Our regular feature celebrates memorable scenes, moments, launches and campaigns related to the global aviation and travel retail sphere.
THAILAND. Today’s images, courtesy of King Power International Chief Merchandising Officer Antares Cheng, show the dazzling new Gucci store which had its soft opening at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok on Friday 24 June.
The 200sq m store, which features an all-digital facade, is the first in the world – travel retail or local market – to feature the new Gucci design, Cheng told The Moodie Davitt Report.
The opening represents a firm statement of confidence in the recovery of the battered Thai tourism and travel retail sectors. It follows hot on the heels of recent openings from fellow luxury brands Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Cartier.
Effective 1 July, rules of entry into Thailand will be eased considerably due to the scrapping of the Thailand Pass requirement (a mandatory pre-travel registration) and the related US$10,000 health insurance demanded of visitors. 
Announcing the change on 17 June, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said that vaccinated travellers arriving by air simply have to undergo entry screening including a body temperature check, and present the required vaccination documents to the Immigration/Health Control officer. They are then free to go anywhere in the kingdom.
Unvaccinated/not fully vaccinated travellers who have proof of a negative result from an RT-PCR test or professional ATK within 72 hours of travel will be allowed entry and are free to go anywhere in the kingdom.
Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn told a media conference earlier this month that the abolition of the Travel Pass was a key step in unlocking restrictions and rejuvenating the battered tourism industry.
The government is projecting some 1.5 million international tourists a month for the remainder of this year, well up on the earlier target of 1 million, he said.
The Bangkok Post reported that international arrivals in May, following the scrapping of the Test & Go and Sandbox schemes, reached 476,171. That compared with just 265,711 visitors in April, when the government cancelled mandatory pre-arrival RT-PCR testing.
