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Thailand’s Bangkok set to reopen to international tourists next month

Thailand’s capital is gearing up to welcome tourists once again. Bangkok, the most-visited city in the world before the global pandemic, is among the destinations included in a planned wider reopening of Thailand to travellers. Under the proposed plans, fully vaccinated international tourists would be able to travel to Bangkok from October 1. Northern Thailand’s Chiang Mai, famed for its temples and mountains, as well as beach resorts Pattaya, Cha-Am and Hua Hin, are also preparing to reopen to tourists. “More destinations comprising Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin and Pattaya, are planned to reopen from October 1, 2021,” said tourism ministry officials on Monday. The new plan will be proposed to Thailand's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration for approval. Before they can be approved to join the scheme, which waives quarantine for fully inoculated travellers, each of the regions must have at least a 70 per cent local vaccination rate. Tourism officials claim the restart has been a success. More than 27,000 international travellers have reportedly visited Thailand under the scheme, which allows vaccinated tourists entry to Phuket and other cities, so long as they stay in hotels approved by the tourism authority. All of the approved hotels have been safety checked and guarantee at least 70 per cent of the workforce is vaccinated. Most tourists have been arriving in Phuket from the US, UK, Israel, Germany and France, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

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Meghalaya Govt issues fresh protocols for entry into State

Meghalaya Government has issued fresh protocols for entry into the State. According to the Health and Family Welfare Department, the new protocols states that it is mandatory for all travellers entering the State to register themselves prior to their travel with meghalavaonline.gov and to download the Arogya Setu App and the Behavioural Change Management App of Meghalaya from Google play store. Tourists should register on the Meghalaya portal and generate the e-invite. RT-PCR Testing at Entry Points is mandatory for all persons visiting the State if they have not been fully vaccinated. However, persons with a valid final certificate of vaccination (both doses) or negative RT-PCR report that is issued by a recognised laboratory 72 hours before their arrival at the entry point shall be exempted from testing.

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International Flights: Air India Reopens Bookings For Flights to Saudi Arabia

State-run carrier Air India has resumed bookings on international flights from India to Saudi Arabia. Passengers planning to travel to Saudi Arabia can book tickets through the Air India website or by visiting booking offices, call centres or authorised travel agents. The resumption of the international flights to Saudi Arabia comes after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last month relaxed travel restrictions for fully vaccinated passengers from India.Also Read - Jeddah, a 7th Century Historic Site to be Revived by Saudi Arabia “Air India opens bookings from India to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Before booking tickets kindly read the travel guidelines carefully. Bookings opened through Air India Website, Booking Offices, Call Centre & Authorised Travel Agents,” Air India said in a tweet. Also Read - Air India Announces Special Offers For Flyers Travelling From Kochi Airport | Deets Inside “It will be the sole responsibility of the passengers to ensure his/her eligibility to enter the destination country. Air India will accept no liability in this regard,” it added. International Flights to Saudi Arabia: Travel Guidelines 1. Resident permit holders (Iqama holders and valid exit re-entry visa) who have received two doses of Covid-19 vaccine inside the Kingdom before their departure from the Kingdom are allowed to travel. 2. Passengers must confirm through their Tawakalna mobile application (vaccine certificate and health passport) that passenger has taken two doses of vaccine from Saudi Arabia prior to check-in. 3. RT-PCR negative report taken within 72 hours prior to boarding. This RT-PCR report must be from an ICMR accredited laboratory and must have QR code. 4. Passengers must register the immunization data in the Muqeem website. 5. Passengers must carry their fully vaccinated Covid-19 certificate at the time of travel.

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Bahrain eases travel restrictions for Indians

Bahrain has now eased travel restrictions for Indians by withdrawing it from the red list. The Embassy of India in Bahrain in a tweet informed that Indian nationals with a valid visa are eligible to enter Bahrain with effect from September 3, 2021. According to their statement, the travel is subject to the following: 1. Present an approved negative PCR test certificate with a QR code before boarding the plane, administered within 72 hours of departure. 2. Undergo three PCR tests: upon arrival, on the fifth day and on the tenth day after arrival. Passengers who are under the age of 6 do not require PCR test. 3. Quarantine for a period of 10 days at your residence or at a quarantine centre licensed by the National Health Regulatory Authority. Passengers who are under the age of 12, are to quarantine for 5 days. Earlier, India was among the 22 countries that was added in the Red list countries by Bahrain.

