A man relaxes at Karon beach as Phuket, Thailand gets ready to open to overseas tourists from 1 July allowing fully vaccinated foreigners to visit the resort island without quarantine June 29, 2021. REUTERS Jorge Silva File Photo: R.S.
BANGKOK, Sept 23 Reuters - Thailand's disease control committee has proposed a halving of a two-week hotel isolation requirement for vaccinated arrivals, amid delays in plans to eliminate quarantine and reopen Bangkok and tourist destinations from next month.
Thailand is keen to welcome back foreign visitors, after nearly 18 months of strict entry policies caused a collapse in tourism, a key sector which attracted 40 million visitors in 2019.
Reducing the quarantine is not only about tourism, but also will help business travel and foreign students, senior health official Opas Karnkawinpong said in a press conference, adding tests would also be required.
Under the proposal, proposals would be presented to government on Monday : those without vaccination proof for 10 days after arriving by air and 14 days after being isolated via land.
Authorities this week delayed to November plans to grant vaccinated visitors entry without quarantine, due to the country's low inoculation rate.
Only Phuket and Samui Islands effectively waive quarantine for vaccinated tourists, as part of a pilot scheme.
Less than a quarter of the estimated 72 million people living in Thailand have been fully vaccinated.
The country is still struggling with its largest wave of infections, which accounted for almost 99% of the 1.5 million cases and 15,884 deaths.