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From Nov. 1, fully vaccinated foreign travellers will be able to enter Bangkok and nine other regions, including Chiang Mai, Phangnga, Krabi, Hua Hin, Pattaya, and Cha-am, without the need to undergo quarantine, Reuters reported.
The announcement was made on Sep. 27 by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), as part of Thailand's efforts to reopen and revive its economy, the Bangkok Post reported.
Quarantine requirement for vaccinated travellers to be halved in October
In addition, the quarantine requirement nationwide for fully vaccinated foreign travellers for the month of October will be halved to seven days, while it will be reduced to 10 days from 14 for unvaccinated travellers, according to Bloomberg.
Other measures that will come into effect on Friday, Oct. 1, include:
- The reopening of massage parlours, beauty salons, beauty clinics, cinemas and permitted music performances at restaurants,
- A shortening of a night curfew to 10pm to 4am,
- Allowing malls and department stores to open until 9pm, and
- Extending the country's state of emergency until Nov. 30.
Announcement made following Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's insistence for 70 per cent vaccination
The Bangkok Post further reported that the announcement followed a disagreement the previous week between the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), Tourism and Sports Ministry and Public Health Ministry over the timeline of re-opening the capital.
The BMA had insisted that the city only be re-opened to foreign travellers two weeks after 70 per cent of the city's residents had received two shots of a Covid-19 vaccine.
On Saturday, Sep. 25, Thailand's Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was confident that a target of "100 million doses or 50 million people, or 70 per cent of targeted groups" could be achieved by the end of 2021.
Earlier on Sep. 15, Thai minister for tourism Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn and Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang had stated that Bangkok will accept international tourists beginning from Oct. 15.
However, the quarantine requirements were not specified at that time.
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Top photo via Suvarnabhumi Airport Facebook