Thailand expects to delay plans for 'travel bubble' on virus worries

BANGKOK - Thailand expects to delay plans for so-called travel bubbles, given a resurgence in coronavirus infections in countries that had managed to contain the initial outbreak, a senior official told Reuters on Wednesday .

Thailand partially lifted a three-month ban on foreign visitors this month and had been planning to further boost tourism, a key contributor to its economy, by creating travel bubbles later in the year with places like Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong that had managed to contain the virus. But as fresh outbreaks are creating uncertainty on whether it is safe for the country to open its borders, Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said:"The travel bubble that was going to begin in the fourth quarter could be delayed.""We adjusted our forecast for foreign arrivals this year to 8.2 million from 10-12 million," Mr Yuthasak said.

Thailand recorded 6.7 million foreign arrivals in the first five months and is allowing business travellers and tourists seeking medical treatment to enter for the rest of the year. The government this month will roll out a US$722 million domestic tourism stimulus to boost revenue.A record 39.8 million foreign tourists visited the country last year and spent 1.93 trillion baht , accounting for 11 per cent of its GDP.It has reported total 3,197 virus infections, with Thai nationals returning from overseas accounting for new cases.

Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Bledisloe Cup, other international sports still in limbo: NZ governmentNew Zealand wants to set up a 'travel bubble' with Australia in order to host trans-Tasman sporting events, such as rugby union's Bledisloe Cup, ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Futures ease after five-day run as virus worries weighU.S. stock index futures slipped on Tuesday following the benchmark S&P 500 and Nasdaq's five-day rally, as investors weighed the risks to the ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Japan supercomputer suggests changes to travel, work amid airborne virus threatTOKYO (REUTERS) - Supercomputer-driven models simulated in Japan suggested that operating commuter trains with windows open and limiting the number of passengers may help reduce the risk of coronavirus infections, as scientists warn of airborne spread of the virus.. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Source: The Straits Times - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »

Thai Cabinet approves $4.46 billion plan for reviving virus-hit economyBANGKOK (REUTERS) - Thailand's Cabinet on Wednesday (July 8) approved a budget of up to 100 billion baht (S$4.46 billion) for projects aimed at reviving an economy hit by the coronavirus outbreak, the Prime Minister said.. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Source: The Straits Times - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »

Baby crashes Pieters' Olympic plans but then came the virusANTWERP, Belgium: Belgium's Thomas Pieters reckons he is one of just a handful of sportspeople who did a merry jig when this year's Olympic Games ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Chinese students take virus-delayed college entrance examNearly 11 million stressed-out Chinese students began taking the country's gruelling annual college entrance exam on Tuesday following a month-long coronavirus delay, with inspectors this year checking both for cheaters and fevers. The two-day test -– known in Chinese as the 'gaokao' -
Source: YahooSG - 🏆 3. / 71 Read more »