020 8.64 billion THB. For 2022, they predict hotel occupancy to be 15% nationwide, with 32% in the Central region, whilst just 7% in the South

The Rayong oil spill started to wash up on a Rayong beach in Muang district

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) and the Deputy PM met to discuss the resumption of the Test & Go scheme. The TCT have proposed exempting hospitels from VAT as an incentive for operators

10% of the Test & Go’s 200,000 tourists in Nov-Dec travelled to Pattaya, the Mayor has said

The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce expects consumer spending over Chinese New Year to reach the lowest levels in 11 years, with around 39.627 billion THB circulated. They put this down to virus concerns and the price increase of consumer products. Their survey showed that most respondents did not plan to travel over Chinese New Year

The Thai Finance Ministry is maintaining its 2022 GDP growth forecast of 4.0%, and estimates 1.2% for 2021, on the back on better than expected tourist arrivals. It estimates tourist arrivals of 7 million in 2022

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) have forecast international arrivals exceeding 5 million if travel bubbles with Asian partners are established. They see Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and China being prime targets, although operators are not optimistic that the Chinese market will return until Q4 2022. They also urged the government to encourage Saudi Arabian tourists, following the restoration of diplomatic ties between the two countries, as they have high spending power. The TAT have said that its Middle Eastern office will focus on medical tourists from Saudi Arabia

A 160,000 litres crude oil slick which leaked from an undersea pipeline near Rayong province has seen attempted clean-up operations

The Public Health Ministry is planning to declare COVID-19 an endemic disease by the year-end, according to its own defined criteria: not more than 10,000 cases per day, a fatality rate of less than 0.1% and 80% of at-risk people being fully vaccinated

Some tourist businesses in Koh Samui are complaining about the high costs of RT-PCR tests on the island, and have asked the government to lower them

Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport is forecast to receive 380 flights per day over the Lunar New Year from 26 Jan-7 Feb, +37.12% YoY, with 2,138 international flights (-1.88%) and 2,819 domestic flights (+96.31%). It expects 465,453 passengers over the period, 115,931 international travellers and 349,522 domestic ones

Thai AirAsia have started an initiative in conjunction with the Public Health Ministry to send frozen breastmilk across Thailand’s domestic network for free, with senders simply needing to register with a specific LINE account

Knight Frank Thailand has reported that the ADR of luxury and upscale hotels in Phuket dropped 35% YoY in 2021 to 2,442 THB, and an average occupancy rate of 12% (-14pp). However, H2 2021 saw the ADR increase by 8% vs H1 2021. By the end of 2021, the overall supply of luxury and upscale hotels reached 23,565 guest rooms, +3% YoY. It expects the domestic market to be the main driver in H1 2022, with a potential average occupancy rate of 20-30%

The TAT have launched a Thailand Specialist Programme scheme for Indian travel advisors and operators. Those who complete the training will be able to display a TAT-accredited travel specialist certificate

The N.C.C. Management & Development expect that the new Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) will see a boost of revenue up to 5X and a doubling of visitors to 13 million. From the first month of operation in Sep 2021, it has seen an occupancy rate of 70% from local and international exhibitions, and has seen interest from foreign organisers due to its location. The new centre can host up to 10 exhibitions at the same time, attracting 13 million visitors

The Thai Hotels Association Southern Chapter has said that 1,000 hotels have reopened from a total of 2,500, but only 50-60% of workers are employed. Hotels face stiff competition with room discounting of more than 60%. The Tourism Association of Koh Samui has reported an average January occupancy rate of 50%, but Feb is 10-20%. It expects it could climb to over 70% in high season until May, if the number of RT-PCR tests required is reduced. The Tourism Council of Phangnga expects 40% occupancy

The Thai Hotels Association Southern Chapter will launch a new Khao Lak surf passport, which will give tourists special discounts at hotels, in conjunction with the latest phase of the We Travel Together scheme

The Bank of Thailand is planning to ban digital asset operators from using cryptocurrency as a way to pay for goods and services. However, trading of crypto assets is still permitted

The Thai cabinet approved a 53.2 billion THB stimulus package for domestic consumption, which the Finance Minister estimates will inject 79 billion THB into the economy

Domestic tourists have complained about the requirement for tourists to have an antigen test result certified on arrival for 330 THB, with many unaware of this requirement and cancelling plans as a result of it

The Thai Exhibition Association has noted that international exhibitions will see a slow recovery, with many international B2B events postponed from Q1 2022 to Q2 or Q3 due to an unpredictable virus situation. It sees H2 2022 picking up, and the number of domestic exhibitions may match pre-pandemic levels in 2022. The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has also noted that organisers are facing difficulties with different regulations governing MICE events, and they have launched a Thailand MICE One Stop Service to provide solutions and information on the different areas needed. The first phase of the platform will focus on S-curve industries, and then will expand to sectors like jewellery

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) have clarified details on the Test & Go’s reopening for new registrations from 1 Feb. Those who have previously received a QR code for entry will be able to receive their second RT-PCR test at no cost, whilst those after will need to pay for two tests – one on arrival, one on Day 5, for approximately 2,000-4,000 THB per test. On Day 5, travellers will need to stay at a SHA approved hotel to wait for their results

The Thai Food and Drug Administration have discussed the idea of a “Cannabis Sandbox” for those entering Thailand from overseas to visit a specific area to use cannabis for recreational purposes (for products with less than 0.2% THC)

The Thai cabinet have approved the We Travel Together scheme from Feb-Jul. The program will offer a 40% subsidy on hotel room rates of up to 3,000 THB per night and up to 10 room nights. There will be 2 million room nights available, and an air fare entitlements of 600,000

The TAT have said that the government is discussing COVID-19 insurance coverage packages for vaccinated tourists with the Office of the Insurance Commission (OIC), to ensure that those with mild symptoms and need hospital or hotel isolation, are covered. Hotels who are careless during the screening process risk being delisted from the Thailand Pass registration scheme, something which the Thai Hotels Association (THA) disagrees with

The International Gem & Jewelry Conference will be held in Chanthaburi from 2-3 Feb

The TAT Phuket Office is targeting domestic tourists who would usually travel overseas. They have reported that 50,000 tourists have travelled to Phuket in Jan so far, predicting 80,000-100,000 by the end-Jan

The Phuket Sandbox has received 248,497 international arrivals, with 13.7 billion THB generated from 1 Jul ’21-23 Jan ’22. The average spend per trip was 55,000 THB and average stay of 8 days

Tourism stakeholders have greeted the decision to include Pattaya in the Sandbox program. The Thai Hotel Association Eastern Chapter noted that before the suspension, it was receiving 500 tourists per day, and during the suspension only 100

The Departments of Tourism, Provincial Administration, and Health Service Support are planning to share their tourism and service databases, to enhance the tourism industry. It will initially focus on services such as homestays, spas and massages

Transportation will be a focus for Thailand in 2022, with 1.4 trillion THB in allocated in budget for improvements to land, rail, water and air transport. Amongst the rail projects are the rail links between Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and U-Tapao airports will boost inter-regional connectivity and increase the country’s international air passenger capacity to 120 million annually

Bangkok will extend the closure of entertainment venues until further notice. However, those eateries certified with SHA+ will be able to serve alcohol until 11pm

The PM has said that despite the expulsion of 21 MPs, he is not looking at changing the cabinet nor dissolving Parliament

The Narcotics control committee has decided to remove cannabis from the narcotics list, and will seek approval to do this on 25 Jan. This would allow people to grow cannabis at home and use all parts of the plant except for extract in excess of 0.2% THC

From 24 Jan, the number of orange zones will be lowered to 44, with 25 yellow zones and 8 blue provinces with parts of 18 additional provinces blue zones. Alcohol consumption at restaurants in blue and yellow zones will be extended to 11pm, and activities with 1,000 people maximum will be permitted at hotels, exhibitions, convention centres and department stores in orange zones. The work from home policy will not be extended beyond 31 Jan

The Department of Medical Sciences has said that by the end of the month, the Omicron variant will be likely the cause of all local infections. From 11-17 Jan, it accounted for 80% of local cases and 97% of imported ones

The TAT has partnered with Netflix to promote tourism in Thailand, with Bangkok featuring in a new documentary series, Midnight Asia: Eat – Dance – Dream

The TAT has proposed that Hua Hin and Cha-am be promoted as Wellness Sandboxes, with a focus on medical tourism, health-related products and services. The CESA has also encouraged the TAT to consider including other destinations

Tourism associations have called for the government to lower costs of RT-PCR tests, saying that the additional test required will dampen travel sentiment. The Thai Hotels Association called for the cost for the 2nd test for Thai returnees or foreign workers to be paid for by the government, as they must now also pay for an extra hotel room on day 5 as well as the additional test

The TAT are forecasting 26 billion THB from 338,645 international travellers in Q1 2022, if the Test & Go scheme reopens on 1 Feb

The TAT are forecasting 27 million domestic trips in Q1 2022, generating 137 billion THB with a boost from Phase 4 of the We Travel Together scheme

Phuket has not been enthusiastic about the idea of COVID-infected asymptomatic tourists being permitted to travel on the island via sealed routes. The Deputy Governor has said that visitors who test positive should be isolated in their hotel rooms, as some “tourists with no symptoms might forget they are infected and visit markets or shopping malls”

The Finance Minister still expects Thailand’s 2022 GDP to grow by 3.5-4.5%, despite Omicron, whilst growth in 2021 is expected at 1%, as tourism has not yet significantly recovered

The State of Emergency has been extended for another 2 months

The Thai Hotels Association has said that hotels across Thailand have seen a steep drop in bookings in Jan, with the occupancy rate expected to reach only 20%. Tourist areas have seen drops of 20-25% in bookings due to both the suspension of the Test & Go scheme and cancellations from domestic tourists over fear of the Omicron variant

