Region: Southeast Asia

Pandemic Travel Alert

OPEN: to international leisure travel

Updated: 2021-01-21

Entry

General Policy

Starting 26 March 2020, all travellers are denied entry or transit/transfer. Travellers with a Certificate Of Entry are exempt and permitted entry. Non-Thai nationals with work permits, or who have been granted permission from Thai government agencies to work in Thailand, are exempt and permitted entry.
Starting 3 July 2020, 11 types of travellers are exempted from the ban and permitted to enter. But these travellers must first apply for necessary documents from Thai Embassies or consulates. Also, regular commercial flights are suspended until further notice.
At present, certain air operators are permitted to operate “semi-commercial” flights to Thailand. An Air France notice states that their semi-commercial flight: “may only carry specific passengers allowed by the Thai Government...The flight schedule is subject to change without prior notice”. Check source for the list of air operators participating in the semi-commercial flights program.

Sources:

Leisure Travel

Starting 17 December 2020, visa exemptions have been reactivated for eligible passport holders of 56 countries and territories (including USA).
Starting 9 December 2020, restrictions on which passports were eligible for the Special Tourist Visa have been lifted. Now long-stay travellers from around the world can apply. A Certificate Of Entry is required.
Starting 29 September 2020, long-staying visitors from countries with lower COVID-19 infection rates can apply for the ‘Special Tourist Visa’ from Thai embassies and consulates worldwide. This is a single-entry visa to Thailand, valid for 90 days and can be extended twice, each for a further 90 days.

Sources:

Business/Employment Travel

Non-Thai nationals who have work permits or have been granted permission from government agencies to work in the Kingdom, along with their spouses or children, are included in the types of travellers that are exempted from the general entry ban, and permitted to enter.

(Source: Royal Thai Consulate-General, Los Angeles - Related Procedures in Requesting for a Certificate of Entry and Visa to enter Thailand )

Travel For Study

Non-Thai nationals who are students of educational institutions approved by Thai authorities, including the parents or guardians of the students, are included in the types of travellers that are exempted from the general entry ban, and permitted to enter.

(Source: Royal Thai Consulate-General, Los Angeles - Related Procedures in Requesting for a Certificate of Entry and Visa to enter Thailand )

Medical Travel

Non-Thai nationals who are in need of medical treatment in Thailand, and their attendants, are included in the types of travellers that are exempted from the general entry ban, and permitted to enter. However, this shall not include medical treatment for COVID19.

(Source: Royal Thai Consulate-General, Los Angeles - Related Procedures in Requesting for a Certificate of Entry and Visa to enter Thailand )

Entry Requirements

Visa

Ways To Enter For Tourism:
Visa Exemption
- Starting 7 December 2020, visa exemptions have been reactivated for eligible passport holders of 56 countries and territories (including USA). Travellers from five countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and South Korea) can stay up to 90 days. Travellers from the remaining points (including USA) can stay up to 45 days. Tourist Visa Exemption does not apply to travellers holding Travel Document for Aliens issued by visa-exempt countries.
- Entry through land/sea border checkpoints under Tourist Visa Exemption is permitted only twice in a calendar year. Nationals of Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and Singapore however may enter Thailand through such checkpoints more than twice in a calendar year.
- Travellers entering under Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme must possess adequate cash of or equivalent to 20,000 Baht per person or 40,000 Baht per family.
Single Entry Tourist Visa

Stay up to 60 days, may be extended for another 30 days, for a maximum stay of 90 days.

Single Entry Special Tourist Visa

Stay up to 90 days, may be extended twice for another 90 days each time, for a maximum stay of 270 days.
All travellers (including visa-exempt) must also fulfill the testing, data collection, quarantine, and insurance requirements as listed below.

(Source: Royal Thai Embassy, Washington D.C.: Visa and Certificate of Entry procedures for Non-Thai nationals wishing to enter Thailand for Tourism purposes )

Testing

All travellers must submit a COVID-19 negative medical certificate issued no more than 72 hours prior to the date of arrival.
All travellers will either undergo RT-PCR test twice during 14-day post-arrival quarantine or be tested once upon arrival if short stay.

(Source: The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand - The Notification On Conditions For Aircraft Permission To Enter Thailand (No.2) [see graphic at bottom] )

Data Collection

All travellers must apply for a Certificate Of Entry. The application process is detailed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1c1dNaXv0mM. Required documents include:
- Copy of passport
- Confirmed air ticket with proof of payment (also see Note below)
- A confirmation of booking of quarantine facility
- A copy of recent bank statement
- Proof of medical insurance
All travellers must submit a medical Fit to Fly certificate.
Starting 14 January 2021, all travelers who have received a Certificate Of Entry are required to download and register via the ThailandPlus contact tracing application.
Additional requirements for Special Tourist Visa (Source: Royal Thai Embassy, Washington D.C. - Visa and Certificate of Entry procedures for Non-Thai nationals wishing to obtain Special Tourist Visa (STV)):
- A letter issued from a state or Federal Bureau of Investigation stating that the applicant has no criminal record
- Evidence of long-stay accommodation, fully-paid for the whole duration of intended stay

(Source: Royal Thai Embassy, Washington D.C. - Visa and Certificate of Entry procedures for Non-Thai nationals wishing to enter Thailand for Tourism purposes )

Quarantine

Upon arrival all travellers, except those on short stay, must quarantine for not less than 14 days at one of the hotels authorized to provide “Alternative State Quarantine” (ASQ) or “Alternative Local Quarantine” (abbreviated in source as ALQ, ASLQ, or LSQ), at traveller's own expense.
Travellers arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport/Don Mueang International Airport (BKK) can be quarantined in any of the Alternative State Quarantine hotels (all located in Bangkok) or the Alternative Local Quarantine hotels located in Chonburi and Prachinburi.
Travellers arriving at Phuket International Airport can be quarantined in the Alternative Local Quarantine hotels located in Phuket and Phang-nga.
Travellers arriving via Ban Klong Luek (Aranyaprathet) Border Checkpoint can be quarantined in the Alternative Local Quarantine hotel located in Prachinburi.
Travellers arriving via 2nd Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge can be quarantined in the Alternative Local Quarantine hotel located in Mukdahan.

(Source: Royal Thai Embassy, Washington D.C. - Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ)/(ASLQ) )

Insurance

All travellers, except Thai nationals, must have health insurance with a minimum US$100,000 coverage for Covid-19 medical treatment.
Additional health insurance requirements for Special Tourist Visa are detailed at the source (2) linked below.

Sources:

Exit

No info

Other

Note:

The websites of both the Thai Embassy (Washington D.C.) and Thai Consulate-General (Los Angeles) state, for each tourist visa type and for visa exemption, one of the required documents is:
“A copy of flight confirmation/ reservation, showing going from US to Thailand. ”
Not clear whether entry to Thailand from outside US is permitted for holders of US passport.

Pre-pandemic visa rules

Requirements

Passport Validity: 6 months
Other Documents: Immigration officials may ask for an onward/return ticket.
Transit: - Holders of confirmed onward tickets through Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK), are permitted transit without visa in international transit area for up to 12 hours. Passengers must have a connecting flight booked on the same ticket. Not applicable to all airlines: check Timaticweb for details.; - Holders of confirmed onward tickets on Thai AirAsia (FD) or Thai AirAsia X (XJ) through Bangkok Don Mueang (DMK) , are permitted transit without visa in international transit area for up to 12 hours. Passengers must have a connecting flight booked on the same ticket.
Dual Nationality: U.S. policy on dual nationality can be found here.

Additional Notes

The Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State warns: 'Thailand’s entry/exit information is subject to change without notice.'