In April, PCR tests in the country of departure became unnecessary, and the number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand increased sharply. Suvarnabhumi International Airport, where the number of passengers had dropped sharply due to the pandemic, has returned to the same congestion as before the pandemic.

Currently, when entering Thailand, it is necessary to undergo a PCR test after entering the country, and it is necessary to reserve a hotel for one night to wait for the result, and tourists have to move to the hotel by a dedicated shuttle car.

As the number of passengers at Suvarnabhumi International Airport increases dramatically, hotel counters are becoming crowded. To eliminate this congestion, hotel counters have been increased and a QR code service has been launched to search for counter numbers.

The QR code is displayed on the screen of each carousel at the baggage claim, or in front of Exit B and Exit C, so you can scan the QR code to find out the counter number of the hotel you booked.

After you exit the Exit B or Exit C, there are counters 1 to 6 and numbers A to S are assigned. When you go to the counter at the number you looked up with a QR code, you can meet the person in charge at the hotel you booked.

According to Philiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, the Thai government will meet with CCSA on April 22 to propose the abolition of the Test & Go scheme and Thailand Pass. It aims to attract more foreign tourists to Thailand in order to support the revival of the tourism industry, which has been severely hit by the pandemic.

If the change or amendment is approved, the change will start as early as May 1st, eliminating the need for foreign tourists to apply for and obtain a Thailand pass, and they jus need present a vaccination certificate to enter Thailand. Also, the PCR test on arrival is replaced by an antigen test (ATK), and they only have to wait 10 to 15 minutes to get the ATK result.

The Ministry of Tourism of Thailand predicts that at least 10 million foreign tourists will visit Thailand and that tourism-related revenues will exceed THB 1 trillion for the rest of 2022. To reach this goal in 2022, an average of 35,000-40,000 tourists need to enter Thailand daily. 9,000-11,000 foreign tourists enter Thailand daily currently, so to reach the goal, further deregulation is needed.

The outcome of the meeting between the Thai government and CCSA on April 22 is awaited.

From April 12th, the ATK test checkpoint at the entrance of Bangla Walking Street in Phuket has been closed.

The ATK Checkpoint on Bangla Road was established on January 2, 2022 and was operated with the support of the Patong Entertainment Association, Patong Development Foundation and other private sector of Phuket Province. Since its installation, it has been mandatory for anyone entering or exiting Bangla Road to take an ATK test.

The closure of the ATK checkpoint seems to be a measure to attract many tourists to Phuket before the Songkran festival vacation.

Low-cost carrier Thai AirAsia X has announced that it will hold a sale for the Narita-Bangkok and Seoul-Bangkok routes.

The special sale fare for the Narita-Bangkok route is 3,590 baht one way.
The special sale price for the Seoul-Bangkok route is 3,290 baht one way.
Both prices include various expenses such as airport charges.

The Narita-Bangkok route is currently suspended, but will be resumed four flights a week from June.
The scheduled flight schedule is as follows.
Narita⇔Bangkok (Don Muang)
XJ601 NRT09: 15 DMK14: 35 Mon / Tue / Thu / Sat
XJ600 DMK23: 50 NRT08: 00 (+1) Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday

Please check the official AirAsia website for details and reservations.