The Thai tourism business, as well as tourists from many countries who like to spend their holidays in Thailand, did not have time to breathe a sigh of relief after the country’s authorities confirmed plans to open to tourists from November 1, after a “cold shower” from the Thai Ministry of Health. The head of this department Anutin Charnvirakul said that it is possible that Thailand may close its borders in the event of a serious outbreak of Covid-19, or even not open them from November 1.
It will be recalled that on Monday, the Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha said that he fully supports the proposal to open the country from November 1, it is aimed at approval of the Ministry of Health and the Center for Situation Management with Covid-19. Note that the mass opening is not planned until Thailand is ready to allow tourists from only 10 countries with low risk Covid-19, and only fully vaccinated and tested.
But this also caused fears in the local Ministry of Health. Yes, Mr Anutin said details of which low-risk Covid-19 countries would be selected for reopening were still being discussed. He further warned the Thai tourism industry that the fate of the program depends on the people of Thailand and how well they follow the rules to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
“If Covid-19 prevention and safety measures are not strictly followed and an outbreak occurs, Thailand is likely to close again to all tourists,” he said. He also added that entertainment venues, bars and nightclubs, the closure of which seriously hampered any attempts to bring back foreign tourists, were often places with a high risk of spreading the virus and it was they who prompted the mass outbreaks of Covid-19. As a result, even if they are reopened, all such places “will be closely monitored.”