Chairman of the Corporation Chamnan Srisawat told the page ttgasia : “The current wave of Covid-19 infections may affect the final decision. But when we have been suffering from a pandemic for 15 months now, only mass tourism can save us.” Officials in Phuket have placed tight restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and are speeding up vaccinations to achieve herd immunity by the end of next month. Phuket is now close to the goal of vaccination against Covid-19 for 70% of its residents so that it can open its doors to foreign tourists. Locals say they are ready to welcome tourists on July 1 as planned. In 2019, Thailand welcomed nearly 40 million visitors, generating about $60 billion in revenue. Photo: livingnomads.com The tourist island of Phuket is expected to reopen and welcome international visitors from July. Thus, Phuket will be the first locality of Thailand to reopen, followed by 10 other destinations in October. Under this plan, travelers in low-risk countries who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to fly directly to Phuket without the need for a 14-day quarantine. It is forecasted that in 2021, Phuket will only welcome about 500,000 visitors, much less than the 6.7 million arrivals in the first months of 2020. Before the Covid-19 epidemic, 2019, Thailand welcomed nearly 40 million. visitors, generating about 60 billion USD in revenue. Currently in Phuket there are about 70,000 accommodation rooms. Mr. Chamnan Srisawat expects about 1 million room nights sold in July, bringing in about 40 billion baht ($1.28 billion) to the hotel and service industry. Mr. Chamnan Srisawat added: “In preparation for the reopening of Phuket, we have discussed with major suppliers and travel agents. They are all ready to help.” Phuket is an attractive destination of the Thai tourism industry. Photo: The Thaiger TCT’s proposal has been submitted to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Ministry of Tourism & Sports of Thailand, then submitted to the Government of this country for approval in June. If the campaign is “one USD, one night” As a result of Phuket’s success, the Thai government and private sector could expand the program to other destinations such as Koh Samui, Pattaya and Bangkok.

The park covers an area of ​​more than 56 hectares, located in the coastal town of Bangsaray, just 20 minutes from Pattaya and 90 minutes from Bangkok. Scheduled to open in October, Aquaverse will be a unique water park and amusement destination for Thailand and visitors from all over the world. Photo: PHP Aquaverse will include eight highly immersive and original themed zones with a host of amazing attractions both underwater and on land. Glider Men in Black This is Aquaverse’s most exciting and thrilling roller coaster, including water slides, some up to 12m high that take visitors straight down the MIB Deep Hole. Ghostbusters Supernatural Experience Enter the Ghostbusters portal and pass through ghost traps as you glide down the roller coaster or tour the world’s first and only fully enclosed water dome. Bad Boys Race Experience the thrill of the chase and go full throttle on a Miami city themed outdoor go-kart track. Jumanji Jungle Adventure Enter Jumanji’s world bravely through wild jungle-themed waterslides, visit Mount Jaguar while being chased by a pack of macaques before plunging into Jumanji’s pool! Hotel Transylvania’s Kid Friendly Area Khu This is the largest and most attractive water park of Aquaverse with more than 100 exciting water games. Surf’s Up in Surfing Paradise The monumental artificial surf area brings the feeling of facing the waves in the deep sea for visitors. Visit Cloudy’s Lazy River with a Chance of Meatballs Take a break from the day’s thrills by touring the Aquaverse along the lazy river and meeting the lovable food beasts from the hit movie. VIVO Wave Pool The wave pool area is the ideal venue for music events and live shows, where world-class international artists and DJs will perform.

“People will carefully celebrate Songkran at home,” Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha announced on April 6. He asserted that the regulations of a state of emergency still apply in response to the Covid-19 epidemic. All provincial governors are allowed to enact more stringent anti-epidemic measures if necessary. So, one year from now, the streets of Thailand will be free from laughing crowds, water gun fights from locals and tourists. Thailand attracts thousands of foreign visitors each year thanks to the Songkran water festival. Photo: Reuters. Songkran Festival usually starts on April 13 every year and takes place for 2 days. This year, the Thai government approved an additional day off on April 12 to give Thais a week-long vacation, to encourage people to travel, boosting the economy. However, the back outbreak of the epidemic destroyed the opportunity to revive the economy of the Golden Temple during the festival. Economic impact The Tourism Authority of Thailand predicts a rebound of the disease could cause tourists to reduce spending during the Songkran festival by 2.4 billion baht ($ 75 million). Many tourists have canceled their schedule to Thailand and checked out the hotel. “About 20% of the number of pre-booked rooms in major cities like Phuket, Pattaya and Hua Hin has been canceled,” said Pisoot Saekool, president of the Thai Hotel Association. The Thai Hotel Association and the Tourism Authority expect tourist spending on Songkran to drop to 9.6 billion baht, down from an earlier prediction of around 12 billion baht. Although more than 300,000 Thai people have been vaccinated with Covid-19, outbreaks are still popping up in Bangkok and can spread across the country during the Songkran holiday as many return home. As of April 7, Thailand had a total of 29,905 Covid-19 cases. Of which, 28,069 people recovered, 95 died. Many pubs and restaurants in big cities have to close temporarily to maintain social distance. This year, Khao San Road, a famous place to attract foreign visitors during the water splash festival, will no longer have crowds playing around, splashing water on each other. Photo: Akira Kodaka. At the upcoming festival, the Thai Covid-19 Situation Management Center (CCSA) only allows traditional activities such as pouring perfume on a Buddha statue. However, this operation should also be carried out at a distance of at least 1.5 m. With no public events and celebrations left, spending by locals on Songkran is also expected to drop significantly. A poll conducted by the Thai Chamber of Commerce University shows that this year’s Songkran will be less noisy as more Thais plan to stay at home. Holiday spending is expected to fall below 100 billion baht ($ 3.1 billion). This figure is still better than the Songkran festival in 2020, but much lower than the annual average of more than 135 billion baht. Khao San Road, a popular place to attract foreign visitors during the water festival, is also said to be very quiet as no public events are allowed, meaning the sales are bleak. business in this area. Sa-nga Ruangwattanakul, president of the Khao San Road Business Association, said the number of tourists is expected to plummet this year as fun activities such as splashing water and powder on each other are prohibited. “Before the Covid-19 pandemic, our revenue during the Songkran season was about 100 million baht per day. This year, however, I think it was only about 10 million baht,” Ruangwattanakul said.