Thailand’s Tourism Minister has proposed a plan to allow foreigners to quarantine in some of the country’s many golf resorts to boost the ailing tourism sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said in a press statement that authorities are discussing with the Public Health Ministry and the country’s coronavirus taskforce to offer hotel and golf quarantine for tourists with medical certificates.
Foreign tourists would be able to spend the two-week quarantine period at a specified resort and move around in the hotel area and also play golf, rather than just isolating in their rooms, according to the latest initiative. The plan, which is subject to the approval of the cabinet, comes as the Southeast Asian country struggles with a second wave of coronavirus infections after largely containing community spread for months.
Since several clusters emerged in December the country has been recording several hundred new COVID cases each day. Thailand attracted 40 million tourists in 2019 who spent 1.91 trillion baht ($63.4 billion), but the number of visitors dived during the pandemic after its borders were sealed, devastating hotels, restaurants and tourist spots that relied on foreigner visitors. Minister Phiphat mentioned that a special visa scheme that started last year for long-stay visitors has attracted about 1,000 tourists.
Tags: Covid-19, golf resorts, Thailand, Thailand Tourism
