Is a “Travel to Thailand” in your most recent activity checklist? Then please check it as “DONE”. Thailand is now open for Foreign Tourists. Test & Go Registration is on since February 1, and vaccinated travelers will be able to register for (nearly) quarantine-free entrance to Thailand. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has urged relevant agencies to speed up the promotion of tourism and economic development in Thailand, according to Centre of COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin.
There are tweaks in the restrictions, requiring travelers to show verification of their hotel reservation on the first and fifth days of their stay in Thailand when they will undergo RT-PCR tests. Travelers in the initial Test & Go programme only received one PCR test upon arrival.
Eligible travelers
• Thai citizens.
• Foreign travelers, including but not limited to diplomats, guests of the government, Thai work permit holders, students and their families, and patients seeking medical treatment.
Eligible countries
• All countries/territories.
This time, travelers from various nations are welcome to participate in Test & Go. Those who have been properly vaccinated against Covid-19 must apply for a Thailand Pass QR code on the Thailand Pass website in order to visit the country. Travelers must perform an RT-PCR test upon arrival and stay at an approved hotel for up to one night while waiting for their test results.
For their second RT-PCR test, travelers will now need to book a room at an approved hotel on their fifth day in Thailand. Travelers may not stay in the same hotel and can travel throughout Thailand in between tests, according to a spokeswoman.
Background
Following the initial local transmission of the Omicron Covid-19 strain, registration for the travel plan was put on hold last month. Infections rose sharply following the New Year’s break, prompting officials to temporarily tighten controls. The decision to soften controls and reopen Test & Go, according to a representative at the CCSA press briefing, was made after careful study, and there was a decrease in the death rate due to Covid-19.
“Infections have increased, but at a tolerable rate, and are currently stabilizing, with trends pointing to a reduction in the near future.” The number of patients with severe Covid-19 infections is likewise stabilizing, and the fatality rate is rather low as compared to the Delta form.”
Requirements for “Test & Go”
- Proof of hotel booking for Day 1 and Day 5 in Thailand
- Confirmed payment for a SHA+ approved hotel
- Pre-payment for the two RT-PCR tests
- Certificate of vaccination or vaccine passport
- Proof of a negative result from an RT-PCR test issued no more than 72 hours before departure
- Thailand Pass QR code
For your convenience, the following are the requirements in more detail:
Pre-Arrival Requirements
All travelers must have the following documents for entering Thailand:
Thailand Pass
- To apply for a Thailand Pass, click here. The system is active for new TEST & GO applications from 1 February, 2022 (09.00 Hrs. Thailand Time) onwards.
Medical Certificate
A Medical Certificate with an RT-PCR lab result indicating COVID-19 negative, issuance no more than 72 hours before the travel to Thailand.
Special Cases
- Travellers under 6 years of age, travelling with parents with a negative RT-PCR test result within 72 hours before travelling, may not have a pre-arrival negative RT-PCR test result and can have a saliva test when entering the Kingdom.
- For arrivals by water, everyone on board the vessels must have a medical certificate with an RT-PCR lab result indicating COVID-19 negative within the official time frame. Anyone on aboard with a history of COVID-19 infection within a period between 14-90 days must have a medical certificate of recovery.
Insurance Policy
An insurance policy with coverage no less than US$50,000. The insurance policy should cover the whole duration that travelers are planning to stay in Thailand, plus at least 10 extra days as a precautionary measure in the event that the traveler’s second swab test result in returns as positive.
Thais and foreign expatriates under Thailand’s national healthcare coverage are exempt from this requirement.
Proof of Prepayment for Accommodation
A proof of prepayment for 2 separate nights of accommodation at government-approved hotel/s, such as SHA Extra Plus (SHA++), AQ, OQ, or AHQ on Day 1 and Day 5, and the expenses for 2 RT-PCR tests on Day 1 and Day 5.
The prepayment for Day 1 must include accommodation, a test, and a prearranged transfer from the airport to the hotel.
Travelers can book 2 different hotels for the accommodation on Day 1 and Day 5. However, on both Day 1 and Day 5, they must stay within the room for the RT-PCR test result.
The second RT-PCR test is not mandatory if the traveler’s length of stay is less than 5 nights or his/her international departure date out of Thailand is on Day 5 or before. However, whether the traveler will need to take another RT-PCR test depends on the airline and the final international destination.
A Certificate of COVID-19 Vaccination/Recovery
Everyone 18 years of age and older must have full COVID-19 vaccination at least 14 days before entering Thailand.
Travelers 12-17 years of age traveling to Thailand without any adult/parents with them must get at least 1 dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Those traveling with parents are exempt from this requirement.
Minors, 6-11 years of age, traveling with parents, are exempt from this requirement when they travel to Thailand.
For arrivals by water, everyone on board must have full vaccination. This is except for travelers under 18 years of age, traveling with parents or guardians.
Travelers with a history of COVID-19 infection who have recovered by medical treatment, and travelers who have received at least 1 dose of an approved vaccine after post-infection must have a certificate of COVID-19 recovery.
All travelers must undergo ‘exit screening’ at the point of departure, i.e., at the airline check-in counter, and present the required documents to the person-in-charge to carry out the checks.
Vital Initiatives of CCSA
The CCSA plans to expand the Sandbox access programme. This will allow vaccinated travelers to visit certain locations and move freely for a week. Additionally, this will remove the mandate to stay in a hotel or facility for a quarantine period. Chon Buri’s Pattaya, Koh Sichang, Na Chom Tian, and Bang Sare, as well as Trat’s Koh Chang, were allowed.
Travelers without vaccination must enter through the Alternative Quarantine programme. This will require them to stay in an approved hotel or resort for ten days. Henceforth, they have to undergo Covid-19 testing before being released.
Meanwhile, there are changes in the color-code zoning system of local infection rates. Therefore, there are relaxations in limitations in 25 provinces. These provinces will transition from “orange” regulated zones to “yellow” zones under observation beginning January 24. Permissions for alcohol sales are until 11 p.m. in the “yellow” and “blue” zones. According to a spokeswoman, the decisions were made after much thought. Although there is an increase in the infection rate. Yet, the number of serious infections and deaths due to COVID-19 is relatively low.
The “blue” zones have the approval for experimental tourist programmes for foreigners willing to travel to Thailand. Bangkok, Chon Buri, Kanchanaburi, Krabi, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Phang Nga, and Phuket are all blue zones. Several places and districts, notably the Suvarnabhumi Airport area in Samut Prakan, are the “blue” zones.
In other developments, a ‘Special Sealed Route’ from Bangkok to Phuket will coincide with the resumption of Test & Go today. After February 1, the sealed route will also begin.
Now the CCSA is in the process of opening the gates of Thailand for foreign tourists. Surely, this is going to be good news for international travelers. For any type of assistance on Tourist Visa or Certificate of Entry (COE), write to us at [email protected].
