2020-2022: The Covid Archives | The Koh Samui Guide

Should you ever get nostalgic about 2020 (and 2021 … and a decent chunk of 2022)… here’s every pandemic update I wrote, buried in the deepest corner of the internet I can find. 27,445 words on covid-era Thailand travel. >>Shudder<<. Below, find everything that was in descending chronology.

Much more fun to read? The Koh Samui Guide. Unlike much of the below, it involves planes and alcohol.

December 2021 (part 4)

Huge thanks to a Koh Samui Guide customer, James, for letting me know that it’s now possible to ‘Test and Go’ on Koh Samui. I so appreciate this collective spirit of information sharing – I think it’s the only way we’ll get the whole picture. Thank you James!! His kind tip led me down the rabbit hole of 340,459,454 browser tabs as I tried to reverse-engineer how it all works. As far as I can tell, what follows is a step-by-step guide to how it’s currently possible to arrive straight to Koh Samui from overseas, and complete your one-night Test and Go stay on Samui rather than in Bangkok.

Updated December 22, 2021
Announced today: New Thailand Pass applications and the Test and Go program will be temporarily suspended over the holidays. This is *hopefully* a temporary measure while sciencey people give Omicron a watchful side-eye. The situation will be reviewed in early January.

How to ‘Test and Go’ on Koh Samui
Now that you’ve read the above guides and FAQs, you’ll have an understanding of the Test and Go requirement and which hotels are qualified to offer Test and Go packages. (As well as the crucial, crucial knowledge about what happens to you if you test positive on arrival – please don’t miss this).

How to get to Koh Samui
To arrive in Koh Samui eligible for Test and Go, as a newly minted testable-entity, you need to book one of two flight options:

1. Domestic flight options
A ‘sealed’ route on Bangkok Airways from BKK to USM (Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport to Koh Samui). These are flight numbers:

PG5125
PG5171
Both flights run daily.

Let’s quickly look at flight timing and see if this makes sense for you to do.

PG5125 leaves BKK at noon and PG5171 leaves BKK at 17:10. If your arriving flight into BKK doesn’t match up, just scrap the Koh Samui arrivals plan and book a Bangkok Test and Go hotel instead. No point in waiting for hours at an airport after a long-haul flight, rather than going directly to a comfy hotel room.

How to book one of these sealed flights? Important! Your entire journey from departure airport to Koh Samui needs to be booked on one ticket. You can’t hop on to the Bangkok Airways’ website and book the Samui flight independently. All one ticket. This is best done through a travel agent or by phoning your airline and booking with a real person. For a test, I tried my luck with Thai Airways, British Airways and Eva on their websites. Eva couldn’t find anything, BA wanted to route me through Singapore and Thai told me that “transiting to domestic destinations in Thailand is currently restricted” (which – as this post is trying to demonstrate – is true with two exceptions, PG5125 and PG5171). However, if you click past the warning, Thai Airways does find the sealed route flights.

This is an example from London (LHR) to Koh Samui (USM), for a date in January, offering both sealed route options. But don’t miss the connection time in BKK: 6 hours’ and 11 hours’ waiting respectively. I’d way rather be showered and tucked in a fluffy Bangkok hotel bathrobe, you?

Why can’t I see flights PG5125 and PG5171 on the website? You’ll only see domestic flights for sale on Bangkok Airways’s website. The two sealed Samui flights are only available via international carriers. (If they were available for purchase to domestic carriers they wouldn’t be sealed, right?). I’ve read that people had to reiterate to their airline that PG5171 and PG171 are different flights. Make sure you’re on the one that starts with a 5. It’s confusing because the two separate flights have similar arrival times.

How to change my existing booking to a sealed flight? I’ve received emails from people wondering how to change an existing flight booking to include one of these sealed Koh Samui flights. I don’t know the specifics of your ticket conditions but my best guess is you’ll have to talk to your airline (a real human on the phone) and either pay rebooking fees or cancel and rebook it entirely. (Just a guess – covid-era airline fine-print is by no means my area of expertise).

If you accidentally arrive in Thailand with an incorrect connecting flight (e.g. not a sealed flight), you’ll be required to do your Test and Go in Bangkok (and forfeit your Samui Test and Go booking). As I wonder a few times in this post … might it be easier just to spend a night in Bangkok and skip the worry and confusion?

2. International flight options to Samui

Can you fly into Koh Samui on an international flight and Test and Go on arrival? In normal times, you’d have a half-dozen options of direct international flights into Samui (USM), on several airlines. Currently, only Bangkok Airways is offering a direct international flight a few times a week from Singapore:

Flight PG962 leaves Singapore at 19:30
Monday, Thursday and Sunday

I can’t find any written proof from a reliable source that you can Test and Go on arrival in Samui on these flights … equally, I can’t find proof that you can’t. I suspect that it’s possible because that’s what should and would happen to fresh international arrivals into Thailand but … I don’t know this for absolute certainty. (If anyone’s done this or is doing this … let me know!). British Airways routes Samui bookings this way on its website (e.g. through Singapore), so I’m assuming this is true until told otherwise.

Ok, so now you’ve got your flights sorted – let’s look at your options for Test and Go hotels on Koh Samui.

Test and Go hotels on Koh Samui
As you’ve learned, you’re looking for “SHA Extra Plus” hotels which are “SHA Plus” hotels that have a hospital partner to perform the covid testing. It’s my understand that the tests happen at Samui Airport, rather than at the hotel.

You need to book your Test and Go package either on Agoda or directly with the hotel in advance of your arrival (indeed in advance of your Thailand Pass application). As with Bangkok Test and Go, the package will include your arrival covid test, airport transfer (likely just one way), your one night’s stay and a DIY covid test that you take on your 6th or 7th day. Double-check what the package includes in terms of food (as you’re not allowed to leave your room until a test result is received) and read the fine-print for cancellation/refund details.

Test and Go hotels on Koh Samui:
As of today, you have over 125 options for Test and Go hotels and villas on Koh Samui. No matter which you book, you’ll need a document from your hotel (“Samui Plus Pre-paid SHA PLUS Booking Authentication”) to submit for your Thailand Pass.

Booking Test and Go on Agoda
Compared to finding a Test and Go package on Agoda in Bangkok, it took a little more digging to do the same for Koh Samui Test and Go packages but it is possible.

1) Follow the same process for Bangkok Test and Go. IMPORTANT! Unless you follow this bizarre series of clicks, you won’t see Test and Go packages in the results. I don’t know why, but this is the way.

2) At the top of your results page on Agoda, under the filter, click “International entry (SHA Extra+) and click “Certified SHA Extra+ hotels”. This is the key step to making the Test and Go packages appear in your results.

I was able to find packages for:

Amari Koh Samui: Note that Amari’s options include group and family room options – tons of flexibility.

OZO Chaweng Samui: My examples both include free cancellation up to the day of arrival but not taxes and fees.

Booking Test and Go directly

Looking at a few Test and Go package options for Samui, you’ll notice a few things in the details when booking directly through the hotel.

The Anantara and W Koh Samui’s “Test and Chillax” options are non-refundable. I’d be much more comfortable booking something on Agoda with free cancellation – especially if you’re booking some distance in the future and, y’know, the world decides to totally go to sh*t.

The InterContinental option adds airport transfer and covid test on top of the room rate (THB 2,200 per car and THB 2,400 per person, net, respectively).

Just flagging this so you make sure to read the small print you might otherwise skip past.

The Nikki Beach option requires a 3-night minimum stay and makes vague reference to “terms and conditions”.

Just to say – some homework will be required on your part before handing over your payment for a direct booking.

As for the full list of Koh Samui Test and Go hotel options, these are – alphabetically –

Absolute Sanctuary
Amari Koh Samui
Ammatara Pura
Anahata Resort Koh Samui
Anantara Bophut
Anantara Lawana
AVANI+ Samui
Baan Bophut Beach Hotel
Baan Chaweng Beach Resort
Baan Haad Ngam Boutique Resort
Baan Hin Sai Resort & Spa
Baan Samui Resort
Banana Fan Sea Resort
Banyan Tree Samui
Belmond Napasai Koh Samui
Bhundhari Chaweng Beach Resort
Bo Phut Resort and Spa
Cape Fahn
Casa De Mar
Celes Beachfront Resort
Centara Reserve Samui (new!)
Centara Villas Samui
Chaweng Cove Beach Resort
Chaweng Garden Beach Resort
Chaweng Noi Pool Villa
Chaweng Regent Beach Resort
Chaweng Villawee
Chura Samui
CHUZ Villas Samui
Coco Palm Beach Resort
Code
Conrad Koh Samui
Coral Cliff Beach Resort
Dara Samui Beach Resort
Eranda Villa
Escape Beach Resort
Fair House Beach Resort
First Bungalow Beach Resort
First Residence Hotel
Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui
Hansar Samui
Hyatt Regency Koh Samui (new!)
ibis Samui Bophut
Impiana
InterContinental Koh Samui Resort
J4 Samui Hotel
Kamalaya Koh Samui
Karma Resort
KC Beach Club
Khun Chaweng Resort
Khwan Beach Resort
La Vida Samui
Lanna Samui
Le Murraya Resort
Lotus Samui
Lub d Koh Samui
Luxury Villa Samui
Mai Samui Beach Resort & Spa
Malibu Resort and Beach Club
Mantra Samui Resort
Marina Beach Resort
Marina Villa
Melati Resort & Spa
Melia Koh Samui (new-is!)
Miskawaan Luxury Beachfront Villas
Montien House
New Body & Mind Retreat Koh Samui
New Leaf Wellness Resort
Nikki Beach Resort & Spa
Nora Beach Resort & Spa
Nora Buri Samui Resort & Spa
OZO Chaweng Samui
Panacea Retreat Private Estate
Panorama Samui Residences
Paradise Beach Resort
Pattra Vill Resort
Pavilion Samui Villas & Resort
Pawanthorn Villas
Peace Resort
Poolsawat Villa
Prana Resort
PS Thana Resort
Punnpreeda Beach Resort
Rajapruek Samui Resort
Renaissance Koh Samui Resort & Spa
Rocky’s Boutique Resort
Royal Beach Boutique Resort & Spa
Rummana Boutique Resort
Samahita Retreat
Samui Garden Home
Samui Honey Cottages
Samui Jasmine Resort
Samui Palm Beach Resort
Samui Paradise Chaweng Beach
Samujana Villas
Sandalwood Luxury Villas
Santiburi Koh Samui
Saree Samui Natures Finest Resort
Sareeraya
Sea Dance Resort
Sea Valley Hotel & Spa
ShaSa Resort & Residences
Sheraton Samui Resort
Silavadee Pool Spa Resort
Skye Beach Hotel
Synergy Samui
Tango Luxe Beach Villa
The Beach Samui
The Briza Beach Resort
The Canale Samui Resort (new!)
The Hive Hotel
The Lamai Samui
The Library
The Passage Samui
The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui
The Rock
The Samui Beach Resort
The Sarann
The Sea Koh Samui
The Siam Residence Deluxe
The Spa Resorts
The Tongsai Bay
U Samui
Vana Belle
Villa Mia
Villa Nalinnadda
W Koh Samui

Which hotel should you choose? My preference for a ‘Test and Go’ hotel would be to choose the most well-oiled, practised machine that’s done this hundreds or thousands of times and has the system perfected. I really, really wouldn’t want to be the guinea pig for a Test and Go hotel that’s new to the party. (Any other day I’ll happily be the sacrificial lamb … but not with this). Me? I’d favour a Bangkok airport Test and Go hotel (Novotel Suvarnabhumi or Siam Mandarina), or a large Bangkok city hotel with a big bathtub and good view. Then, I’d transfer to Samui on any domestic flight and plan to spend my little heart out supporting every small business I can find – hotels included.

However – full disclosure – I’m not yet ready to travel given experiences like this. Very much eyes-on-the-prize for 2022 but I’ll keep the updates coming and you do you!

Then what happens? What can you do and where can you go after completing Koh Samui Test and Go? After receiving negative test results, it’s just like a normal vacation. You can stay where you want and travel to other parts of Thailand. You can eat, drink and be merry (with the minor caveat that bars won’t reopen until at least mid-January). In short, you can enjoy every inch of Samui … as long as you don’t test positive.

P.S. You can subscribe by email and get all future updates straight to your inbox. Enjoy!

December 2021 (part 3)

How can I book my Test and Go Hotel? Is it possible to book a Test and Go hotel on a hotel booking site like Agoda? Yes! You can definitely book your Bangkok Test and Go hotel package on Agoda. Here’s how:

1. Start at the Agoda page for an approved “SHA Plus+” hotel
Start at the Agoda page for an approved “SHA Plus+” hotel – one that’s also participating in Test and Go.

For the sake of the example, I’ll use the Siam Mandarina Hotel because it’s close to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (10-15 minutes’ drive depending on the time of day). It’s not the best of Bangkok (find them below), but it’s really convenient.

Note that at this point you won’t see any Test and Go booking options – don’t panic we’re not finished! You have to add some more information (explained in the next step) before the quarantine packages appear.

2. Select your options (important – don’t skip this!)
Next, make a few important clicks to get your search set for success. In the top, choose your currency (otherwise you’ll have to change it in each new tab you open). Then, choose your dates. You must input dates or you won’t see the Test and Go quarantine package options. (Just add dummy dates or a rough guess if you’re just window-shopping). For the sake of this example, I’ll choose USD and dummy dates in mid-January.

Then, choose your room requirements – important if you’re travelling with kids and want to see options for suites, family rooms or connecting rooms – it will do the math for you to find the right number of rooms for the right number of people.

Finally, click SEARCH.

3. Find your Test and Go hotel options
An Agoda search page will briefly appear and then you’ll see your results for your dates, with your original hotel (e.g. Siam Mandarina Hotel) at the top.

Open this hotel page in a new window (to preserve your list of results).

On the hotel page, scroll just a second down the page and you’ll probably see a box that says ‘Quarantine Package’. This is the Test and Go option.

4. Choose your Test and Go room type and package
When you scroll down to your room choices, make sure that the package includes “Medical services and hygiene measures”, airport pick-up and – crucial – free cancellation. As you have to pay in advance, make sure you have free cancellation (like actually read the fine print). We all know that things can change overnight and you don’t want to be stuck with a hotel booking that you can’t use.

Note that not all room types include Test and Go package options, so if you don’t see the option at the top (which are often cheapest) room types, keep scrolling (or search the page for “Medical services” to find it quickly). On my test dates, some Test and Go room types were sold out at some hotels, so it’s good to be flexible (with your dates or the hotel). Once you see what you want (and have read the fine print about any fees) – book it (again, with free cancellation!).

Again – this is the line you’re looking for next to the room type – “Medical services and hygiene measures” – it means it’s a Test and Go package. You might not see it available for each hotel as they may be sold out for those dates or those room types. Keep clicking through your options, you’ll find one!

As a quick point of reference, some of Agoda’s best-rated Bangkok Test and Go hotels that are directly bookable with quarantine packages include:

You can book directly with the hotel as well, but some people report a slow response time to email inquiries. Purely for the sake of research and comparing your options, Agoda’s a place to start.

Tip: If booking direct through a hotel (especially at more budget establishments), make double sure what the price includes. Some travellers have assumed a “Test and Go” price included everything and were surprised to learn that airport transfer and Covid tests were extra.

After you’ve booked your Test and Go hotel
As for the rest of your trip, once you’ve completed your Test and Go (with a negative test result), you’re free to travel Thailand as normal (what a concept!) and can make hotel bookings for the rest of your trip any way you like, whether on Agoda, Booking.com or direct through the hotel.

December 2021 (part 2)

Confused about your Thailand travel options right now? I’ve spent ~~days~~ ~~weeks~~ entire months in front of 60,000 browser tabs and will try to simplify things as much as I’m able. Below, find a massive list of answers to your current Thailand travel FAQs covering Thailand Pass, Test and Go programme and hotels, the arrivals process, Sandbox options and more.

Thailand Updates – December 2021

Are bars and nightclubs open? No. They’ll remain closed until at least January 16, 2022. However, you can order alcohol in Bangkok restaurants. On Koh Samui, there’s a “green zone” policy for restaurants that follow a variety of covid safety measures (e.g. vaccinated staff, socially distanced tables). You won’t struggle to find a drink on the island – there are over 300 restaurants and “restaurants” with lots of tasty tipple.

Are restaurants open? Yes, at least those that choose to be and/or have remained in business. Using Samui as an example, you’ll find that a lot of Chaweng remains closed (like, a lot a lot – even McDonalds, Starbucks and Burger King outlets) but there are dozens if not hundreds of open restaurants elsewhere around the island.

What are the rules about wearing a mask? They’re probably more stringent than you’re used to. Masks are required anywhere outside of your house or hotel room (even outside) when not seated for dining. This includes inside a car that has passengers. You can be fined for noncompliance.

What are tourists numbers like in Thailand? International (foreign) arrivals to Thailand:

2019: 39,600,000
2020: 6,700,000 (most of these in January and February)
2021: 106,117 (through October)
2022: Some estimate that 20% of 2019 tourist numbers could return. (You get a shrug and a clinking wine glass from me).
(source)

What does SHA + Plus Extra Plus or whatever mean? You don’t love an unexplained acronym? Let’s back up. Last year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Ministry of Public Health and some other buddies joined together to set hotel certification around covid safety measures. The result is “SHA” or “Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration certification”. It’s designated with a round blue badge (you’ll see it on hotel booking sites).

