A Covid -19 vaccination campaign on Koh Si Chang is targeting to vaccinate all eligible residents on the island as a model to restore tourism, although it will not be compulsory.
The vaccination campaign began at the Koh Si Chang Hospital yesterday (May 21st).
The Chonburi Vice-Governor Mr. Tawatchai Sithong visited residents and medical staffers at the Koh Sichang Hospital during the vaccination campaign.
Photo courtesy of The Bangkok Times
The Koh Si Chang Mayor Mr. Damrong Paetra, who was also at the event, told The Pattaya News, "Koh Si Chang has been affected in the pandemic as the main economy here is from tourism, especially foreign although domestic is significant as well."
"Our plan is to make the island as a model to vaccinate all eligible residents on the island in order to restore our local economy."
"In the future, we 'might' have a rule in which anyone who wants to visit Koh Si Chang should be vaccinated or have proof of a similar status. However, this is still in deep discussion and not set in stone." The Mayor continued.
"The Koh Si Chang Model can be easily done as it is a small island where travel restrictions are controlled." The Mayor concluded.
Koh Si Chang has about 4,000 residents and the Chonburi government is partnering with the tourist-reliant island to provide vaccines for all eligible residents, which doesn't include children or foreign residents at this time. Foreigners, however, will be able to register in early June according to announcements by the Thai Government yesterday. Due to their small number of residents, Koh Si Chang is aiming to be one of the first places in Thailand to reach the Thai goal of about 70 percent of their citizens vaccinated to progress to what they hope will be herd immunity.
Chonburi Public Health officials are asking for the public to remain working from home if possible and especially to avoid small social gatherings with people who are not members of your own household until the situation improves. This is especially true of "drinking circles" involving alcohol or sharing food, such as a Thai-style BBQ. The vast majority of cases, according to Public Health Ministry Officials are asymptomatic or mild, with only roughly ten percent having moderate or serious symptoms, generally those with pre-existing health conditions.
RESIDENTS of Bangkok are raising questions about how the Indian variant of the coronavirus, which spreads very quickly, cropped up at a workers' camp in Lak Si district while also keeping an eye on how extensively it will spread here, Matichon newspaper said this morning.
Meanwhile the Public Health Ministry said early this morning (May 22) that there were 3,052 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours with 2,447 being among the general public and 605 in prisons and detention centres, Amarin TV said.
There were 24 more fatalities and this increased the death toll to 759.
The new batch of cases raised the cumulative confirmed total to 126,118 with 97,225 having appeared in the ongoing wave of infection that started on April 1.
Another 2,900 patients have been cured, adding up to 82,404 who have done so since the start of the pandemic and 54,978 in the current wave.
Yesterday Dr. Supakit Sirilak, the head of Public Health Ministry's Department of Medical Sciences, said a genetic code test of 80 samples from this workers' camp found that 36 of them were infected with the Indian B.1.617.2 strain. Among them were 21 Thais, 10 Myanmar citizens and five Cambodians.
Samples from two other areas of Bangkok were also tested and they were found to be the British variant.
Prior to this Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong, the head of the Department of Disease Control, said of the 61 Lak Si camp samples tested, 15 corresponded with the Indian variant. Seven of them were male and eight female with the average age being 46 years. Twelve of them were construction workers while the other three were part of their households and had contact with them.
This group of migrant workers have been in Thailand for a while now and live at this camp. They are only showing a few symptoms and have all been admitted to hospital.
"In Thailand 87% of the cases are the British variant with th Indian strain having just been detected. Genetic code testing of samples from other clusters will be carried to see how it spreads.
"According to Public Health England, the Indian strain is relatively widespread. It is similar to the British strain but there is no evidence that it causes more severe disease or more deaths. It responds to vaccines so people should not worry too much," Dr. Supakit said.
Dr Opas also underscored that the Indian strain is not resistant to vaccines, especially the AstraZeneca which can also protect people against the British variant. This was demonstrated in the UK where both the Indian and the British variants raged but infection decreased as vaccination with AstraZeneca increased.
