Thailand will establish a "travel bubble" with India.

Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesperson for the CCSA, said the proposed Thailand-India Air Travel Bubble (ATB) would provide greater convenience for air travelers between the two countries, given the ongoing pandemic situation and remaining restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus.

Airlines and travel agencies, along with Covid-19 control authorities, will play a crucial role in this bilateral tourism promotion campaign.

After being approved by the CCSA, the proposal for a travel bubble with India will be submitted to the Thai Cabinet for approval. According to a CCSA spokesperson, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed relevant agencies to quickly implement the ATB as soon as possible. The ATB will be implemented with strict COVID-19 prevention measures.

According to data from the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports, approximately 1.9 million Indian tourists visited Thailand in 2019, a 25% increase compared to the previous year. Each Indian tourist stayed in Thailand for an average of seven days and spent around 44,700 baht (approximately US$1,400).

The Thai government also hopes to begin talks on travel bubbles with China and Malaysia this month. Since the beginning of February, Thailand has reopened its quarantine waiver program for international tourists, however, the number of visitors to the country, especially from India and China, remains very low.

Khanh Ha