By Thailand will shorten the mandatory quarantine period for foreign travellers from next month but deferred a decision on recognizing vaccine certificates for easier global mobility amid a spike in global virus cases.
A panel chaired by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha on Friday approved curtailing the quarantine to 10 days from two weeks starting April 1, Traisuree Taisaranakul, a government spokeswoman, told reporters in Bangkok. The country may stop enforcing quarantine altogether from Oct. 1 though the group delayed a decision on cutting isolation period to seven days for vaccinated tourists as recommended by an expert group last week, officials said.
A shorter quarantine is expected to make Thailand — famed for its palm-fringed beaches, temples and backpacker culture — more attractive to millions of foreign tourists and is seen as a key step toward a wider reopening. Still, tourism-reliant Thailand’s reluctance to fully ease curbs point to the dilemma faced by authorities in balancing the need to protect people from fresh outbreaks while bolstering economic
