วันอาทิตย์ที่ 24 ตุลาคม 2564
Government Spokesperson discloses requirements for quarantine-free country reopening
Government Spokesperson discloses requirements for quarantine-free country reopening
October 22, 2021, Government Spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana disclosed about the policy on quarantine-free reopening of the country from November 1, 2021 onward for tourists from the approved countries, as stipulated in an Order of the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) which was published in the Royal Thai Government Gazette on October 21, 2021.
According to the Government Spokesperson, quarantine-free entry requirements are as follows:
Travel by air from the approved countries. Currently, Thailand has approved quarantine-free entry for arrivals from Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, UK, USA, and Hong Kong. Tourists from other countries not listed above must be in the approved countries for 21 days or more in order to qualify for quarantine-free entry.
A Certificate of Vaccination (fully vaccinated): For those fully vaccinated and those who were infected before and received one dose of vaccine within 3 months after infection, proof includes a Certificate of Vaccination with a vaccine approved by Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) or the World Health Organization (WHO) no less than 14 days before their travel date. Travelers under 12 years of age, travelling with their parents or guardians, are exempt from this vaccination requirement, but must have a Medical Certificate with an RT-PCR lab result indicating that COVID-19 is not detected issued no more than 72 hours before travelling.
A Medical Certificate with an RT-PCR lab result indicating that COVID-19 is not detected issued no more than 72 hours before travelling. A Medical Certificate of Recovery is also required from those having a lab result with COVID-19 detected to show that that have recovered from COVID-19 no later than 3 months. An insurance policy, with coverage clearly identified as no less than US$50,000, is also required.
A payment confirmation for no less than a 1-night stay upon arrival at the approved quarantine facilities (Alternative Quarantine – AQ, Organization Quarantine – OQ, or Alternative Hospital Quarantine – AHQ), or SHA Plus-certified hotel. The prepayment should cover both the 1-night accommodation, the required RT-PCR COVID-19 test, and an Antigen Test Kit (ATK).
Upon arrival at Thailand’s International Airport, travelers must download and install the specified alert application (MorChana), and proceed directly by the approved airport transfer to the pre-arranged COVID-19 test center, or the reserved accommodation and undergo the required RT-PCR COVID-19 test on Day 0-1. Travelers must wait within the accommodation only for the test result, which should be available within the day.
If testing negative for COVID-19, travelers can go anywhere in Thailand. Each traveler will receive an ATK that they have prepaid when booking the accommodation.Any traveler experiencing COVID-19 symptoms must immediately get a test done, using the provided ATK. If experiencing no symptoms, travelers must use the provided ATK for COVID-19 self-testing on Day 6-7, and show the result to staff at the hotel or accommodation, as well as record the result (both detected and non-detected) in the MorChana App.
The Government Spokesperson also disclosed about the airports that are now opened for international flights, which are, Suvarnabhumi, Don Muang, Phuket, Samui, U-Tapao (chartered flights only), and Burirum (chartered flights only). Airports that are ready for international services, and will soon be confirmed for the receipt of international flights include Chiang Mai, Krabi, and Udon Thani.
With the country reopening on November 1, 2021, it is expected by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) that no less than 1 million tourists will enter Thailand during the 4thquarter of 2021 and the 1stquarter of 2022, which is the high season. The country’s tourism industry will see a V-shaped recovery. It is also expected that tourism activities next year will generate at least 50% of the revenue earned in 2019 (2 trillion Baht), and at least 80% of the revenue earned in 2019 for the year 2023.
The Government Spokesperson also emphasized the importance for all sectors to remain in compliance with the COVID-19 measures, as the Government strives to drive forward economic recovery in parallel with maintaining public health security.