Thailand eases entry rules for travelers vaccinated with Sputnik V

Thai authorities have allowed the travelers who have a certificate showing vaccination with Sputnik V to visit the country's resorts as part of the eased entry regulation, Russia's General Consul in Phuket Vladimir Sosnov told TASS on Friday.

"The Thai authorities have decided to permit entry to foreign travelers fully vaccinated with the Russian coronavirus jab Sputnik V as part of the Phuket sandbox and Samui+ programs without mandatory 14-day quarantine," he said, "An entry permit should be registered at the Thai embassy to enter Thailand as part of the indicated programs. According to Thailand's embassy in Moscow, the documents to obtain the permit can be submitted already from today," Sosnov said.

In a conversation with the TASS correspondent, the general representative of the Tez Tour travel company in Southeastern Asia, Andrei Snetkov, said the 'long process of pending approval for Sputnik V for arrival in Phuket was not in vain."

"Those willing to travel to Thailand can apply for entry certificates already now, but the entry with the Sputnik V vaccine is permitted from September 1," he explained.

"We expect an increase in demand for flights to Thailand, but so far, they will be carried out via Doha or Qatar," the specialist said.

"We will expect direct flights planned from Moscow and Siberia starting October. There is currently no direct communication. Therefore, it is hard to expect any significant flow of tourists," he said.

According to Snetkov, 'individual tourists may become the first travelers now.'

"In the future, when the scheme of obtaining an entry certificate is facilitated, first fights emerge, and the number of PCR-tests decreases, it will be possible to expect the arrival of travelers that use the services of tour operators and agents. For this to happen, we need the permission of the Russian headquarters to resume flights to Thailand," he concluded.