Hotels, restaurants, tour operators and transport companies can all have “SHA” certification. A blue “SHA” badge will indicate that the establishment has passed a detailed inspection and follows all recommended COVID health measures such as single points of entry and exit, contact tracing, required use of face masks, enforced social distancing, hand-washing stations, etc.

As for SHA ++ Extra Plus Plus Plus More Plus? Officially it’s “SHA Extra Plus” or “SHA ++”. The difference with the “extra plus” bit is that they have a partner hospital with whom they’ll administer PCR tests. So these “pluses” are what you need to see when you look for any form of quarantine accommodation.

Should we make it more confusing?

All Test and Go hotels must be SHA++/SHA Extra Plus
But not all SHA++/SHA Extra Plus are Test and Go hotels (it’s up to the hotel)
However, all SHA++/SHA Extra Plus hotels (in 26 Blue Zone provinces) can be Sandbox hotels.
Can you handle one more? There’s another level. “SHA +” or “SHA Plus” … They’re just “extra good” but have no partner hospital, so they’re not Test and Go hotels but can be Sandbox hotels.
Can I really recommend life as a travel writer right now.

Tip: If you want to quickly find “SHA Extra Plus” hotels or “SHA Plus” hotels on a booking site, it’s really easy. On Booking.com, start with your destination:

Enter your dates and, on the search results page, click the top box “Properties that take health & safety measures”. Then scroll down the page to find “review score”. Click Very good: 8+ and Superb: 9+. You’ll notice that almost every hotel in the results has “SHA Plus” in its title. In Bangkok, where Test and Go is most readily available, you’ll also see “SHA Extra Plus” hotels.

Test and Go: How can I book my Test and Go Hotel? Is it possible to book a Test and Go hotel on a hotel booking site like Agoda? Yes! You can definitely book your Bangkok Test and Go hotel on Agoda.

How many people have tested positive for Covid under the Test and Go scheme so far? As of Nov 25: 0.08% (Bangkok Post).

What happens if I test positive for Covid while I’m in Thailand? Want to travel to the 7th ring of hell? Read “[An] experience testing positive (Reddit)”. If you test positive, whether during Test and Go or at any point during your stay – even if you’re asymptomatic – you have to go to an ‘Alternative State Quarantine’ hotel or hospital for 14 days and you’ll be separated from your travelling party. Please understand that Thailand travel during Covid does include this risk. Richard Barrow covers the unfortunate cases of two travellers for whom this happened and their experience was far from “relaxing tropical holiday”.

Note as well that your insurance must cover you for hospitalisation in the case of symptomatic and asymptomatic Covid (find more details on travel insurance further down).

Who is eligible for Test and Go? If you’re fully vaccinated (with an approved vaccine) and have been in one of 63 approved countries for the past 21 days.

If I arrive in Thailand on a flight that lands after midnight, which night should I book for my Test and Go hotel? If you’re arriving in the early hours, you want to book your hotel for the night preceding (For example: your flight lands February 1 at 1am. Book your Test and Go hotel for January 31).

Do kids need to be vaccinated to travel in the Test and Go program? Short answer: If they’re travelling with you (their parents) and they’re under 18 – no. The same is true for kids travelling in the Sandbox program as well. Kids aged 6-17 travelling without their parents need at least one shot of an approved vaccine.

Thailand Pass

What’s Thailand Pass? As of November 1, it’s all your travel paperwork (e.g. vaccine certificate, negative covid test result, hotel booking, flight booking) uploaded into a Thai government website … processed for a few days … and returned to you (if approved) in the form of a QR code. The QR code is scanned on arrival at Thai immigration as a way to speed up the handling of lots of admin.

Who has to apply for Thailand Pass? Anyone (foreign national) who wants to enter Thailand under any of the existing travel schemes needs a Thailand Pass: Test and Go, Sandbox or “Happy Quarantine Nationwide” for unvaccinated travellers (that’s really what it’s called).

Do I need one for each member of my family or do we apply as a group? Quick answer – all adults need their own Thailand Pass. For children, it depends on the travel scheme you’re using as the vaccination requirements are different for kids under Test and Go and Sandbox.

For Test and Go: Everyone ages 12+ needs their own Thailand Pass. You can add younger children to your own application (include them in the ‘personal information’ section).

For Sandbox: Everyone ages 18+ needs their own Thailand Pass. You can add younger children to your own application (include them in the ‘personal information’ section).

How far in advance should I apply for Thailand Pass? User’s choice! If you can’t relax until everything’s sorted, you can apply as far in advance as you’d like. However, you’re pretty locked into your plans once you’ve applied (only your flight time can change within a 72-hour window). To keep your options open, you might want to wait until closer to your travel dates. Officially, you must apply for your Thailand Pass 7 days before your departure date.

How long does it take to get approved for Thailand Pass? Just like anything slightly complicated, “results may vary” and, anecdotally, it can take mere minutes or up to a week. We’re used to getting instant results when we click anything so train yourself to expect a 7-day wait and not to panic. (According to Richard Barrow, about 50% of applicants are automatically approved).

Factors that affect the timing:

1. Where you live. Thirty countries (all European except Singapore) have an automatic/online system of vaccine verification (“PKI” or public key infrastructure) so your approval time might be instant if you’re applying from the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK.

2. Your email address. Many applicants have reported problems when using hotmail or outlook email addresses. Also – check your spam settings!

3. The quality of your uploads. Crank the DPI on any scans you make and ensure everything is clear and easy to read. For the moment at least, the registration site wants JPGs not PDFs. (Baby Boomers … before you ask … How to Convert PDF to JPG on Mac). PDFs will hopefully be accepted soon so watch this space.

What happens if my travel plans change after I’ve received my Thailand Pass? You have some wiggle room for changes, even after you’ve received your Thailand Pass. Your flight times can change within a 72-hour window as long as everything else remains valid. However, once you start changing hotel bookings you’ll need to reapply.

Do I need specific travel insurance for getting my Thailand Pass? Yes – it needs to offer US$50,000 coverage for “the cost of the treatment and other medical expenses associated with being infected with COVID-19, including in-patient hospitalisation for the whole duration in Thailand” (TAT). AXA offers a “Sawasdee Thailand” package for these specifications. I have zero affiliation with AXA and have never used it myself, it just ticks the boxes and looks pretty straightforward: See package details and their FAQs. Make sure that any insurance you choose covers hospitalisation if you have a positive test result but show no symptoms.

If I have a 30-day visa but I’m not staying that long, what period does my travel insurance need to cover? It just needs to cover the length of your stay, so the end day of your insurance can be the date your returning flight arrives home.

How much will my travel insurance cost? Looking at policies that offer (A) asymptomatic coverage (crucial!) and (B) US$50,000 of coverage (mandatory!), I found quotes through AXA and Tune Protect starting at THB2,250 for 30 days. (Using an example of a 35 year old American). That’s approximately US$65, GBP50 or EUR60. Just an example, but hopefully that gives you a rough idea.

Can I get a Thailand Pass if I had covid? If you’ve had covid within 3 months of your departure date, you need to get a medical certificate of recovery for your Thailand Pass application. Additionally, you’ll need to have been vaccinated with at least one shot of an approved vaccine.

What vaccines are considered “approved” vaccines for Thailand Pass? Oh, all the usual gang! (Any WHO-approved vaccines).

AstraZeneca
Covaxin (newly approved)
Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)
Moderna
Pfizer-BioNTech
Sinopharm (aka ‘COVILO’
Sinovac (aka ‘CoronaVac’)
Sputnik V

For two-dose vaccines, you must have had the second shot at least two weeks prior to departure. Also – for all you golden oldies who got your first shot really early – your vaccine cannot be older than one year.

Ok so … how do I actually apply for my Thailand Pass? Gather all your details and documents (again, make sure they’re JPGs that are as crystal clear as possible – this is not the time for sub-par scans). You need:

Your passport ID page (JPG!)
Your certificate/s of vaccination for both doses, if applicable (JPG!)
Your hotel confirmation – this will vary depending whether you’re doing Test and Go, Sandbox or full quarantine. If it’s Test and Go it must show proof of payment for the full package including transport and covid testing. (JPG!)
Your travel insurance confirmation (JPG!)

You don’t need to upload any flight documentation, but you will need to input your flight details into the form.

Got an email address that isn’t hotmail or outlook

Once you’ve gathered all your documents, go to the Thailand Pass registration site. The site will then very easily guide you through the application starting with whether you’re Thai national or foreigner. Then you select your type of quarantine program (Test and Go / Sandbox / Alternative Quarantine). From there, you’re off to the races … it’s just a standard arrival questionnaire.

Any admin time will be spent in getting your hotel, flights and travel insurance sorted but the actual time on the Thailand Pass website will be minimal – perhaps just fifteen minutes a person (and quicker if you do it for a second or third family member). As long as you’ve got your details sorted at the start, it’s really no different than filling out an arrivals card on a plane.

Is there a fee to apply for Thailand Pass? No, it’s free.

Can I pay someone to apply for my Thailand Pass for me? If you’re horrified by the thought of this and can’t possibly handle basic admin, you can outsource the task to a full service Thailand Pass. Rates start at THB 2,750 per person (approx US$80, £60 or €70).

More Thailand travel questions?
As Porky Pig says … that’s all folks. (For now!) Things are constantly changing so my best suggestion is to subscribe to updates and that way you’ll find out when restrictions are updated or altered. Certainly (hopefully) January 2022 might mean a bright new world. (Then again … pretty sure we said that last year).

P.S. You can subscribe by email and get all the details straight to your inbox. Enjoy!

Resources and more reading

December 2021 (part 1)

I originally published this post on October 30th and have updated it on December 21, 2021. Find prior updates below in red text.

Have you seen the headlines? Thailand’s reopening as of November 1? Quarantine-free? Is it … the Future Times? Whether you couldn’t find your passport if you tried, or are already packed and raring to go, here’s absolutely everything you need to know about Thailand travel from November onwards. There’s a lot of good news, some “optimistic horizons” and – as always – some crucial bits you need to consider. Ready?

Updated December 22, 2021: Announced today: New Thailand Pass applications and the Test and Go program will be temporarily suspended over the holidays. This is *hopefully* a temporary measure while sciencey people give Omicron a watchful side-eye. The situation will be reviewed in early January. What’s changed? There are three outcomes, depending on the status of your Thailand Pass.

1. If you already have your Thailand Pass, don’t worry – you don’t need to change your plans. You can still come to Thailand under the scheme for which you registered. (For instance, if you already have your Thailand Pass you can arrive as a Test and Go traveller or a Samui Sandbox traveller). There’s no deadline or suspension date. Whatever your arrival date was on your application, still stands. Some media reported January 10th as a cut-off point but, per Richard Barrow, that’s incorrect.

2. If you’ve applied but don’t have your Thailand Pass yet – wait for the approval. If approved, you can come under the scheme for which you registered.

3. If you haven’t applied for your Thailand Pass – you have three options: you can apply for (A) Phuket Sandbox and (B) Alternative Quarantine, details below or (C) wait until January to see what changes. Your country and your vaccination status will determine whether you’re eligible for Phuket Sandbox and the length of Alternative Quarantine required.

Special bonus treats: An extra covid test for everyone – no longer a self-test but done at a government facility – on the 7th or so day of your trip.

The Phuket Sandbox program is still running (roughly 1 night of quarantine at a wide choice of hotels and, after 7 days on Phuket, you can travel freely throughout Thailand). To do this, apply for the Thailand Pass. There are no sealed flights from BKK to Phuket (HKT) so your arrival flight into Thailand must be direct.

Alternative Quarantine is that “2020 revisited” full-on hotel room quarantine 10+ days (depending on your country and your vaccination status).

Resources: As always, I recommend Richard Barrow as a trusted source for immigration updates. He’s spoken personally with a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so I refer you to his update. Khun Saksith Saiyasombut is also a great reference. To receive updates from me – subscribe now.

Crucial info – Start here
Number one thing you should know: I’ve said it in this post, this post, this post – ad nauseam really – if you come to Thailand and either test positive OR (this one’s crucial) have “high-risk contact” with someone you never even spoke to (e.g. someone sitting near you on a plane), you’re no longer in charge of your trip.

A positive Covid test result, at any point, means a hospital stay (covered by your mandatory insurance). A “high-risk contact”, whether with a family member or a total stranger, means a 2-week hotel-room quarantine stay, at your expense, at a limited list of options (Alternative Local Quarantine – ALQ). Please know the “if-this-then-that” risks involved with Thailand travel at this time. “Quarantine-free” sounds wonderful but it does have this major caveat.

High-risk contact? Note that Thai citizens are exempt from the 72-hour pre-departure PCR test. As well, unvaccinated tourists are allowed to travel to Thailand. Unvaccinated visitors have to quarantine for 10 days but you still might sit next to them for 12+ hours. Small comfort? Many countries won’t let partially or unvaccinated people board a flight but this isn’t universally the case. Maybe wear an “I love science” t-shirt and see who asks to switch seats. High-risk contacts have recently been defined as someone you’re sitting next to (so definitely pay the extra for a private car to your hotel).

If you test positive for Covid while travelling in Thailand: If you’re the positive result, everyone in your travelling party will have to quarantine for 14 days at an ALQ hotel at their expense. Your cushy SHA+ Plus hotel will be cancelled and refunded and you’re off to somewhere you probably won’t get to choose. While nice options do exist, it will be a matter of availability.

*A final piece of really, REALLY important reading: [An] experience testing positive (Reddit).

Within, this poor, poor person describes:

“The van was not going anywhere until we got 20,000 THB for a ‘deposit’.”
“On about day 4 or 5 we run out of water and request more. We’re told by the ‘Hospitel’ that they don’t supply water.”
“If there is one take away from this whole post, it’s this; GET A SIM CARD FOR EVERYONE IN YOUR PARTY.”

Number two thing you should know
My November travel tip? Don’t. Wait until December or January. (Later into January will mean better weather on Koh Samui). The new “quarantine-free” option opens to 46 63 countries on November 1. Thailand expert Richard Barrow‘s suggestion: “Don’t rush to come. If you come during the high season in December and January, it will be a much smoother experience and everyone will know what to expect.” In sum? Let someone else play guinea pig, and plan to saunter into the picture in a few months’ time. (To start planning? Get your guide).

Ok, let’s review the current Covid situation in Thailand and then jump into your new travel options. There are some massive changes – this is probably the post you’ve been waiting for.

Ongoing Covid restrictions in Thailand / Nationwide
Alcohol sales: All bars/pubs/nightlife venues remain closed until maybe December 1st (maybe?) at least January 16, 2022. As of Monday, Nov 1, Bangkok restaurants will be allowed to sell alcohol.

Case numbers: While vaccinations are ongoing, there were approximately 8,500 new daily cases (nationwide) this week. 98.6% of new cases are the Delta variant, of which Hua Hin is experiencing a particular outbreak.

Curfew: The curfew will end on October 31 in 17 provinces including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Phang Nga, Phuket and Surat Thani (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao).

Gatherings: You and 499 of your closest friends will now be able to gather in “tourist reopening zones”.

Masks: You still have to wear a mask in public at all times (including in a car if you have passengers). Violators are fined.

Travel insurance: Note that the travel insurance coverage requirement for non-Thai nationals has been reduced from US$100,000 to US$50,000. It must “cover the cost of the treatment and other medical expenses associated with being infected with COVID-19, including in-patient hospitalisation for the whole duration in Thailand” (TAT).

Questions?

Vaccinations: ~~42%~~ 67% of Thailand’s population is fully vaccinated and “the average number of new infections reported in Thailand has been decreasing for 10 days straight” (Reuters). AstraZeneca booster shots have been made available to people who received Sinovac for their first two doses. Additionally, Moderna supplies will start to arrive next week, ramping up to 1.9 million doses in December for a total of 8.6 million by March 2022. (Cue dance party). Schoolchildren have been receiving Pfizer jabs. In Bangkok, between 75-80% of registered citizens have been fully vaccinated.

Koh Samui
Case numbers: As of this week, new cases on Samui were approximately ~~14 per day (Oct 26)~~ 21 per day (Dec 2) and a approximately a dozen new cases on Koh Phangan/Koh Tao.

Did you want peace and quiet? Note that many island shops remain closed and major thoroughfares like Chaweng Beach Road are very quiet – often still the ‘ghost town’ atmosphere of 2020. Much of Central Festival mall (including Starbucks) is closed. Bars and nightlife venues will remain closed until at least ~~December 1st~~ January 16 (with some exceptions, see below). If operating, expect that tours and charters are offering private options only. Introverts, this is your moment.

Where to get a drink? Koh Samui has an exception to the alcohol bans in its “Green Zone” policy and you can get a drink at any of ~~138~~ 300+ qualifying restaurants (or “restaurants” that were bars until developing a very recent interest in the culinary arts). Favourites include Antica Locanda, Bar Baguette, Coco Tam’s, Krua Bophut and the restaurants of many mid-range and high-end hotels:

Incidentally, all of these hotels are SHA Plus+ certified and are therefore superb options for a Sandbox stay. Want to plan ahead? See inside The Koh Samui Guide.

Your Thailand travel options (and updates)
Are you fully vaccinated and ready to roll? You’ve earned some brand new travel options.

