Thailand: No More Mandatory Quarantine For Fully Vaccinated Travelers

Traveling to Thailand is now easier with new policy rules to enter the country. After two years of restrictions due to the pandemic, people who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and planning to visit Thailand will no longer need to undergo any test or quarantine on arrival. This new measure started on May 1 and local authorities hope will help recover the country’s tourism industry.

Thailand was one of the first nations in Asia to reopen its borders to fully vaccinated visitors last year with limited quarantine norms, designed at the time as a model for re-opening.

Before this measure, visitors were submitted to the procedure known as “Test and Go,” on the arrival. Even fully vaccinated travelers were required to take RT-PCR tests upon arrival and forced to stay in a government-approved hotel for one night until the results are known. On the fifth day of their stay, a self-administered rapid antigen test has been required.

“Many countries have already eased their restrictions,” Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha told AFP. “We are a country that relies on the tourism industry, especially during these times. This will help move the economy forward,” he added.

Under the new rules, unvaccinated visitors still have to provide proof of negative results from a RT-PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival.

As the country’s Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration informed, all travelers still must register with an online “Thailand Pass” system and provide proof of health insurance with coverage of at least $10,000 for COVID-19 treatment.

Thailand is one of the world’s tourism destinations. With the pandemic, the country was severely impacted as tourism contributed 12% of GDP before the pandemic. As Reuters reported, bookings for 2022 show Thailand reaching 25% of pre-pandemic levels, behind levels of 72% and 65% each for Singapore and the Philippines.