Thailand was one of the few countries in Asia that started to reopen for international visitor arrivals in July 2021, and I used the Sandbox scheme to enter the country on September 1.
I was supposed to go to Thailand again in January but had to change my plans, as I turned out to have an asymptomatic covid-case discovered on pre-departure PCR-RT tests (I did two).
You can access the official site for Thailand Pass here.
It was unclear then when Thailand would reopen its program for applications (it was temporarily closed due to the omicron spike), and I decided to postpone the Asia trip until April and go to Latin America for a couple of months.
We have covered all the changes to Thailand’s program, and I have delayed applying for my Test & Go pass because Thailand has relaxed some of the testing requirements, and there is talk that the on-arrival PCR-RT test would soon be changed to the Rapid Antigen test (perhaps on May 1) and other conditions dropped on June 1.
Thailand most recently dropped the pre-departure testing requirement.
There are now three separate entry schemes to choose from depending on where you plan to go in Thailand and whether you have been vaccinated or not.
Thailand Looks At Abandoning The Test&Go Scheme From June 1, 2022 As Neighboring Countries Reopen
Test & Go, Sandbox, or Alternative Quarantine
If you have been vaccinated, I don’t quite understand why someone would want to enter using the Sandbox that requires you to book the same hotel for five nights, after which you are allowed to other parts of Thailand.
The Alternate Quarantine is an option for those that have not been vaccinated and requires you to quarantine for five nights.
Test & Go Requirements
- Proof of Vaccination
- SHA Extra+ hotel reservation for a night that includes transportation from the airport + PCR-RT test + Antigen test kit
- Proof of Insurance
You no longer need to provide proof of airline ticket when applying for the pass. The pass is valid for 72 hours from the indicated departure time (it cannot be earlier but can be later).
Thailand has released the following information about various schemes in place now:
TEST & GO scheme (Day 1 at the SHA Extra+ hotel, in order to wait for the COVID-19 RT-PCR Test result)
Travellers eligible to travel to Thailand under TEST & GO scheme:
- Travellers from all countries
- Those who have received 2 doses of vaccine, no less than 14 days, prior to their departure to Thailand (The date of the second dose injection is considered as Day 0 and the next day is considered as Day 1).
- Those who were infected by COVID-19 and have received at least 1 dose of vaccine, not less than 14 days prior to their departure to Thailand (The date of vaccine injection is considered Day 0 and the next day is considered day 1).
- Those who have received 2 doses of vaccine before being infected by COVID-19 and have completed no less than 14 day quarantine period prior to their departure to Thailand. The travellers are required to have medical certificate from the doctor, stating the recovery from COVID-19 and asymptomatic confirmation.
- List of vaccines, approved by Thai authorities https://bit.ly/34J1mdZ
- Travellers of ages between 6-11 years old, who are not vaccinated or fully vaccinated but travelling with fully vaccinated guardians.
- Travellers of age between 12-17 years old, who have received 1 dose of vaccine can independently enter Thailand under TEST & GO scheme. Travellers in this group who have not been vaccinated can enter Thailand under TEST & GO scheme with fully vaccinated guardians.
Procedures for TEST & GO scheme:
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Enter Thailand via Suvarnabhumi International Airport or other international airports or certain ports on Samui island.
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Have proof of reservation and fully paid for SHA Extra+ hotel or Alternative Quarantine (AQ) hotel confirmation for 1 nights (Day 1)
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For Day 1, the SHA Extra+ hotel must include 1 RT-PCR test and airport transfer. The hotel must be within 5 hr. distance from the arrival airport. The travellers with negative test result will be allowed to leave the hotel and travel to other areas. For DAY 5, The travellers must take an ATK (Antigen Test Kit).
List of SHA Extra+ hotels: https://web.thailandsha.com/shaextraplus
List of AQ hotels: http://hsscovid.com/
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Holders of a non-Thai passport must have health insurance policy with coverage of no less than 20,000 USD (health insurance is not required for Thai passport holders). The health insurance can be purchased at https://covid19.tgia.org/
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Apply for Thailand Pass through the website tp.consular.go.th at least 3-7 days prior to the departure date. Travellers are required to fill in an online form and upload relevant documents, including proof of full payment for 1 night accommodation in the SHA Extra+ or AQ hotel(s) with 1 RT-PCR tests and airport transfer. Once the application has been approved, the Thailand Pass QR code will be sent to registered email of the applicants. The Thailand Pass QR code will be valid for 72 hrs. after the registered departure date and time.What is Thailand Pass? https://bit.ly/3jRv5Wk
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Travellers who have been infected by COVID-19 for no less than 14 days must present COVID-19 recovery certificate or asymptomatic certificate, issued and signed by the doctor.
