Bangkok (VNA)– Thailand will shorten its quarantine period for foreign travellers with COVID-19vaccination certificates from 14 to 10 days from April 1, to foster tourism.

However, travellersfrom 11 countries where the South African variant of coronavirus is prevalentwill still have to undergo the full 14-day quarantine period. The countriesinclude South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, Kenya, Rwanda,Cameroon, Congo, Ghana and Tanzania.

While undergoingquarantine, tourists will be allowed to engage in leisure activities subjectto time and conditions granted by the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand,namely exercising in the fitness room, outdoor exercising, swimming, bicyclingwithin a controlled area, and ordering goods and food from outside.

For non-Thainationals, a medical certificate with a laboratory result using the RT-PCRmethod is still required, which is issued no more than 72 hours before departure.

Foreign holidaymakers whocarry proof of their vaccination against COVID-19 will be permitted to visit sixtourism provinces of Phuket, Krabi, Chon Buri (Pattaya), Chiang Mai, Phang Ngaand Surat Thani. Their mandatory quarantine period is being reduced to 7 days.

In July, Phuket isplanning to be the first province to waive the quarantine requirementaltogether, for international visitors who have been vaccinated.

Thailand's tourismindustry has been seriously affected by COVID-19. Last year, foreign visitornumbers plunged 83 percent from nearly 40 million in 2019 to just 6.7 million.The state planning agency predicts 3 million arrivals this year./.