The Thai Hotels Association are calling for the government to extend its 90% reduction on land and buildings tax for another 2 years, saying that they need to be postponed until tourism sees an improvement. They estimate that hotels have lost 80-90% of 2019 revenue levels, and the industry is facing a slowdown due to the suspension of the Test & Go scheme and the waiting period for the new We Travel Together scheme. An alternative suggestions is to reduce the tax by 70-80%. They are also calling for the government to extend the 3,000 THB wage subsidy for SMEs to allow hotels to retain their staff

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has decided that the Test & Go scheme can resume on 1 Feb. The new scheme will require tourists to have an RT-PCR test on arrival, and again 5 days later. They will need to isolate at a hotel while waiting for their test results, and download a tracking app. The Sandbox will also be expanded to include Pattaya and Koh Chang

Travellers entering under the Test & Go scheme will be able to book 2 separate hotels for their tests on Day 1 and Day 5

Phuket will crack down on tourists who do not wear face masks while in public, stating that they will be arrested and prosecuted

Bangkok will cancel its Chinese New Year festival for a second year

The Thai Baht rose on hopes that Thailand would reopen the Test & Go scheme once more

The Tourism Ministry will reduce the budget for the Tour Teaw Thai domestic travel subsidy scheme, and has cut the projected number of tour packages to just 200,000 from an initial 1 million. It called the measure “ineffective in driving domestic trips or serving tourists’ demand” after being implemented for 3 months. As of 17 Jan, 27,277 tour packages had been sold, and 18,650 tourists had travelled, with spending of 213 million THB, 82.4 million of which from the government subsidy. The Ministry noted that local tourists tend to take trips independently, rather than group tours. However, the scheme will continue from 31 Jan-30 Apr. The budget remaining from this scheme cannot be used for the We Travel Together scheme as they have different funding sources. The Association of Domestic Travel would like the budget to remain, but with an easier process, and see more promotion from the government, as it is the only stimulus to support operators, rather than hotels

The Tourism Ministry will propose to continue the We Travel Together scheme in a 4th phase from Feb-Sep 2022, with an additional 2 million room nights. They expect these to be fully booked by Apr due to Songkran

Many schools in Thailand have reopened physical classes, although the majority are not offering 100% onsite learning to avoid crowding

Thailand hopes to open the first phase of its railway line which will eventually connect to the Laos-China Railway by 2026, whilst the phase connecting it with Nong Khai, the bordering province, to start by 2028

The Thai Cabinet has approved visa changes to allow long-term residence visas for wealthy foreigners, wealthy pensioners, foreigners who want to work remotely from Thailand and highly skilled professionals. The new visas will be valid for up to 5 years, and renewable for up to 5 years

The Public Health Minister will propose resuming the Test & Go scheme to boost economic recovery, given that Omicron is under control by the government

The Banyan Tree Holdings Group have noted that they did not see major cancellations in its hotels in Thailand. In the last weeks of Dec it saw 70% occupancy in Phuket, and expects 55-60% in Jan, with occupancy rates of 40-50% in Q1, but room rates are still a third of their previous levels due to oversupply and the “incredible, sudden, overnight collapse” of the market

On 11 Jan, the day of the Sandbox extension, the TAT reported that 3,700 travellers applied for a Thailand Pass for Phuket, and 100 to oh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao as well as Phangnga and Krabi

The Public Health Minister will propose easing COVID measures as the number of those on ventilators, in ICU or have died is still low. The government is also considering reducing the quarantine for those who are at-risk from close contact with infected persons to be reduced to 7 days from the current 14

The Pattaya Business and Tourism Association continue to push for Pattaya’s inclusion in the Sandbox scheme

The Thai Hotels Association Northern Chapter has reported that tourism in Chiang Mai has dropped since the government imposed a work from home policy. They forecast a 50-55% occupancy rate in Jan, dropping to 20% in Feb, and Q2 could see 50-60% of hotels temporarily close once more during low season

The Association of Domestic Travel called for the government to simplify the Tour Teaw Thai domestic stimulus scheme, with more flexible rules to attract tourists

The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) believes that Omicron will have a short-term impact on the Thai economy and tourism, but sees tourist arrivals growing by the end of Q1 2022, with 5-6 million tourists in 2022 as a whole

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has announced that previously approved Test & Go travellers will be able to continue arriving after 15 Jan. At their next meeting, they will consider additional measures. 30% of approved Test & Go travellers arrived before the New Year, and 50% during the New Year holidays

95% of Phuket’s cases are either patients with mild symptoms or asymptomatic, with just 0.5-1% requiring ICU admission

A survey conducted by TTG Asia of Chinese consumers showed that 8% were considering Thailand as a destination, behind Japan at 17% in first place

A survey from Makalius has shown that 65% of its customers prefer to stay in locations close to Bangkok, with Pattaya the top of the list. 48% travelled with family, or small groups of friends

The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce showed a consumer index of 46.2 in Dec, the highest in 9 months

The Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) has announced that more than 4,000 daily applicants are applying for the Thailand Pass to Phuket

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) have called for the government to delay implementing the 300 THB fee, as it could have a psychological impact on group tourists, and the tourism industry needs to be “rebuilt from the ground up because of the Omicron variant”. They agreed with the purpose of the fee, but noted the timing is bad. The Association of Thai Travel Agents has noted that it will worsen travel confidence, and should only be implemented once the Chinese market starts to return. The Tourism Council of Thailand urged the government to provide more clarity on the funding mechanism for the fee’s purpose of tourism development. The fee for land travellers will be collected via an app, and is expected to generate 1.5 billion THB in 2022, of which 1.25 billion THB would be allocated to upgrade tourism sites, including public toilets and making them for accessible for disabled travellers

William Heinecke, chairman of Minor International, has written an open letter to the PM, calling for the Test & Go scheme to be resumed, saying that the Omicron variant should be dealt with differently to the Delta variant. He also called for a loosening of restrictions, including removing health insurance requirements and advance room reservations

The Department of Health Services Support has proposed that Thai health insurance companies be permitted to sell packages which cover COVID treatment for foreign tourists

The TAT have launched the Amazing Thailand SHA Extra Plus certificate, aimed at those with the highest health and hygiene standards. Requirements include testing and treatment arrangements with partner hospitals under the Test & Go or Sandbox schemes, as well as airport transfers

The government has instructed the Ministry of Sports and Tourism to organise Muay Thai boxing events to promote Thai culture, as well as a Muay Thai festival

The Tourism Ministry’s 2022 promotion plan, “Amazing Thailand New Chapter” will include promoting “white routes” for tourists as part of a bio, circular and green economic development strategy for sustainability

The Tourism Ministry plans to implement a 300 THB fee to be collected from international tourists from Apr. It would be included in air fares, the mechanism to collect it by land has not yet been announced. The fee will be used to develop tourist attractions, and cover accident or death insurance for tourists, with a maximum insurance payout of 1 million THB for death, 500,000 THB for medical expenses

The Tourism Ministry is aiming for tourist revenue of 1.3-1.8 trillion THB, and 5-15 million international tourists. If tourists are mainly from European and US, this could reach 5 million, 7 million including the Indian market. If Chinese travellers arrive, it could grow to 9 million, and if the country reopened borders with Myanmar, Laos and Malaysia, it could reach 15 million. It forecasts 160 million domestic trips, generating 700 billion THB

Phuket has added 300 hotel isolation rooms for international travellers, to accommodate those travellers who test positive and need to wait for insurance claims or alternative quarantine accommodation

The Boston Consulting Group expect the recovery for the Thai hospitality industry to be U shaped, with a gradual recovery until 2024, starting with domestic leisure travel. They see business travel recovering more slowly

Oakwood’s serviced apartments are focusing on extended stay travellers to reduce risks from the changeable current situation. They see bookings in Q1 at 60%, and in 2023 they are planning to expand their portfolio by 40% to areas like the outskirts of Bangkok

The Boat Lagoon Yachting company has seen demand for yachting in Phuket pick up from Singapore and Europe, and noted that their revenue has tripled during the pandemic, as more Thais invest in yachts for rental. Phuket has seen 40-50 super yachts, with an average stay of 1-2 months, and $1-2 million USD per trip

The Bank of Thailand sees that the economy will lose 0.3% from the Omicron variant, but that it should be under control within H1 2022. They expect the economy to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2023, but 2022 will be ”no less challenging than what we faced in the past…”

The Tourism association of Koh Samui has noted that although arrivals to the islands are likely to be 50% less under the Sandbox scheme than Test & Go, “it’s still better than zero”. They said that as the suspension fell during peak season, “the impact on the sector is quite significant”

Hong Kong will ban transit passengers from Thailand, from 15 Jan-14 Feb, according to insiders

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) warned that cases could reach 20,000 per day in a worst-case scenario if measures are not taken seriously, and 30,000 by the end Feb. The Delta variant accounts for 64.71%, whilst the Omicron variant is 35.17%

With a growing number of cases in Phuket, the authorities have announced that hospital bed occupancy is growing, and beds are running low. It will prioritise home and community isolation

All travellers to the Phuket Sandbox scheme must arrive on direct flights to Phuket, and are unable to transit in Bangkok. Those travellers to Krabi or Phangnga must book direct flights to Phuket, and travel onwards by car, whilst those to Surat Thani (Koh Samui) are able to transit in Bangkok with specific domestic flights, so long as they are issued under a single booking

The Public Health Ministry believes that a combination of the new Omicron variant, more effective treatment, slowing the outbreak and vaccinations will combine to make COVID-19 endemic. Its strategy in 2022 is to slow the outbreaks to avoid the heathcare systems being overwhelmed. It noted that “when the disease becomes endemic, business and activities can quickly be restored”

The new suspension guidelines have been published in the Royal Gazette, and do not include a cut-off date for entry for those who already have obtained the Thailand Pass approval, contrary to previous media reports of a deadline of 15 Jan