1. No Quarantine Thailand travel if you’re fully vaccinated and come from one of the following 46 63 countries (listed below) including the U.S., UK, Australia, Canada, Germany and Singapore.

2. Sandbox Thailand travel if you’re fully vaccinated but your country is not on the list below.

3. Partially vaccinated or totally unvaccinated? 10 days of quarantine for you, have fun.

4. Omicron and Africa travel bans/updates (as of Dec 1)

There is now a travel ban for visitors from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
For visitors from other African countries, there’s now a 14-day hotel quarantine requirement.

December Updates

You may have read that the test-on-arrival requirements in Thailand were due to change in mid-December (from a RT-PCR test to a faster ATK test). While this was never made official, the plan has been scrapped/paused while the new Omicron variant is assessed. To reiterate – what was the case on November 1 still stands:

The Test and Go scheme still requires a minimum 1-night hotel booking
The Sandbox scheme is still 7 days (not reduced to 5)
Both schemes still require RT-PCR tests on arrival

No Quarantine Thailand travel / Countries – Who’s eligible?

Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Belgium
Bhutan
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Canada
Chile
China
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Kuwait
Laos
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Oman
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States of America
Vietnam

Note that some countries on the “list of 63” continue to discourage their citizens from travelling to Thailand during Covid.

Australia: “Reconsider your need to travel to Thailand overall due to the impacts of COVID-19.”
Canada: “Exercise a high degree of caution in Thailand”
U.S.: “Level 4: Do Not Travel. Do not travel to Thailand due to COVID-19.”

These cautions will hopefully change as vaccinations continue.

Small print! You need to have been in one of the above countries for 21 days OR a combination of those countries (e.g. a Canadian could fly from the U.S. to Thailand, or a Swiss person could have been in France or Germany, etc). You must have been fully vaccinated for at least 14 days. You can fly to Thailand with a layover in a different country (not on the list) if your transfer lasts less than 12 hours and you don’t leave the airport.

Quarantine-free … except for 1 night of quarantine. Were you wondering “where’s the catch?” No quarantine actually means “after receiving a negative test result and spending one night sequestered at a qualifying hotel”. (Which must be pre-booked with airport transfer). These are called “Test and Go” hotels. Before your mind starts trumpeting bad news – here’s my take on Test and Go. It’s a good thing. Why?

1. Every visitor to Thailand might have Covid. Hopefully not, but maybe. Allowing 24 hours to reasonably reduce that threat through testing and a temporary quarantine period seems the least we visitors can do to keep the Thai population safe (remember – many Thais especially outside cities and tourist centres are still waiting for their first vaccine dose).

2. As you’ll read below, the Test and Go phase will largely happen in Bangkok – a major city with the resources, personnel (and hospital beds) to handle the volume. Should anything go awry with your plans, you’ll want to be in Bangkok with options galore and world-class facilities.

3. Finally, just think back to twelve months ago and what you would have given to spend a night in a fancy hotel. Consider it a superb way to break up a long journey, enjoy an incredible hotel while making sure you’re keeping others safe.

Official party line? This is a clever solution and we’re going to enjoy ourselves.

So what happens when you arrive in Thailand?
Airport and arrivals
After clearing immigration and baggage claim, you’re taken by pre-arranged transfer to your Test and Go hotel. You can’t meet/reunite with family/friends or loved ones at the airport, so rewrite the Love Actually reunion to happen in your hotel lobby the next day.

In Richard Barrow’s words: “When you come out into arrivals you are still a potential Covid patient. You cannot kiss and hug anyone. The [airport transfer] driver will most likely be in full PPE suit and the interior of the car will be covered in plastic (Dispatch 1).”

Transfer to your Test and Go hotel
You must travel to your hotel in a “sealed” form of transport (e.g. directly arranged with the hotel) and cannot use a taxi, a private car or a rented/hire car. Check the details of your Test and Go hotel package for the specifics. The base package might be a shared van with other arriving passengers, with the option to upgrade to a private transfer.

If arriving into Bangkok: Your Test and Go hotel can be up to two hours’ drive from Bangkok (e.g. Pattaya and possibly Hua Hin), but you’ll have the most choice and perhaps the best selection of partner hospitals in Bangkok. (Not to mention you’ll avoid a long drive after a potentially long-haul flight). See below for suggestions and hotel specifics.

Testing … at your Test and Go hotel
Arrive at your hotel and take an RT-PCR test. This might be done at check-in, it depends on the hotel and your arrival time (more on that below).

Room rules: You’re not allowed to leave your hotel room until the test results are received (though many hotels offer balcony options). This includes using hotel facilities – four walls only, folks (so I offer some nice views below). Your package will likely include food (room service only). If you’ve never been to Bangkok, it might be nice to stay somewhere with a view of the city. Coming from a cold winter? Maybe book a garden view room with tons of tropical plants. Given that you’ll likely be tired from your journey (and perhaps jet-lagged), book a comfy bed, a big bathtub and enjoy the break. At most, it’s 24 hours but probably will be less. If this is the piece of the puzzle that keeps Thai people safe, it’s really the least we can do.

Negative test result? Go forth, Thailand awaits. You’re allowed to check out and start your trip – you can go anywhere in Thailand. Pause and let that sink in. It’s the Future Times calling.

Positive test result? Sorry to say, you’re going to the hospital.

Someone in your family, travel group or a “high-risk” contact (but total stranger) tested positive? You really won’t like this – 14 nights of “2020-style” hotel room quarantine at your expense.

Who can share a Test and Go hotel room?
TBD – It’s not yet known if your travelling party (including family members) can stay together in the same Test and Go hotel room. For example, in Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ), only married couples and their children/legal dependents under 18 could share a hotel room … and only if they were arriving together on the same flight.

If you’re travelling together and aren’t married – be careful. Many do (and should) allow it, but some hotels interpret the rules differently and only allow married couples to share a room. You experience might vary. I’ve read about all of the following:

Difficulty if you have different last names
It’s ok if you can prove you share your home address
Allowed if you “sign a statement” that you live together

… A cynical attempt to get two hotel bookings out of one couple? Hmm. Short story: if you travel together it “should” be allowed. Best to make a short-list of hotels and confirm with them directly before booking.

Tip: I’ve read that Somerset Ekamai Bangkok and Amara Bangkok allow travel pairs to share a room so that might be a good starting point.

Certainly no outside people can join you for the Test and Go period (e.g. a friend or family member already in Thailand). I’ve seen pricing for couples and extra children so my working assumption is that it will be similar to ASQ.

Test and Go hotels in Bangkok
Tests and timing: You’ll want to make sure that your flight’s arrival time aligns with your hotel’s testing times. For instance, if you arrive on a night flight you’ll want a hotel that offers 24-hour testing rather than daytime-only testing. Otherwise, you might have to stay two nights total to wait to take a test (the next morning) and then await the results.

Bangkok airport hotels, Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport and Siam Mandarina Hotel Suvarnabhumi Airport both offer 24-hour testing and would be a good option if you want to take an onward domestic flight early the next day. I’ve stayed at the Novotel myself many times and thoroughly recommend it. It’s SO convenient – truly door to door in under three minutes. Rather than check-in/-out times, your 1-night booking covers a 24-hour period. PCR test results should be ready within 6 hours.

How to choose a Test and Go hotel
My suggestions include:

Most convenient: Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport
Best rated: Lancaster Bangkok
Best views: Shangri-La Bangkok
Best value: Citrus Sukhumvit 13 Bangkok
Best bath: Casa Nithra

Another tip if you want to be on your way in a hurry: If you want to stay in Bangkok rather than at the airport, choose a big, name-brand hotel and ideally one with a hospital partner, e.g. Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park which is partnered with Samitivej Hospital. Your test results will hopefully be faster this way.

Qualifying hotels: You can select any hotel offering “Test and Go” if it’s SHA+ Plus-certified (or Alternative Quarantine – AQ, Alternative Hospital Quarantine – AHQ, or Organisation Quarantine – OQ). The booking must be for at least 1 night and include accommodation, food, airport transfer, your arrival RT-PCR test and the Antigen Test Kit (ATK) you take later (details below).

Test and Go hotel pricing: 1-night packages for Bangkok Test and Go hotels start at approximately THB4,200 up to THB6,900 per person for standard rooms. Packages might include in-room breakfast and dinner or offer it as an add-on. Some hotels offer couples pricing at slight savings, while others charge for an extra person (approximately THB3,500 to THB5,500 for adults or THB2,500 to THB5,000 for a child under 12).

Standard rooms from THB4,200 per person (approx US$125)
Extra adult from THB3,500 (approx US$105)
Child from THB2,500 (approx $75)

If you want something particularly plush, as always, Thailand’s hospitality awaits. You’ve got options.

As for other amenities (and in Bangkok, that means rooftop pools galore), note that it’s possible you’ll be “let out” early and might get to enjoy some of your hotel’s facilities. Or sightsee nearby – Bangkok’s Royal Palaces reopen on November 1.

How to transit to Phuket or Koh Samui? For now, your hotel must be within a two-hour drive of your arrival airport. (From Bangkok Suvarnabhumi that takes you about as far as Pattaya or Hua Hin). For the fastest possible transfer the best option – currently – seems to be an overnight stay at Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport with an onward domestic flight (e.g. to Koh Samui) the next day. (If testing results are promised within 6 hours at Novotel, it’s feasible – on paper – that you could arrive early in the morning and take a late evening flight. However! A pre-booked one night’s stay at a qualifying hotel is mandatory. Let’s assume “2020 Rules” and expect worst-case scenarios – plan to stay the night).

Tip: When booking your Test and Go hotel, check the airport transfer details. Likely, it will only include one-way travel from the airport to the hotel so plan to make your own arrangements for your onward domestic flight.

Then what happens? Once you’ve had a negative test result, you’re free to leave your hotel room, check out and proceed with your trip. You’re free to travel around Thailand. Stay where you like. Go where you please. Do normal things. (Always wearing a mask). However, you’ll be given a rapid antigen self-test kit (ATK) to use (A) if you experience any Covid symptoms or (B) on day 6/7 of your trip. You’ll need to show the test result to your hotel and upload it to a Thai travel app used for monitoring such things (the MorChana app).

Kids? Children under 12 travelling with parents or guardians don’t require vaccination but must (A) have a negative PCR test (72 hours prior to your flight) and (B) stay for one night in a “Test and Go” hotel. Kids aged 12+ must be fully vaccinated to qualify for this type of travel, and have medical insurance as required for adults.

As of December 16th:

Kids aged 6-17 who are travelling with their parents don’t require vaccination but must (A) have a negative PCR test (72 hours prior to your flight) and (B) complete either the Test and Go requirements or Sandbox requirements.

Kids aged 12-17 who are NOT travelling with their parents must have (A) one shot of an approved vaccine, (B) have a negative PCR test (72 hours prior to their flight) and (C) complete either the Test and Go requirements or Sandbox requirements.

Kids aged 6 and under who are travelling with their parents don’t require vaccination or a negative PCR test before their arrival (however their parents do). The children will take a saliva test on arrival.

Sandbox Thailand travel
(You might also see this scheme called “Living in the Blue Zone”. The blue zone includes lower risk provinces – currently 17 26 of 77).

What’s changed? The Sandbox option used to be everyone’s Thailand travel option. From November 1, it will change in two ways:

It’s the “Plan B” if your country is not one of the 46 63 listed above.
Your Sandbox options now include 17 26 provinces, not just Phuket or Koh Samui.

As explained in the Phuket and Koh Samui Sandbox guides, you arrive on an international flight to an airport within one of the 17 26 provinces (most likely Bangkok or Phuket, but possibly Samui via Singapore).

You’re then transferred to your pre-booked “SHA+ Plus” accommodation. This hotel can be within a 5-hour drive of the airport – as long as it’s SHA+ Plus and in one of the 17 26 qualifying provinces. Five hours from Bangkok covers a lot of ground, so you definitely have options.

You take a PCR test on arrival. Then, you must remain in your hotel room until you receive a negative result – within 24 hours.

Following that, you’re free to travel around the island or province of your Sandbox selection. You can’t leave your chosen province within the 7-day period (so choose a good one).

After a negative test on day 7, you’re welcome to travel Thailand “normally”. Or, if you’re staying for fewer than 7 days, you must leave Thailand on an international flight.

Kids? Children under aged 6-17 travelling with parents or guardians don’t require vaccination but must (A) have a negative PCR test (72 hours prior to your flight) and (B) stay for seven nights in a Sandbox hotel. They must have medical insurance as required for adults. As of December 16th, children under 6 don’t require the negative PCR test before departure but will saliva test on arrival.

Unvaccinated travellers: 10 days of quarantine at Alternative Quarantine hotel. 240 hours. Here’s some reading material to pass the time.

What comes next? (Misc. updates and “TBD”)
November 1: Certificate of Entry becomes Thailand Pass. The Thailand Pass website will go live at 9 am on November 1st, however pre-existing COEs will be accepted. Once live, the Thailand Pass streamlines all immigration documentation (e.g. proof of vaccine, proof of hotel booking and your health insurance) into a single QR code so it will hopefully be a fairly quick plane to baggage claim process (the aim is 25 minutes or less). Plan to apply about seven days before you travel and expect to wait 3-5 days to receive approval.

November 1: The Royal Palaces will reopen (specifically the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha). Why not plan to visit them after departing your Bangkok Test and Go hotel?

January 12: Aussie airline Jetstar will resume its three weekly return flights from Sydney to Phuket.

January 14: Qantas will offer five weekly return flights from Sydney to Bangkok.

Still have questions? Me too. But that’s absolutely every.single.detail. I can find for now. Even Richard Barrow (expert of all experts) doesn’t have all the answers yet. So take the above as a vague outline and resolve to wait and see for the next month or so. It’s promising, and you can see that it’s heading somewhere quite exciting. For now, make sure you’re on my email list to continue to get updates.

Resources and more reading

October 2021

After 18 months of near-total confusion, how about some easy answers? To make the next few months of travel planning as straightforward as possible, I’ve put together a total resource list for the most current Thailand/covid travel updates.

To get your copy, join the list to get email updates. As accurate Covid travel information depends on (A) where you live, (B) where in Thailand you want to travel and (C) the exact moment of inquiry, it’s better to give you the resources directly, so you’ve got the most up-to-date details for your situation. With that said, here’s a quick catch-up since the last round of updates.

November: The end of quarantine in Thailand?
Just announced! On November 1, Thailand will (probably?) allow fully vaccinated visitors from select countries to skip quarantine and travel freely around Thailand. (Nearly like the olden days but with masks, curfews, restricted alcohol, mandatory PCR tests … and the ever-present delta variant that’s also travelling Thailand). The final list will (probably?) include up to ten “low-risk” countries but the following five have been announced so far:

China
Germany
Singapore
United Kingdom
United States

Note that the U.S. currently advises against travel to Thailand in deep, dark red so – as ever – I’ll provide the info and you make your choices. Thailand’s Prime Minister acknowledges this November no-quarantine plan has inherent risks but that people’s livelihoods in tourism must also bear consideration.

Requirements: Arrive by air. Although the quarantine requirement will be lifted, other requirements remain in place. As before, all visitors will need to provide

Before departure for Thailand: negative PCR test #1
On arrival in Thailand: negative PCR test #2

To be announced: (A) The other five countries on the “low-risk” list, and whether or not qualifying no-quarantine visitors will have to (B) stay in a SHA+ Plus hotel and (C) prepare a Certificate of Entry (COE). These details might be announced as early as next week.

Other qualifying low-risk countries will likely be added in December and January. Meanwhile, visitors from medium- and high-risk countries will still be required to quarantine.

Don’t book flights yet: Resident expert Richard Barrow cautions that none of the above is official until it (A) passes Thailand’s Centre for COVID‐19 Situation Administration (CCSA), (B) passes Cabinet and (C) is published in the Royal Gazette. So watch this space until (probably) Tuesday, October 19th when it (fingers crossed) should be made official.

Other countries? As a total guess (total guess), other countries that (as of August 1) were considered “low risk” include: Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Austria, Norway, Switzerland, Qatar, Denmark and Israel. Then again, the United States, the UK and China all sit on the “medium risk” list in the same publication – so who knows?

Case numbers in Thailand
Please don’t conflate “quarantine is winding down” with “Covid’s finished in Thailand”. Far from it. Nationwide, cases remain at about 10,000 per day.

Vaccine progress
As of October 6, roughly 48% of Thailand’s 70 million population has received the first dose and 30% has received two doses of vaccine. Note that a significant proportion of these numbers are Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines and booster jabs (Pfizer and AstraZeneca) are underway. The hope is to reach a 70% vaccination rate by the end of the year.

Ongoing restrictions and upcoming changes
Mask mandate: A nationwide mask mandate remains in place anywhere outside one’s home or hotel room (with strict fines).

What’s open: Spa services including salons, gyms and swimming pools, movie theatres and museums have re-opened. (And, yes, Major Cineplex is showing the new James Bond). Nightlife venues might reopen on December 1 (see below).

Alcohol: There’s currently a nationwide ban on alcohol sales and alcohol service in restaurants (with some exceptions on Koh Samui and Phuket, see below). This will (probably?) end on December 1, alongside the (potential?) reopening of bars and nightclubs.

