Travel to Thailand

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

Do we have a topic that is dedicated for travel to Thailand during the pandemic?

I have a few questions and it would be nice if we could occasionally get updated information.

Is a two week quarantine in effect?

Does entry to Thailand require proof of vaccination?

I read somewhere that proof of ability to pay for hospital/medical is required. How does that work?

Is the Thai government loosening up? With Japan's and India's problems I imagine not.

[jacko 8,814]

As far as I know it there are a couple of topics written by people who went through this process.

Yes a quarantine in a ASQ facility of 14 days (or is it 15 if the day you arrive does not count).

At this moment proof of vaccination is not a criterion, Covid free tests and COE are required.

I thought it had to be reserved before travel and probably paid for too. The ASQ that is... Covid insurance is also required which  should cover hospitalization etc.

There is just too much talk of ideas to make it easier for tourists, for example the quarantine was shortened before, but went back up again when the situation in India and Thailand deteriorated. There are ideas for Phuket and Hua Hin to allow people in for holidays, but hard to keep ahead of the gossip. I have sort of given up along with the Expat vaccination process saga and adopted The Man Who Knows Too Little approach, Que sera sera.

Edited May 26, 2021 by jacko

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

35 minutes ago, jacko said:

As far as I know it there are a couple of topics written by people who went through this process.

Yes a quarantine in a ASQ facility of 14 days (or is it 15 if the day you arrive does not count).

At this moment proof of vaccination is not a criterion, Covid free tests and COE are required.

I thought it had to be reserved before travel and probably paid for too. The ASQ that is... Covid insurance is also required which  should cover hospitalization etc.

There is just too much talk of ideas to make it easier for tourists, for example the quarantine was shortened before, but went back up again when the situation in India and Thailand deteriorated. There are ideas for Phuket and Hua Hin to allow people in for holidays, but hard to keep ahead of the gossip. I have sort of given up along with the Expat vaccination process saga and adopted The Man Who Knows Too Little approach, Que sera sera.

jacko, thanks. Can you recommend the best place for updated information - I understand updates may be slow in coming? Perhaps an official Thai government source? I doubt this year is possible for travel. I can't afford a two week quarantine and would be board to tears unless I could quarantine in a house of ill repute. I would like to keep up to date regularly. Rumors are worthless to me.

I remain hopeful for a trip next year...God forbid at Songkran...but if that's the soonest.... 

[jacko 8,814]

I expect or hope that the Thai Embassy or one of the USA consulates would be the best source......

Reading the Thai Visa forum too, although that can be time consuming. (Lot of rumour, hyperbole and yakking to go through). 

It doesn't sound sensible to me though if you have no current plans or likelihood of travelling in the next month or two. So many things could happen in the interim, perhaps even an accommodation for using vaccination 'passports'.

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

8 minutes ago, jacko said:

I expect or hope that the Thai Embassy or one of the USA consulates would be the best source......

Reading the Thai Visa forum too, although that can be time consuming. (Lot of rumour, hyperbole and yakking to go through). 

It doesn't sound sensible to me though if you have no current plans or likelihood of travelling in the next month or two. So many things could happen in the interim, perhaps even an accommodation for using vaccination 'passports'.

I understand you. The sensible thing is to stay aware of the Covid situation in Asia. Nothing can change until that drastically improves. There is no light at the end of the tunnel there. There seems to be here in the states but we have been wrong before. 

Edited May 27, 2021 by midlifecrisis

[jacko 8,814]

38 minutes ago, midlifecrisis said:

I understand you. The sensible thing is to stay aware of the Covid situation in Asia. Nothing can change until that drastically improves. There is no light at the end of the tunnel there. There seems to be here in the states but we have been wrong before. 

As an example... today's latest on Thai Visa.....

Pattaya – Pattaya City authorities, along with Pattaya’s Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Pattaya business sector, is planning to propose to the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, or CCSA, a “Pattaya Move On” tourism scheme to welcome vaccinated foreign tourists to the city without quarantine in the 4th quarter of 2021.

