BANGKOK, June 17 — Starting July 1, travellers will no longer need to apply for Thailand Pass and purchase Covid-19 insurance coverage prior to their entry into Thailand in a bid to boost tourist arrivals and revive its tourism industry.
“Thailand Pass” is a system where foreign travellers must submit copies of vaccination documents, insurance policies and related documents which later they will receive a QR code for use when entering the kingdom.
However, this pre-arrival registration process and medical insurance were seen as discouraging tourists.
Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesperson Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin said foreign travellers still need to show proof they have been vaccinated or provide negative Covid-19 test results for those unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated travellers.
“Foreign travellers will no longer need to purchase Covid-19 insurance coverage with a minimum coverage amount of US$10,000,” he said during a press conference here today.
Meanwhile, Taweesin said the outdoor mask mandate would be dropped except in crowded and not well ventilated venues.
Masks have been compulsory in public in Thailand, including outdoors, since mid-2021 to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Taweesin said entertainment outlets will be allowed to operate based on pre-pandemic regulations where they can operate until 2am.
The relaxation of these measures will take effect once the announcement is officially published in the Royal Gazette.
Thailand is expected to receive seven to 10 million foreign tourists this year with the easing of the Covid-19 restrictions in the country.
From June 1 to June 15, Thailand welcomed 348,699 foreigners with Malaysians topping the list with 61,486, followed by India (51,800), Singapore (31,580), Vietnam (18,885) and the United States (15,708).
Thailand was visited by nearly 40 million people who spent about 1.91 trillion baht in 2019.
Over the last 24 hours, Thailand recorded 1,967 new Covid-19 cases and 19 deaths. To date, Thailand recorded 4,494,880 cases and 30,422 fatalities since the pandemic began.
— Bernama
