Thailand easing tourist quarantine rules in November

BANGKOK — Thailand is accelerating plans to reopen the state to overseas tourists, slashing mandatory quarantines opening Nov. 1 for fully-vaccinated visitors arriving by aerial from 46 countries and territories, officials announced Friday.

The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration besides announced a loosening of section restrictions, including cancellation of a curfew successful immoderate areas wherever risks person lessened and tourists tin determination freely.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha had announced earlier this period that Thailand nary longer planned to necessitate visitors from astatine slightest 10 low-risk nations to quarantine if they are afloat vaccinated for COVID-19. He had said the database would beryllium expanded connected Dec. 1, and past made adjacent much extended connected Jan. 1.

Under the caller rules, vaccinated travelers to Thailand from the approved 45 countries positive Hong Kong volition beryllium required to amusement antagonistic results from RT-PCR tests earlier flying and upon their arrival. They volition request to walk their archetypal nighttime successful a government-approved edifice awaiting their trial results, though the authorities is not calling that a quarantine. If the results are negative, the idiosyncratic tin question anyplace successful Thailand.

Prayuth, announcing the expanded database of countries with eased quarantine rules precocious Thursday connected his Facebook page, wrote: “To hold until everything is acceptable mightiness beryllium excessively late. Tourists whitethorn determine to sojourn different countries instead.”

Thailand unopen its borders to astir overseas visitors successful April past twelvemonth aft section transmission of the coronavirus started to climb. Foreign tourer arrivals successful 2019 were astir 40 million, but plunged to 6.7 cardinal successful 2020. Tourism is estimated to person accounted for 12-20% of GDP earlier the pandemic.

Visitors from different countries are besides allowed to participate Thailand but look further restrictions.

The caller rules coming into effect Nov. 1 see ending a late-night curfew successful immoderate areas, including Bangkok. The depletion of alcoholic drinks successful nationalist places, including restaurants, bars and nightclubs, remains banned, though the authorities has said the prohibition volition beryllium lifted successful December to beforehand tourism during the New Year vacation season.