The TAT have proposed that more islands will be added to the Sandbox scheme to attract more tourists in the face of the Test & Go suspension. Islands under consideration include Pattaya’s Koh Larn, Rayong’s Koh Samet, Trat’s Koh Chang and Koh Kut

The TAT have proposed that a budget of 13.2 billion THB for the 4th round of the We Travel Together be approved, and that it could open on 1 Feb. The previous scheme’s 3rd round generated 630,000 participants, over 2 million room nights at 4,321 hotels and 8.6 billion THB in spend

The PM has called for all governors to prepare for a surge in infections. The military will help to set up emergency COVID centres in Bangkok and other provinces hard hit by cases

Koh Samui is working with 7 hotels to provide 500 rooms for isolation for those who test positive on arrival, as part of the Samui Plus Sandbox

Thailand has prepared 150,000 beds for its worst-case scenario of hitting 30,000 daily cases

The Chonburi Tourism Council has said that Pattaya and Bangkok must prepare themselves for a further slowdown, after being left out from the Sandbox scheme. They expect the occupancy in Pattaya to drop to 10-15% in Feb from its current 20%, and smaller hotels may need to close temporarily. The Thai Hotels Association has called on the government to include Bangkok in the Sandbox scheme, but with stricter measures to monitor guests. The Tourism Council of Phangnga is pleased that Phangnga is included in the Sandbox scheme, and sees occupancy increasing to 45% from its current 20-30%, offsetting losses from the Test & Go suspension. The Tourism Council of Krabi expect their occupancy rate to stay at 30%, and improve to 30-40% in Mar with fam trips

The government has ordered the Ministry of Commerce to set regulations in home antigen test kits to prevent price surges

The PM’s spokesman has ordered those who are fully vaccinated to get a booster dose as soon as they can

The suspension of the Test & Go scheme could cost 7 billion THB in Jan, according to the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT). It believes that the suspension will impact tourist confidence, and the number of tourists arriving in Jan will drop 50% to 100,000 from Dec and Nov numbers. It noted that there is no financial support to help tourism operators or support jobs, and that the industry needs decisive plans to save the high season. The government should look at more effective domestic tourism stimulus packages, especially the Tour Teaw Thai scheme

A Thai traveller who stayed at a resort in Khao Yai National Park has allegedly been threatened with being sued by the resort, after leaving a 6/10 review on Agoda

The Test & Go scheme has been suspended indefinitely by the Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). The CCSA noted that most infections from the Omicron variant have originated from the Test & Go scheme. There have been 26,402 arrivals since 1 Jan 2022, the majority through the scheme. However, 3 more areas will be added to the sandbox scheme: Krabi, Phangnga, and the 3 islands in Surat Thani – Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan. The new date for the addition of the 3 provinces was not announced

8 provinces designated for tourism will still be permitted to serve alcoholic drinks until 9pm. The 69 other provinces will see a ban on alcoholic drinks being served at restaurants, as well as the extended closure of night entertainment. All offices should continue to work from home until the end of Jan, if possible

A shooting at a Phuket fresh market has killed 2 people, injured 3 others

The restrictions on travellers from African countries has been lifted

Under Thailand Level 4, people are encouraged to postpone non-essential trips to other countries and provinces

The Centara Startup Sandbox program named the winner, PMPO

The Thai Chamber of Commerce has urged the government not to impose lockdowns on business activities once more, saying that to restart the economy again after that, a large amount of money would be needed

From 1-4 Jan, 32,627 travellers have entered Thailand, with Russians at the top of the list at 2,511, Sweden in second place at 1,633 and Germany in third place at 1,581. The average COVID positivity rate was 1.85% overall

The Thai Baht fell as much as 1% against the USD after the government changed the COVID alert level to 4 from its previous 3

The government has noted that Thailand is now in the middle of its 5th wave of cases, and expect it to peak on 10 Jan

Bangkok has prepared 25,000 beds in hospitals, field hospitals and hospitels to prepare for a surge in cases

Pattaya is planning to hold more events to attract tourists, including its Chinese New Year festival, Valentine’s Day and the Music Festival in Mar

The Tourism Council of Thailand has reported that 60% of bookings in Jan from 36 Phangnga hotels have been cancelled, and that hotels have lost over 100 million THB. They noted that Scandinavian travel agents are instead offering Vietnam, Bali and the Maldives instead of Thailand. The Tourism Council of Krabi reported that the cancellation rate increased by 30% from end Dec-Jan, with no new bookings. The average occupancy in Krabi is currently 20%, but more will cancel if it is not included in the sandbox areas. They forecast single digit occupancy in Jan. The Thai Hotels Association eastern chapter called for the Thailand Pass applications to be open for future dates, to allow tourists to plan their trips for once the surge subsides

The Phuket Governor has confirmed that there is “no idea to close the island in any way”. It was highlighted that key problems facing tourists on entry to Phuket included the Thailand Pass approval system, availability of hospitel rooms for mild or asymptomatic patients, and increasing Phuket’s ability to quickly test people, and insurance companies not willing to cover hospital costs for those mild/ asymptomatic patients

Phuket has found 66 hotels which will serve as hospitels or hotel isolation facilities, to cater for the rising number of imported cases. It will prepare 1,000 rooms in total to cater for more patients

The government will continue to pay for COVID-19 treatment for patients at private hospitals

Thailand’s Omicron cases now make up around 20% of all new infections, whilst Delta makes up around 80%

Khao San Road in Bangkok was closed for 3 days until 6 Jan for a clean-up, after 10 tourists who visited tested positive

The Bank of Thailand has stated that the Omicron variant is a “key risk” for Thailand’s economic recovery, and needed to be monitored closely

Transport Company, an interprovincial bus operator, anticipated to see 50,000 travellers per day from 3-4 Jan returning to Bangkok after the New Year holidays

Schools in Phuket have been ordered to close until 14 Jan due to an increase of cases in the province

The Test & Go scheme will continue to be suspended, a senior Public Health Ministry official has stated

The executive chairman of Asia Aviation, shareholder of Thai AirAsia, has said that the tourism industry needs a bold move from the government to support it. It noted that the government must “play a vital role in leading the negotiations with other countries to let people travel freely with fewer restrictions”. It saw H1 2022’s tourism situation to remain stable, but H2 is unpredictable, and players must keep watch on Asian countries’ travel policies, which will drive international travel

Traveloka Thailand has noted that businesses under its Traveloka Clean Partners scheme have increased, with those under Clean Flight by 85%, Clean Accommodation 65% and Clean Xperience 165%

Thailand’s railways welcomed 1.3 million pax from 29-30 Dec. Over 90,000 travelled to the northern part of Thailand

The Bank of Thailand reported a 0.9% growth in the economy in Dec

Hua Hin Recharge believes that Hua Hin is capable of coping with the new variant spread, but the Thailand Pass suspension has badly impacted tourists planning to visit in Jan

The Pattaya business and tourism association have reported that since the 1 Nov reopening, only 4,000 international tourists have visited the city, with just 20% of them “real” tourists

Chiang Mai’s Tourism Industry Council has reported that more than 95% of visitor to the province recently were domestic arrivals by air. It estimated 14,000 air travellers arrived daily on 150 flights, and that if this situation continues for the next 2 months, the tourism sector can start to recover. They estimated that 3 billion THB could be generated over the New Year. Hotels forecast an increase between 50-60% checking in over Nov-Dec 2021

Bangkok will close all entertainment venues, as well as massage parlours, until 15 Jan

Chiang Mai has seen around 110-120 flights per day arrive during the New Year holiday, with around 16,000-17,500 pax

The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) will form response teams to deal with any new outbreaks post the New Year holidays, and may implement measures “outside of lockdowns” if needed

Pattaya predicted its hotel occupancy would increase to around 80% over the New Year holiday

The Ministry of Tourism launched a campaign, “Thailand Trusted Destination”, which aims to raise the tourism standards. The campaign’s logo will be displayed at attractions and venues which have met the Ministry’s standards

Surat Thani province is forecast to generate 276 million THB and attract 31,740 visitors over the 4-day New Year holiday. However, demand is still weak, and hotel occupancy will be just 24%

The Thai Hotels Association has said that the pause in new applications for the Test & Go scheme has created a “gap” where travellers cannot plan their booking for the next few months. They noted that the industry “cannot afford another lengthy pause in business right now. It's hurting us badly”, and that “people are losing faith in the industry”

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has said that 50% of its members have closed, with some “shut for good, others are waiting for the Chinese market to return”. Those that are open are catering to the domestic market, but they are “barely making any margins”

The TAT believes that 2022 will see just 50% of 2019’s tourism revenue, 1.9 trillion THB (160 million THB from the domestic market), and 80% of 2019 levels in 2023. It is aiming for 18 million tourists in a best-case scenario, and is targeting more “quality” tourists. Its worst case scenario is 10 million international travellers and 1.3 trillion THB in revenue, with 122 million THB from domestic spend

Omicron infections are fast increasing in Thailand, with 740 confirmed, of which 489 are imported. The government noted that it was “not really severe”

Bangkok’s entertainment venues will remain closed until 15 Jan

McKinsey forecasts that international visits and spends to Thailand could return to pre-pandemic levels by 2024

The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) is asking the public and private sector to allow their employees to work from home after the New Year holiday for 14 days, to avoid further spread of the virus

The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has noted that more than 251,000 travellers entered Thailand in Dec as of 28 Dec. The top 3 nationalities were from Germany, the UK and Russia

Thai authorities warned of a super spreader incident of the Omicron variant, and that residents should be prepared for a jump in cases

The Surat Thani Tourism Council is calling for Koh Samui to be included as a Sandbox destination, and for the government to reconsider its suspension of the Test & Go scheme

