TCC does not foresee countrywide lockdown, hopes more foreign tourists will enter Thailand in 2022
With Thailand being able to achieve its first phase goal of administering more than 100 million doses, or vaccinating 70 per cent of its population, resulting in increased immunity, the rate of infection has continued to decline while foreign countries have seen higher infection rates, Sanan Angubolkul, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC), said on Wednesday.
Also, with the government preparing to run a booster campaign next year, this will help strengthen the confidence of people both at home and abroad.
He said the Thai Chamber of Commerce agrees with the government to temporarily put on hold the Test & Go scheme, although this decision will have some impact on the economy.
However, he believes the government will not have to lock down the country.
Approximately 110,000 people have been approved for travel through the Sandbox and Test & Go schemes, out of 200,000 who requested to enter the country. He feels this will not affect tourism as the number of foreign tourists in previous months was small.
As for 2022, the TCC expects foreign tourists to gradually enter Thailand in the first quarter. And if the Omicron situation improves, the country will start to see more tourists from the second quarter, estimated at 5 million to 6 million.
