Thailand Scraps On Arrival Covid Tests Starting 1 May

BANGKOK, April 22 (Bernama) -- In bid to boost tourist arrivals and revive the pandemic-battered tourism industry, Thailand today eased further the entry requirement by scrapping the mandatory RT-PCR test for fully-vaccinated international arrivals starting May 1. Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan o-cha said foreign travellers entering the kingdom via the quarantine free “Test & Go” programme would only need to undergo self-administered antigen test during their stay which is convinient and faster . Travellers would no longer be required to pre-book one-night hotel accommodation to undergo mandatory RT-PCR test upon arrival, he said after chairing the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) meeting here. At present, under the quarantine-free ‘Test & Go’ programme, travellers also need to book a designated hotel in advance, as well as perform an RT-PCR test on the first day of arrival and an ATK test on the fifth day. Meanwhile, CCSA spokesman Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin said the meeting also agreed medical insurance coverage to be reduced from US$ 20,000 to US$10,000. For unvaccinated travellers, he said they need to show negative RT-PCR certificates for quarantine exemption and those unable to provide vaccination certificates will be subject to a five-day quarantine at state-designated centers. “The mandatory RT-RCR test upon arrival under “Test & Go” is to be removed as statistics showed low infection rates among international arrivals. The infection rate is 0.46 per cent via “Test & Go” this month,” he said. Besides scraping the RT-PCR on arrival, beginning April 1, international travellers need not undergo the COVID-19 test 72 hours before travelling to Thailand but were required to apply “Thailand Pass” to submit proof of vaccination and insurance. The CCSA meeting today approved the selling of alcohol beverages at restaurants until midnight, starting May 1. Over the last 24 hours, Thailand recorded 21,808 new cases and 128 deaths, bringing the total infections in the kingdom to 4,128,038 cases and 27,520 fatalities. -- BERNAMA