The Thai government has announced plans to allow visitors who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 to fly to Thailand without the need to undergo quarantine on arrival. It’s a huge boost for the beleaguered Thai tourist industry which is so important to the Thai economy. While it’s a long-awaited step in the right direction, there are some important caveats to be aware of. Most notably, the timeline to reopening Thailand depends on a successful vaccine rollout in Thailand.
Thailand travel and entry requirements
At the moment, it isn’t just a case of getting vaccinated, book your flight and away you go. There are still a number of steps to take before travelling to Thailand. Different rules may apply depending on where you are travelling from. The main points to note are listed below, but please contact the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in your home country for full details.
Timeline to reopen Thailand
Before all of these plans are formally made into *law, there could be some amendments. Any changes will be added here when confirmed.
*These plans were formally approved on March 31, 2021, but the timeline could still change depending on the domestic vaccine rollout in Thailand.
April 1, 2021
From April 1 2021, the mandatory quarantine period will be reduced to:
7 days for travellers who have certificate showing fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or 10 days if not fully vaccinated, but have Covid-free certificate.
From May 1, the quarantine period for all arrivals (vaccinated or not) will revert to 14 days.
14-day quarantine may still apply to arrivals from some African countries including: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, Kenya, Rwanda, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana and Tanzania.
Update April 25: travel to Thailand from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh has been temporarily suspended. Thai nationals may still travel to Thailand from those countries subject to quarantine on arrival.
Main requirements:
- Arrange the appropriate valid visa if required (contact the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in your home country for full details)
- Proof of negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of departure
- Obtain a Certificate of Entry (CoE) before departure
- Travel insurance with Covid-19 cover
- Download the Thailand Plus tracking app before departure
- Quarantine booking in an official ASQ or ALSQ accommodation
- Thai nationals require either a fit to fly certificate or a negative Covid-19 test certificate
- Non-Thai travellers no longer require a fit to fly certificate
More information about availability at ASQ hotels can be found on this official website: https://asq.locanation.com/
After completing quarantine in Thailand, you are free to travel around the country (subject to any local restrictions which apply to everyone). As part of Thailand’s Covid-19 prevention measures, you may still have to agree to Covid-19 track and testing procedures.
July 1, 2021
No quarantine for vaccinated visitors flying directly to Phuket.
Main requirements:
- Arrange the appropriate valid visa if required (contact the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in your home country for full details)
- Proof of Covid-19 vaccination is required (both jabs)
- Obtain a Certificate of Entry (CoE) before departure and upload the required information
- Travel insurance with Covid-19 cover
- Download the Thailand Plus tracking app before departure
- Must fly directly to Phuket International Airport*
(*From the end of April 2021, passengers may be allowed to transit via Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport. Awaiting full details.) - Present a negative PCR test result (issued no longer than 72 hours before departure)
- Covid-19 screening and PCR tests on arrival
- Stay on Phuket for a minimum of 7 days and can then travel around Thailand
October 1, 2021
In addition to Phuket, no quarantine will be needed from October 1 for visitors arriving directly* in:
- Chiang Mai
- Ko Samui
- Krabi
- Pattaya (Seems like transit via Bangkok may be allowed. Awaiting full details)
- Phang Nga (Seems like transit via Phuket may be allowed. Awaiting full details)
(*From the end of April 2021, passengers may be allowed to transit via Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport. Awaiting full details.)
Main requirements:
- Arrange the appropriate valid visa if required (contact the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in your home country for full details)
- Proof of Covid-19 vaccination is required (both jabs)
- Obtain a Certificate of Entry (CoE) before departure
- Travel insurance with Covid-19 cover
- Download the Thailand Plus tracking app before departure and upload the required information
- Must arrive directly into one of the applicable destinations. If travelling to Pattaya, arrival in Bangkok is permitted.
- Present a negative PCR test result (issued no longer than 72 hours before departure)
- Covid-19 screening and PCR tests on arrival
- Minimum of 7 days stay at the destination of entry before travelling onwards around Thailand
December 2021/January 2022
Thai tourism officials say they expect that by the end of *December 2021, Thailand will be fully open and vaccinated tourists will not need to quarantine on arrival.
*Proposed date is January 1, 2022
Vaccine rollout in Thailand
The key factor in all of this is the domestic vaccine rollout. Thai authorities acknowledge that for the timetable and plan to work, a large percentage of the local population in Thailand need to be vaccinated.
My personal thoughts are that this is a significant step in the right direction and I’m optimistic. However, I’ve spent enough time in Thailand to also be realistic. For various reasons, there have been issues with vaccine procurement and rollout in Thailand. Hopefully, it will all be resolved, but there are still a lot of ‘ifs’ in this plan. So often, Thailand finds a way to make things work. Hopefully, this will be the case, but expect at least a few deviations from the plan and the timetable over the coming weeks and months.
While I’ve done my best to make sense of the various rules and regulations, things can and do change quickly in Thailand. The information here is offered as a guide and I will try to keep this page updated. For official information that applies to your particular circumstances, please contact the Royal Thai Embassy or consulate in the country you are travelling from.
Acknowledgements: Fan Club Thailand and Tourism Authority of Thailand (UK & Ireland)
