Thailand will lift quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated visitors from 46 countries instead of only 10 ones as announced earlier, starting from November 1.

People at an airport in Thailand. (Photo: www.bangkokpost.com)

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha made the decision on October 21 as the country is looking to revive its tourism industry.

Earlier, the Thai PM said tourists from around 10 countries would be allowed to visit Thailand by air without quarantine, provided they have been fully vaccinated and have evidence of pre-flight negative test results.

Thai government officials recently inspected the readiness of the country's airports to welcome quarantine-free travellers, after almost two years of COVID-19 preventive measures.

From November 1, the country will allow vaccinated arrivals from low risk countries to return to its popular destinations like Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Bangkok.

Thailand piloted reopening earlier this year in its resort island of Phuket, allowing fully-vaccinated tourists to skip Thailand’s mandatory two-week quarantine provided they remained on the island.

Tourism before the pandemic was a leading driver of the economy, accounting for 12 percent of GDP.

However, the tourism authority has forecast foreign arrivals will drop to just 100,000 this year, down from 40 million in 2019 before the pandemic struck.

Thailand has recorded nearly 1.8 million COVID-19 cases and 18,486 fatalities since the pandemic began.

Source: VNA