The Phuket Immigration Daily Report has shown that as of 28 Dec, the top nationality arriving into Phuket in Dec was from Russia, at 17,513. Germans came in 2nd place, and British in 3rd place. Arrivals into Phuket under the Test & Go scheme have started to steeply decline, whilst Sandbox arrivals have not yet shown a clear decline. New direct flights from Russian speaking countries have continued to be launched in Dec

The Ministry of Health is raising the COVID-19 alert level in Thailand to Level 3 after a sudden increase in Omicron variant cases. It warned that daily cases could hit 30,000 in a worst-case scenario, with the best-case seeing 10,000

The Finance Minister has indicated that international tourist arrivals may be lower than its forecast of 7 million due to the Omicron variant

The TAT forecasts a weaker spend over the New Year period, with 8.04 billion THB, due to concerns over the Omicron variant. It sees local tourists taking 2.63 million trips, with an overall hotel occupancy of 48%, Bangkok 18% and Phuket 16%. The top destinations for the period are Chon Buri, Nakhon Ratchasima, Kanchanaburi, Bangkok, Khon Kaen, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Samut Prakan and Phetchaburi. It anticipates the countdown events it has organised should attract 545,000 trips and generate 2.04 billion THB. It has also stated that should outbreaks and year-end celebrations be cancelled, 2022 could see the same number of domestic trips and revenue as 2021

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) sees that an increase in Omicron cases will mean that the tourism industry will not benefit from Chinese New Year tourists, and that the situation was volatile. The Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA) has said that the tourism situation currently remains healthy, as those who had their Thailand Pass approved continued with their trip. However, Jan and Feb may be quiet for inbound and outbound tourism, with flights cancelled. Local purchasing power they foresee to be weak, given the recent TTAA travel fair

TUI Nordic have confirmed that they are not cancelling scheduled chartered flights to Phuket from Dec-Apr 2022, as opposed to prior reports. Guests who have booked holidays outside of Phuket will be offered to change their holiday to Phuket through the sandbox scheme

There will be no cut-off date for approved travellers to enter Thailand under the Sandbox or Test & Go schemes after the suspension of the Thailand Pass applications

205 people have been identified as having the Omicron variant, with a local cluster of 25 cases

The 27th Thai International Travel Fair (TITF) is being held under a “premium style” domestic tourism, with some international travel promoted. It is targeting those tourists who take longer trips, and the fair is expected to generate 100-300 million THB

The Ministry of Public Health is encouraging all people returning from overseas to self-monitor and quarantine for 14 days at home

CentralWorld has cancelled its in-person attendance of the Bangkok New Year countdown party. It will go ahead and be televised

A Ministry of Tourism survey has shown that overall satisfaction amongst international tourists with their experience in Thailand was 87.7%, an increase from 2020’s 84.9%. The 3 areas with the top satisfaction scores were the Thai people, healthcare services and accommodation. The bottom 3 were the Thailand Tourism Directory website, ecotourism, as there are issues with dual-pricing and toilets, and sea/ beach attractions as many marine parks are still closed

Bangkok Airways have reported that there has been a rush of extra tourists to Koh Samui, with the airline needing to add extra flights to cater to the demand. Over 2,000 landed at Koh Samui on 24 Dec, with a mix of international and domestic tourists. However, the Tourism Association of Koh Samui has reported that the suspension of the Thailand Pass has already had an impact, with hotels losing around 5 million THB

The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) has forecast that spending over the New Year is forecast to drop to a 12-year low, with fears of the new variant. Tourism spending is set to hit an all-time low of 5,400 THB per pax

The Thai Hotels Association has reported that hotel cancellations started within hours of the announcement of the suspension of new Thailand Passes. The Chonburi Tourism Industry Council has said that the suspension of the Pattaya Sandbox scheme will impact the local tourism industry if it continues, and are calling for it to be reopened

The Thai Hotels Association has reported that average occupancy for hotels in Bangkok is 30-40%. It called for the government to balance public health and the economy, to allow Bangkok hotels to survive. Meanwhile, Centara Hotel & Resorts have said that bookings at its Centara Grand @CentralWorld have reached 70%, but room rates are still 20-25% lower than in 2019. It is concerned about bookings in Q1 2022, as they have started to slow down, with some cancellations for Jan and Feb in Phuket, Krabi and Hua Hin

The Thai Hotels Association, along with other tourism associations in Pattaya, Hua Hin and Rayong have called for the Tourism Ministry to include Bangkok and nearby destinations to the sandbox model

The Kata Karon Hotel Association believes that the MorChana app is not synchronised between different authorities, leading to inbound tourists unable to download the app on arrival. The Thailand Pass should be linked to COSTE, a system used by the Disease Control Department for hotels to use for guest information. Should a traveller add a wrong name or passport number, the apps cannot sync, and result in the MorChana app being unable to download. The COSTE program does not verify hotel bookings, either, something which the SHA Plus Booking Authentication system in Phuket could. Hotels are sometimes being forced to process the data manually instead, which can result in security gaps, the association has said. The Thai Hotels Association Southern Chapter asks for a one-stop centre for hotels, as the current system takes over an hour to check in

Pattaya has seen its hotel bookings drop significantly this week, according to the Pattaya Businessmen and Tourism Association

The Deputy of Phuket has admitted that many SHA+ hotels in Phuket were allowing their international guests to leave the hotel before their test results were released. As a result, it will be imposing strict penalties on hotels who break the rules

The plan to reopen the Laos-Thai border checkpoint in Nong Khai has been postponed, and will need to be re-evaluated on 4 Jan

Bangkok Metropolitan Authority has cancelled all official New Year’s Eve celebrations, but private events are still scheduled to go ahead

The Finance Ministry has said that the Thai economy should still grow 4% in 2022, despite the Omicron uncertainty

The Phuket Tourist Association is concerned that the suspension of the Test & Go scheme will impact Phuket’s tourists arriving via the sandbox scheme. It is mainly seeing tourists arrive from Russia and Kazakhstan presently

Krabi could stand to lose 50-60% of existing bookings if tourists are forced to accept mandatory quarantine, the Tourism Council of Krabi has said. It urged the government to provide a “concrete plan” before 7 Jan to allow them to prepare for high season

The Bank of Thailand has cut its forecast for 2022 international arrivals due to the Omicron variant and government measures, from 6 million to 5.6 million. They see arrivals increasing in H2 2022

The government is aiming for economic growth of 4.2% in 2022

From 1-21 Dec, there were 182,578 arrivals, with 156,807 under the Test & Go scheme, Sandbox 21,646 and Happy Quarantine 4,125

Tourism in Thailand in H1 2021 contributed to just 1.79% of GDP, compared to 20% pre-pandemic. Tourism revenue was -75.7%, to just 1198 billion THB

The government has temporarily suspended new applications for the Test & Go scheme from 21 Dec-4 Jan due to fears over the Omicron variant. However, those who have previously received their approval will still be permitted to enter Thailand under the scheme. They will need to undergo a 2nd RT-PCR test at government-designated facilities on day 7, not an antigen test as they did previously. 200,000 applications had been received for the Test & Go and Sandbox schemes, with 110,000 of them already arrived. Travellers under the Phuket Sandbox will still be permitted to register and enter, but the scheme will be limited to Phuket only

The EU will accept Thai-issued vaccine certificates, and they are now connected to the EU Digital COVID Certification System

Thailand has approved funding for the TAT’s Thailand Festival Experience campaign, which will attract tourists via sporting events, Andaman Sea destinations and music festivals

An Israeli tourist who left his Bangkok hotel without waiting for his COVID results has surrendered in Koh Samui, after being tracked

A poll from the Department of Health has shown that 82% of Thais are worried about a new wave of cases after New Year celebrations and travel

Phuket has cancelled its all-night alcohol sales on New Year’s Eve, limiting it to 1am only

Tourism stakeholders are urging the government not to close the Test & Go scheme, stating that it may result in further redundancies and will stop the momentum generated

Thailand has reported its first locally transmitted Omicron case

Andrea Bocelli will perform at Phuket’s New Year celebration

The 3rd phase of the We Travel Together scheme has generated 636,918 tourists redeeming rooms at 4,321 hotels, generating 7 billion THB

Thailand has confirmed its first locally transmitted case of Omicron

Long-distance bus travellers are recommended to take an antigen test

The Public Health Ministry will recommended the suspension of the Test & Go scheme, due to the increasing numbers of Omicron cases detected

The Thai Hotels Association Eastern Chapter has reported that Pattaya’s hotel reservations are now approaching 80% for 4 and 5* hotels over New Year’s Eve, with smaller hotels seeing 50% occupancy levels

The Nong Khai border checkpoint with Laos is set to open on 24 Dec, the first land border using the Test & Go scheme

Bangkok will permit alcohol to be served at eateries on New Year’s Eve until 1am

Thailand’s Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Dasta) will launch electric long-tail boats powered by solar power to serve the DamnoenSaduak canal and Ratchaburi floating market

Tourists will not be permitted into the waters at Maya Bay on 1 Jan, to protect the blacktip reef sharks and coral reefs

The TAT has reported a continuing slowing down of international visitors due to the Omicron variant, with postponements reported. From 1 Nov-15 Dec, Thailand has received 160,079 tourists, with the top 5 source markets including Germany, UK, US, Russia and France. The spend per tourist has risen to 8,000 THB, up from 7,000 THB

The latest Michelin guide for Thailand now adds Ayutthaya province to its coverage areas

TAT Pattaya have noted that 1,500 businesses in Pattaya have applied for the SHA and SHA+ schemes, but just 500 have been approved so far

The Laguna Phuket has reported that it has seen an increase in wedding enquiries from the Indian market over the last 3 months. GoAir has also confirmed that it has scheduled 10 charter flights between 4 Dec-10 Jan, bringing around 2,000 Indian visitors to Phuket

