Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has instructed the Transport, Public Health and Tourism and Sport ministries to take appropriate steps to cope with increased arrivals from China, as the Chinese Government has decided to allow group tours to visit 20 countries, including Thailand, effective from February 6th.

The other 19 countries are Indonesia, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Lao PRD, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Russia, Switzerland, Hungary, New Zealand, Fiji, Cuba and Argentina.

Deputy Government Spokesperson Traisuree Traisoranakul said that the China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has imposed a set of measures with which Chinese local administrations, tour agencies and Chinese tourists are required to comply.

Chinese tour companies, she said, have been instructed to comply strictly with Chinese health measures, and those of destination countries, and urge their customers to undergo COVID screening before departure.

Regional Chinese administrations are also required to instruct tour agencies to enter into formal contracts with tour agencies in host countries, complete with a dispute management system. They must also keep the size of each tour group at an appropriate level, said Traisuree.

She said Chinese tour agency customers will be urged to take out health insurance coverage before departure.

Chinese tourists have been advised to be wary of tour agencies which offer unreasonably cheap package tours, she added.

On January 8th, the Chinese Government allowed its citizens to visit other countries for the first time in about three years.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service