Visitors to Thailand no longer required to undergo testing upon arrival from May
Fully vaccinated visitors to Thailand will no longer be required to take RT-PCR tests upon arrival as from May 1, the country’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced on April 22.
Tourists take a photo at a pagoda in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)
Bangkok (VNA) – Fully vaccinated visitors to Thailand will no longerbe required to take RT-PCR tests upon arrival as from May 1, the country’s Centre for COVID-19 SituationAdministration (CCSA) announced on April 22.
They are still recommended to take a self Antigen Test Kit(ATK), or as Rapid Antigen Test, on the fifth day of their arrival.
Since the beginning of April, foreign visitors and Thai nationals returningfrom abroad did not need to take RT-PCR tests before departing, but they stillneed to undergo this test upon arrival, including those who have been fullyvaccinated.
After chairing the CCSA meeting, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Thailand’stourism sector is recovering, and rapid antigen test will be more convenientand faster for foreign visitors.
"Many countries are relaxing travel restrictionssignificantly and our country depends considerably on tourism to supportour economy," the prime minister said.
CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin later said that also fromMay 1 there would be no Test & Go entry scheme. The government would havedifferent measures for vaccinated and unvaccinated foreign arrivals by air.
The CCSA also announced several other changes topandemic prevention requirements for arrivals the same day, including reducingthe required insurance coverage to 10,000 USD and granting entry to unvaccinated visitors,providing they show a negative pre-departure PCR result.
On April 22 morning, Thailand reported 21,808new cases of COVID and 128 related deaths in the previous 24 hours, raising thenational caseload to 4,128,038 and total fatalities to 27,520.
As of April 21, the country had administered 132.09 million doses of COVID-19vaccine, with 80.6 percent of the population receiving one shot, 73.1 percenttwo shots and 36.2 percent booster shots./.
The Thai Tourism and Sports Ministry is considering the replacement of mandatory PCR testing for foreign tourists with COVID rapid antigen tests certified by a competent authority from May 1.
Travellers arriving in Thailand will no longer require pre-travel Covid-19 tests from April 1 onwards, according to a spokesperson from the Thai Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) aims to attract 1.1 million tourists from Southeast Asia this year, given that residents in the region can now largely travel without restrictions, according to Thanet Phetsuwan, TAT deputy governor of marketing for Asia and the South Pacific.
About half the population of Thailand has now acquired immunity against COVID-19 but this remains well short of the government's 80 percent target, according to the country’s Department of Disease Control (DoDC).
The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) will consider further easing visitor entry controls, including a shorter quarantine period for unvaccinated people and ending antigen tests, on April 22.
Total trade between Indonesia and New Zealand in the first half of 2025 reached 963.23 million USD, an increase of 21.56% compared to 792.39 million USD in the same period last year. Of this amount, Indonesia's exports to New Zealand totaled 374.89 million USD, while imports 588.35 million USD
Malaysia, as ASEAN 2025 Chair, marked the bloc’s 58th founding anniversary on August 8 with a vibrant celebration in Cyberjaya, blending an official ceremony with a colorful cultural festival.
Vietnam plays an important role in Southeast Asia’s economic growth and is a key partner of her country in realising the shared vision of a peaceful, stable, and prosperous region, said Robyn Mudie, First Assistant Secretary of Office of Southeast Asia (OSA) – Southeast Asia Regional and Mainland Division at Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
The 2025 ASEAN Business Community Development (ABCD) Forum, themed “Empowering ASEAN's Next Leap: Digital, Sustainable & Entrepreneurial Transformation” brought together ministers, CEOs, and top industry experts to discuss key regional economic priorities.
The DES Ministry will seek cooperation from social media platforms to prevent the spread of fake news and monitor accounts related to such activities, he told reporters after chairing a meeting of the newly established Anti-Fake News Centre (AFNC).
The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking identified the US tariff reduction as a significant driver behind the improved economic outlook for Thailand.
Financial institutions and financial technology (fintech) players are intensifying their focus on expanding across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), adopting tailored strategies to strengthen their presence in the region’s digital financial services landscape.
Featuring a permanent exhibition area, the ASEAN Hall will function both as a cultural showcase and as a dynamic venue for ASEAN-related events and programmes. Its inauguration on ASEAN Day added symbolic weight, marking a fresh milestone in ASEAN–RoK relations.
Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce and rice exporters are devising strategic plans to boost rice exports amid global market fluctuations, focusing on key markets and adjusting output.
The focus of the upcoming ASEAN Summit in October will be on strengthening economic relations through intra-regional trade and investment, as well as regional initiatives on energy networks and connectivity.
Indonesian Ambassador Rina P. Soemarno, who currently serves as Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Prague, emphasised the spirit of regional solidarity and cooperation, and the importance of enhancing ASEAN–Czech Republic relations.
The Indonesian Government is determined to seize opportunities to enhance the competitiveness of national agricultural products, an official has said, adding that it always strives to promote exports at the highest possible level, based on a mutually beneficial foundation.
Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira has outlined a six-point strategy to promote innovation, support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and push for Thailand's removal from the US Trade Representative (USTR)’s special 301 Watch List regarding intellectual property rights protection among trading partners.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Israel Ly Duc Trung emphasised ASEAN’s central role in regional mechanisms such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS), highlighting its significant contribution to promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in Southeast Asia.
The consumer index of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC), fell to 51.7 in July from 52.7 in the previous month. The sluggish economy and the trade war, as well as high living costs, continue to undermine confidence, the university said.
Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly Istvan Jakab expressed his hope for further deepening Hungary’s ties with ASEAN countries and called for their support for Hungary’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
The 30-storey tower crumbled seconds after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit neighbouring Myanmar on March 28. The partially built high-rise, meant to house the State Audit Office (SAO), was the only building in Thailand to collapse, killing 89 people on the site, mostly construction workers.
Indonesia’s waste generation is projected to exceed 50 million tonnes in 2025. Of the total, more than 20 million tonnes could potentially enter the ocean through rivers, coastal areas, small islands, ports, and marine activities, and thereby, pose a risk to coastal ecosystems and marine biota.
Indonesia is accelerating plans to increase lithium imports, particularly from Australia, in a bid to fill gaps in the electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain and realise its ambition of becoming a global EV manufacturing hub.
Tourists take a photo at a pagoda in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) 