Asked how effective China's Sinovac vaccine is against the Indian coronavirus strain, Dr Opas said information from many countries showed that this vaccine too provided effective defence against the Indian strain but he would be checking the details again.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Relatives of Indian patients have been refilling oxygen cylinders themselves. Photo: Getty Images and published by BBC
Home Page: This Indian woman wanted to record the moment of vaccination. Photo: Getty Images and published by BBC
The Tourism Authority of Thailand's latest campaign to woo foreign tourists - starting in Phuket on July 1st - is a variation on a previous slogan.
The new one is:
"Amazing Thailand...Amazing kwaa derm" - Amazing Thailand....even more amazing than before.
The TAT governor told Thai Raththat it was all systems go for the Phuket sandbox after he had a video conference with 50-60 tourism reps from the private sector on the holiday island.
He threw out plenty of buzzwords.
One was the importance of what he called "City Marketing".
This was needed because if foreigners looked at the total virus numbers in Thailand they might be scared and put off visiting.
So it was important that Phuket figures were reported separately to inspire confidence that the virus was under control.
Thaivisa notes that this inferred that it was not under control elsewhere.
This, said Yutthasak Suphasorn yesterday, fed into the "Countdown to Reopen Phuket" campaign at the TAT.
This would explain clearly how many were infected with Covid-19 on the island and how many had been vaccinated.
In addition Yutthasak has some other things up his sleeve.
This included taking what he called 200 KOL Bloggers out in July to see how Phuket had changed for the better.
KOL means Key Opinion Leaders, notes Thaivisa.
This would all feed into that new Amazing Thailand slogan.
Additionally he was planning on inviting foreign TV stations to Phuket over a 1-2 month period to show how well everything was going.
Thai Rath also quoted a senior executive at Central who said that 85% of staff had been vaccinated creating a "herd immunity" that would inspire tourists to shop there.
Now just one question remains to be answered, suggests Thaivisa.
Free cows, gold necklaces, french fries, chicken, and more as Thailand provinces and companies offer incentives for those who get vaccinated against Covid-19
As of press time, May 21st, 2021, Phuket and the Thai Tourism Authority have stated time and time again they are planning on moving forward with July First, 2021, about six weeks away, to open up Phuket as a "Sandbox" trial to vaccinated foreign tourists. The island is progressing along and leading the country in vaccinations, with some reports stating 28% of the population is now fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The goal, set by Phuket officials, is set 70% by early July, which they state is feasible and based on the fact they have, so far, been able to keep their roughly 100,000 doses of vaccines previously secured towards the project this may still happen.
However, will the island truly open, even on a very limited basis, to vaccinated foreign tourists by July First? Business owners on the island have repeatedly stated that if it doesn't, this may be the last straw for the island economy. Will foreign tourists even want to come due to the current situation in Thailand? That is another question. For what it's worth, Phuket island officials have implemented some of the strictest rules in Thailand around gatherings and restrictions currently, as well as entry restrictions, to attempt to get to zero cases of Covid-19 before any planned reopening….and so far that appears to be working. Let us look at a few of the questions (and there are many more) that TAT and officials will have to answer before opening the island. We don't have true answers to most of these questions, and that is concerning, as the launch is only a few weeks away and clarity is needed. For that matter, embassies overseas and tour agencies still don't have solid information either, as of press time.
Q. What exactly will people be allowed and not allowed to do for their first 7-10 days when let in on sandbox?
A. The exact number of days people will need to stay on the island was originally proposed to be 7-10 days before being able to travel around the country. It is unclear (like many things) if this is still going to be the case. Since our last look at the Sandbox in early April, there have been multiple statements around people perhaps led on "guided tours" by tour guides for their first 7-10 days as a precaution around Covid-19. This idea would not be popular with many Western-style tourists. Additionally, will any of the current restrictions still be in place? If essentially all tourism activities, entertainment, nightlife, and other "fun" attractions are shut will people still come? Some might, but primarily as a way to avoid the current mandatory fourteen-day quarantine for everyone, including those vaccinated, and would likely be ex-pats returning from overseas and not real tourists. Could the Sandbox length on the island be extended to a full fourteen days? Will people have the freedom to go to where they wish with a tracking application but only be allowed to go to places on the list? What sort of places will they be allowed to visit? Could people bring "guests" back to their hotel with them? All things to consider.
