Changes to the Thailand Pass, which will come into effect on March 1, will allow travelers to arrive in Thailand with just one prepaid day of accommodation and PCR testing. The Day 5 PCR test and accommodation have been removed, but you will still need to perform a Day 5 Auto-ATK test and upload the result to the Mor Chana app.
The other main change was the Covid insurance, required by foreign travellers. The exception is for foreign workers who have a valid work permit and social security deductions. The insurance must now cover treatments up to a value of 20,000 USD instead of the previous 50,000 USD.
The changes have now been announced in the Royal Gazette, making them applicable from March 1. The changes were approved at a CCSA meeting this week and were awaiting Royal Gazette approval.
In addition to the following information, we would like to remind travelers that the Thailand Pass is a FREE service. The service provided by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs is free. But there are qualified visa officers who can help you with the documentation, for a fee. Get a recommendation from a friend or ask lots of questions before using the services of a visa officer.
Everyone must apply for a Thailand Pass if entering Thailand at this time – locals and foreigners.
The new rules apply to people who have applied for and been approved, or will be approved for a Thailand Pass before March 1, 2022.
There are three types of Thailand Pass – the Test & Go (which this document specifically discusses), the Sandbox program or the Alternative Quarantine program (for unvaccinated people).
You can arrive by land (Nong Khai, Udon Thani and Songkhla, depending on the TAT), sea or air.
For arrivals by air and water…
• Fully immunized Thai citizens and foreign travelers from all countries/territories.
For arrivals by land…
• Fully vaccinated Thai citizens and foreign travelers from neighboring countries connecting to reopened border checkpoints (Nong Khai, Udon Thani and Songkhla).
The following information has been copied from tatnews.org website…
All travelers must have the following documents to enter Thailand…
A Thailand pass is for air and land arrivals; or an entry certificate (via a Royal Thai Embassy/Consulate General) for arrivals by water.
• A medical certificate with an RT-PCR lab result indicating that COVID-19 is not detected issued no more than 72 hours before travel.
• Travelers under the age of 6, traveling with their parents with a negative RT-PCR test result within 72 hours of travel, are not required to have a negative RT-PCR test result prior to arrival and may have a saliva test upon entering the Kingdom.
• For arrivals by water, everyone on board ships must have a medical certificate with an RT-PCR lab result indicating that COVID-19 is not detected within the officially specified time frame. Anyone on board with a history of COVID-19 infection in a period between 14 and 90 days must have a medical certificate of recovery.
• An insurance policy with coverage of at least 20,000 USD. Thais and foreign expatriates covered by Thai national medical coverage are exempt from this requirement.
• TAT recommends travelers check the fine print of any COVID-19 insurance policy before purchasing. Ultimately, the policy should cover the cost of treatment and other medical expenses associated with COVID-19 infection, including hospitalization, hospital isolation, hotel isolation or related quarantine. The insurance policy must also cover the full length of time travelers plan to stay in Thailand, plus at least 10 additional days as a precaution in case the traveler’s second swab test result is positive.
Check out The Thaiger’s insurance partner HERE for Covid insurance.
• Proof of prepayment for 1 night’s accommodation in government-approved hotel(s); such as SHA Extra Plus (SHA++) on day 1, which should also include expenses for 1 RT-PCR test on day 1 and 1 antigen self-test kit (self-ATK) on day 5.
• A COVID-19 vaccination/recovery certificate. Anyone aged 18 and over should be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with an approved vaccine at least 14 days before traveling to Thailand.
• Travelers between the ages of 12 and 17 traveling to Thailand unaccompanied should be vaccinated with at least 1 dose of an approved vaccine. People traveling with their parents are exempt from this obligation.
• Travelers between the ages of 6 and 11 traveling with their parents are exempt from this requirement.
• For arrivals by water, all persons on board must be fully vaccinated. This is with the exception of travelers under the age of 18, traveling with their parents or guardians.
• Travelers with a history of COVID-19 infection who have recovered with medical treatment and travelers who have received at least 1 dose of an approved vaccine after infection must have a COVID-19 Recovery Certificate. 19.
All travelers must undergo an “exit check” at the point of departure, ie at the airline’s check-in counter and present the required documents to the person responsible for carrying out the checks.
Requirements upon arrival / During the stay
• All travelers must undergo entry screening, including body temperature screening, and present the required documents to the Immigration/Health Screening Officer to complete the checks.
1.1 Arrivals by air:
Arrivals on a direct flight to Thailand International Airport: At the point of entry.
Arrivals with connecting domestic flights: either at the first point of entry before boarding the transit flight, or at the final airport.
1.2 Arrivals by land and sea: at the point of entry.
Go to the prearranged accommodation or medical facility to take the RT-PCR test on Day 1. *Travelers under 6 years old, traveling with their parents, can take a saliva test.
2.1 Arrivals by air and land:
The trip must be made by a pre-arranged vehicle on a sealed route within a travel time of no more than 5 hours. Then all travelers should wait for the test result inside the hotel only.
2.2 Arrivals by water:
• All travelers should wait for the test result on board the traveling vessel (yacht). Travelers with a negative test result are free to go anywhere in Thailand, but will receive 1 antigen self-test kit for self-testing on Day 5 and must report/record the result via the MorChana app or other specified app. application.
• Travelers who test positive will be referred for appropriate medical treatment in accordance with Thailand’s Communicable Diseases Act BE 2558 (2015). Expenses must be covered by required insurance/at your own expense for foreign travellers, or national health care coverage for eligible Thais and foreign expats.
• Pending their condition, they may be medically advised to receive treatment either in hospital hotel isolation or in community isolation.
• While receiving medical treatment – at least 10 days, they must stay in their accommodation only. They should not leave their accommodation unless absolutely necessary and should notify the Communicable Disease Control Officer.
• After recovering from COVID-19, they will receive a medical certificate of recovery.
While in Thailand
• While in Thailand, travelers are advised to strictly follow standard good personal hygiene practices; for example, wearing a mask in public, maintaining hand hygiene (washing with soap and water or using hand sanitizer), and keeping a physical distance of at least 1 meter from others.
• Travelers with COVID-like symptoms should get tested. If the test is positive, they should receive appropriate medical treatment.
• All travelers must download and install the MorChana app, and activate it at all times for COVID-19 precautionary measures and to log the Auto-ATK result on day 5 in the app.
• Day 5 Auto-ATK will not be required if the traveler’s length of stay is less than 5 nights or if their scheduled international departure date out of Thailand is on or before Day 5. For example, if the traveler plans to stay in Thailand for 3 days, he does not have to declare the result of auto-ATK, but he must leave immediately for another country. However, the traveler may be required to take another test depending on the airline and final international destination.
Guidelines for Domestic/International Departures
• For domestic departures (who are international travelers to Thailand), travelers must present proof that they received a negative result for their Day 1 RT-PCR test.
• For international departures, it is the responsibility of travelers or their organizations to ensure that travelers meet the requirements for their specific international destination, regardless of the point of departure.
All this information comes from the TAT website HERE.
