The "Test & Go" programme for international visitors is set to resume on Feb 1, with stricter requirements which include another RT-PCR test to be taken on the fifth day following entry into Thailand, the government said yesterday.
The scheme was suspended earlier this month in response to growing concerns about the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
Under the programme, overseas visitors must spend one night in a certified hotel while they wait for the result of their RT-PCR test -- taken upon their arrival in the country -- to come out.
Those who test negative for Covid-19 are then allowed to leave and explore the rest of the country.
When Test & Go resumes on Feb 1, travellers will be required to take two RT-PCR tests, one on the first day and another on the fifth day, said the spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), Taweesilp Visanuyothin.
To be admitted under the Test & Go scheme, visitors will now have to produce proof of reservation at a Safety and Health Administration (SHA) Plus certified hotel, and pre-pay for the two Covid-19 tests they have to take, said Dr Taweesilp. To ensure no guests leave without waiting for their Covid-19 test result, hotels have been ask to put in place added security measures, he said.
Visitors are also reminded that if their health insurance policies do not adequately cover the cost of Covid-19 treatment at a hospital, they will have to meet any added cost from their own pocket, he said.
The CCSA also approved a proposal to include Pattaya City, Bang Lamung district, Si Chang district, and Sattahip district in Chon Buri, as well as Trat's Koh Chang district in the state's tourism sandbox programme, which is implemented at present in Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Tao, Koh Phangan, Krabi and Phangnga.
The moves aim to revive the tourism sector decimated by the pandemic. Some operators say visitor numbers have fallen in recent weeks.