As several countries around the world moved to introduce Covid tests for incoming Chinese tourists a top Thai virologist has skirted round the issue.
The question of Chinese people potentially spreading Covid after their country said they would abandon restrictions from January 8th is a hot topic around the world.
Especially in Thailand as 20% of the country's pre-pandemic tourists (40 million) came from China. Tourism is picking up again with 10 million visiting in 2022 and more expected next year - especially Chinese.
Dr Yong Poovoravan was reflecting on the latest stages of Covid infection in a Facebook post.
He mentioned Japan and South Korea where there are large numbers of infections but avoided mentioning China by name.
Instead he spoke of variants and the need for vigilance especially as only a small percentage of the world's population had received 3 jabs.
He recognised that around 70% of the world's population had got a couple of jabs or acquired immunity through infection.
He stressed the need for Thailand to maintain vigilance, monitoring new variants that might not have entered the Thai population before.
His message was "follow the science".
He stopped short of jumping on the bandwagon in demanding PCR tests for incoming tourists from China.
The US, India and several countries in the EU have implimented these measures.
Thailand is unlikely to follow suit as it attempts to get its struggling tourism industry - and those vital Chinese - back on side, notes ASEAN NOW.
That might risk annoying the Chinese, a step too far for those keen to accelerate the pace of tourism in Thailand.
Check your calendars! As we head into 2023, it's handy to know about the upcoming Thai holidays for the year. Thailand has many holidays throughout 2023, though some are just general observances while others are public holidays where government offices (like immigration) and other businesses are closed. Here's a quick snapshot of the major holidays next year.
DATE
DAY
NAME
TYPE
1 Jan
Sunday
New Year's Day
National holiday
2 Jan
Monday
Day off for New Year's Day
National holiday
14 Jan
Saturday
National Children's Day
Observance
16 Jan
Monday
Teachers' Day
Observance
22-24 Jan
Sunday
Lunar (Chinese) New Year
Observance
14 Feb
Tuesday
Valentine's Day
Observance
6 Mar
Monday
Makha Bucha
National holiday
6 Apr
Thursday
Chakri Day
National holiday
13-16 Apr
Thursday
Songkran
National holiday
1 May
Monday
Labour Day
Bank holiday
4 May
Thursday
Coronation Day
National holiday
11 May
Thursday
Royal Ploughing Ceremony Day (Tentative Date)
Government Holiday
3 Jun
Saturday
Visakha Bucha
National holiday
3 Jun
Saturday
Queen Suthida's Birthday
National holiday
5 Jun
Monday
Day off for Visakha Bucha
National holiday
5 Jun
Monday
Day off for Queen Suthida's Birthday
National holiday
28 Jul
Friday
King Vajiralongkorn's Birthday
National holiday
1 Aug
Tuesday
Buddhist Lent Day
National holiday
2 Aug
Wednesday
Khao Phansa Day
12 Aug
Saturday
The Queen's Birthday
National holiday
14 Aug
Monday
Day off for The Queen's Birthday
National holiday
13 Oct
Friday
Anniversary of the Death of King Bhumibol
National holiday
23 Oct
Monday
Chulalongkorn Day
National holiday
31 Oct
Tuesday
Halloween
Observance
27 Nov
Monday
Chiang Mai's Yi Peng Lantern Festival
Observance
28 Nov
Tuesday
Loy Krathong
Observance
5 Dec
Tuesday
King Bhumibol's Birthday/Father's Day
National holiday
10 Dec
Sunday
Constitution Day
National holiday
11 Dec
Monday
Substitute Holiday for Constitution Day
National holiday
24 Dec
Sunday
Christmas Eve
Observance
25 Dec
Monday
Christmas Day
Observance
31 Dec
Sunday
New Year's Eve
National holiday
Thai holidays that fall on a weekend are generally observed with a day off the following Monday, such as Queen Suthida's birthday, which falls on a Saturday, the same day as the Buddha Day Visakha Bucha.
