Thailand to ease COVID-19 controls for foreign arrivals

The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration  (CCSA) on March 19 decided to gradually ease COVID-19 controls for foreign arrivals beginning on April 1, shortening or lifting quarantine periods and increasing the range of activities allowed them.

CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin said that from April 1, visitors would not be required to show a fit-to-fly document.

 From April 1 to September 30, quarantine facilities of various forms would remain operative.

In the first phase of relaxation of quarantine from April 1 to June 30, quarantined arrivals would be allowed to leave their rooms to go to a gymnasium, outdoor exercise area, swimming pool and controlled areas for cycling and outside shopping.

In the next phase of relaxation from July 1 to September 30, they would be able to eat in restaurants at their hotels and have health massages.

From October 1 onwards, quarantine would be required only for people arriving from specified areas.

On the issue of quarantine duration, Taweesilp said, from April 1 to September 30, arrivals without a vaccination certificate (VC) and COVID-19 free certificate (CFC) would be quarantined for 10 days, and be tested for the disease twice.

Arrivals with VCs and CFCs would be quarantined for seven days and tested once. Those with VCs but without CFCs would be tested twice.

The 14-day quarantine period would remain for arrivals from areas where the COVID-19 virus has mutated, which is of global concern, Taweesilp said.

Thailand reported one more death and 100 new COVID-19 cases, 96 local infections and four imported, on March 19, lifting the total to 90 fatalities and 27,594 cases./.

VNA