Thailand reverses decision - open to unvaccinated 9 Jan 2023
 

Mod note added 9 January 2023 -
PRESS RELEASE: The Tourism Authority of Thailand would like to clarify that Thailand continues to welcome all international tourists under the fully-reopen-to-tourism policy that was introduced on 1 October, 2022. Full story: https://tatnews.org/2023/01/thailand-maintains-fully-reopen-entry-rules…



this comes quite as a surprise; Thailand requires proof of vaccination...seems a strange answer to the rebound of visitors from Covid ridden China....

Proof of Covid jabs for all visitors revived (bangkokpost.com)

Tourists need at least 2 Covid-19 shots to enter Thailand: Health Minister (nationthailand.com)

It's not set in stone yet. They have yet to announce when these measures will take effect. Hopefully some common sense will enter this equation and this nonsense requirement will be scrapped

"He did not say when the new measures would take effect but officials said they should start before the arrival of Chinese visitors."

restrictions in China are gone by 8. Jan....so only 3 days left...a quick and dirty decision is possible...at least it is the health minister, who announced that and not just a rumor...

What on earth happened in the meeting if he was saying this before:
Thailand will not impose stricter Covid-19 screening for Chinese tourists but will treat them the same as tourists from other countries, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Thursday.

Lol, we won't impose stricter screening for Chinese, we will impose it on everyone!

I can't be bothered to look for the Bloomberg article, usually paywalled anyway, but R Barrow tweeted this

Great news. Thanks for the update

Richard Barrow is the official government speaker and impeccable...:rolleyes:
if the two main english newspapers in Thailand quote the health minister coming from an interministerial meeting it is just a speculative rumor

sure, because the rule change has not been published yet...

its all about the relationship with China...
they just do not want do imply Covid tests on passengers from China only as other nations do....but feel obliged to do "something"...

Link to Bloomberg article (which I've not read) is in this tweet. Trigger Warning: Thai News Reports is also R Barrow! :p

Apparently the quote from Tourism Authority of Thailand is in there.

I see Laos removed all their Covid restrictions (which at the end was just a test) on 28th December. Looks like I'll be making my way to Savannakhet next visit and get the family to come over the bridge!

which will alienate young affluent couples from Europe like my friends for whom I arranged a package with Four Seasons staying in Bangkok and the North. As they are not vaccinated (like many young North Europeans) they just canceled. We are talking about a EUR 12 000 spend.

Pleasing the Chinese will have a very high price, not only because not targeting them specifically is a hgh risk, but also because the high end tourism industry will take another hit. Should I renegotiate the rates for my oncoming pleasure trip to wonderful Thailand which I really enjoy since I take it for what it is - a place to relax.

btw: around 50 % of all arrivals from China in MXP and FCO tested positive those last days (source: Corriere della Sera)

Nothing official yet:


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...358961d677.png

This is the first trigger warning I've ever seen for Richard, but those of us frequently exposed appreciate your sentiment :)

I am not seeing any country in Northern Europe with Vax rates for young adults at less than 80 percent.

Unvaccinated young affluent couples from Europe are in a microscopic minority, posing little to no threat to the Thai economy by staying home. No reasonable person could see an issue with the government prioritizing citizens and residents access to hospitals that would otherwise be overrun by unvaccinated tourists.