Bangkok, 23 September, 2022 – Thailand’s Centre of COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced the ending of the nationwide COVID-19 Emergency Decree on 30 September, 2022, as the kingdom reclassifies COVID-19 from ‘a dangerous communicable disease’ to ‘a communicable disease under surveillance’ from 1 October, 2022.

The CCSA also stated that from 1 October, 2022, international travellers to Thailand will no longer be required to show proof of vaccination or ATK test results.

The ending of the COVID-19 Emergency Decree, which has been in place for 19 times since 25 March, 2020, will result to the CCSA be automatically dissolved, and all the regulations, announcements, and orders issued by the Prime Minister and the Cabinet under the decree be revoked.

Since the pandemic, Thailand has gradually reopened to international tourism starting in July 2021 with the Phuket Sandbox, Samui Plus, and 7+7 Extension programmes. This was followed by a four-phase reopening timeline from October 2021 to January 2022.

The kingdom entered the stage of fully reopening from 1 July, 2022, with the removal of the Thailand Pass registration scheme, and foreign nationals only be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative ATK test result within 72 hours of travel, this will be lifted from 1 October, 2022, onwards.

In addition, the cabinet approved extending the period of stay to 45 days (from 30 days) for tourists from countries/territories entitled for visa exemption, and to 30 days (from 15 days) for those eligible for a Visa on Arrival (VOA). This will be in effect from 1 October, 2022, until 31 March, 2023.

TAT Newsroom will be providing updates in detail via www.tatnews.org once the official directives have been announced in the Royal Thai Government Gazette.

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Phuket, 10 June, 2022 – Thailand’s leading B2B travel industry show, the Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+) 2022, ended successfully today with high levels of satisfaction among participants on the quality and diversity of the entire programme and the potential business expected to be generated.

According to the interview with buyers and sellers during the event, they have seen quick recovery in global tourism industry with travel demand increasing steadily, and expected that travel booking will resume in the fourth quarter of this year to the first quarter of 2023.

The two full days of buyer/seller appointments on Thursday, 9 June and Friday, 10 June, are expected to result in 8,000 business appointments and generate some 1.29 billion Baht revenue for the Thai economy.

Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)

Buyers and sellers expressed their views that a physical tradeshow has still maintained its importance as the great way to build personal trusts, create new networks as well as keep relationship with business partners.

First held in 2001, the TTM+ has gained a well-earned reputation in visitor source markets the world over, and within Thailand’s tourism industry itself, as a ‘must-attend’ event. Held mostly in Bangkok each year since its launch, the TTM+ was…

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Bangkok, 19 September, 2022 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Guangzhou Office together with the Guangzhou SUNAC Culture and Tourism City organised the three-day ‘Amazing Thailand Full Moon Loi Krathong Festival’ event in Guangzhou, China, from 10-12 September, 2022.

Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said “This Amazing Thailand Full Moon Loi Krathong Festival in Guangzhou was a fantastic opportunity to spread the message to festivalgoers and the wider Guangzhou population, including the Gen-Z and family group demographic, that Thailand is open again and welcoming foreign tourists with both new tourism offerings and the existing attractions and products that have made the kingdom so popular with Chinese visitors.”

Attended by some 12,000 people, the Amazing Thailand Full Moon Loi Krathong Festival in Guangzhou was held to coincide with the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, which in 2022 fell on 10 September and for which there was a three-day public holiday from 10-12 September.

Among the dignitaries attending the opening ceremony of the Amazing Thailand Full Moon Loi Krathong Festival – which was held at Guangzhou SUNAC Cultural Tourism City – was Mrs. Jiraporn Sudanich, Thai Consul General in Guangzhou; Mr. Boonrapee Damrongrat, TAT Guangzhou Office Director; Mr. Chaiwat Warakaweenaiyawong, TAT Deputy Director, and representatives from the Thai public and private sectors in Team Thailand. 

Festivalgoers were able to enjoy various activities that gave them a sense of Thai culture and the Thai way of life, such as demonstrations on making krathongs and the chance to float krathongs made from natural materials like banana leaves – a central element of the Loi Krathong Festival. There was also Thai boxing displays, Thai food stalls, and Thai products on offer in a ‘night market’.

During the event, TAT also organised a booth to provide information on new Thai tourism products and the ‘Visit Thailand Year 2022-2023: Amazing New Chapters’ campaign, as well as reiterated on Thailand’s reopening to international tourism, and flight access between Guangzhou and Bangkok.

