Thailand: COVID-19 may cost tourism sector 47 billion USD
Thailand’s tourism sector would lose 47 billion USD due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s tourism sector would lose 47 billion USD due to theimpact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the UN Conference on Trade andDevelopment (UNCTAD).
Thecountry’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports said Thailand may receive only 9million international visitors this year, compared to the record 39.8 millionin 2019. Plummeting revenues from tourism is also a reason for the Bank ofThailand (BoT) to forecast a minus 8 percent growth for the country in 2020.
𓆉 Thetourism sector has drafted a travel bubbleplan for foreign travellers to make up for the losses. The three-phase plan isslated to start in August, with 1,000 tourists per day across five provinces.
Ministerof Tourism and Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said theministry already asked the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) and the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) todesign 6-7 day tour packages in five areas that are ready to join the pilotproject, comprising Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Krabi, Phuket and Pattaya.
On June 30, the Thaicabinet approved two stimulus packages worth 22.4 billion THB (723 million USD) to revitalise domestic tourism.
🦩 In the first fivemonths of this year, the total number of domestic flights in Thailand dropped58.2 percent, reaching 40.2 million trips, with revenues falling 57.9 percentto 191 billion THB.
Data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) showedthat international arrivals to the country plunged 60 percent in the period to6.69 million and revenues from them decreased 59.6 percent to 332 billion THB./.
All the slots on the 100-THB tourism campaign, where another 10,000 slots were released on November 13, the second day of the sign up period, were all filled within minutes.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
In Phuket, Thailand (Photo: Reuters) 
