Thailand drops pre-arrival COVID test for foreign visitors

BANGKOK (AP) — Visitors vaccinated for COVID-19 will no longer need a test before traveling to Thailand starting April 1. Health officials say visitors will still need to take a RT-PCR test upon arrival and a self-administered rapid antigen test on the fifth day in the country. Thailand is keen to restore its lucrative tourism sector, which took a nosedive when most arrivals from overseas dried up since April 2020. Neighboring Cambodia, whose tourism industry was similarly battered, also announced that fully vaccinated passengers are no longer required to have a RT-PCR test before arrival. Thailand is currently coping with record numbers of daily COVID-19 cases and related deaths this year. There’s also concern about the potential for the spread of the virus during next month’s new year festival.