Foreigners eager to visit to Thailand, but few have actually booked flights: Poll - Following the news that Thailand plans to reopen its tourism industry, at least in part, from November 1, many foreigners are eager to visit the country, but those who have actually booked flights remain in the minority. According to a straw poll carried out by ASEAN NOW, 31 percent of respondents said they planned to visit Thailand this year, while 30 percent said they planned to visit between January and March 2022. ASEAN NOW

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Following the news that Thailand plans to reopen its tourism industry, at least in part, from November 1, many foreigners are eager to visit the country, but those who have actually booked flights remain in the minority.

 

According to a straw poll carried out by ASEAN NOW, 31 percent of respondents said they planned to visit Thailand this year, while 30 percent said they planned to visit between January and March 2022.

 

However, when asked if they had actually booked a flight to Thailand, 81 percent of respondents said they had not yet bought a flight to Thailand.

 

The lack of people seemingly willing to take the step of actually buying an airline ticket to return to Thailand is perhaps an indication of the confusion regarding Thailand's reopening plan. 

 

A particular area of confusion surrounds the online 'Thailand Pass' system, which the government has announced will replace the certificates of entry (COE) for visitors to Thailand from November 1.

 

Thai and foreign travellers will need to submit proof of vaccination and other documents on the Thailand Pass system before travelling to Thailand.  

 

However, while the government has said that Thailand Pass will be more efficient and will help to facilitate ease of travel for visitors, the system is yet to be launched. 

 

Elsewhere in the poll, there was perhaps little surprise to discover that Bangkok and Pattaya were the two most popular destinations among respondents.

 

Interestingly, most of the respondents said that a ban on the sale of alcohol in bars and restaurants would not put them off visiting Thailand. 

 

However, opinion was fairly mixed, with 47 percent of respondents voting no, while 35 percent said that an alcohol ban in Thailand was reason enough to opt for another destination. 18 percent of respondents were undecided on the issue.

 

When asked how long they intended to stay for, most respondents (52%) said they planned to stay for more than one month. This perhaps indicates that most people looking to return to Thailand at present are expats or those with some other connection to Thailand, be it property ownership, marriage etc.