Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said that he aims to reopen the country to foreign visitors in 120 days and administer at least one shot of vaccine to about 50 million people by October.
Although there is an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 infections, the prime minister said that ‘calculated risk’ needs to be taken keeping in mind the economic needs of people.
Tourism destinations that are ready could reopen to fully vaccinated foreign visitors without quarantine requirements before the broader reopening, with Phuket as a pilot, Prayut said in a televised address.
The country reported more than 80 percent of its caseload during the past 10 weeks. It has been battling a sharp surge in infections since April.
Thailand also plans to administer an average of around 10 million doses of vaccine a month from July, and by early October about 50 million people will receive at least one shot, Xinhua news agency quoted the premier as saying.
The country has recorded 218,131 Covid cases and 1,629 deaths to date.