BANGKOK, February 9. /TASS/. The Russian Embassy in Thailand sent an inquiry to local authorities to include the Sputnik Light jab among vaccines permitted for a quarantine-free entry, Russian Ambassador to Thailand Evgeny Tomikhin told reporters.

"Now, we have raised the issue of Sputnik Light being included among vaccines permitted for a quarantine-free entry," he noted. "It is necessary to add this jab since it is a booster shot for those who were vaccinated with Sputnik V," he explained. The envoy also expressed hope for a positive outcome of the inquiry.

At the end of December, the ambassador reported that the Russian side had submitted to the Thai regulator all information necessary to register the Sputnik V and Sputnik Light vaccines. "The situation with vaccines has not yet changed. The Thai side insists that the Russian side submitted an incomplete package of documents," the diplomat explained.

Since September 1, 2021, foreigners with a Sputnik V immunization certificate were allowed to enter Thailand via the Phuket SandBox tourist program which involved a mandatory seven-day stay on a certain territory. Since November 1, it is necessary to register in the Thailand Pass system in order to obtain a QR code and enter the country under one of three possible programs - Test and Go, SandBox or quarantine.

On December 22, due to the spread of the Omicron coronavirus strain, the authorities suspended registration in the SandBox (with the exception of Phuket) and Test and Go programs which allowed fully inoculated travelers to bypass quarantine. On February 1, 2022, the registration in Test and Go resumed, including for Russian citizens.

Thailand, with the population of 69.6 mln, recorded its first coronavirus case on January 13, 2020. On Monday, the Health Ministry reported 2,400 infections and 18 deaths over the past 24 hours. To date, the total number of infections has surpassed 2.21 mln with over 2.15 mln recoveries and 21,500 fatalities. Some 45.4 mln residents have been fully vaccinated.