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According to The Straits Times, after its suspension last month, Thailand will resume a quarantine-free visa program for vaccinated travelers, which helped the tourism-dependent country contain a new wave of Covid-19 infections.
After a meeting of Thailand's key Covid-19 task force on Thursday, Ms Rachada Dhnadirek, a government official, said on Twitter that international travelers can start applying for visas under Thailand's Test & Go entrance scheme starting February 1, January 20.
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All passengers entering Thailand must undergo 2 PCR tests. (Photo / Retrieved from Pixabay)
Applicants of all nationalities will be allowed to enter without quarantine, but they will be required to do two Covid-19 tests, one upon arrival and the other on the fifth day, according to Ms Rachada.
The government's plan to lower entry obstacles for tourists is in line with its desire for Covid-19 to be declared an endemic this year and efforts to restore the tourism industry, which employs millions of people.
While new cases increased following the Christmas and New Year holidays in Thailand, they are still far below the peak seen during the Delta wave and have not yet overwhelmed the country's healthcare system.
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Thailand's key Covid-19 task force announced that the Test & Go plan will be resumed from February 1. (Photo / Retrieved from Pixabay)
Before it was discontinued, the Test & Go program, which permitted vaccinated travelers from more than 60 countries to escape quarantine, helped attract roughly 350,000 tourists in just two months.
To entice tourists, authorities have expanded the Phuket Sandbox tourism concept to three more regions: Krabi, Phang Nga, and Surat Thani islands (including Ko Samui).
