Thailand

The TAT wants to target 4 more groups to enter the country, which they hope would attract 1 million people and generate 1 trillion THB. These include those with at least $1 million USD in assets who would qualify for a 10-year visa, digital nomads who are employees of companies trading at least $50 million USD per year and salaries of $40,000 USD/ year, retirees who have annual income of $40,000 USD and skilled workers who would also need a $40,000 salary

The Tourism Ministry will sign an MoU with the Thai Chamber of Commerce in Jun to boost domestic tourism to Phuket, building up confidence. The association’s members could start to take trips from 1 Jul, to show that both international travellers and Thais can travel to Phuket safely. It is still in talks to create a tourism fund to help with the impact of the pandemic, and must wait to see how vaccinations rollout in Jun or Jul before relaunching subsidies in Aug

Phuket have launched an online registration program for the Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration (SHA) Plus Certificate, where businesses with at least 70% of staff are vaccinated are able to register. There are 1,389 businesses already registered under SHA in Phuket, who are being encouraged to register for the SHA Plus certificate

The ASQ-ALQ Club Thailand has said that its members want to transform into hybrid hotels under H2, as the demand for ASQ hotels has started to decrease since May, with occupancy dropping to 30-35% vs Apr’s 45-50%. They have hardly any bookings after 15 Jun. Hotels would split operations by buildings or floors between quarantined and regular guests

The Center for Economic Situation Administration (CESA) has approved a proposal to attract international wealthy pensioners, those who want to work from Thailand and highly skilled professionals to Thailand

The Center for Economic Situation Administration (CESA) approved the plan to reopen Phuket on 1 Jul to vaccinated travellers. It has not yet approved plans to reopen Koh Samui and Krabi to international travellers. It also approved the reopening of Bangkok, Phetchaburi (Cha-am district), Prachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin district), Chiang Mai, Chon Buri (Pattaya) and Buri Ram from 1 Oct. Tourists planning to visit include Israelis on 7 Jul and Americans on 9 Jul. Conditions for tourists include: • Must be fully vaccinated for at least 14 days, but no more than one year • Must come from low-moderate risk countries • Children aged under 6 with vaccinated parents will be allowed entry, those aged 6-18 will need to undergo a test on arrival • Must have vaccination certificates with vaccines either recognised by Thailand or the WHO • Must stay at SHA Plus hotels, and use contact tracing apps • Must stay in Phuket for 14 days before being able to move on to other destinations in Thailand (previously 7 days)

The Pattaya Marathon, scheduled from 17-18 Jul, has been cancelled

Bangkok Airways have extended the closure of its ticketing offices until 30 Jun

Schools are preparing to reopen nationwide on 14 Jun

Some small temples which have previously relied on foreign tourist donations are struggling to survive

51% fewer Thai travellers in an Agoda Sustainable Travel Trends Survey want to travel more sustainably

Certificates of Entry will not be issued to those who would enter Thailand from the Maldives, or from those with a history of travel to the Maldives within the last 21 days

The government is planning to launch a new co-pay scheme for SME wages, to prevent mass redundancies. It will be funded either by the 300 billion THB budget approved to help businesses and people impacted by the 3rd wave, or the 180 billion THB for domestic consumption. Those who would qualify would be those who could not obtain soft loans from the central bank, and it could last 3-9 months. However, it may not be suitable for the tourism industry

A survey has shown that Thai consumers’ willingness to spend has dropped 2 points to 54/100. It also showed that consumers are delaying purchases of larger items

The Ministry of Tourism has said that filming by international production companies has earned Thailand 1.2 billion THB in revenue in 2021, and they hope that this will increase to 3 billion by the year-end

Anyone flying into Phuket must show that they have at least one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, or are fully vaccinated with other brands, or have proof of recovery from COVID-19 within 90 days of their arrival. They will also need to have a negative test result from the past 7 days

Siam Commercial Bank has revised its 2021 GDP forecast for Thailand to 1.9% from 2%. It also revised down its forecast for international tourists to 400,000 from 1.5 million

The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is aiming to attract small-scale MICE groups under the Phuket sandbox scheme. From Oct 2020- March 2021, international MICE events dropped by 90% YoY, and domestic MICE events dropped 60% YoY, whilst revenue dropped 70% YoY. It expects the industry to recover to 80% of 2019 levels by 2025, and believes that exhibitions will recover first

The Professional Tour Guides Association of Thailand has requested that 1,000 vaccine doses be allocated to licensed tour guides in Bangkok

A survey has shown that 53% of Thais are “not quite satisfied” or “not satisfied at all” with the government’s response to COVID-19. 62% said they would be willing to get free vaccines, whist 18% said they did not plan to get the vaccine

The Thai PM has admitted that there have been “glitches” in the vaccine rollout, but said that everyone has the right to be vaccinated, and they are aiming for 50 million doses for the first phase

Bangkok’s plans to reopen 5 sectors were overrode by the National Security Council due to the overall situation

