Thailand records 3,000 foreign tourists in November as ban eases

Thailand recorded 3,065 foreign tourists in November, official data showed on Monday, in its second month of receiving long-stay visitors after a ban was imposed in April to keep coronavirus infections under control.

Thailand recorded 3,065 foreign tourists in November, official data showed on Monday, in its second month of receiving long-stay visitors after a ban was imposed in April to keep coronavirus infections under control.

The 3,065 foreign tourists in November is just a fraction of the 3.39 million arrivals in the same period last year. In October, there were 1,201 foreign visitors.

<strong><em>FILE PHOTO: Tourists take pictures at Phu Thap Buek mountain in Phetchabun province, Thailand, December 12, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun/File Photo</em></strong>

Though the country is gradually opening up to foreign visitors and offering incentives to boost domestic travel, efforts to revive its tourism-driven economy are being hampered by an outbreak found 10 days ago that has since infected more than 1,600 people in 43 provinces.

In the January-November period, the number of foreign visitors slumped by 81% from a year earlier to about 6.7 million of that 6.69 million were recorded in the first quarter.

That compares with last year’s nearly 40 million tourists who spent 1.91 trillion baht ($63 billion), or about 11.3% of gross domestic product.

The state planning agency predicts only 5 million foreign visitors in 2021. Foreign visitors at present are required to obtain special visas and undergo two weeks of quarantine.