Health services department proposes guidelines for reopening wellness sector

The guidelines, submitted to a sub-committee under the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), are in line with the centre’s decision in early July to allow foreigners to come to Thailand for medical and wellness tourism. CCSA said it will start by reopening the medical sector to see if the arrival of foreigners poses any problems, after which it will consider reopening spas and other wellness centres.

Since the CCSA has been satisfied with the reopening of the medical sector, the department decided to come up with guidelines to reopen the wellness sector.

Saowapa Jongkitipong, head of the international healthcare division of the Department of Health Service Support, said guidelines for wellness quarantine included the mandatory 14-day quarantine, and also required that foreign consumers of wellness services travel by prearranged vehicles with no stops on the way and that tracking devices be used to track the foreign customers. The wellness tourists will also undergo three Covid-19 tests.

Meanwhile, participating wellness centres will need to go into contracts with hospitals and will also be required to get additional certification.