Thailand to relax travel restrictions for vaccinated Bangladeshi travellers

Thailand intends to relax quarantine restrictions for vaccinated Bangladeshi travellers starting 1 November, next month.

Instead of quarantining, travellers will be able to stay in designated areas for a week after arriving at their destinations and will be free to go to any other part of the country thereafter, Makawadee Sumitmor, newly appointed ambassador of Thailand to Bangladesh, said on Monday.

She disclosed the information at a meeting with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ambassador said Thailand is including Bangladesh in its 'Sandbox Scheme', which allows free movement to vaccinated travellers after they have spent a week in designated tourism areas, instead of self-isolation on arrival.

Meanwhile, at the meeting, Shahriar and Sumitmor hoped to conclude a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries in the near future to expand bilateral trade.

The state minister said Bangladesh and Thailand have been enjoying an excellent friendly and cordial relationship since independence.

Next year the two countries will jointly celebrate their golden jubilee of diplomatic relations, he said.

"Thailand is important to Bangladesh for a wide range of issues such as trade, science-technology, medical services, tourism, foreign investment, connectivity, and more," he said.

He also suggested multi-faceted relations could be expanded further if more people-to-people contacts occur and trade and investment barriers are removed.

Shahriar further highlighted the growing purchasing capacity of Bangladesh, particularly of its growing middle-class, as well as the investment-friendly policies of the government.

He told the ambassador, more Thai investors could invest in Bangladesh and avail the opportunities offered by a market of more than 160 million people.

He put particular emphasis on Thai cooperation for enhancing capacity building in the areas of agro-processing, the health sector, and other fields.

The state minister also sought more political support from Thailand on the repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar.