Thailand will admit travelers from 46 countries and regions without requiring them to quarantine, starting on November 1.

The Thai government on Thursday announced the new policy for tourists from what it describes as the low-risk group for the coronavirus. It said those visitors must be fully vaccinated and have a negative PCR test result.

It is a significant increase from 10 countries initially announced by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in a televised speech on October 11.

The Thai government issued a state of emergency and strictly restricted the entry of foreign visitors after the coronavirus began spreading in March last year. It has required travelers to be quarantined for two weeks and to join expensive health insurance programs.

Officials at the international airport in Bangkok have started a rehearsal to check the flow of coronavirus tests and immigration procedures.

Thailand is a major tourist destination attracting about 40 million travelers a year. Hopes are high that the reopening of the country will help revive the nation's tourism industry, which has been hit hard by the pandemic.