Speaking of Buddha Days, there are several important Buddha Day holidays throughout the year. On these holiday days, banks and businesses stay open, but government offices close. What tends to affect tourists and expats most though is that the sale and consumption of alcohol are forbidden on these days. Buddha Days coincide with the Full Moon, so the famous party in Koh Phangan is delayed a day so that drinking is allowed.
Makha Bucha falls on March 6 in 2023 and is the commemoration of a sermon Buddha gave where 1,250 disciples gathered spontaneously. Visakha Bucha is on June 3 and is the most important Buddha day. It marks the day Buddha was born, the day he reached enlightenment 35 years later, and then, 45 years later, the day he died and entered Nirvana. Finally, Asahna Bucha Day and Khao Phansa Day, also known as Buddhist Lent, falls on August 1 and 2 in 2023.
The Buddha Day of Visakha Bucha Day or Wan Pra Yai
Many Thai holidays exist around the Royal Family in Thailand, marking the days of the births, deaths, and coronations of family members. In Thailand, Mother's Day is celebrated on Her Majesty Queen Sirikit's birthday, August 12, and Father's Day on the birthday of the late, beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej on December 5.
Some western holidays are unofficially or semi-officially observed in Thailand. Christmas, Halloween, and Valentine's Day have grown in popularity in the kingdom, as has New Year's Eve on December 31. Of course, locals and expats also rejoice in the festival of Songkran, April 13 to 16, the celebration of the Thai New Year. The sights of Thailand's national water fight have become iconic worldwide as happy celebrants splash water and sometimes flour or talcum powder with glee.
Another world-famous Thai holiday comes November 27 and 28. Loy Krathong, on the 28th, is a festival where people gather along Thailand's riverbanks to float banana trunks (Krathong), typically shaped like a lotus and decorated with flowers, incense, candles, personal items, and craft-store buys. For some people, however, it's a day to pray and give gratitude to the water goddess, Phra Mae Khongkha, as well as to ask for forgiveness for using too much water or for polluting the water as they float their banana trunks into the rivers.
PHOTO: Releasing Krathong during Loy Krathong festival. (via salineechot/freepik)
Loy Krathong is often confused with the Yi Peng Lantern Festival which coincides, this year on the 27th. The iconic site of thousands of floating lanterns, drifting together into the sky with candlelights flickering may be one of the most famous holiday sights to come out of Thailand.
Thailand desperately wants Chinese tourist cash, but risks its health services being overwhelmed by huge demands never experienced during the pandemic.
Thai authorities appear to be adopting a suck-it-and-see approach to covid concerns about hundreds of thousands of Chinese tourists expected to visit Thailand in upcoming months. Beijing authorities have announced freedom of travel to and from China from January 8. Whilst some countries – including the United States, Japan and Italy – have announced a requirement for prior RT-PCR tests for all travellers from China, others have decided to lay out the welcome mat without undue restrictions. Just now, Thailand is in that camp.
The Thai health ministry has announced that Bangkok will not lay out extra requirements but will rely on Beijing's promises that its citizens will need a RT-PCR test both outbound and inbound. Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul, in comments reported in the Bangkok Post, stated that Chinese visitors, along with all foreign arrivals, will need health insurance. However, Thailand does not in reality require health insurance of any kind for short-term tourists from any country. The minister also promised AstraZeneca booster shots for Chinese visitors willing to pay.
On the other hand, Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourist Authority of Thailand, stated this week that the priority was not cash-cow Chinese tourists but the need to protect the Thai population from another wave of covid infections, possibly with new and unknown strains being introduced via airports. Meanwhile, many Thai hospitals are reporting that they do not have stocks of vaccines to offer anybody. Checks at Pattaya-area hospitals yesterday revealed that walk-in or prior appointment booster shots have all been ended as stocks already have run out.
Nor is it clear that the Thai health network can hire enough additional staff to offer RT-PCR tests to all Chinese tourists 48 hours ahead of their return to the mother country. To complicate further, India has now announced that all passengers taking flights to any of its airports from both China and Thailand will require a recent RT-PCR test from January 1. There is also confusion concerning how Chinese immigration authorities will receive the results of the covid test. Some reports say prior uploading of the result to airlines or a website is necessary, others claim passengers will simply take the certificate to airport check-in.
