Pattaya plans to welcome back foreign tourists without quarantine requirements in the fourth quarter of this year and seeks more Covid-19 vaccine doses to cover at least 70% of local residents.
Pattaya mayor Sontaya Kunplome on Wednesday chaired a meeting to discuss “Pattaya, Move on,” a plan to fully reopen to foreign tourists in the fourth quarter after vaccinating more than two-thirds of local residents and workers in the local service sector against the coronavirus.
Present at the meeting were Pattaya City executives, the head of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)’s Pattaya branch, the Tourism Council of Chon Buri, the Thai Hotels Association’s Eastern Chapter, and the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association.
“Under the project, foreign tourists who have received two vaccine doses will be allowed to enter Pattaya without the need to quarantine for 14 days, though they must stay in Bang Lamung and Sattahip districts for seven days before being allowed to travel elsewhere,” Mr Sontaya said.
He said tourists must come from countries considered low risk by the Public Health Ministry, and they must receive vaccines — endorsed by their countries — no more than one year before travelling to Pattaya.
Tourists from Germany and Russia will be among those targeted, he said.
For children aged below 12, they must be tested for Covid-19 72 hours before travelling and have Covid-19-free certificates, Mr Sontaya said.
Tourists must stay at hotels that have Safety & Health Administration [SHA] hygienic standards certification, and they can use services and engage in activities in areas designated by the hotels, he said.
They will also be required to report to health authorities via a tracking application every seven days during their stay, Mr Sontaya said.
The “Pattaya, Move on” project will be implemented under standard operating procedures (SOP) for international arrivals, such as Covid-19 testing and guidelines for sealed routes, Mr Sontaya said.
He said he also discussed with Thosaporn Sirisamphand, head of the prime minister’s advisory team and chairman of the TAT’s board a plan to procure more vaccine doses to cover at least 70% of local residents in Chon Buri.
The proposals will be presented to the Public Health Ministry before being forwarded to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration for approval next month, Mr Sontaya said.
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