Vaccine passports may replace Thai Pass to enter Thailand
Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Tuesday that his ministry is considering replacing Thailand’s current entry system with a vaccine passport to screen those arriving from abroad.
He said this while speaking at the opening ceremony of Thailand MICE Day 2022 at the IconSiam shopping complex in Bangkok.
The event, organized by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, aims to promote meetings, incentive trips, conferences and exhibitions in the country after the Test&Go system for foreign visitors ends April 30.
“Vaccine passports are an international standard used to screen those arriving from abroad based on each visitor’s vaccination history. We could use it to replace the Thai Pass,” Anutin said. “The ministry is working on developing a process that can check a person’s vaccination history and assess the situation.”
Based on the current situation, the minimum requirement for a vaccine pass should be three doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, as two shots are not enough to raise immunity for the long term, Anutin pointed out. He insisted that Covid-19 insurance would still be a requirement for all arrivals from abroad, even after Thailand switches to passports with vaccinations.
“We’re trying to get things back to normal as soon as we can so that people can get back to their lives as they lived before the outbreak, but the timing and measures have to be carefully determined to prevent any future problems,” Anutin said.
“Currently, the ministry has a ‘3-point adequacy’ policy to support the full opening of Thailand, which means ensuring that we have enough drugs and medical supplies, adequate health workers and enough hospital beds for patients with Covid-19,” he added.
As of May 1, those who want to enter Thailand must register through Thai Pass and present a certificate of vaccination, as well as a certificate of Covid-19 insurance with $10,000 (THB 342,000) coverage.
If the traveller is not vaccinated, he/she must also present either a negative OT-PCR result obtained within 72 hours prior to departure or proof of a 5-day reservation at an alternative quarantine facility. There will be no tests on arrival, but visitors are advised to take an antigen test (ATK) during their stay in Thailand.
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