Thailand reversed its Covid-19 vaccine rule for inbound travelers on Monday, removing the requirement to provide proof of full vaccination before departure, according to health minister Anutin Charnvirakul, citing sufficient immunization levels in China and globally.
The minister stated that requiring visitors to provide proof of vaccination was inconvenient, and that a panel of experts had decided that it was unnecessary because sufficient immunizations had been administered globally.
He added that unvaccinated tourists will be welcomed without restrictions.
On Monday, the first flight of Chinese travelers since the outbreak began landed in Thailand. According to Anutin, the flight carried an initial group of 3,465 passengers on the first day.
Thailand now expects 7-10 million visitors from China in 2023, topping its earlier forecast for 5 million arrivals from the world’s second largest economy that recently reopened its border on January 8.