Length of quarantine: As of October 1, the quarantine required for fully vaccinated visitors has been reduced from 14 days to 7 days and to 10 days for partially vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers (arriving by air – otherwise 14 days). Again, this will (probably) change from November 1 for qualifying fully vaccinated travellers (explained above).

Koh Samui and Phuket updates
Domestic travel to Samui and Phuket: As of October 15, fully vaccinated domestic travellers arriving to Samui from other parts of Thailand don’t need to show a negative covid test. Just their proof of vaccine. Which could be two doses of Sinovac. Not fully vaccinated? Then please show a negative covid test … as long as it’s less than seven days old. If your brain just played a screechy-record-player-grinds-to-a-halt noise and then you tilted your head sideways like a confused dog … yup, me too.

Phuket Sandbox and Samui Plus updates: These travel programmes are now open to visitors from any country. Visitors are now able to travel to Koh Phangan or Koh Tao without a week’s stay on Koh Samui (following a negative PCR test on arrival). Likewise for visiting Krabi from Phuket. The requirement to stay 14 days has been reduced to 7 days, after which visitors can travel freely around Thailand.

Koh Samui’s current restrictions include a limit of up to five people per restaurant table and alcohol served only in one of the 87 “Green Zone” establishments (listed in part below). Social gatherings are limited to five people with alcohol and up to twenty people without alcohol. Public transport is operating at 50% capacity. A “please behave because we’re asking nicely” curfew exists from 11 pm to 4 am.

Green Zone alcohol policy: Where to get a drink before the alcohol restrictions are lifted on (probably) December 1? On Samui, look for a “Green Zone” restaurant. Qualifying restaurants meet criteria including fully vaccinated staff, fully vaccinated customers (or separate zones for unvaccinated customers), socially distanced tables, 50% capacity and barriers in place. Such restaurants can serve alcohol and currently include many hotel favourites:

Tree Tops at Anantara Lawana
Yangna Cuisine, Sesun and Kube at Hyatt Regency Koh Samui
Air Bar at Intercontinental Baan Taling Ngam Resort
Woo Bar at W Koh Samui
Lai Thai Restaurant at Belmond Napasai
Prego and Amaya at Amari Koh Samui
Zest, Azure and Jahn at Conrad Samui

Also:

Antica Locanda
Bar Baguette
Coco Tam’s
Krua Bophut
Smile House Restaurant
Stacked Burger
The Cliff
The Road Less Travelled
The Shack
Think and Retro Cafe

As mentioned above, the alcohol restrictions might finish on December 1 in time for the holiday period.

More questions about Thailand travel Covid updates? With a year’s worth of Thailand travel updates regarding covid, quarantine of varying duration in various places, visa requirements and easily 20,394 uses of the words “probably”, “maybe” and “fingers crossed” … you know the drill: stay tuned for more updates (get them by email) and hang tight for a few more months. If you’re considering 2022 travel, this update more than any previously sounds like it might be ok to start some hazy future plans – at least the early research. Start planning: The Koh Samui Guide.

Resources and Further Reading

July 2021

Is Koh Samui calling? As of July 15th, the welcome mat is officially out for any eligible travellers who’d like four covid tests and plenty of paperwork to feature in their holiday. Or perhaps you’ve been waiting for a way to return to Thailand without 14 days’ hotel room quarantine. Settle in (no seriously, get a drink if not an entire bottle … there’s a lot of detail) for your step-by-step guide to Samui Plus (the slightly stricter sister programme to Phuket Sandbox). Enjoy and – as always – subscribe for updates as Thailand’s covid travel regulations continue to change and, hopefully sometime soon, return to normal.

Phuket Sandbox Updates
The Phuket Sandbox began on July 1 as a way to welcome fully vaccinated international travellers to the island as safely as possible. You can find all the details, including how to qualify and apply, with hotel recommendations below.

After two weeks of the Phuket Sandbox – how’s it going?

So far, approximately four thousand people have arrived in Phuket, the majority of whom are foreigners – a mixture of tourists, expats and those with family links to Phuket. Of these four thousand, there have been ~~six~~ – updated – ten positive covid cases and three jailbreaks. Yes, everyone’s favourite type of pandemic participant – three of them – found their way to Phuket and had places to be and people to see. Tracking and restrictions have been tightened as a result – no word on whether the naughty three were returned to their really nice SHA Plus+ sandbox hotels … or put in the stocks.

From Phuket Sandbox … into quarantine

Important (“Read it and understand!”):

As for the positive covid cases, here’s a crucial point for both Phuket Sandbox and Koh Samui’s equivalent, Samui Plus: anyone who has been in contact with the covid patient goes into quarantine. The contact might be as random as another passenger sitting nearby on your flight, or someone booked on the same tour group. Just understand, before spending any time or money in preparation for Phuket Sandbox or Samui Plus, that you can take every masked, distanced precaution and still end up in quarantine.

In practice this means you decamp to an Alternative Local Quarantine (ALQ) hotel at no notice, at your own cost. Yep, straight back in time to spring 2020: four walls of a hotel room for 14 nights. Note as well that choice is limited for ALQ hotels – no promises you’ll love those four walls. On Phuket, ALQ options start at THB3400 per night (US$105 or £75) … times 14 nights … for somewhere you don’t want to be. Of those quarantined in one of the Phuket cases, 12 of the 13 have requested to leave Thailand and return home.

In sum, Phuket Sandbox is going well for 99.85% of its participants … minus the very unlucky few spending fourteen days inside a hotel they didn’t choose, following potential covid exposure from total strangers.

Meanwhile, Phuket schools have closed for the next two weeks as both Beta and Delta variants have been confirmed on the island. And it’s rainy season.

Vaccines in Thailand
Good news! Those that were fully or partially vaccinated with Sinovac, particularly medical and other frontline workers, will receive an AstraZeneca booster shot. Vaccine drives have been underway on Samui for the past few weeks and have begun in Bangkok as well. First shots are ongoing and second doses will hopefully begin in September. As mentioned, Japan has donated AstraZeneca doses and the U.S. has donated Pfizer supplies. It’s slow, but it’s happening.

July 2021 – Covid Update
While Phuket and Samui put out the welcome mat to overseas visitors, the covid situation is as dire as it has ever been in Bangkok and surrounding areas. Case numbers this week (over 90,000 active cases) are at an all-time high. Rather than a return to tourism, a new terminal at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport will be a temporary covid field hospital.

“There were 992 deaths in June, more than 15 times Thailand’s total for all of 2020.” – Associated Press

Bangkok: This week, Bangkok and its five surrounding provinces went into lockdown (or lockdown-lite). Restrictions include a nightly curfew (9 pm to 4 am), with shops, markets and public parks closed at 8 pm. Residents are allowed to grocery shop, attend a vaccine or doctor’s appointment but are otherwise asked to stay at home. Bars, clubs and other forms of “fun with fellow humans” remain closed nationwide.

In prior lockdowns, people left the city which led to countrywide spread. This week, 80 military checkpoints are in place to prevent people from leaving Bangkok for non-essential travel.

Flights: AirAsia has cancelled domestic flights through July. This won’t affect Samui Plus as those flights are sealed routes with Bangkok Airways (details follow below).

Samui Plus
Your Total Guide to Samui Plus (July 15)
And on that note – let’s learn about Samui Plus. To understand the basic concept, start with your total guide to the Phuket Sandbox. Though the names differ, the two programmes are similar from application through to arrival. The specifics of the hotels vary slightly, explained below.

To reiterate your risks as a Samui Plus or Phuket Sandbox traveller: Even though you’re fully vaccinated and have tested negative before departure, you will still be hotel-quarantined (at your expense) if you’ve had contact with any positive cases. Even if it’s a guy somewhere on your flight who you didn’t even see. If you’re the positive case … you won’t like it one bit. Samui’s covid patient quarantine is not plush. Not. Plush.

Who is eligible for Samui Plus?
Countries: 69 countries are eligible for Samui Plus including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, UAE, UK, U.S. (Countries that Thailand deems low- and medium-risk). Note that while Thailand might list your country as eligible, the reverse might not be true. Japan, for instance, has just banned arrivals from Thailand owing to the current outbreak and Brits have their Amber List memorised – with Thailand front and centre.

Fully vaccinated: As with the Phuket sandbox, you must be fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine, for at least two weeks, and you must have been in your eligible departure country for at least 21 days. (See more eligibility details in my Phuket Sandbox guide).

To apply for either programme: https://coethailand.mfa.go.th/

How does Samui Plus work?
In practice, it’s the stricter sibling of Phuket Sandbox. If you qualify, you apply for entry and prepare a thick stack of required paperwork (which must all be in English). This includes a Thai tourist visa (if required) and compulsory covid insurance.

You book a flight to Bangkok and, on the same ticket, a connecting flight to Samui with Bangkok Airways.

Covid tests before departure and on arrival.

Install not one but two tracking apps on your phone.

Once on Samui, you spend the first day in your hotel room awaiting your covid test results.

From then (if negative), days 1-3 within the hotel grounds.

Days 4, 5, 6 and 7 offer the chance to do some limited sightseeing with an approved tour or transport company.

Another covid test.

Day 8 (week 2), if negative, you’re allowed to change to a different hotel – here you get more hotel choices and can travel from Samui to Koh Phangan or Koh Tao if you choose.

Day 12 or 13? Another covid test.

After 14 nights you’re eligible to depart Samui and travel elsewhere in Thailand.

Otherwise, you can travel home – vacation thus vacationed.

How is Samui Plus different from Phuket Sandbox? Many aspects are the same but Samui Plus is more strict.

Island travel: Phuket Sandbox gives visitors the freedom to travel around the island following a negative covid test on arrival. Samui Plus requires a three-day quarantine period within the hotel property and “sealed” sightseeing possible starting on day 4.

Hotel choices: Phuket Sandbox requires visitors to stay in SHA Plus+ hotels, which can be booked directly or through a reservations site like Booking.com. There’s a great selection, with options at all price points. Samui Plus requires 7 nights’ stay at an Alternative Local Quarantine hotel (aka a ‘Samui Extra Plus’ hotel or villa) which must be booked directly. On day 8, you can check into an SHA Plus+ hotel, booked through your preferred method – e.g. direct or Booking.com.

What can I not do on Samui with Samui Plus? Let’s start with transport. You can’t rent a car or a scooter. Your only means of transport, when allowed to go places, is through approved transport and tour companies. Once four negative covid tests (before departure, on arrival, on day 6/7 and day 12/13) mean freedom, you’re asked to only dine at SHA Plus+ restaurants. Note that countrywide covid restrictions mean that bars outside of hotels remain closed and that a majority of Samui’s tourist shops, services and businesses are currently closed (get totally up-to-date details in The Koh Samui Guide).

Want an island vacation right now? Choose two hotels you love and bring a stack of books. (Then choose your plane neighbours carefully – one dodgy choice could mean this is all for nought and you’re in hotel room quarantine for 14 days).

How to fly to Koh Samui for Samui Plus? Whereas Phuket offers direct international flights, Samui Plus is served with Bangkok Airways connections from Bangkok. Only three daily flights (three in each direction) are available for Samui Plus and they’re supremely sealed from gate to gate:

From Bangkok to Koh Samui

10:05 depart BKK / 11:35 arrive USM (PG 5125)
14:35 depart BKK / 16:05 arrive USM (PG 5151)
17:10 depart BKK / 18:40 arrive USM (PG 5171)

From Koh Samui to Bangkok

12:15 depart USM / 13:45 arrive BKK (PG 5126)
16:45 depart USM / 18:15 arrive BKK (PG 5152)
19:20 depart USM / 20:50 arrive BKK (PG 5172)

To book your flights, it will probably be easier to use a travel agent as both your international flight into Bangkok and your Samui connection (on one of the three flights above) need to be issued on the same ticket. (Thai Airways offers an online booking option if you love internet-DIY). Note that you’ll collect your bags in Samui and will see not one inch of Bangkok.

What’s the schedule for Samui Plus?

Note: Day 0 vs Day 1. If you arrive on Samui between midnight and 6 pm (on flights PG 5125 or 5151), that’s considered Day 1. If you arrive after 6 pm (PG 5171), that’s considered Day 0.

Day 0: Arrival and covid test
Arrive in Samui and receive cold lemongrass towels? No. How about a covid test. Go straight to your Samui Extra Plus hotel or villa (aka Alternative Local Quarantine) with approved transport (included with your booking) – no independent arrangements and no stops allowed. You’ll stay in your hotel room until the covid test results – for the sake of this example schedule, let’s assume it’s negative. (Once again: Not. Plush).

Days 1, 2 and 3: Hotel days
With a negative test result, you’re allowed to wander around your hotel and use its facilities. Do check in advance what’s open and available – photos of lavish buffets or extensive spa services might not represent current options. For reference, AVANI+ Samui offers floating yoga, guided meditation, kayaking and paddleboarding.

Days 4, 5, 6 and 7
Still covid-free? ‘Sealed activities’ are now available to you. A trip to Angthong Marine Park is likely as it’s an easily contained outing and perhaps visits to a small Samui Plus beach. If you love following a flag, this is your moment. Wherever you go, you’ll get there with an approved tour guide and/or transport company. Again, no car/scooter rentals and no ‘fun and flouncy’ independent island adventures until released on day 15. You can see Samui … but you can’t touch it. (That’s next week).

On day 6 or 7 you’ll have your penultimate covid test and a negative result here means you can change hotels on day 8: departing a limited range of ‘Samui Extra Plus’ (ALQ) hotels for the greater choices of SHA Plus+ hotels (see below for details).

Days 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14
In your second week of being certified covid-free, you can stay at an SHA Plus+ hotel or villa on Koh Samui, or, take an approved ferry service to Koh Phangan or Koh Tao and stay at an SHA Plus+ hotel/villa on either of those islands.

Day 15+
After 14 nights you’re able to depart any of the three islands and travel to other parts of Thailand – but remember Bangkok is currently in lockdown so … maybe stay put.

Where can I stay on Koh Samui for Samui Plus? There’s a key distinction to make. Samui Plus is 14 nights total (or 15 nights if you arrive after 6 pm), but your options expand in the second week. Nights 0 (if applicable), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 must be spent at a Samui Extra Plus hotel or villa (aka Samui Extra hotels aka Alternative Quarantine aka AQ hotel aka Alternative Local Quarantine aka ALQ hotel) on Koh Samui. Nights 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 can be spent at an SHA Plus+ hotel on Koh Samui, Koh Phangan or Koh Tao.

Samui Extra Plus hotels
You have to stay at one of the following hotels or villas through night 7. Only these ones. It must be booked directly. Packages will include airport transfer, covid tests galore and are typically full board (meals included) with tax and service also included. As a price reference, AVANI+ Samui Resort’s package starts at THB 51,000 per person for 8 days/7 nights (approx US$1560, £1130 or €1325). A second adult or child sharing the room costs THB 31,000 or THB 24,000 respectively. Packages increase for upgraded rooms including those with private pools.

Hotels (alphabetically)
I’ve linked these to Agoda and Booking.com so you can easily compare rating, facilities and room choices, however, Samui Extra Plus hotels (nights 0-7) must be booked directly.

Aura Samui Best Beach

AVANI+ Samui (8.7/10)

Baan Hin Sai Resort & Spa (7.2/10)

The Briza Beach Resort Samui (8.0/10)

The Fair House Beach Resort & Hotel (7.8/10)

Fair House Villas & Spa (8.4/10)

The Lamai Samui (9.2/10)

The Samui Beach Resort (7.8/10)

The Spa Resorts Samui (7.5/10)

Villas (alphabetically)
Angthong Villa

Koh Samui SHA Plus+ hotels
As with SHA Plus+ hotels available in Phuket Sandbox, you’re welcome to book these hotels through your preferred method – whether directly or on Booking.com. The “Plus” designation indicates that ≥70% of the hotel’s staff is fully vaccinated, so expect these options to expand as vaccine supply increases.

For now, my top 5 recommended SHA Plus+ hotels include:

Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui (9.6/10)

Bo Phut Resort and Spa (9.5/10)

Melia Koh Samui (9.5/10)

Banana Fan Sea Resort (9.4/10)

The Sunset Beach Resort & Spa (9.4/10)

So, what do you think of Samui Plus? As an alternative to Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ), it absolutely appeals. As a casual tourist happy to enjoy some slightly restricted hotel time – aware of the potential for quarantine – go for it.

Otherwise? If you’re just starting to get a sense of safety, real-life and associated freedoms in your own country, perhaps stay put for the time being. Especially while bars and schools are shut, and parts of Suvarnabhumi Airport house covid patients. Send your support, jump into travel research and take the time to save up for some truly lavish experiences.

To support Thailand in the meantime, please consider sending some help. Whether your preferred cause is people and food banks, dogs, cats or elephants, the environment or education, this list offers nine ways to help and it’s genuinely needed. More to follow soon – subscribe to updates.

Resources and Further Reading

June 2021

You know everyone’s favourite covid phrase “hopefully soon”? Use it here. Then smile, and stare with hope, patience and beady-eyed determination at the near future. Soon is coming. Read on to see what’s new in Thai travel regulations, what’s changed … and how to swap quarantine for a Phuket sandbox.

Updates to previous posts
14-Day Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ): For a brief moment, Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) periods were reduced from 14 days to 7 days if fully vaccinated and 10 days for most other travellers (excluding many African countries). With the rise of the Delta variant and a third/fourth wave ongoing in Thailand, this has been reversed.

