Checklist: What to do before, during, and after entering Thailand for quarantine-free travel

This is part of Thailand's 'Test & Go' programme which exempts travellers from certain countries/territories from quarantine, and includes documentation needed, registration requirements for a Thailand Pass, COVID-19 testing protocols, and more.

With the implementation of Thailand's 'Test & Go' programme, which exempts travellers from certain countries/territories from quarantine, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has shared a checklist of what travellers need to take note of before entering, upon arrival, and after entering Thailand.

This includes documentation needed, registration requirements for a Thailand Pass, COVID-19 testing protocols, and more.

What to do before travelling to Thailand

To be eligible, travellers must arrive via air from the list of approved countries/territories where they must have stayed for 21 days or more. Returning Thais and foreign residents, who previously travelled from Thailand, are exempt from this requirement.

Travellers are reminded to provide the following required documents:

1. A Certificate of Vaccination (fully vaccinated) with an approved vaccine at least 14 days before travelling.
2. Those previously infected within three months must have received one dose of an approved vaccine at least 14 days before travelling.
3. Travellers under 12 years of age, travelling with parents or guardians, are exempt from the vaccination requirement.
4. A medical certificate with a negative RT-PCR lab result issued no more than 72 hours before travelling (all travellers).
5. A confirmed payment for a one-night stay at an SHA Extra Plus (SHA++)1 accommodation, and one RT-PCR test.
6. An insurance policy with coverage no less than US$50,000.

In preparation, travellers must apply for a Thailand Pass: 

1. Register for a Thailand Pass here.
2. Upload the required document (along with the valid visa/re-entry permit, if required), and allow three to five working days for the approval process. Wait for the approval of the Vaccine Certification and paid accommodation, including the RT-PCR test.
3. Confirm the approval, and receive a Thailand Pass QR Code.

The entire process takes up to seven working days.

What to do upon arrival in Thailand

Upon arrival in Thailand, travellers are required to

1. Present the Thailand Pass QR Code to the Health Control to carry out checks, then proceed through the Immigration procedures.
2. Undergo the RT-PCR COVID-19 test at the reserved accommodation, or the pre-arranged test centre.
   1. Children aged under six years have a saliva test.
3. Proceed to the hotel by the pre-arranged airport transfer. (Distance from the airport within 2 hours.)
4. Download and install the MorChana application at the hotel.

During the stay, travellers should:

1. Wait for the test result within the hotel room.
   1. While the waiting period should be within 24 hours, it may vary between 24-48 hours, depending on the laboratory’s operating time.
2. Travellers tested negative for COVID-19 will receive an Antigen Test Kit (ATK) for COVID-19 self-testing on Days six to seven.
3. Travellers will receive an alert for the self ATK testing on Days six to seven. They should record the result in the MorChana application.
4. Practise the D-M-H-T-T-A precautions:
   1. D – Distancing,
   2. M – Mask wearing,
   3. H – Handwashing,
   4. T – Temperature check,
   5. T – Testing for COVID-19, and
   6. A – alert application.

What to do after testing negative in Thailand  

Travellers are free to go anywhere in Thailand or leave Thailand to travel to other countries. However, travellers are advised to follow the guidelines and measures announced by the respective province/country of their destination.

Mandatory stay for vaccinated travellers under Sandbox programme shortened to five days

In similar updates, Thailand's Sandbox programme allowing fully vaccinated travellers to enter Thailand without quarantine has shortened the mandatory stay to five days for vaccinated travellers.

Decided at a general meeting on Friday, chaired by the Prime Minister, the stay under “sandbox” regulations had been reduced from seven days to five. “Happy Quarantine,” as tourism officials call it, has also been cut to five days for vaccinated travellers.

The Sandbox scheme is an entry option for vaccinated travellers. However, those arriving from African countries are an exception due to the emergence of the Omicron variant. Those who are vaccinated and travelling from one of the 63 countries approved by the Thai government are eligible for quarantine exemption and don’t need to enter under the Sandbox programme.

Under the Sandbox scheme, travellers can enter the country and roam freely in any of the areas designated as a “blue” zone, including Phuket and Krabi, instead of undergoing quarantine at a hotel or facility. While in Thailand, travellers will need to stay at a SHA+ approved hotel or resort. They will also need to take an RT-PCR Covid-19 test upon arrival and take a rapid antigen test on Day four or five of their stay.

The CCSA recently approved entry by land at the Nong Khai checkpoint bordering Laos, starting December 24, and by sea.

Those travelling with children under the “sandbox” scheme should note the following:

1. Children under six years old will need to travel with parents and will need a negative result from an RT-PCR test issued within 72 hours before departure. Young children do not need take another RT-PCR test on arrival and can take a saliva test instead.
2. Children aged six to 11 will need to travel with parents and will need a negative result from an RT-PCR test issued 72 hours before departure.
3. Teenagers aged 12 to 17 will need a negative result from an RT-PCR test issued 72 hours before departure. Those who are travelling with their parents do not need to be vaccinated while those travelling alone will need proof that they have received at least one dose of an approved vaccine.

Travellers who are 18 years old or above need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with an approved vaccine at least 14 days before entering Thailand under the Sandbox scheme. They must also have a negative result from an RT-PCR test issued 72 hours before departure. Travellers will need to show proof of an insurance policy with coverage no less than US$50,000.

Those who have been infected with COVID-19 within the past three months must have a medical certificate or at least one dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine.

^{1*SHA Extra Plus (SHA++) hotels are those that meet the Amazing Thailand SHA Plus standard and provide an accommodation service in partnership with certified hospitals for the RT-PCR test. The list of the SHA Extra Plus (SHA++) hotels is available here.}

 Image /  TAT Newsroom

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