The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) have cautioned that unemployment rates could increase in 2021, as there has been a 9.1% contraction in GDP for MSMEs. They predict that physical jobs in tourism will continue to “slump” until mid-2022. The government is said to be preparing more aid to help tourism related businesses retain staff and create jobs for new graduates. The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) have said that unemployment for tourism workers depends on the Phuket Sandbox – if it and other areas open by Oct, unemployment should be less than 2.5 million, but if not, 3 million tourism workers could lose their jobs in H2. They called for a co-payment scheme

Bangkok has been instructed to extend its COVID-19 prevention measures until 14 Jun, including the closure of schools, entertainment venues, amusement parks, exhibition centres, museums and public parks

Chiang Mai residents returning from red zone provinces will need to self-quarantine for 14 days

The Bank of Thailand has said that it could take until Q1 2023 for the Thai economy to normalise. Their current 2021 GDP growth forecast is 3%

Thailand reported 5,485 cases, the highest number over a 24-hour period, with 1,953 of those from prisons

The TAT will start an official countdown to the reopening of Phuket next week, with the slogan “Amazing Thailand… now even more amazing”

A Suan Dusit poll has shown that 73% of respondents felt “hopeless”, whilst 75% said that they were “under stress and worried”. 75% of those surveyed said that the vaccination rollout should be accelerated

The Tourism Minister has reinforced that 70% of the population in each destination set to reopen to international tourists must be vaccinated, to ensure that tourists feel safe. Thailand may restart its visa on arrival for low-risk countries from Q4, and is still waiting to hear from China on its policy on outbound travellers

The founder of the Minor International hotel group has called for the government to offer nationwide quarantine-free entry, and not restrict it to certain destinations, as vaccinated travellers who are tracked are low-risk

UNESCO have written to the Thai government to warn them about the building of a new train station for the high speed rail in Ayutthaya, and ensure that it is built in a way which will reflect the design of the current one

The TAT has confirmed that the reopening of Phuket to international travellers will happen on 1 Jul. They announced that travellers will need to be fully vaccinated begore travelling, carry with them a negative RT-PCR test and take another test on the 5th day. They will need to stay in Phuket for 7 days before they can travel onwards in Thailand

Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) have said that their members have reported interest in the Phuket Sandbox scheme from countries such as China, Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan, but they believe that significant tourist volume will only take place in Q4

70% of Thailand’s GDP is generated by just 15 provinces, whilst the remaining 30% is made up from 62 provinces. Of the 15 provinces, tourism and manufacturing are the main sectors, and tourism revenue from them accounts for 88% of the country’s combined tourism revenue

Parliament has approved an emergency decree to reduce the interest rates charged for defaults on loans

Phuket will change its entry requirements for domestic tourists from 1 Jun that they either need to be fully vaccinated or have a negative test within 7 days of arriving to the island, which could be an RT-PCR or antigen test. From 1 Jun, it will also allow spas, tourism related businesses, walking street markets, gyms and parks to reopen, but bars will still need to remain closed, as will schools

Thai Airways has started to sell direct flights from Paris, Frankfurt, London and Copenhagen to Phuket ahead of the Phuket Sandbox opening on 1 Jul, and are planning to invite hundreds of tour agents on fam trips in Q3 to test the scheme with TAT, Thai Airways is also planning flights from Seoul and Taipei from Jul

A new campaign, One Night, One Dollar, has been proposed by the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) to attract international tourists to Phuket. This would offer rooms for 1 USD per night, with the costs subsidised by the government. They would aim to sell 1 million room nights, generating 40 billion THB into hotels and services in Jul

Rayong will close 5 tourism islands for 4 months, from 1 Jun-30 Sep, for natural restoration

The Phuket Tourist Association has said that all people directly involved in tourism in Phuket will be vaccinated before the island reopens

The TAT is preparing the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2021 from 15 Jul-15 Sep, which will firm up Thailand’s appeal as a shopping destination

The National Economic and Social Development Council forecast that tourism won’t return to pre-pandemic numbers until 2026, continuing to impact 7 million tourism workers

Thailand’s Apr arrivals were 8,529, -99.7% YoY

The TAT have said that Phuket and the 9 other areas tipped to open to international tourists in 2021 must have a plan to improve their services and infrastructure for a better tourist experience. The rules for the Sandbox will be submitted to Centre for Economic Situation Administration (CESA) on 4 Jun

Thailand’s unemployment rate jumped to its highest level since the pandemic started, 1.96% (758,000) in Q1 2021

The Bank of Thailand has said that the country’s GDP might reach 2% growth if it can reach 100 million vaccine doses in 2021. If it cannot reach this level of procurement, then growth may be just 1%

The Bank of Thailand has urged financial institutions to approve soft loans to SMEs faster, after approvals were lower than the original target. The total has reached 16 billion THB, out a fund of 250 billion THB

Siam Commercial Bank is planning to launch a hotel booking app which will not charge operators a gross profit fee, called Zero GP OTA, to help SMEs avoid OTA costs

