Thailand's reopening looms

Rather than overloading the article discussing the possibility of returning to Thailand since October 2020 (which you can read here ), I've decided to write a separate article to address the full reopening, which will mark the end of a long period without international tourist arrivals in the Land of Smiles. The reason I'm doing this now is that things have been moving for almost two weeks now, with pressure mounting in the tourism sector, particularly hard hit on the southern islands, which are more dependent on this industry than other regions.

Phuket to reopen on July 1

It all started with a proposal from the private sector and tourism groups in Phuket. The island has the advantage of an international airport , making it well-positioned to receive international tourists without them needing to transit through Bangkok. Phuket, heavily reliant on tourism , was also chosen because it's easier to control crowds, being an island. It's important to note that those who travel to the island as part of this program, called Phuket Tourism Sandbox (yes, in Thailand they like to give "code names" to projects of this kind, and in this case, "sandbox" means sandbox...), will have to stay for at least seven days before being allowed to travel to other provinces.

This proposal is similar to the so-called travel bubbles , which were tried several months ago, except that the major difference is that the island would be open to everyone once they have received their two doses of the vaccine . In addition, the local governor wants to vaccinate 70% of the population in order to achieve the much sought-after herd immunity.

Given the seriousness of this commitment, and with the situation in Thailand largely under control, the Center for Economic Situation Administration (CESA), chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, approved the proposal on Friday, as confirmed by the Minister of Sports and Tourism, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.

Of course, it goes without saying that the real interest for tourists will be to enjoy an island that is still calm compared to its pre-Covid "glory" time, and above all, without needing to quarantine.

I would like to clarify, however, that at the time and day of publication of this article, the information, if confirmed, is not official since it becomes so when it is published in the Royal Gazette, so watch this space, but I doubt that as things stand, things will change.

A gradual global reopening

While Thailand is (somewhat painfully) implementing its vaccination plan, the rest of the country, while not fully reopening like Phuket, should gradually readjust. First, since April 1st (no joke), Thailand has shortened its mandatory quarantine to 11 nights, down from 15 previously.

To translate this infographic:

• If you are vaccinated

– With one of the vaccines recognized by the Thai authorities, namely: Pfizer BioNTech, AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), CoviShield, Sinovac, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson;
– That you have received your two doses of the vaccine (except for Johnson & Johnson where only one dose is sufficient);
– That the last dose of the vaccine was injected at least 14 days before the date of departure for Thailand

You will then only have to complete a one-week quarantine , which already halves this major obstacle to the return of tourists. However, the process is somewhat complex, as you must present proof of vaccination to the Thai authorities upon arrival in Thailand BUT you must have booked a 10-day ASQ quarantine. If, after verification of your documents on-site, you are indeed subject to a 7-day quarantine, you will then be able to request a partial refund from your hotel.

• If you are not vaccinated

The quarantine period has been shortened to 12 days / 11 nights instead of the previous 16 days / 15 nights (although it's referred to as a "10-day" quarantine, the term is somewhat misleading). The only people still required to undergo the full 15-day quarantine will likely be those arriving from Africa and certain countries facing monitored variants, of which there are currently three recognized variants:

• The variant B.1.1.7 from the United Kingdom,
• The variant B.1.351 from South Africa,
• The variant P.1 from Brazil,

People coming from these three countries will therefore logically be subject to a 15-night quarantine as always. This is also the case for countries with a high incidence of new variants of COVID-19, which include: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, Kenya, Rwanda, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Tanzania. This list will be revised every month.

The following measures will apply to non-Thai nationals whose flights land in Thailand from 00:01 onwards on April 1, 2021. If you are transiting through a third country, the quarantine period will depend on your country of departure. For example, if your itinerary is Paris-Dubai-Bangkok, your country of departure is France.

According to reports from people who made their request before this date of April 1st, but arrived after, you have the right to ask your hotel for a partial refund if you have already booked the hotel for a 15-day quarantine.