Q. If a fully vaccinated tourist tests positive for Covid-19, will they be forced into a two-week self-paid hospital quarantine?
A. A fully vaccinated tourist won't fear Covid-19 much, as vaccines based on evidence from the World Health Organization appear to significantly reduce the chance of moderate or severe symptoms and hospitalization. What will they fear? Currently in Thailand, however, if one tests positive, even completely asymptomatic and not sick, even vaccinated, the policy is to spend weeks under medical supervision at a hospital. A foreigner would need their insurance to pay or fund this themselves. Will this policy change for foreign tourists? If not, how many foreign tourists would risk coming for a positive test to ruin their entire vacation? Will a vaccinated tourist be able to skip testing and just prove they are vaccinated and do a period of time, like 7-10 days as stated above, on the island instead?
Q. How intrusive will the tracking application be?
A. The government has made it clear people will be tracked during this program, although the level of tracking will likely de-escalate as the Covid-19 situation improves over time. Many Western tourists are not fans of over intrusive tracking. Will applications be more based around check-in or check-out like the current applications used for Thai nationals or will they be all-inclusive GPS trackers? If someone doesn't have a smartphone, will they be forced to purchase one or wear a smart band (So far, these seem to have mostly been limited to testing and yacht quarantine.)? How long will people have to use these applications? Can they suspend them after the first 7-10 days or will they need them for their entire trip? All things to consider. This question remains the same from our last opinion and so far has not been made clear.
Q. What about kids?
A. It's quite clear that although work is being done around research for vaccinating children, it isn't complete yet and currently children aren't getting vaccines except with Pfizer and mostly in the US. This means that by the time Phuket is planned to open, it leaves a big question. Family visitors, especially from Russia, China, and India, are common…will this mean kids cannot come? Or will they be able to come with several negative Covid-19 tests? Not allowing children would be a substantial roadblock for many tourists. This question is also from our last update and is still not answered clearly.
Q. What about the length of time for having a vaccine and who could come?
A. Another factor. Just before Thailand increased quarantine to fourteen days after the recent breakouts of Covid-19 in the country, they had a cut-off of three months after getting a vaccine. Of course, ample research is ongoing on how long vaccines last but if this three-month window stays many people in Western countries being vaccinated now would, in theory, need to be vaccinated AGAIN to come to Thailand. Something for authorities to consider.
Q. Yes, it's a marathon, not a sprint, but what restrictions will stay in place?
A. What we mean by this question is that if the plan proceeds forward, it is understood that people will not pour in by the tens of thousands as of July First and it would likely be a slow trickle that would expand. Although many countries would not be able to visit either because of mandatory quarantine when they return or travel restrictions prohibiting leaving (like Australia), some, like America, parts of Europe, and Russia, would. However, if the process to get in requires long, bureaucratic visits to embassies, Covid-19 tests, multiple checks of vaccination status, and other hoops, many would not bother. For the plan to truly be a success, it needs to be fairly hassle-free, and very clear on the steps to take. None of that is currently in place.
Additionally, as we previously stated, will restrictions keep closed Thailand's famous nightlife and entertainment? Will scuba diving remain banned? Will socializing with more than one person be banned? Will nearly all tourist attractions stay closed due to Covid-19 restrictions? Probably not, of course, but if they are this will not attract tourists. Additionally, how long will the requirements to enter the island stay in place such as being fully vaccinated or take a negative Covid-19 test? If tourists do flock back to the island, and this is a big if, many Thais from across Thailand will, regardless of risk, want to flock back for employment opportunities. Will they be allowed to enter fairly hassle-free or not? This goes for domestic tourism as well. Let's say nightlife is allowed to open in Phuket, due to tourism, but NOT Bangkok or Pattaya due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation. This would cause a huge influx in "hospitality workers" as well as young ex-pats and digital nomads to the island. Has this been considered?
