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Thai capital welcomes first tourists for quarantine-free holiday
More than a thousand foreign tourists arrived in Bangkok on Monday, the first wave of travelers to the Thai capital in 18 months, as part of a quarantine waiver for visitors vaccinated against COVID-19.
There were 1,534 foreign arrivals and 890 Thais on 40 international flights on an opening day on Monday, senior health official Kiattiphum Wongraijit said.
The waiver covers more than 60 countries, including the United States and China, plus several places in Europe, from where some were escaping the winter blues.
“Right now, in Europe, as you know it’s quite cold, so we decided to go come here,” said German tourist, Simon Raithel, among the first arrivals.
Thailand, one of the Asia-Pacific’s most popular tourist destinations, has enforced strict entry curbs that were criticized in the travel industry for being too onerous and economically damaging.
More than 3 million Thai tourism-dependent jobs and an estimated $50 billion a year in revenue have been lost.
Before the pandemic, tourism accounted for about 12% of Thai GDP, with one survey ranking Bangkok as the world’s most visited city.
Thailand tested the waters with the reopening of the island of Phuket, but the pilot scheme had mixed results, drawing just 1% of its monthly pre-pandemic level when it started in July.
Under the new national program, visitors must await a negative COVID-19 test on arrival then can travel freely the following day.
“It is much easier,” said Marguerite Jeason from France. “Before at first, it was 14 nights.”
Airlines have rushed to ready the country for the hoped influx of visitors, bringing jets back from hibernation.
Still, the pickup is expected to be relatively slow, with 180,000 foreign arrivals anticipated this year and 7 million next year, compared with some 40 million in 2019.
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Terrorist activities continue to be observed along Afghanistan borders and along the India–Pakistan–Afghanistan corridor, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published on Monday.
Speaking to Russia-based media outlet TV BRICS, Lavrov pointed to ongoing concerns in the Middle East, including its Asian regions.
He highlighted the importance of collaboration with India at the United Nations to advance a global counter-terrorism convention.
Lavrov stated that while the draft convention has already been prepared, consensus on its adoption has not yet been reached.
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about militant threats from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed the concerns saying that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any country.
Noorullah Noori, Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, held a phone conversation with Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, to discuss bilateral border cooperation.
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening border collaboration, with a particular focus on the ongoing renovation and updating of border markers. They also agreed to accelerate joint technical and legal meetings to enhance coordination.
As part of the agreement, the next meeting of senior border officials from Afghanistan and Iran is scheduled to take place in Iran in 1405 (2026–2027).
The Director General of the OIC Mission in Kabul, Mohammed Saeed Alayyash, met on Sunday with Rolf Dieter Reinhard, Head of the German Liaison Office for Afghanistan in Doha and Acting Chargé d’Affaires of the German Embassy in Afghanistan.
During the discussion, both sides exchanged views on the latest developments in Afghanistan. They focused on the security situation, as well as the humanitarian and economic conditions faced by the Afghan people.
The two officials also reviewed recent political developments and broader challenges in the country, highlighting the need for continued international engagement and support.
The meeting emphasized the importance of ongoing cooperation and coordination between the OIC Mission and the German side in addressing Afghanistan’s challenges and in supporting efforts to promote stability and improve the humanitarian situation.
Terrorist activities observed along Afghanistan borders, says Lavrov
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