KOLKATA: The Thai government’s decision to do away with the need for tourists and visitors to obtain a Thailand Pass before travelling to the country has brought cheers to airlines operating flights between Kolkata and Bangkok, and to travel agents in the city who expect an immediate uptick in business. The pass will no longer be required from July 1.
However, a new regulation by the Indian government requiring all those who are unvaccinated, including children, to undergo Covid test before their return to India from Thailand could act as a damper. The travel trade fraternity is writing to the health ministry to remove this clause.
At present, travellers have to upload multiple documents, including passport, vaccination certificate, hotel booking and flight tickets, to apply for the Thai pass online. Without the pass, travellers can’t board flights to the country.
In addition to the pass relaxation, the Thai government has also done away with the need for a $10,000 insurance to travel there. The insurance premium costs around Rs 1,200 per person. Welcoming the move, airlines officials and travel agents in Kolkata said flight occupancy is expected to shoot up from 60%-65% at present to 75%-80% next month.
“When people travel for the purpose of tourism, they don’t want any hassle. The Thai pass was an additional worry. Also, many people aren’t conversant with technology and feel intimidated by such requirements. Thus, travel to Thailand, one of the most popular destinations for tourists from Kolkata, had suffered. We now expect flights to go full,” said Travel Agents Federation of India chairman (east) Anil Punjabi.
Manav Soni, the chairman of the east chapter of Travel Agents’ Association of India, also expects business to shoot up and hopes it will lead to airlines deploying bigger aircraft and increasing frequency. “From July 1, travellers need to only show a vaccination certificate or a negative report of an RT-PCR test conducted within 72 hours prior to travel. This will see a growth in travel to the country and should see addition in seat capacity,” Soni said.
Currently, IndiGo, SpiceJet, AirAsia and Thai Smile operate daily flights between Kolkata and Bangkok. Both Punjabi and Soni said once numbers grow, they will request Thai Airways to return to the city they had serviced for 50 years before announcing their withdrawal during the pandemic.