In conclusion:
That's just an updated idea of the questions around the sandbox proposal and it would be interesting to see authorities address some of those and other concerns seen on social media. We hope you enjoyed reading this and thinking about some things that may not have been yet widely discussed around the Sandbox policy. For what it's worth, we really hope they manage to pull this off as the tourism industry and millions of Thais have struggled for over a year now. But it's not going to be as simple as opening the doors and letting people in, especially under a new round of Covid-19 infections in the country.
Many feel it is inevitable, as horrific as it is for thousands of business owners and employees on Phuket, that the plan is pushed back, but so far the Thai Government has denied this, with the Prime Minister and Public Health Minister personally visiting earlier this month to reassure nervous island officials and business owners that the plan was still on track. For now, we can only sit and wait and hope even a few of these important questions are answered.
The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 71 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today, May 22nd, which is a major fall in cases from having 127 yesterday, driven by increased testing and a cluster at a factory and migrant worker camp dormitory for the factory in a nearby district.
This makes a total of 4,072 cases of Covid-19 in the current round of infections, with 944 still in medical care, with a total of sixteen recorded deaths in Chonburi since the start of this recent round of infections in early April.
Additionally, 3,112 people in total have now been released from medical care and fully recovered since this current wave began. 92 people were released yesterday.
The district-level new cases were as follows today:
Mueang Chonburi with 27, Si Racha 8, Banglamung (including Pattaya) 16, Phanat Nikhom 5, Sattahip 2, Ban Bueng 6, Pan Thong 4, Bor Thong 2, and one patient was transferred from another province to Chonburi for medical care.
The details on today's cases given were:
A cluster from a single metal factory with 14 cases, see below
Close contacts of previous patients
In families, 11 cases
In workplaces, 8 cases
One medical staff member
Close contact under investigation 37 cases.
In the last day, a total of 203 close contacts were tested from contact tracing, and 1,876 people were tested in proactive testing when medical staff goes out into the community.
All are pending results. Chonburi has also begun proactive mass testing at industrial estates and for workers with social security at "high-risk" locations that have interactions with the general public (like supermarkets, public transportation, restaurant staff, etc). This resulted in a cluster found at a metal factory which last night the governor ordered closed temporarily.
Chonburi Public Health officials are asking for the public to remain working from home if possible and especially to avoid small social gatherings with people who are not members of your own household until the situation improves. This is especially true of "drinking circles" involving alcohol or sharing food, such as a Thai-style BBQ.
The vast majority of cases, according to Public Health Ministry Officials are asymptomatic or mild, with only roughly ten percent having moderate or serious symptoms, generally those with pre-existing health conditions.
Illegal Myanmar migrants are arrested on the pickup truck in Thong Pha Phum district of Kanchanaburi on early Thursday morning. Local officials in the district said they rounded up more than 100 illegal migrant over the past week. (Photo: Piyarat Chongcharoen)
Authorities have tightened border controls to prevent illegal entry and the spread of Covid-19 from neighbouring countries.
Deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said on Friday that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha instructed security authorities to step up surveillance along the border to stop migrants sneaking into Thailand through natural border crossings.
The prime minister also stressed that local quarantine facilities and field hospitals must be laid on to accommodate Thai returnees crossing the border from neighbouring countries, Ms Rachada said.
Border patrol police have set up an additional 14 field hospitals for illegal foreign migrants who have been infected with Covid-19 to prevent the disease from spreading to local communities, she said.
Gen Prayut also ordered authorities to arrest and take tough action against illegal labour smugglers and any state officials complicit in the crime, the spokeswoman said.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said on Friday that the Centre for Resolution of Security Emergency Situation has been cracking down on illegal migrants and smugglers.
Between Jan 1-May 20, a total of 17,627 Thais and foreign migrants from neighbouring countries were arrested for illegal entry. Of them, 1,853 were Thais; 7,365 were from Myanmar and 5,464 were Cambodian. Others included 1,089 Lao nationals, and 33 Malaysians, Mr Tanee said. He said Thais who want to return home must register for certificates of entry (COE) from Thai embassies and consulates. Registrations can be made at http://dcaregistration.mfa.go.th.
