Above; Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn at a press conferance in June, discussing travel schemes that would not include mass tourism.

It is understood that the basis for these new programmes may be the advice from senior Thai business people such as Mr Dhanin Chearavanont, he has called, in recent months, for the government to make Thailand a more exclusive tourism offering.

Mr Dhanin has urged the government to open up the kingdom to tourism quickly but also to use the crisis as an opportunity to market Thailand as a sunny oasis for wealthy foreign visitors at a premium cost.

In addition to this, the success of the alternative quarantine scheme and the number of foreigners with links to Thailand, willing to pay large financial amounts simply to gain access to the kingdom, is leading some to rethink what Thailand’s approach to foreign tourism should be.

The tourism industry appears to be particularly open to inviting in European tourists as it revealed on Saturday that in 2019, while European visitors only made up 17% of passenger arrivals, they accounted for 24% of all foreign tourism expenditure or a significant ฿461 billion.

Phuket’s Tourist Association President, Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, has urged the government to open up Thailand to this group as a priority.

‘Phuket’s economy needs foreign demand to bounce back but we also have to balance infection risks and the economy,’ he said.

Mr Bhummikitti also played down the potential for domestic tourism in Phuket.

He explained that foreign visitors to the island accounted for over 66% of all tourists last year but represented over 90% of the island’s receipts.

Phuket and Island's lke Koh Samui with economies that rely solely on tourism revenue, have argueably been the hrdest hit in the Kingdom.

The one thing that can be said, is the tourism and medical officials, in the for now, ongoing coronavirus situation are making every step possible not to let a good crisis go to waste.

However that could all abruptly come to a halt, following a recent admission in a report published by the US. CDC (centre of disease control and prevention).

The report stated that just 6% of covid-19 deaths listed, died solely of coronavirus with no other serious underlying health conditions. 

Based on the CDC's own data 94% of people have died with coronavirus, did so along with one or more other serious underlying health condition.

The CDC's August 28 report stated that there were 167,588 covid-19 total deaths, which means in the US. 10,053 died solely of coronavirus with no other serious health conditions.

The admission published by the CDC makes you wonder how many other countries may have also miscalculated mortality rates solely relating to coronavirus.

This report may promt other health officials and governments to reasess their data, which could eventually be a game changer on restrictions of international leisure travel, but for now we'll just have to wait and see.

A liink to the CDC's report can be found under Useful Links.