Thailand prepares airports for quarantine-free travellers

BANGKOK, Oct 21 (BNA) Today, Wednesday, Thai government officials inspected the country’s airports’ readiness to receive quarantine-approved travelers, who are due to return next month after nearly two years of strict rules related to COVID-19 that halted vital tourism.

From November 1, the country will allow vaccinated arrivals from low-risk countries to return to its popular destinations such as Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Bangkok, Reuters reported.

Before the pandemic, tourism was a major driver of the economy, accounting for 12% of GDP. But the tourism authority expected the number of foreign arrivals to fall to just 100,000 this year, down from 40 million in 2019 before the pandemic.

“November 1 is the first step,” Transport Minister Saksyam Chidchop said during a visit to Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport on Wednesday.

“Foreign tourists and investors from at least 10 countries in health-secure areas, in addition to good financial performance, can come to visit and spend in the country.”

Thailand reopened its doors experimentally earlier this year on its resort island of Phuket, allowing fully vaccinated tourists to skip Thailand’s mandatory two-week quarantine provided they remain on the island.

But Saksiyam said a wider reopening would be simpler for travelers, as testing could be done on arrival at hotels and other accommodations rather than at the airport.

“The time spent by the visitor from crossing the terminal gates to leaving the airport will not take more than 25 minutes,” Saksiyam told reporters.

Thailand has recorded nearly 1.8 million cases and 18,486 deaths since the outbreak began, the vast majority of them in the past seven months.

MI