The Deputy PM has called for Phuket and Phanh Nga to align their entry requirements, allowing tourists to travel freely between the 2, under a tourism plan “Travel Thailand Together”

The ASQ-ALQ Club Thailand have reported a drop of 30-40% in bookings from international visitors since the 14-day quarantine was reimposed, leading to ASQ-ALQ hotels offering themselves to patients with mild symptoms as quarantine facilities

Chiang Rai has now imposed a travel requirement that travellers who enter the province must either be fully vaccinated or have a negative test within 72 hours. Those who cannot fulfil either condition will need to undergo a 14-day quarantine. This applies to travellers from Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan

Thailand has reported its first locally transmitted cases of the Indian variant

The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) forecasts that Thailand will receive just 500,000 international arrivals in 2021, generating 150 billion THB

Thai protestors are planning to restart demonstrations once the outbreak weakens

Thailand has approved the extension of the state of emergency until the end of Jul

School closure will be extended for the 4 dark red zones: Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan. Schools in red zones must seek permission to reopen on 14 Jun, whilst schools in orange zones can reopen then

Social Security Fund (SSF) contributions from employers and employees will be cut to 2.5% of monthly salary, down from 5%, from 1 Jun-31 Aug

The government does not plan to impose a lockdown in Bangkok, despite the increase in cases in prisons and construction sites, as there can be contained

Travellers to Phuket without a negative test certificate or who are fully vaccinated will need to self-quarantine for 14 days

Around 50 hotels on Phuket are ready to open under to vaccinated international travellers under the Phuket Sandbox scheme. The TAT have started to bring in influencers to showcase how Phuket has changed, and will also invite foreign media

The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) has downgraded its 2021 GDP forecast for Thailand to 0.5-2% due to the severity of the latest outbreak

Bangkok has extended its closures until 31 May, including entertainment venues, recreation businesses, fitness businesses and museums

Koh Samet has reopened to visitors

Thailand registered 9,635 cases on 17 May, its highest number ever, with 6,853 cases originating from prisons

Thailand’s Q1 2021 GDP contracted by 2.6%, less than expected

TAT Tokyo Office with Japan Airlines and Narita International Airport offered a special ‘Amazing Thailand Virtual Flight”, where 162 passengers flew on a 3.5 hour flight to nowhere which included serving Thai food and drinks, showing TV commercials about Thailand and Thai souvenirs, as well as a grand prize

Thailand will allow dine-in services at restaurants in dark red zones at a limit of 25% capacity from 16 May. Restaurants will need to close by 9pm. Red zones can serve until 11pm, and orange areas there are no restrictions

Phuket has changed its plan for trams to an automated rapid transit bus system instead, due to earlier implementation and costs saved

Thailand has adjusted the colour coded zones in Thailand, reducing the number of dark red zones to 4 and the number of red zones to 16. Dark red zones include Bangkok, red zones Chonburi, Rayong and Surat Thani and orange zones include Chiang Mai, Krabi, Phang Nga and Phuket

The suicide rate in Thailand since the pandemic has increased by 11%

The Committee of National Tourism Policy has approved Hua Hin’s Recharge project, and will accelerate the procurement of 350,000 doses to vaccinate residents and tourism staff in Jun

Some areas of Bangkok have been found to have a 5% infectivity rate

The TAT has cut its forecasts for 2021, but has said that it needs to keep the momentum of 2020’s 90.5 million domestic trips, which it will do via the We Travel Together and Tour Tiew Thai programs. It hopes these can be started by end Jun/ early Jul, and will be extended an additional month to 31 Oct, subject to approval. It also plans to run tourism marketing campaigns including Unseen Thailand, and wants to increase the number of trips, rather than the spend

Thailand recorded a high of 4,887 cases on 13 May, with 2,835 detected in prisons

The Phuket Sandbox will launch on 1 Jul, with flight promotions as an incentive. The TAT expects 129,000 international visitors in Q3. It will subsidise 100,000 interprovincial air travel one-way tickets. The TAT will target countries such as the US, UK and the EU. It is proposing standardised entry procedures for tourists and once approved, tour operators can start to promote the packages. A 7-day package to Phuket is estimated to cost around 150,000-200,000 THB per pax, higher than the 50,000 THB pre-pandemic

Phuket plans to begin the next round of vaccinations on 18 May, hoping to finish in Jun

The TAT will take part in the 2021 ATM in Dubai, highlighting its safety to travellers

The Thailand Charter Week event in Phuket has been postponed to 12-15 Nov. It aims to promote Thailand as an international charter yacht destination

Event organisation business employees are able to claim compensation from the Social Security Fund (SSF). The Event Management Association has urged the government for co-pay subsidies for wages, and the deferment of social security contributions for 6 months

Tris Rating believes that Thai hotels will continue to see a severe impact from COVID-19 in 2021

