Got Covid? Thailand is now saying feel free to come after a new provision has unbarred those with the virus from entering the Kingdom. The cabinet moved forward with the decision to allow foreign visitors with the virus to enter Thailand while removing the virus from a list of forbidden diseases in foreign visitors.
Deputy Government Spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek says the new measure will be in effect once it is published in the Royal Gazette. But, those with “dangerous” stages of leprosy or tuberculosis, symptomatic elephantiasis, third-stage syphilis and drug abuse-related diseases are still banned from entering.
Even those deemed to have chronic alcoholism are still banned from entering. Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri says about five million tourists have arrived in Thailand this year. One million of those have arrived just this month alone. The government previously set a target of at least 10 million foreign tourists to Thailand for this year. It is not known whether that target will be met in the last quarter of this year.
Yesterday, Government Spokesperson Traisulee Traisornkul announced that Thailand’s Cabinet had approved the temporary extension of both visas on arrival stays and visa exemption stays. The government hopes the extensions will stimulate tourism and the economy, which is still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Between October 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023, foreign tourists arriving in Thailand are eligible to stay in the kingdom as follows…
Visa on Arrival stays will be extended from 15 days to 30 days.
Passport holders from 19 countries are eligible for visas on arrival.
Visa Exemption stays for passport holders from 64 countries which have bilateral agreements with Thailand will be extended from 30 days to 45 days.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects that the average tourist will stay in the kingdom for an extra five days thanks to the extensions.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World