Thailand’s borders remain closed to mass tourism. The country has completely cut itself off from international tourism since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to avoid a surge in cases. However, considering that 20 to 30% of Thailand’s economy is dependent on tourism, this decision may leave lasting detrimental effects.
A Careful Reopening…Or is it Too Careful?
On October 1st, 2020, Thailand finally decided to reopen its borders to international tourists. This step, however, can hardly be called a “reopening.” Whoever wants to travel to Thailand has to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test, receive a certificate of entry from a Thai embassy, show proof of health insurance that covers COVID-19 related expenses, and spend two weeks in a state-controlled quarantine facility.
This last point was one of the main reasons why most international tourists declined the offer. Tourists who are not staying for a long time did not want to spend two weeks of their vacations in a hotel room and waste money on expensive hotels.
Unfortunately, for hotels and tour operators, the lack of tourists meant a devastating blow to their businesses . The Thai Minister of Tourism has thus warned the government of a wave of bankruptcies if it doesn’t find a way to revive Thailand’s battered tourism industry soon.
Political Tensions Might Speed up Reopening
Whether or not Thailand will change its approach will mainly depend on how the political tensions in Thailand develop. The government has come under extreme criticism by its people for the poor handling of the pandemic. If the pressure gets too big, the government might be forced to speed up its reopening plans.
But even then, it will take a long time until mass tourism comes back to Thailand. Tourists are still worried about international travel and prefer domestic tour packages. It might take until 2022 for international tourism to reopen fully, and that will also depend on whether the pandemic has subsided by then.
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