[aj 62]

i just got set free from asq and other things. dealt with chicago thai CG for getting here. feel free to aks here or PM me. i set out front of house in nakula killing time until things open. i have an o-visa and assited friend with entry visa on arrival. asq/airfare must be paid up front to even apply for coe. paid airfare must be shown to apply for asq hotel. covid vaccine will not matter had mine and they did not care about it. if i had fully refundable fares for trip i would not be here. i went from 7-day to  15 nights and 16 day quarantine. they change here so quickly that as i type this it could be different.?

[biggles 509]

Just about anything from TAT can be ignored, just 'pie in the sky' schemes put out to justify their jobs. Same with business groups, just trying to pressure govt, without much sucess

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

2 hours ago, jacko said:

As an example... today's latest on Thai Visa.....

Pattaya – Pattaya City authorities, along with Pattaya’s Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Pattaya business sector, is planning to propose to the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, or CCSA, a “Pattaya Move On” tourism scheme to welcome vaccinated foreign tourists to the city without quarantine in the 4th quarter of 2021.

Thanks for that. We can't make concrete plans on hope but hope is an improvement.

That is something to keep an eye out for. I am not sure how they could do that in such a short period of time. In my state and I assume all states in the USA, we get a thin cardboard/heavy paper card that shows what vaccine we were given and on which date(s). I doubt it is official enough for international travel as I think it would be too easy to fake.

 

[VPI78 11,498]

6 minutes ago, midlifecrisis said:

Thanks for that. We can't make concrete plans on hope but hope is an improvement.

That is something to keep an eye out for. I am not sure how they could do that in such a short period of time. In my state and I assume all states in the USA, we get a thin cardboard/heavy paper card that shows what vaccine we were given and on which date(s). I doubt it is official enough for international travel as I think it would be too easy to fake.

 

I can tell you with certainty that they accepted the US index card proof of china virus vaccine at Narita 2 weeks ago.

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

10 hours ago, VPI78 said:

I can tell you with certainty that they accepted the US index card proof of china virus vaccine at Narita 2 weeks ago.

Thanks for that. I looked at mine again and it does have a CDC logo on it. I doubt we can get much more official.

 

[4wheels 119]

The PM said today he expects the country to open to those who are fully vaccinated in 120 days w/o quarantine.

[jacko 8,814]

20 minutes ago, 4wheels said:

The PM said today he expects the country to open to those who are fully vaccinated in 120 days w/o quarantine.

And the UK is saying it will allow citizens who have been fully vaccinated to return from amber code countries (Thailand is currently one) without quarantine requirements. (Sounds like a vaccine passport coming up.....)

Sky News.

Edited June 17, 2021 by jacko

[Bazle 1,485]

7 hours ago, 4wheels said:

The PM said today he expects the country to open to those who are fully vaccinated in 120 days w/o quarantine.

I believe he said he aimed to declare Thailand fully open within 120 days and for tourism centres that are ready, "to do so even faster".

Prayuth urged the public to get vaccinated as fast as possible and said the reopening target could only be met if the vaccines are delivered according to the committed schedules.

(My emphasis.)

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thailand-targets-reopening-within-120-days-economy-flounders-2021-06-16/

An "aim" is not the same as a certainty. He's already given himself a let-out.

I really don't see it happening in that timescale. If, in order to save face, it does, there will be so many restrictions imposed that hardly anyone will want to travel there in any event.

Edited June 17, 2021 by Bazle

[Bazle 1,485]

7 hours ago, jacko said:

And the UK is saying it will allow citizens who have been fully vaccinated to return from amber code countries (Thailand is currently one) without quarantine requirements. (Sounds like a vaccine passport coming up.....)

Sky News.

No, it isn't saying that! It is saying that it is CONSIDERING doing that.

[jacko 8,814]

7 hours ago, Bazle said:

No, it isn't saying that! It is saying that it is CONSIDERING doing that.

No what it now actually says is...

The government is not considering relaxing restrictions surrounding international travel for Britons who have had both doses of coronavirus vaccine “right now”, Matt Hancock has said.

Perhaps a little back pedaling.

[keyman 1,413]

Guys, this is not about Texas, so back on track please, otherwise posts will be deleted.

 

thanks

 

[TheFiend 1,181]

Off-topic and political posts have been removed...

Any more misbehaving in this thread and warnings might be issued....