He said immigration checkpoints are open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for Thais who want to return via land border crossings from the four neighbouring countries of Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia.
For those who want to enter Thailand via waterway checkpoints or by ship, crew members who are Thai must register for COEs before entry, while foreign crew members are still not permitted into the country, except for humanitarian or economic reasons, Mr Tanee said.
They may include captains and crew of cruise liners or yachts visiting Thailand to help boost the country's economic recovery. They must obtain a visa and COE from the Foreign Affairs Ministry and undergo self-quarantine onboard their vessels at sea for 14 days.
For cargo ships entering Thai waters, they will be allowed to dock for a specified period and then must leave immediately, with no crew members allowed to disembark, he said.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, left, accept the first batch of vaccines from China. Somchai Poomlard
With the third wave of Covid-19 showing no signs of abating, the government's vaccination plans face hurdles prompted by a lack of unity among state agencies.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha declared mass immunisation against the virus to be a national agenda item, with the aim of inoculating 50 million people to achieve herd immunity. But the plan has already suffered many mishaps.
The Mor Prom or "Doctor Ready" app that was launched on May 1 was anything but ready as the system immediately collapsed.
The communications strategy is a calamity with changes to the vaccination plan almost on a daily basis which only adds to public confusion. Take a look at the change from "walk-in" as proposed by Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, to "on-site'' registration as ordered by Gen Prayut.
Vaccination has helped a number of countries turn the corner in their fight against the pandemic that has brought the world to its knees since late 2019. Jabs are set to begin on June 7 after the imminent delivery of a big batch of vaccines, followed by 10 million more doses a month, and that should give the public some hope.
Two or three months from now if the vaccination campaign results a significant decrease in infections in Bangkok and other maximum-control zones, it could secure Gen Prayut's political future.
Which brings us to "vaccine politics" as parties attempt to use the current climate to score points against one another whether by trumpeting successes or pointing out failures.
The Palang Pracharath-run Labour Ministry expects its slice of the vaccine cake as it looks to earn credit with the nine million members of the Social Security Fund set to be inoculated under Section 33 starting next month.
Even Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang who has an eye on maintaining his run in charge of the capital, has also been cashing in on the pandemic for his own political ends after moving away from any association with the government's plans by setting up a bespoke website for the capital's residents to register for vaccination.
In doing so, he has extended cooperation with the country's largest convenience store chain, which is also no doubt part of his drive for support in the next governor contest.
But what is going on reflects a lack of coordination or unity among state agencies. Ministers fight to make headlines with announcements of plans and initiatives only to backtrack the following day after such off-the-cuff decision-making unsurprisingly proves to have more holes in it than a block of Swiss cheese.
More importantly, the competition between the coalition partners has led to much bickering, especially after the PM put the brakes on Mr Anutin's walk-in plans for fear that the confusion caused by the measure could backfire on the government.
Following Mr Anutin's loss of face, key members of the Bhumjaithai Party (BJT), among them party spokesman Paradorn Prisnanantakul, gave less-than-subtle rebukes of government strategy which, though they did not name him specifically, were clearly directed at Gen Prayut and his decision to place such a lot of faith in the Mor Prom app. He even went so far as to label whoever was making these decisions as stubborn and incompetent.
This bickering could soon escalate into all-out war between the two coalition parties as PPRP members fight back to protect the embattled PM.
This is not the first conflict among the two major parties over Covid-19 management.
Last month, Supachai Jaisamut, a BJT member, lashed out at the prime minister's decision to centralise all legal powers while the threat of the virus remains clear and present following the third wave which started in Bangkok's Thong Lor area.
Meanwhile, PPRP politicians who are House panel members, want Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob who is also BJT secretary-general to shoulder some responsibility for the Thong Lor cluster. The minister was alleged to have visited an exclusive club, a virus hotspot, and turned a blind eye to the fact that the place was operating in breach of the emergency decree.
Differences over Covid-19 management policies have turned many a friend to foe.
