Tens of thousands of travellers are expected to arrive in Thailand today as the country reopens to tourists after 18 months of Covid restrictions.
Vaccinated tourists from more than 60 "low-risk" nations are allowed to enter the country and avoid hotel quarantine.
Tourist numbers are forecast to jump to as much as 15 million next year, bringing in more than $30bn (£22bn).
However, much of country still faces restrictions, with only around 42% of the population fully-vaccinated.
Thailand is still registering almost 10,000 Covid infections a day.
"It's like seeing a very dim light at the end of the tunnel - we haven't been able to work in two years," tour guide Chaiyagorn Boonyapak told the BBC. But he and his fellow tour guides haven't been contacted by customers and tour companies yet and it could take a month until tours are back up and running again.
