Test & Go, Thailand Pass may go
THE GOVERNMENT will consider scrapping the Test & Go entry scheme and
Thailand Pass registration as it aims to pull in more visitors to help the tourism sector.
Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn on Apr 13 said the ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) would put forward a proposal for the cancellation
at a meeting of the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) today (Apr 22).
If approved, the changes are expected to take effect on May 1, meaning tourists would be able to enter the country using vaccine passports instead of having to wait up to five days for their documents to be approved, as required by Thailand Pass, he said.
Mr Phiphat said the min
istry estimates that at least 10 million tourist arrivals, and B1-1.5 trillion in tourism income, hinges on what travel policies each country formulates at this stage of the pandemic.
“Thailand is ready to
welcome back foreign visitors as our public health system is adequately equipped,”
he said.
“However, there has been
concern about the number of domestic deaths caused by COVID-19, while daily caseloads of infections after Songkran will also be taken into account when the government considers further reopening the country to tourists,” Mr Phiphat said.
Restrictions have been gradually eased since November to revitalise the tourism sector.
The government lifted the requirement for a pretravel RT-PCR test for air travellers arriving in Thailand under the Test & Go, Sandbox and quarantine programmes from Apr 1.
RT-PCR tests on arrival
for foreign visitors are also expected to be replaced by antigen tests from next month.
TAT Governor Yuthasak
Supasorn said more than 100,000 hotel rooms were booked under the government’s “We Travel Together”
hotel subsidy scheme during
Songkran.
The fourth phase of the scheme, intended to stimulate domestic travel, will end
on May 31 and the government will consider extending
it if hotel operators agree.
Under the scheme, participants pay only 60% of normal room rates, with the government responsible for the rest. The subsidy was initially capped at B3,000 per
night for up to five consecutive nights in the first stage but has now been stretched to 10 nights.
Mr Yuthasak said more than 450,000 Songkran revellers were expected to take part in activities in Bangkok organised by the TAT and City Hall to mark the five-day festival, with an estimated cash flow of B1.8 billion.