United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Thailand rejects calls for ‘vaccine passport’
Thai health officials pushed back against hopes a ‘vaccine passport’ would result in an end in quarantine on arrival for travellers.
Vaccine passports have been touted as a way to allow travellers to enter Thailand if they are vaccinated and skip mandatory quarantine.
Thailand’s Department of Disease Control Director General Opas Karnkawinpong says that is unlikely as there is still no conclusive evidence that vaccinated people do not transmit the virus.
"Although Thailand and other countries allow Covid-19 vaccines, no one actually knows at this point the answer to the key question as to whether these vaccines are 100% effective in Covid-19 prevention," Opas said.
For the time being the mandatory 14 day quarantine is still the best protection, he said.
"The reason is there still isn’t sufficient information to conclude that the chance is zero for travellers already vaccinated against Covid-19 to be able to spread the virus to others It remains uncertain even for how long such Covid-19 shots will last and how many repeat shots will actually be needed."
To help speed up a recovery, industry groups have called on the government to prioritise tourism industry front-liners for the first wave of vaccinations.
Written by Ray Montgomery, Asia Editor
Related News Stories:
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence
Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Boy falls to death on cruise ship
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Storm Lilian travel chaos as bank holiday flights cancelled