Thailand fans had to wait a long time for this moment: From November, people from some “safe” countries should be allowed to re-enter, provided they are fully vaccinated. This is what the government plans to do.
Bangkok – A happy day for all long-distance travelers: Germans are expected to be able to travel quarantine-free to Thailand again from November 1, provided they are fully vaccinated against the corona virus.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced in a televised address on Monday evening (local time) that an opening for at least ten states was planned. He has instructed the Crisis Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) and the Ministry of Health to “urgently review the plan by the end of the week,” said Prayut.
Former General Prayut has been in power since a military coup in 2014. It is certain that the 67-year-old’s requirements will be implemented by the responsible authorities.
At least ten countries on the list
In total, at least ten countries with low corona incidence are on the list, including the USA, Singapore and China. Vacationers only need to do one PCR test before they leave and another when they arrive in Thailand, Prayut said. After that, they could travel freely to all parts of the country. “Our achievements, coupled with the gradual easing of travel restrictions in other countries, now enable us to begin the process of quarantine-free entry into Thailand,” said Prayut.
More countries are to be added from December 1st. Then the serving of alcohol in restaurants, which has been banned for months due to a severe corona wave, will probably be allowed again, it said. This should especially boost tourism at the turn of the year, reported the newspaper “Bangkok Post”.
Relaxation of the restrictions planned
At the moment, night exit restrictions still apply in the capital Bangkok and many other provinces. These and other rules are expected to be relaxed in the coming weeks. However, a mask is required in all public spaces – including on the streets. It is unclear whether this regulation will be toned down in the near future.
Vaccinated travelers from all other countries must initially be quarantined for another seven days – or they take part in model projects in certain regions, such as on the islands of Phuket and Ko Samui. As part of the programs, in which some strict rules have to be followed, quarantine-free holidays for travelers with double vaccinations from numerous countries have been possible again since July.
Thailland hopes for a fresh start
Thailand has long been hoping for a restart of the extremely important tourism sector. The industry has been almost completely devastated for a year and a half. Many people have no income since then.
“It was also one of the most painful experiences of my life for me to make decisions that had to reconcile saving lives with saving livelihoods,” emphasized Prayut. “It is time we prepared to face the coronavirus and live with it as we would with other endemic infections and diseases.” to give many Thais back their livelihood.
According to the Bank of Thailand, 40 million foreign tourists came in 2019 to visit dream beaches, temples, national parks and the vibrant capital Bangkok. The tourism industry accounted for eleven percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), and more than seven of the 70 million Thais worked in the industry.
Thailand closed its borders at the end of March 2020. For many months, however, it was considered a model state in the fight against the pandemic – until the numbers suddenly rose massively this April due to the contagious Delta variant. In August, the authorities reported more than 20,000 new cases a day. Since then, strict measures have been in place in many parts of the country. The number of infections is slowly falling: On Tuesday, the authorities reported around 9,400 new infections and 84 deaths in connection with Covid-19. dpa
