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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 November 26, 2021.
The basics
On November 1, Thailand began allowing vaccinated international travelers who have resided in one of 63 countries and territories for at least 21 days to enter without having to enter into a lengthy quarantine. (They do, however, need to stay in a government-approved hotel for one night while they await the results of their Covid-19 test.)
Approved countries and territories include Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, the UK, the US and Hong Kong.
Fully vaccinated travelers arriving by air from countries not on the list are eligible to enter through a “sandbox” scheme that requires them to stay in a government-approved hotel or resort in one of 17 “blue” destinations, including Phuket, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui, for seven nights before they will be allowed to travel freely in the country.
Travelers who have not been fully vaccinated are required to quarantine in an approved hotel for 10 days.
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-eyes tropical break.
Who can go
What are the entry restrictions?
Foreign tourists must provide proof of an insurance policy that covers treatment for Covid-19 up to the cost of $50,000. All travelers need to provide proof of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure.
From November 1, fully vaccinated travelers residing in one of the approved 63 countries/territories wishing to enter Thailand without quarantine restrictions must check into a Thailand Safety and Health Administration accredited (SHA+) hotel for one night to await the results of their Covid-19 test.
After that, they are free to travel in the country.
Visitors under the age of 12 who are traveling with their parents are exempt from the vaccination requirement.
Visitors entering via the Sandbox program need to stay in a SHA+ hotel or resort for seven nights. At the end of this period they will be permitted to travel elsewhere in the country. Travelers under 18 and traveling with their parents as part of the Sandbox program are exempt from the vaccination requirement.
Unvaccinated travelers 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.
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 is now coming out of its third and worst wave of infections, which emerged from outbreak clusters in several Bangkok nightclubs in early April of 2021.
At the moment, cases are dropping following a lengthy lockdown period and the country is reporting around 7,000 new cases per day on average.
What can visitors expect?
A curfew in place in Bangkok and other areas was lifted on November 1.
A 10 p.m. curfew remains in place in seven “dark-red” provinces: Chanthaburi, Tak, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla and Yala.
Museums, art galleries, historical sites, ancient monuments, spas, cinemas, pools, tattoo studios and sporting facilities are open throughout the country but required to operate under strict public health measures and limit the number of visitors at 75% of normal capacity.
Restaurants in Bangkok have resumed normal operating hours, and are allowed to serve dine-in customers alcoholic beverages. The sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages remains prohibited in restaurants in the orange, red and dark-red zones.
Entertainment venues — including bars and nightclubs — throughout the country remain closed.
Interprovincial travel has been allowed to resume, including domestic flights to and from high-risk areas.
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.
Useful links
Our latest coverage
Officials in Thailand have announced a reopening date for one of the country’s most famous attractions. Maya Bay, a beautiful cove made famous by “The Beach” — a 2000 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio — will reopen to tourists on January 1, 2022 Read more about the reopening here.
Joe Minihane, Julia Buckley and Karla Cripps contributed to this report