It is obvious that the Chinese decision to discard the restrictions on overseas travel, prompted by mass demonstrations against President's Xi's zero-covid policy earlier this year, has given a potentially gigantic boost to Thailand's tourist industry. "Rebound" tourism is on the march worldwide as vacationers rush to enjoy a travel freedom denied them for almost three years. Yet Thai authorities have yet to balance the pros and cons in a systematic manner. In particular, the Thai health system, public and private, risks being overwhelmed by too many demands for both treatment and testing. As always, the devil is in the detail.
BANGKOK, Dec 29 (TNA) – The country will not need any strict disease control measure for Chinese visitors, the public health minister said.
Anutin Charnvirakul, the public health minister and deputy prime minister, said officials from the Department of Disease Control, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Ministry of Transport discussed measures to be imposed in response to China's planned country reopening on Jan 8 and they agreed that existing measures would be enough.
The Chinese government required outbound Chinese travelers to undergo RT-PCR tests for COVID-19 and receive at least three doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Most Chinese people had natural antibodies for COVID-19 also because 60% of the Chinese population already contracted the disease, Mr Anutin said.
When Chinese tourists arrive, they must purchase health insurance so that they will have proper care if they fall sick, he said.
If Chinese visitors would like a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, the Thai government would have AstraZeneca vaccine for them but they would have to pay for it, Mr Anutin said. (TNA)
Russian flag carrier Aeroflot is launching direct flights from Irkutsk in Russia to Bangkok, Thailand, starting January 18, 2023.
A Boeing 737-800 will service the route which will run twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with a flight time of 6 hours and 25 minutes.
Irkutsk, known as "Paris of Siberia," is Russia's 25th-largest city by population. It is the largest city in the Irkutsk Oblast, home to 17.5 million people. The Trans-Siberian Railway connects the city to other regions in Russia and Mongolia.
Russia's S7 Airlines is the only airline currently operating flights on the Irkutsk – Bangkok route.
Since September, Russian tourist arrivals in Thailand have increased sevenfold as Russia's icy winter gets even brisker.
It's little wonder Siberians want to pack their bags and fly to Bangkok. It is it currently 30 degrees Celsius in the Land of Smiles while in Irkutsk it is an intense 11 degrees Celsius at present.
Russians could go anywhere in southeast Asia to escape the cold, but trusty Thailand is an old-time favourite among Russians, who were Thailand's 7th largest tourism market before the pandemic. What's more, Thailand has made an extra effort to lure in Russians this winter, by organising chartered flights and by granting extended visa exemptions on arrivals.
Russians – and any other country with a bilateral agreement with Thailand – can stay in the kingdom for up to 45 days with a visa exemption on arrival until the end of High Season.
In Phuket, Russians currently comprise the biggest tourist group. In Thailand in general, Russia was the third biggest market after Malaysia and India last month.
Aeroflot resumed direct flights between Moscow and Phuket in October in preparation to facilitate an influx of Russian tourists to the tropical paradise.
The flag carrier also runs flights between the Russian and Thai respective capitals.
Thai version of anti-Covid Molnupiravir to be made available this week
Thai-made Covid-19 antiviral drug Molnupiravir will be made available at all branches of Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) pharmacies this week.
The GPO announced on Thursday that it has successfully developed its own version of the antiviral, called "Monovir", for treatment of Covid-19 symptoms.
The Thai-made drug has passed a bioequivalence study, meaning it has similar efficacy as the original Molnupiravir developed by US drug companies Merck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD) and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, said GPO deputy director Dr Nanthakan Suwanpidokkul.
She said the GPO has started delivering Monovir to GPO pharmacies nationwide and it will be available in 200mg capsules for patients with a doctor's prescription in the next few days.
Thailand is currently using between 100,000 and 200,000 capsules of Molnupiravir per day, all of which have to be imported.
"Although we still have adequate stocks of imported Molnupiravir, being able to manufacture the drug domestically will further strengthen the country's supply and ensure that all patients have access to the treatment," said Nanthakan.
