Thailand: Tourists are no longer required to present proof of anti-Covid vaccination
Thailand does not require tourists to show proof of their Covid vaccination, just days after reimposing it. This was announced by the country's health ministry on Monday, citing the sufficient level of immunization in China and globally.
After restrictions were eased, nearly 270 Chinese arrived in Thailand. Upon landing, they received gifts. "I feel good. China has eased restrictions. I feel the hospitality of the Thai people, we were also given small gifts. I feel very happy," says tourist Simon You. "I think other countries' measures regarding COVID-19 are quite strict. If they did this only with the Chinese, we would feel uncomfortable. Thailand is friendly, so we chose it as the first destination for a vacation," said Wang Zhiying, another Chinese tourist. Thailand's health minister said showing proof of vaccination was "inconvenient" and a panel of health experts agreed with the proposal to withdraw the new rule, which had been announced on Saturday by aviation authorities. The measure had been taken in anticipation of a wave of tourists from China, where the epidemic situation is extremely serious. Anutin Charnvirakul also stated that those who have not been vaccinated will be able to enter Thailand without any restrictions. "Now you can say that Thailand is opening up to all tourists from around the world, provided that the health rules set by the Thai authorities are followed," says the Thai Health Minister. As one of Asia's most popular holiday destinations, Thailand is enjoying a large influx of tourists at the peak of the season in the first year since the lifting of tough anti-Covid restrictions that caused its tourism sector to collapse in the past. "I think it is very important for the Thai tourism industry because in 2019, before the pandemic, the Chinese market share was about 30% in terms of the total number of tourist arrivals, about 11 million Chinese people visited Thailand that year. We are very happy and I am sure that the return of the Chinese would significantly boost the Thai economy because, as you know, the income from the Thai tourism industry is 20% of the GDP," said Tanes Petsuwan, Deputy Governor for Marketing. In November, Thailand recorded 1.75 million tourists, four times more than all of last year, when flights and entries into the country had been limited. Tourists from China also constituted a sizable segment for Thailand, accounting for nearly a quarter of annual tourist arrivals before the pandemic.