The TAT is planning a large-scale marketing campaign with 26 global and regional influencers under a new project, "Amazing New Chapters: From A-to-Z Thailand has it all". It will be launched it ITB Berlin in Mar 2022, and hopes to reach 26 million people. Each of the influencers will be selected on the 26 letters of the alphabet. It also plans to launch virtual tours of durian farms under its metaverse offering

The TAT has 3 KPIs for 2022: to see average hotel occupancy of 50% (2021 25-30%), average cabin factor of 70% and international spend per person to reach 62,580 THB and domestic spend 4,100 THB

The Tourism Ministry has launched a new website, Entry Thailand, which has all the information needed for international travellers, aiming to make it an easier process. It forms part of the Ministry’s e-service roadmap for 2022-2024. It is hoping to see 8-15 million international tourists in 2022, with 1.3-1.8 trillion THB, and 20 million in 2023

Thailand is planning to use 17 diesel trains given by Japan to link up to the Laos-China Railway from Udon Thani and Nong Khai provinces

Thailand will have discussions with Cambodia about reopening the land borders along Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province

Conde Nast Traveler has included Chiang Mai into their Gold List

Ayutthaya has received ‘World Night View Heritage’ certification at the World Night View Summit

The World Bank believes that Thailand’s economy will return to pre-pandemic levels by 2022 year-end. It sees 7 million international tourists in 2022, with a rapid increase towards the end of the year, rising to 20 million in 2023

Thailand has confirmed 9 Omicron variant cases, with 5 more potential ones

“Nora”, a southern Thai performance art, has been added to the UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list

Pattaya’s bars, tourism and entertainment venues are calling for authorities to allow their businesses to legally reopen ahead of the New Year festival, as previous events held in the city have not triggered widespread contagion

Investment in Thailand’s hospitality sector in 2021 is set to grow 5X vs 2020, reaching 12 billion THB, according to JLL

New Year countdowns will be permitted with alcohol consumption until 1am on 1 Jan, the CCSA has announced. However, attendees will need to be vaccinated

December international arrivals (Thai and foreigners) have so far reached 87,383, with 152 imported cases, around 0.17%. In Nov, this was 133,061, with 171 positive cases (0.13%)

The TAT will ask the government to keep the We Travel Together and Tour Teaw Thai schemes until Apr 2022 with a budget of 13.2 billion THB to sustain the domestic tourism market, as “New Year gifts for the Thai people”. We Travel Together has seen its 2 million subsidised rooms fully booked. It would need a budget of 13.2 billion THB to add an additional 2 million rooms. However, the Tour Teaw Thai has seen a slow uptake, with just 16,000 tour packages booked so far

The TAT has reported a slowing down of international visitors since 9 Dec, with average arrivals falling below 3,000 after reaching 3,000-6,000 from 25 Nov-8 Dec. It noted that it is “closely” following the situation. The TAT has noted that from Dec until end-2022 will be a recovery period for Thai tourism, and that it must achieve an average of 70,000 THB from international visitors to generate 2.39 trillion THB in 2023 with 20 million visitors. It also stated that the country will need to “pivot from a product-centric to a customer-centric approach, attracting more quality demand and urging multi-stakeholders to collaborate in building that new tourism ecosystem”

A decision whether to reopen Maya Bay in Krabi from 1 Jan is still pending

Hotel bookings from 10-12 Dec generated 5 billion THB, with most regions seeing an increase of 40%

Thailand’s Nong Khai province, bordering Laos, has proposed reopening with a One Day Go scheme, which would allow fully vaccinated travellers from Laos to enter Thailand by land without quarantine, and fully vaccinated Thais to travel to Vientiane Capital for one day too. It hopes to finalise arrangements by 24 Dec

Thailand will hold the “Amazing Thailand Countdown 2022” in 5 locations across Thailand. The TAT expects 15,000 visitors at each location

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has announced that from 16 Dec, there will be no more red zones (maximum control). Instead, there will be 39 orange zones, and 30 yellow zones. The number of blue tourist zones will increase to 8, including all of Chon Buri, Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Krabi, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Phangnga and Phuket. There will be tourist pilot zones in 26 provinces in total. From 1 Jan, Bung Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Trat (Khlong Yai district), Sa Kaeo (Muang and Aranyaprathet districts), Mukdahan (Muang district) and Ubon Ratchathani (Muang and Sirindhorn districts) will be added as tourist zones. Orange zones will still see alcohol consumption banned

The demolition of the Suanphittawan Resort in the Srinakarin Dam National Park is almost complete. Instead it will be developed as a camping ground

The Thai Hotels Association eastern chapter has called on the government to ease testing and quarantine requirements for arriving international travellers to boost numbers

The period of stay for Sandbox travellers will continue to be 7 days, the CCSA has decided, after previously resolving to cut it to 5 days

The CCSA have approved the establishment of Test & Go checkpoints on the border crossings of Thailand-Malaysia in in Songkhla, Yala, Narathiwat and Satun, with a start date TBA

A meeting by the CCSA on 13 Dec will discuss easing restrictions, including the potential reopening of the Thailand/ Malaysia border, updates to the provincial colour coding system and the New Year restrictions

A Suan Dusit poll has shown that 40.57% of respondents are not planning to trave over the long New Year holidays, and 25.08% are uncertain whether they would travel. The top provinces for those who did want to travel are Chiang Mai (41.22%), Chiang Rai (25.68%), Prachuap Khiri Khan (25.00%), Nan (23.65%) and Chon Buri (20.27%)

The Thai government is planning to launch new consumer stimulus packages in early 2022 to boost spending power, and will take a decision on 21 Dec

The Thai Finance Minister expects the economy to fully recover in 2023, with 2022 the start of the recovery and a growth of 4%. In 2023, it would be driven by the recovery of tourism

Phuket is launching a series of food festivals in Dec to boost tourism

Consumer confidence has grown in Nov to a 9-month high, the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) reported. It hit 44.9 in Nov from Oct’s 43.9. However, as it is less than 100 points, it is still fragile

The Airports of Thailand (AOT) has said that slots for airlines from international destinations in Dec were 9,483 so far, +24% vs Nov. 17,132 flights would land at its airports from Nov-Dec, and they anticipate more flights being added in Dec

The Pattaya major has stated that all year-end events will continue, despite the omicron variant

Google has reported that the top destination searches in 2021 were Rayong, Chanthaburi, Kanchanaburi, Krabi, Chon Buri and Phuket

The Bank of Thailand expects Thailand to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, but "Recovery will be slow and uneven ... because Covid hit us in the soft underbelly in the tourism sector". It expects 6 million international arrivals in 2022

The government has reaffirmed its reopening plan to keep Thailand safe, “VUCA”. This includes Vaccine, Universal Protection (safety measures in place), Covid-free setting (ensuring businesses follow protocols, have vaccinated and tested staff) and Antigen Testing Kits (allowing the public affordable testing)

Thailand has identified its 4th potential Omicron case. All so far have been inbound passengers

The TAT expects 90 million domestic trips in 2021, a similar number to that in 2020, with 10 million in Dec. It also expects 400,000 international arrivals in 2021, and the average number arriving daily is now 6,000

Pattaya and the TAT will hold a “Thailand Tourism with SHA” event on Pattaya Beach from 17-19 Dec

Khao Yai National Park will reopen another campground to accommodate New Year holiday tourists

The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) continues to forecast Thailand’s 2021 GDP at 0.5-1.5%, and 2022’s 3.5-4.5%. It noted that the Omicron variant could slow down tourism recovery

Thai tourists are predicted to generate 5.72 billion THB over the upcoming long weekend from 10-12 Dec, with 1.84 million domestic trips, according to the TAT. They noted that the We Travel Together scheme has been a major contributor to the bookings. As there are less than 90,000 rooms available under the scheme, the TAT will discuss with the private sector to increase room quotas and extend the travel period. They anticipate a hotel occupancy rate of 40% nationwide. The eastern provinces are forecast to receive 1.4 billion THB from 362,000 travellers, and northern provinces 1.3 billion THB from 272,500 tourists. Thai VietJet has reported an average load factor of 80% for the high season, more than expected

The PM has reiterated that a lockdown is unlikely

The Malaysian Foreign Minister hopes that there would be progress on a Malaysia-Thailand Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) before the Malaysian PM’s official visit to Thailand on 29-30 Dec

The Tourism Council of Phangnga has noted that forward bookings for Jan-Feb 2022 have already reached 30%. They noted that the majority of its 25,000 registered tourism industry employees lost jobs, but that 5,000 were rehired in Nov. They called for the government to work with Russia to allow chartered flights from Russia, which could generate 300 pax per day to the province

The Tourism Council of Krabi has reported Nov occupancy rates of 20%, but that more direct flights to Krabi were scheduled to open in Dec. It forecasted a hotel occupancy level of up to 50%. Finnair will operate 20 flights in Dec

The We Travel Together tourism scheme still has 120,000 rooms unused

Hotel operators have called for the government to add 1 million room nights to the We Travel Together program

Chiang Mai hotel occupancy was at 40% in the city centre in Nov and 50-60% in Mon Cham, Mae On and Samoeng. Around half of its 60,000 rooms are open, up from Jul/ Aug’s 20-30%

The Bank of Thailand has said that it does not want banks to be “directly involved in digital asset trading because banks are (responsible) for customer deposits and the public and there is risk"

The President of Bangkok Dusit Thani Medical Services sees medical tourism returning to pre-COVID levels by 2023

Laguna Phuket will hold 3 major international volleyball tournaments by the year-end

The government is urging Thais to travel locally, and hit 100 million domestic trips by the year-end, as estimated by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. As of Nov, 92 million domestic trips have been taken, generating 650 million THB

Germany has removed Thailand from its list of high-risk countries

The first Omicron case has been reported in Thailand, as an imported case via the Test & Go scheme