Thailand's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved four antiviral drugs, namely Favipiravir, Remdesivir, Molnupiravir and Paxlovid. All four can be purchased with a prescription at hospitals, clinics and pharmacies under the Health Facility Act of 1998.
Events are taking place all across the kingdom - from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket, to Pattaya, Sukhothai, Songkhla, Krabi and many other places.
TAT Newsroom
Bangkok, 27 December, 2022 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is hosting "Amazing Thailand Countdown 2023" New Year celebrations in Bangkok and Songkhla and providing support for other events throughout the kingdom to conclude 2022 with 1.5 trillion in total tourism revenue as targeted.
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said "Thailand's total visitor arrivals for 2022 is expected to reach 11.5 million arrivals by the end of the year. The return of foreign tourists together with domestic tourism recovery – backed by several long weekends and tourism stimulus campaigns – helps generate 1.5 trillion in total tourism revenue or at 50% of the pre-pandemic level seen in 2019."
TAT has expected that 3.14 million domestic trips will be made in Thailand during the New Year holiday between 31 December, 2022, and 2 January, 2023, generating 11.2 billion Baht in tourism revenue.
The "Amazing Thailand Countdown 2023" as well as locally-organised New Year celebrations will be taking place throughout Thailand, in many different locations in the Central, Northern, Northeastern, Eastern, and Southern regions as well as in the bustling capital city of Bangkok.
The two main "Amazing Thailand Countdown 2023" events hosted by the TAT will be at Wat Pho in Bangkok and Atthakraweesunthorn Courtyard in Hat Yai, Songkhla.
People receive Covid-19 vaccines at Siam Paragon on Dec 20. Local authorities are trying to ramp up vaccinations for tourists and tourism workers. Somchai Poomlard
The Tourism and Sports Ministry hopes to offer Covid-19 booster shots to tourists and Thai tourism workers in preparation for the return of Chinese travellers.
Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said this would be a worthwhile investment as vaccine prices are now lower, at around a few hundred baht per shot.
Mr Phiphat said if the average tourist spent 40,000 baht, with 7% value-added tax collected from that expenditure, the value would exceed the vaccine prices.
"It will create a good image for Thailand as we are ranked among the top nations for healthcare security," he said.
Mr Phiphat said the Tourism and Sports Ministry would work with the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Public Health Ministry to explore the feasibility of this idea.
If the government approves the scheme, it should allocate funds to the Public Health Ministry to purchase vaccines, he said.
Mr Phiphat said the Tourism and Sports Ministry will also ask the Public Health Ministry to prepare booster shots for employees in the tourism sector before the first Chinese travellers arrive.
Related authorities should help publicise health and safety measures to tourists, employees in the service sector and locals, encouraging them to wear masks and beware of risks, he said.
Bhumikitti Ruktaengam, advisory chairman of the Phuket Tourist Association, said although there is no update on allowing outbound leisure tourism from China, such a move is expected soon.
He said the first batch of Chinese tourists in Thailand are expected at the end of the first quarter.
Mr Bhumikitti said Chinese New Year next month might be too early for this group to take overseas trips, as there are widespread Covid-19 outbreaks on the mainland right now.
He said certain issues needed to be remedied in Phuket before tourism revives, such as labour shortages in spas, hotels, airlines and immigration offices.
Both the public and private sectors should work together to increase flights connecting to major cities in China, said Mr Bhumikitti.
He said the Tourism Department should speed up the renewal process for tour guide licences and prepare digital payment technologies and Chinese-language signs and instructions to facilitate visitors from the mainland.
At present, roughly 60% of private operators in Phuket are back in business, said Mr Bhumikitti.
He said 20% of suspended businesses could reopen if Chinese tourists return.
Thailand's long and slow recovery of its foreign tourism industry continues with a somewhat ambivalent attitude towards the now imminent prospect of a return of Chinese visitors due to a raging health crisis in China as Beijing abandons its zero Covid policy.