ASQ is now 14 days for everyone (both Thai and foreign) who comes to Thailand and either has to, or chooses to, stay in ASQ rather than the new Phuket Sandbox option (keep reading – it’s detailed below). Additionally, “Outside Leisure Time” has been stopped for ASQ ~~inmates~~ guests so you’ll have to make your own entertainment for all 14 days within your room. Were you feeling nostalgic for March 2020? ASQ awaits, with three mandatory covid tests per stay.

Golf Quarantine: Golf Quarantine has been cancelled until further notice. No word on Yacht Quarantine, though the requirement to supply your own Bezos-style mega yacht may have limited its subscribers.

Thai hotels: Many Thai hotels in major tourist hubs remain “moth-balled” or shut to guests while major refurbishments take place during this understandably quiet period. Just 38% of Thai hotels continue regular operations and, in June, nationwide occupancy was 6%. If you’re desperate to travel, my best suggestion is to start window-shopping for 2022. Those that have been closed to tackle maintenance projects will be so excited to welcome you back – truly better than ever. I’ll have plenty of suggestions and updates on the way in due course (join my email list to get them all).

June 2021 – Covid update / Vaccination in Thailand
As of today, 2.6% of the Thai population has been fully vaccinated. The other 97.4%, which includes many expats, wait in the “Hopefully Soon” bracket. (@RichardBarrow has the latest from various embassies on their plans to vaccinate expats – or not). The Bangkok Post reports that covid hospital beds in Bangkok are full or nearly full so … let’s hope these vaccines get going.

Much of this 2.6% (1.8 mililion people) has been vaccinated with Sinovac so … we watch and wait from a distance of your choosing. Japan just announced that it will donate an unspecified number of AstraZeneca vaccines to Thailand, likely in July. Meanwhile domestically produced AstraZeneca is coming … hopefully soon.

Case numbers and variants
After months of successful containment, parts of Thailand have been experiencing waves of higher infection since April, ongoing today. Today (June 22), there were just over 4,000 new cases nationwide with approximately 35,000 people currently receiving medical treatment. While the majority of tested cases (88%) were the Alpha variant (what no one calls “good old regular covid”), the Delta variant was reported in 400 Bangkok cases as of last week.

Yellow, orange and red zones
Thailand’s covid strategy is divided by provinces into five zones (only four are currently in use), depending on the severity of a province’s covid case numbers. Rules and restrictions vary by zone, though many are nation-wide.

Bangkok: Dark Red Zone (Maximum and Strict Control)

Chiang Mai: Yellow Zone (High Surveillance Area)

Koh Samui (Surat Thani): Yellow Zone (High Surveillance Area)

Pattaya (Chon Buri): Red Zone (Maximum Controlled Area)

Phuket / Krabi: Yellow Zone (High Surveillance Area)

A Green Zone (Surveillance Area) exists on paper, but it hasn’t been assigned to any lucky provinces yet.

Domestic travel between zones
Currently, if you want to travel from a red/dark red zone to a yellow zone (e.g. from Bangkok to Koh Samui), you must quarantine (at home or a hotel of your choosing) for 14 days, with daily reporting by phone.

Domestic (inter-province) quarantine is not required if:

(A) you’re fully vaccinated and have proof of such and/or;

(B) you’ve received a negative covid test (RT-PCR) within 72 hours of arrival to the destination province. Elective covid tests are approximately THB 2,500 to THB 4,000 (US$80 to $125) and can be arranged at Bangkok hospitals.

Current rules and restrictions

Mandatory masks (nationwide): Masks remain mandatory and must be worn in any public place (even outside) as soon as you leave your house or accommodation. Fines are steep (as this guy will tell you).

Alcohol, pubs and bars (nationwide): Pubs and bars remain closed nationwide, including karaoke. Also – read this twice – no alcohol sales or consumption is allowed in restaurants (except restaurants at SHA Plus hotels – explained below – which can serve alcohol to guests. I think.). As Bangkok’s April outbreak and subsequent third wave began in nightclubs, this regulation is expected to remain in place for awhile, at least through July.

Restaurants: Restaurant restrictions vary depending on the zone.

Yellow Zones (e.g. Samui, Phuket): Business as normal* – normal hours and inside dining is allowed (except alcohol cannot be served … unless – maybe – it’s a SHA Plus hotel).
Orange Zones: Inside dining allowed.
Red Zones: Inside dining allowed until 11pm.
Dark Red Zones (e.g. Bangkok): Inside dining allowed until 11pm but only at 50% capacity in air-conditioned spaces.

*’New’ normal – Note that in areas that relied primarily on tourists (e.g. Koh Samui, Phuket), many restaurants are closed (either permanently or moth-balled temporarily to save expenses). You won’t starve – there’s still plenty of choice and wonderful delivery options if quarantining, but expect fewer choices and a generally quiet island.

New and upcoming travel options
July 1: “Phuket Sandbox”

July 15: “Samui Plus” (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao)

October (maybe?): Krabi, Phang Nga, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Buri Ram hope to re-open, then Bangkok – provided they have reached a 70% vaccination rate.

Both “Phuket Sandbox” and “Samui Plus” are the first phase of Thailand’s reopening to fully vaccinated international tourists without quarantine. But let’s get to everyone’s favourite part of tropical travel: the fine print, the paperwork, the forms and certificates…

Phuket Sandbox (July 1)
As of June 22, the Phuket Sandbox plan was approved by the Thai Cabinet and will be signed-and-sealed as official once published in The Royal Gazette. However, as with anything/everything covid – it could all change with little notice depending on case numbers. As we’ve seen with ASQ duration, golf quarantine and other best-laid plans, things change.

This sandbox scheme will be paused if there are 90 new covid cases in a week on Phuket (for reference, this week had 5). If you want to play in the sandbox, please triple-check that any reservations can be refunded and/or rearranged.

Also – note that an estimated 75% of Phuket tourist businesses are currently shut. This is phase one of “bushwhacking our way towards to the Future Times” – it’s not normal (yet). My suggestion is that the sandbox model will suit (A) anyone who has to be in Thailand and prefers going outside to 14 days of ASQ and (B) holiday-makers who will enjoy two weeks of laziness within a resort … but can deal with last-minute changes if necessary. (If that’s not you – no worries – let’s plan for next year).

Who is eligible to come?
Fully vaccinated visitors from low- and medium-risk countries.

Your vaccine is WHO-approved (for example Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Sinovac, etc)
You had the final dose of your vaccine at least 14 days ago
You’re flying from a low- or medium-risk country (see below)
You’ve been in that country at least 21 days (if you’re not resident there)

Low- and medium-risk countries include: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, UAE, UK, USA

High-risk (excluded) countries currently include: India, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, South Africa

For the current lists of low-, medium- and high-risk countries, see this website and click on the latest PDF. It’s in Thai but Google Translate will get you there. The last page of the PDF is divided into three columns and reads low- to high-risk from left to right.

Is it that simple? Nope. Take the UK, for instance. Thailand’s on its Amber List: “You should not travel to amber list countries or territories.”

Children: Under 12s don’t need to be vaccinated. Kids ages 6-18 will be required to have Rapid Antigen Test on arrival at Phuket Airport (at extra cost, typically THB2,500-4,000). Children under 6 are allowed if travelling with fully vaccinated parents.

How to get to Phuket: Air France, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, El Al, Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways will all offer international flights to Phuket. Singapore Airlines will offer seven flights per week while Thai will fly from six European hubs. If you want to be on a plane, you’ve definitely got options (but do note that you need to have been in your flight’s origin country for at least 21 days if you’re not a resident of that country).

Where to stay: You may have previously read about Thailand’s Safety and Health Administration certification (aka ‘SHA’, denoted with a circular blue badge). SHA Plus is the new standard, available to establishments with a ≥70% staff vaccination rate (and other rigorous safety and cleaning protocols). All Phuket Sandbox hotels must have SHA Plus certification.

You have hundreds of choices for SHA Plus Phuket Sandbox hotels, at all price points. Many include villa options with private pools as well as family accommodation with bunks, etc.

Top 10 Phuket Sandbox SHA Plus Hotels

How to book your Phuket Sandbox hotel? Booking is possible through any ‘normal’ way you’d book a hotel – e.g. Booking.com, or a similar site. You must note in your reservation that it’s a “Phuket Sandbox” booking. You’ll then receive a “SHABA” booking confirmation, which you’ll need to get your Certificate of Entry (COE).

For an idea of price ranges, 14 nights (double occupancy) start at ฿9,450 (US$300) for a standard double bed room up to ฿373,490 (US$11,800) for an big ocean-view pool villa (240m²/2600ft²). Some rates include taxes, daily breakfast and airport transfer but exclude other food and drink – check the fine-print of each listing.

Airport transfer: Note that your airport transfer must be with a SHA Plus certified transport company, so it’ll likely be easier to book this directly through your hotel.

Length of stay and other options: Also note that, if you just want to travel to Phuket and then return home, you don’t have to stay 14 days. So there’s the buried lede – a one-week, quarantine-free Thai vacation IS possible as of July 1. More options? As long as you’ve made your reservations before arriving in Thailand, you can change from one Phuket SHA Plus hotel to another after seven days.

How long is it? Can you leave Phuket?
You! Have! Options!

If you just want to come to Phuket: You can stay fewer than 14 days if you only visit Phuket and then take an international flight leaving Thailand from Phuket Airport. (You might have to quarantine when you return to wherever you came from … but that’s your problem). To reiterate – this does make a one-week Thailand vacation possible as of July 1.

If you want to travel elsewhere in Thailand: Putting the “box” in “sandbox”, you’ll need to stay in a Phuket SHA Plus hotel for at least 14 days before you’re eligible to travel elsewhere in Thailand. It’s likely there will be restrictions (tracking apps? wristbands?) and/or penalties to deter any rule-breaking but these haven’t yet been announced.

Entry requirements and paperwork: Start with Thailand’s Entry Requirements for foreigners (also summarised here – the entry requirements are the same for Phuket Sandbox, ASQ in Bangkok, etc). In brief, these include:

1. Get travel insurance with COVID-19 coverage (minimum coverage of US$100,000)

2. Determine if you need a tourist visa. Many countries are eligible for a 45-day stay without a visa (including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, UAE, United Kingdom, U.S.) – see the full list. Otherwise, you’ll need to apply for a tourist visa at your local Thai embassy or consulate. Recall that, if you want to come to Thailand with the Phuket Sandbox scheme your country needs to be low- or medium-risk. Otherwise you’ll need to come through ASQ in Bangkok.

3. Get your Certificate of Entry (COE)

4. Book your flight (see details above for Phuket Sandbox flights and 21-day stay requirement for non-residents of the departure country)

5. Book your ASQ or Phuket Sandbox Hotel. ASQ hotels must be booked through an official channel (linked above), whereas Phuket Sandbox hotels can be booked via Booking.com or similar.

6. Get a negative covid test (72 hours before departure)

7. Fly to Thailand, present all the above paperwork (and fill out a little bit more)

8. Complete 14 days’ stay at a SHA Plus Phuket Sandbox hotel (OR Bangkok ASQ) in order to travel elsewhere in Thailand. If you’re fully vaccinated, you won’t need to quarantine inter-provincially.

Then what happens? What do you do? Once you’ve arrived in Phuket and your arrival covid test is negative, you’re welcome to travel around the island like you’re having a real live vacation. The only two stipulations are mandatory mask-wearing at all times outside your hotel room and staying in SHA+ Sandbox hotels. (Polite reminder that all bars and pubs are shut nationwide, and that many typical tourist businesses are closed on both Phuket and Samui. My suggestion is to choose a resort or two that you’ll love and bring a big stack of books).

Between now and July 1: A lot of vaccinations need to happen. Approximately 30% of Phuket is fully vaccinated (62% have their first dose). The aim is to get to 70% by July 1.

Samui Plus (July 15): As with the Phuket Sandbox, the “Samui Plus” scheme will be available to fully vaccinated foreign visitors from low- or medium-risk countries (described above).

You’ve perhaps read of early drafts of the plan, variously called “Samui Sealed” or “Safe and Sealed”. It’s been in at least five of my blog posts in the last year, usually along the lines of “here’s a thing that might happen but probably won’t so hold on, eat more carbs and pray to Pfizer”. Sixteen months later … a possible path back to Samui is nearly (maybe) here.

Note: Samui Plus has been approved by Thailand’s Cabinet but has not yet appeared in the Royal Gazette so it remains one step from being signed/sealed/delivered. The scheme covers Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.

How does Samui Plus differ from Phuket Sandbox? Whereas Phuket Sandbox affords you playtime (and free will) across the whole island, Samui Plus is more cautious. Thailand entry requirements and pre-arrival paperwork is the same – see details above

Days 1, 2 and 3: You must stay on the property of your Alternative Local State Quarantine (ALSQ) hotel (you can leave your hotel room but not the hotel itself). No idea how this is enforced. As Samui is currently a Yellow Zone, dining is available as usual, though hotel bars might be shut.

Days 4, 5, 6 and 7: You can go to “specified routes and destinations” on the island. No details available so far, but will probably include a ~~minder~~ guide.

Days 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14: You can go to Koh Phangan and Koh Tao (or stay on Samui and work your way through The Koh Samui Guide).

Day 15: You’re allowed to travel elsewhere in Thailand (again, you’re fully vaccinated to qualify for Samui Plus so you won’t need to quarantine if travelling to another province).

Which hotels will be eligible for Samui Plus? … No actual details yet … but the following hotels currently have SHA Plus certification:

Rocky Boutique
Fair House Beach Resort
Banana Fan Sea
Avani Plus

That’s all I know so far! Stay tuned. (Join my email list to get all future updates).

Then what happens? October? The big goal from Thai government and tourism is that “normal” resumes in October: quarantine-free Thailand travel available to fully vaccinated people. For a destination (like Bangkok or Hua Hin) to reopen in October, it should have 70% of its population vaccinated and 20-30 (or fewer) new covid infections per day. Everything depends on the vaccine rollout picking up some serious speed in order to get a first dose to 42 million more people.

Stay tuned. Crossing fingers that the Phuket Sandbox offers those interested – on both the traveller and supplier sides – what they want. Me? No plans to travel yet, but I’m excited to offer you lots of ideas for “hopefully soon”. Stay tuned.

Resources and Further Reading

April 2021

Longest. “Two Weeks”. Ever. With a year’s worth of Thailand travel updates regarding covid, quarantine, visa requirements, I’ve collated and updated everything Thailand/covid/travel into this master Wiki-style post. So dive in, grab your favourite liquid coping mechanism and, together, we’ll figure out how you’re going to see sand and palm trees this year.

Get updates: join my email list to get updates as they’re available.
World Nomads’ Coronavirus (COVID-19) travel restrictions in Thailand
World Nomads’ COVID and travel insurance FAQs
Thailand’s Department of Disease Control coronavirus updates.

Covid in Thailand

Thailand is unfortunately experiencing its third wave of covid and case numbers have risen rapidly over the past week – from 26 new cases on April 1 to 985 new cases on April 12. Chiang Mai and Bangkok are at the centre of the new outbreaks, with many cases linked to nightlife venues. As such, entertainment venues have been ordered closed for two weeks in 41 provinces. Koh Samui currently has four cases.

It remains to be seen whether these new case numbers will affect current and future plans – maybe locate the general vicinity of your passport rather than actually dusting it off. Who’s loving this and having fun yet?

Songkran

Water-splashing, Songkran parties and other events are cancelled (again) this year, with pubs, bars and nightlife venues closed in 41 provinces. As such, Songkran will (hopefully) be a more sedate and traditional holiday this year. See what this involves, from merit-making to a thorough spring-cleaning.

As always, Richard Barrow has the latest information including translations of interprovincial travel restrictions, particularly during the Songkran holiday period.

(sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

Quarantine

What’s ASQ? It’s a Thai hotel room with tons of Netflix, lots of room service, and two or three COVID tests on the side. At the time of writing, there are 100+ approved ASQ hotels in Bangkok – and a shorter list of ‘ALSQ’ (Alternative Local State Quarantine) hotels in Phuket, Chonburi, Burirum and Prachiburi. (Join my email list to get updates on this and everything else Thailand/COVID).

Quarantine … without day-drinking: Think ten days of quarantine with no alcohol sounds dull? (I think we’ve established it’s not my quarantine brand). To spice things up (while stone-cold sober), many ASQ hotels offer all the virtual content you’ve been meaning to try since last March: yoga, meditation, and online cooking classes.

What do ASQ packages include? Unless stated otherwise, package pricing typically includes:

accommodation for up to 15 nights (16 days) – see quarantine duration updates below
full-board (3 daily meals delivered to your room)
two or three COVID tests (woo!)
twice-daily temperature checks (human contact!) and/or 24-hour nurse on-call
airport transfer (one-way) from either Bangkok Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang Airport

Typical amenities include Wi-Fi, Smart TV and newspaper access through an app. Some hotels offer cleaning every other day, plus a discount on room service, laundry, etc.

Quarantine Duration (Updated)

Unvaccinated: If you have not been vaccinated but do have a negative covid test
As of April 1, Thailand’s mandatory state quarantine has been reduced from 14 days to 10 days (excluding South Africa, Kenya and nine other African countries considered high-risk).