Krabi tour operators are urging the government to ensure enough vaccine is procured to be able to reopen in Oct, as well as clarify the rules for national parks. Pilot areas in Oct which will reopen in Krabi include Koh Phi Phi, Ao Nang, Koh Lanta and Railay Bay

The Thai Chamber of Commerce Confidence Index, which tracks business confidence, dropped to 27.6 in Apr, compared to 30.7 in Mar

The governor of Phuket has warned that if the number of daily infections in Phuket does not drop, the 1 Jul reopening date may not happen. It had set a target of 15 May for single digit infections

National museums, historical parks and archaeological sites will be reopened from 10 May

The Pattaya Business and Tourism Association has said that the tourism industry is suffering the worst economic damage due to measures put in place, and urged the government to provide economic aid

The government has approved $1.45 billion USD worth of projects to boost the economy

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) is calling for a financial package to help the tourism sector, with a further relaxation of soft loans as most operators do not have assets to use as collateral. They are also seeking a monthly salary co-payment scheme. They warned that “many operators won’t be able to make it through the next three months."

STR have said that the outlook for Q3 and Q4 for a recovery in Thailand’s hotel business is precarious, and that once the latest wave is under control, hotels within driving distance of Bangkok will benefit the most

Travellers from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal will not have Certificates of Entry issued to them, but Thai travellers may still return from these countries

The government have blamed the spike in health worker cases on patients who did not disclose their risk of having COVID-19

Kasikorn Research Centre has forecast Thailand’s 2021 GDP will grow 1.8%, a drop from its previous forecast of 2.6%

A Suan Dusit poll has shown that 82.47% of respondents said that they felt depressed about COVID-19

The Phuket government have said that from 15 May, rapid antigen tests will no longer be used to test domestic travellers arriving from red zones. Instead, they have set a goal of zero infections within 2 weeks, and will impose a 14-day quarantine for those passengers who are not fully vaccinated or do not have an RT-PCR test prior to departure

Thailand’s Tourism Ministry has delayed its 300 THB international tourist tax to Jan 2022

Fusion Hotels and Resorts, a Vietnamese company, has acquired Thailand’s chain of GLOW hotels and resorts

The Tourism Minister has confirmed that Phuket will reopen as planned on 1 Jul, but that it will be expanded to cover Krabi, Phangnga, Surat Thani, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, Buri Ram, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Bangkok. These regions accounted for 80% of the country’s tourism revenue in 2019. The government believe this could attract 3.5 million tourists in 2021, generating 298 billion THB, but at least 70% of residents in those 10 provinces would need to be vaccinated

The Bank of Thailand expects hotel occupancy to decline to just 9% in May. A survey had shown occupancy rates of 18% in Apr. They have calculated that at this rate, 47% of hotels will go out of business in 3 months. 80% of hoteliers consider the 3rd wave to be the most damaging. Just 46% of the country’s hotels are open, with 13% closed temporarily

The Thai Hotels Association have stated that they would only be able to retain their employees for one more month, and that if the situation continues, more hotels will close and staff made unemployed. Since the start of Apr 2021, 10-15% of the remaining 15,000 Thai travel agents have closed, with the Association of Domestic Travel (ADT) forecasting more will do so and that 60,000-70,000 have lost their jobs. Tour bus operators are estimated to have lost 50 billion THB per month

The private sector will help create 372 vaccination points, with 82 in Bangkok, according to the Thai Chamber of Commerce

Ranong, Krabi, Trang and Phattalung have been added to Phuket’s “red zone” provinces, bringing the total to 25

The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce has reported that consumer confidence hit a record low in Apr at 46, from Mar’s 48.5. They estimate losses of 400-600 billion THB if the surge continues past May

Thailand will add Bangkok to the Phuket Sandbox scheme from Oct, allowing vaccinated travellers to visit the city from Oct. This will allow easier access to destinations such as Pattaya, Phang Nga, Koh Samui and Krabi. The government believe this could attract 3.5 million tourists in 2021, generating 298 billion THB, but at least 70% of residents in those 10 provinces would need to be vaccinated

Bangkok Metropolitan Authority have extended its closure order an additional week until 17 May for schools, entertainment venues and public parks. Shopping malls can open until 9pm

The government have launched a new general economy stimulus, “Ying Chai Ying Dai”. This will target middle-high income people who must spend between 46,000-70,000 THB to receive e-vouchers worth 7,000 THB. It is targeting 4 million people. The “Rao Chana” scheme will also be expanded, with additional amounts of 2,000 THB each. A 3rd phase of the co-payment scheme will roll out in Jul

The Bank of Thailand has warned that economic recovery will be slow and uneven, and it is clear that the crisis “won’t end quickly”. Its worst case scenarios, where herd immunity is only reached in Q4 2022, would see just 0.8 million international tourists arriving in Q4 2021, increasing to 8 million in Q4 2022

The Tourism Minister has said that Phuket must reach zero cases before it can open to international travellers on 1 Jul. He wants to see the number of daily cases in general declining to below 200 by the end of the month to encourage traveller confidence. Once this is under control, the government will proceed with travel bubble talks with Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Laos and Malaysia