Thailand may offer free vaccines to all incoming foreign tourists under the latest policy initiative from Minister of Tourism and Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. The move comes as the kingdom contemplates the possible resumption of foreign tourism from China to Thailand while it still struggles to achieve anything like the visitor numbers and revenue generated in 2019. It lags behind countries such as Greece and France whose foreign tourism industries have already exceeded their 2019 performance while Thailand's visitor numbers are mired at 29% of that seen in 2019 and even then, with reduced spending per head of between 14% and 20%.
Minister of Tourism and Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn is proposing a plan to offer free vaccines to all incoming tourists. It comes as Thailand grapples with the prospect of a return of Chinese tourists to the kingdom while the recovery of the industry is mired in difficulties and well behind other countries with large tourism sectors such as Greece and France.
Thailand's Minister of Tourism and Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn is to convene a meeting on January 5th of three ministries to explore the possibility of offering incoming tourists to the kingdom free COVID-19 vaccines in a gesture of goodwill and welcome to foreign visitors.
The ministries concerned are the Ministry of Transport, the Tourism Ministry and the Ministry of Public Health, all three currently under the control of the Bhumjaithai Party which, ahead of an election in 2023, appears to be failing to generate popular support according to the latest National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) opinion poll published on December 25th last.
This is despite the defection of 34 'cobra' MPs to its ranks just over a week earlier in mid-December.
Plan linked with the possible return of Chinese tourists to Thailand after January 8th move by officials to lift restrictions on travellers to China
The initiative is being linked to the potential return of Chinese visitors to the kingdom as the communist country has begun to lift all economic restrictions after it finally abandoned its ruinous zero Covid policy which sparked widespread and unprecedented public protest against the regime and the rule of President Xi Jinping.
Officials working with the minister whose proposal to extend opening hours for pubs and nightclubs in tourist areas to 4 am has been sidelined indefinitely, briefed reporters, saying that the latest initiative would be voluntary for all foreign tourists and would not just extend to Chinese visitors but those arriving from every country.
Officials have compared the proposed scheme to the trend during the pandemic which saw Thai nationals travel to Europe and the United States to receive jabs.
They have assured reporters that the cost of the exercise would be borne entirely by the Thai government with plans already being made for the Ministry of Public Health to purchase more vaccines to support the campaign.
Minister says paying for jabs for tourists makes good economic sense for Thailand as more are ordered
Minister Phiphat points out that the cost of a Covid vaccine can be measured in hundreds of baht whereas the average foreign tourist spends more than ฿40,000 with ฿2,800 alone in VAT on top of that which goes directly into the government's coffers.
This initiative is bound to raise jitters among the Thai foreign tourism industry which wants to put the pandemic behind it.
In the last week, business leaders have urged the government to instead do more to attract more airlines and flights into Thailand as the lack of choice and increased cost are still hindering the recovery of tourism despite Thailand being on course to receive approximately 11.5 million foreign tourists this year.
This figure, of course, will still be only 29% of the 2019 level while spending per foreign tourist is also reported to be off by between 14% and 20% depending on which reports from government sources are correct.
Various state agencies, this year, identified a reported average tourist spend of between ฿40,000 to ฿43,000 compared to just over ฿50,000 reported in 2019.
Thailand's foreign tourism industry has been battered with medium to long-term damage, it has failed to recover like countries such as Greece and France
This is thought to be due to more short-haul visitors from Asian countries staying for shorter periods as opposed to long-haul tourists.
The country appears to have suffered damage in the medium to long term to its critical economic engine because of the pandemic, underperforming other countries with large foreign tourist sectors.
For example, in October this year, Greece had already surpassed the $17.92 billion it earned in 2019 with reported earnings of $18.7 billion.
Similarly, France saw 22 million nights spent by tourists from April to September 2022, 2.4% ahead of the figure for 2019.
One leading industry figure in Phuket this week estimated that 30% of the hotels on the resort island have yet to reopen.
Tourism levy is postponed yet again, it is now to be called a 'fee on landing' with a plan to be reviewed on January 24thnext by a key policy committee
Mr Phiphat, the Tourism Minister, also announced that the country's foreign tourist levy which offers free insurance for all incoming arrivals and is to be charged at between $8 and $9, has yet again been postponed.
