Fully vaccinated travelers from 46 countries, including the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK) and China, will be allowed to enter Thailand from November 1. The move is likely to boost tourism, a sector the Asian country's economy is majorly dependent on. On Thursday, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said travelers from these 46 countries can skip mandatory quarantine as long as they arrive via air, are fully inoculated and have a document to show they are Covid-19 free.

The quarantine-free travel list also includes most of the countries in the European Union, Australia, Singapore, Canada, Israel, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong. Earlier, the government announced the mandatory quarantine requirement would end for at least 10 countries, including the US, China, the UK and Singapore. Two days ago, government officials inspected the readiness of Thailand's airports to welcome quarantine-free travelers. "The entire time a visitor will spend from getting through the terminal gates to leaving the airport would take no more than 25 minutes," transport minister Saksiam Chidchob told reporters after paying a visit to Bangkok's Don Muang airport on Wednesday, according to news agency Reuters. Chidchod said travellers and investors from at least 10 countries that are in health-safe zones and are also doing great financially could visit Thailand. According to a Royal Gazette issued on Thursday, the capital city of Bangkok and other key tourist spots will be reopened once the curfews are lifted at the end of this month.