Thailand poised to adopt vaccine passports to kick-start tourism

The Nation/Asia News Network

BANGKOK — Thailand’s tourism minister has asked the Public Health Ministry for approval to launch a vaccine passport system in a bid to kick-start the tourism industry this year.

Tourism and Sports Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn said on Monday that the government was waiting for a World Health Organization announcement on vaccine passports before issuing the measure.

He said that adopting a vaccine passport or a similar method of enabling foreign tourists to skip quarantine would guarantee at least 5 million foreign visitors to Thailand this year.

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) was also discussing a 14-day quarantine that would allow foreign tourists to leave their hotel rooms after just three days of self-isolation, he added. Russian tourists in Phuket will likely be the first to experience the eased quarantine restrictions. Tour agents in Russia say demand is high enough for regular Phuket flights of 300-400 Russian tourists.

The Tourism Ministry has also submitted a plan to deliver vaccines to five tourism-dependent provinces – Phuket, Surat Thani, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai and Krabi. The vaccines will be administered to staff at alternative quarantine hotels. The five provinces have a total of 58 alternative quarantine hotels, with more than 6,700 rooms and 13,000 staff.