In addition to the thousands who visited the Amazing Thailand Full Moon Loi Krathong Festival, extensive further exposure for the event and for Thailand as a tourism destination is expected to reach around 1 million people through festivalgoers sharing their experiences online and by TAT and Guangzhou SUNAC Cultural Tourism City’s various online media channels.

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The Bank of Thailand predicts 6 million foreign tourist arrivals this year and 19 million in 2023 as pandemic-era curbs ease. It also forecasts economic growth of 3.3% this year and 4.2% next year (2023) after seeing 1.5% growth last year.

However, analysts noted slower tourism recovery than expected as Chinese tourists are unable to visit due to stringent travel restrictions that ban outbound and returning travel in China according to so-called “zero Covid policy”.

China accounted for over a quarter of the 40 million foreign visitors in pre-pandemic 2019 figures of Thailand tourism inflow.

However, the Committee also assessed that the Thai economy will expand at 3.3 percent in 2022 and 4.2 percent in 2023 on the back of better-than-expected recovery in domestic consumption, and tourism following the relaxation of border controls in Thailand and other countries.

Meanwhile, the impact of COVID-19 and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine on the Thai economy will be limited. However, the Committee will monitor key risk factors to economic recovery, especially the impact of higher prices on living costs for households.

The Monetary Policy Committee’s projection for this year is that the country’s inflation will reach 6.2%, which is higher than the previous forecast of 4.9%.

Last week the Bank of…

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Bangkok, 14 September, 2022 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Thai AirAsia have unveiled an aircraft decorated in a bold and colourful “Amazing New Chapters” design with the airline offering promotional fares carrying discounts of up to 30 per cent across its domestic network, including regional connections in celebration.

Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said “The decorative design of the aircraft promotes the Amazing Thailand, Amazing New Chapters concept, and highlights the new, unique, worthwhile, and impressive experiences that await visitors to Thailand. At the same time, it celebrates the long-standing partnership between TAT and AirAsia in marketing Thailand as a preferred holiday destination for travellers from Asia and further afield.”   

With the TAT extending its Amazing Thailand, Amazing New Chapters concept into next year with the ‘Visit Thailand Year 2022-2023: Amazing New Chapters’ campaign, another aircraft design is to be unveiled in the coming months showcasing Thailand’s 5F soft-power strategy of Food, Festival, Film, Fashion, and Fight.

The just-unveiled decorated aircraft will operate both domestically within Thailand and on international routes, primarily to destinations in ASEAN and India which are among important visitor source markets for Thailand.

The exterior design on the plane combines elements from the Amazing New Chapters logo with graphic patterns reflecting the ‘NFT’ or Nature, Food and Thainess concept, including recognisable features like temples, a tuk-tuk, and Thai dishes. Lines from the logo are used to convey journeying that can be experienced throughout Thailand’s diverse and many regions.

Inside the plane, the design takes on more of a cinematic feel and presents images that showcase tourism products, services, and attractions from all the five regions of Thailand.

The aircraft’s new decoration is also meant to symbolise how Thailand’s tourism and aviation industries are recovering in the post-pandemic era. It will also help publicise tourism throughout this year’s high season – during which TAT and Thai AirAsia plan to run more joint campaigns – presenting the new tourism dimensions available in Thailand to all potential tourists.

Mr. Santisuk Klongchaiya, Thai AirAsia Chief Executive Officer, said “AirAsia has resumed its entire domestic network, including regional connections, and is ready to continually bring back international routes. AirAsia thanks TAT for its support and continued trust, especially during the COVID-19 crisis and now during the recovery.”

The promotional fares being offered by Thai AirAsia in connection to the newly unveiled Amazing New Chapters aircraft design must be booked by 18 September, 2022, via the AirAsia Super App and are for travel from 12 October, 2022 to 23 March, 2023.

TAT expects the Thai tourism industry to continue its revival into the fourth quarter of 2022, returning to 80 per cent of its 2019 figures by 2023. In a base case scenario, this would see 1.73 trillion Baht in revenue generated (970 billion Baht from foreign tourists and 760 billion Baht from the domestic market). In a best-case scenario, revenue would jump to 2.38 trillion Baht (1.5 trillion Baht from foreign tourists and 880 billion Baht from the domestic market).

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The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to report that Thailand has won the ‘Golden Travel Destination Award 2022’ from Dutch tour operator Reisgraag.nl, having scored an impressive 8.5 out of 10 in the company’s latest travel survey.