Hua Hin may allow foreign tourists
Hua Hin is ready to follow the government’s reopening plan and target vaccinated tourists without quarantine requirements in October. This plan comes under the Hua Hin Recharge campaign.
Krod Rojanastien is leading the collaboration from the private sector. Mr Krod is a member of the committee of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. He said location has the potential to be included in the reopening plan due to its reputation for wellness tourism. Hua Hin is a long-stay destination only a few hours away from Bangkok. Mr Krod is also president of the Thai Spa Association,
Under the plan, the pilot areas will cover Hua Hin Municipality and the Nong Kae district. This area covers total of 86.36 sq km with 182 registered hotels.
Like the Phuket sandbox model, tourists with proof of vaccination will take flights to Suvarnabhumi Airport. Alternatively, they may take a private jet to Hua Hin airport. They will have to pass an RT-PCR test upon arrival. Following that they will activate Thailand Plus, a tracing application, before transferring to hotels via private vehicles.
Mr Krod said operators are preparing to offer tour packages. They are also working with operators from different destinations, including Pattaya and Phuket. Doing so will allow them to swap tourists after completing their seven-day trip to Hua Hin.
Hua Hin can expect around 100,000 international tourists
Operators can expect to welcome around 100,000 international tourists once the Hua Hin Recharge plan commences. Tourists would most likely come from China, Germany, Scandinavian nations, the UK and Japan. These tourists would be contributing 1.2 billion baht in tourism receipts.
“To achieve reopening, inoculations in Hua Hin must start by June 1 and continue until Sept 30 with the number of required doses needed being 353,498,” said Mr Krod.
Of the total, 89,880 tourism workers need to be vaccinated.
However, success will rely on 14 million doses to 10 million people in Bangkok in May.
Mr Krod said this concept received approval but operators have to include vaccinations for people in the nearby areas also such as Pran Buri and Cha-am in Phetchaburi. He said this after discussions with the Tourism and Sports Ministry yesterday.
Hua Hin Recharge will be officially proposed to the National Tourism Policy Committee’s meeting on May 6. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration must approve the plan before it can commence.