Vaccinated (planned but not yet possible): If you have been vaccinated and have a negative covid test
At “some time in the future” vaccinated travellers will have a further reduction of the quarantine period: 7 days rather than 10 or 14. A covid vaccine certificate dated 14 days or more prior to arrival in Thailand will be required. As above, this excluded travellers from the 11 African countries with known variants. Such bookings aren’t yet possible … watch this space. Prior reports mentioned that your vaccination must include both doses (if applicable) and you must have received it within three months of your arrival in Thailand.

In both cases, negative covid tests must have been issued within 72 hours of your departure.

Any exceptions? Yes. If you’re coming from South Africa, Kenya or nine other African countries, the quarantine period will remain 14 days due to potentially vaccine-resistant virus variants.

What if I’m travelling with kids? Not sure yet. Will kids – who can’t be vaccinated – be eligible for 7-day quarantine? Or will they be considered “unvaccinated” and therefore need to quarantine for 10 days with a negative covid test? Watch this space for clarification.

Quarantine Hotels (ASQ)

Currently, there are over 100 ASQ hotels in Bangkok – including two Anantaras, the Conrad, the Shangri-La and so on. Packages include three daily in-room meals (because you’re not going anywhere), laundry discounts and COVID tests galore. If you’re weighing your options for this situation … just spend the big bucks and choose a big balcony. (P.S. No alcohol in quarantine, but you’re overdue for a detox, right?). ASQ prices have been dropping and currently start at around THB28,000 per person (US$915).

How to Book (ASQ Booking Options)

How to book your ASQ hotel? Previously ASQ had to be booked directly through the hotel, but an official partnership with Agoda means you now can easily price-shop and compare available dates. Three more booking options include:

1. Amazing Thailand Plus: In partnership with THAI Airways: Book your international flight into Thailand and your ASQ hotel in one package.

2. ASQ Paradise: In partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Currently, search 117 ASQ properties using helpful budget and room size filters. (“Balcony, balcony, balcony”). You can also search by the number of adults and children you’d like to accommodate. Booking through ASQ Paradise includes:

a 15-day prepaid SIM card with unlimited internet.
Access to “Plump Booty” 2-week quarantine workouts
10-day intensive Thai language courses with a private tutor (additional cost)

3. ASQ Ascend Travel: In partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). To use, you must register a free account.

Your ASQ FAQs

Q: What does ASQ mean? A: “ASQ” = Alternative State Quarantine. If you want to enter Thailand – as a tourist, a returning Thai citizen, pretty much anyone – you’re spending at least 10 nights/11 days in ASQ. At the time of writing, there are 100+ approved ASQ hotels in Bangkok (including a few apartments). This post also provides an overview of what ASQ packages involve, plus pricing details (and why you might want to get married).

Q: Can same-sex couples stay together? A: Yes – if legally married. From what I’ve read, any couple needs a legal marriage certificate in order to share a room during ASQ.

Q: Do ASQ packages include food? A: Yes. All packages include three daily meals, delivered pre-packaged like a (hopefully) more delicious airline meal. As food delivery services (unless cooked at home by a relative … don’t ask, no idea) are banned, your snacking is limited to room service options or whatever you’re able to rustle up in your kitchen – some ASQ options include small kitchenettes or even full apartment kitchens. Many hotels have made valiant attempts to include healthy options.

Q: What if my family/spouse are flying to Thailand on a different flight than me? A: You have to arrive on the same flight to share a room together. The timing of when ‘Day 1’ starts relates to the arrival time of your flight into Thailand. Flights arriving after 6pm (18:00) count as ‘Day 0’ and therefore have another day of quarantine added. Therefore your itineraries must match.

Other Quarantine Options

Until then, yachts, villas and golf courses are new and upcoming options for quarantine options. While ‘Alternative Local State Quarantine’ was floated as an idea last October but never took shape, you’ve now got some options that take you slightly beyond four walls of a hotel room.

Vaccinations (Domestic)

As of last week, 0.4% of Thai people have received their first dose, with 5 million AstraZeneca doses expected in June, with ongoing monthly shipments thereafter. THAI Airways will vaccinate its 4500 Suvarnabhumi Airport staff this week. Phuket hopes to achieve herd immunity with ≥70% vaccinated by its intended July 1 reopening date and has requested 900,000 Astra doses from the government.

The general Thai population will start registering for, and receiving vaccinations in May and June respectively when the bulk of its AstraZeneca supplies will arrive. Vaccinations to date have used primarily Sinovac, prioritising health care professionals, elderly/vulnerable populations and – recently – tourism workers in key markets. These will be Phuket, Surat Thani, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai and Krabi – locations of the proposed Area Quarantine.

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(sources: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Visas / Who Can Enter Thailand?

In addition to Thai nationals (and their spouses, parents or children), non-Thai nationals with valid residence permits (or permission to get a residence permit) and non-Thai nationals with valid work permits (and their spouses and children), the following visitors are allowed to enter Thailand today:

Foreign nationals with a Special Tourist Visa or a Tourist Visa (TV) – see below
Foreign nationals travelling for business are eligible for a 60-day non-immigrant visa (with bank statements demonstrating a balance of ≥THB500,000 for the previous six months.
“APEC Business Travel Card” holders – Foreign nationals from one of eighteen “low-risk” APEC countries travelling for business or government purposes
“Sportspersons who will compete in a closed area”
Thailand Elite members
Diplomatic personnel (including their spouse, parents, or children)
Carriers of necessary goods, subject to immediate return upon completion
Flight crew “who are required to travel into the Kingdom on a mission, and have a specified date and time for return”
Non-Thai nationals who are students of educational institutions approved by Thai authorities (including the student’s parents or guardians)
Non-Thai nationals who need medical treatment in Thailand and their attendants (excludes treatment for COVID-19)
Non-Thai nationals who are permitted to enter the kingdom under special arrangement
Non-Thai nationals participating in trade fairs in Thailand
Foreign film crews coming for filming in Thailand
Foreign workers from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar for food and construction industries

Those who qualify to enter Thailand must meet a variety of entry requirements and, on arrival, quarantine for ten days at their own expense. Thai nationals are allowed to use state facilities, while foreigners must stay at Alternative State Quarantine accommodation (ASQ).

Special Tourist Visa (STV)

A new visa category for long-stay visitors, dubbed the Special Tourist Visa (STV). The visa will be valid for 90 days, renewable for a second and third ‘batch’ of ninety days (up to a total of 270 days).

Who’s eligible for an STV?: Travellers from “low-risk” countries (check with your country’s Royal Thai Embassy or consulate), up to 300 visitors per week

STV application period: Applications are open now until next year, 30 September 2021.

Minimum stay: Including quarantine (reduced to 10 nights), there’s a total 30-day minimum stay.

Income requirements: Whereas the STV was launched with a proof of funds requirement of THB 500,000 spanning the past six months, this detail has quietly changed (or disappeared) in some locations. It’s worth double-checking the income requirement on your country’s Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate website. The Thaiger reported a different amount on a U.S.-based Thai Consulate site, whereas European Thai embassies mention no such detail. Just one of many (many) things changing often.

Before departure

Travel insurance: Applicants will need to have health insurance coverage up to THB3,000,000 (approx US$95,000).
COVID test: ≤72 hours before departure
Completed paperwork including a consent form that you’ll follow Thailand’s COVID rules, Fit to Fly Certificate and Medical Certificate for General Passengers.
Show proof of payment for your post-quarantine accommodation (e.g. a hotel booking) or a house deed if staying with a friend or relative.

On arrival

10-day mandatory quarantine (and COVID tests galore).

How to apply for a Special Tourist Visa?
Three options, in increasing order of price.

1. The normal way: Contact the Royal Thai Embassy in your country.

2. The Longstay Thailand Company: Receive administrative assistance in getting an STV (I said STV. 10,000 THB (+7%) application service fee to get help with the various hoop-jumping (approx US$315).

3. Join Thailand Elite: Got deep pockets and would rather pay someone to do the admin for your Special Tourist Visa? Apply to join Thailand Elite and get a five-year multi-entry visa with all the assistance you ~~need~~ would expect for half a million Baht. Quarantine is still required but … probably comes with decent thread-count and really fancy water. (Memberships starting at THB500,000 / approx. US$16,000 with a 3+ month waiting period).

60-Day Tourist Visas (TV)

I can’t tell if this (A) wasn’t clear before or (B) is a new option, but visitors from medium- and high-risk countries are allowed to apply for a regular 60-Day Tourist Visa (the same kind you might have had in the Olden Times). ASQ requirements, administrative-hoop-jumping and everything else still apply – it’s just a shorter stay. (caveat emptor, caveat emptor).

Flights / April Updates

BKK international transit: International transit is now possible at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), with strict covid measures and separation from “gen pop”.

Passenger lounges / in-flight food suspended: Due to recent outbreaks, in-flight food and drink services are once again suspended until futher notice, as are Bangkok Airways’ passenger lounges. Masks are of course mandatory – all other details available at Bangkok Airways’s COVID page.

International flights: In July, THAI is set to resume international flights into Phuket and Bangkok Airways plans to resume its Samui-Singapore and Samui-Hong Kong flights.

International Flights to BKK: As of December 1, the following international flights resumed operations to/from BKK. If you qualify for entry to Thailand – e.g. Special Tourist Visa (STV) or Tourist Visas (TR) holders, business and other essential travel – my best suggestion is to clarify details specific to your situation with the local office of your preferred airline, as well as the Royal Thai embassy or your closest consulate. (You’ll also need a Certificate of Entry to fly).

Air France (TBC)
Austrian Airlines (VIE-BKK)
Cathay Pacific (HKG-BKK)
Emirates (DXB-BKK, HKG-BKK)
Etihad Airlines (AUH-BKK)
Eva Air (TPE-BKK, LHR-BKK)
Gulf Air (BAH-BKK)
KLM (TBC)
Korean Air (ICN-BKK)
Lufthansa (FRA-BKK)
Malaysia Airlines (KUL-BKK)
Qatar Airways (DOH-BKK)
Philippine Airlines (MNL-BKK)
Singapore Airlines (SIN-BKK)
Swiss Air (ZHR-BKK)
Thai Airways (LHR, FRA, CPH, HKG, NRT, TPE and SYD to BKK)
Thai Smile (CKG-BKK)

The above is current at the time of writing but options (airlines, routes and frequency) will likely increase in the coming months so use the list as a rough guide and check with your preferred airlines for updates.

(sources: 1, 2, 3)

Future Plans and Possibilities / International (Inbound) Travel

July 1 – Phuket: A “sandbox” scheme is planned to begin in Phuket, allowing vaccinated travellers to visit without quarantine.

October 1 – Koh Samui: Koh Samui is planning to welcome vaccinated travellers to Samui, with no quarantine requirements.

Both of these plans rely on vaccine rollouts to ≥70% of the respective islands’ populations and, presumably, managing the current outbreaks (particularly after the Songkran holiday – Thailand’s peak domestic travel period). Cross your fingers and keep them crossed.

However, if you’re still glass-half-full after all this time: Keep the final quarter of 2021 in mind as a possible quarantine-free new dawn. (Possible! Maybe!) Hellooo October, November and December. (Cue high-pitched shrieking audible only to dolphins).

(sources: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Travel Bubbles? Vaccine Passports? Reciprocal travel with “low-risk” (and highly vaccinated) countries is under consideration as are vaccine passports (both allowing vaccinated Thais to travel and facilitating inbound international travel). Watch! This! Space!

Don’t want to do any of the above? Hold tight until fourth quarter 2021 (or start planning for 2022). In the meantime, take a look at some deeply discounted Koh Samui hotel rates for later this year – with no prepayment and free cancellation.

Your Thailand/COVID FAQs

Q: Is Thailand accepting travellers from the USA? A: You can apply for a 60-day tourist visa. The best place to start is with the Royal Thai embassy or your closest consulate.

Q: We have a villa in Koh Samui. Do you know if we can get back to actually live in it during COVID restrictions? A: Following a stay in ASQ, yes, I believe you could – depending on your home country and which visa you have or would qualify for. My best suggestion would be to double-check with the Royal Thai Consulate-General in your country.

Q: What does ‘SHA’ mean? A: “SHA” = Safety and Health Administration certification. A blue “SHA” badge will indicate that the establishment has passed a detailed inspection and follows all recommended COVID health measures.

March 2021

March Updates to Thailand COVID restrictions – and some good news! Just announced this week – good news for any smug souls who are already vaccinated. Mandatory quarantine (such as Alternative State Quarantine and other iterations, see below) has been reduced from 14 days. Even better? What might – might – be possible in October. Read on, nice people … it’s nearly (maybe) time to dig out your passport.

Get updates: join my email list to get updates as they’re available.
World Nomads’ Coronavirus (COVID-19) travel restrictions in Thailand
World Nomads’ COVID and travel insurance FAQs
Thailand’s Department of Disease Control coronavirus updates.

Thailand Quarantine Updates

Quarantine Duration: What’s changed?

(A) If you have been vaccinated and have a negative covid test: your mandatory quarantine period will be 7 days rather than 14. Your vaccination must include both doses (if applicable) and you must have received it within three months of your arrival in Thailand.

(B) If you have not been vaccinated but do have a negative covid test: your mandatory quarantine period will be 10 days rather than 14.

In both cases, negative covid tests must have been issued within 72 hours of your departure.

When will the quarantine period be reduced? These changes to quarantine duration are expected to begin next month (April). At the time of writing, I haven’t seen the booking periods change on any ASQ hotel booking sites (see below for new booking options).

Any exceptions? Yes. If you’re coming from South Africa (and possibly other African countries), the quarantine period will remain 14 days due to potentially vaccine-resistant virus variants.

What if I’m travelling with kids? Not sure yet. These details are hot off the press and won’t be put into effect until month next. Will kids – who can’t be vaccinated – be eligible for 7-day quarantine? Or will they be considered “unvaccinated” and therefore need to quarantine for 10 days with a negative covid test? Watch this space for clarification.

ASQ Updates and FAQs

ASQ prices have been dropping and currently start at around THB28,000 per person (US$915). Please see my ASQ post for full details of what’s included in the price and a humanitarian heads-up about a “no alcohol in quarantine” rule.

Q: Can same-sex couples stay together? A: From what I’ve read, any couple needs a legal marriage certificate in order to share a room during ASQ.

Q: What if my family/spouse are flying to Thailand on a different flight than me? You have to arrive on the same flight to share a room together. The timing of when ‘Day 0’ starts is pretty strict and therefore your itineraries must match.

Amazing Thailand Plus: In partnership with THAI Airways: Book your international flight into Thailand and your ASQ hotel in one package.

ASQ Paradise: In partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Currently, search 117 ASQ properties using helpful budget and room size filters. (“Balcony, balcony, balcony”). You can also search by the number of adults and children you’d like to accommodate. Booking through ASQ Paradise includes:

a 15-day prepaid SIM card with unlimited internet.
Access to “Plump Booty” 2-week quarantine workouts
10-day intensive Thai language courses with a private tutor (additional cost)

ASQ Ascend Travel: In partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). To use, you must register a free account.

On the horizon: The end of quarantine? Also announced this week: a possible end to quarantine. (Possible! Maybe!) Keep the final quarter of 2021 in mind as a possible quarantine-free new dawn: Hellooo October, November and December. Thailand’s health minister has suggested this could be considered if Thailand’s domestic vaccination schedule goes to plan. They hope to have 70% of vulnerable populations, health professionals and those working in tourism vaccinated by October. So plant October, November or December Thailand (quarantine-free) travel in mind as a possibility. (Cue high-pitched shrieking audible only to dolphins).

Travel bubbles? Vaccine passports? Reciprocal travel with “low-risk” (and highly vaccinated) countries is under consideration as are vaccine passports (both allowing vaccinated Thais to travel and facilitating inbound international travel). Watch! This! Space!

New quarantine options

Yacht Quarantine – Active

(aka Alternative Yacht Quarantine or AYQ). If you watched Below Deck Phuket and think you could be good at sea, the yachting life awaits – just add {vast sums of money} and a sort of ankle monitor. “Digital Yacht Quarantine” attaches smartwatches to all quarantine-ees – ~~anchored~~ socially distanced up to 10 kilometres offshore. The watches transmit medical vitals like pulse and temperature to officials back on land but, other than that minor intrusion, you enjoy life on board. After 14 days of #boatlife, you’re allowed to head to dock in Phuket. Beach picnic, Sports Fans? One minor detail: BYO Yacht. Calling Captain Lee…

Golf Quarantine – Active

Logistics are easier for golf quarantine – no need to supply your own golf course. Unlike ASQ in a hotel room, golf quarantine comes with time outside. Lots of it! After a negative covid test on day 3, you’re allowed to use the resort and play golf. It’s currently available to “low-risk” countries (see below). As with ASQ, further covid tests are administered on days 9 and 13 (arrival day is considered day 0).

Golf quarantine duration? Nothing is published yet regarding golf quarantine duration being reduced as has been announced with ASQ but stay tuned.

Golf quarantine prices? Packages start at THB 111,000 (approx US$3600) and include 15 room nights, 3 daily meals, airport transfer, covid tests and 11 days of unlimited golf. For comparison, the same price would get you a suite at a four-star ASQ hotel in Bangkok. As an avowed non-golfer, I’d take two weeks of “Plump Booty” workouts in Bangkok, how about you?

