You Won’t Have to Quarantine in Thailand If Fully Vaccinated & From a Low-Risk Country

In a televised address to the nation, Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that starting 1 Nov 2021, Thailand would welcome fully vaccinated travellers to enter the country without quarantine. The only condition for them was to provide a negative RT-PCR test result upon arrival, and that they come from low-risk countries.

“Today, I ordered the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) and the Ministry of Public Health to jointly consider it within this week. From Nov 1 onwards, Thailand will start reopening without quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated persons who travel to the country by air from what we classify as low-risk countries,” the PM said in the address. 

As of writing, there are at least 10 countries that qualify as low-risk countries, including Singapore, the United States, Germany, China, and the United Kingdom. The list is expected to expand by 1 Dec 2021. Tourists who do not come from low-risk countries must still follow quarantine measures. 

Image credit: Mg Cthu

The PM also elaborated on the safety protocols saying, “We will only request everyone, upon arriving in Thailand, to prove they are free from COVID-19 with an RT-PCR test result obtained before leaving the country of origin. There will be another COVID-19 test when they reach Thailand. Afterwards, they will be able to travel to different areas freely like what ordinary Thais can do.”

Prayut also added that he’s well-aware of the risks these eased measures will most likely entail, which is why he’s still reserving the right to alter plans should a new variant or unforeseen factor come into play.  “However, if we find in the next (two to three or four) months a new variant that is very harmful, of course, we will have to introduce measures that are suitable and appropriate to control the situation,” he said on TV. 

Also read: These New Lays Flavours from Thailand Taste Like Your Fave Korean Treats!

As of writing, Thailand is administering 700,000 doses per day and has a total of 1.72 million recorded cases. 

Featured image credit: Evan Krause | Unsplash