Thailand MUST re-open without quarantine, says media - Bangkok Jack

 Thailand MUST re-open without quarantine, says media

November 26, 2020

Tourism accounted for 18 percent of Thailand's gross domestic product and Chinese holidaymakers made up more than a quarter of total arrivals

Thailand's business media has called for the country to re-open its borders to foreign tourists from low risk countries, without quarantine.

In an opinion piece from Bangkok Biz News it was clear they are referring specifically to the Chinese.

The media outlined the desperate state of the Thai economy with some estimates putting GDP for the year down as low as 10% and the Economist ranks Thailand as among the 12 most damaged economies.

One of the most important ways to re-start the cash-flow is to encourage the foreign tourists back, said BBN.

And the easiest way to do this is by turning to China where travel is now permitted internally and where the virus is claimed to be under control.

Business media estimates there are enough Chinese tourists ready to travel to rescue the Thailand economy whilst waiting for other foreign tourists, such as locked-down westerners, to return.

The proposal includes ending quarantine for the Chinese and instead applying pre-flight checks and health tests on arrival in Thailand. Another test should be carried out a week later.

They claim this would be acceptable to those people in Thailand still terrified about the spread of Covid, they said.

The Thai people, on the other hand, still seem to disagree.