The Public Health Ministry aims to reduce quarantine for tourists to 10 days.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced the target on Wednesday, as Thailand received its first foreign tourists since closing the country in March.
The batch of 39 tourists from Shanghai were tested for Covid-19 before arriving in Bangkok and would undergo the full 14-day quarantine under current rules, said Anutin.
He added that progress was being made to reduce the quarantine period while guaranteeing safety so that tourists gradually returned.
“The truth is, the Public Health Ministry is ready for the change but other relevant agencies still have requested time to adjust. So we have to wait and work together.
“The Department of Disease Control proposed reducing quarantine to 10 days to begin with,” Anutin said.
“I have said that if we are confident, we do not have to be afraid since the goal is finding the safest period for quarantine. If we find a good method, it may be reduced to five, four, three days or even none.”
However, Anutin said he was opposed to lifting all entry restrictions, a move taken by some countries in Europe, where Covid-19 cases have begun to surge again. He said quarantine was still effective and had achieved great results over the last 5-6 months, adding that Thailand still needs to focus on halting the disease at its borders, especially in Mae Sot district, Tak province.
