Starting next month, Thailand will shorten its mandatory quarantine period from 14 days to 7 days for vaccinated foreigners entering the country, according to the Health Minister. To qualify, vaccinations must be received within three months prior to travel, and travelers must present negative COVID-19 test results within three days before departure, explained Anutin Charnvirankul during a press conference.
Visitors who have not been vaccinated but can show a certificate proving they are free from the coronavirus will face a 10-day quarantine. Anutin noted that foreigners traveling to Thailand with the proper vaccination certificates will only need to undergo a seven-day quarantine, given the prescribed doses for effectiveness.
Thailand has successfully kept its COVID-19 cases down to just over 26,000 and its deaths to 85 by enforcing flight restrictions, strict entry requirements, and mandatory quarantines for all arrivals. However, these measures have severely impacted its crucial tourism industry, leading to extensive job losses, business closures, and the country’s most significant economic downturn in over 20 years. In 2019 alone, Thailand welcomed nearly 40 million tourists.
The new quarantine rules will not apply to travelers from Africa, who will still need to quarantine for two weeks due to concerns about different virus variants. Thai nationals who are vaccinated but lack a certificate proving they are coronavirus-free will need to stay in quarantine for one week, pending two negative tests in the country.