Before the pandemic, tourism accounted for almost one fifth of Thailand’s economy. But COVID-19 brought all that to a halt, as visitor numbers fell by almost 99%.

Thailand is banking on the revival of tourism to jump start its post-pandemic recovery. With the removal of its mask mandates and relaxation of its border policies, the Land of Smiles is hoping to woo visitors back.

But persisting restrictions on Chinese travellers and global inflation could take a toll on the growth of international visitors. Will the reliance on tourism prove a bad move?

0:00 Introduction 1:47 How COVID-19 impacted Thai tourism 8:14 Plight of sex workers over COVID-19 14:42 Fewer Chinese travellers hamper tourism recovery 16:00 Thailand pivots to wellness tourism 21:24 Challenges to Thai tourism recovery 23:45 Can agriculture help drive Thai economy? 36:46 Effect of COVID-19 on Thailand's poor

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