Test & Go may be scrapped soon

Crowded check-in areas at Suvarnabhumi airport at the start of Songkran. (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)
Crowded check-in areas at Suvarnabhumi airport at the start of Songkran. (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)

The government will next week consider scrapping the Test & Go entry scheme and Thailand Pass registration.

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Wednesday the ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will put forward a proposal for the cancellation at a meeting of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on April 22.

If approved, the changes are expected to start on May 1, meaning tourists would be able to enter the country using vaccine passports instead of having to wait 3-5 days for their documents to be approved, as required by Thailand Pass, he said.


Mr Phiphat said the ministry estimates that at least 10 million tourist arrivals, and 1-1.5 trillion baht in tourism income, depends on what travel policies each country has.

"Thailand is ready to welcome back foreign visitors as our public health system is adequately equipped," he said.

"However, there has been concern about the number of domestic deaths caused by Covid-19, while daily caseloads of infections after Songkran will also be taken into account when the government considers further reopening the country to tourists," Mr Phiphat said.

Restrictions have been gradually eased since November.

The government lifted the requirement for a pre-travel RT-PCR test for air travellers arriving in the kingdom under its Test & Go, Sandbox and quarantine programmes from April 1.

RT-PCR tests on arrival for foreign visitors are also expected to be replaced by antigen tests from next month.

Vocabulary

  • adequately: good enough or large enough for a particular purpose - อย่างพอเพียง, พอประมาณ
  • cancellation: a decision to stop something that has been arranged from taking place - การยกเลิก
  • concern: interest or worry - ความสนใจ, ความกังวล
  • depends on: according to; affected by things that happen - ขึ้นอยู่กับ
  • ease: to make a problem, situation or pain less severe or serious - บรรเทา
  • equipped: having what is necessary to do something - ครบครัน, ซึ่งมีเครื่องประกอบพร้อม
  • estimate (verb): to say what you think an amount or value is or will be, either by using available information or by guessing - คาดคะเน, ประมาณการ
  • lift: to end a warning, a restriction, etc. - ยกเลิก
  • proposal: a plan or suggestion for a group to consider - ข้อเสนอ
  • require: to make somebody do or have something, especially because it is necessary according to a particular law or set of rules - บังคับใช้ (กฎหมาย) กำหนด
  • restriction: a rule, action or situation that limits or controls someone or something - การจำกัด, การควบคุม
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