The CCSA has approved plans to encourage film production companies to shoot in Thailand, with cash rebates of 20% for those investing between 50-100 billion THB, 25% for 100-500 million THB and 30% for 500 million THB and above. The plans will be discussed further at a CESA meeting in Jan

Pattaya and certain districts in Chiang Mai and Hua Hin have been permitted to sell alcohol in SHA registered restaurants

More than 10,000 tourists visited Trat on 4 Dec, with hotel occupancy reaching 70% ahead of the long weekend

The Tourism Minister has noted that out of 60,000 tourists who entered Thailand via the Phuket Sandbox, just 0.3% were infected, and none transmitted the virus to others

The Tourism Minister has told the public not to worry about Omicron, and that 330 tourists who had entered from high-risk countries were under a 14-day quarantine

The Economic Situation Management Committee have approved in principle long-term 10-year visas to attract high spending foreigners and investors

The Bachelor Japan Season 4 is being filmed in Thailand’s southern provinces

The Thai PM has confirmed that he will not put in place a national lockdown, as the economy has to be protected. However, the reopening of pubs may be postponed further. The government would assess the situation on a monthly basis

The House of Representatives have voted in favour of setting up a committee to consider opening casinos in Thailand to create an additional revenue source

Thailand’s cabinet has approved a medical tourist visa scheme which would attract high-spending visitors. It would be issued for one year, is non-renewable, and the visa holder could be accompanied by up to 3 people. Those applying for the visa would need health conditions which require treatment for longer than 90 days, and must be under certain categories of healthcare. The TAT is planning to promote medical and wellness tourism in 2022, looking to attract foreigners who can spend 80,000-120,000 THB per pax

Nakhon Si Thammarat province has been declared a disaster zone following flooding

The Tourism Minister has said that “we are now starting to see some light in the darkness”, but cautioned that “we cannot be successful without integration and cooperation from all relevant sectors”

The Finance Minister will inject 1 trillion THB into the economy in 2022 to protect it from Omicron-induced volatility

Thailand’s Finance Minister expects the economy in Q4 to further improve

The MICHELIN Guide has been extended in Thailand for another 5 years, from 2022-2026. The promotion of gastronomy tourism is said to have generated an increase in food spending by tourists in 2019 of 842.4 million THB, 4,800 additional jobs and 33% increase in food-related events

Centara Hotels & Resorts has partnered with True5G to integrate 5G solutions into its Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket property. Some of the services included are accessing 5G without a 5G mobile, TytoCare, a 24-hour online doctor service with a 5G-enabled medical exam device and an automated service robot in the restaurant

Pattaya tourism leaders are calling for more events to be held to attract tourists

The Thailand Motor Expo 2021 will run from 1-12 Dec, and is expected to generate 35 billion THB. They expect 1 million visitors, with 80% visiting physically and 20% online

Nok Air has said that air passengers have not returned to hoped-for levels since the reopening, as demand from international travellers is weak. Passengers and revenue have not yet reached 40% of 2019’s levels, and that its international pax at Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport in Nov were less than 1% of its pre-pandemic numbers. In Nov 2020, Nok Air operated 80 flights daily, but in Nov 2021, it is operating just 60, with load factors increasing to 83%. It is looking to speed up its plan to secure a 280 million THB loan by Q1 2022. They forecast revenue could recover in 2 years if Chinese tourists are once more permitted to take outbound trips by Oct 2022, and Nok Air can take on new aircraft as it plans to. It hopes to reopen international flights to Osaka, Hyderabad and Taiwan by Apr 2022, other regional countries may be sooner. It is also planning to launch more domestic routes, including Nakhon Ratchasima to Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima to Surat Thani, Hat Yai, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phuket

The TAT have noted that between 1-28 Nov, Thailand received 93,573 international arrivals, and that although this is short of their target, they expect more arrivals in Dec, bringing it to a total of 500,000 in 2021. 300,000 international travellers have applied for the Thailand Pass

: In Nov, 133,061 international travellers entered Thailand. 106,211 (79.8%) were under the Test & Go scheme, 21,438 (16.1%) under the Sandbox scheme and 5,412 under Happy Quarantine. The top 10 origin countries were: 1) US (14,730), 2) Germany (12,099), 3) Netherlands (8,478), 4) UK (6,701), 5) Russia (5,307), 6) Japan (5,146), 7) South Korea (5,003), 8) France (4,741), 9) UAE (4,338) and 10) Israel (4,035). The countries with the highest positivity tests were: Russia, UK and the UAE

The Emergency Decree has been extended until 31 Jan 2022

The cost of RT-PCR tests under the Department of Medical Sciences has been reduced to 1,100 THB from 1,300 THB

“Blue Zone” destinations have been increased to 26 from 1 Dec, with certain districts now under the relaxed restrictions. This includes shopping venues, markets, theatres and sports venues, and restaurants can reopen with normal opening hours. MICE events can take place with no limitation on the number of attendees. All entertainment venues, including bars, are still closed nationwide. Yellow provinces will be under similar measures, except there will be a limit of 1,000 pax for events

The Bank of Thailand has warned companies about accepting digital assets as payment. It is working with securities and Exchange Commission to develop regulatory models for digital assets and payments

The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) has said that the government must speed up its connection to the Laos-China Railway, linking with Thailand’s rail system

The RT-PCR test requirement for travellers entering the country will remain in place, despite resolving earlier to replace it with antigen tests from 16 Dec, due to the Omicron variant

The Finance Ministry has forecast 2021 GDP growth of 1.1-1.2%, and 2022 GDP growth of 3.5-4.5%

Thailand’s first premium seaplane service, Siam Seaplane, will launch in 2022, and will fly out of Bangkok’s Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi Airports, connecting to destinations within 1.5 hours’ flight time

Phuket has had its New Year celebration approved, with alcohol sales permitted throughout the night

A Czech movie is being filmed in Phuket and Krabi, a move the TAT has welcomed

Bangkok’s eateries can serve alcohol until 11pm, if they are SHA certified or have the Thai Stop Covid Plus certificate

Thailand will impose a ban on travellers from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe from 1 Dec. Travellers from other African countries will not be permitted to use the Test & Go scheme, and will be quarantined for 14 days and pass 3 COVID tests

Thailand has designated the week 29 Nov-5 Dec as “Vaccination Week”, aiming to reach 100 million doses administered

Thailand held the Thai Teaw Thai Fair from 25-28 Nov, the biggest tourism fair of 2021 with over 600 exhibitors. It is expected to generate 200 million THB

The TAT has clarified that the changes to the Test & Go scheme and the Sandbox Programme (Living in the Blue Zone) will take effect from 16 Dec. The Happy Quarantine scheme, will see quarantine of 5 days for fully vaccinated travellers

The National Communicable Disease Committee (NCDC) has approved the plan to replace RT-PCR tests with antigen testing for travellers from 63 countries under the Test & Go scheme, in line with its 2nd phase from 1 Dec. They have also approved a plan to waive the 50 THB fee for a COVID vaccination certificate issued via the e-vaccine passport system from 1-31 Dec

A budget of 1.6 billion THB for 2022 in Pattaya has been approved, including 2.5 million THB allocated for a roadshow to promote itself to North and Northeast provinces

Pattaya’s hotels are 70-80% full over the Pattaya Fireworks Festival as of 24 Nov. It will be the biggest tourism event of 2021

The Tourism Minister plans to drive tourism in 2022 under the campaign “Amazing Thailand New Chapter”

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has urged the government to postpone collecting a new fee on international tourists, as the tourism market is not yet stable. They stated that the reopening as of yet has not benefited tour operators, as hotels are the one to arrange airport transfers and the COVID tests. They asked the government to include tour operators under the Thailand Pass system

The CCSA has revised its list of colour-coded provinces, with no more provinces classed as dark red zones, and 3 more added to the tourism “blue zones”: Kanchanaburi, Nonthaburi, and Pathum Thani. 19 other provinces have districts classified as blue zones

The CCSA has approved the plan to allow rapid antigen test screening for international travellers under the Test & Go and Sandbox schemes. Travellers will need to take the test at a hotel, and book approved transport from the airport, however, the traveller does not need to “book the actual hotel room”. The “sandbox” mandatory stay has also been shortened to 5 days

STR data has shown that Bangkok’s occupancy remains low, at 27%, but its Average Daily Rate (ADR) has “held up relatively well compared to other cities in the region”

Fully vaccinated international travellers who do not require visas and come from a green list country will be permitted to enter the Philippines from 1-15 Dec. International travellers must have an RT-PCR test within 72 hours of departure, but will not be subject quarantine or testing on arrival. Instead, they are “enjoined” to self-monitor for 14 days after arrival

Songkhla tour operators expect that 10,000 Malaysians and Singaporeans will visit when it is reopened to international travellers from 1 Dec. They forecast a spend of at least 5,000 THB per pax

Travellers will be allowed to enter Thailand by sea, land and air as part of the Test & Go and Sandbox schemes, starting with the province of Nong Khai which borders Laos on 24 Dec. The CCSA announced that 104,065 international and Thai travellers entered Thailand under these 2 programs from 1-25 Nov, with just 0.13% infected with COVID

Thailand will remove its curfew from Dec, but it plans to keep its night entertainment venues closed until mid-Jan at least

Tourists are now able to pre-register for entry to Thailand’s National Parks up to 60 days in advance, up from 15 days

The Phangnga Tourism Association has said that 50% of hotels are booked for Dec, and they hope that tourism businesses will get back to normal by early 2022

46% of Thailand’s hotel bookings in Nov were booked by international travellers, up from Sep’s 22% and Mar’s 14%, according to the SiteMinder World Hotel Index. Hotel bookings also rose to over 50% of 2019 levels in Nov for the first time

Phetchaburi province has been accepted to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network under its gastronomy theme

