Thailand approves quarantine waiver for tourists vaccinated against Covid-19, orders more vaccines

Thai authorities on Friday agreed to allow foreigners inoculated against the coronavirus to travel to its biggest holiday island without undergoing quarantine, and announced a new order for five million more doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine.

With arrival numbers plummeting this past year, tourism-reliant Thailand is racing to secure vaccines for its population and reopen the country to foreigners in a pilot project for vaccine passports.

“If we can inoculate 50% to 60% of the population we can open the country safely and move the economy and tourism forward,” senior health official Kiattiphum Wongraijit said.

Its main vaccination drive is expected to start in June, with the goal of immunising half of its population by year-end.

It will receive an additional five million AstraZeneca doses, as well as five million more doses procured from Sinovac Biotech’s, the health ministry said on…