The Government of Thailand announced this Friday the end of the mandatory use of masks outdoors and relaxes the restrictions against the coronavirus for the entry of foreign travelers, with which it hopes to reactivate tourism in the country, one of the great motors of the economy.
The authorities of the Center for the Administration of the Covid-19 Situation indicated at a press conference in Bangkok that face masks will no longer be mandatory from next July 1 in the exteriors of the entire country, which registers so far more than 30,000 deaths and some 4.4 million infected by the pathogen since the start of the health crisis, in 2020.
Likewise, since July foreign travelers will be exempt from filling out an online form before entering the country.
The Thai authorities also announced that they will lift the requirement for temperature control at airports and the presentation of health insurance with specific requirements regarding covid-19.
Since last May 1, immunized travelers arriving in the Asian country are already exempt from a quarantine period and can enter with the vaccination certificate, while unvaccinated people remain required to present a negative PCR test for the disease. .
The increasing relaxation of restrictions accompanies the downward trend of the pandemic in Thailand and seeks to promote the economic reopening of the country, whose tourism sector has been hit hard by the health emergency.
One of the most visited tourist destinations in the world, Thailand received some 428,000 foreign tourists last year, which represents a reduction of 93.6% compared to the almost seven million visitors it had in 2020, according to data. of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.