The Ministry of Tourism and Sports hopes for a travel bubble with China, hoping to welcome them as the first group during the Chinese New Year without a mandatory quarantine.
The Ministry will hold a meeting to discuss the travel plan with the Chinese embassy. Simultaneously, the foreign ministries will continue to discuss the next phase, said Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, minister of tourism and sports.
There is a population of 800 million from 22 low-risk provinces in China that have reported no new local cases of Covid-19 for more than 150 days.
He said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Chinese President Xi Jinping would need to finalize a bilateral tourism agreement.
During the Phuket and Koh Samui Mobile Cabinet meetings, Mr. Phiphat urged operators to contact regular long-stay guests to enter the country. Thailand's Tourism Authority will facilitate the STV process for them, he added.
The Ministry is also in talks with the foreign Ministry about tourists from Switzerland who would like to come under the O-A non-immigrant retirement visa through the Thailand Longstay Company.
"This year, the amount of foreign arrivals is not going to reach 7 million," Mr. Phiphat said.
The Tourism and Public Health Ministries will launch a golf quarantine to attract golfers from Japan, Taiwan, China, and South Korea. They usually train in Thailand for a few months during the winter. That will offer another alternative local state quarantine (ALSQ) option.
On average, golfers spend at least 3,000 baht a day per person on golf services, excluding accommodation and food, Mr. Phiphat said.
The Ministry expects 20-30 out of 238 golf courses with 5,000 rooms nationwide to join the scheme, which is likely to start mid-November.
In Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Saraburi, and Kanchanaburi, there are five golf courses and a golf course in Nakhon Ratchasima, owned by the Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul, which has passed inspection and is ready to serve as ALSQ.
The golf quarantine idea still needs approval from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, along with additional domestic stimulus campaign measures, such as increasing government subsidies from 40 percent to 50 percent during workdays, launching e-vouchers for spas, car rental, or transport costs.
Mr. Phiphat said weekday tour packages would also be included in this scheme using the 5-billion-baht budget for older adults aged 55 and above.
Source: Bangkok Post
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