The first day of the country reopening for international visitors yesterday took place in an orderly fashion, with some 2,000 international tourists arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport alone. The Prime Minister has praised all sectors for their cooperation for this smooth transition, with optimism that more tourists will be visiting the kingdom at the end of the year.
33 international flights yesterday landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The Airports of Thailand reported 2,242 arriving passengers, with 1,534 foreign nationals arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport in the first 24 hours of the country reopening.
Thailand launched the new Thailand Pass system for international air passengers arriving from 1 November. Most passengers arriving yesterday were still holding the Certificate of Entry, a previous form of entry document which they obtained prior to the new system being rolled out.
Fully vaccinated visitors from 63 low-risk countries and territories are no longer required to quarantine after arrival. These visitors need to spend at least one night at a certified hotel where the mandatory arrival RT-PCR tests are conducted and will be allowed to travel freely within Thailand after receiving negative test results.
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha said the first day of reopening was satisfactory while urging related agencies to solve the issue of hotel transport arrangements for arriving passengers, and the long wait time for their test results.
He asked Thai people to be good hosts, while at the same time protecting themselves against infections, in order for the country to remain open and to drive the economy.
The Prime Minister praised all sectors for their cooperation in helping to maintain order on the first reopening day, saying he was confident more tourists would be coming towards the end of the year.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul said travelers were overall satisfied with their arrival formalities. He has ordered the Department of Disease Control to further streamline the arrival process including Covid screening.