Thailand closed its border since end March to curb the spread of Covid-19. The 41 Chinese tourists holding a Special Tourist Visa (STV) will be the first batch of tourists landed in Thailand after 7 months.
However, these travellers must undergo 14-day quarantines in designated accommodations and take COVID-19 tests twice.
The STV allows tourists from low-risk countries to enter the country and stay for up to 270 days, in a bid to save the stagnant tourism industry.
A second group of 100 people from Guangzhou will fly to Thailand on October 26 and another from Shanghai on October 28, according to Global Times.
Tourists pay the costs themselves, including two weeks’ accommodation fees, food, tests and medical insurance, Lin Wei, president of Bangkok-based Teng Da Tour Group Co noted.
China was the largest tourist source for Thailand before the pandemic. About 11 million Chinese visited in Thailand in 2019, contributing about $17 billion in revenue, according to official data.It is not a surprise for Chinese to become the first people to visit Thailand amid the ongoing pandemic, because China has made remarkable achievements in containing the virus compared with other major countries, Lin noted.
However, not all citizens happy with the STV policies, as some are afraid that reopening the borders may bring the virus in.