Updated on 22 October 2021 - Thailand reopens to fully vaccinated foreign visitors from the approved countries to enter the Kingdom by air with no quarantine requirements. The Thai government has outlined 3 entry schemes listed below which will be effective from 1st November 2021.
Updated on 21 December 2021 - Due to the new Omicron situation, the Thai Government has temporarily suspended the “Test & Go Exemption from Quarantine” from 22nd December 2021 (which means that travelers who have not applied for a Thailandpass before that need to quarantine when entering Thailand after 22nd December 2021), it still need to wait for further notice when this no quarantine policy will valid again.
The first scheme –“Test & Go” Exemption from Quarantine (suspended until further notice)
This scheme will apply to tourists from the 63 "low-risk" countries, who must be in the listed country for more than 21 days, and need to show evidence of being fully vaccinated at least 14 days before their arrival. They will also need to have a negative PCR test result, taken within 72 hours of departure from their home country, as well as Covid-19 insurance coverage of at least US$50,000.
Under this scheme, travelers will be permitted to arrive at any international airport in the kingdom, they will need to take a second PCR test upon arrival at the airport. This test will need to be pre-booked with an SHA Plus hotel, where they will be required to spend their first night. The hotel cannot be more than a 2-hour drive from their arrival airport and travelers must remain there until they get the result of their second PCR test.
According to the Bangkok Post report, this means that travelers arriving at Suvarnabhumi for example could choose to book a hotel in Bangkok or in Pattaya. Once they receive a negative result from their PCR test, they will be free to travel anywhere in the country without any further Covid-19 tests. For more details about the guidelines of exception from quarantine, please click here.
The second scheme – "Live in the Blue Zone" Sandbox Programme
This scheme is available to those whose countries have not made it onto the 63 "low-risk" countries list. Under this scheme, 17 so-called "blue zone" provinces in Thailand will be opened to vaccinated foreign arrivals during their first 7 days in the kingdom. In addition to the same testing requirements as the first scheme, they will also be subject to a further test on day 6 or 7 of their stay. This test will be carried out using an antigen test kit, making it cheaper than PCR testing. The Bangkok Post reports that from December, the “blue zones” will expand to 33 provinces and then 45 from January. To qualify as a blue zone, a province must have vaccinated at least 70% of its population. For more details about the guidelines of the Sandbox Programme, please click here.
The Last scheme – “Happy Quarantine”
For unvaccinated travelers unable to partake in either of the schemes above, the delights of scheme number 3 are available. Unvaccinated international arrivals will be subject to a mandatory 10-day stay in an alternative quarantine facility.
Guideline Table of the Three Schemes of Entering Thailand During Covid-19
