CHIANG MAI: Eighty-three South Korean tourists under the "Charming Chiang Mai" programme have arrived on the first international flight to the northern province in almost two years.
Jeju Air's Flight 7C4205 (JJA 4205) left Incheon airport and arrived at Chiang Mai airport on Friday night.
The flight went through a water tunnel as it touched down the airport at 10.05pm. On hand to welcome them were Deputy Chiang Mai governor Ratthaphon Naradisorn, deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand Thanet Phetsuwan, Chiang Mai airport director Wichit Kaethiamthai and other officials.
The passengers had their body temperatures checked and submitted travel documents, mostly certificates of entry (CoE), to airport staff. Only a few of them applied for entry through Thailand Pass, a web-based system designed to make the documentation process for travellers entering Thailand more efficient than the COE application by collecting both travel and health information and also facilitating the filing of TM6 and T8 forms.
After going through immigration and customs procedures, the tourists were given souvenirs from the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the airport before meeting tourism operators who later took them to their hotels.
Under the Charming Chiang Mai programme, tourists can visit four districts — Mueang, Mae Rim, Mae Taeng and Doi Tao — on sealed routes. They were the only places in the province allowed to reopen to tourists on Nov 1.
Jeju Air operates the Incheon-Chiang Mai-Incheon service every Friday. More international flights are expected later.
On Saturday, Chiang Mai reported 487 new infections, the second highest after Bangkok (809), and four deaths.
(Photo: Panumet Tanraksa)
Senior officials and airport staff welcome first tourists from South Korea. (Photo: Panumet Tanraksa)