Tens of thousands of people will be able to travel daily between Hong Kong and China from Sunday in a major easing of pandemic rules that kept the border mostly sealed for almost three years.

Both Hong Kong and China stuck to zero-Covid policies in which strict travel curbs and mandatory quarantine orders caused arrivals to fall to a trickle.

The measures kept families separated, cut off tourism and severed most business travel, with Hong Kong hit especially hard and ending 2022 in a deep recession.

Officials announced on Thursday the most significant changes to border rules since they were introduced in early 2020.

City leader John Lee said that, from Sunday, up to 50,000 Hong Kong residents can register online to cross the border daily at three land checkpoints.

Another estimated 10,000 will be able to enter the mainland by sea, air or bridges without needing to register in advance, he told a news conference.

A similar number will be allowed to travel from the mainland to Hong Kong and mandatory quarantine will be scrapped.

Lee predicted a "very big" impact on Hong Kong's recession-battered economy.

"2023 will be more fabulous, more prosperous," he said.

China made a U-turn on its zero-Covid strategy last month, abruptly lifting restrictions that had torpedoed the economy and sparked nationwide protests.

Infections have surged in the world's most populous nation since then, although the government has stopped releasing data that reliably illustrates the true impact of its outbreak.

The border measures between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong do not amount to a full, pre-pandemic reopening.

Those crossing the border will still be required to present a negative nucleic acid test result taken 48 hours before departure.

Beijing criticised other countries this week for adopting similar measures in response to the mainland's soaring caseload.

It also called on the World Health Organization to take a "just" position on Covid-19 after the WHO criticised its "very narrow" definition of virus deaths.

Mainlanders have long made up the vast majority of Hong Kong's viators. The city received nearly 44 million arrivals from mainland China in 2019.

Sunday also marks the day that China scraps mandatory quarantine rules for overseas arrivals, although pre-flight tests remain compulsory.

China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said earlier on Thursday Beijing will cancel flight capacity limits from Hong Kong and Macau and will resume flight transits to the mainland.

A high-speed rail service between Hong Kong and the mainland will resume no later than January 15, officials said.

Thailand says no Covid test needed for travellers from China
Bangkok (AFP) Jan 5, 2023 –

Thai authorities said Thursday that travellers from China could enter the kingdom without pre-departure coronavirus tests, hoping their return would be a shot in the arm for the country's tourism sector recovery.

China has experienced a surge in infections and its hospitals and crematoriums have been inundated after Beijing last month wound back tight restrictions.

The United States, Canada, Japan and France are among the countries that have imposed new rules requiring travellers from China to provide negative Covid tests as concerns grow over the spike in cases.

But Thai authorities on Thursday said all countries should be treated the same.

"Thailand does not require Covid test results from tourists from any country," Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters on Thursday following a meeting between health, tourism and transportation officials.

China was the largest source of foreign tourists for Thailand before the pandemic, with almost 11 million arrivals in 2019, according to government data.

Tourism accounted for nearly 20 percent of national income before the pandemic, and tough border restrictions at the height of the health crisis took a toll on hotels, restaurants and tour operators across the country.

"This is an opportunity to restore our economic situation and recover from losses we suffered for nearly three years," Anutin said.

Tanes Petsuwan, deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said he expected about 60,000 Chinese nationals to enter Thailand this month and for numbers to steadily rise.

"We expect Chinese tourists to come to Thailand after Chinese New Year," Tourism Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakan said.

In December Thailand clocked its 10 millionth international visitor for 2022 — a major increase on the 430,000 seen in 2021 but still way off the 40 million arrivals of 2019.

Thai officials are forecasting some 20 million arrivals in 2023, though they believe Chinese tourists could push the figure up to around 25 million.