BANGKOK: Thailand authorities have approved a waiver to lift quarantine measures for vaccinated foreign travelers to enter Phuket, the country's largest island, with effect July 1, a Minister confirmed.

The Centre for Economic Situation Administration, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o- cha, on Friday approved the proposal by Phuket’s private sector and business groups to inoculate at least 70% of the island’s residents to prepare for the reopening for vaccinated tourists, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said.

In a statement, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said that this move will make Phuket the country's first tourist destination where the quarantine measures for vaccinated visitors will be no longer be enforced upon arrival, reports by Xinhua news.

Meanwhile, during this year's second quarter, between April 1 and June 30, the seven-day quarantine measures will be enforced for vaccinated foreign tourists in several famous tourist destinations of Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phang Nga, Krabi and Koh Samui.

During the third quarter, the vaccinated foreign visitors will be officially required to stay in Phuket for at least seven days before they may leave for any other destinations, Phiphat said. During this year's fourth quarter from October to December, the quarantine measures will be completely lifted for the vaccinated foreign visitors to all of those tourist destinations.

The CESA has planned to reopen the entire country to foreign visitors without quarantine measures from the beginning of next year's first quarter.

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