(TAN): A significant number of Thailand residents are not comfortable with the government’s decision to offer a Special Tourist Visa to foreigners to restart tourism, a recent survey has found, reports said.
Many say they lack confidence in the government’s ability to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and that the move could cause a second wave of the virus.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha has assured that Thailand had effective Covid-19 preventive measures in place for reopening the country to specific groups of foreign tourists and businesspeople under restrictions.
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Learning that local residents in Phuket disagreed with the planned reopening, the PM said that the restrictions will be put on the table after October 25.
The National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll, recently conducted a survey on 1,318 people of various ages and backgrounds. They were asked about the new Special Tourist Visa scheme which allows long term stays after tourists complete a 14 day quarantine.
As much as 57% of respondents disagreed with the Special Tourist Visa scheme with 40.2% of them saying it could cause a second Covid-19 outbreak. A total of 42.3% agreed with opening the border to foreign tourists, but said preventative measures must be in place. They said the move will help revive the economy after the country’s tourism industry was crippled by the lack of international visitors.
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The participants were also asked if they had confidence in the government’s ability to prevent the spread of Covid-19 once they reopen the country to foreign tourists. As many as 62.6% respondents said they had no confidence in the government with 35.4% saying they aren’t confident because most of the new cases detected are returnees travelling from overseas.
The Thailand government had earlier announced the Special Tourist Visa scheme, under which visas were to be issued to tourists planning to stay between 90 and 280 days in the country. The tourists would undergo a mandatory 14-day state quarantine on arrival at partner hotels or hospitals and follow health and safety regulations.
