Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/BANGKOK: Thailand on Monday rescinded the policy announced at the weekend requiring visitors to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination, its health minister said, citing sufficient immunisation levels in China and internationally.
According to Reuters, Anutin Charnvirakul, Minister of Public Health of Thailand said that requiring visitors to show evidence of vaccination was inconvenient and the panel of experts resolved that it was unnecessary as enough vaccinations had been administered internationally.
Proof of vaccination unnecessary
On Saturday, a country’s aviation authority announced the restrictions, effective Monday, ahead of an expected deluge of visitors from China, where Covid cases have surged. Anutin said that Showing proof of vaccination would be cumbersome and inconvenient, so the group decides that it is unnecessary.
Anutin said that the first flight of Chinese visitors since the pandemic started arrived in Thailand on Monday, carrying an initial group of an expected 3,465 passengers on the first day.
One of Asia’s popular travel destinations, Thailand is enjoying the influx of tourists during its first peak season since the removal last year of tight entry restrictions.
In November, it recorded 1.75 million visitors, quadrupling the number received the previous year when flights and foreign arrivals were limited.
