Bangkok: Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha said on Thursday that starting next month, vaccinated travelers from 46 countries will be exempt from the Covid-19 quarantine, up from the previous 10 nations. As part of its efforts to resuscitate its crucial tourist economy, the Southeast Asian country is set to launch new quarantine-free travel arrangements on Nov. 1.
According to the ministry of international affairs, the 46 nations include the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Singapore, Germany, and Australia. Visitors might avoid obligatory quarantine if they arrive by plane, have been completely vaccinated, and have paperwork proving they are virus-free, according to the Prime Minister.
Thailand’s capital Bangkok, as well as other major tourist sites such as Hua Hin and Pattaya, will reopen by the end of the month, according to the Royal Gazette, which was published late Thursday. Strict entrance criteria and quarantine procedures helped keep Thailand’s coronavirus outbreaks under control until recently, but the restrictions saw tourist numbers fall to a quarter of what they were in 2019. Last year, Thailand lost $50 billion in tourism income, a drop of 82 percent.
It began with a trial reopening on July 1 on its most popular island, Phuket, where the majority of the local people had been vaccinated. According to Thailand’s Tourism Authority, just 100,000 international visitors are expected this year.