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Domestic air passenger traffic up 31% at 66 lakh in August on higher capacity deployment: ICRA

Domestic air passenger traffic continued on the growth trajectory in August with volumes growing up to 31 per cent to 66 lakh over the previous month, helped by higher capacity deployment and a downward trend in the pandemic, credit ratings agency ICRA said on Monday. The domestic passenger traffic in July 2021 was 51 lakh, ICRA said in a release. Domestic passenger traffic on a year-on-year basis, however, spiked around 131 per cent over August 2020 traffic of 28.3 lakh, it said. The ratings agency said despite the continued recovery in the previous month, there is continued stress on demand, driven largely by the second wave of the pandemic, limiting travel to only necessary travel. "The air travel demand has continued to register improvement and the same grew by around 30-31 per cent at around 65-66 lakh in August, compared to around 50.1 lakh in July 2021, signifying a y-o-y growth of around 131 per cent," Kinjal Shah, Vice President and Co-group Head for Corporate at ICRA, said. The airlines' capacity deployment for August 2021 was around 99 per cent higher at around 57,500 departures, as against 28,834 departures in August 2020, Shah said, adding that on a sequential basis, the number of departures in August 2021 were higher by around 22 per cent, as Covid-19 infections demonstrated a downward trajectory. "For August 2021, the average daily departures were at around 1,900, significantly higher than the average daily departures of around 900 in August 2020, and higher than around 1,500 in July 2021, though it remains lower than around 2,000 in April 2021," Shah said. The average number of passengers per flight during August 2021 was 114, against an average of 106 passengers per flight in July 2021, she said. Though the recovery continued in August 2021, there is continued stress on demand, driven largely by the second wave of the pandemic, limiting the demand to only necessary travel, while both leisure and business travel have been curtailed due to various state-wide restrictions, despite the decline in infections, she said. The Civil Aviation Ministry permitted increasing the capacity deployment on domestic routes, gradually from 33 per cent, with effect from May 25, when domestic travel resumed after the first wave last year, to 80 per cent, with effect from December 3, 2020.

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Indian Railways to operate cheaper AC-3 tier economy coaches

Indian Railways' North Central Railway(NCR) will start operating the cheaper AC-3 tier economy coaches from today in the train no.02403/02404 Prayagraj-Jaipur-Prayagraj (Daily) Special Express. The new AC coach will have the capacity to take 83 passengers instead of 72 in the conventional AC three-tier coach. According to the Indian Railways, the fare in these coaches will also be cheaper than the normal AC three-tier coach. The fare of this coach from Prayagraj to Jaipur is o­nly Rs.1085/- whereas, the fare of Conventional III AC coach is Rs.1175/-. Similarly, the fare from Prayagraj to Agra is Rs.740/-(Conventional III AC coach fare is Rs.800/-) whereasPrayagraj to Mathura fare is Rs.835/- (Conventional III AC coach fare is Rs.905/-). These coaches are being used for the first time in any train in Indian Railways. These coaches have 83 seats instead of 72. Passengers will get additional 11 berths in these coaches. The coaches were specially designed for the convenience of the divyangs. In these, modern arrangements have been made for mobile phones and magazine holders, fire safety. Personalized reading lights, AC vents, USB points, mobile charging points, better ladder to climb to the upper berth and snack table are some of the key features. According to reports, after the Prayagraj-Jaipur Daily Special, these coaches will be installed in Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Kochuveli, Visakahapatnam-Amritsar and Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express trains. Features of the AC 3 tier economy coach: -These coaches have 83 seats instead of 72. Passengers will get additional 11 berths in these coaches. -The coaches were specially designed for the convenience of the divyangs. -In these, modern arrangements have been made for mobile phones and magazine holders, fire safety. -Personalized reading lights, AC vents, USB points, mobile charging points, better ladder to climb to the upper berth and snack table are some of the key features. -These air-conditioned three-tier economy class coaches are capable of running at an optimum speed of 160 kilometers per hour.

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