"Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn"

The proposed 300-baht arrival tax will not affect Thai nationals returning from overseas, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Friday.

The government plans to reopen the country to foreign tourists in three phases, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Monday.

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn will ask the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to allow nationals of more than 70 medium-risk countries – including China, India, Germany and Italy – to enter Thailand from April 1.

The Tourism and Sports Ministry is discussing reopening three Andaman provinces – Phuket, Phang-nga, Krabi – to foreign tourists without quarantine in a “sandbox” project before the country’s full reopening scheduled for October.

The Tourism Minister will discuss with the prime minister a request for 5 million doses of vaccination for the tourism industry and also push a vaccine passport measure to enable foreigners to return in the third quarter of this year.