Over 5 billion THB has been circulated into the economy through the 3rd phase of the We Travel Together program. Over the last month, 909,937 people have registered, and reserved 1,296,872 rooms at 4,113 hotels. Those hotel reservations totalled 4.75 billion THB, and tourists also spent 435 million THB at eateries and other tourism businesses. The PM noted that overall hotel occupancy increased to 50% in some areas during the long weekend for Loy Krathong, with hotel occupancy in neighbouring provinces to Bangkok to 80-90%

The TAT is in the process of building a tourism ecosystem which uses cryptocurrencies to enable the wealthy to spend their money to tourism operators directly, without agents or brokers. The TAT could act as a guarantor by issuing utility tokens, TAT Coins, and teaming up with hotels to allocate their room quotas as an asset-backed token. They stated that as the TAT is a state enterprise, there are “a lot of regulatory issues” to be discussed

After complaints from hotels and provincial governments about foreigners not wearing masks in some areas, the Centre for COVID-19 Situation (CCSA) has noted that tourists are subject to the same laws for mask wearing and could be fined if found violating the rule

A new OTA, Robinhood Travel, is targeting 8-10% market share in its first year, and reach the number 2 spot for travel and food in the urban segment in 3-5 years. The OTA will launch in Feb 2022 and will focus on SMEs. 2,000 hotels have joined the OTA already, and it looks to have 30,000 by 2022. It wants to have booked 300,000 trips, generating 1 billion THB, and save 200 million THB in commission fees for tour operators. It also wants to offer overseas trips to Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, the US and UK for Thai outbound travellers by mid-2022

Thailand and Cambodia have discussed bilateral transport cooperation, working on a land bridge project as well as a motorway-rail map

Thailand saw 20,272 international arrivals in Oct 2021, up from 1,201 in Oct 2020. Jan-Oct 2021 arrivals were 106,117

Thailand’s unemployment rate increased to the highest rate in 16 years in Q3 2021, to 2.25%, with 870,000 workers jobless. Thailand’s “unemployed” definition is limited. The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESC) predicts 200,000 international visitors in 2021 and 5 million in 2022

Complaints have been received of hotels misleading international visitors who are booking hotel rooms, as they fail to book the airport transfer and the RT-PCR test on arrival, even though all are required as a condition for the Thailand Pass

The Fiscal Policy Office forecasts 200,000 international visitors in 2021, up from its previous forecast of 180,000. It estimates 6 million in 2022, and if Chinese tourists are permitted to travel overseas, this could increase to 7 million

Chiang Rai is ready to welcome back international fully vaccinated tourists from 1 Dec under its “Blooming Chiang Rai” campaign. The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has designated 11 Chiang Mai districts as blue zones

A Nida poll has shown that 75.61% of Thai respondents believe that the pandemic could become worse in the next 2 months, with 32.5% saying that they were very concerned that foreign tourists could bring new variants with them

The Thai Chamber of Commerce has presented the government with a white paper, “Connect the dots, design the future”, which proposes a strategy to boost the Thai economy. It focuses on bringing together the government, private sector and the people, and can be met by focusing on 3 value chains: trade and investments, farm and food, and tourism and services

The TAT has forecast 1 trillion THB in international tourism revenue in 2022, with 18 million international tourists, and 0.5 trillion THB from domestic revenue. They stated that current daily arrivals are around 3,000-4,000 per day, an improvement over the Phuket Sandbox. It expects 100,000 international arrivals in Nov, and 300,000 for the following four months. It predicts an 80% recovery to 2019 levels by 2023, with 2.4 trillion THB in revenue, and in 2024, a full recovery with 3 trillion THB in revenue

The Fine Arts Department wants to register Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong railway station as a heritage site, to protect it from development

The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration has reported that 58,870 international arrivals were welcomed between 1-16 Nov

The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Economic and Business Forecasting (UTCC-CEBF) forecasts spend of 9.15 billion THB from the Loy Krathong festival. However, spend is lower per pax than last year, 1,280 THB vs 1,348

The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce forecasts Thailand’s 2021 GDP’s growth to be 1.5% in 2021, boosted by the reopening, and 4.2% in 2022. They anticipate 200,000 international visitors in 2021 and boost GDP by 0.83%

The Chonburi Tourism Council has reported that tourists visiting Pattaya are 95% domestic, with just 5% international visitors. Those few who are visiting Pattaya tend to be expats or business people, or leave due to a lack of entertainment options. It urged the government to allow alcohol sales in Pattaya once more

UCORP is planning to open a collection of hotels in Phuket to take advantage of the rebound in tourism

Bangkok’s Loy Krathong celebration will require attendees to be fully vaccinated, or have a negative test result

The Bank of Thailand has said that Thailand’s tourism sector may take longer to normalise, and that its economic engines may not be as strong as before

The TAT’s new campaign, Visit Thailand Year 2022, has its main aim to hit 50% of hotel occupancy in selected provinces. It will also focus on the Middle East and India in 2022. It will also establish a Centre for Tourism and Sports Situation Administration which will assist visitors with COVID-19 prevention measures to allow them to travel each province

The TAT expects tourism sentiment to improve for the Loy Krathong festival, but that it will be quieter than in 2020. It projects overall tourism spend to hit 1.4 billion THB, with 551,700 domestic trips and a hotel occupancy of 24%. The North is forecast to receive 151,700 domestic trips, with 580 million THB generated, 400 million THB of which to Chiang Mai. It expects hotel occupancy in Chiang Mai to reach 34%, whilst the Northeast will see 41%. Eastern provinces are set to earn 297 million THB from 100,800 trips and Central region 236 million THB and 139,000 trips, and the South just 36 million THB

The Thai cabinet has approved in principle economic development for the six southern Andaman Sea provinces (Krabi, Phuket, Phangnga, Trang, Ranong and Satun), with 32 projects worth 9 billion THB. It will focus on rehabilitating tourism businesses, amongst others, and established an Andaman economic tourism network, as well as an “Andaman Go Green” scheme to promote the green economy. They will upgrade medical tourism in those provinces

The Thai cabinet has approved in principle 7 projects to upgrade tourism spots, worth 494 million THB

The Thai cabinet has approved for the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) to bid for 3 mega international events, which could generate up to 100 billion THB and create 230,442 jobs

A new COVID-19 test developed by the Chulalongkorn University, an RT-LAMP, has been shown to be highly sensitive and accurate

Just 56 international visitors have arrived in Hua Hin since the 1 Nov reopening, according to the Thai Hotels Association (THA)

A coastal area in Andaman will be proposed to be included on a tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites

The Bank of Thailand has reported that the rate at which tourism businesses have joined the asset warehousing program has been easing. 168 hotels have applied, with an asset value of 24.37 billion THB as of 8 Nov, a small increase from Sep’s 106

Betong will reopen to tourists from 1 Dec, whilst Yala can reopen by the year-end, potentially generating 500 million THB. Nok Air and Bangkok Airways are interested in flying to Betong Airport. Tourism businesses in the province will also join the government’s stimulus package

More restaurants in Bangkok will be permitted to serve alcohol, allowing those with the Thai Stop Covid Plus certificates as well as those with SHA, to be able to do so

Maya Bay should be reopened on 1 Jan 2022, and will be limited to 300 pax at a time

Thailand’s GDP growth for Q3 2021 was -0.3%

Thailand’s GDP growth for Q3 2021 was -0.3%, less than expected. The government expects that FY 2021 growth will be 1.2%, an upgrade from the previous 0.7-1.2%. The NESDC forecast 200,000 international visitors in 2021, up from 150,000, and 5 million in 2022

The Thai Hotels Association has noted positive signs since the 1 Nov reopening, with hotel bookings in Dec and Jan set to increase. However, it urged the government to hold more talks on reciprocal travel agreements

The Phuket Tourism Council has said that the number of international visitors to Phuket has doubled since the 1 Nov reopening, with more than 1,000 on the Test & Go scheme. They expect more visitors if the restrictions are loosened further. It is also seeing an increase in domestic visitors, up to 4,000-5,000 per day by air and 10,000 by land. The Thai Hotel Association Southern chapter noted that bookings over Christmas and New Year have increased to 70-80% capacity, with 30% occupancy rate by international travellers. The TAT Phuket has said that the province has generated 3 billion THB in direct tourism revenue from Jul-Sep and 8 billion THB in tourism related businesses

The Chiang Mai Tourism Council has estimated losses of at least 70 billion THB. It has seen lower than expected tourism arrivals since the 1 Nov reopening, but has seen hotel bookings start to pick up in general. Hotel bookings reached 35% in Oct in Chiang Mai town, and 50-60% at natural tourist sites in Oct-early Nov. Oct air pax rose to 5,000 per day from 1,000-2,000 daily previously. They forecast hotel occupancy in late Nov-Dec to rise to 30-40% for Chiang Mai town, and 60% for natural attractions, with at least 100,000 tourists over Nov-Dec 2021

Phuket is set to get 3 new attractions, including a glass skywalk, a plexiglass deck overlooking Pansea cape and an observation tower at Phuket Gateway. Construction could take up to 4 years

The TAT has reported that in the first 10 days of reopening, Thailand has seen 30,538 arrivals and 147,503 applications for the Thailand pass received in the first 11 days. The Test & Go saw 19,949 arrivals, the Blue Zone 9,072 and Happy Quarantine 1,517. The top 10 arrival nationalities were USA (3,864), Germany (3,274), UK (1,785), Japan (1,713), South Korea (1,296), Russia (1,296), Switzerland (1,116), Sweden (1,041), France (923) and UAE (810)

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) in in the process of deciding whether antigen tests could replace RT-PCR tests for the Test & Go scheme in Phase 2 of the scheme. This would allow queues to be shortened. Of 34,97 visitors, only 41 were infected, 0.35%. Phase 3 would see shorter quarantine periods for non-vaccinated travellers

