Thailand U-turns on COVID vaccination rule for visitors

Thailand has rescinded an entry policy announced at the weekend requiring visitors to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination, its health minister said on Monday, citing sufficient immunisation levels in China and globally. Anutin Charnvirakul said checking evidence of vaccinations was inconvenient and a panel of heath experts had agreed to withdraw the new rule, which was announced on Saturday by aviation authorities ahead of an expected deluge of visitors from China, where COVID-19 cases have surged. "Showing proof of vaccination would be cumbersome and inconvenient, and so the group's decision is that it is unnecessary," Anutin told reporters. One of Asia's most popular travel destinations, Thailand is enjoying an influx of visitors during its first peak season since the removal last year of tight entry restrictions that had caused its tourism sector to collapse. In November, it recorded 1.75m visitors, quadruple the number for the whole of last year when flights and foreign arrivals were limited. China has been crucial for Thailand, accounting for about a quarter of its annual visitors before the pandemic. Anutin said the government was now expecting 7-10m Chinese visitors, compared to an earlier 5m estimate. The first flight from China arrived in Thailand on Monday with the first group among an expected 3,465 passengers on the first day.<br/>