Chao Phraya express boats have been suspended on weekends and public holidays, as the operators have seen a 90% drop in passengers

The government have announced that the We Travel Together and the Tour Tiew Thai schemes must be postponed indefinitely due to the 3rd wave. The Thai Hotels Association (THA) has called for more financial aid from the Social Security Fund (SSF) to help retain employees. They have also said that the 2 stimulus schemes were planned for the current fiscal year, which ends 30 Sep, but should be extended to the end of 2021 or even beyond due to this round of cases being “more challenging” as people are voluntarily staying home

Chiang Mai will open 2 of its districts, Mae Rim and Mae Taeng, as part of the Sandbox Scheme from 1 Oct, and plans to vaccinate local residents in those areas

A new campaign, “Migrate”, has been joined by over 800,000 members, including Thai students and young professionals who are unhappy with the government’s handling of the pandemic

The Bank of Thailand has forecast another drop in Thailand’s 2021 GDP to 1-2% growth only

Thailand will lower residential utility bills for 2 months in May-Jun, to help those who must stay at home

A study by Visa has shown that 45% of Thai consumers want to avoid using cash after the end of the pandemic. The top 3 activities which consumers want to spend on when recovery is underway is travel within Thailand (35%), travelling abroad to COVID-safe destinations (29%) and taking staycations (19%)

Phi Phi National Park has closed from 5 May for 13 days, to control the spread of the disease

Bangkok has seen a cluster of cases hutting its Klong Toei district, one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the city, with overcrowded residences

A survey by JTB has shown that Thailand is still in the top 5 most desired travel destinations for Japanese travellers

28 provinces in Thailand have restrictions at night-time, urging everyone to avoid going out at night

Phuket has asked its residents not to go out between 10pm-4am

Koh Kot reopened on 2 May. Visitors must have certificates they are free of COVID-18 within 72 hours of departure

The Finance Ministry has downgraded its GDP 2021 forecast to 2.3% from 2.8% growth. It also only forecasts 2 million international travellers, down from 5 million, which will result in 100 billion THB revenue instead of 260 billion THB

Thailand’s online booking platform for vaccines crashed briefly on its first day of launch due to demand. Registration will continue in May ahead of large scale vaccinations in Jun. The 2nd phase is for those aged 60 years or more, or with pre-existing health conditions for vaccinations in Jun-Jul. The 3rd phase will start from Aug onwards for those aged 18-59

The Association of Domestic Travel (ADT) is calling for the government to speed up the vaccination rollout and to change the domestic stimulus program, allowing the Tour Teaw Thai program to be booked on the weekends as well as weekdays

The Tourism Ministry has reported that Q1 domestic trips were 17.2 million, -31.2% YoY, with tourism receipts dropping to 92.6 billion THB, -51.1% YoY

The Bank of Thailand is likely to cut its 2021 GDP forecast of 3%

From 16 May, Phuket has changed its entry policy so that anyone entering the province must have a negative test certificate, except those who are fully vaccinated

Phuket has extended its entry restrictions until 12 May, including the rapid antigen tests on arrival. Mass gatherings have been limited to 30 people, and all pubs and entertainment venues will close until 12 May

The Tourism Association of Koh Samui has said that they are committed to the schedule of opening up the Samui Sealed Route on 1 Jul, and vaccination has already reached 30% of the population, although it could be delayed due to the vaccines being re-deployed. They urged the government to stop interprovincial travel to flatten the curve. Potential source markets including Israel, Australia, Russia and SE Asian countries have told Koh Samui operators that once the island is open, they will visit

The government has said that deaths are being reported from COVID-19 at a faster rate, and cases with more severe symptoms due to the UK variant spreading in the country

The Thai PM has been granted sweeping powers to combat COVID-19, with fears that it could be used as a political tool

Chonburi is not imposing a quarantine on travellers

The government has warned that despite daily cases declining, the country is still facing difficulties as the number of severely ill patients is increasing

Phuket has asked for permission to buy their own vaccines, so that they can still proceed with the Phuket Sandbox

Phuket has noted that at least one airline has pencilled in plans for 2 charter flights per week from 10 Oct

Songkran brought 81% hotel occupancy in Krabi province on 11 Apr over the weekend pre-Songkran, whilst Hua Hin saw 61% peak occupancy, according to STR

Thailand Elite Card members have seen a reduction in the number applying to enter the country after Songkran, from 100 per week to 69, due to the increase in cases. From 1 Oct-31 Mar, it approved 2,552 new members +93% YoY. It is aiming to get 2,600 new members by Apr

Phuket will close its land borders from 11pm-5am every day to help stop the spread of COVID, until 12 May

