Visitors from countries with low rates of Covid infection and/or high rates of vaccination will be able to travel to the country without having to quarantine from Monday (1 November).

It is the broadest reopening of travel to Thailand since the start of the Covid pandemic last March, with Thailand having trialled several safe tourism initiatives.

Chief among these was its Covid sandbox programme, which allowed tourists to travel to certain areas of the country via certain routes and ports in accordance with strict Covid vaccination and testing rules.

Besides the UK, Thailand has reopened to travellers from the US and China, as well as several other countries in Europe.

Prior to the pandemic, tourism accounted for more than 10% of Thailand’s economic output.

The new national programme allowing tourism to Thailand requires arrivals to spend their first night in pre-approved hotel accommodation where they must test negative for Covid-19 before being able to travel the country freely.

Around 40% of the Thai population is understood to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.