Not to mention that the BJT party has gained in popularity since the dissolution of the Future Forward Party (FFP) after becoming the new home of almost a dozen of its former MPs. Therefore, it's possible that the BJT will become coalition leader after the next election, and Mr Anutin could challenge a weary Gen Prayut for the role of PM.
In fact, it should be noted that Mr Anutin is named a possible PM every time the idea of a "unity government" comes up as a solution to a national crisis.
But the billionaire politician has dismissed the idea while the "three Pors" -- Prayut, Prawit (Wongsuwon) and Pom, (nickname of Anupong Paojinda) are still on the scene.
For Gen Prayut, if the vaccination campaign is successful, it could provide him with additional clout should the anti-government political activists resume their campaign. But if the government is deemed to have underperformed to the extent where lives are lost, he will face loud calls to resign.
So a well-oiled vaccination programme is essential. Not just for public health, but also the health of the administration.
As people are suffering from economic hardship, with so many losing jobs and income, they want a clear policy and truly responsive measures to return the country to the pre-Covid era. Such dreams cannot be fulfilled if politicians continue to treat the outbreak as a chance to score points.
Chairith Yonpiam is assistant news editor, Bangkok Post.
Covid-19 has shown how an overdependence on foreign tourists has ravaged the industry
Walking Street in Pattaya, which is usually full of tourists, is nearly deserted because of fear of Covid-19. (Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut)
The global pandemic has revealed weaknesses hidden within Thailand's tourism strategy for decades.
Deserted walking streets and shuttered hotels can be found everywhere today with no sign of recovery in sight, as 80%-90% of tourism-related businesses have closed because of the lack of foreign visitors. This market contributed up to two-thirds of the industry's total revenue before the pandemic.
The plan to reopen borders for inoculated visitors in 10 areas this year is a gamble to remedy a bruised industry, yet there will be greater risks if obstacles are ignored.
The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) this week slashed its estimate for foreign arrivals this year to just 500,000, expected to generate 150 billion baht. This figure is three times less than domestic receipts booked last year of 480 billion baht.
While many countries are looking for sustainable methods to make the domestic market and economy stronger, the Thai tourism industry is still dreaming of the good old days of 40 million annual visitors.
GET SOME OR LOSE ALL
A safe reopening can work if both tourists and local residents are vaccinated against Covid-19.
However, due to the slow pace of vaccination and insufficient supplies, the country has been unable to achieve herd immunity.
Instead, the country has chosen pilot areas to reopen to foreign tourists gradually, enabling those areas most eager for the international market to allow vaccinated tourists entry without quarantine.
Phuket is scheduled to waive mandatory quarantine for inoculated tourists from July 1, and has already started screening entries.
A condition of the pilot scheme is the Andaman island must achieve herd immunity by June, helping to ensure the share of inoculated residents stays at 70% in the long run.
Since the third outbreak erupted in April, the province has implemented stringent measures, requiring domestic travellers to be fully vaccinated or provide a negative test prior to arrival.
As a result, long lines caused people to wait for hours at a land entry point this week as people complained about the inconvenient entry process and pricey Covid-19 tests.
These new restrictions didn't sit well with low-income residents trying to stay afloat during an economic slowdown.
However, stern travel rules are not the only hurdle facing the tourism market.
Local tourists wary of virus transmission may avoid destinations opening up to foreigners without quarantine.
And if Thais are vaccinated and free to travel to other countries open to tourists, some Thais may opt for international trips.
"Facing hesitation from residents is unavoidable when reopening some areas to international arrivals," said Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
"We have to consider the risk as well as the sentiment of Thai tourists."
He said the lessons learned last year allowed tourism operators in Phuket to make an informed choice on pilot reopening to foreigners without a quarantine.
The island struggled to attract the domestic market as 80% of hotels closed down, with the remainder posting only 20-30% occupancy.
Those who could afford to travel had high purchasing power, as Thailand averages 12-13 million outbound tourists a year, but they were not allowed to go abroad last year.
Thailand has a population of 70 million, with 4.3 million people still living in poverty in 2020, according to a report by NESDC in 2020.
The majority of the population is struggling with the economic impact of the pandemic.