All historical and ancient site will be closed from 26 Apr-9 May

Thailand has rezoned provinces according to their safety levels from May 1: • “Dark red” zones: Bangkok, Chonburi, Chiang Mai, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, and Samut Prakan. Stricter measures including gatherings of more than 20 pax banned, dine in services at restaurants banned, sports facilities closed, shopping centres can stay open until 9pm, but entertainment activities must close • “Red zones”: 45 provinces. Regulations include: gatherings up to 50 people, restaurants can offer dine-in until 9pm, shopping malls can stay open until 11pm • “Orange zone”: 26 provinces. Regulations: restaurants can offer dine-in until 11pm, shopping malls can stay open until 11pm. Face masks must also be worn across all provinces

See You Again Co travel agency are selling a vaccine tour package for groups and FIT to Serbia, offering a 2-week package with airfare, accommodation, meals and visits to attractions. More than 5,000 people have expressed their interest so far

A survey by PwC has shown that 84% of Thai businesses are struggling

The domestic tour stimulus programmes will start on 17 May for We Travel Together, and 27 May for the Tour Teaw Thai, slightly later than planed due to the third wave. They are expected to run until 31 Aug

The reopening of the new school term has been delayed to 1 Jun from 17 May

Koh Samet has been ordered to close from 27 Apr-10 May

The government is preparing 300 billion THB of economic stimulus

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) has said that the situation has worsened with the 3rd wave, with limits on opening hours and alcohol sales in restaurants and MICE. Just 5-10% of hotels registered in Bangkok could remain open with revenue coming from restaurants and meetings. Impact Exhibition Management have also said that the 3rd wave has countered any growth that MICE was starting to gain after the 2nd wave, and recovery would take 2-3 months

Hua Hin is planning to launch a Recharge campaign, and has said that it has the potential to be included in the reopening plan due to its reputation as a long-stay destination. The Hua Hin Recharge plan would cover Hua Hin Municipality and Nong Kae district, and would allow travellers to arrive into Bangkok or take a private jet to Hua Hin for the scheme. They hope to welcome 100,000 international tourists, with 1.2 billion THB in receipts, but have warned that vaccination would need to start on 1 Jun-30 Sep. The Tourism Ministry has approved the concept, and it will be officially proposed on 6 May to the National Tourism Policy Committee

Thailand’s international arrivals in March were 6,737, -99.2% YoY

The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority have limited in person meetings and gatherings to 20 pax until 9 May. Several meeting venues will also be closed

The Thai PM was fined for not wearing a mask on 26 Apr after wearing masks in public places became compulsory in Bangkok

The Thai government insists that the Phuket Sandbox scheme will go ahead on 1 Jul, and that it has not been cancelled nor changed. Phuket operators are calling for more clarity from the government on how the plan will work, and say that it is unlikely that 70% of the island will be vaccinated by then. The TAT have said that they will submit a complete plan for the scheme by end of Apr, and expect in Q3 it to attract 120,000 international arrivals and generate 11 billion THB

85% of hotels in Phuket remain closed, with just 200-300 actively listed on travel websites, as hotel operators are uncertain about the situation

The PM is facing calls to impose a strict lockdown as cases continue to rise

Thailand is banning any Indian citizens or arrivals from India, with only Thai returnees from India permitted

The CCSA has warned that stricter measures may be imposed on targeted areas, after cases reached a record high of 2,839 on 24 Apr

The Thai Retailers Association have shortened operating hours of shopping malls from 11am-8pm and convenience stores must close between 10pm-5am in red zone provinces. Nonthaburi has also asked residents not to leave their homes from 9pm-4am unless they have good reason. Mask wearing in 42 provinces in indoor and outdoor spaces is now compulsory, with a fine of up to 20,000 THB for violators

Thai Airways’ state enterprise status will depend on creditors, the Finance Minister has said. Creditors will meet on 12 May to vote on the rehabilitation plan

The Tourism Minister has revised its goals of total tourism revenue from 1.218 trillion THB in 2021 to 850 billion THB, based on the new wave of cases. The number of international tourist arrivals is expected to be 3-4 million, with revenue of 300 billion THB. Domestic trips are forecast to be 100-120 million, down from 160 million forecast previously

Pattaya have announced that they will continue to organise small, outdoor events to attract tourism whilst obeying virus prevention measures

The Thai Hotels Association Eastern Chapter has said that occupancy in Pattaya is now less than 1% of what it was during Songkran

Provincial governors will be permitted to impose targeted curfews

Bangkok has announced fitness centres, amusement parks, zoos, museums, spas and public parks, amongst others, will be closed for 2 weeks from 26 Apr. Gatherings of more than 20 people will also be banned

Taiwan has confirmed that officials have met with Thailand to discuss establishing a travel corridor between the 2

Phuket officials who have faced complaints over implementing dual pricing for rapid tests on arrival to the island (Thais can undergo the test for free, foreigners need to pay 500 THB), have said that the policy may be withdrawn in May

Phuket has started to screen domestic travellers entering the island. Travellers from 18 red zones must either prove they have received 2 doses of the vaccination, or have a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of their arrival. Those who do not have these will need to take a rapid antigen test on arrival. During Songkran, 10,000 people visited Phuket daily, but this has dropped to around 3,000

