Thailand Requires Chinese Tourists to Show Medical Certificates

(Bloomberg) -- Thailand said all arriving Chinese tourists must provide medical certificates stating they are healthy and free of infection from the novel coronavirus.

This measure is being implemented in the wake of the World Health Organization’s decision to call the virus outbreak a global health emergency, the government said in a release dated Feb. 1.

Chinese visitors spent almost $18 billion in Thailand last year, more than a quarter of all foreign-tourism receipts. With China banning outbound group tours to fight the virus, Thailand’s tourism industry -- which makes up about 21% of the economy -- is taking a severe knock.

To contact the reporter on this story: Suttinee Yuvejwattana in Bangkok at suttinee1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Sunil Jagtiani at sjagtiani@bloomberg.net, Lee Miller

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