[aj 62]

TY

[watsonanna 0]

Getting into Thailand now is not only very expensive, but also difficult. The number of regulations discourages many travelers from visiting the Kingdom.

[watsonanna 0]

Getting into Thailand now is not only very expensive, but also difficult. The number of regulations discourages many travelers from visiting the Kingdom. So I went to Mexico. Throughout the pandemic, no strict rules or restrictions were imposed on the country. The country was divided into green, yellow, orange and red zones, depending on the number of cases, click to read. The green zone includes the states of Chihuahua and Chiapas - no serious restrictions here. The yellow zone includes Quintana Roo, Oaxaca, Southern Baja California, Coahuila and other states. You have to wear masks indoors and outdoors. In the orange zone are Nuevo Leon, Sonora, Puebla, Tamaulipas, and others.

[cunneyes 206]

I wrote a guide that chronicled the hoops jumped through for me to get to Thailand in Feb 21., having starting the process to go there at Christmas of 2020.
Currently it seems to me that It is a less of an amount of hoops to jump through.
What puts me off going back anytime soon is the need to quarantine there and upon returning home. Not being able to isolate at home puts me off returning.
I came home in July 21 and then it was only hotel quarantine at a hefty expense.
My 2021 trip was for 5 months that were split into two halves of 2.5 months a piece.
The first half occurred in a pre 3rd wave period, which was a fairly normal Pattaya between Feb and mid April.
After that it was lockdown. I was there for an additional 2.5 months.
I wasn't in a hurry to leave and go home. The usual urges were still met. The pace of my lifestyle slowed dramatically and I really liked it.  
 

I wonder what kind of tourist i'm becoming. I've certainly enjoyed taking my time when going about things instead of the 2 week millionaire sprint.
I'm still in touch with mates there and good Thai folk. I'd like to imagine a mid year jaunt, maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but hey, something to work towards with a return to Cambodia and hopefully visiting relatives in the Philippines.
 

[maipenrai 473]

I've cancelled two trips in the last two months and never even made it far enough in the process to deal with the Thailand entry BS - both of mine were axed by the airlines, first being EVA because of an extended ban on transit visitors in Taipei Airport, and the second when my connecting flight from HKG to BKK with Cathay Pacific was cancelled apparently because of a shortage of pilots for flights in/out of HKG due to stringent restrictions on air crew working these routes. Thankfully full refunds were promptly given by both airlines and now I think I will wait until at least April or May before even thinking of travel to SE Asia, and most likely will just put it off until next winter when things have improved, hopefully...

[cunneyes 206]

11 hours ago, maipenrai said:

I've cancelled two trips in the last two months and never even made it far enough in the process to deal with the Thailand entry BS - both of mine were axed by the airlines, first being EVA because of an extended ban on transit visitors in Taipei Airport, and the second when my connecting flight from HKG to BKK with Cathay Pacific was cancelled apparently because of a shortage of pilots for flights in/out of HKG due to stringent restrictions on air crew working these routes. Thankfully full refunds were promptly given by both airlines and now I think I will wait until at least April or May before even thinking of travel to SE Asia, and most likely will just put it off until next winter when things have improved, hopefully...

I hear you. It's a lot of hassle. The transit bubble is also key for me too. 

After posting I decided to take another look into everything required in order to head overseas.
My home state is reopening it's international border on Feb 5th. ✔️
The official policy of the Office of Home Affairs is that you no longer need a exemption request to depart Australia.✔️
Upon return I can quarantine at home. This is a huge relief✔️

My other enquiries will be:

• How the Thailand pass will work now
• What is the current Thai quarantine ASQ process and for how long, and how much is it
• Transit bubble between Australia and Thailand, best route, ticketing prices.

[eastoffife 56]

Now that the Thai government has suspended new applications for the Thailand Pass as far as Test-and-go is concerned, can anyone confirm whether it is still possible to book via the Phuket Sandbox system, and get a Thailand pass. I usually travel to Pattaya, but if this is the only way of getting to Thailand and seeing my friend, it seems like a good idea. Anyone know anything about this? Also, any recommendations for hotels in Phuket?? Where are good locations to stay??