The Kasikorn Research Centre has said that it forecasts domestic tourism revenue to drop by 130 billion THB in H1

Putin has agreed to make Sputnik V vaccines available in Thailand. Thailand has also signed an agreement for 10 million doses from Pfizer. The PM has vowed to purchase 35 million more doses of vaccines, to secure at least 100 million doses and achieve its vaccination program goals

The CEOs of 40 companies and the Thai Chamber of Commerce will launch a “Connect the Dots” campaign, where the private sector will help to procure vaccines and speed up the vaccination rollout

Koh Kood will close to tourists from 23 Apr-1 May

Thailand’s March international arrivals were just 6,737, -99.2% YoY. Q1 saw 20,172 arrivals, -99.7%

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) are calling for urgent mass vaccinations, saying that it needs to be “at least 10 times faster than the current rate”. They also urged the government to launch digital vaccination certificates

The TAT has admitted that it will need to set new tourism targets for 2021 following the outbreak, as the outbreak is not only in Thailand, but also in potential source markets too, such as Japan and India

The Tourism Ministry will continue with the Phuket sandbox model, and has requested at least 950,000 doses for 70-80% of Phuket’s population by Jun

The Thai Chamber of Commerce University have forecast that Thailand’s 2021 GDP will grow by 1.6%, as opposed to the previously forecast 2.8%

Nepal is hoping to attract more Thai pilgrim tourists now that Lumbini airport is scheduled to open, which will make Lumbini, a significant pilgrimage site, more accessible

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) is now forecasting the country will reopen in Q4, saying that reopening in Jul cannot be accomplished unless cases drop back down to 2 digits in the next 2 months

Thailand will start to use a vaccination passport as an official travel document

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) have said that many hotels are considering temporarily closing down, particularly non-chain hotels without sufficient cashflow. They expect the Apr hotel occupancy rates to drop to single digits, and the last 2 weeks of Apr will be significant in their decisions whether to close over the low season. A survey showed that 50% of hotel chains had not even managed to obtain 10% of pre-pandemic profit levels, whilst 77% have implemented leave without pay for staff, 76% have compelled annual leave to be taken and 71% have implemented paycuts. Up to 40% of hotels had reduced staff levels. The THA called for more financial support from the government to aid recovery

The TAT have launched a new website, Entry Thailand, which will allow all arrangements for international visitors to be booked

Cross Hotels & Resorts will open Cross Pattaya Phratamnak in Aug

47 provinces now have orders for travellers arriving from another province to undergo 14-day quarantines

The Thai cabinet has approved 3.04 billion THB in handouts as part of the We Win program, extending the subsidy for 2.4 million more people

Schools are still scheduled to reopen on 17 May, but this could change if the virus situation is not under control

Schools are still scheduled to reopen on 17 May, but this could change if the virus situation is not under control

The government is appealing to all sectors to support work from home where possible

A Suan Dusit poll has shown that the majority of Thais (62.3%) are in favour of the government creating long weekends to stimulate the economy

The Bangkok governor is asking those who have returned from Songkran travels to enter their timelines online, and then either self-quarantine for 14 days or be swabbed if it seems that they are high risk

The Thai Hotels Association are proposing hotels be used as “hospitels”, turning them into temporary hotels and reduce crowds at hospitals. 23 hotels have already registered, and strict criteria are imposed, including one nurse per 20 patients, having at least 30 rooms, and standards must pass the Alternative State Quarantine facilities

All entertainment outlets in Bangkok will remain closed for the next 2 weeks

Pattaya has said that it will continue to hold tourism events where possible, with strict disease prevention measures in place

The Pattaya Music Festival from 30 Apr-2 May has been cancelled, but the Pattaya Kite Festival will continue

Many tourist attractions across the country have been temporarily closed, including Bangkok’s Grand Palace and the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park in Chiang Mai

The Thai Hotels Association Eastern Chapter has said that members were surprised that they lost less than 30% of their Songkran bookings due to the new spike in cases. They also had many same-day and walk-in bookings from domestic tourists. From 13-14 Apr, they had 70-80% occupancy levels in Pattaya

The TAT have said that tourism is expected to start improving from May at the soonest if measures are effective at controlling the virus. This would coincide with the launch of Phase 3 of the We Travel Together scheme, set to start registration on 7 May and the Tour Tiew Thai program

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) forecast that the tourism industry’s unemployment rate in Q2 could affect 2-2.5 million workers, especially if reopening plans are delayed. In Q1, unemployment hit 1.45 million of 4.3 million tourism workers. The TCT called for the government to provide financial aid for tour operators, as well as a 2-year deb holiday until 2022. It should also support the Tourism Labour Bank project, which aims to upskill workers with expenses of 300 THB per person

The Tourism and Sports Ministry has said that the timeline for the Phuket sandbox July reopening scheme may need to be reset, as the province might not have enough vaccines ahead of its 70% vaccinated population target. A meeting will take place this coming week to decide, as well as hear from other countries with whom Thailand has started to negotiate travel bubbles

