BANGKOK (Reuters – Thailand’s quarantine-free reopening for visitors from 45 nations was announced on Friday by the government in an attempt at restoring an economy that is struggling from the loss of vital tourism.

Thailand is a popular destination for tourists in Asia-Pacific. However, the country has enforced pandemic entry restrictions for 18 months. This was criticized by travel professionals as too strict and burdensome.

COVID-19 has cost Thailand about 3 million tourism-dependent jobs https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thai-industry-group-scales-down-tourism-forecast-says-3-mln-jobs-lost-2021-09-28 and an estimated $50 billion a year in revenue. In pilot projects, it has opened Phuket and Samui again since July.

From Nov. 1, the capital Bangkok, and top destinations such as Pattaya and Hua Hin, Krabi, Krabi, and Chiang Mai will be reopened to visitors from 45 countries. They must submit negative COVID-19 test results before and after arriving and have COVID-19 coverage of minimum $50,000.

These areas will see their nighttime curfews lifted.

Apisamai Srirangsan, spokeswoman for the Thai coronavirus taskforce, stated that “reopening pilot tourist areas to more foreign tourists, will benefit both the overall economy, and jobs, especially the tourism sector,”

While many countries have seen a decline in tourism, Thailand’s impact has been devastating. Authorities are targeting 100,000 people this year to replace the nearly 40,000,000 who arrived before the pandemic.

The eligible countries https://image.mfa.go.th/mfa/0/mkKfL2iULZ/List_of_countries_under_category_13/List_of_Countries_(ENG).pdf for quarantine exemption include Britain, the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Australia, China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Cambodia.

Visitors must have spent 21 consecutive days in those countries beforehand, unless Thailand was the original departure point, and must arrive by plane, among other requirements https://www.facebook.com/ThaiMFA/photos/pcb.6596281913745094/6596281783745107.

Prayuth Chanocha, the Prime Minister, announced last week that entertainment venues would reopen Dec. 1.

Cambodia’s neighbor, Neighbouring Cambodian, also depends on tourism, has cut its quarantine for new arrivals to the vaccine and issuing visas for tourism and business this week.