In case you have already booked the hotel for a 10-day quarantine and you have received the COE but as things evolve, your country of origin becomes classified as a “country with a high incidence of new COVID-19 variants” (and therefore subject to a 15-day quarantine), you will remain subject to the 10-day quarantine as planned if the date of issuance of your COE is before the announcement of the new country classification.

It's not easy, but overall a good step forward, especially since the quarantine will subsequently become simpler. Because to date, it was a strict quarantine, locked in a room, it clearly didn't make you want to go on vacation, even if you still had a few weeks free afterwards. The proof is that since the introduction of visas to return to Thailand for tourism, barely between 6 to 7 people per MONTH have deigned to make the trip. To put things in perspective, that's practically the number of tourists who arrived every HOUR before Covid!

With the new rules, the quarantine will be less strict and will allow customers to freely roam in defined areas of the chosen establishment. Some clarifications have just been added concerning this remark, confirming on the one hand the easing of conditions, and detailing the time scale, planned for this gradual opening:

From April 1st to June 30th , people in quarantine would be allowed to leave their rooms to go to a gym, an outdoor exercise area, the swimming pool and controlled areas for cycling and shopping outside.

From July 1st to September 30th , you will be allowed to eat in the hotel restaurants and have access to the spa massage parlor (if there is one).

From October 1st , quarantine will only be required for people arriving from specified areas. The Phuket model, namely arrival without quarantine, is expected to be implemented in 5 other provinces (see below).

The full reopening is currently scheduled for January 2022.

From April 1st, 6 provinces will be able to welcome visitors to complete their quarantine (while today, only Bangkok and Pattaya, to my knowledge, welcome travelers in ASQ). In addition to Phuket, it will be possible to stay in Krabi, Phang Nga, Surat Thani (including the island of Koh Samui), Chon Buri (the province where Pattaya is located) and Chiang Mai, the only northern city to be included.

As a reminder, the process is still quite long, because only the "fit to fly" document is no longer necessary, the rest will still have to be obtained in advance to travel to Thailand in the coming months. In addition to the essential negative PCR test within 72 hours of your flight, it will be necessary, in addition to the documents below, to download a "tracing" application (I know that this word will make more than one person jump), to know your movements.

To download the app, titled Mor Chana: Mor Chana on Android / Mor Chana on the Apple Store

As a reminder: the documents required to come to Thailand to date are as follows:

1. Passport with a validity of at least 6 months and having at least two full free pages.
2. Copy of passport page with photo and your names, birthday, expiration date etc.
3. Fill out the form visa application form, duly signed. You need one for each person traveling with you, including children, you can sign for them if they are not adults, as their legal guardian. You can download the form here.
4. Two passport photos (4×6 cm format) with white background, less than 6 months old.
5. Confirmation of your flight ticket reservation round trip clearly indicating the names of the passengers as well as your dates of stay.
6. Bank statements of the last 3 months with an amount of 2 € minimum by applicant (or €4 for a joint account). A photocopy of the family record book is required if the bank account statement is not in the name of the applicant, aged under 000.
7. Copy of the pay sheets of the last three months (in the case of an employee) the amount of which must be greater than the minimum wage or extract from KBIS, proof of retirement (if applicable) or a certificate of schooling (in the case of a student or minor).
8. Copy of a document certifying your place of residence as being located in the country where you are applying for the visa (EDF bill, telephone, where the name and address appear clearly).
9. Booking a hotel for quarantine in one of the "Alternative State Quarantine" (ASQ), in addition to the link given in the short stay section, you can see the choices here or an list with prices here.

Once these steps are completed, you should be able to obtain your visa after paying the €35 fee . However, please note that this visa will only grant you entry to Thailand if you first obtain your Certificate of Entry (COE). For more details, please refer to my article discussing current travel options in Thailand.

Please note that the special STV visa, created especially for this period of return to Thailand (since October 2020), will be issued until September 30, 2021, after which, it will be necessary to turn to TR visas or others for long stays.