As the grand re-opening date of November 1 approaches, with little clarity as to what that will look like, here’s some of what we know – and what we don’t. According to a Thai PBS World report, the government has outlined 7 conditions that will determine if someone can enter the kingdom quarantine-free. The following conditions have been communicated by the Bureau of Risk Communication and Health Behaviour Promotion, part of the Disease Control Department.
1. Foreign visitors must arrive by air and come from a list of “low-risk” countries approved by the Public Health Ministry
2. Have proof of vaccination with 2 doses of a recognised Covid-19 vaccine
3. Have a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours of departure from your home country
4. Have at least US$50,000 in Covid-19 insurance coverage
5. Have proof of a hotel booking
6. Travellers must download the Mor Chana app and take a second PCR test on arrival or within 24 hours of arrival
7. If the second test is negative, visitors can continue their journey without any further quarantine
However, with just over 10 days to go, a number of things remain unknown. Chief among them is the list of “low-risk” countries, as well as the rules for vaccinated adults travelling with unvaccinated children. Clarity is also needed on whether travellers need proof of a hotel booking beyond their first night in the kingdom and if this applies to expats with homes here. Furthermore, Thai embassies continue to advise people to book quarantine hotels, insisting they’ve received no communication about the re-opening process.
Thai PBS World reports that the government is moving to a 3-model approach for admitting foreign arrivals. The first – and original – model is that unvaccinated visitors will be subject to mandatory hotel quarantine for between 7 and 14 days. The second model is the sandbox model currently in operation in Phuket, Samui and other tourist destinations, which is being extended to several other provinces. The third model will be the quarantine-free model discussed above.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
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