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Thailand will remove Covid-19 tests on arrival for all vaccinated travellers, starting from May 1.

They will also no longer be required to undergo a brief quarantine upon their arrival while waiting for their test results.

Instead, they are encouraged to perform antigen self-tests during their stay, Reuters reported.

In the event that they test positive, they can take care of their own treatment, spokesperson for Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), Taweesilp Visanuyothin, added, according to the Bangkok Post.

The announcement for the removal of tests on arrival was made by the country's Prime Minister, Prayuth Chan-o-cha, on Apr. 22.

He was quoted as saying, "Tourism is recovering and antigen tests will be more convenient and faster for visitors. Many countries are relaxing travel restrictions significantly and our country depends considerably on tourism to support our economy."

Unvaccinated tourists must take a pre-departure Covid-19 test, undergo quarantine

As for unvaccinated travellers, they will be allowed to enter Thailand, provided they show proof of a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test taken 72 hours prior to their trip.

In addition, they will be quarantined for five days upon arrival, with a second PCR test conducted on either day 4 or 5 of their quarantine.

For entry at land borders, travellers must be vaccinated and test negative on antigen tests to avoid quarantine

This quarantine duration also applies in the case of unvaccinated travellers entering through land borders, the Bangkok Post further reported.

If they intend to stay for a maximum of only two days, they will not be allowed to enter.

In the case of vaccinated travellers coming overland, they must test negative on self-administered antigen tests to avoid quarantine.

Reuters further reported that applications for the Thailand Pass will still be required.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, tourism accounted for about 12 per cent of Thailand's gross domestic product (GDP).

Nikkei Asia reported that Thailand saw a total of 39 million foreign tourists in 2019. In 2021, this number fell by over 98 per cent to 700,000.

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Top photo via Suvarnabhumi Airport Facebook