Thailand’s new regulations keeping tourists away, say tour agencies
The government’s new regulations for foreign arrivals is badly affecting the tourism industry, the Phuket Tourist Association’s chief said.
Phukmit Raktaengam said on Sunday that the latest 7-point Notice to Airmen (Notam) announced by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has caused many tourists to cancel their trips.
The CAAT regulations require airlines to check if all passengers have had at least two Covid-19 vaccines before letting them board flights to Thailand.
The Notam goes into effect at 8am on Monday and will run until midnight on January 31.
“These regulations affect tour operators as unvaccinated tourists have cancelled their trips to Thailand,” he said, adding that foreign tour agencies were also uncertain about the government’s moves.
He added that the association has submitted foreign tour operators’ suggestions to the government for consideration.
According to the association, tour agencies in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Russia have all said that the government has issued the regulations in too much of a rush.
Some operators complained that many tourists had cancelled their trips to Thailand, thus adversely affecting their business and Thailand’s tourism industry.
Related stories:
