Russian tourists enjoy a beach in Phuket on March 12. (Photo: Reuters)
Phuket: Minister of Tourism and Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakan said he plans to ask Prime Minister Prayut Chan-Ocha to propose at the next meeting of the Covid-19 Situation Management (CCSA) the termination of Thailand’s registration scheme, believing that after its cancellation, the number of foreign tourists will rise to 30,000 per day.
Mr. Phiphat said this while in Phuket to prepare for General Prayut’s visit to the island resort province on Monday to review the implementation of education and tourism policies.
He said that an increase in the number of tourists would help the economy recover.
With the support of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, tourist attractions have been renovated and preserved to attract more tourists.
“I am sure that after the cancellation of the Thai Pass, the number of tourists arriving per day will increase to about 30,000. Later this year, this number may increase to 40,000-50,000. In the past, the maximum number of arrivals per day was 100,000 people. We must fight to regain this goal,” Fifat said.
Mr. Phiphat said that when General Prayut is in Phuket on Monday, he will ask the Prime Minister to make a proposal at the next CCSA meeting to remove the Thailand pass requirement.
Currently, foreign nationals still have to apply for a Thai Pass registration. They need to provide passport and vaccination details, as well as a $10,000 health insurance policy. The system will then automatically issue a Thai Pass QR code to the applicant.
Thai citizens no longer need to apply for registration.