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Travellers of ages under 6 years old, who are not fully vaccinated can enter Thailand under the same scheme as their guardians. Upon arrival in Thailand, they will be tested by saliva testing.
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Sandbox scheme (Stay and travel within Sandbox areas for 5 days) Sandbox areas are as follows:
Travellers eligible to travel to Thailand under Sandbox scheme:
- Travellers from all countries
- Those who have received 2 doses of vaccine, no less than 14 days, prior to their departure to Thailand (The date of the second dose injection is considered as Day 0 and the next day is considered as Day 1).
- Those who were infected by COVID-19 and have received at least 1 dose of vaccine, not less than 14 days prior to their departure to Thailand (The date of vaccine injection is considered Day 0 and the next day is considered Day 1).
- Those who have received 2 doses of vaccine before being infected by COVID-19 and have completed no less than 14 day quarantine period prior to their departure to Thailand. The travellers are required to have a medical certificate from the doctor, stating the recovery from COVID-19 and asymptomatic confirmation.
- List of vaccines, approved by Thai authorities https://bit.ly/34J1mdZ
- Travellers of ages between 6-11 years old, who are not vaccinated or fully vaccinated but travelling with fully vaccinated guardians.
- Travellers of age between 12-17 years old, who have received 1 dose of vaccine can independently enter Thailand under TEST & GO scheme. Travellers in this group who have not been vaccinated can enter Thailand under TEST & GO scheme with fully vaccinated guardians.
Procedures for Sandbox scheme:
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Have proof of reservation and fully paid for SHA Extra+ hotel or AQ hotel confirmation for 5 nights, including 1 COVID-19 RT-PCR test and 1 ATK (Antigen Test Kit). The first COVID-19 RT-PCR test is on the arrival day in Thailand and the second one with ATK (Antigen Test Kit) is on Day 4-5. Travellers may have only 1 COVID-19 RT-PCR test if there is a proof of less than 5 day stay in the Sandbox areas and a departure ticket directly from the Sandbox areas to any country outside Thailand.
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For Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi, and Suratthani Sandbox, travellers are not eligible to stay in more than 3 hotels within 5-day period.
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In case the SHA Extra+ or AQ hotel reservation does not include the COVID-19 RT-PCR tests, travellers must apply and pay for the COVID-19 RT-PCR tests at the website thailandpsas.com
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List of SHA Extra+ hotels: https://web.thailandsha.com/shaextraplus
List of AQ hotels: http://hsscovid.com/
You may book the hotel at the following links:
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Holders of a non-Thai passport must have health insurance policy with coverage of no less than 20,000 USD (health insurance is not required for Thai passport holders). The health insurance can be purchased at https://covid19.tgia.org/
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Apply for Thailand Pass through the website tp.consular.go.th at least 3-7 days prior to the departure date. Travellers are required to fill in an online form and upload relevant documents, including proof of full payment for 1 night accommodation in the SHA Extra+ or AQ hotel(s) with 1 RT-PCR tests and airport transfer. Once the application has been approved, the Thailand Pass QR code will be sent to registered email of the applicants. The Thailand Pass QR code will be valid for 72 hrs. after the registered departure date and time.What is Thailand Pass? https://bit.ly/3jRv5Wk
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Travellers who have been infected by COVID-19 for not less than 14 days must present COVID-19 recovery certificate or asymptomatic certificate, issued and signed by the doctor.
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Travellers of ages under 6 years old, who are not fully vaccinated can enter Thailand under the same scheme as their guardians. Upon arrival in Thailand, they will be tested by saliva testing.
Be Aware Of Fake Emails Pretending To Come From Consular!
Be Aware Fraudulent Emails Pretending To Come From Thailand Pass
Conclusion
I would be very hesitant to travel to Thailand without doing a pre-departure PCR-RT test when one is conducted upon arrival. I would have ended up in a quarantine hotel or a hospitel for an extended period if I had tried to enter Thailand in January.
It seems that most of these current testing requirements and applying for the Thailand Pass will be dropped in the next few months.
Although they are not as burdensome as in 2021, applying for one is a deterrent for many regular tourists that are used to traveling with just their passport and perhaps travel insurance.
I’ll get my application in tomorrow, as I am scheduled to fly on the 19th.
