The concept of a ‘travel bubble’ as a way to restore tourism in countries moving out of the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic has already been implemented or floated in many countries. Thailand is reported to also be considering this option.
Thailand depends heavily on revenue through tourism.
The popular island destination welcomes thousands of visitors every year but closed its borders in March as the virus spread across the world.
According to the Bangkok Post, the Thai government are now considering a proposal where they open the country’s borders to tourists from specific countries.
This proposal was presented by Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who suggested allowing visitors from countries that have contained the coronavirus – like Thailand – and countries that could effectively control the spread of the virus.
Those places considered include: Australia, New Zealand, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, South Korea, Vietnam, and some countries in the Middle East.
According to the proposed plan, those travelers would need to be screened before boarding their flights and then checked again once they arrive in Thailand. A quarantine would not be imposed once they have arrived.
‘We discussed [ideas] extensively having sealed areas or some tourism areas that have good disease control system in place and are certified by the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports,’ Charnvirakul told reporters.
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