Thailand tourism situation

[buksida]

Finance minister: 40m arrivals by 2024
Thailand is expected to return to the pre-pandemic level of international arrivals of almost 40 million in five years, according to Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith.

Speaking at a seminar held on Wednesday by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), he said the tourism sector is expected to recover gradually, with a great number of foreign arrivals in 2023 once the country opens to more international tourists as the pandemic spread eases.

Foreign tourist arrivals reached 6.7 million last year, generating revenue of about 300 billion baht, a far cry from almost 40 million arrivals in 2019 generating revenue of almost 2 trillion baht.

Tourist receipts account for 12% of Thailand's economy, the second largest tally in Southeast Asia.

Once the economy recovers, Mr Arkhom pledged his ministry is set to ramp up the tax base, enticing as many people as possible to enter the tax system to create government revenue.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/20 ... ls-by-2024

This one could be quite plausible, there isn't going to be an overnight recovery and 3-4 years seems about right. Though Thailand has never had over half the population arriving here per year anyway unless they're including their own people and all border crossings as 'arrivals'.

Also no surprise that they plan to tax the shit out of everything even further - prepare for everything to get more expensive than it already is here.

Edit: tax discussion spawned its own thread here: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=39908

[HHTel]

Thailand is expected to return to the pre-pandemic level of international arrivals of almost 40 million in five years, according to Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith.

And according to the headline five years from now makes it 2024

I wish they'd get simple maths right.

Another government plan to boost tourism was announced on Thai TV today (can't give you a link). It seems that as well as the subsidy for hotels being extended beyond April, they now plan to give a handout of 5,000 baht 'holiday money' to allow people to travel for a break. (But they can't afford vaccines!)

[buksida]

PM mulls quarantine 'bypass'
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has agreed to consider a proposal by the Phuket business community to allow foreign visitors to the island province who have already been vaccinated against Covid-19 bypass regular quarantine.

From next month, foreign tourists who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 will be allowed to visit six tourism provinces, namely Phuket, Krabi, Phangnga, Surat Thani (Koh Samui), Chon Buri (Pattaya) and Chiang Mai.

Those who have been inoculated, however, must still be quarantined, although the mandatory isolation period has been reduced from 14 to seven days.

In July, Phuket will be the first province to waive the quarantine requirement for vaccinated foreign visitors who have been vaccinated, as part of the government's plan to reopen the country.

As Thailand has to compete with other nations in luring back foreign tourists while Phuket has been designated the country's first tourist destination to fully reopen to vaccinated foreign visitors, the government now needs to ensure its massive inoculation programme runs smoothly and proceeds as planned, said Gen Prayut on Tuesday after the weekly cabinet meeting.

"The point is how we can we ensure the safety [of this reopening programme].

"Phuket, for instance, has proposed that vaccinated tourists should be exempted from the mandatory quarantine. Well, if possible I'm ready to take care of that," he said.

Gen Prayut said a digital platform needs to be created to register the tourists.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ine-bypass

Hmm, another 'digital platform' that simply won't function, that'll solve the problem ...

[hhinner]

As foreign tourists have to pass immigration perhaps the immigration department could integrate the required digital platform into its already successful suite of extranet apps.
/s

[handdrummer]

As foreign tourists have to pass immigration perhaps the immigration department could integrate the required digital platform into its already successful suite of extranet apps.
/s

You're asking them to think, shame on you.

[buksida]

immigration department [...] already successful suite of extranet apps.

You mean the 90-day report app that doesn't work, or the AOT tracking app that was a complete failure, or the nightmarish online visa application system.

Its Thailand - there will be reams of paper to fill out to be stapled into passports.

[Jim]

I'm sure this will be a silly question, but does anyone know whether it is actually possible to get Hua Hin, as a "tourist", at the moment? If I go to Phuket and quarantine for 10 days, can I then get up to Hua Hin?

[buksida]

I'm sure this will be a silly question, but does anyone know whether it is actually possible to get Hua Hin, as a "tourist", at the moment? If I go to Phuket and quarantine for 10 days, can I then get up to Hua Hin?

Unlikely, even if you can get into Phuket as a tourist, you are highly restricted on where you can go. Hua Hin will not be open to foreign tourists for a long time, Prachuap province isn't even on their lists for vaccine rollouts though some appear to be available to Thais that meet the criteria apparently.

[fft100]

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... foreigners

Let foreigners buy houses. Leasen 90 day reporting. He might be a deputy prime minister, but I think I will believe it when I see it.

[fft100]

Or is it their idea of an April's fool joke

[buksida]

Or is it their idea of an April's fool joke

Nah, they come out with this crap every few months: "we want the millionaires so we'll throw them a few crumbs and pretend it is Monte Carlo here."

[HHTel]

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... foreigners

Let foreigners buy houses. Leasen 90 day reporting. He might be a deputy prime minister, but I think I will believe it when I see it.

Letting foreigners buy houses. As if they're proposing something new!!

Generally, foreigners are not allowed to directly purchase land in Thailand. ... It is a commonly unknown fact that although a foreigner cannot own land in Thailand, he can own the house or structure built thereon. One only has to apply for a construction permit to build the house in his own name.

[handdrummer]

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... foreigners

Let foreigners buy houses. Leasen 90 day reporting. He might be a deputy prime minister, but I think I will believe it when I see it.

Letting foreigners buy houses. As if they're proposing something new!!

Generally, foreigners are not allowed to directly purchase land in Thailand. ... It is a commonly unknown fact that although a foreigner cannot own land in Thailand, he can own the house or structure built thereon. One only has to apply for a construction permit to build the house in his own name.

If you can't own the land, you can be removed any time the govt. decides they want the land. That happened to friends in California. They'd lived in the house for 50 yrs. and one day they got a notice that the state was taking the land for a park. They were paid a pittance and that was that. It can happen anywhere.

[buksida]

[Jim]

Well I have the house, and have had for 15 years .
It's about how the heck I get out of the UK and back to Soi 6!!