Thai businesses call for travel bubbles even as local tourism surges

Tourism revenues from domestic travellers are projected to surpass that of foreigners for the first time amid the coronavirus pandemic

Thailand is keeping the 14-day quarantine requirement for travellers even as calls grow from the tourism sector to exclude visitors from low-risk cities

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Better Surf Thailand in Phangnga province, southern Thailand, saw a surge in local students after June 2020. Photo: Facebook

Published: 9:30am, 19 Nov 2020Updated: 10:03am, 19 Nov 2020

Thais are not known to be avid surfers despite the country’s many scenic beaches, but in recent months, one surfing school in Thailand’s south has seen a huge wave of local students.

Since June, when the country started to partially ease the coronavirus lockdown, Better Surf Thailand has seen more than 7,000 new local students compared with less than 2,000 about a year ago.

Owner Taweeroj Eawpanich, 34, said his school in Khao Lak, Phangnga province, had focused on recruiting local students to stay afloat amid the tourism shutdown.

“Phuket has always positioned itself as a destination for foreigners, which is why the situation there is very bad now when it is supposed to be the high season,” he said, referring to the neighbouring tourist hotspot. “We should have had a better tourism campaign all these years [to sustain business all year round].”

A tourist takes pictures at an empty beach in Pattaya, Thailand. Photo: AFP

As tourism revenues from domestic travellers are projected to surpass that of foreigners for the first time amid the pandemic, businesses across the kingdom are having to rethink their approach in an industry that normally contributes to 12 per cent of Thailand’s GDP.