Revised Thai Covid-19 Entry Restrictions In A Nutshell

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announced that the Royal Thai Government has (1) endorsed issuing a COVID-19 vaccination certificate in the kingdom, and (2) approved shorter quarantine periods for international arrivals. Both measures take effect April 1, 2021. This post summarizes the relevant information.

Quarantine Periods For International Arrivals

Vaccinated Travelers. Quarantine is reduced from 14 days (15 nights) to 7 days (8 nights) for international arrivals who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no less than 14 days before the travelling date. However, they must be from countries with no mutated strain of SAR-CoV-2 virus as determined by Thai health authorities.

Vaccinated Travelers Arriving in Phuket. Phuket has probably suffered the most economically as its economy is more dependent on tourism than other major areas. It was announced that from April 1, 2021, foreign travelers who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 will be allowed to visit Phuket under a “0+7” quarantine in a sealed area. Meaning, they must remain in their hotel accommodation (but can visit locations on the property) for the first seven days and will then be allowed to engage in leisure tourism activities in specified areas of Phuket Island.

Proof of vaccination. Vaccinated international arrivals must present a valid vaccine certificate in the form of an original paper or a print-out of an online vaccine certificate.

Non-vaccinated Travelers. The quarantine period is reduced from 14 days (15 nights) to 10 days (11 nights) for international arrivals from countries with no mutated strain of SAR-CoV-2 virus who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 or have not completed the full vaccination.

Countries on the list of those with SAR-CoV-2 virus mutations and variants as of March 31, 2021 are Botswana, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

General Travel Restrictions

All non-Thai arrivals must also:

1. Have a valid visa or re-entry permit,
2. a Certificate of Entry (COE) issued by the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate;
3. a COVID-19 health insurance policy with a minimum coverage of US$100,000;
4. confirmation of Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) hotel booking,
5. a medical certificate with a RT-PCR laboratory result indicating that COVID-19 is not detected issued no more than 72 hours before departure, and 
6. are subject to be traced by an unknown and I believe unused tracking system for a specified period.

Travelers must quarantine in designated Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) hotels.  Here is the list of ASQ Hotels.  In quarantine, foreigners are required to undergo an RT-PCR test on Days 5-6 for those under a 7-day quarantine. For a 10-day quarantine, two tests are required on Days 3-5 and Days 9-10. For a 14-day quarantine, three tests are required on the day of arrival, Days 6-7, and Days 12-13.

Thai National Vaccine Certificate

Although it does not affect foreigners, it is noteworthy that Thailand has decided to create an official vaccine certificate. The uses for the certificate have yet to be identified.

Thailand will issue a COVID-19 vaccination certificate, in paper or electronic form, for Thai nationals who have received two required doses of COVID-19 vaccine in Thailand. However, the vaccine must be approved and registered with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), Thailand, or approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be eligible for issuance of the vaccination certificate.

Final Thoughts

I’m glad Thailand is relaxing travel restrictions and doing it in a responsible way that protects the population. Thailand has been very strict with Covid-19 precautions and has suffered only 92 deaths so far.

Seven days (eight nights) is a long time to spend in a hotel room or confined to the propriety grounds. No quarantine in July for vaccinated travelers sounds perfect.