China could let their citizens visit Thailand by late 2022, says travel association
The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has estimated that Chinese authority may let their citizens travel to Thailand in about one year from now or by late 2022, despite the fact that China is among the 46 low-risk countries from which the travelers can enter Thailand without quarantine from November 1 onward under the government’s plan to reopen the country.
“Two major events that will take place in China between now and late 2022 are the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou,” said ATTA president Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn on Wednesday. “These events will tell us more about China’s policy in letting people in and out of the country.”
Sisdivachr further added that in 2019, before Covid-19 outbreak, over 11 million Chinese tourists had visited Thailand and were accountable for 27 per cent of total foreign visitors, generating income of more than Bt543 billion.
“As Chinese authority has yet to allow their citizens to visit Thailand, in the next one year we must focus our targets to European markets such as England, Germany, France, and Scandinavian countries as well as the United States and the Middle East,” he said. “India is also a high potential market, but it is not on the list of 46 low-risk countries. It is yet to be seen if the government will expand the list of countries after November 1.”
“To attract more foreign visitors, we must keep daily infection rate down to about 1,000 patients per day as well as increase two-dose vaccination rate to at least 70-80 per cent of the population to achieve the herd immunity,” said ATTA president.
