Travelers wondering what it’s like to travel to Thailand may be interested to learn that the country is “allowing almost everything” again.
This is according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the government body responsible for promoting tourism in the country.
According to TAT, masks are no longer required, and the country’s colour-coded system – which has placed varying limits by province on dining activities, gatherings and travel – is also a thing of the past.
Now entering Thailand is also very easy.
What do you want
Masks, which were once required at the beach, are no longer mandatory in Thailand.
Lillian Suwanrumfa | AFP | Getty Images
According to TAT, unaffiliated travelers who appear in Thailand without a negative test result within 72 hours of travel will have to pay for an on-site COVID-19 test. According to a TAT representative, passengers who test positive will also have to pay for their medical expenses.
Foreign travelers will still need to show a passport and visa, if necessary, to enter.
‘Thailand Pass’ no longer required
Travelers no longer need to apply for a “Thailand Pass” to enter. Introduced in May, it required passengers to submit proof of vaccinations, medical insurance and other documents before departure.
We expect the momentum to continue… [now that] The Thai government lifted the last restrictions for international travelers.
Michael Marshall
CCO of Minor Hotels
less rules, more tourists
It didn’t take long for tourists to react to Thailand’s lax travel rules.
A day after the “Thailand Pass” ended, tourist arrivals at Phuket International Airport jumped 20%, according to an estimated 9,000 people arriving on Friday. A report published by the Thai Public Broadcasting Service.
On the same day, according to the article, the number of people entering Thailand at various checkpoints along the borders of Malaysia and Laos also increased.
According to the Thai Public Broadcasting Service, Indian nationals led the increase in passengers flying into Phuket over the past weekend.
Mladen Antonov | AFP | Getty Images
number of online searches Michael Marshall, chief commercial officer of Thai-based hotel operator Minor Hotels, said hotel bookings have also increased since July 1.
“While it is early days for all restrictions to be lifted, we have collectively seen close to 10,000 new searches on our website for destinations in Thailand from various markets since July 1, which is a very encouraging sign of things to come.”
Thailand’s tourism industry was gaining momentum even before the rules changed.
According to Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, international arrivals almost quadrupled from January to May this year. According to ministry data, more than 13 lakh foreigners visited during this period, while less than 35,000 foreigners had visited during the same period in 2021.
According to Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, from January to May in 2022, 43% of Thailand’s visitors were from Asia, followed by 38% from Europe.
Alex Ogle | AFP | Getty Images
“We expect the momentum to continue … [now that] The Thai government lifted the last restrictions for international travelers,” Marshall said.
He added that this year, the regions of Phuket, Koh Samui and northern Thailand saw the biggest increase in tourist arrivals.
road to recovery
Thailand’s tourism recovery may be on the right track, but the road to recovery is expected to be long as inflation, rising travel costs and rising COVID rates continue to haunt global travellers. The loss of travelers from its biggest source market, China, won’t help matters this year either.
Given these headwinds, Thai officials are forecasting five to 15 million international arrivals this year – a huge increase from last year’s 428,000 foreign arrivals, but a far cry from the nearly 40 million tourists that will arrive in 2019, according to Reuters.