TravelMole Mekong webcast: Plan for Thailand travel bubbles on hold
Thailand’s international borders could stay closed until next year as the country takes a ‘very cautious’ approach to welcoming international tourism again.
Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, deputy governor for international marketing at Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said no specific discussions have taken place on opening the country for leisure travellers.
Ayudha was speaking at the second Mekong Recovery Update Webinar, organised by TravelMole and Mekong Tourism.
So far ‘there has been no mention of a timeline’ for international tourism.
However some groups of travellers will be permitted on a ‘controlled basis’ by undergoing a period of state quarantine.
These include some approved business travellers, exhibition personnel and investors from certain countries, including China, Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong.
The ‘travel bubble’ agreements the country had been touting with other Asian nations look to be on the back burner for now at least.
"There have been second wave outbreaks in so many countries we were hoping to get tourists from under the travel bubble, including, unfortunately, Vietnam," he said.
Thailand hasn’t had any confirmed cases of local transmission for several weeks, but other countries such as Japan have been struggling to contain a second wave.
Although the proposal has now stalled, the government had been discussing ‘certified designated areas’ to be used for tourism, which would likely be on Thai islands such as Phuket and Koh Samui for example.
The government is now taking a ‘wait and see’ approach and will assess how it handles the controlled number of approved travellers, such as diplomats, before opening up to the leisure segment, Ayudhya said.
By Ray Montgomery, Asia Pacific editor
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season