Tour Bubble Talks With China and Malaysia Scheduled This Month

The Thai government will begin conversations with China and Malaysia this month to establish travel bubbles in order to attract more foreign tourists after the restart of the Test & Go program on February 1.

Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said officials would talk about the specifics of a possible travel bubble agreement with China’s minister of culture and tourism and Malaysia this month.

He added that the number of people permitted to enter Thailand under the travel bubble arrangement is limited and their movements would be limited to certain locations to prevent virus outbreaks.

Tourists will not be quarantined upon arrival under the new travel bubble regulations. Still, their admission will be subject to strict procedures governing the kind of visa they may use, the place where they can stay, and which flights they should take.

“The prime minister remains optimistic that Thailand maintains its spot as one of the world’s top tourist destinations and the government will support efforts to restore the tourism industry while focusing on public health and safety,” he added.

ATTA or The Association of Thai Travel Agents said that arrivals from overseas may reach 5 million this year if the government establishes travel bubbles with neighboring countries, as the Test & Go program alone will not be sufficient to attract tourists who will still be quarantined upon their return.

Mr. Thanakorn said that PM Prayut would convene a meeting of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on weekend to discuss loosening more restrictions to allow activities to resume.

Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health said that the Public Health Ministry would not recommend eliminating all COVID-19 restrictions during the meeting since daily infection rates is still high.

The ministry will alter infection levels are reported to ensure that people may go about their everyday lives without fear, Mr. Anutin added, emphasizing that daily data remain factually accurate.

He said that even daily infection rates have risen to more than 10,000, the death toll from the virus remains low.

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Source: Bangkok Post