Golf quarantine options: Six Thai golf resorts are available for golf quarantine – five near (or near-ish) to Bangkok and one outside Chiang Mai.

Nakhon Nayok – Artitaya Golf & Resort (1 hour from BKK)
Phetchaburi – Sawang Resort and Golf Club (1h45 from BKK)
Kanchanaburi – Evergreen Hills Golf Club & Resort (2h20 from BKK)
Kanchanaburi – Mida Golf Club Kanchanaburi (2h40 from BKK)
Kanchanaburi – Blue Star Golf Course (2h50 from BKK)
Lamphun – Artitaya Chiang Mai Golf Resort (45min from Chiang Mai)

To book, please see Golf Quarantine Thailand.

Countries eligible for golf quarantine

As of March 1, golf quarantine is to people coming from “low-risk” countries which include

Australia
Canada
China
Denmark
Hong Kong
Iceland
Japan
Korea
New Zealand
Norway
Singapore
Taiwan
(see full list)

Area Quarantine (including Villa Quarantine) – April/May

THIS is the quarantine question many of you have been emailing me about. Can you quarantine on Koh Samui? Or anywhere with a beach? After ‘Alternative Local State Quarantine’ (ALSQ or ALQ) was suggested for major tourist destinations – but never initiated on Koh Samui (and largely scrapped on Phuket) – Area Quarantine (AQ) has emerged as its second iteration. It’s yet not finalised, but here’s what’s known so far. Five popular tourist regions will be used for area quarantine:

Phuket
Krabi
Surat Thani (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao)
Chiang Mai
Chon Buri (Pattaya)

As with golf quarantine, certain resorts will be certified as Area Quarantine options. (Likely fairly high-end resorts). You’ll be required to spend the first three days in your room and, following a negative covid test, will have use of some resort facilities for the remainder of the quarantine period. As mentioned this is currently 15 days but is set to be reduced to either 7 or 10 days depending on your vaccination status.

More details to follow with the plan set to begin in April… or May. As with so much future-forecasting about covid, sources vary. So, once again, stay tuned. Phuket is likely to be the first destination to be up and running. As that means another six or more months before Koh Samui and other islands see any volume of tourists returning, please consider helping out a very struggling economy in any way that you can.

A trial run of “villa quarantine” has begun at Phuket’s Sri Panwa resort – an early hint that Area Quarantine categorically will not suck. After 5 days’ in-room quarantine, guests were allowed to use resort dining and fitness facilities and access the beach within a designated “red zone”. Quarantine guests and “red zone” staff remain in a bubble separate from the rest of the resort.

Vaccine Updates

The general Thai population will start registering for, and receiving vaccinations in May and June respectively when the bulk of its AstraZeneca supplies will arrive. Vaccinations to date have used Sinovac, prioritising health care professionals, elderly/vulnerable populations and – recently – tourism workers in key markets. These will be Phuket, Surat Thani, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai and Krabi – locations of the proposed Area Quarantine. Johnson & Johnson is in the process of approval.

Flights and Air Travel Updates

As of this week, international transit is now possible at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), with strict covid measures and separation from “gen pop”. Domestic flights within Thailand have resumed serving food and drinks. Bangkok Airways’s lounges are open at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Phuket, Krabi, Chiang Mai, Samui, Sukhothai and Trat airports.

Resources and Futher Reading

November 2020

Welcome back to the world of “maybe-hopefully-soon”. The key difference to all previous Thailand/COVID updates? I’m determined that this post will be good news and lots of it. Here’s how: pretend you’re reading it to a golden retriever. No matter the content, ascend an octave, raise your eyebrows to your hairline and read aloud. Ready? Let’s learn all the ways we’re not going anywhere.

Caveat of all caveats: To the best of my knowledge and obsessive fact-checking, everything below is correct at time of writing (Nov 27, 2020). However, things are changing constantly and one positive COVID case can (and has) reversed course on new plans and proposals. Most of all, regulations differ depending on your country and there is SO MUCH grey area.

As such, please consider the following a rough guide rather than hard facts – use it as a Mad Libs sheet to fill in according to your specific situation. As you have a grasp of the basics, your best bet in all cases is to contact your country’s Royal Thai Embassy or your closest consulate as well as your local Thai Airways office (if applicable). For my part, I’ll keep the updates coming (typed with one sleeve rolled to my elbow awaiting vaccination). Join my email list to get future updates straight to your inbox.

If you’re brand new (hello!), here’s a quick dictionary and recap of what’s in place so far:

Read first: Thailand/COVID 101

If you’re brand new to the idea of bushwhacking your way to Thailand during COVID, start with the October update and then come back and read this post. A few minor details have changed (for example: if you’re ineligible for an STV, you might have other options now) but, together, they’ll give you the full picture. Important: don’t allow yourself to get confused until you’ve read both posts from start to finish. It will make as much sense as it can by the end. If it all sounds impossible and hellish, just go back to bed with some boxed wine. It’s 2020 and you’re allowed.

What does _____ mean?

ASQ: Alternative State Quarantine: If you want to enter Thailand – as a tourist, a returning Thai citizen, pretty much anyone – you’re spending 15 nights/16 days in ASQ. At the time of writing, there are 113 approved ASQ hotels in Bangkok – here are your 70 best options (including a few apartments). This post also provides an overview of what ASQ packages involve, plus pricing details (and why you might want to get married).

ALSQ: Alternative Local State Quarantine: Note: Not currently in operation and perhaps unlikely to. Locations including Phuket and Koh Samui. While Koh Samui pricing and package details haven’t been announced yet, the Bangkok information gives an early frame of reference. At the minute, it looks unlikely that ALSQ will happen any time soon (but … that could change tomorrow).

SHA: Safety and Health Administration certification: A blue “SHA” badge will indicate that the establishment has passed a detailed inspection and follows all recommended COVID health measures.

STV: Special Tourist Visa
Find out who’s eligible for an STV, what the application involves and how to apply (below).

Thailand Travel Updates

If you’re a regular reader – join us here for your updates. As a quick catch-up, Thailand’s been doing relatively well with its COVID numbers and the mandatory quarantine period is proving largely successful at preventing wider community spread. Unfortunately, the system hasn’t been perfect. One case involved a woman who, having completed her quarantine, then travelled to Koh Samui and tested positive for COVID a few days later. It’s believed she caught the virus at some point during her quarantine hotel stay (but no one really knows for certain). No one else was infected but, as a result of this and a few unrelated cases, we’re unlikely to see a reduction in the length of ASQ stays.

Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) Updates

1. Two-week quarantine period remains: Prior to the event mentioned above, officials were considering reducing the ASQ period from 14 to 10 days for visitors from low-risk countries (such as Australia New Zealand, Taiwan and South Korea). That’s not happening (for now at least).

2. More ASQ hotels added: You’ve now got more ASQ options. In total, there are 118 ASQ hotels (and apartments) at time of writing – I’ve chosen those I think are best and have added 30 new ASQ hotels and apartments to this running list. (Look for the blue ‘New’ tag).

3. ASQ prices: Some of that good news I promised. With my late November update (30 more hotels), there’s now a much wider price range of ASQ hotels with many room options now starting at 32,000 THB (vs 65,000 THB in October). Expect this pattern to continue – more choice at more price points. If interested, I’ve added some rough figures for ASQ average prices.

4. Big Brother’s (probably) going to be watching… A friendly heads-up that, after completing ASQ, you’ll probably need to have a tracking app on your phone, plus or minus frequent check-ins with official people who want to know where you are. (Details are sparse, but greater oversight had been suggested for visitors completing shorter quarantine periods which are – again – scrapped for now).

5. What’s your vote? Thailand insider Richard Barrow polled his followers about their interest in ASQ this week: “Are you a tourist considering a holiday to Thailand? Under what conditions would you visit?” With 3,300 responses at the time of writing, 62% said they’ll only travel when quarantine restrictions are lifted. What’s your vote?

Visa Updates

Special Tourist Visa (STV): So far, 681 people have successfully applied for STVs – a new visa available only to those from low-risk countries. What’s changed? Flight options have expanded. Whereas previously only charter and private flights were available, you now have a variety of semi-commercial options (details follow further in this post).

60-Day Tourist Visas (TV): I can’t tell if this (A) wasn’t clear before or (B) is a new option, but visitors from medium- and high-risk countries are allowed to apply for a regular 60-Day Tourist Visa (the same kind you might have had in the Olden Times). ASQ requirements, administrative-hoop-jumping and everything else still apply – it’s just a shorter stay. On paper, this means that – yes – Americans can travel to Thailand (caveat emptor, caveat emptor).

What’s a low-risk, medium-risk or high-risk country according to Thailand? As of November 1, the following are an inexhaustive list of who’s-who. (If you don’t see your country listed, please check with your country’s Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate). Reminder – this changes! Often!

Low-risk countries: Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Estonia, Norway, Brazil

Medium-risk countries: Canada, Japan, UAE, South Africa, Indonesia, Germany, India, Denmark, Malaysia, Israel, Philippines,

High-risk countries: Myanmar, Austria, Sweden, Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Russia, UK and the U.S

Note: Obviously all of these details are changing constantly. If you have questions specific to your situation, start with your country’s Royal Thai embassy/consulate. This isn’t to say that Thailand is accepting visitors from every country – just that they might be and it’s worth checking. Who’s loving this and having fun yet?

Income requirements: Whereas the STV was launched with a proof of funds requirement of THB 500,000 spanning the past six months, this detail is quietly changing (or disappearing) in some locations. It’s worth double-checking the income requirement on your country’s Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate website. The Thaiger reports a different amount on a U.S.-based Thai Consulate site, whereas European Thai embassies mention no such detail. Just one of many (many) things changing daily.

Upcoming: Easy-Booking Packages: On December 1, The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will start offering “Amazing Thailand Plus Special Package” through March 31, 2021. The intent is to streamline some of the admin currently required: visas, ASQ hotel booking and flights can be booked as one package either through Thai Airways or TAT’s website (not yet available – check on Dec 1).

Flight/Airline Updates

Good news! As of November, there are limited “semi-commercial” options available for those who need them and qualify for entry to Thailand – e.g. Special Tourist Visa (STV) or Tourist Visas (TR) holders, business and other essential travel (you’ll need a Certificate of Entry to fly).

Further options (including those listed below) will become available on December 1. My best suggestion is to clarify details specific to your situation with the local office of your preferred airline, as well as the Royal Thai embassy or your closest consulate.

Air France (TBC)
Austrian Airlines (VIE-BKK)
Cathay Pacific (HKG-BKK)
Emirates (DXB-BKK, HKG-BKK)
Etihad Airlines (AUH-BKK)
Eva Air (TPE-BKK, LHR-BKK)
Gulf Air (BAH-BKK)
KLM (TBC)
Korean Air (ICN-BKK)
Lufthansa (FRA-BKK)
Malaysia Airlines (KUL-BKK)
Qatar Airways (DOH-BKK)
Philippine Airlines (MNL-BKK)
Singapore Airlines (SIN-BKK)
Swiss Air (ZHR-BKK)
Thai Airways (LHR, FRA, CPH, HKG, NRT, TPE and SYD to BKK)
Thai Smile (CKG-BKK)

ALSQ in Koh Samui

Although 10 Koh Samui hotels have been approved for Alternative Local State Quarantine (ALSQ), this remains a designation in name only. No further details are available and none are currently operating as such. With no international flights into Koh Samui or Phuket and the significant increase in ASQ options in BKK … my guess is ALSQ is a preparedness plan for the future, not an imminent option.

Vaccines!

Who’s already lining up to play human pin cushion! Vaccination in Thailand is likely to begin in mid-2021 according to the director of their National Vaccine Institute (NVI). Meanwhile, you’ve perhaps read reports that Qantas and The International Air Transport Association (IATA) have said that proof of vaccine or a vaccine passport will be required for future international travel. We might expect that this is what we’re waiting for before commercial travel resumes and ASQ goes away. For my part, that’s the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Sign. Me. Up.

Your Thailand/COVID FAQs

1. Is Thailand accepting travellers from the USA? Although Thailand currently considers the U.S. ‘high risk’ (see above), you can – apparently – apply for a 60-day tourist visa. The best place to start is with the Royal Thai embassy or your closest consulate.

2. We have a villa in Koh Samui. Do you know if we can get back to actually live in it during COVID restrictions? Following a stay in ASQ, I believe you could – depending on your home country and which visa you have or would qualify for. My best suggestion would be to double-check with the Royal Thai Consulate-General in your country. Visa specifics seem to differ country by country, depending on which locations are low/medium/high risk. If you’re not eligible for an STV or a retirement visa, you might qualify for a 60-day tourist visa.

3. How many days is ASQ? It’s for fifteen days. Your arrival day is considered “Day Zero” because you’re still interacting with other people and therefore aren’t fully quarantined. So consider “Day 1” to be the first day entirely on your lonesome, meaning you’re let out fourteen days later, on “Day 15”.

4. How can we fly to Thailand if only charter or private flights are available? See above for updated flight and airline details.

5. Do ASQ packages include food? Yes. All packages include three daily meals, delivered pre-packaged like a (hopefully) more delicious airline meal. As food delivery services (unless cooked at home by a relative … don’t ask, no idea) are banned, your snacking is limited to room service options or whatever you’re able to rustle up in your kitchen – some ASQ options include small kitchenettes or even full apartment kitchens. Many hotels have made valiant attempts to include healthy options.

Resources and further reading

October 2020 (part 2)

As I’ve mentioned in previous Thailand vs COVID-19 travel updates, if you want to enter Thailand – as a tourist, a returning Thai citizen, pretty much anyone – you’re spending 14 days in ‘Alternative State Quarantine’ (ASQ).

Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) Hotels in Thailand
What’s ASQ? It’s a Bangkok hotel room with tons of Netflix, lots of room service, and two or three COVID tests on the side. At the time of writing, there are 147 approved ASQ hotels in Bangkok – and a shorter list of ‘ALSQ’ (Alternative Local State Quarantine) hotels in Phuket, Chonburi, Burirum and Prachiburi.

Below, find the 70 best ASQ hotels sorted by their review rating on Booking.com. While there are 100+ ASQ options available, the following are amongst the best-reviewed and offer a good idea of pricing and room options.

April 1, 2021: The quarantine duration has been reduced from 15 nights to 10 nights (with a few exclusions). Prices below reflect the original price for 15 nights. May 1, 2021: ASQ is back to 14 days.

Alternative State Quarantine FAQs

ASQ Packages: What do ASQ packages include?
Unless stated otherwise, package pricing typically includes:

accommodation for up to 15 nights (16 days) – reduced to 10 nights for most travellers
full-board (3 daily meals delivered to your room)
two or three COVID tests (woo!)
twice-daily temperature checks (human contact!) and/or 24-hour nurse on-call
airport transfer (one-way) from either Bangkok Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang Airport

Typical amenities include Wi-Fi, Smart TV and newspaper access through an app. Some hotels offer cleaning every other day, plus a discount on room service, laundry, etc.

Reservations must be made (A) directly through the hotel or (B) through Agoda’s ASQ booking partnership. I’ve also linked each hotel to its Booking.com listing so you have easy access to a photo gallery and more reviews.

Do ASQ packages include food? Yes, but (and I’ll repeat this a lot) alcohol is not allowed. All packages below include three daily meals, usually delivered pre-packaged like a (hopefully) more delicious airline meal. As food delivery services (unless cooked at home by a relative … don’t ask, no idea) are banned, your snacking is limited to room service options. Many hotels have made valiant attempts to include healthy options.

ASQ Prices
Prices are for single occupancy – inquire directly for double occupancy or family rates. As a reference, these are average prices from a few hotels:

Extra adult (or child aged 13+): THB 55,000 net (US$1760)
Child aged 1-12: THB 45,000 net (US$1440)
Infant: THB 30,000 net (US$960)

Most prices are net (and are subject to change). Typically, add 17% for government tax and service fees to find the total (but please check the fine print as a few prices are inclusive of tax).

What’s the average price of an ASQ hotel? First, note that my list of the 70 best ASQ hotels includes only those rated 8/10 or higher on Booking.com. As such, if you’re hunting for a deal, you might not find it below. What you will find? Big windows, high standards, rave reviews and the occasional kitchen, washing machine, river view or outdoor terrace.

For standard rooms, single occupancy:

Lowest price: 32,000 THB (or US$1,056/£800)
Average price: 49,000 THB (or US$1,626/£1233)
Highest price: 150,000 THB (or US$4,950/£3,750)

For suites and family rooms, double or triple occupancy is variously included or excluded from the price – making an exact average trickier to calculate. However, roughly, if you want the biggest room and the most space (including outdoor space), this is an inexact reference point:

Lowest price: 39,000 THB (or US$1,287/£800)
Average price: 85,000 THB (or US$2,810/£2,129)
Highest price: 250,000 THB (or US$8,250/£6,250)

Good news? I first published this list in early October with 40 ASQ hotels and, at the time, most room options started at around 65,000 THB. With my late November update (30 more hotels), there’s now a much wider price range – with many room options now starting at 32,000 THB. Expect this pattern to continue – more choice at more price points.

Discounts? Many hotels offer a discount for Thai citizens and occasionally permanent residents (5% is common, 10% a rarer treat). I’ve also seen discounts offered for particular types of Thai credit cards – definitely worth asking if you’re a returning resident.

