If you’re looking for an escape, Thailand will be further opening up its borders starting from October 1
If you’ve got annual leaves saved up from the past year and a half of Covid-19, consider booking yourself a trip to Thailand next month. Known for its bustling street markets and sandy beaches, Thailand announced on September 7 its plans to further relax travel restrictions, allowing fully vaccinated international tourists to visit parts of Thailand, including its capital, Bangkok.
Other areas such as Chiang Mai, known for its bustling nightlife and grand temples, as well as other cities including Pattaya, Cha-Am and Hua Hin will also be opening up to tourists starting from October 1, 2021, according to Thailand’s tourism ministry officials.
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Back in July, Thailand launched their Sandbox programme where fully vaccinated travellers are allowed into Phuket without quarantine. However, tourists were not allowed into Bangkok and could only stay in Phuket. Tourists are also required to stay at pre-approved hotels and download a location tracking app.
Thailand predicted that only one to two million foreign tourists will be visiting Thailand in 2021—a stark drop in numbers compared to the 40 million recorded international visitors in 2019, according to Xinhua.
Currently, Thailand has 1.31 million Covid-19 cases and over 13,000 deaths. Only 11.2 per cent of the country’s population is fully vaccinated at the moment, with 31.8 million total Covid-19 doses given, and 7.78 million of Thailand fully vaccinated, according to Google statistics on September 8.
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