The government chose not to impose domestic travel bans over Songkran to avoid hurting the grassroots economy, the Thai PM said

1,582 new cases were reported on 16 Apr, the third consecutive day of record cases, with Bangkok and Chiang Mai reporting the highest numbers

Thai household debt is expected to keep rising, according to Kasikorn Research

The government has now designated provinces either orange or red zones, with new restrictions in force from 18 Apr. There are now 18 red zone provinces, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chonburi, Samut Sakhon and Phuket. The remaining 59 provinces are orange zones. All bars, pubs and massage parlours will be closed nationwide, whilst restaurants are not permitted to sell alcohol and must close by 9pm in red zones, 11pm in orange zones. All activities with more than 50 people are banned, as are private parties, unless all are family members. All in-person teaching is suspended, and amusement parks are closed. Working from home is encouraged. People are also being discouraged from travelling to red zones

ThaiHealth have said that 6 million Thais have been made unemployed since the start of the pandemic, and 1.3 million graduates are unlikely to find jobs

The Tourism Ministry believes that medical marijuana tourism could become popular in Thailand

ForwardKeys have shown a steady MoM increase in flight bookings to Thailand for the rest of 2021, with Dec at 24% of pre-COVID levels, compared to May at 2%. They also recorded a new trend for longer stays of 9-21 nights, a 13% increase compared to pre-COVID times. Solo travellers are also increasing their share of bookings. Arrivals from Asia are down to just 9% from 25% previously, whilst the share from the Americas has increased to 14% from 7%. Europe accounts for the majority of bookings, at 73%

More than 7.87 million vehicles travelled in and out of Bangkok during the Songkran period, 30.22% lower than its original forecast, but 34.67% higher than in 2020

Many Thai provinces continue to impose travel restrictions for domestic tourists entering the province, with measures ranging from 14-day voluntary quarantine to negative tests. Both Pattaya and Phuket do not have any restrictions

Pattaya hotels are concerned that the vaccination plan for Pattaya is too slow, and that the latest outbreak will impact the vaccine distribution. They also foresee a lack of domestic demand post Songkran, with no long weekend to boost the economy. Hua Hin also feels that the best case scenario may see travellers from Bangkok visiting on the weekend, reaching 30% occupancy on Saturday nights, and that in 2 months tourism could start to recover once more

The Tourism Business Association of Phuket revealed that hotel occupancy over Songkran dropped from 80% to 35%, whilst half the bookings for Chiang Mai and other Northern provinces were cancelled, according to the Thai Hotels Association Upper Northern Chapter

Montara Hospitality Group is developing a new wellness resort, Tri Vananda, in Phuket worth 6.6 billion THB. It is envisioned as an integrated wellness community and is set to open in early 2023

Kasikorn Research estimates that the latest wave will cost the tourism industry 10 billion THB in Q2. They have also cut their H1 forecast for tourism revenue by 130 billion THB to 137 billion THB

The Tourism Council of Chiang Mai (TCCM) is prioritising 3 tasks during the pandemic, including crisis management, preparing manpower, infrastructure and tackling tourism problems. TCCM calls for the government to provide more aid to tourism businesses

The TAT Ayutthaya cancelled its activities planned for Songkran at the last minute

The government may change its immigration rules, to make it easier for expats and long-stay tourists to stay in Thailand, removing the 90-day reports of their whereabouts. Thailand is looking to attract 1 million retirees over the next few years, which could generate 1.2 trillion THB

Two new decrees came into force from the 12 Apr, one to reduce default interest rates, and the other to provide business recovery loans of up to 250 billion THB for entrepreneurs with asset warehousing

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

Ayutthaya has cancelled its Songkran activities

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pattaya will close its entertainment places for 2 weeks

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

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

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

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

Bangkok has cancelled its Songkran celebrations to prevent crowd gatherings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Interprovincial travel to Samut Sakhon has been permitted

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10-year passports will be reintroduced for Thai passport holders

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Khao Sok National Park has been declared an ASEAN Heritage Park

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The government has extended its emergency decree until 31 Mar

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A few hundred protestors staged a rally outside Parliament on Saturday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The government is planning a 27.1 billion THB financial aid package

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pattaya will not organise a Chinese New Year celebration

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bangkok has cancelled its Chinese New Year celebrations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Schools in Bangkok will reopen on 1 Feb

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thailand recorded its largest increase in daily cases, 959

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bangkok is being affected by “unhealthy” levels of haze

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Certain national parks will close accommodation and attractions across Thailand

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Emergency Decree will be extended until 28 Feb

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thailand has banned large gathering and events across the country

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chiang Mai will stage its New Year celebration

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pattaya’s New Year Countdown Music Festival has been cancelled

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Dhara Dhevi hotel in Chiang Mai is closing operations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thai protestors called for an end to coups in Thailand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thailand will hold the BWF Para Badminton World Championships in 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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