"The structure of Thai tourism has leaned towards the international market for too long, and this has proved difficult to change," said Mr Yuthasak.
He said local tourists normally take three domestic trips per year, lagging behind countries with healthy domestic consumption such as Taiwan, which averages five trips per year.
"In 2022, we want to close the gap by targeting revenue of 1.2 trillion baht from the Thai market and 1.3 trillion from international arrivals," said Mr Yuthasak.
"But in the end, no matter the market, if the country cannot improve the supply of tourists by improving public transport and reducing the number of travel scams, it will be hard to win back tourists like in the past."
NO MORE BIG FISH
While tourism operators in Thailand struggle with scarcity, China -- the first country in the world to detect Covid-19 -- has reported only single or double-digit infections for several consecutive months.
"Tourism, meetings, trade shows and concerts are back to normal. Being unable to travel out of the country is not a problem for the Chinese as they flock to domestic destinations that provide a unique experience, similar to travelling abroad," said Phisut Itsaracheewawat, a Thai who works for a tech company in Shanghai.
"Vaccination rollout has been fast for both local residents and expatriates like us, who were able to book appointments online and get Sinopharm jabs at a cheap price last month."
Domestic tourism in the mainland, which has benefitted from stringent border controls, has seen demand surge.
The number of local trips taken in China is estimated to surpass the pre-pandemic period from May.
Trip.com Group, a Chinese travel company formerly known as Ctrip, predicted domestic travel in China during the five-day May Day Holiday would grow 30% when compared with the same period in 2019, and soar 270% year-on-year.
A robust domestic recovery might be good news for China, but the Thai tourism industry had become dependent on that market, welcoming 10.9 million Chinese visitors in 2019 -- one-fourth of foreign arrivals.
From 2020 until now, Beijing has not provided any hint it is easing outbound travel restrictions.
Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, said it is hard to imagine Chinese tourists coming back this year as the country has developed a strong, self-dependent tourism market with a population of 1.4 billion to draw from.
"We do not expect the Chinese government to relax international travel in the near future," said Mr Sisdivachr. "Look at Hong Kong, which is close to the mainland and has handled the virus crisis better than us, yet Chinese people still have to quarantine when returning from Hong Kong."
Thai tourism operators hope the situation improves by the fourth quarter, but many have learned during the past year not to dream too big.
Anchalee Kumwong, director of TAT's Beijing office, said China is unlikely to reopen the country before at least 70% of the population is vaccinated, which is expected to happen by early next year.
In addition, there has been no official commitment from the Chinese government about travel bubbles with other countries.
"Chinese tourists still think about overseas trips," she said. "Tourism marketing campaigns from every country, including Thailand, Japan, Singapore and Macau, are intense despite international travel restrictions as we all want to maintain this market."
With rigid restrictions such as 28 days quarantine upon return to China from overseas and limited international flights under its "Five-One policy" from last year, it is near impossible to expect Chinese tourists to take part in the Phuket sandbox model in the second half of this year, said Mrs Anchalee.
The Five-One policy allows an airline to fly from one city in China to one foreign destination, with no more than one flight a week. As a result, there are 180 seats available per week from Beijing to Bangkok, down from 40,000 seats prior to the outbreak.
Meanwhile, any tour company selling outbound packages faces severe penalties as the government doesn't allow tour groups to travel internationally.
She said the methods Beijing has applied to remedy the tourism industry there are interesting.
Instead of spraying cash without direction, it adopted technology to facilitate users shopping with digital vouchers in designated areas, or required tourists to withdraw stimulus money from ATMs at destinations that are desperate for more tourism traffic.
Mrs Anchalee said the country also developed tourism destinations to fulfil demand, such as promoting Hainan island as a duty-free destination to attract high-spending tourists as well as offering luxury experiences including yachting.
"More Chinese flocked to Hainan for a beach holiday, Yunnan to explore model cities duplicating sites in Thailand, and Xinjiang where desert tourism is booming. They have plenty of substitutes for overseas trips," she said. "That's why they have been able to grow the domestic tourism market more than us."
