![](https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200521164522-hua-hin-beach-thailand-2-super-tease.jpg)
Editor’s Note — Coronavirus cases are in flux across the globe. Health officials caution that staying home is the best way to stem transmission until you’re fully vaccinated. Below is information on what to know if you still plan to travel, last updated on August 11.
The basics
Most travelers must quarantine for 14 days in an Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) facility.
What’s on offer
Picture-perfect islands. Golden beaches with swaying palms. Ornate temples and lush forests. Thailand has long been the go-to destination for those after a no-nonsense, easy-on-the-eye tropical break.
Who can go
What are the restrictions?
All travelers must provide proof of an insurance policy that covers treatment for Covid-19 up to the cost of $100,000 and a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure.
Another PCR test must be taken on arrival, after which all travelers (with the exception of fully vaccinated travelers flying to Phuket or Koh Samui) must quarantine at government-approved quarantine facilities or Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) facilities. This can include luxury hotels, some of which have developed quarantine packages.
On July 1, Phuket reopened to vaccinated travelers from low- and medium-risk destinations without quarantine restrictions. However, visitors need to stay in a SHA+ accredited hotel on the island for 14 days before they are allowed to travel elsewhere in the country.
Phuket visitors need to apply for a Certificate of Entry. They will also need to provide proof of an insurance policy that covers treatment for Covid-19 up to the cost of $100,000, a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure and a certificate of vaccination against Covid-19 with an approved vaccine administered no less than 14 days before their travel date.
On July 15, the country launched a similar program on the islands of Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao, dubbed “Samui Plus.”
Fully vaccinated travelers are allowed to fly into Koh Samui. They need to stay in an approved hotel on the island and are not allowed to leave the property for the first three days. After seven days they are allowed to travel between the three islands.
What’s the Covid situation?
For months, Thailand reported few locally transmitted Covid-19 cases thanks to strict quarantine on arrival rules.
However, the country continues to battle its third and worst wave of infections, which emerged from outbreak clusters in several Bangkok nightclubs in early April.
At the moment, the country is reporting more than 10,000 new cases per day on average, with the majority of cases in Bangkok and its surrounding provinces.
What can visitors expect?
A new round of restrictions, including a curfew, has been imposed on 13 high-risk provinces until at least August 2. Affected areas are Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Chon Buri, Chachoengsao, Ayutthaya, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla and Yala.
Only essential shops and services in these areas are permitted to open and restaurants are limited to take-out only.
Interprovincial travel is discouraged at the moment. With few exceptions, domestic flights to and from high-risk areas have been canceled. Bus and train travel has been impacted as well, with operators suspending or decreasing journeys.
Officials have banned domestic travelers from entering Phuket from August 3-16 in an effort to halt the spread of Covid-19, with the exception of those who have a scheduled international flight.
Entertainment venues — including bars and nightclubs — throughout most of the country have been ordered to close.
Masks are worn at all times in public, both indoors and out, while temperature checks are the norm. Those who do not wear masks face fines.
Areas within driving distance of Bangkok have been able to benefit from domestic tourists prior to the latest restrictions, but other normally popular destinations such as Phuket and Koh Samui haven’t been as fortunate.
Visitors to these destinations will find empty beaches and heavily discounted accommodation options.
In Phuket, many shops, restaurants and hotels in the southern beaches of Patong, Kata and Karon have closed due to the lack of tourists.
Useful links
Our latest coverage
Joe Minihane, Julia Buckley and Karla Cripps contributed to this report