BANGKOK (NNT) – The minister of public health has unveiled preliminary criteria for quarantine-free travel that will be applied to tourists from low-risk countries who arrive in Thailand from November 1 onward, saying that the visitors will be able to travel freely after they produce a negative result from an RT-PCR Covid test taken on arrival.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul said the public health ministry will respond to the prime minister’s announcement of Thailand’s reopening to tourists from low-risk countries on November 1, and produce measures and mechanisms that will enable the prime minister’s policy to be realized.
Mr. Anutin explained that if possible, he did not want to limit arriving tourists to only the citizens of 10 selected countries and due consideration will be given over this subject, as well as on the issue of whether the visitors will need to spend a night in the city of entry to wait for their RT-PCR test result.
The minister said he expects the COVID-19 situation to be largely controllable as vaccination coverage has increased significantly and various public health measures have been implemented. The health ministry will devise more disease control measures that are safe and beneficial to the public.
According to the minister, visitors will need to present evidence of full inoculation against COVID-19 as well as a pre-departure test result for COVID-19. They will need to take an RT-PCR test upon arrival in Thailand and must spend the first night at an Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) facility or an authorized hotel to wait for the test result. The visitors will need to cover expenses incurred from these requirements. Once a negative result is confirmed, a visitor may then travel anywhere in Thailand.