KUALA LUMPUR – There will be no hiccups for Malaysians entering Thailand as the digital vaccination certificates on their MySejahtera app are accepted, Thai authorities indicated amid the recent reports of stranded citizens in the Philippines.
Tourism Authority of Thailand director Nongyau Jirundorn told The Star that the issue has been clarified with the Malaysian government and she does not foresee any issues.
“For travellers, we advise them to always print out a hard copy (of the digital certificate) besides showing it on the app,” she was quoted as saying after a briefing with agents on travel to Thailand yesterday.
She added that travellers should undergo the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test before heading to Thailand.
“Under the ‘Test and Go’ programme, travellers will be tested upon arrival and they will be free to go anywhere if their results are negative. Travellers will also need to do another test on the fifth day.”
Thailand is planning to reopen its border with Malaysia in March to boost tourist arrivals.
Bernama reported that the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration and Tourism Emergency Operation Centre have been ordered to prepare and outline the pandemic mitigation measures for the reopening of the southern border provinces at the checkpoints of Songkhla, Narathiwat, Yala and Satun.
“Tourists from neighbouring Malaysia will enter Thailand via the quarantine-free ‘Test & Go’ programme. However, travellers need to pass two RT-PCR Covid-19 tests on Day 1 upon arrival and the second on Day 5,” Foreign Affairs Ministry deputy spokesman Natapanu Nopakun was quoted as saying.
Thailand had opened its door to fully vaccinated visitors from 63 countries and territories via the Test and Go since November, but the programme was suspended in late December over concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant.
Test and Go was resumed on February 1 in a bid to revive Thailand’s tourism sector.
In March 2020, Thailand closed nine checkpoints with Malaysia to curb the spread of Covid-19. – The Vibes, February 19, 2022