11.11 sales saw an increase in new Lazada customers by 120% YoY

The Thai Hotels Association southern chapter has said that the number of active hotels in Phuket doubled to 1,000, giving 100,000 rooms in Nov. They forecast hotel occupancy growing to 20% in Nov and 30% in Dec, with some hotels receiving up to 70% of forward bookings for Christmas. The average room rate is up by 50% from the 2019 level. The Tourism Association Koh Samui noted forward bookings were 50-60%, with 8,000 room nights and 1,000 tourists, with an occupancy rate of 60-70% in Dec. The Thai Hotels Association Eastern chapter sees occupancy reaching 50% in Dec, with 10,000 tourists per month

The TAT Pattaya has said that Pattaya welcomed 10% of all arrivals to Thailand since 1 Nov, and forecast double that in the second week. The Thai Hotels Association Eastern Chapter has noted a concern about a labour shortage at hotels, as many former employees have not returned back to work

The TAT has proposed that the alcohol curfew be lifted for hotel bars and restaurants

Vietnam and Thailand will work together to reopen tours between the two countries

The TAT has said that the CCSA are considering easing the requirements for quarantine for those air passengers who travel within 2 rows of a COVID-infected passenger. Instead, they proposed only those seated directly next to the passenger would be quarantined for a shorter period

The Thai Hotels Association has said that hotels are looking for more convenient ways to speed up check-in processes for their guests arriving under the Test & Go scheme, such as drive-thru testing en route to the hotel. They also noted that areas such as Pattaya and Hua Hin have fewer guests than expected

From 16 Nov, the number of dark red zones will be reduced to 6: Tak, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Songkhla. The number of red zones will increase to 39. The other provinces will remain: 23 orange zones, 5 yellow zones and 4 blue zones. The 11pm-3am curfew in dark red zones has been extended until 30 Nov. Bars, entertainment venues and karaoke will only be permitted to reopen from 16 Jan, not 1 Dec

A new destination operator and distributor, Tripseed, has launched in Thailand. It aims to support local communities and plants a tree for every customer who travels with them

The Thailand central bank has reported that the country’s economy is improving after reopening on 1 Nov, with its regional activity tracker showing better tourism, spending and jobs

Pattaya revealed that its Music Festival generated 100 million THB in tourism revenue from 5-6 Nov

The TAT has stated that the tourism industry has “already passed its lowest point”. It highlighted an opportunity to focus on first-time visitors, such as those from the Indian market, a tactic agreed with by the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA). However, ATTA cautioned that food could be a blocker for Indian tourists

The TAT and Etihad Airways have signed a LoI to boost promotion to Thailand to the Middle Eastern market

The Loy Krathong festival will be permitted to go ahead in Thailand, although fireworks, crackers and fire lanterns are not permitted

The Hua Hin-Cha Am Tourism Association has urged the government to adjust the We Travel Together domestic tourism subsidy scheme, saying that small hotels with fewer than 25 rooms cannot benefit from the domestic market. Those SMEs are seeing 2-3% occupancy on weekdays and 40-50% on the weekends, vs 4* and 5* hotels which see 20-30% on weekdays and 80-90% on weekends. They called for the subsidy to be increased for smaller hotels, up to 70%, and advanced booking requirements to be shortened. As of 7 Nov, the TAT has reported 890,781 rooms booked at 3,797 hotels by 323,353 Thai travellers, with a subsidy of 1.34 billion THB of the total 3.49 billion THB. The Tour Teaw Thai scheme as of 7 Nov saw 3,091 tour packages booked, with just 299 tourists who had travelled, creating 2 million THB in revenue

Atome and Agoda have partnered in Thailand, offering buy now, pay later options for domestic tourists

The Krung Thai Bank believes that tourism will only return in “more full force” in 2023, as many of Thailand’s target countries, such as China, are mot permitting outbound travel

The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI)’s sentiment index grew to 82.1 in Oct, from Sep’s 79.0, a 5-month high. However, a score below 100 still indicates a “poor” confidence overall

The TAT Phuket plans to organise a seafood festival, “The Amazing Thai Taste Festival” from 26-28 Nov, to attract more tourists

Tourism operators have received complaints about the Thailand Pass system, citing technical issues which have prevented them from being able to register

The Tourism Association of Koh Samui have called for the government to permit international passengers to enter the island via transit flights from Singapore, to speed up the process

The Doi Inthanon National Park has reopened to visitors, with a limit of 2,000 per day

The Thailand Pass approvals’ waiting time will be cut from 7 days to 3

The government has said that state agencies have been instructed to fix the Thailand Pass system, after numerous complaints were received

The Hotel Business Operator Sentiment Index in October reported that 67% of hotels are back in business, with an average occupancy rate of 25% in Nov vs Oct’s 23%. The Krabi Tourism Association has noted that new bookings have increased by 20%, slower than expected, and large tour operators have not yet confirmed whether they will operate charter flights. They also noted that hotels now have high operational costs, with higher salaries than before to attract workers back, hotel maintenance and health and safety to meet the SHA+ standard. They hope that 70-80% of Krabi’s 25,000 rooms will reopen in Dec

Indonesia and Thailand have discussed tourism cooperation in a recent meeting

No international tourists visited Pattaya in the first few days of reopening, and tourism authorities believe it will remain that way until mid-Nov. However, local operators are reporting receiving thousands of hotel bookings ahead of Pattaya’s International Fireworks Festival

The TAT has set up an on-site SHA clinic in Bangkok, which will allow more restaurants to apply for certification and therefore be able to serve alcohol

From 1-4 Nov, the top 10 countries for international arrivals were: US (1,593), Germany (1,592), UK (1,006), Japan (935), Switzerland (624), Sweden (511), South Korea (499), Netherlands (363), UAE (350) and China (345)

The Department of Medical Sciences (DMS) can handle up to 120,000 tests per day, with results within 24 hours. Prices have also been lowered for RT-PCR tests, to 1,400-1,600 THB

The first international flight to Chiang Mai since the pandemic landed on 5 Nov, with 83 South Koreans, under the Charming Chiang Mai program

More tourists are arriving on Koh Tao since the 1 Nov reopening, with 150-200 arriving on weekdays and up to 300 on weekends. More than 50% are international travellers

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) confirmed that as of 4 Nov, 65,338 Thailand Pass applications were received from 1 Nov, with 12,607 already approved. It admitted some errors in the system, which are being addressed

Hua Hin and Cha-am are expecting a slow reopening in Q4, with just 5% of 2019’s international arrivals. This is because they are outside of the Test & Go 2 hour drive from Bangkok. It saw around 2,000 visitors daily on average during the first 3 days of the scheme. The TAT noted that AirAsia is looking at introducing flights from Kuala Lumpur to Hua Hin, and Jetstar is planning to launch flights from Singapore in 2022. It expects hotel occupancy to grow to 70-75% in Nov due to the domestic market, and will take until Feb 2022 to see 20,000 monthly international pax

2022 will see 4 additional public holidays in Jul, Oct and Dec, to boost domestic tourism and create long weekends

The Thai Chamber of Commerce forecasts 300,000 international arrivals in both Nov and Dec 2021, and is hoping for 10 million in 2022. They expects tourists to spend an average of 50,000-71,000 THB

The Silavadee Pool Spa Resort in Koh Samui has become the first on the island to accept cryptocurrency: Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum, and USDT, via the payment solutions provider Bitazza

The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce’s consumer index grew in Oct to 43.9 from Sep’s 41.4

The TAT launched its new campaign, “Visit Thailand Year 2022” with “Amazing New Chapters” at the WTM in London. They will also emphasise Thailand’s sustainable offerings, and separately signed an LoI with British Airways and TUI to promote Thailand to UK travellers

Airbnb Thailand have reported that its international searches for Thailand have doubled YoY, with villas the preferred choice. The top searched destination is Phuket, as well as Bangkok, Samui, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. Destinations near Bangkok are also highly searched by international travellers, with Phetchaburi increasing by 80% and Pattaya and Hua Hin by 40%. The top 10 origins for travellers were the US, Russia, Germany, the UK, France, South Korea, Australia, Canada, Sweden and Switzerland. It noted that they are seeing “incredibly strong demand” and "a significant number of our guests are searching for long-term stays”

The PM has called for all sectors to collaborate in transforming Thailand into the New Normal across all sectors, following its international reopening

Only 6 COVID-19 infections were detected out of 4,510 arrivals on the first 2 days of entry to Thailand. The 5 countries with the greatest number of arrivals were Japan, Singapore, Qatar, China and Germany. Of the 17 provinces taking part in the pilot reopening, 16 were ready, with just Nong Khai failing to reach the required vaccination coverage

The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JCCIB) has increased its 2021 GDP forecast to 0.5-1.5% growth, following its previous forecast of 0-1% growth, thanks to reopening

The government has announced a new 2km road which will link U-Tapao airport to a nearby motorway. The project will take 3 years, and will cost 4.5 billion THB

The TAT expects the new entry schemes for international travellers to welcome at least 700,000

The TAT has said that UK operators have received many enquiries for travel to Thailand, but concerns remain around needing children aged 12-18 years old to be fully vaccinated to benefit from the Test & Go scheme, as the UK is giving just 1 vaccine dose to children. TUI is planning to operate charter flights to Phuket from 17 Dec-Apr 2022, with capacity of 12,000 seats

The Phuket Tourist Association expects to receive 1 million international arrivals in Q1 2022, and up to 10,000 daily in Dec. They noted that bookings increased by 20% in Nov, and foresees load factors for some international flights increasing to 80% due to fewer rules. 825 international flights are expected in Nov, vs 562 in Oct. They forecast hotel occupancy to increase to 35% in Dec from Oct’s 18-20%. However, they are still taking a cautious approach. In 2022, they expect a total of 2.6-3 million pax, if there are no unforeseen events, still 30% down from pre-pandemic

The Deputy PM expects a GDP growth of 5-6% in 2022, but a subdued growth in 2021