Thailand plans to reopen to vaccinated visitors: PM

BANGKOK－Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced on Monday a plan to allow fully vaccinated visitors from "low risk" countries and regions to enter the Southeast Asian country without quarantine from next month.

"I have instructed the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) and the Ministry of Public Health to urgently consider within this week to allow, as of Nov 1, international visitors to enter Thailand without any requirement for quarantine if they are fully vaccinated and arrive by air from low-risk countries," Prayut said via a televised address.

The list will initially include at least 10 countries and regions such as Britain, Singapore, Germany, China and the United States, Prayut said. It is expected to be finalized later this week by the CCSA.

Prayut said that visitors from countries and regions not on the list are welcome, but have to undergo quarantine. The low-risk and quarantine-free list will be extended by Dec 1, he said.

Before the pandemic, Thailand attracted a peak of nearly 40 million tourists in 2019, with the tourism sector accounting for about one-fifth of its economy.

COVID-19 has forced the country to implement strict border control and left the economy battered, recording its worst performance last year in more than two decades. The number of tourist arrivals plunged to 6.7 million in 2020.

To support tourism and boost growth, Prayut announced in June this year that Thailand planned to fully reopen to international travelers within 120 days. The government has been trying to accelerate vaccination rollout.

Last year, Thailand lost about $50 billion in tourism revenue as foreign arrivals plunged 83 percent to 6.7 million, from a record 39.9 million two years ago.

As of Sunday, the country has administered more than 60 million doses of vaccines, with more than 30 percent of the population having been fully vaccinated.

Xinhua - Agencies