Measures for vaccinated visitors would be introduced step-by-step and could include shortening the mandatory quarantine for all arrivals from two weeks to three days for those vaccinated, or waiving it entirely, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn said.
The TAT plans to begin selling tour packages after April.
The tourism ministry has also requested 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine for tourism workers in Chon Buri, Krabi, Phang Nga, Chiang Mai and Phuket.
The global vaccine roll-out has given hope to the pandemic-hit industry, which makes up about 11 per cent of Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy.
In 2019, Thailand received about 40 million foreign tourists, who spent 1.91 trillion baht (US$63.60 billion).
That compared to just 6.7 million visitors last year and revenue of 332 billion baht, due largely to Thailand’s tight limits on international commercial flights and visitors.
Since October it has allowed a limited number of tourists to return on long visas, including a group from South Korea for a new “golf quarantine” programme.
“This year, we expect about 5 million visitors, but next year it should jump because the vaccine will have helped, maybe 15 million,” Phiphat told state television.
Arrivals could reach 30 million in 2023 and return to pre-pandemic levels the year after, he said.
Thailand on Wednesday received its first 200,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines.
Source: Reuters/dv
