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Bangkok’s Tourism Reopening Delayed Until October 15th

The government announced yesterday that the capital’s reopening to vaccinated foreign tourists would be delayed two weeks due to low vaccination rates.

According to official figures, most Bangkok residents are still waiting to receive their second doses. In response, authorities determined that the schedule for the city’s reopening should be changed from October 1 to October 15, the tourism and sports minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said.

However, the ministry has pledged to open Bangkok again when 70% of its residents are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to attract at least 1 million international travelers this year.

To date, 37% of the capital’s population has been completely inoculated, while 33% must complete the 8-12 week interval to obtain the second shot.

The recent changes to Bangkok’s reopening plan came after the minister and Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang’s discussion over the city’s readiness.

According to Mr. Phiphat, the ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) had proposed a strategy to open only 21 districts first. However, Governor Aswin said the capital should wait until it is entirely ready to participate in the program, as tourists could face some problems when traveling between districts.

“The quarantine-free entry via Bangkok will benefit the whole country as tourists usually visit Bangkok as their first destination before traveling to other provinces,” Mr. Phiphat said.

He added that the 7+7 extension, expected to go in effect at the same time, would allow tourists to stay in Bangkok for just seven days and choose eight provinces in the reopening program as a second option.

Standard operating procedures in all areas should end in late September to start receiving tourists in mid-October as planned.

“From mid-October, we will not only open for international tourists, but the domestic stimulus campaigns which aim to spur local spending will be rolled out at the same time,” Mr. Phiphat stated.

The reopening plan is aligned with the worldwide travel relaxation, expected to be announced as of October 15.