Thailand: Possible reinstatement of mandatory quarantine for foreign visitors due to Omicron

The Thai Health Minister said today that he would propose that the mandatory quarantine for foreign visitors be reinstated, due to concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant of the new coronavirus.

The proposal would abolish the quarantine exemption for fully vaccinated visitors and provide that travelers would be isolated in hotels, although they would be allowed to move freely within certain limits of where they would be staying, explained Anutin Tsarnvirakun, which was expressed during a TV show.

According to the Minister of Health, this proposal will be discussed “soon”. He did not become more specific.

The minister made the statement just weeks after Thai authorities reopened the border to foreign visitors in November, ending 18 months of severe restrictions that contributed to the collapse of the tourism sector.

Thailand attracted around 40 million visitors in 2019, the year before the pandemic struck.

According to Anutin Tsarnvirakun, so far 63 cases of the Omicron variant have been confirmed, with only one due to transmission to the same household and the rest being detected during checks at the country’s gates.

SOURCE: AMPE