The levy has been renamed as the 'fee on landing' and a new plan to introduce the charge will be presented on January 24th to the National Tourism Policy Committee (NTPC).
However, even then, ministry officials say this plan will need to be studied carefully to see if it is in line with tourist behaviour while also addressing the challenge of collecting the charge from visitors entering by land border crossings and by sea.
A key impediment to the plan, up to now, has been resistance from airlines who, while they are legally bound to comply with the law and have made no official complaint, have the option of declining to fly to Thailand or reducing flight frequency to the kingdom.
Proposed collection of the levy by international airlines in 2022 created additional reporting burdens
The proposed collection of the new levy in 2022 imposed an additional reporting burden on all incoming airlines who, under plans developed, were required to notify Bangkok of incoming passengers before they landed in Thailand as well as collecting the levy and remitting it to the government.
It is already widely accepted within the airline industry that airlines are cautious about committing to Thailand because of the relatively low levels of profit on routes to the country.
It is understood that the cabinet will consider a revised proposal for the new tourist levy again in February and if approved, it is thought it will come into force from June 2023 onwards.
Chinese tourism market looks set to reopen in 2023 with 5 million Chinese visitors predicted by Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) chief Yuthasak
In the meantime, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Director-general Yuthasak Supasorn is already predicting that up to 500,000 Chinese visitors may travel to Thailand before the Chinese New Year in 2023 as the situation is rapidly developing north of Thailand's border.
His comments come as authorities in Beijing signalled that from January 8thall entry restrictions to the country will be lifted.
Mr Yuthasak says that, if things go according to plan, this could raise his agency's predicted number of foreign tourists in 2023 from 20 million to 25 million.
The tourism boss said that data from a Beijing-based travel platform Qunar saw searches for flight tickets rise by 700% in recent days with Thailand emerging as the preferred destination for Chinese holidaymakers ahead of Japan and South Korea.
He emphasised that the changes now underway in China are of significance after three years of lockdowns and restrictions.
Concerns in Thailand about a threat to public health if large numbers of Chinese tourists begin to pour in at this time of crisis in China over COVID-19
He also acknowledged rising concern in Thailand about the danger of large numbers of Chinese visitors coming from a country where the virus is still prevalent and placing acute pressure on public health systems.
It comes as Chinese authorities have cancelled all public announcements as to the toll of the virus wave including infections and deaths.
'The most important factor is not how many Chinese will return to visit Thailand, but helping the country avoid another Covid wave and keeping Thais safe,' Mr Yuthasak disclosed.
On the other hand, the tourist chief said that Thailand needs more foreign tourists to get its industry fully back to work.
Tourism chief urges action on flight connectivity
The President of the Association of Thai Travel Agents Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, however, insisted that increased flight capacity to the country must be the overarching priority.
He also warned that China has yet to make known how it will handle the issuance of passports for outbound foreign tourists despite the apparent end of the zero Covid policy.
Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, the President of the Thai Hotels Association was also cautious. She indicated that things will take time to progress.
She also warned that Thailand's foreign tourism sector itself must up its game with a loss of trained staff during the long period when the industry was effectively closed.
'The end of quarantine is good news from China, especially for small hotels in Thailand, but the pace of recovery will be gradual and depends on many factors,' she said.
Among the challenges facing hoteliers were higher operational costs, not least the hike in electricity charges which is due to come into effect from January 2023 with hotels facing higher consumption amid improving occupancy rates.
Danger of becoming too dependent again on the Chinese market as airline chief warns of growing pressure on airport resources with large flight loads
The industry leader also warned that the country must be careful about becoming too dependent on any one market such as China which made up 28% of arrivals in 2019.
Her message was echoed by Thai Air Asia Executive Chairman Tassapon Bijleveld who said that if China reopens, it will take airlines time to put on more flights and services.
He pointed out that, currently, airlines operating international flights are achieving 85% to 90% load factors and that this means that airport authorities will also have to deploy more manpower in processing arrivals.
He expressed concern that an increase in flights from China may overwhelm the current resources at Thai airports and even cause flight delays due to a lack of ground handling services.