What else to know about ASQ

Get married (or be lonely): As I understand the ASQ rules, only married couples and parent/child are eligible for double occupancy, otherwise, you and your partner have to stay in separate rooms. You’ll have to provide a copy of your marriage certificate; common law doesn’t count in quarantine!

Food and drink

No alcohol. Repeat: 15 nights of quarantine. Possibly in a single hotel room with your spouse or child. With no alcohol.

No outside food delivery unless cooked at home by a relative who delivers it and signs a release form ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

The outside world: After approximately 6 or 7 days’ Fun Fest 3000 inside, you might earn some ~~prison yard~~ outside time – for about an hour a day. If you have a negative COVID test. Rules vary here – some hotels allow access to certain fitness facilities and others encourage walking (but not running) in the hotel gardens.

October 2020 (part 1)

Comparing the fourth quarter of this year to last, foreign tourism to Thailand is down >>drumroll<< 99.5%. Picking up from my previous post, here’s an early October update on the Special Tourist Visa and other pertinent immigration details.

Who can enter Thailand today (or soon)?

Foreign nationals with a Special Tourist Visa
Foreign nationals travelling for business are eligible for a 60-day non-immigrant visa (with bank statements demonstrating a balance of ≥THB500,000 for the previous six months.
“APEC Business Travel Card” holders – Foreign nationals from one of eighteen “low-risk” APEC countries travelling for business or government purposes
“Sportspersons who will compete in a closed area”
Thailand Elite members (see below)

Thailand’s Special Tourist Visa [Updates]

The first month of Special Tourist Visa kicks off next week – very much in trial phase as officials cross their fingers that (A) it works and everyone is kept safe and (B) the Thai tourism industry gets a small, but much-needed, cash injection. Indeed, the first 120 STV visitors are due to arrive on October 8th … from China (¯\_(ツ)_/¯).

Who’s eligible for an STV? “Low-risk” countries (TBA). Sorry, Donald. Up to 300 visitors per week

STV application period: Applications are open now until next year, 30 September 2021.

Minimum stay: Including quarantine (14 nights), there’s a total 30-day minimum stay.

Before departure

Travel insurance: Applicants will need to have health insurance coverage up to THB3,000,000 (approx US$95,000). For reference, World Nomads offers two travel insurance plans for Thailand that meet this requirement – Standard Plan and Explorer Plan – though the exact level of coverage varies depending on your country of residence. For U.S. residents, the Standard Plan covers up to US$100,000 in emergency medical whereas Canadian and Kiwi residents receive up to CA/NZ$5,000,000 on the same plan. (See more FAQs about COVID and travel insurance).
COVID test: ≤72 hours before departure
Completed paperwork including a consent form that you’ll follow Thailand’s COVID rules, Fit to Fly Certificate and Medical Certificate for General Passengers.
Show proof of payment for your post-quarantine accommodation (e.g. a hotel booking) or a house deed if staying with a friend or relative.

Flights: Only international charter flights or private (!) flights are allowed at the minute. Soooo… find a rich friend? (Sorry Donald, you fell at the first hurdle).

On arrival: 14-day mandatory quarantine (and COVID tests galore).

Quarantine details

Quick refresh: no matter your visa type, you’ll have to quarantine for 14 days (at your cost) at a certified hotel in Bangkok (AQS) or, coming soon, in Koh Samui (Alternative Local State Quarantine or ALQS). Heads up – no alcohol.

Quarantine … without day-drinking:Think fourteen days of quarantine with no alcohol sounds dull? (I think we’ve established it’s not my quarantine brand). To spice things up (while stone-cold sober), AQS hotels are considering events and programs that guests will be able to watch from their hotel window or balcony. As well, they plan to offer all the virtual content you’ve been meaning to try since March: yoga, meditation, and online cooking classes. I don’t want to be cynical but – would you rather be at home with your boxed wine and Netflix?

7 days of quarantine? Just maybe (but probably not). While the Special Tourist Visa (STV) goes into its trial phase next week, if it’s safe and successful, tourism officials are considering reducing the 14-day quarantine period to 7 days. Expect details on this in November, contingent on 98.6% negative COVID tests from the first batch of STV visitors (296 out of 300 must test negative, sorry Donald).

How to apply for a Special Tourist Visa?

Three options, in increasing order of price.

1. The normal way: Contact the Royal Thai Embassy in your country.

2. The Longstay Thailand Company: Receive administrative assistance in getting an STV. 10,000 THB (+7%) application service fee to get help with the various hoop-jumping (approx US$315).

3. Join Thailand Elite: Got deep pockets and would rather pay someone to do the admin for your Special Tourist Visa? Apply to join Thailand Elite and get a five-year multi-entry visa with all the assistance you ~~need~~ would expect for half a million Baht. Quarantine is still required but … probably comes with decent thread-count and really fancy water. (Memberships starting at THB500,000 / approx. US$16,000 with a 3+ month waiting period).

Don’t want to do any of the above? Hold tight until 2021. In the meantime, take a look at some deeply discounted Koh Samui hotel rates for late summer next year – with no prepayment and free cancellation.

Alternative Local State Quarantine (ALSQ)

In addition to Alternative State Quarantine accommodation (ASQ) in Bangkok, a handful of Koh Samui properties are in the process of registering for Alternative Local State Quarantine (ALSQ). Meaning? You can quarantine for the 14 days in (A) a big city you can’t explore or (B) on a pretty island you can’t see.

So far, 8 Koh Samui hotels are registered as ALSQ hotels with 15 more awaiting inspection. The hotels haven’t been announced yet but there are 8 ALSQ hotels in Phuket that give a good hint: Phuket’s list includes two Anantaras and a Banyan Tree property.

Visa extensions

The September 26 deadline for visa extensions has been further extended to October 31st for individuals who have been in Thailand since March who still can’t return to their passport country for lack of flights, closed borders, etc.

Now what? Join my email list and I’ll make sure you continue to get updates as we wade our way through the murk and muck of 2020.

Resources and further reading

September 2020 (part 2)

You know how you have no idea what’s going on in your own life/household/city/country right now? Confusion, cancelled plans and “maybe-hopefully-soons”? It’s much the same in Thailand.

As yet unresolved: How to (A) keep Thai people safe and continue an incredibly successful COVID response while (B) encouraging tourism once again (an industry responsible for approximately 20% of the Thai economy). For now, while a tidy answer to Question B eludes us all, Thailand’s borders remain shut to many – including the casual foreign traveller.

Please note: These following details are changing ~~weekly~~ daily and nothing is officially set in place yet (though new tourist visa details were announced yesterday). As you’ll read below, a variety of ideas and plans are being considered for the short-, medium- and long-term. For the most up-to-date information, please bookmark and refer to:

World Nomads’ Coronavirus (COVID-19) travel restrictions in Thailand
Thailand’s Department of Disease Control coronavirus updates.

Who can enter Thailand today?

Diplomatic personnel (including their spouse, parents, or children)
Carriers of necessary goods, subject to immediate return upon completion
Flight crew “who are required to travel into the Kingdom on a mission, and have a specified date and time for return”
Non-Thai nationals who are students of educational institutions approved by Thai authorities (including the student’s parents or guardians)
Non-Thai nationals who need medical treatment in Thailand and their attendants (excludes treatment for COVID-19)
Non-Thai nationals who are permitted to enter the kingdom under special arrangement
Non-Thai nationals participating in trade fairs in Thailand
Foreign film crews coming for filming in Thailand
Foreign workers from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar for food and construction industries

Those who qualify to enter Thailand must meet a variety of entry requirements and, on arrival, quarantine for fourteen days at their own expense. Thai nationals are allowed to use state facilities, while foreigners must stay at Alternative State Quarantine accommodation (AQS).

Alternative State Quarantine accommodation (AQS)

Currently, there are eighty-eight ASQ hotels in Bangkok – including two Anantaras, the Conrad, the Shangri-La and so on. It doesn’t have to be awful. Packages include three daily in-room meals (because you’re not going anywhere), laundry discounts and COVID tests galore. If you’re weighing your options for this situation … just spend the big bucks and choose a big balcony. (P.S. No alcohol in quarantine, but you’re overdue for a detox, right?).

Do these prohibitions matter to would-be holidaymakers? Given that agencies such as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office continue to advise against “against all but essential international travel”, you already know you’re better off at home than trying to force a vacation in a country that doesn’t want you quite yet. (Better plan: start here to plan for Thailand … in the Future Times).

What about domestic travel?

As I hit publish on this post, The Thai Hotels Association requested a THB100 billion (US$3.2 billion) bailout from the Finance Ministry and Bank of Thailand. While domestic travel has been heavily promoted in recent months, tourist economies like Phuket and Koh Samui are struggling. (No sugar-coating … it’s bad).

A domestic travel stimulus, ‘Wetraveltogether’, runs from July through October (or until the THB22.4 billion put towards the program has been claimed). Any Thai national aged 20 and above can book domestic hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions for up to 40% off. Also, hotels, airlines and other travel services are offering steep discounts (including high-end Koh Samui villas for as little as US$300/night). So far, only 17% of the available funds have been claimed and, as such, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) plans to tweak the programme and extend it through the end of the year.

Is Bangkok Airways flying again?

Yes! Domestic flights stopped completely for a period, however, they’re running again at a reduced schedule. Face masks are of course mandatory – all other details available at Bangkok Airways’s COVID page.

Bangkok to Koh Samui: There are now approximately fourteen daily flights between Bangkok and Koh Samui (twelve run daily, and two others offered a few days per week). This will increase in late October and again in December.
Koh Samui to Phuket, Chiang Mai and U-Tapao (Pattaya): Daily flights to Chiang Mai and U-Tapao, and twice-weekly flights to Phuket are set to resume.
Passenger lounges have re-opened at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (06:00 to 16:00) and Koh Samui Airport (08:00 to 18:00).
In-flight meals: Passengers will receive a pre-packed meal box including snacks and a sealed drink starting mid-September.

There are hints that Bangkok Airways might resume international flights in January 2021, starting with routes to Cambodia, then perhaps Yangon, Hong Kong and Singapore (subject to governmental approval).

What about visa extensions?

As the Thai border shut in April, a ‘visa amnesty’ was issued to any non-Thai nationals who would either have to leave the country (but couldn’t) or report at an immigration office (as is the case for foreign residents every ninety days). The amnesty has been extended since but expires on September 26th. Many such individuals are now preparing to leave Thailand following, perhaps, a much longer stay than anticipated.

Thai Airways special flights

While Thai Airways has ceased international flights through at least October 2020, they’re offering ‘special flights’ on one-way tickets to Copenhagen, Munich, Frankfurt, London, Paris, Taipei, Hong Kong and Seoul a few times per week through mid- to late October.

So what’s the plan to reopen Thailand?

Right now, this question gets a different answer at different levels, and a variety of plans have been suggested. I’ll outline them below but reiterate that things can change (and have) at the last minute.

The Phuket Model (probably not happening): How does this sound? You fly into Phuket (or another tourist hotspot) and quarantine at a designated hotel for fourteen days (not necessarily in your room, but in a kilometre-square ‘play pen’ that might include a stretch of beach). Following your quarantine, you can vacation as you like around the island (for instance Phuket or Koh Samui). You may or may not have to wear a wristband. There’s a COVID test at the start and finish of quarantine. Want to go elsewhere in Thailand? More quarantine for you.

Safe and Sealed/travel bubbles (probably not happening): Various iterations of this plan involved ‘Safe and Sealed’ ‘travel bubbles’ with (A) ‘safe’ countries such as Australia and New Zealand and/or (B) ‘safe’ cities with no COVID cases for 30 days. Again, destinations would be ‘sealable’ islands such as Phuket or Koh Samui. Minimum spends of THB100,000 were suggested as well as a thirty-day minimum stay. Arrival numbers would be strictly capped.

Delays and changed plans: Plans were being made to start a cautious and limited re-opening in Phuket, along the lines of the plans above, however, delays became likely following Thailand’s first new COVID case reported in over 100 days (as well as outbreaks in aforementioned ‘safe’ countries and cities).

Widespread opposition: Compounding the noise is the crucial fact that many Thais want to keep their country safe and don’t want to rush back to normal with open borders. (Bangkok Post polls put this at 94% of those surveyed). The ‘Phuket Model’ plan has received a lot of criticism from both Phuket residents and domestic Thai travellers alike. As such, the entire plan might be scrapped with Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) required for all visitors or, what looks more likely as of announcements this week: the Special Tourist Visa.

Just announced: Special Tourist Visa

As of yesterday, September 15th 2020, the Thai cabinet approved a new visa category for long-stay visitors, dubbed the Special Tourist Visa (STV). The visa will be valid for 90 days, renewable for a second and third ‘batch’ of ninety days (up to a total of 270 days).

Special Tourist Visas will be issued starting in October
14-day Alternative State Quarantine will be mandatory, either in Bangkok or in ‘ALSQ’ (Alternative Local State Quarantine – currently three choices in Phuket, one in Buriram and one in Chonburi with others to follow in tourist hubs such as Koh Samui).
Unlike the scrapped/rebranded ‘Phuket model’, visitors will be allowed to travel throughout Thailand after completing the quarantine period. Use of an app will be required to keep in touch with immigration authorities throughout the visitor’s stay.
At the time of writing, it has not been announced which countries will be eligible for the Special Tourist Visa as past announcements have shown a strong preference for allowing only ‘safe’ countries.
Thailand expert Richard Barrow offers more details: traveller numbers will be limited to two to three flights per week of perhaps one hundred passengers (aiming for twelve hundred visitors per month). Other requirements include COVID-19 insurance (coverage to US$100,000), and miscellaneous documentation, plus a current (and negative) COVID test taken 72 hours before departure.

If you’re a retiree who hates winter … stay tuned. The STV will cost THB2,000 (US$60) per person for the first ninety days, and each subsequent renewal.

Confused? Not to worry – We will likely know more concrete details in a month or so, towards late October. I’ll post more as it’s available – please join my email list if you’d like to get these updates (and a few stuck-at-home Thai cooking experiments).

Can’t quarantine for two weeks but still want to travel to Thailand sometime? TAT acknowledges this might be tricky and is considering ways to make such travel safe – no details yet.

Now what? I’ve concluded, as perhaps you have, that we need to stay home for now and simply watch this space. My optimistic side is hoping for a Christmas miracle – others (including the deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand … who just might be better informed) predict it will be 2021 when something resembling normal travel resumes. (Perhaps Q2 next year: April/May/June). What to do now, to keep Thailand on the cards for “someday soon?”

The very best thing you can do, today, is helping out in any way that you can: approximately four million Thai people worked in the tourism sector and many could use your support.

To get updates on Thailand’s COVID plans and tourism, please join my weekly emails and you’ll get new details from me as more details are announced.

Longer-term travel planning: To start planning your “someday” trip to Thailand – start here. (For Koh Samui details, jump into The Koh Samui Guide).

Resources and further reading

September 2020 (part 1)

Many of us have spent the past six months in a messy-bun blur of Tiger King-binging, sourdough-starting, day-drinking and perhaps waiting for a Peloton to arrive. Unfortunately, on Koh Samui, the reality is dire and, increasingly, many people require food handouts and donations for essentials. I’ve delayed writing this post for ages, hoping for something good to say… but 2020 defies sugarcoating.

Whether you’re a repeat visitor and hold the island dear, or you’re planning a “someday hopefully soon” trip to Thailand – here’s a September update on everything Koh Samui and COVID-19. I understand that this might be tough to read – literally trouble in paradise – but there are plenty of ways you can help (find them linked at the bottom).

Six months of no tourists? Not great for an island almost entirely reliant on tourism. Similar to Phuket, Koh Samui’s depends on tourism (coconuts are its second industry and account for just ten per cent). For comparison, 2019 was a relatively quiet year for Samui tourist arrivals and welcomed 2.3 million visitors.

As we enter Month Six of this alternate zombie reality, island scenes mirror what you’re perhaps seeing in your own hometowns: shops, restaurants, bars and small businesses boarded up, with new for sale/for lease signs each week. Many Koh Samui residents are relying on government subsidies where applicable (though such payments finish this month) and increasingly need charitable donations for necessities.

My favourite on-island blogger, Camille Lemmens, reports that even mainstays like Family Mart and 7-Eleven are starting to shut in locations that previously had high traffic: on Chaweng and Choeng Mon beach roads, for instance.

While domestic tourism might offer a short-term boost, the next few months and into 2021 are worrying and could mean permanent closures for many island restaurants, hotels and businesses.

Without work, many people previously employed in Samui’s tourist sector have returned or will return, home to elsewhere in Thailand and Myanmar – an exodus of perhaps a few thousand people so far.

At hotels, staffing levels are reduced to minimums and those who remain employed may have had significant salary cuts. Quoted in The Guardian, Lloyd Maraville, General Manager of Nora Buri Resort and Spa, explains that “profit is out of the question at this moment, we just want to maintain the resort.”

Resources and further reading

Covid Archives

December 2021 (part 4)

December 2021 (part 3)

December 2021 (part 2)

December 2021 (part 1)

October 2021

July 2021

June 2021

April 2021

March 2021

November 2020

October 2020 (part 2)

October 2020 (part 1)

September 2020 (part 2)

September 2020 (part 1)

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