Thailand will lift COVID restrictions on July 1


The government is giving the green light to classify all of Thailand a green (relaxed) zone for COVID-19 on July 1, with businesses, entertainment venues and tourist attractions all allowed to ease or eliminate pandemic-related restrictions.
 
The decision was welcomed in most quarters, especially by businesses and people in the tourism sector and the entertainment industries. The Thailand Pass online system for obtaining a visa to visit the Kingdom during the pandemic will be shut, and mask mandates will be lifted – although public health authorities are advising that people should still wear masks in enclosed areas or large gatherings, especially for those in at-risk groups.
 
While the Thai public has been following the advice, most Thais are voluntarily wearing masks in public after the mandate was lifted.
 
With pubs, restaurants, and bars able to serve alcohol until 02.00 hours, hopes were high that Thailand’s thriving nightlife would return to something close to normal.
 
Public health measures were imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 early in the pandemic, briefly instituting a lockdown and then moving to reopening with conditions such as social distancing, testing requirements, and limits on alcohol sales, among other measures. Masks were mandated even outdoors with fines for violators, even though cooperation levels were high. The Kingdom also required COVID-19 tests for visitors before and after arrival and quarantined anyone who tested positive.
 
The result was that – in conjunction with other public health policies and actions, including a nationwide vaccination program – COVID-19 never reached epidemic levels in Thailand.
 
Consequently, the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO) praised Thailand’s response to the pandemic.