Tourists must isolate in home countries

Tourists take photos in Phuket (Photo by Dusida Worrachaddejchai)
Tourists take photos in Phuket (Photo by Dusida Worrachaddejchai)

The Ministry of Public Health on Friday unveiled its latest plan to reopen to visitors from abroad with 2,270 foreign tourists already reportedly planning to visit Thailand.

Dr Chakrarat Pittayawonganon, director of the Bureau of Mental Health Strategy under the Department of Disease Control, (DDC) said yesterday that foreign tourists must present proof of a negative Covid-19 test no more than 72 hours prior to travel.

They must also have quarantined in their country of origin and have health insurance for international travel and a specified minimum amount of money in their bank account as well as a record of not visiting crowded places prior to their departure.

During their domestic quarantine, visitors must have been tested twice for Covid-19 at the beginning and end of the process.

 
If both tests are negative for the virus, they will be allowed to travel to Thailand.

The DDC said it planned to increase staff at international disease control checkpoints and allow people from low-risk countries to enter Thailand first.


The Health Service Support Department said 735 medical tourists from China, Myanmar, Oman, Australia and Cambodia were receiving treatment in Thailand after they completed a 14-day quarantine. The tourists were expected to generate around 25 million baht for the country.

More than 2,270 foreigners from China, Myanmar, Japan and Kuwait have reportedly expressed their wish to enter Thailand, and are expected to generate 115 million baht in revenue.

On Sept 15, the cabinet agreed to allow in foreign tourists who agree to a 14-day quarantine and stay for at least 90 days which could be extended to 270 days, to help the flagging economy.

The 90-day special tourist visa can be extended twice, for 90 days each time. Long-stay visitors can begin arriving next month.

Vocabulary

  • checkpoint: a place where people are stopped and questioned and vehicles are examined, especially at a border between two countries - ด่านตรวจ
  • economy: the relationship between production, trade and the supply of money in a particular country or region - เศรษฐกิจ
  • flagging (adj): becoming tired, weaker or less enthusiastic - อ่อนกำลังล
  • generate: to produce - ก่อให้เกิด
  • insurance: an arrangement in which you regularly pay an insurance company an amount of money so that they will give you money if something you own is damaged, lost, or stolen, or if you die or are ill or injured - การประกัน
  • negative (adj): showing no signs of being infected by a particular virus, bacteria, etc. - ทางลบ
  • proof: information, documents, etc. that show that something is true - การพิสูจน์
  • quarantine (verb): to keep a person or animal that might have a disease separate from other people or animals so that they do not catch the disease - กักบริเวณ จำกัดบริเวณ
  • risk: the possibility that something dangerous or unpleasant might happen - ความเสี่ยง

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