Suggested plans to end the 14-day quarantine for foreign tourists

Sources in the Thai business media have suggested that plans to end the 14-day quarantine for foreign tourists are taking shape. 

Behind the scenes, the Thai Tour Operator, the Ministry of Tourism, the Tourism Council, ATTA (Thai Travel Agents' Association), and THA (Thai Hoteliers' Association) have pressed for an end to the two-week quarantine, that many see as a major obstacle to the reintroduction of foreign tourism. 

They want to see those that have been vaccinated being allowed to come under two plans that are about to be proposed.

The first of these is called "Quarantine At Home" Under this idea, before setting foot in Thailand, the tourist will be required to quarantine at their home where they are about to begin their journey. 

They will have a Covid check once in the kingdom, but for two nights, three days, they still have to be quarantined. 

Mobile Quarantine is called the second plan. The health department and the TAT are involved in this idea and act as chaperones for tour groups. 

They may decide to allow this chaperone-cum-monitoring role to be fulfilled by a DMC (Thaivisa understands this to be a Destination Management Company). 

So what is the timeline?

According to sources the final details are being ironed out over the coming week and will be presented to the TAT board for discussion among all relevant parties towards the end of February. 

Then it will go to the cabinet where the plan will be notified by PM Prayuth Chan-Ocha and make the final decision. 

If given the go-ahead the sources suggest the plans - possibly both of them - will get the nod from April 1st. 

Thaivisa notes that the "vaccination passport" idea seemed to have been cooling, but with these extra caveats in place, there may be a way forward for those who have received Covid vaccinations abroad to open up the country.