Thailand to cancel PCR testing for vaccinated tourists on May 1

Vaccinated visitors in Thailand won’t have to take RT-PCR tests, Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) agreed in a meeting on April 22, Report informs referring to Lifestyle Asia.

The CCSA, government’s COVID-19 task force, met to discuss the easing of the country’s COVID-19 entry rules.

A series of decisions were taken in the meeting, which comes days after some other countries in South East Asia, such as Singapore, eased their entry requirements in a bid to gradually open the region to tourism.

The new decisions are expected to come into force starting May 1.

For the ease of visitors, Thailand’s new COVID-19 entry rules will have just two air travel schemes - one for vaccinated travelers and another for unvaccinated travelers.

Starting May 1, all inoculated passengers arriving in Thailand are recommended to take a self-Antigen Test Kit (ATK), or as Rapid Antigen Test, on the fifth day of their arrival. The government expects that travelers will monitor their own health and take an ATK test if they feel they have symptoms.

Further, visitors will not be required to book an SHA+ hotel as part of the Test & Go entry scheme. Their insurance will be reduced to $10,000 from the current $20,000.

Vaccinated travelers will no longer be required to take any pre-departure test or on-arrival test. But they will have to register through Thailand Pass with their vaccination certificate, insurance and other necessary documents. Inoculated travelers are free to travel with any mode of transport.

Unvaccinated travelers and those not vaccinated according to regulations of the Thai Health Ministry will have to register on Thailand Pass with five-day hotel booking and insurance.

They are exempt from both pre-arrival and on-arrival tests but will be required to head directly for the hotel in designated transport.

An RT-PCR test will be undertaken on the fourth day of their arrival and they will be required to take the ATK test on their own throughout the duration of their stay.