New rigorous screening measures

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The Thai government appears on the verge of pivoting yet again on the subject of Covid, according to an announcement by the Department of Disease Control (DDC).

From the National News Bureau of Thailand

DDC Director-General Dr. Tares Krassanairawiwong spoke of monitoring measures for COVID-19 amid increasing foreign tourist numbers and with Chinese tourists now making up a significant portion of arrivals. He said airports are implementing rigorous screening measures for international arrivals and these measures will be expanded to land border crossings.

Dr. Tares said travelers who are required by their country of origin to take an RT-PCR test before re-entry would need to possess health insurance that covers COVID-19 treatment. At present, the countries requiring this are India and China.

Dr. Tares said the collection of wastewater from aircraft for testing so far yielded samples of the Omicron BA.5 strain, which is found in Thailand. Results from these random tests are yielded about 1 week after a flight.

In Bangkok, the DDC has prepared two vaccination sites for foreign tourists who want to get vaccinated. The first is the Bang Rak medical center on Sathong Tai Rd. The other is the Institute for Urban Disease Control and Prevention in Bang Khen district. The sites are expected to commence service next week and will also offer RT-PCR testing. Coordination is being made with health agencies in tourism cities such as Phuket, Chonburi, and Chiang Mai in setting up similar vaccine service points.

The DDC chief explained that international travelers who purchased health insurance that covers COVID-19 treatment will be able to get treatment at any hospital. They will also be able to enter hotel quarantine if they only display mild or no symptoms. Dr. Tares said there is currently no need to open hospitels for Covid patients.

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However, with another government agency eyeing a huge increase in foreign tourists, it's probably wise not to give too much credibility to either at this point.

Tourism Ministry Eyes 80m International Tourists In 2027

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Ministry of Tourism and Sports hopes to drive up the number of international visitors to Thailand to 80 million over the next five years.

This optimistic target will see the number of international visitors doubling the pre-pandemic figure, and exceeding the country’s current population of 70 million.

Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakarn said this target, once achieved, could raise the country’s tourism revenue from 1.93 trillion baht in 2019 to 5 trillion baht.

He said this target also calls for an upgrade to tourism safety standards, in order to accommodate the influx of visitors.