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Quarantine-free Thailand faces tourism hurdle: China's COVID rules
Long isolation upon return and other policies seen dampening prospects


Chinese tourists arrive in Bangkok on Nov. 1. While some may come, China's own strict rules look likely to put a damper on Thailand's tourism recovery for the time being. © Reuters
JASON TAN, Contributing writer
November 4, 2021 16:21 JST

BANGKOK -- Fully vaccinated visitors from dozens of countries can now enter Thailand quarantine-free, but the Southeast Asian nation's hopes for reviving its crucial tourism industry also hinge on policies at departure points -- especially China.

China accounted for 11 million, or more than a quarter, of the arrivals Thailand welcomed in 2019. But even though China is among the 60-plus countries and territories to which Thailand has thrown open its doors as of this month, travelers may not rush back anytime soon. Chinese are strongly discouraged from going overseas and face strict rules when they head home. Other Asian countries banking on tourism revivals, too, may have to temper their expectations.

Depending on the city, "mainland China imposes at least 14 days of quarantine in designated hotels, with another seven days of 'self-monitoring' at their home," said Li Ming, founder of Ming Thai Inter, a realtor in Bangkok.

Coco Liang, who traveled back to the central Chinese city of Chengdu in mid-October, encountered those restrictions even before she left Thailand.

She said airline staff at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport had to tick off a long list before allowing her to board her flight to China. They needed to confirm, for example, that she had done a swab test seven days before flying, plus a second swab with the antibody result 48 hours before departure. The two tests had to be conducted at separate sites on the Chinese Embassy's approved list.

Travelers returning to China also have to fill in a declaration form saying they have mostly "self-quarantined" and minimized contact with others in Thailand for the preceding seven days.

Li, the realtor, did say that at least Thailand's reopening helps "those who are doing business or work trips to Thailand," though they too face a set of onerous rules upon return.

On social media, some Chinese people warn against traveling to Thailand, due to still-high COVID infection numbers, arguing that staying home is much safer. Thailand's daily cases surpassed the 23,000 mark in mid-August and now hover around 9,000 to 10,000 per day. China's cases, meanwhile, are in the tens or hundreds, partly due to a zero-tolerance approach that entails harsh restrictions wherever infections are found.


Thailand hopes to lure back tourists from Asia and elsewhere to holiday destinations like Phuket. © Reuters

Resuscitating tourism is vital for Thailand, which saw a record 39.8 million visitors in 2019 -- more than half its own population. The travelers brought in revenue of 1.9 trillion baht ($57 billion).

On Oct. 21, the Thai government announced it would open its borders wider. "If we wait until everything is fully ready, we'll be too late," Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha wrote on Facebook. "Besides, tourists may choose to go elsewhere."

As of Monday, fully inoculated visitors from 63 locations are allowed in quarantine-free -- up from 10 before. In addition to China, the list includes South Korea, Japan, the U.S. and Australia.

Thailand's Kasikorn Research Center says much will depend on the policies of travelers' countries of origin. It now expects 180,000 tourist arrivals in Thailand this year, up from a previous forecast of 150,000.

As it waits for Chinese to return in larger numbers, Thailand will be looking to attract travelers from elsewhere, including some of its Asian neighbors. Malaysia, its No. 2 source of visitors in 2019, is also on the quarantine-free list, as are Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong and others.

A key source of visitors who could take up some of the slack is India, Thailand's third-largest supplier of tourists in 2019. India was a late addition to Thailand's reopening list, and officials have high hopes for income from Indian destination weddings in particular.

Somsong Sachaphimukh, vice president of the Thai Tourism Council, told local media that each Indian traveler spends between 27,000 and 76,000 baht per trip to Thailand, while one destination wedding could generate from 10 million to 120 million baht in revenue for the hotel and services industry.

India was one of Asia's hardest hit countries in the pandemic, with daily cases exceeding 400,000 earlier this year. But the situation has improved dramatically, with infections hovering below 15,000 recently.

Meanwhile, for some, Thailand's quarantine-free reopening just offers a chance to go home.

Jane Li, a 42-year-old Shanghai native who resided in Hong Kong for 10 years before relocating to Bangkok, was booked on a flight back to Thailand on Monday.

She had moved to the Thai capital last year and enrolled her children in an international school. But in July of this year, her family of four made a dash back to Hong Kong "for safety," just before Thailand saw its worst outbreaks yet and imposed strict curfews.

After a few months living lockdown-free in Hong Kong, she said it was time to return. And she was relieved that the family would not have to stay in isolation.

"We were cooped up in a quarantine hotel in Hong Kong for 21 days," she recalled. "I don't want to experience it again."

For Chinese returning..

2 PCR tests before departure
Sign a declaration that you had minimal contact with people 7 days preceding
2 weeks quarantine in hotel
1 week quarantine at home

Nope, that's a deal breaker for your holiday in Thailand...and presumably the same for Cambodia.

India was supposed to open up to schedule flights on the 15th Nov it is now the 30th Nov. What pisses me off is that all current visas have been cancelled. My 5 year multiple entry visa (good for 180 days at a time) with 3 years left is now useless. The new paper visas are only good for one 30 day visit.

India are known for altering visa rules and laws all the time so hopefully things will go back to normal 5/10 year e visas soon. The long stayer scene in Goa has been decimated, many people go for the whole of the UK winter and many more live there and just leave every 6 months for a new stamp.

I have never been to Thailand and I am tempted

clutchcargo wrote: ↑Fri Nov 05, 2021 11:48 am For Chinese returning..

2 PCR tests before departure
Sign a declaration that you had minimal contact with people 7 days preceding
2 weeks quarantine in hotel
1 week quarantine at home

Nope, that's a deal breaker for your holiday in Thailand...and presumably the same for Cambodia.

And precisely why Cambodia's version of the "Sandbox" most likely won't be successful.

I think it is time to accept that things will not return to "normal "

How long does China intend to carry on this policy?

China is the only country apart from New Zealand (are there any others?) that has managed to keep Covid-19 under control or extinguished, but the moment you open the borders it will get it. As the vaccines do not prevent infections, even when at 100% vaccinated, they are still going to have to learn to live with it. Nobody is talking about herd immunity anymore; vaccination and/or prior infection does not confer immunity.

Therefore China has a choice in the near future: Once they have achieved 100% vaccination, they open up and get ready for very high numbers of infections and deaths by virtue of their huge population. Alternatively, they can keep the current restrictions and wait for a vaccine that does prevent infection. Maybe they are working on one (if they develop one maybe they will share it too - but I doubt it).

The first option is based on reality, but also shows they are powerless to defeat it and have given up- not a good look for the CCP. The latter option maintains their image of total control and keeps all their tourist money in China - preferable in the short term of, say, the next 1-5 years.

China could be effectively closed for tourism - in both directions - for many years to come.